can joann

We were recently in Chapel Hill, N.C. and had the pleasure of discovering some new tuneage from the burgeoning scene there (mmm...Annuals).

After releasing an E.P. in 2005, Can Joann has released a new full-length, Hurt People Hurt People. Recorded in part at Poxworld Empire (Rosebuds, Sames, Schooner) and the rest in a rented 19th century in Chapel Hill farm house, Hurt boasts an extremely solid 9 tracks of rock licks in the vein of Ted Leo and The Rosebuds. It's Mr. Bojangles meets garage pop minus the Carolinian drawl.



- http://www.perfectporridge.com/2006/11/can_joann_hurt_people_hurt_peo.html

Raleigh

Can Joann

Kings--Two Chapel Hill bands split CD release party duties with a show in--gasp!--Raleigh. New Jersey's indie stalwart Bar None Records re-released the underrated, self-titled debut from Hotel Lights--the perfect rainy-day-melody quintet of ex-Ben Folds Five drummer Darren Jesse--earlier this year. They finally celebrate with a hometown gig. Can Joann, a Chapel Hill quartet whose Aiden Grace EP sported some of the sharpest local hooks of 2005, finally gets around to releasing a full-length of its own, Hurt People Hurt People. Recorded in part at Pox World Empire and in a 19th-century farm house in Chapel Hill, Hurt People illustrates the band's capacity to write more than V-C-V pop songs. Memorable wares for fans of Modest Mouse and Nada Surf. Shakermarker, a simpatico hybrid of both, opens. --Grayson Currin

http://www.indyweek.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A31475
- The Independent (http://www.indyweek.com)

Can Joann
September 26th, 2006 at 2:22 pm (Music, New Music, Voxacious, Can Joann, Lady Luck, Idecision's Way)

I’m not going to lie to you. I don’t get a crap load of unsolicited music, be it digital or otherwise. I get 2-3 cd’s a week sent to me and I get about 2-3 e-mails each day from bands wanting me to talk about their music. Why? I have no idea. I don’t know what in the hell I’m doing, I just know what I like when it comes to music and if I like something I’ll champion it pretty damn hardcore.

Such will be the case for Can Joann. I received an e-mail from Ryan earlier today (Ryan, who are you? Clarify boy!) and it contained some links to MP3’s. I clicked the first one and I listened. Not bad. Then I clicked the second and it was better. Then I clicked the third and I was hooked. I’ll spare you all the band names that came to mind when I was listening (slowed down Strokes, Interpolish, Arctic Banana Eaters) because I’m probably wrong. All I do is put it out there. If you like it, keep it. If you don’t, it doesn’t hurt my feelings. Like I said, I know what I like and if I like it I’ll champion it pretty damn hardcore. That’s just how I roll.

http://voxacious.wordpress.com/2006/09/26/can-joann/
- Voxacious (http://voxacious.wordpress.com/2006/09/26/can-joann/)

27 September 2006
Can Joann
Take note music promoters: I like mail. It's 2006, folks, and we don't need a stamp to reach out and touch someone (although in some cases a phone line is necessary). Whether it's in my inbox or the mailbox by the front door, I love hearing new music, especially on Tuesdays. Can Joann made me happy today with some new tracks in my inbox. They're from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and are releasing their debut full length, Hurt People Hurt People. They'll be playing at the Durham Music Festival alongside The Mountain Goats, The Rosebuds, and Portastatic, and are well worth checking out if you're in the area. Bluesy-garage rock? Emo-pop? Who cares; I'm tired of trying to pigeon-hole all this music. If I thought it was crap, I wouldn't post about it. I'm especially fond of [MP3] "Lady Luck" from their Aiden Grace EP (2004).

- Quick Before It Melts (http://www.qbim.blogspot.com/)

Published by Alex on November 4th, 2006.

Bad name aside, Can Joann have been my favourite pop band since I got back. The instrumentalism is tight as ants snatch. Excellent drumming backs up consistant base and lead guitaring, but the thing that makes them stand out from many of their contempories is their vocalisation. Their singer singers with an unrelenting conviction and varied intonation where it is needed.

I must apologise for being behind the curve if looking on elbo.ws. But time has only hardened my belief in this band. Nearest comparisons to this band would be “Orson” except that much more magical and with a charming lack of Californian gloss and sheen that the former perspire. Definitely on the radar, enjoy.
- http://dirtybronson.wordpress.com/2006/11/04/buzzbandcan-joann/

"The Aiden Grace EP"
Can Joann
(self-released)

http://www.indyweek.com/durham/2005-03-30/homebrew2.html

B Y G R A Y S O N C U R R I N

Extended-Player-Creme-de-la-Créme Syndrome: An unfortunate disorder in which a young band spends an inordinate amount of time writing, rehearsing and recording new material only to release a short but spirited EP with loads of promise never fulfilled by the follow-up drag of an LP. Perhaps you're familiar with it through Kings of Leon and Vue, two recent cases who fell into the trap by way of their major label debuts in the past two years.

On that note, here's to Can Joann, the shakin' quartet from Chapel Hill whose The Aiden Grace EP pops open-and-shut as one of the most enjoyable 17 minutes in recent local pop memory. Not unlike The Rosebuds, Can Joann crafts smart, sticky, hook-heavy rock with consistent rhythmic simplicity and spare, effective guitar lines that speak to vinyl collections chock full of The Beatles, The Kinks and Paul Revere. These songs break the 180-second barrier, though, giving them a complexity beyond verse-chorus-verse pep. Can Joann sets itself apart with meticulous bridges, too, establishing a structure more suited for The Smiths (see "Old and Grey") and Franz Ferdinand (see "Banner Year") comparisons.

There's an open-road abandon and ebullience here, separating these Hill lads from certain stiffs across the pond. An open-road, distinctly American feel shines through during sing-alongs like "Lady Luck" and "Banner Year." If this bright four-song gem doesn't have a case of EPCCS (fancy, I know), we've got a keeper.
- The Independent Weekly

Combined descendents of The Kinks hip-popping
rock, Weezer white-boy moaning and Big Star's fuzzy power-pop affection,
Can Joann sticks like bubble gum and bounces like rubber soles. Writing friendly
songs about unfriendly life and its tough-luck chances, these Chapel Hill lads
probably sound like a lot of things you love and very few you probably hate.

- The Independent Weekly

by CHRIS TOENES

Of late, the premium in rock has been on loud, raucous and
riff-driven. When that changes to good songwriting, irresistible hooks
and crisp playing, expect to see Can Joann atop the pack. Like The Rosebuds,
there is something uncommonly straightforward about this Chapel Hill
quartet, particularly in guitarist Ryan Benjamin's clean, ringing guitar tones.
The band's great with a bridge (as on their bubbly, Byrds-ish rave-up
"Sympathetic Thrill"), and there's an energy about their canny songs
that is as refreshing as the first warm, sunny days of spring. There are a lot of
baited breaths anticipating their first studio full-length in the fall. - The Independent Weekly

The one thing I've got to say to bands that get in touch with me about checking out their music: I listen to every note you link me to. I'll also give you another tip- it pays to be very gracious and nice to me, because I'm more prone to like you and your music. So a couple weeks ago I got an email from a band out of Chapel Hill, NC known as Can Joann. First off I immediately liked the band's name, which is usually a good sign for me. Yes, I do find it more difficult to like bands with terrible names. But name aside, what really sells me is the music, because even bands with great names sometimes put out terrible music. This is not the case with Can Joann. I was instantly taken in by the band's jangly guitar pop/garage rock songs, probably because they felt so fun and familiar, yet completely new at the same time. As I was attempting to lay a finger on what the band exactly sounded like, I came up with a few different thoughts. Initially I thought they were just like The Strokes but with Stephen Malkmus on vocals. Pavement at their poppiest might also be a good comparison. But the more I listened the more influences I latched onto. There's definitely pieces of The Clash and The Kinks to be found within their songs. And if you're a fan of earlier Jets to Brazil this will be right up your alley too. I'll also throw in Hockey Night, Dirty Pretty Things and Nada Surf as even more references.

Though I can probably namedrop like this all day long, I'm going to stop there because despite all these comparisons, Can Joann have forged their own unique sound that's got an extremely catchy and addictive vibe to it. The more you listen to it, the more it stays with you. I found myself humming "Indecision's Way" while walking yesterday, and I'm always impressed when an unsigned band can work its music into my subconscious. Speaking of which, why aren't these guys signed yet? Labels, get on the phone already. In the meantime, you can buy the band's full length "Hurt People Hurt People" for a mere $7 via CD Baby. Do it now, thank me later, and get in on the ground floor with a band that's got success written all over them.

- http://faronheit.blogspot.com/2006/10/new-random-segment-sign-this-band.html