Graydon James & the Young Novelists

Artist Information

Biography

In the span of three fast-paced years Graydon James & the Young Novelists have won a Galaxie Rising Star award, toured extensively throughout Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes, and played numerous festivals (including the Halifax Urban Folk Festival, Burlington Sound of Music festival, OtherFolk, Niagara's In The Soil festival and the upcoming Mariposa Folk Festival). They have shared the stage with such iconic artists as Lowest of the Low, Cuff the Duke, the Wilderness of Manitoba, NQ Arbuckle, Craig Cardiff, and Peter Katz. In and amongst it all they have released three albums that have all been warmly received by audiences and critics alike.

Their first EP, a small town eulogy, was released in April 2011 and was hailed as “a work of unpretentious brilliance” by Exclaim! Magazine. During the tour to support the EP's release they recorded a live album, live at dublin st. church, which was released in November 2011. Shortly thereafter they went into the studio with producer Chris Stringer (Ohbijou, Timber Timbre) to record their first full-length studio album with assistance from a FACTOR recording grant.

Released in September 2012, in the year you were born showcased the Young Novelists' hard-earned, road-tested musicianship but also pushed the band's boundaries, adding new textures and instrumentation – including string arrangements by Jaron Freeman-Fox (The Opposite of Everything). The combination of warm harmonies layered over deftly wry lyrics and intricate arrangements received critical praise and exceptional reviews. Vue Weekly said, “[No] gimmicks or studio trickery here, just good old-fashioned musical talent that combines soaring three-part harmonies, a host of instruments and storytelling to create an end result that emotes and entertains.”

Equally at home on a festival stage or playing a full-band house concert, Graydon James & the Young Novelists have played every kind of venue from small cafes to the storied stage of The Horseshoe Tavern, from The Neptune Theatre in Halifax to Yonge-Dundas Square in Toronto. The band is flexible and talented enough to play roots-rock barnstormers and heartfelt folk ballads with equal parts craft and care, capable of dynamic shifts that keep audiences enchanted and entertained. Underneath it all are the songs, whether they are about love or loss, the tragedies of high school, the joys of parenthood, small town dreams, or big city truths, they are the connection between the musicians and the audience.

Every show is a new story to be shared and a new voice added to the sing-along choruses.

Instrumentation

Graydon James - Vocals/Acoustic Guitar
Shawn Jurek - Bass/Vocals
Mike Paddags - Drums
Alex Dodd - keyboard
Laura Spink - Vocals/percussion
John Law - Lead Guitar

Discography

in the year you were born (september 2012)
live at dublin st. church (november 2011)
a small town eulogy ep (april 2011)
goodnight, young novelist (august 2009)

Official Website

http://www.theyoungnovelists.com

Links

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Bandcamp
• YouTube
• CBC Music

Audio

• i was a young man's son
  Listen  
• standing still
  Listen  
• older bros never listen (live)
  Listen  
• left behind
  Listen  
• alyson, everything i know is wrong (live)
  Listen  

Lyrics

• i was a young man's son
• standing still
• older bros. never listen
• left behind
• alyson, everything i know is wrong

Video

Photo Gallery

Press

• Graydon James and The Young Novelists bring their raucous folk-rock to The Cameron House [+ Show ]
  

  Folk music has made a glorious comeback — and Toronto is blazing the trail. With bands such as Great...Folk music has made a glorious comeback — and Toronto is blazing the trail. With bands such as Great Lake Swimmers and Cuff the Duke getting mainstream air time, local indie groups have to work overtime to give us something refreshingly unrivaled, and at the same time, something wonted. Which is exactly what Graydon James and The Young Novelists gave us last night — and will continue to do every Wednesday night this month.
  
  Postman by day, cavalier crooner by night, frontman Graydon James delivered (get it?) an intimate set at The Cameron House on Wednesday. Backed by the full Young Novelists band, most of us in attendance felt as though we were seeing an old familiar friend that just happens to have killer jam skills. But the show was far from habitual.
  
  Another local (Hamilton counts, right?) songstress, Paula Perri, warmed up the crowd and cajoled us with her honeyed, lulling voice, which was punctuated by blustering drum beats and smoothed by the fluidity of keys.
  
  When it came time for the The Young Novelists to take the stage, it was immediately clear that they would keep true to the folk resurgence, and they performed in full-blown symphonic form. That included four-piece vocals, a trumpet, double keys (of both the old-school and electronic variety) and a tambourine, amongst traditional drums and guitars. So it’s no surprise that their brand of raucous bluegrass has likened them to other folk heavyweights such as Blue Rodeo and Wilco.
  
  Instantly, the band jumped into its first full-length record, In The Year You Were Born, which was released in September (and seemingly an eternity after their critically-lauded EP, A Small Town Eulogy). Hands down, “It Takes All Kinds” remains the fan favourite, so kicking off the set with such a warming and winsome tune had us eating out of the palms of their hands for the remainder of the night. A veritable country-fried cacophony.
  
  The cowboy-boot-mobiles dangling from the ceiling, plush couches and romantic lighting make for an undeniably cozy venue with serious acoustic abilities — but it’s obvious that the Young Novelists need a bigger space to hold their sound. Even now, my tinny iPod headphones aren’t powerful enough to handle the loudness of the studio album, let alone the live set, the latter of which you can (and probably should) experience.
  
  By Sabrina Nanji
  October 11, 2012

• TORO Magazine album review: in the year you were born [+ Show ]
  

  Rating: 4/5 “Music doesn’t really matter much without an audience,” writes Graydon James in the ...Rating: 4/5
  
  “Music doesn’t really matter much without an audience,” writes Graydon James in the liner notes to his second album. It’s like a blue-collar take on the ancient koan about a tree falling in the woods, a bit of accidental wisdom disguised as sentiment.
  
  James's populist, friendly attitude serves him well. The chords to each song on in the year you were born are included under the lyrics. The album’s strongest song, “Standing Still,” is led not by he but vocalist Laura Spink. He seems deeply inspired by the prospect of working with, and for, other people; “{The Young Novelists) are all far, far better at their instruments than I’ve ever been,” he told us this past June with some unwarranted self-deprecation.
  
  But with the same focus that made his 40-track debut goodnight, young novelist an unexpectedly breezy listen, James stays on task. Despite introducing additional players and apparently encouraging their own creative input, in the year you were born never feels like a kitchen too full of cooks. The tracks are never left to wander. The longest son (natch) “Long Long Long” deserves to be. As eager as he may be to defer singular credit, James is still the essential centre of his group.
  
  By Jess Skinner
  September 25, 2012

• VUE Weekly album review: in the year you were born [+ Show ]
  

  Rating: 4/5 The latest album from this Galaxie Rising Star Award winner is a bunch of folk-roots ...Rating: 4/5
  
  The latest album from this Galaxie Rising Star Award winner is a bunch of folk-roots tracks that are as poignant as they are heartfelt. There are no gimmicks or studio trickery here, just good old-fashioned musical talent that combine soaring three-part harmonies, a host of instruments and storytelling to create an end result that emotes and entertains. The collective is at its best when it gets down with its folk-rock stompers, as on "I Was a Young Man's Son" and "Make the Same Mistakes." Each track tackles a facet of life, from joys to sorrows, with a fresh take that avoids cliched pitfalls and keeps the listener engaged from start to finish.
  
  By Meaghan Baxter
  September 19, 2012

• Graydon James & the Young Novelists Celebrate Their Album Release at the Horseshoe [+ Show ]
  

  Graydon James & the Young Novelists put together a great bill to celebrate their release of In the Y...Graydon James & the Young Novelists put together a great bill to celebrate their release of In the Year You Were Born. And to add to the great bill, the band made the atmosphere so welcoming by offering tea. Graydon James fronts this band with Alex Dodd on keys, Shawn Jurek on bass, John Law on guitar, Mike Paddags on drums and Laura Spink singing backup vocals. The band plays feel good folk/roots music and attracted a good-sized crowd to help celebrate their album release.
  
  The band focused their set on songs from the latest album, but they also played a few songs released in 2009, “Alyson, Everything I Know is Wrong” and “For the Record” from Goodnight, Young Novelist and “You Don’t Feel Young Anymore” from Mistakes, Outtakes & Unfinished Business. The band is undeniably prolific, but the songs all come across as thoughtful and heartfelt. The same is true for their live show, as James’ sincerity on stage is obvious.
  
  As the set was nearing its end, the band played some of their more upbeat tunes, “The Way it Was” and “I Was a Young Man’s Son,” which were personal favourites in the set. You can stream and/or purchase any of the band’s albums via their Bandcamp.
  
  Buying Shots For Bands Blog
  September 23, 2012

• New Canadian Music album review: in the year you were born [+ Show ]
  

  Toronto six-piece Graydon James & The Young Novelists offers a textbook example of how to do t...
  
  
  Toronto six-piece Graydon James & The Young Novelists offers a textbook example of how to do things right. This latest release is pure James Lee Burke, spinning miniature stories masterfully and evoking images of small town life, capturing the spirit of untainted optimism and delivering every song with the kind of smart sounding earthy-pop we've come to expect from Blue Rodeo. Graydon James and his cohorts have won widespread praise and the chatter about this one is likely to be more roar than whisper. The launch party is at The Horseshoe tonight (Sept. 7) with Harlan Pepper, Strumbellas and the Unseen Strangers set to warm up the house.
  
  New Canadian Music
  By David Farrell

• Live Review - March 21, 2012 (Drake Hotel, CMW 2012) [+ Show ]
  

  On the surface, Graydon James and his Young Novelists are nothing more than another roots rock band ...On the surface, Graydon James and his Young Novelists are nothing more than another roots rock band who owe their existence to the Band. But there is more to the crack sextet than meets the eye. Easy going and amiable on stage, James's songs come from the heart; many were about his own family. But it was his ability to connect with the spartan crowd that really won over the gathered few. He, bass player Shawn Jurek and singer Laura Spink even managed to coax those in attendance into singing along with their gorgeous three-part harmonies for the band's final song. Toronto's plentiful roots rock riches mean that bands like this often get lost in the shuffle. But if James keeps delivering performances like this, there's no way he won't rise to the top.
  
  By Ian Gormely

• Live Review - November 15th, 2011 (Grayden James & the Young Novelists @ the Garrison) [+ Show ]
  

  "Graydon James and the Young Novelists washed some folk-rock-ish type sound over the audience, who l..."Graydon James and the Young Novelists washed some folk-rock-ish type sound over the audience, who loved every bit of it – some have said they’re one of the best indie bands out there right now; this show could attest to that."
  
  By Liz Gareri
  November 25, 2011

• L’album à découvrir de la semaine: Graydon James & The Young Novelists – A Small Town Eulogy [+ Show ]
  

  Au cas où vous seriez resté insensible à leur excellent titre Exception To The Rule, placé en 2ème p...Au cas où vous seriez resté insensible à leur excellent titre Exception To The Rule, placé en 2ème position sur la compilation @diffuser Vol. 3, voici une séance de rattrapage pour découvrir le talent folk de la joyeuse bande constituée de Graydon James & The Young Novelists.
  
  Ces six Canadiens savent y faire avec les instruments acoustiques propres à ce genre musical, que j’apprécie de plus en plus depuis un an ou deux. Et pour ce 4 titres savoureux, ils ont même invité d’autres instrumentistes à les rejoindre (violon, clarinette, cornet à pistons, double basse). Ajoutez à cela une guitare électrique et quelques claviers et vous obtenez une instrumentation très riche… mais sans l’être trop, les arrangements des différentes chansons étant vraiment bien maîtrisés.
  
  Comme on ne fait pas d’excellentes chansons sans de bonnes mélodies et de jolies voix, vous avez là les deux ingrédients qui viennent compléter cette douceur musicale mitonnée par un groupe assurément talentueux. A titre personnel, j’apprécie vraiment beaucoup chacune des deux voix (masculine et féminine) mais également la façon dont elles sonnent lorsqu’elles se marient, tout en harmonie.
  
  S’ils ne révolutionnent pas le genre, Graydon James & The Young Novelists parviennent néanmoins à nous offrir des chansons qui sortent des sentiers battus de la folk, à l’instar des rythmes syncopés des 2 premiers titres ou du final de Left Behind.
  
  Si comme moi vous trouvez cet EP un peu court, jetez un œil sur leurs précédents opus, et notamment leur dernier double album (40 titres !). En ce qui concerne l’avenir, il se murmure qu’un album live serait en préparation… vous pouvez d’ailleurs en écouter quelques extraits sur le compte Soundcloud du groupe !
  
  Et comme pour une fois le groupe utilise la fonctionnalité « Name your price » de Bandcamp, je m’en vais de ce pas leur donner quelques dollars canadiens…
  
  September 29, 2011

• EP Review - a small town eulogy [+ Show ]
  

  Graydon James & The Young Novelists bring together an assortment of music styles with sweet vocal ha...Graydon James & The Young Novelists bring together an assortment of music styles with sweet vocal harmonies in their exceptional EP, A Small Town Eulogy.
  
  A short release compared to their previous effort, a 40 song album called Goodnight, Young Novelist, the band incorporates folk, country, and rock with a rich and warm sound that steadily evolves through the EP. It’s a sound that punches-up the basic singer-songwriter type tunes.
  
  “It Takes All Kinds,” like the album as a whole, evolves. Beginning with a simplistic piano and guitar combination, it grows into a multi-instrumental hit, complete with a wondrous guitar solo.
  
  Throughout the EP, the strength in not only James’ voice but Shawn Jurek’s as well, which provides a strong foundation. Additional vocals by Laura Spink, which are fully revealed in the outstanding “Left Behind,” liken to that of Marketa Irglova from the Irish folk-band The Swell Season, and are used to perfection.
  
  Ending A Small Town Eulogy is “Take Your Time,” summarizing everything right about the band. As the most toe-tappable track, the vocal harmonies – plus the banjo – leave you impressed with Graydon James & The Young Novelists.

• EP Review - a small town eulogy [+ Show ]
  

  "Remarkably, with only four songs on this "teaser" EP (leading up to a full-length later this year),..."Remarkably, with only four songs on this "teaser" EP (leading up to a full-length later this year), A Small Town Eulogy is quite a fulfilling listen. The record greets us with "It Takes All Kinds," a perfect slice of Canadiana folk rock that'll have you pining for an outdoor folk-fest binge. Follow-up track "Exception to the Rule" is more reflective, but no less compelling. Closer "Take Your Time," where fast-paced harmonizing meets a frenzied banjo while a piano rag goads them all on, is just bursting at the seams. Graydon James & the Young Novelists need no gimmicks for cred. Attesting to talent that's real and only just begun, A Small Town Eulogy is a work of unpretentious brilliance."
  
  By Nereida Fernandes
  March 9, 2011

• The Anti-Hit List for March 26 [+ Show ]
  

  "In these days of seemingly endless variety and specialization, pop music can claim to be a great ma..."In these days of seemingly endless variety and specialization, pop music can claim to be a great many things, but “wry” is rarely one of them. Consider, then, this telling excerpt: “Oh I know you so well, don't say that I don't/ I put you through hell, as you already know . . . ” It’s those last four words, reading as though they should be muttered under the breath and simultaneously making fun of the song’s narrator, that establish the tone of this sardonic yet graceful waltz. For fans of Blue Rodeo, The Band, and pre-weirdness Wilco, here are three last words: Step right up."
  'Take Your Time' from 'A Small Town Eulogy'

• Live Review - Mar 9th, 2011 (Graydon James & The Young Novelists @ CMW 2011) [+ Show ]
  

  "James and his Novelists are straddling a line that's exactly between the Two-Minute Miracles and At..."James and his Novelists are straddling a line that's exactly between the Two-Minute Miracles and Attack In Black. When they go at their folk-rock fiercely, they'll blow your mind. When they approach it cautiously, they're a perfect fit for back-porch relaxation. They're clearly able to write catchy songs from both positions."
  
  Rating: 4 / 5
  
  By Scott Bryson
  March 10, 2011

• Live Review - Mar 9th, 2011 [+ Show ]
  

  "Graydon James have a wonderful folk sound, and have their harmonies and guitar riffs are so tight! ..."Graydon James have a wonderful folk sound, and have their harmonies and guitar riffs are so tight! These guys know what they’re doing, from a waltz to a folk rock song that will knock your socks off. Reminds me of what I felt watching Yukon Blonde last year. As their set progressed, they just keep pumping up the energy and the crowd. They have a fairly large following already, so I feel lucky to have gotten the chance to see them in such an intimate venue. The female lead has a sweet voice, I was hoping to hear her a bit more. The band is from Toronto, so I’m hoping to catch them many more times around the city."
  
  March 10, 2011

• Graydon James & the Young Novelists - What Kind of Man (Video) [+ Show ]
  

  Click Link for Video "In the middle of a snowstorm, we made the trek to Toronto, and met The Youn...Click Link for Video
  
  "In the middle of a snowstorm, we made the trek to Toronto, and met The Young Novelists at a beautiful mansion on the campus of a private high school. The band delivers a classic folk sound, but make it so rich and full with guitars, violin, mandolin, organ, and several vocals which create wonderful harmonies."
  
  Filmed on January 24th, 2011
  By Adrian J Vieni

• James’ 40 songs reflect the career of a writer [+ Show ]
  

  Ever since Leonard Cohen realized he’d become more famous writing songs rather than books, the line ...Ever since Leonard Cohen realized he’d become more famous writing songs rather than books, the line between music and literature has been blurry. Although Toronto musician Graydon James doesn’t have tremendously lofty ambitions to write prose, his latest release, Goodnight, Young Novelist, certainly tells a broader story than the average album.
  
  With 40 songs spread over two discs, James says that the idea behind it was actually quite ordinary. “I started the recording process in the wake of my previous band breaking up and I really just wanted to get good recordings of the songs before I forgot how they were played,” he says. “That might sound ridiculous, but I did have 50-odd songs and the previous band had only learned about 20 of them — and I do have a terrible memory.”
  
  Upon finishing the album, James quickly assembled a new band, suitably named the Young Novelists, and ironically set about learning the material all over again. That was a year ago, and he says that the group’s sound has been steadily progressing from the rough-hewn indie pop heard on the album.
  
  “Goodnight, Young Novelist is a bit of a curiosity for me, because it is sort of the reason the band exists,” James says. “We were formed so that those tracks could be played live, but the band has really surpassed what was recorded. It’s different and far, far better. I’m grateful for the experience of recording the album; it has been our calling card for a while now and we have had some major opportunities because of it, but I hope people get to see the band play the hell out of these songs live.”
  
  Whether heard on record or live, it’s clear that James’ songs display both a keen wit and melodic skill. In the musical climate of 20 or 30 years ago, Goodnight, Young Novelist would be considered a treasure trove of radio singles. However, today James and his band are saddled with the tag “indie pop,” something that doesn’t totally sit well with him.
  
  “My feeling is that most indie artists make the music that they want to make, and then hope that people will connect with it. Mainstream artists make the music they think other people will like, and find a way to make it their own. I do sometimes wonder, though, how much of their own music any artist likes, and how much cognitive dissonance is involved in their careers; whether they end up liking their music because they have to perform it.”
  
  Right now, that’s not a problem James is dealing with. In fact, he and the band are previewing new material in their live show along with dipping into the vast reservoir of songs on Goodnight, Young Novelist.
  
  “We have enough new material now that most shows are about half and half,” he says.
  
  “I have an equal connection to all the material, but the band has had more input on the formation of the new songs and so we are all itching to perform the new stuff. Certainly I don’t feel like anyone is tired of the older songs, but it’s just always exciting to see how people will react to material that you have had a hand in creating.”
  
  October 20, 2010
  By Jason Schneider, for Nightlife

• Winner of the Galaxie Rising Star Award [+ Show ]
  

  Galaxie's Rising Star Contest awarded a prize of $3,000 to Graydon James & The Young Novelists on Su...Galaxie's Rising Star Contest awarded a prize of $3,000 to Graydon James & The Young Novelists on Sunday afternoon at Burlington's Sound Of Music Festival.
  
  From Friday night until Sunday afternoon Cogeco Stage Performers at the Music Festival had the option to compete with fellow artists with a "song of their composition" - for a Grand Prize of $3,000!
  
  A panel of industry experienced judges critiqued the participating artist's self selected song from their set and ranked it based on quality, composition, lyrics and style.
  
  This year's choice of Graydon James & The Young Novelists was extremely difficult to make, the judges confided, when taking into account their fellow semi finalists of Madison Violet, Royal Wood and Jill Barber. All performers were amazing.
  
  A big "thank you" has to go out to Galaxie for sponsoring this Rising Star Contest, and to all the performers who participated.
  
  June 20, 2010
  Rick Rossini
  Communications Director
  Burlington's Sound Of Music Festival
  rossini@rossinimagic.com

• Live Review - Feb 4th, 2010 [+ Show ]
  

  "As I sit just off stage left, I wonder what I am in store for. I am in a familiar place, Maxwell's ..."As I sit just off stage left, I wonder what I am in store for. I am in a familiar place, Maxwell's Music House in Waterloo, Ontario, a venue quickly becoming a favourite to both local artists and those touring through the area. I am here this particular evening to check out Graydon James & the Young Novelists, a six-piece folk-rock group that takes after my own heart in their preference to use lower case and a typewriter-esque font, but has also embraced what may be the future of the industry in their own way – their show this evening is in support of their online release for the double album entitled goodnight, young novelist. You read that correctly, a double album, in a time when consumers are buying less CDs, and almost leaning more towards downloading single songs from iTunes (or their preferred digital download site, legal or not). Graydon James & the Young Novelists take it a step further, and are giving that double album away for free...
  
  No introduction, catching me (and others, I'm sure) off guard in a way, I hear three-part harmony break into “alyson, everything i know is wrong”, and I'm sucked right in. From this point on I know I can't write this objectively anymore, as I feel like they're singing this song for me, in a good way...a really good way. The set continues and I fall further deep, as Graydon James (lead singer and songwriter for Graydon James & the Young Novelists, which makes sense) tells the audience that the band is about to “melt their faces”, and kicks into a ballad, singing “Tell me there's a light shining out for us tonight”, inspiring the tech to point lights at the now spinning disco ball. They deliver note for note, harmonies abound, seamless transitions to new instruments (melodicas, mandolins, banjos, and more), and as the songs end, the banter begins, and they somehow become even more endearing.
  
  Graydon finally tells the audience what I was starting to write before “Alyson” stole my heart – what I believe to be something that other artists would benefit from doing – that they are presenting their album in a “pay what you want” capacity. He encourages the audience to take home the physical CD (because they do have those as well) of goodnight, young novelist and pay the band what they wish, be it $0, $20, or something in between. It's a strategy that has some people scratching their heads, wondering why an artist would put all the money into producing a record, and then offer it freely to their audience. For a quick buck, it makes no sense, but when it's about the music, it's brilliant.
  
  The band breaks into “coming down”, the featured single off the compilation of 40 songs, and I'm drawn in again. They are gracious for the opportunity they've been given, there's energy, and they look like they enjoy playing together. A break in the song, the band members are smiling, a trumpet makes an appearance, and I realize that I, along with the others at Maxwell's this evening, are in the presence of something special. It's no wonder Graydon James & the Young Novelists have secured a spot at this year's Winterfolk Festival in Toronto, that they're opening for the consummate professional, tirelessly touring Craig Cardiff, and that they are able to give their record away for free, because I'm sure none of us will ever pass up the opportunity to see them again.
  
  With this tour taking them to Belleville, Montreal, Ottawa, Peterborough, and culminating at Winterfolk in Toronto, music fans in those areas should check out Graydon James & the Young Novelists live, pick up (or download) the record, and thank themselves for listening."
  
  By Preetam Sengupta

• Live Review - Dec 8th, 2009 [+ Show ]
  

  I bore witness as the veteran Toronto based band, Graydon James and the Young Novelists strolled int...I bore witness as the veteran Toronto based band, Graydon James and the Young Novelists strolled into the back room of Cameron House and threw down some old school rock n' roll. The underground (aka unsigned) band has quite the following of loyal followers in this city who all came out to shake a tail and clap along to some furious and melodic beats.
  
  The band's folk rock/psychedelic pop sound draws heavily on classic rock greats like The Beach Boys, The Byrds and Buddy Holly. You can also hear notes of Wilco, The Shins and Ben Folds Five in their tunes.
  
  Front man Graydon's soulful voice is simultaneously smooth and rough, echoing a young Dylan, and is backed up by the ethereal vocal harmonies of Laura Spink. In case you can't hear the love in their music, Graydon and Laura are husband and wife. The Band is also made up of the multi-talented and fast fingered Noel DiTosto on guitar/banjo/mandolin/trumpet, the resounding Shawn Jurek on bass and the energy-laden Mike Paddags on drums.
  
  The show had a very casual and intimate vibe, as anyone who's ever been in the back room of the Cameron House might have guessed. Tech. problems provoked some playful wisecracks from the band between the rare jems that are their tracks. Stand out songs include 'It's Been A Long Time,' 'These Small Crimes' and 'Damn All Those Critics.' These guys are the genuine article, you can give their tunes a listen on their Radio 3 profile at http://radio3.cbc.ca/bands/Graydon-James.
  
  By Laura Good

• 500khz blog album review: in the year you were born [+ Show ]
  

  L’an dernier, le groupe ontarien Graydon James & The Young Novelists débarquait par surprise dans ma...L’an dernier, le groupe ontarien Graydon James & The Young Novelists débarquait par surprise dans ma liste d’écoute avec un disque enregistré en concert au Dublin St Church de Guelph. Leur folk canadiana ressortait pleinement en spectacle et mettait en vitrine les nombreuses qualités du groupe étant donné cette chimie unique en spectacle.
  
  J’ai pu en témoigner récemment lors du dernier arrêt de leur tournée des maritimes, grâce à cette bande sonore faite sur mesure pour mettre fin à l’été. Il faut préciser que Graydon James et ses jeunes romanciers rentrent parfaitement dans la catégorie du bien bon monde, avec le coeur à la bonne place. Le sympathique groupe d’amis a avant tout bien du plaisir à jouer sur scène ensemble, qu’importe le contexte. Vous voyez le genre?
  
  L’occasion était idéale pour découvrir les chansons de leur nouvel album, In The Year You Were Born. C’est donc la tête pleine de mélodies et le pied qui tape toujours au rythme du groupe que je suis plongé dans l’écoute du disque. Difficile de ne pas résister aux nombreux mérites des douze chansons. Les arrangements sont bien dosés, les mélodies sont accrocheuses et Graydon James possède une superbe plume qu’il met en vedette grâce à de multiples comparaisons et métaphores afin de brillamment illustrer les musiques. Malgré tout l’aspect introspectif de ses textes, il se fait invitant. À preuve, les accords des chansons sont inclus dans le livret.
  
  Les Young Novelists s’inspirent de toutes les parcelles du courant roots pour se l’approprier, sans sacrifier la saveur unique au groupe, rappelant au passage une version plus enjouée d’Harrison ou Plaskett. La bande des six propose un produit bien peaufiné, entre la sudiste I Was A Young Man’s Son et l’hymne rock The Way It Was. Mentionnons l’excellent travail au niveau des harmonies vocales et des constructions mélodiques. L’alternance entre la présence de James et de sa compagne, Laura Spink, ne fait qu’ajouter une tout autre dimension, dont l’intention se rapproche du folk des années 1960.
  
  In The Year You Were Born est une solide collection de douze chansons qui viennent tous nous chercher à l’écoute. Graydon James & The Young Novelists y ont su transposer leur esprit familial propre à leurs spectacles, pour notre plus grand plaisir. Au niveau de la musique roots aux influences rock, qui dit mieux? D’ici le prochain concert, je vais fredonner In Your Defence. Un bien bon groupe qui fait de la très bonne musique.
  
  500khz blog
  September 4, 2012

Setlist

Sets range widely from 20 minutes to 3 hours of original music; from 1 set to 3 sets over the course of an evening. Covers are rare, and are most likely from The Band, The Beatles, Tom Petty, or similar artists.

Basic Requirements

Calendar