Racoon Bandit

Artist Information

Biography

On Racoon Bandit's 2011 album 'Into the Hills'

“It’s an incredible effort, one of those debut albums that obviously comes from a band interested in a long professional career” – Toro Magazine.

Racoon Bandit are picking up steam in the non-steam era. The folk-rock outfit formed in 2009 in a well-lit porch in Charlottetown, PEI when songwriters Fraser McCallum and Adam Gallant both tumbled back onto red soil. Winners of Music PEI's Group Recording of the Year and Rock Recording of the Year in January, 2012 is looking like a bright year for this rising group.

Together with drummer/songwriter Roger Carter and bassist Scott Gallant, the full quartet blends poetic lyrics with a driving rhythm section, punchy harmonies, and gripping guitar flashes. Equal parts alt-folk and indie-rock, the Bandit sound evokes comparisons to early-Neil Young, Wilco, and
Arcade Fire.

Racoon Bandit recently released a vinyl EP,'RacoonBandit/ SisterJack', their third self-produced release in just over 2 years. Their last album, Into the Hills, came out in 2011 on Collagen Rock Records (Two Hours Traffic, English Words). This full-length collection of folk and folk rock songs that ranges in texture from wistful ballads to punchy pop-rock to alt-rock shuffles. It made The Broken Speaker.com's top 20 of 2012 list at #19.

Nominees in 2011 for the East Coast Music Awards and winners of the 2011 Music PEI Video of the Year, Racoon Bandit has shared the stage with many greats including April Wine, Two Hours Traffic, Hannah Georgas, Said the Whale, In-Flight Safety and Erin Costelo.

For more, http://www.racoonbandit.com

Instrumentation

Fraser McCallum - VOX, Guitar & Keys
Adam Gallant - Guitar, VOX
Scott Gallant - Bass
Roger Carter - Drums, keys, VOX

Discography

-Katie Cruel music video (April 2, 2012)

-RacoonBandit/Sister Jack Vinyl Ep (December 17, 2011)

-Twist in the Wind Music Video (December 17, 2011)

- Into the hills LP (March 26, 2011).

-Campcraft EP - August 2009.

-'What Child is this' recording featured on The 13 Days of Christmas (Compilation Dec 09)

-The PEI Mixtape, Herohill.com (November 09)

-HAT Music video (Decemeber 09)

Links

• MySpace
• Facebook

Audio

• 03 HAT
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• Catch Release
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• River Song
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• Applehill
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• Hard Drive
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• Wooly Toque
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• Silver Bullet
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• Katie Cruel
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• Fix it
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• Loose lips
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Lyrics

• Train song
• Hold onto your hat
• Same ol' boat
• Bloody Bone

Video

Photo Gallery

Press

• CBC Radio 3 Track of the Day - Train Song - April 28, 2010 [+ Show ]
  

  "I can't believe that I let this one slip my mind!! At the ECMAs this year, I was blown away how Syd..."I can't believe that I let this one slip my mind!! At the ECMAs this year, I was blown away how Sydney/Cape Breton managed to shoehorn music into every nook and cranny of that city!
  On the Sunday morning, I ventured into the sterile pub in the lobby of the Delta and caught the tail end of a set by Racoon Bandit. I've heard them a lot on R3, but was really impressed that they put on an amazing show. At a weird time of day. In a weird venue. With weird people like me gawking at them!
  I ride the train daily, so I choose Train Song."
  
  -Radio 3 DJ Craig Norris, April 28, 2010
  

• Skeleton Crew Quarterly reviews Into the Hills [+ Show ]
  

  "Opening with the tender but throbbing couplet of ‘Wooly Toque’ and ‘Steel Rail’, Racoon Bandit show..."Opening with the tender but throbbing couplet of ‘Wooly Toque’ and ‘Steel Rail’, Racoon Bandit show a knack for warm folk-rock arrangements that hide an anthemic bite; something that goes smoothly next to daydreamed campfires and docks at sunset."
  
  "The lyrics, mood and scope of In the Hills hugs at the nature of being Canadian and I’ve no doubt Canadians will be hugging this record back.... Into the Hills shows enough promise to secure some indie-appropriate loyalties and, with any luck, some exposure south of the border."

• Beatroute Reviews Into the Hills [+ Show ]
  

  "Into the Hills opens with the first of about four folk songs on the album with “Wooly Toque,” which..."Into the Hills opens with the first of about four folk songs on the album with “Wooly Toque,” which actually sounds like it could have been pulled off an early Joel Plaskett album. The next track, “Steel Rail,” is a little more indicative of what the majority of the album brings to the table: simple yet sprawling East Coast indie rock. Fraser McCallum, the lead man behind Racoon Bandit, is the stand out on the percussion led alt-pop tracks “Silver Bullet” and “Catch/Release.”

• Soundvat Song of the Day [+ Show ]
  

  "Since I got the record, I’ve been listening to it constantly. I have no doubt that it’ll be one of ..."Since I got the record, I’ve been listening to it constantly. I have no doubt that it’ll be one of my summer “hey let’s play this one over and over until the cows come home” albums, and if you take a listen, it might be one of yours too."
  
  On song of the day 'River song': "When the first bar of a song gives you goosebumps, you know it’s going to be good. There’s a short passage of “ooh”ing and guitar strumming, then we’re launched into a beautiful but short a Capella part. I found this song to have a similar sound to M. Ward. Anyhow, from that point on, the song is just pure magic. With the soft percussion, quiet picking, faraway vocals and a gorgeous melody line, I couldn’t ask for more. I can’t wait to see what else this great band brings in the future."

• Musicnerd.ca reviews Into the Hills [+ Show ]
  

  "Second-track Steel Rail shows you where Into The Hills can go: soaring harmonies mixed with a blend..."Second-track Steel Rail shows you where Into The Hills can go: soaring harmonies mixed with a blend of folk and rock that find an irresistible happy medium between the two. Tracks like I’m On Fire, Get Off and Silver Bullet roll nicely out of the speakers while more introspective moments like Hard Drive and the haunting Katie Cruel show a band with a killer amount of potential."

• Exclaim reviews Into the Hills [+ Show ]
  

  "Into the Hills rolls a lot around tempo, every song having a pace it gets into and rides through. C..."Into the Hills rolls a lot around tempo, every song having a pace it gets into and rides through. Charlottetown's Racoon Bandit give us 12 songs that blend subtle psychedelic tones, folk, country and rock into one pleasant experience."

Setlist

2 sets available; soft with keys/acoustics/folk-songs or louder, full band set (and blends of the two, where applicable).

Basic Requirements

Calendar