Children of Celebrities

Artist Information

Biography

Victoria, BC's Kings of Enviro-cowboy lounge music return with their third release, Stereo Bang Bang. Recorded in fiddle and dobro player Mike Regimbal's home studio, they stuck to their goal of capturing the feeling of a live off-the-floor sound. The new Cd features 11 original songs and 2 covers: Tom Waits' "Tango 'til They're Sore" and "Let the Train Blow the Whistle" by Johnny Cash. CelebHeads, the band's devoted and growing cult following and new listeners alike will be right at home with the new songs, primarily from the quirky yet poignant pen of Rob Egan. "The Road to Hollywood" opens the Cd with a story from the boulevard of broken dreams, "Rodeo Clown" tells the tale of a woman pursuing a non-traditional career, the mean streets of "Downtown" is spiced up with jaw harp and banjitar, "Old Lips" offers a view from the end of the line and "What Will It Mean When You're Gone?", from the pen of Mike Raymer, is a lovely ballad that tugs at the heart strings. Contributing vocals to several songs are members of the Balkan Babes, an award-winning women's choral group. To understand how that fits together with the Children's roots-country-rockin'-twang you just have to trust the band's demented artistic vision 'cause it works.

Delivering more than a half ton of fun, Children of Celebrities burst onto the West Coast music scene in 2004 when this group of pseudo middle-aged guys wanted more than just their day jobs. All talented musicians, they also discovered a shared sense of humour about life and music. In 2005, the Children released their debut Cd, Middle Age Wasteland. Victoria, BC's Monday Magazine Reader's Poll voted Children of Celebrities as "Favourite Group" and Middle Age Wasteland as "Favourite Local CD" in 2006. It was also nominated for a Vancouver Island Music Award. In 2007, the band released their second CD, We're Not Bitter, receiving airplay on CBC Radio and campus-community radio stations across the country. We're Not Bitter shot up folk and rock playlists resulting in national campus-community chart rankings on !Earshot folk/roots/blues charts in August, September and October of 2007.

The band has also appeared on two compilations on the Self Righteous Records label: Cavalcade of the Scars, in 2006 and Volume 2 in 2008. The Children perform regularly in bars, coffee houses and festivals. They have gained many a fan with their winning live show at events such as the Islands Folk Festival (Duncan, BC) and the Sooke River Music Festival. The Children have made several television appearances on The Daily/Shaw Community Cable and A Channel in Victoria.

Their CDs can be purchased at CD Baby, iTunes, Rhapsody and "in the groove" independent record stores such as Zulu and Highlife in Vancouver and Ditch Records and Lyle's Place in Victoria.

All proceeds from Cd sales, merchandise sales, gigs, tips, donations...go towards the purchase of an environmentally-friendly, hydrogen-fueled Band Jet so the Children can visit your town or city!

Visit their cool, inviting, user-friendly website at www.childrenofcelebrities.com and join their blog at www.childrenofcelebrities.blogspot.com

Instrumentation

Mike Regimbal ~ fiddle, dobro percussion, vocals
Mike Raymer ~ guitar, harmonica, vocals
Wayne Alleman ~ mandolin, jaw harp
Kevin Paetz~ bass, vocals
Andrew Bartley ~ guitar, banjitar
Rob Egan ~ guitar, perucssion, vocals

Discography

Middle Age Wasteland, 2005
We're Not Bitter, 2007
Stereo Bang Bang 2010
Cavalcade of the Scars, (Self Righteous Records, 2006)
Cavalcade of the Scars,
Volume 2 (Self Righteous
Records, 2008)

Official Website

http://www.childrenofcelebrities.com

Audio

• What Will It Mean When You're Gone?
  Listen   Download
• I Was Crazy I Was
  Listen   Download
• The Road to Hollywood
  Listen   Download
• Rodeo Clown
  Listen   Download
• It's a Beautiful Thing
  Listen   Download
• Downtown
  Listen   Download
• Retro Help
  Listen   Download
• Dead Man's Shoes
  Listen   Download
• Waitin' for Tomorrow
  Listen   Download
• Deja Vu
  Listen   Download
• Crawlin'
  Listen   Download

Lyrics

• Stereo Bang Bang

Video

Photo Gallery

Press

• We're Not Bitter [+ Show ]
  

  For me personally, no matter what I’m reviewing, I try and keep an open mind, and let the music guid...For me personally, no matter what I’m reviewing, I try and keep an open mind, and let the music guide me to a fair conclusion. My conclusion to We’re Not Bitter is that this album is making me want to bust a move, sing along and celebrate life with the Children of Celebrities, no matter how not bitter they claim to be.

• Children of Celebrities [+ Show ]
  

  Having seen "The Children" live on several occasions I can tell you that this is a band that has a l...Having seen "The Children" live on several occasions I can tell you that this is a band that has a lot of fun...Happily, We're Not Bitter, their second release, mirrors this "joy of playing" approach and the blend of folk, bluegrass, country and a dash of rock comes across as well as it does in their live performances.

• Middle Age Wasteland [+ Show ]
  

  "Selling hula hoops at the funeral to raise a little cash" - take lyrics like that along with storie..."Selling hula hoops at the funeral to raise a little cash" - take lyrics like that along with stories of disco ball related fatalities and a cover of Tom Waits "Chocolate Jesus" and the album is well-rounded with elements of black humour narrative and off kilter aesthetics, not to mention the inclusion of guests including jazz trumpeter Alfons Fear and multi-instrumentalist Tolan McNeil giving the album a bit of local "star power"- the album is pretty damn good.
  Though the CD doesn't come as close to representing the band's full range and presence that their live shows do, "Middle Age Wasteland" is a worthy CD and a good listen for the whole dysfunctional family.

• We're Not Bitter [+ Show ]
  

  We're Not Bitter, the second full-length from Victoria's Children of Celebrities, has its flaws, but...We're Not Bitter, the second full-length from Victoria's Children of Celebrities, has its flaws, but something about the album makes you forget them. The vocals are off in spots, and at times the energy lags, despite the fact that there is a vitality inherent in the music they mix together (country, Celtic, bluegrass, a Tom Waits cover and other odds and ends). Other times, the humour provokes a smirk when it should prod a smile. Yet somehow it's clear that these guys are about as sincere as a band can be, and the tone of the record is likeable, the harmonies together, the playing excellent, and the sound itself a little less twee than many other bands to whom they might be compared. If there are flaws, they're the flaws of recording a self-financed independent record. Ultimately the real reason to recommend We're Not Bitter is probably that the original songs are strong, and there are an awful lot of indie folkie records out there that have nary a memorable melody to be found.
  By James Hayashi-Tennant
  

• We're Not Bitter [+ Show ]
  

  Swampy blue grass. Mmmm there’s just doesn’t seem to be enough of this around. We’re Not Bitter i...Swampy blue grass. Mmmm there’s just doesn’t seem to be enough of this around.
  
  We’re Not Bitter is the second full length album from Children of Celebrities, a band of talented chaps brandishing banjos, fiddles and mandolins singing songs of pain and hockey games. They certainly don’t create the most cheerful ditties but once the dust settles and the tumbleweeds have passed We’re Not Bitter will draw you into their world, grip your arm and make sure you stay there for the duration.
  
  This is a real grower, the kind that takes root in your subconscious until you eventually find something to replace it. So push the long boat out this month and try something new, put down all that metal and hardcore you can’t live without and purchase a fine slice of traditional American folklore. You won’t regret it.

Setlist

Retro Help
Saint Michael
Ruby Red Lips
The Road to Hollywood
It's A Beautiful Thing
Downtown
It Must Have Been the Birds
I Was Crazy I Was
36 Days in December
Old Lips
Dead Man's Shoes
Tango 'til They're Sore
It Ain't Workin'
Our Little Town
California Plates
Rain Dogs
Cool Tumbleweed
Empty Boxes
Disco Ball
No Time to Cry
Waitin' for Tomorrow
Gracie Jones
Rodeo Clown
What Will It Mean When You're Gone?
Deja Vu
Let the Train Blow the Whistle

A typical set list for the Children ~ 90 minutes give or take...

Covers include songs by Tom Waits, Johnny Cash, AC/DC, Merle Travis, traditional fiddle tunes and more...with the occasional tango thrown in for the dancers!

Basic Requirements

Calendar