Biography
To the uninitiated, Entire Cities might seem to have a personality disorder. From gratuitously confusing time signatures to delightfully simple hooks, from meticulous choral and instrumental arrangements to their glorious train wreck of a live show, the Toronto-based collective have been refusing to be pigeon-holed since 2006, garnering critical praise and a devout fan following along the way.
Their debut album Deep River is being hailed as one of the 2008's best. It has become one of college radio's highest-charting independent releases of the year, appearing regularly on critics' 'Best Of' lists. Recorded with Dale Morningstar (Gord Downie, Great Lake Swimmers, Godspeed) over only a few days in the summer of 2007, the album features a collection of revivalist barn-burners, soulful ballads and psychedelic cow-punk.
Entire Cities, led by Simon Borer, is as much about their message as their sound. Critics have quickly picked up on his deeply poetic lyrics amidst the raucously ragged music. Borer's songwriting is "meticulous and raw,"* at turns plain-spoken and hallucinatory. Whether he is crafting a clever dialogue on the negotiations of love, an ode to the limits of language, or plainly recounting the madnesses of rural poverty, Borer manages to marry the delicate craft of his words with his unique musical sensibilities. While it might be difficult to categorize at first listen, Borer traces his approach to a generation of songwriters like The Rolling Stones and the Velvet Underground, for whom genres and conventions were stops on the roadside: places to be frequented, gleefully explored, and pissed on when necessary.
At its core, Entire Cities is Borer (guitar, vocals), Tamara Lindeman (banjo, keys, vocals), Ruhee Dewji (flute, sax, vocals), David Missio (guitar, harmonica), Paul Sorenson (bass) and Paul Weadick (drums), but a steady stream of collaborators in the form of artists, musicians and filmmakers have consistently spurred the band’s ever-evolving approach. Entire Cities have toured extensively throughout Ontario, Quebec and all along the East Coast with the likes of Rock Plaza Central and the Rural Alberta Advantage, and have shared stages with The Mahones, We Are Scientists, The Bicycles, and Laura Barrett. Along the way, they've been featured in Exclaim!, the National Post, the New Pollution, the Kingston Whig-Standard and countless blogs.
Entire Cities have two releases planned for 2009, respectively highlighting their unique takes on traditional country and fiery rock and roll. This spring they were named one of Chart Attack's top ten NXNE live acts. Summer will also see them burning through festival dates, an extensive tour, and even the marriage of two long-time fans.
*Laura Kenin, The Coast Halifax, June 19, 2008
Instrumentation
Simon Borer - guitar, vocals
Tamara Lindeman - banjo, organ, vocals
Paul Sorenson - bass
David Missio - lead guitar
Ruhee Dewji - sax, flute, vocals
Paul Weadick - drums, vocals
Discography
Centralia (EP 2007)
Deep River (2008)
Recorded with Dale Morningstar (Gord Downie, Godspeed You! Black Emperor)
Links
| http://www.myspace.com/entirecities |