Bahamas

?
Noah & The Whale
Bahamas
May 26, 2011
@ The Independent

Better than: Standing in front of any other amplifiers south of Lombard Street.

At twenty after eight, I was attempting some wiseass remark to my photographer about Thursday crowds when the first wave hit the Independent's broad ballroom floor. About a hundred dapper young things made cheerful sounds for Bahamas, who turned out to be two pretty backup singers, a stout sparkplug of a drummer, and one Afie Jurvanen strumming guitar and singing. No shy Melrose cowboy or indie shrinking violet, this Toronto balladeer is clean-limbed, strong of jaw, and quick to flog the sideburns off uppity locals. "That wasn't a very good joke," he deadpanned at some rube's attempted witticism before hailing the guy in the fluffy tiger suit having a drink at the bar. "I think that's good luck," he drawled, and the short set that followed matched the ad-hoc invocation. The latest in a long line of Canadian masters of toe-scuffle Americana, Jurvanen is a little like a young George Jones in the latter's courtlier moments. Bahamas' music is a bracingly minimalist countrypolitan reminiscent of Gene Clark's early songs with the Gosdin Brothers. They wound up the set with a rollicking pass at Bruce Springsteen's "Tenth Avenue Freeze Out" stripped to its doo-wop essentials. The applause was long and well-earned. - SF Weekly

The Canadian songwriter known as Bahamas offers lo-fi seductive songs on his debut, Pink Strat. After three years as a guitarist for Feist, he's penned a dozen songs and she's joined him on the vocals for a few of them. He goes it alone on Today's Top Tune "Lonely Loves." - KCRW

Afie Jurvanen is a subtly disarming man who, I will admit at the first glance of the cover art for Pink Strat, I had taken for a brash and cocky archetype; A James Dean or young Marlon Brando more interested in riding a motorcycle through the halls of a rural high school than writing music. Though within the first few seconds of leading track Lonely Loves, He had me smitten. If there is a mean bone in this guy's body, it's buried so deep beneath his altruistic heartbreaks that it may never see the light of day. Bahamas is strung up with a lilt that's fixating. Afie's breathy lyrics reach well beyond his age and speak volumes beyond his casual presentation. For Good Reason and Already Yours will never be bound to a setting, and are just as easy to picture played in a lonely apartment as a bustling, smokey cocktail lounge. They unearth regrets and mistakes with a consolatory hand-on-the-shoulder and a cold, hard shot of honesty for anyone who's been left behind or alone. Sentimentally, though, hope is not lost on Pink Strat. These are songs for the bereft, dead set on not harbouring any grudges. Southern Drawl shows off Afie's considerable range and potential as spokesman for the unrestrained and straightforward jilted lovers. The album’s closing track, a retuning of Wreckless Eric’s Whole Wide World hints at Bahamas roots in rock n’ roll that have been run ragged, but not out of town. Pink Strat is a collection of tinged truths that are perfect for those still full of the promises of better days. - Southern Souls

Afie Jurvanen is a subtly disarming man who, I will admit at the first glance of the cover art for Pink Strat, I had taken for a brash and cocky archetype; A James Dean or young Marlon Brando more interested in riding a motorcycle through the halls of a rural high school than writing music. Though within the first few seconds of leading track Lonely Loves, He had me smitten. If there is a mean bone in this guy's body, it's buried so deep beneath his altruistic heartbreaks that it may never see the light of day. Bahamas is strung up with a lilt that's fixating. Afie's breathy lyrics reach well beyond his age and speak volumes beyond his casual presentation. For Good Reason and Already Yours will never be bound to a setting, and are just as easy to picture played in a lonely apartment as a bustling, smokey cocktail lounge. They unearth regrets and mistakes with a consolatory hand-on-the-shoulder and a cold, hard shot of honesty for anyone who's been left behind or alone. Sentimentally, though, hope is not lost on Pink Strat. These are songs for the bereft, dead set on not harbouring any grudges. Southern Drawl shows off Afie's considerable range and potential as spokesman for the unrestrained and straightforward jilted lovers. The album’s closing track, a retuning of Wreckless Eric’s Whole Wide World hints at Bahamas roots in rock n’ roll that have been run ragged, but not out of town. Pink Strat is a collection of tinged truths that are perfect for those still full of the promises of better days. - Southern Souls

Afie Jurvanen records as Bahamas and, after making his name with Feist, Zeus and Jason Collett, the singer-songwriter is enjoying his first headlining tour. His self-titled album earned a Juno nomination and he has another record rearing to drop, but while the audience keeps coming out for his concerts, Bahamas keeps playing shows. To preface his concert this Thursday at Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto, Bahamas played us a few numbers and told Ben Kaplan about life on the road. Watch the video below of his performance, and don’t miss the full podcast at the end of the Q&A, wherein Bahamas plays two full tracks and even gives us some of his own album recommendations for the holiday gift-giving season. - The Ampersand

Bahamas. One of these things is not like the other. Don’t let the name of this act fool you. You may expect a certain sound from an act called Bahamas, but you get something entirely different and entirely wonderful. A simple, stripped-down album at first listen becomes more complex and layered each time you hear it. And it is no surprise to hear it was recorded by Afie Jurvanen in a cabin in rural Ontario in 2008 with the help of his roommate Robbie Lackritz (Jamie Lidell, Feist) and numerous friends Jurvanen made during his tours with Fist and Jason Collett. It was then released in Canada in 2009, has finally found its US home, and is sure to gain many more fans.

The first spin, you’ll probably notice a Jack Johnson-esque vibe, but with further study, you discover the subtle cynicism and charm of Afie Jurvanen’s lyrics and more of an old folk sound. Pink Strat brings a smile to your face -- a beat to tap to and clean, great music to suit any mood.



“Southern Drawl” presents words of wisdom in a sweet folk tune. A little slide guitar and a reminder to learn something from every situation and put it to use later. Don’t waste time on a love that’s not meant to be, just “use what you learn.” “You’re Bored, I’m Old” brings out more of the cynical side of Bahamas -- for those who stay together despite complete lack of love. This song features beautiful guitar harmonies and a simple drum beat. You’re not sure whether to cry or sing along. Whether you feel the same way or merely empathize, it makes you feel. This theme is continued in “Till the Morning” -- a slow-paced acoustic guitar-driven tune about needing someone if only for one night. It’s simply a man (Afie Jurvanen) and his guitar. It makes your heart hurt a little to listen to this two-minute tale, but you’ll love it.



Bahamas brings a little humor to the album with the song “Hockey Teeth.” A slow, swaggering number with a wonderfully catchy chorus about loving someone's flaws along with their assets.



The sweet and sensitive nature of Bahamas comes through in “Already Yours.” It’s an unrequited love song for the romantic in all of us, featuring soft guitars, beautiful harmonies, and a steady bass drum beat.



The name Bahamas really comes together when you get to the last track, “Whole, Wide, World.” It brings beach sounds and thoughts of a dream-girl that might just be hiding in the Bahamas waiting for someone to find her. It’s a hopeful song of love meant to be.



Each track on Pink Strat presents a short piece of emotion. They are succinct, captivating, and endearing. In a time when so many artists are autotuned and swallowed in a wall of sound that you’re not even sure sounds good, Bahamas is a refreshing throwback to a less-produced, genuinely talented song styling. Afie Jurvanen’s voice is beautiful and enchanting, and the instrumentation complements it perfectly. An album full of songs to fall in love to, break up to, sing in your car to…Pink Strat is a must-have for any music collector.



For Fans Of: Pedro the Lion, David Bazan, Jack Johnson, Iron & Wine

Standout Tracks: “Southern Drawl,” “You’re Bored, I’m Old,” “Hockey Teeth,” and “Already Yours” - Buzzine

Afie Jurvanen adopted the stage name Bahamas out of frustration with his too-hard-to-pronounce "hockey player" name. The Finnish-Canadian folk artist has played with Feist, Stars' Amy Millan, Jason Collett and Howie Beck, to name a few, and now Bahamas has his sights set on bringing his music to the US. He's rereleasing his debut album 'Pink Strat' -- named after his guitar -- and his follow-up sophomore studio album release will drop later in 2011.

"When we tour, it's just guitar and drums and voices," he tells Spinner. "I've kind of been calling it a gospel rock 'n' roll band or something. With our records, there's definitely an older sensibility. I really love Willie Nelson and Neil Young and country music. When we record, we all just set up in the room with the band, the bass guitar and expensive microphones and all that stuff and just sort of get a document of what we're doing. Live, it's something more visceral and the band is agile and we can do a lot of different things and I'm really having fun playing that way."

Watch the full interview with Bahamas below and visit AOL Music's SXSW site for more Live from Austin video interviews. - AOL Spinner

Afie Jurvanen adopted the stage name Bahamas out of frustration with his too-hard-to-pronounce "hockey player" name. The Finnish-Canadian folk artist has played with Feist, Stars' Amy Millan, Jason Collett and Howie Beck, to name a few, and now Bahamas has his sights set on bringing his music to the US. He's rereleasing his debut album 'Pink Strat' -- named after his guitar -- and his follow-up sophomore studio album release will drop later in 2011.

"When we tour, it's just guitar and drums and voices," he tells Spinner. "I've kind of been calling it a gospel rock 'n' roll band or something. With our records, there's definitely an older sensibility. I really love Willie Nelson and Neil Young and country music. When we record, we all just set up in the room with the band, the bass guitar and expensive microphones and all that stuff and just sort of get a document of what we're doing. Live, it's something more visceral and the band is agile and we can do a lot of different things and I'm really having fun playing that way."

Watch the full interview with Bahamas below and visit AOL Music's SXSW site for more Live from Austin video interviews. - AOL Spinner

Afie Jurvanen is quite possibly the antithesis of his chosen moniker: Bahamas. Born in rural Ontario Canada, the folk/pop singer songwriter, whose instrument of choice is the pink weathered Fender Strat his debut is named after (naturally), is beautifully subtle, bringing to mind warm beer in a can shared on a front porch more than exotic rum drinks accessorized with tiny umbrellas on white, tourist-stacked beaches.



Originally released in his native Canada in 2009, Pink Strat is quite possible the perfect album to introduce this one-time guitar sideman to Feist to the U.S. A collection of stripped down and unpretentious pop folk songs, Bahamas comes off as a cross between a Canadian Jack Johnson and John Mellencamp of the Great White North. The songs vacillate between optimistic ("Hockey Teeth") and pessimistic ("You're Bored, I'm Old"), but always manage to come across with genuine emotion, an ingredient that seems in short supply in most pop music lately. You can't imagine any of these songs being covered by the cast of Glee... and, well, that's the point.



The album ends on a strong note with a stark, but powerful cover of Wreckless Eric's "Whole Wide World." Simply sublime.



DOWNLOAD: "Lovely Loves", "Hockey Teeth" and "Whole Wide World" JOHN B. MOORE - Blurt

A Bahamas song is over in a flash. It's just here and then it's gone, shot like a bullet back into the forest. It's like an animal in the state of being spooked, but one that's able to hold its ground long enough, to stare you down for what seems like hours, conveying the depth of itself. It's a doe or a buck standing in a clearing, startled upright, jerked out of its comfort area, gazing at you with fear and yet expressing some piece of its soul through the air, with its big, round puddles for eyes. Then it darts back to safety with some awesome natural power, the simple movement of muscles and terror. Afie Jurvanen, the Toronto musician who makes music under the name Bahamas, doesn't necessarily write music filled with fear, but there's a beautiful shakiness to it, as if the contents of the message or the countenance of the messenger weren't totally on even footing, as if they were atop a fault line, with no way to know when the plates beneath were going to shift next. Jurvanen writes about love that way, as if there is and always should be delectable mystery tied to every romantic endeavor. His songs are the flittering drops of subconscious that get rounded up and kneaded into these little ideas that are then thrown out from behind the curtain, onto the stage, given their two minutes of time and are then allowed to exit by the wooden steps on the side to walk off, having said their part. His songs are touching little nests of uncertainty and utter calm. They seem to believe in the unpredictability of anything that's going to happen next and instead focus either their nose for doom or their naiveté on the relationship at-hand.

The songs on his debut album, "Pink Strat," are lovely odes to these paper-thin feelings that sometimes prove to be thicker than the hide of an elephant and harder to shake than one could ever possibly imagine. They are the gum on the bottom of our shoes and the warm hands finding their ways into our pockets, making us feel as if we're not the only ones out there. Jurvanen is a troubadour, a man with perpetually sad eyes and a poet's tongue and though there's a bittersweet twist to the air, his words feel charged by a belief in happy endings, that all of the pain is going to stop casting a crooked eye and it's going to get better. The rains will stop falling and the mixed up hearts will snap out of their stupors to see what's right before them. He deals with unrequited love the way a parent deals with a child going through a slightly awkward phase that they're hoping will just get grown out of. He sings with confidence that all will be okay. He doesn't belabor the point, just says it. He sings on "Already Yours," "Is it really that much sweeter/On the other end of that receiver/There's no need to convert a believer/I'm already yours/I'm already yours," and you feel that all will be fine - for he and his, as well as you and yours. - Daytrotter

A Bahamas song is over in a flash. It's just here and then it's gone, shot like a bullet back into the forest. It's like an animal in the state of being spooked, but one that's able to hold its ground long enough, to stare you down for what seems like hours, conveying the depth of itself. It's a doe or a buck standing in a clearing, startled upright, jerked out of its comfort area, gazing at you with fear and yet expressing some piece of its soul through the air, with its big, round puddles for eyes. Then it darts back to safety with some awesome natural power, the simple movement of muscles and terror. Afie Jurvanen, the Toronto musician who makes music under the name Bahamas, doesn't necessarily write music filled with fear, but there's a beautiful shakiness to it, as if the contents of the message or the countenance of the messenger weren't totally on even footing, as if they were atop a fault line, with no way to know when the plates beneath were going to shift next. Jurvanen writes about love that way, as if there is and always should be delectable mystery tied to every romantic endeavor. His songs are the flittering drops of subconscious that get rounded up and kneaded into these little ideas that are then thrown out from behind the curtain, onto the stage, given their two minutes of time and are then allowed to exit by the wooden steps on the side to walk off, having said their part. His songs are touching little nests of uncertainty and utter calm. They seem to believe in the unpredictability of anything that's going to happen next and instead focus either their nose for doom or their naiveté on the relationship at-hand.

The songs on his debut album, "Pink Strat," are lovely odes to these paper-thin feelings that sometimes prove to be thicker than the hide of an elephant and harder to shake than one could ever possibly imagine. They are the gum on the bottom of our shoes and the warm hands finding their ways into our pockets, making us feel as if we're not the only ones out there. Jurvanen is a troubadour, a man with perpetually sad eyes and a poet's tongue and though there's a bittersweet twist to the air, his words feel charged by a belief in happy endings, that all of the pain is going to stop casting a crooked eye and it's going to get better. The rains will stop falling and the mixed up hearts will snap out of their stupors to see what's right before them. He deals with unrequited love the way a parent deals with a child going through a slightly awkward phase that they're hoping will just get grown out of. He sings with confidence that all will be okay. He doesn't belabor the point, just says it. He sings on "Already Yours," "Is it really that much sweeter/On the other end of that receiver/There's no need to convert a believer/I'm already yours/I'm already yours," and you feel that all will be fine - for he and his, as well as you and yours. - Daytrotter

We were blown away by Bahamas...guitar, drums, and two women singing backup harmonies. They were phenomenal and I suggest seeing them if and when they come to a town near you. They felt really appropriate at the Woman's Club...it felt timeless, like you could've walked into the room with that band performing in 1955, 1965, 1975 and it would've felt exactly the same which is a pretty rare quality for a musician/band to have. You can check out Bahamas' Daytrotter Session here. - SD Dialed In

Bahamas Preps New Album
5/8/2009 By Brock Thiessen

After playing behind such artists as Feist, the Stills and Hayden, Torontonian folkie Afie Jurvanen is stepping out for his solo career. Going under the name Bahamas, Jurvanen will release his debut full-length, Pink Strat, this summer on July 6.

Jurvanen and ex-roomie Robbie Lackritz (Jamie Lidell, Feist) recorded the album in a rural Ontario cabin, with friends Feist, the Great Lake Swimmers and Zeus all popping by to put in their two cents. A few album cuts are currently streaming over at Bahamas’ MySpace, and by the sounds of things, Jurvanen & Co. are keeping things very laid-back, stripped down and relaxed.

Along with the new record, Bahamas has a few live dates lined up. Here they are along with the Pink Strat tracklisting:

Pink Strat:

1. “Lonely Loves”
2. “Hockey Teeth”
3. “Southern Drawl”
4. “For Good Reason”
5. “You're Bored, I'm Old”
6. “Sunshine Blues”
7. “Already Yours”
8. “What's Worse?”
9. “Let The Good Times Roll”
10. “Try, Tried, Trying”
11. “Till the Morning”
12. “Whole, Wide, World”

Tour dates:

7/9 to 12 Winnipeg, MB - Winnipeg Folk Festival
7/24 to 26 Guelph, ON - Hillside Festival
8/6 Toronto, ON - The Dakota Tavern
8/7 to 9 Kingston, ON - Wolfe Island Festival

http://www.exclaim.ca/articles/generalarticlesynopsfullart.aspx?csid2=844&fid1=38392
- Exclaim/USA Today

http://www.nationalpost.com/arts/story.html?id=1810391 (photos available upon request)

Published July 21, 2009

The 28-year-old Afie Jurvanen, who records under the name Bahamas, imbues his country and western songs with a Let the Good Times Roll kind of vibe. Born in Barrie, Ont., and a lifelong practitioner of honky-tonk blues, Jurvanen cut his teeth on the road and in the studio with the likes of Hayden, Jason Collett and Feist. (That's his monster riff on Sea Lion Woman, Feist's epic take on Nina Simone.) Today, after sharing so many stages and sessions as an in-demand guitarist-for-hire, Jurvanen is finally stepping out on his own with Pink Strat, his solo debut.

"I'm so psyched to get out there and play my own songs. It was welling up inside," says the mustachioed, trucker-hatted Jurvanen, who works at Toronto's insidery guitar store Capsule Music and looks every inch the part. A self-confessed "gear-head," Jurvanen named his album after his pink Fender Stratocaster, which he began playing in childhood and ended up taking all over the world.

"The songs were written during this period where I was on tour in the back of the bus or in a dressing room," he says. "Now that I'm making my own record, I thought, 'Maybe I'll name these songs after that guitar.' Basically, I was following that guitar."

When it came time to record the 12 songs on his intentionally low-fi record, Jurvanen wanted to keep the mood in the studio improvisational and light.

"We did the recording in a cabin and we were doing some swimming and barbecuing. I'd never made a record so chilled-out before," says the singer, who appears on his first album cover frowning and holding his pink guitar as if in a police mug shot. "I'm not really playing the part of the dark singer-songwriter. I'm a fan of lyricists who can laugh at themselves a little bit."

Still, even if Jurvanen doesn't have to torture himself (or his listener) for his art, he still finds himself at a watershed moment. Deadpan at the best of times ( "This is Greg [MacDonald]," he says in Capsule Music. "He plays in a band called Sloan"), he still gets excited when he speaks of his upcoming plans.

"I've been offered to go away and play in other people's bands, but I'm like, 'Thanks for thinking of me, but I'm going to give this is a shot,' " says Jurvanen, who's already learned the hard way about the risks associated with fronting his own group. Apparently, not everyone is a fan of his album cover mug shot.

"My mother actually hates that album cover," Jurvanen says with a grin. "She'd rather I had a very classic Sears portrait and be smiling. Even though the band is called Bahamas, it's pretty apparent it's who I am." - Pink Strat by Bahamas is out today on Nevado Records. - National Post (Feature)

Fri, 08 May 2009
Bahamas warns the world of impending debut
Jamie O'Meara

If you haven't heard of Afie Jurvanen, perhaps you've heard of Feist, Jason Collett, Hayden, The Stills or any of the other bands that the Toronto-based guitarist and multi-instrumentalist - who goes by the stage name Bahamas - has shared a stage or an album track with. That is about to change.

Jurvanen is on the cusp of releasing his simple and evocative solo album debut, Pink Strat (named for his childhood guitar, which he still plays), on which he performs, in addition to guitar and vocals, bass, drums, other percussion, piano and slide, amongst other things. Comparisons to JJ Cale are not unfounded, and at other moments there are suggestions of both a player and storyteller reminiscent of a Ron Sexsmith or a Tom Petty (hear for yourself at www.myspace.com/bahamasbreeze).

Pink Strat - which features performances from friends in Zeus, The Great Lake Swimmers and Feist - will be released July 6.

http://www.hour.ca/music/music_news.aspx?iIDArticle=15743&rssIDArticle=203
- The Hour/Voir

A gifted guitarist and musician who's bolstered the work of Feist, Hayden and Jason Collett, Afie Jurvanen steps back into the spotlight with Bahamas, a great outlet for the songs he's recorded for graceful debut Pink Strat. Cut from the same cloth as Al Tuck or Peter Elkas, Bahamas is a sleepy, soulful project for an artist with great instincts and the will to execute deceptively simple music with knowing taste.

Though the instrumentation is often understated, songs like "Hockey Teeth" reveal a classic sensibility whose wooing charms become more apparent with subsequent listens. The acoustic finger-style and slide guitar employed on "For Good Reason" push the song out of the ordinary, while a great pop heart beats loudly within the sparse, heartbroken "What's Worse?" Five years in the making, Pink Strat finds Bahamas in a pleasant yet emergent state with a promising future ahead. (Nevado)

http://exclaim.ca/musicreviews/generalreview.aspx?csid1=136&csid2=852&fid1=40067 - Exclaim!

Afie Jurvanen may be travelling the world as the pianist/ guitarist in Feist's band, but he's about to emabrk on his own trip.

The multi-instrumentalist has announced plans to release his debut album as Bahamas, called Pink Strat. The album is named after his childhood guitar, which he continues to use. Jurvanen spent five years colelcting material for his debut, which features guest appearances from Feist and Great Lakes Swimmers.

http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/theampersand/archive/2009/05/07/feist-s-guitarist-to-release-album-as-bahamas.aspx
- National Post

Published July 21, 2009
By Brad Wheeler

***

Bahamas is the go-by name of Afie Jurvanen, but of course, no man is an island, as he knows all too well. This Finnish-Canadian singer-guitarist is a lonesome romantic and blue sea-wishing balladeer who makes, with friends Leslie Feist and others, balmy acoustic music and tasteful light rick about longing. He hopes (on a delightful cover of Wreckless Eric's "Whole, Wide, World") but never mopes, even as the party passes him by ("Let the Good Times Roll"). To anyone who wishes for palm trees and warm-skinned company, Pink Strat is endlessly playable. To this Bahamas, your trip should be endlessly booked. - Globe And Mail

Published July 21, 2009
By Brad Wheeler

***

Bahamas is the go-by name of Afie Jurvanen, but of course, no man is an island, as he knows all too well. This Finnish-Canadian singer-guitarist is a lonesome romantic and blue sea-wishing balladeer who makes, with friends Leslie Feist and others, balmy acoustic music and tasteful light rick about longing. He hopes (on a delightful cover of Wreckless Eric's "Whole, Wide, World") but never mopes, even as the party passes him by ("Let the Good Times Roll"). To anyone who wishes for palm trees and warm-skinned company, Pink Strat is endlessly playable. To this Bahamas, your trip should be endlessly booked. - Globe And Mail