Facts

We are pleased to bring you the exclusive premier of Facts' latest video for "Nerves", the first single off of the new EP, The Hunch. The video was directed by Ian Macdonald, and captures the turmoil of a mind riddled with anxiety. The viewer is taken on a surreal journey through an afflicted man’s thoughts, memories and imagination.

Facts is an East-Vancouver band that was formed in 2010 by Sean Bletcher, Hugh MacDonald, Mike Doull and Sean Bayntun. The premise was to pursue a new trend of pop music. One that took the jangly guitars of the downtown basement rock scene they were used to, and blended in the pulse and hum of electronic dance music found in the clubs and art shows they would frequent. Facts spent winter 2013 working with their new drummer Phil Harbut, to create The Hunch, which focuses their identity as trailblazers in alternative/electronica. The result is a ripe blend between humanized electronic grandeur, and romantic but experimental pop music.

Produced at JCDC Studios by David Carswell, The Hunch EP will be released on May 27, 2014. - ION Magazine

Let’s face it: 3 p.m. is the cruellest time of the workday. The morning latte has worn off, and the post-lunch crash has you staggering around like an extra from a George A. Romero flick. That’s why, each weekday at 3:01 p.m. (we're trying! Really!), we present you with a video hand-picked to kick-start your heart.

Today’s offering: looks like someone spent a pretty penny on this video. Well, not literally, because you can't actually spend pennies in this country anymore, pretty ones or otherwise. Um, speaking of pretty things, it's a good-looking video, and the song is cool too. So. Yeah. - Georgia Straight

"Nerves" is the new single from Vancouver's Indie-Electro outfit, Facts. The first released song off their upcoming EP, landmarks the end of a busy year in the Canadian music scene, and the beginning of creating a new sound that reflect Facts' persona in a new dimension.

The band traded guitars for more synthesizers, and brought a focal point of dark electronica inspired by artists like Grimes and Modeselektor into the mix. The result is a vibrant blend of trance and noise rock, carried by lyrics portraying the trials of love and anxiety swirling through a vocoder.

Nerves was recorded at East Van studio JC/DC earlier this year, which was also home to the awe-inspiring 2012 Destroyer record Kaputt. The song is the first of five other tracks done at JC/DC which are due out for early 2014.

The Vancouver five-piece is following up the new single with some live performances including an appearance at CMJ in New York this month, as well as some Vancouver dates to follow. - ION Magazine

Here’s something neat that we missed last year. Vancouver dance punks, Facts, put out a full length called Like a Living Being that efficiently checks all of the dance punk boxes and in moments displays a commendable sense of adventure. The sweeping C-C-C-Cold is one of these moments, with reverb drench harmony vocals reminiscent of some of David Byrne’s more recent solo work slipping in and out under post punky guitar slinking only to be interrupted by a horn led bridge and increasingly anarchic synth work. You can download the album here, and can check the band out live at Pop Montreal later this month. We would recommend it. - Silent Shout

Facts
Like a Living Being
(Independent)

by Vonah Sanqui

Like a Living Being is anything but boring. Released last March by Vancouver’s Facts, the album does well in representing what’s good about synth-rock – big beats, catchy riffs, and leaving you with the sudden desire to play the drums.

With a large array of sounds, Facts give each track their own distinct feel. Tracks like “Diagonals,” “Picking Fights,” and “Lemon Peel,” are progressive as they unfold, starting with soothing intros that ease into a strong beat drop. This is well contrasted with tracks like “Body Break” that has catchy Rooney-esque riffs and beats right from the get-go.

Facts does an amazing job setting a feel good atmosphere for the listener. Enter “Retro Oceans,” which is a personal favourite. The song displays what Facts does best - choosing particular beats and rhythms to fit so flawlessly with the lyrical message. It instantly creates that cool and breezy vibe.

Also, the ability the band has to mesh their own personal independent sounds creates gorgeous moody soundscapes. It’s amazing when each instrument has its own personality added to a track, instead of hiding in the background.

Facts is shaping up to be a strong contender in the synth-rock genre. It’s only about time until the rest of the world starts catching on.

More — http://hearthefacts.com/ - PublicRecords

Need to update your playlists with some new audio? Well here is our Weekly Top Five Local Tracks to check out. We will be uploading this feature every week so make sure to keep checking back for some amazing local artists.

1. A Silent Sphere – Jordan Klassen & Facts
2. Running – T. Nile
3. Mimi Ashi – Oh No! Yoko
4. Sticks and Stones – City of Glass
5. Way It Goes – Doja - Red on Black Music

Vancouver band Facts has shown incredible support for Arts Umbrella in a unique way. Through the online sales of their EP Sweatin' For The Arts, as well as a fundraising event, which featured a live show with two other local acts, Facts was able to raise nearly $1000 to support Arts Umbrella's mission to inspire kids for life through the arts.

"Every member of Facts wanted to work with Arts Umbrella because we look back at our own childhood and wished there were better opportunities to experience and learn about the arts. One of us actually did do an Arts Umbrella class when he was a kid and from what he described, that was exactly the kind of program we wanted to help support," says Facts member, Sean Bletcher. - Arts Umbrella

Vancouver band Facts has shown incredible support for Arts Umbrella in a unique way. Through the online sales of their EP Sweatin' For The Arts, as well as a fundraising event, which featured a live show with two other local acts, Facts was able to raise nearly $1000 to support Arts Umbrella's mission to inspire kids for life through the arts.

"Every member of Facts wanted to work with Arts Umbrella because we look back at our own childhood and wished there were better opportunities to experience and learn about the arts. One of us actually did do an Arts Umbrella class when he was a kid and from what he described, that was exactly the kind of program we wanted to help support," says Facts member, Sean Bletcher. - Arts Umbrella

2012 has been a breakout year for Vancouver’s Facts. They released their debut album “Like a Living Being”, played Live at Squamish and got picked to participate in the Peak Performance Project. Now Facts is using their latest EP to Pay it Forward. “Sweatin’ For The Arts” was released this week and is now available on Bandcamp for a minimum donation of $1. All the proceeds will go directly to Arts Umbrella, an organization that provides high-quality, equal access art programs for kids of all economic backgrounds. The EP includes two brand new singles called “My Lips” and “Walking With Beast”, as well as the fitness-ready track “Body Break”.

To thank Facts for their generosity and amazing musical talents, vote for them in this year’s PPP. The top 5 will be announced via The Peak 102.7 FM on Thursday, November 1st at 3:15pm. Voting ends on October, 26th. - Winnie Cooper

ell the third night of the Peak Performance Project has come and gone and the masses that turned up at The Red Room were treated to yet another rousing line-up.

Alexandria Maillot’s reedy R&B vocals filled the air first. Accompanied by a talented band for the night and her own ukulele skills; the crowd was easily swayed into falling for the young songstress. This is actually the 2nd time for Maillot in the PPP, having entered first when she was the ripe old age of 17. It’s easy to see why she made it in again, her performance on–stage is sweet and full of passion and her songs go down easy. She is a talented songwriter also, which is clearly evident in tracks like “Missing Pieces” and “Just Another Girl”.

Dear Rouge was up next and their fans were wall to wall in the pit and highly organized passing out red glow-stick bracelets, chanting “You say Dear...I say Rouge...” pumping us up for something big.... Extremely energetic and very dynamic Dear Rouge did not disappoint. The engaging Danielle McTaggart bounced around in her black sequined jumpsuit, dancing and singing with every fibre in her being, but she didn’t stop there, she strapped on a guitar for one track and played keys for another....unstoppable!Drew McTaggart accompanied her faithfully on guitar and poured his heart into the performance. The entire band (Brian-keys/synth/guitar, Adam-drums, Matt-bass) was incredible actually and I’d see them again in a heartbeat.



Facts were third in the line up and they definitely know how to put on a show. Their catchy punk-pop beats complemented by a crazy-ass light show and a host of musical guests was thoroughly entertaining.

Clearly these guys are as fun as their music because they had so many friends (like Lana Pitre from Synthcake!) sharing the stage with them. I also love the idea that so many members in this group take turns leading the way on vocals; switching from Sean Bletcher (guitar), to Hugh MacDonald (bass) to Mike Doull (key, guitar), it helps their sound stay fresh and unique. Of course having the amazing Kristy-Lee Audette (glock, trumpet) on stage doesn’t hurt either! Sean Bayntun (keys) and Roland Poulin (drums) layed it all on the line as well, most definitely sweatin’ for the arts!


Maurice was the final act for the show and his vocals and guitar chops are undeniably awesome, seriously his guitar riffs were entrancing. JP Maurice is vivacious and had the support of a host of fantastic musicians including some Tough Lovers. The throng in attendance was unmistakably supportive too as they joined in his tune “All I Ever Wanted”, echoing back the catchy “daaa da da da da d d d d daaa”. “Mistake” was also a beautiful number so many different elements playing off each other, creating a rich, vibrant track that sticks with you.

On the whole, another fantastic night of local musical goodness courtesy of The Peak 102.7!

- Rebekah Gusway - Vancity Voice

Facts are a Vancouver-based foursome who are fresh off releasing their first full-length effort, Like a Living Being, produced by friend and colleague Tom Dobrzanski (Said the Whale, We Are the City) and Shawn Cole (Bend Sinister, The Pack AD).

Building their own musical brand full of dancey rhythms, synth lines, spacey guitars and layered vocals, these tracks will get you dancing—or peak your interest at the least.

For fans of Two Door Cinema Club and Bombay Bicycle Club, check out “Retro Oceans.” - aux.tv

Saturday was all about patience at Live at Squamish. After a car accident closed the highway for hours, most of the bands arrived late pushing back most performances by 20 to 45 minutes. Our waiting was rewarded though, with a fantastic day of sunshine, live music, and beautiful scenery.





Gold & Youth:

Alex: Even though their set was cut short due to the highway havoc, Gold & Youth delivered. I love when a band starts off with a small crowd and as they play their music lassos people in. Several other bands that were playing that day were also taking time out of their schedules to take in Gold & Youth’s set, which is always a good sign.



Facts:

Char: I was originally going to avoid seeing many of the Peak Performance Project artists for this year because I know that we will see a lot of them this coming fall, but as I was walking past the Meadow Stage as Facts was on I could not help but stop and take in their set. When I walked in to their set their only vocals were coming from the back row on the stage and their trumpet player, who was phenomenal, was front and center. It was a refreshing perspective for electronic music.

Jess: A few songs into the set, a friend next to me turned and said “How is a band this good still at Peak Performance Project level?” I agree. They definitely had the most energy of almost any set I saw in the entire festival. The band of 4 dancers at the front turned into a full-blown dance-party-rave at the end, and I hope they go on to play bigger and better stages than the Meadow stage in their career.



LP:

Char: LP was my musical discovery of the weekend. Jess was very adamant that we catch her show, and I am glad that she made me go. LP has a unique voice that demands the audiences attention. In songs like her newest single “Into the Wild, LP is able to seamlessly weave between being a vocal powerhouse and a softer, and more intimate side of her voice. LP was like a firecracker, running about the stage and hyping up the steadily growing crowd. This may be the album that I will need to buy when I get home this weekend!

Alex: After watching a few of LP’s songs, she reminded me of a hybrid between Feist and St.Vincent. She can sing like no one else and I loved watching her rock out with a ukelele. “Tokyo Sunrise” was beautiful and “Into The Wild” had almost everyone singing.

Wintersleep:

Char: I have to say that I was unimpressed with Wintersleep! They weren’t bad, but they just kind of sounded like their albums. This isn’t a horrible thing because I do like their albums, but it just was not very exciting. Everyone was just stationed at their instrument, it felt like they were getting through a show rather than truly happy to be there. Maybe things changed later in their set as I didn’t feel the need to stick around, but nevertheless the first half of their set didn’t make me want to keep watching, especially given LP was killing it over at the Garibaldi stage.

Jess: Wintersleep broke my heart. They are definitely in my top 20 Canadian bands and their last 2 albums have been back-to-back phenomenal recordings. Then their live show… they were boring! I started the show in the front row, then slowly moved back until I left. I heard their show at the Biltmore was off-the-hook-good, and I hope it was, but this was not it.



Lights:

Alex: I feel that Lights often gets passed off as a Top 40 pop star when she is so much more. Yes, her songs are sometimes on pop radio, but she is incredibly talented! Besides writing all her music, which is fantastic, she puts on an amazing live show. Opening her set with “Banner” from Siberia, Lights immediately had the large crowd’s attention. She worked them into a frenzy, jumping off the stage and running up to the crash cage and singing “Timing Is Everything” to them. She belted out “Flux and Flow” and delivered a flawless cover of Blondie’s “Heart of Glass”. Between her Emily Haines-esque keyboard playing and dancing, she chatted with the crowd and even was hugged by one girl who broke through security and jumped on stage. After title track “Siberia” and “Fences”, she closed out with “Toes” which had pretty much everyone singing along.

Jess: I have to say this is “the show that changed Lights” for me. I am honestly not her biggest fan, and her soundcheck did not sound promising when I heard it. But her set was great! She had energy, her band was phenomenal (her synth guy is one of the best I’ve seen) and her music was much less worse than I remember… if that makes any sense. “Toes” had me singing along, admittedly, and I would do it again.



Beats Antique:

Char: I have heard great things about Beats Antique, and was kind of bummed we missed their set at Sasquatch. Therefore, I was pretty set on not missing their set here at Live at Squamish. I am happy I made their set. The chemistry between David Sidall and Tommy Cappel was unbelievable to watch and the fusion of electronic and world m - Vancouver Music Review

Yes Nice, The Ruffled Feathers and Facts at FIVESIXTY, August 24

Three amazing local bands were playing at FIVESIXTY on Friday night so I headed there for the early show. Facts were up first led by Sean Bletcher whose distinctive retro voice helps to give some edge to their electro pop-rock vibe. You could tell the boys were having an awesome time, Bayntun (keys) and MacDonald (bass) hardly stayed put as they grooved to their catchy tunes and Poulin’s drums gave a solid throbbing backbone to their music. It’s easy to see why they have quickly gained in popularity when you hear hits like “Retro Ocean” from their album Like a Living Being; it’s pop-y, fun and very danceable – a definite crowd-pleaser. Facts have an infectious energy on stage and that night they even let a lady join their boy-band: Kristy-Lee Audette accompanied the guys with a variety of instruments, but her trumpet work is a definite highlight to the music, especially in spacey tunes like “C-C-C-cold”.

The boys currently have an awesome campaign on their website which has them sweatin’ for the arts, raising money so that kids have access to the amazing art programs provided by the Arts Umbrella. A fantastic local band that also gives back to the community – well that’s a class act all the way, and it shows they deserve all the praise that’s been coming their way of late.

From there, The Ruffled Feathers took over the stage. Gina Loes (vocals, guitar, and ukulele), Andrew Lee (horn section, vocals) and Charley Wu (piano, guitar, mandolin, and accordion), started the group but were feeling a little light in the rhythm section so when Sam Mackinnon (sticks, stones, and shakers) and Matty Jeronimo (bass) were bequeathed to them from another band, they knew they had struck gold.

The diversity of the instruments they play helps to create a very unique aged rock sound and I don’t mean aged like 50s or 60s (which it has too) but they also manage to encompass an air of the 1800s. The use of instruments like mandolin, accordion, and trumpet along with Loes’ soft songbird voice help to give it this quality. For me, it’s the kind of music that you could expect to hear coming from a scratchy phonograph.

The group’s album Oracles is an eclectic mix of pop, classical, bluegrass, and rock. They are fantastic to hear live because of the rich fullness of their music and there’s something down-home country about their tunes but don’t get me wrong it’s not country, I just get this sense of being transported to a previous time and place when I hear them. The Ruffled Feathers played a vigorous set of toe-tapping tracks that ended all too quickly.

Finally it was time for Yes Nice! One of the first times I ever saw Yes Nice was at a small-time gig in a bookstore. In fact, at the time, I believe it was just Nathaniel Wong (vocals, guitar, strings) and Scott McKellar (vocals, bass) so it was especially great to be able to see how far a talented group has come. Their sound is filled out by Peter Hendrickson (drums), Darren Frank (vocals, guitar) and Jillian McKellar (keys, vocals).

Yes Nice incorporates a multitude of instruments which allows their music to embody so many differing sentiments. The piano work is quite beautiful and creates an air of delicacy in many of the tracks. At times the combination of the vocals and guitar riffs with ethereal intervals are even Beatles-esque. Often excelling in the ballad arena, it was great to hear “Horses”, one of my (and the crowd’s) favourites – super upbeat with thriving drums, it had me on my feet in seconds. We even got to hear some new songs from their soon to be released album Warm Gun, a long awaited follow-up to the excellent Blindfolded.

After the show I spoke briefly with McKellar and he mentioned that Yes Nice had been touring out East recently and it was kind of like going back in time to those smaller gigs. That’s the trouble living in such a huge country – it can sometimes be like living in completely different worlds East to West. But their success here is undeniable; the group has been awarded many grants and prizes over the years and have participated in some huge events like the Peak Performance Project, New Music West and just this past weekend, they and Facts were partying it up at LIVE at Squamish.

All in all the night seemed to fly by with quick, lively sets from all three groups. The crowd had a blast and how could we not with a house full of talented musicians doing what they love and playing their hearts out. Facts, The Ruffled Feathers and Yes Nice are all part of our thriving local scene, so don’t miss out. Get yourself to their shows! - Vancouver Weekly

Band: Facts
Location: Vancouver
Genre: Electro Dance Rock
Label: Independent
Favourite Magazine: Exclaim

Group Members (L->R):
Sean Bletcher (vocals/guitar)
Hugh Macdonald (bass)
Mike Doull (multi-instrumental)
Sean Bayntun (keys)




They are a band from East Vancouver that love the Toronto scene....I already like these guys. They recently played one of their best shows in Toronto at The Hideout during their halfway across Canada tour promoting their first full-length record "Like a Living Being". The band is made up of 4 members with a 5th member on a consistent rotation. All the guys have a say in the writing and production process, which comes in handy when it's time to put the album together and smack it in the face. This is the first major tour the guys have done together and most of it was spent playing Super Nintendo on the road in the back of the van.....Super Ghouls'n Ghosts & Mortal Kombat 3 were the games of choice. I've always been a Johnny Cage kind of guy but I guess Cyrax was pretty good as well. And Kitana was not a sight for sore eyes either Mr. Bletcher.


"Ultimate Mortal Combat III is a good one...I've been going back and forth between Cyrax and New Sub-Zero" - Mike Doull



The boys weren't around their Super Nintendo while in the big smoke as they were busy hooking up with publications, stations and Prettyfreedom in Kensington Market to play a little gig in front of the trendy boutique.

"....yesterday we played in front of a little fashion boutique called Prettyfreedom. We met this really wonderful guy named Jody at the show who runs this little shop and asked us to come on down to his store and play a show. So he set us up and bought us some beer and sandwiches, and we set up in front of his store and played a set....." - Sean Bletcher

It comes as no surprise to me that Jody would have these guys play a set at this shop for a couple of beers and sandwiches because the sounds that they produce is very different from many others. Their lyrics sketch out a frame for you as if you were in the song. The two guys that deserve some credit for creating this beast are producers Tom Dobrzanski (Said The Whale & We Are The City) & Shawn Cole (Pack AD) who really focused on bring out the instruments but also giving the guys the freedom for the lyrics to shine throughout the entire record. The electro feel is heard in many of the songs with the use of a synthesizer, keyboard and layered guitars. What really stands out to me most is their use of all the instruments with strong emphasis on each at some point in every song, whether it's the bass or keyboards. The powerful drums echoing through layers of synch really stand out when you feel like they should. The timing is perfect and the instruments are all on cue.



But what kind of album is this though? It's an album that you can put on for your girlfriend when her and her friends are going out, and having a pre drink at your place.....this is what their bio states on their site. Not word for word, but something along those lines. Just a heads up, the bio was written by a girl who probably does the pre-drink minus the boyfriend.....good for her. What kind of boyfriend would let his girlfriend party at his house? Don't look at me....


Facts performing "Lemon Peel" in-studio

The guys play a very upbeat style of music that makes you want to move and also keeps them moving during their performances. Seems like everyone is in it for the workout or just the joy the Facts bring to the stage every time they play. The guys aren't health nuts but they are health minded about access to the arts. They have teamed up with Arts Umbrella for a new fundraising initiative which gives youth ages 2-19 the chance to get the highest possible training in visual and performing arts no matter their financial circumstances. The guys have released a special edition EP "Sweatin' For The Arts" with all proceeds going to Arts Umbrella. The EP costs a minimum of $1 and you get your hands on a few unreleased tracks. They even put the song "Body Break" on the EP which is off their full length album. Coincidence....Hal & Joanne?



But we all know that nowadays raising awareness for a cause you need to be either outrageous or have tons of cash. And the guys took the outrageous route. They have asked all their fans, followers, friends of friends, inter-web people to post pictures of themselves or their friends wearing ridiculous workout attire and tweet @hearthefacts or instagram it to them @factstheband so they can pass along the message. These pictures can be as reidouslious as possible. Just look at what Joanne Mcleod and Hal Johnson were wearing back in the 90s and you'll have a pretty good idea of what the guys are looking for during this campaign that ends October 8th. What I'm trying to do to help is get my girl, who works at a gym to organize a retro attire day at her gym....not going so well. But I'm working on it @ArtsUm - The Show TO

It probably goes without saying that we get a lot of submissions at iM. … like… A LOT… (not to be confused with alot). So when we get a personal recommendation from an artist we’ve done some work with in the past, we tend to toss those higher in the “to listen” queue: enter Vancouver electro-rock quintet FACTS.

The five-piece has been kicking around for about three years or so, and have shared the stage with a flurry of west coast acts including iM favs OH NO! YOKO, THE GAY NINETIES, and YOUNG LIARS. Musically they come together somewhat in the realm of those aforementioned acts: upbeat, danceable… but ultimately they come across as some strange cross-over hybrid of DFA1979 and LCD SOUNDSYSTEM… which is exactly the kind of awesome I want to discover in a random band recommendation.

Back in March, FACTS dropped their long-awaited debut LP Like A Living Being, and with production by Tom Dobrzanski (THE ZOLAS, WE ARE THE CITY) and mixing by Shawn Cole (BEND SINISTER, YOU SAY PARTY), the LP shines with a pristine crispness and a sharp contrast between all the layers that creates this great underbed of ambiance throughout.

Recommended tracks include opener Colourful Box, Body Break, Phewf!, Purists, and the seven-minute epic Diagonals which the band professes they fear “may puncture space-time or something” – why not check out the whole thing in its entirety in the player below and let us know what YOUR favourite track is. - THE iNDiE MACHiNE

It probably goes without saying that we get a lot of submissions at iM. … like… A LOT… (not to be confused with alot). So when we get a personal recommendation from an artist we’ve done some work with in the past, we tend to toss those higher in the “to listen” queue: enter Vancouver electro-rock quintet FACTS.

The five-piece has been kicking around for about three years or so, and have shared the stage with a flurry of west coast acts including iM favs OH NO! YOKO, THE GAY NINETIES, and YOUNG LIARS. Musically they come together somewhat in the realm of those aforementioned acts: upbeat, danceable… but ultimately they come across as some strange cross-over hybrid of DFA1979 and LCD SOUNDSYSTEM… which is exactly the kind of awesome I want to discover in a random band recommendation.

Back in March, FACTS dropped their long-awaited debut LP Like A Living Being, and with production by Tom Dobrzanski (THE ZOLAS, WE ARE THE CITY) and mixing by Shawn Cole (BEND SINISTER, YOU SAY PARTY), the LP shines with a pristine crispness and a sharp contrast between all the layers that creates this great underbed of ambiance throughout.

Recommended tracks include opener Colourful Box, Body Break, Phewf!, Purists, and the seven-minute epic Diagonals which the band professes they fear “may puncture space-time or something” – why not check out the whole thing in its entirety in the player below and let us know what YOUR favourite track is. - THE iNDiE MACHiNE

Local musicians reveal their top tunes for hot-weather cruising and tell us what they love about living here.
By John Lucas and Mike Usinger, June 14, 2012

Special coverage

Get set for summer in the city

It’s all fine and dandy to want to pedal around the city on a pimped-out fixie plastered with stickers that read “One Less Car”. Hell, it’s probably even ecologically responsible, considering the whole world is currently headed to hell in a petrol-burning handcart thanks to our now-global reliance on gasoline. But there’s only one problem with that: there’s no dignity in cruising Robson Street on a hot summer night when you’re reduced to blaring your favourite summer tune from an ’80s-era boombox that you’ve painstakingly duct-taped to your Nutcase bike helmet. No, to truly make a statement, you need to be popping the clutch on a ’69 Plymouth Road Runner and then cranking the shit out of that Alpine. With summer officially on the horizon, we asked some of our favourite local artists what they are looking forward to over the next couple of months, and who’ll be providing the soundtrack when they get behind the wheel.

Gillian Thomson lends her sweetly smoky voice to Sister Says, the jazz-and-soul-influenced duo that also features her brother Robert.
Top tune to crank while cruising: “ ‘Tell Me Something Good’ by Rufus and Chaka Khan. I picked it because it’s super funky and reminds me of the summertime, riding in the car with friends and family.”
Best thing about Vancouver in the summer: “For me, it’s how somehow Vancouverites manage to get even more relaxed. When it becomes officially flip-flop-wearing weather, people get really jazzed about it.”

Big John Bates has what Pavement might describe as miles of style, as the Gretsch-slinging frontman drags throwback roots music through the heart of Death Valley on the recently released Headless Fowl.
Top tune to crank while cruising: “Beck’s song ‘Girl’ screams out summer to me—and no, not just because the word summer is in it. It’s got the whole chill summer vibe and sunny memories are pre-installed. Repeat as required.”
Best thing about Vancouver in the summer: “Hmm, did I mention I live downtown on a boat? Vancouver’s waterfront makes summer here awesome. The beaches—I’m looking at you Wreck—islands and coves are so effin’ beautiful. The fireworks are out of control on the water, bursting overhead. You can tie up at Granville Island for dinner or grab a case of beer. And my marina is on the seawall, so I can always just lay back with a drink and watch the sunset while the city moves by.”

Sean Bletcher and Hugh Macdonald are the dual frontmen for Facts, an outfit specializing in synth-powered indie pop that, come to think of it, would make a pretty good summer-driving soundtrack.
Top tune to crank while cruising: (Bletcher) “This summer it’s going to be Japandroids—‘The House That Heaven Built’ off their new album [Celebration Rock]. The boys are back!”
Best thing about Vancouver in the summer: (Macdonald) “There is a short but sweet window that we get where this city is amazing. People come here and think it’s like that all the time, and then they move here and get pissed off and move away again. But yeah, that window, when we’re all bike riding, drinking, and smoking at the beach, and pretending we’re good at golf—that’s the best.”

Sabrina Robson belts out the blues with enough old-school authenticity to impress R.L. Burnside as one half of Vancouver’s This Is THE SHOES.
Top tune to crank while cruising: “ ‘The Pusher’ by Steppenwolf because it’s a badass song that’s perfect when you’re driving with the volume cranked. The song sets the tone for Easy Rider, which is one of the greatest cruising movies of all time.”
Best thing about Vancouver in the summer: “Beaches, beers, and beautiful people. Trekking down to Wreck Beach with a few friends and a few beers, and just taking it all in (naked skim-boarding is quite the spectacle). Some of my favourite - Georgia Straight

Local musicians reveal their top tunes for hot-weather cruising and tell us what they love about living here.
By John Lucas and Mike Usinger, June 14, 2012

Special coverage

Get set for summer in the city

It’s all fine and dandy to want to pedal around the city on a pimped-out fixie plastered with stickers that read “One Less Car”. Hell, it’s probably even ecologically responsible, considering the whole world is currently headed to hell in a petrol-burning handcart thanks to our now-global reliance on gasoline. But there’s only one problem with that: there’s no dignity in cruising Robson Street on a hot summer night when you’re reduced to blaring your favourite summer tune from an ’80s-era boombox that you’ve painstakingly duct-taped to your Nutcase bike helmet. No, to truly make a statement, you need to be popping the clutch on a ’69 Plymouth Road Runner and then cranking the shit out of that Alpine. With summer officially on the horizon, we asked some of our favourite local artists what they are looking forward to over the next couple of months, and who’ll be providing the soundtrack when they get behind the wheel.

Gillian Thomson lends her sweetly smoky voice to Sister Says, the jazz-and-soul-influenced duo that also features her brother Robert.
Top tune to crank while cruising: “ ‘Tell Me Something Good’ by Rufus and Chaka Khan. I picked it because it’s super funky and reminds me of the summertime, riding in the car with friends and family.”
Best thing about Vancouver in the summer: “For me, it’s how somehow Vancouverites manage to get even more relaxed. When it becomes officially flip-flop-wearing weather, people get really jazzed about it.”

Big John Bates has what Pavement might describe as miles of style, as the Gretsch-slinging frontman drags throwback roots music through the heart of Death Valley on the recently released Headless Fowl.
Top tune to crank while cruising: “Beck’s song ‘Girl’ screams out summer to me—and no, not just because the word summer is in it. It’s got the whole chill summer vibe and sunny memories are pre-installed. Repeat as required.”
Best thing about Vancouver in the summer: “Hmm, did I mention I live downtown on a boat? Vancouver’s waterfront makes summer here awesome. The beaches—I’m looking at you Wreck—islands and coves are so effin’ beautiful. The fireworks are out of control on the water, bursting overhead. You can tie up at Granville Island for dinner or grab a case of beer. And my marina is on the seawall, so I can always just lay back with a drink and watch the sunset while the city moves by.”

Sean Bletcher and Hugh Macdonald are the dual frontmen for Facts, an outfit specializing in synth-powered indie pop that, come to think of it, would make a pretty good summer-driving soundtrack.
Top tune to crank while cruising: (Bletcher) “This summer it’s going to be Japandroids—‘The House That Heaven Built’ off their new album [Celebration Rock]. The boys are back!”
Best thing about Vancouver in the summer: (Macdonald) “There is a short but sweet window that we get where this city is amazing. People come here and think it’s like that all the time, and then they move here and get pissed off and move away again. But yeah, that window, when we’re all bike riding, drinking, and smoking at the beach, and pretending we’re good at golf—that’s the best.”

Sabrina Robson belts out the blues with enough old-school authenticity to impress R.L. Burnside as one half of Vancouver’s This Is THE SHOES.
Top tune to crank while cruising: “ ‘The Pusher’ by Steppenwolf because it’s a badass song that’s perfect when you’re driving with the volume cranked. The song sets the tone for Easy Rider, which is one of the greatest cruising movies of all time.”
Best thing about Vancouver in the summer: “Beaches, beers, and beautiful people. Trekking down to Wreck Beach with a few friends and a few beers, and just taking it all in (naked skim-boarding is quite the spectacle). Some of my favourite - Georgia Straight

Fact: Facts are a great new band from Vancouver set to release their debut album (Like A Living Being) mid March.

Fact: Tom Dobrzanski from The Zolas produced the album, recommended for fans of Indie/Electro rock.

Fact: I found out about them from Winnie Cooper.

Fact: Stream and Download the single “Retro Oceans”. - Indie Music Filter

Local musicians reveal their top tunes for hot-weather cruising and tell us what they love about living here.

By John Lucas and Mike Usinger, June 14, 2012
Special coverage

Get set for summer in the city

It’s all fine and dandy to want to pedal around the city on a pimped-out fixie plastered with stickers that read “One Less Car”. Hell, it’s probably even ecologically responsible, considering the whole world is currently headed to hell in a petrol-burning handcart thanks to our now-global reliance on gasoline. But there’s only one problem with that: there’s no dignity in cruising Robson Street on a hot summer night when you’re reduced to blaring your favourite summer tune from an ’80s-era boombox that you’ve painstakingly duct-taped to your Nutcase bike helmet. No, to truly make a statement, you need to be popping the clutch on a ’69 Plymouth Road Runner and then cranking the shit out of that Alpine. With summer officially on the horizon, we asked some of our favourite local artists what they are looking forward to over the next couple of months, and who’ll be providing the soundtrack when they get behind the wheel.

Gillian Thomson lends her sweetly smoky voice to Sister Says, the jazz-and-soul-influenced duo that also features her brother Robert.
Top tune to crank while cruising: “ ‘Tell Me Something Good’ by Rufus and Chaka Khan. I picked it because it’s super funky and reminds me of the summertime, riding in the car with friends and family.”
Best thing about Vancouver in the summer: “For me, it’s how somehow Vancouverites manage to get even more relaxed. When it becomes officially flip-flop-wearing weather, people get really jazzed about it.”

Big John Bates has what Pavement might describe as miles of style, as the Gretsch-slinging frontman drags throwback roots music through the heart of Death Valley on the recently released Headless Fowl.
Top tune to crank while cruising: “Beck’s song ‘Girl’ screams out summer to me—and no, not just because the word summer is in it. It’s got the whole chill summer vibe and sunny memories are pre-installed. Repeat as required.”
Best thing about Vancouver in the summer: “Hmm, did I mention I live downtown on a boat? Vancouver’s waterfront makes summer here awesome. The beaches—I’m looking at you Wreck—islands and coves are so effin’ beautiful. The fireworks are out of control on the water, bursting overhead. You can tie up at Granville Island for dinner or grab a case of beer. And my marina is on the seawall, so I can always just lay back with a drink and watch the sunset while the city moves by.”

Sean Bletcher and Hugh Macdonald are the dual frontmen for Facts, an outfit specializing in synth-powered indie pop that, come to think of it, would make a pretty good summer-driving soundtrack.
Top tune to crank while cruising: (Bletcher) “This summer it’s going to be Japandroids—‘The House That Heaven Built’ off their new album [Celebration Rock]. The boys are back!”
Best thing about Vancouver in the summer: (Macdonald) “There is a short but sweet window that we get where this city is amazing. People come here and think it’s like that all the time, and then they move here and get pissed off and move away again. But yeah, that window, when we’re all bike riding, drinking, and smoking at the beach, and pretending we’re good at golf—that’s the best.”

Sabrina Robson belts out the blues with enough old-school authenticity to impress R.L. Burnside as one half of Vancouver’s This Is THE SHOES.
Top tune to crank while cruising: “ ‘The Pusher’ by Steppenwolf because it’s a badass song that’s perfect when you’re driving with the volume cranked. The song sets the tone for Easy Rider, which is one of the greatest cruising movies of all time.”
Best thing about Vancouver in the summer: “Beaches, beers, and beautiful people. Trekking down to Wreck Beach with a few friends and a few beers, and just taking it all in (naked skim-boarding is the quite the spectacle). Some of m - Georgia Straight

(no text, only photos) - The Futurists

(no text, only photos) - The Futurists

Being in a band of five is like being in a relationship with four different women at once, so keyboardist Sean Bayntun claims, especially for one that functions as collectively as it can. “The band formula of having a clear leader and a bunch of hired guns is becoming more common,” the vocalist and guitarist says. “But that’s not us. Every one of us is equally invested in this project.”

Facts' first release, Like a Living Being, was a work in progress for two years, and recorded with the venerable Tom Dobrzanski (Said the Whale, the Zolas). The music was a collaborative effort between all members of the band, though lyric duties are split mainly between Bletcher and Hugh Macdonald, who doubles as the bassist. Drummer Roland Poulin sums up their styles neatly: “Listening to Sean’s lyrics is like listening to a story, while Hugh writes lyrics like he’s painting a picture.” Despite having spent so long in pre-production, Macdonald admits that they’re still trying to figure out their sound, and the electro-pop single “Retro Beach” isn’t representative of the rest of the album.

Like most other independent artists, everyone in the band has day jobs that pays for rent and studio time — Bayntun, who was stuffed onto the piano chair at the age of three, now teaches piano, while Poulin moonlights as a web consultant. Being in a band is a job on top your full-time job, Bletcher said, though he seems confident that the hard work will pay off in time.

Two years of being in such a creatively intimate circle has made for good band chemistry, though according to Mike Doull, “We still fight about the stupidest shit all the time,” a statement that immediately sends the rest of the band into groans. “Like keys,” says Bayntun.

“But also serious things, like bad communication,” adds Poulin — all topics that can get inevitably heated over the course of a long-term commitment. - BeatRoute

Hello folks,

sometimes its hard to find new tracks. You check all your blogs and listen to all new releases and nothing seems to be the right start for a new show. But it could happen that you jump in a plane, fly 7900 kilometers and end up staying in a house with nice people. And maybe someone of those is playing in a band and invites you to a gig and you find your starting track. Thats how i found the starting track for this month. I bring you from the amazing Vancouver FACTS with Retro Ocean ( hearthefacts.bandcamp.com / Thx Robin, Peter, Ian and Hugh for the great time!). Of course we also have all great new releases and newcomers. New tracks from Miles Kane, Artic Monkeys, Temper Trap and Edward Shape. Newcomers like Ko Ko and Grimes (also Vancouver based!). And The Indie Updates bands of the week - Alabama Shakes, Blood Red Shoes and The Shins.

Enjoy listening,

Mobeeh & The Indie Update


FACTS - Retro Ocean
The Maccabees - Lonley Boy (The Back Keys Cover)
KO KO - Float
Citizens - True Romance (Live KEXP)
The Temper Trap - Rabbit Hole
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - Man On Fire
Grimes - Oblivion
The Shins - 40 Mark Strasse
The Paper Kites - Featherstone
Bombay Bicycle Club - How Can You Swallow So Much Sleep
Rosie Thomas & Sufjan Stevens - Where Were You
Artic Monkeys - R U Mine
Alabama Shakes - Hold On
Miles Kane - First Of My Kind
All The Young - Arcane (Mahogany Sessions)
Blood Orange - Sutphin Boulevard
Blood Red Shoes - In Time To Voices
Howler - Told You Once (Live KEXP) - The Indie Update, I Saw You Blink

Hello folks,

sometimes its hard to find new tracks. You check all your blogs and listen to all new releases and nothing seems to be the right start for a new show. But it could happen that you jump in a plane, fly 7900 kilometers and end up staying in a house with nice people. And maybe someone of those is playing in a band and invites you to a gig and you find your starting track. Thats how i found the starting track for this month. I bring you from the amazing Vancouver FACTS with Retro Ocean ( hearthefacts.bandcamp.com / Thx Robin, Peter, Ian and Hugh for the great time!). Of course we also have all great new releases and newcomers. New tracks from Miles Kane, Artic Monkeys, Temper Trap and Edward Shape. Newcomers like Ko Ko and Grimes (also Vancouver based!). And The Indie Updates bands of the week - Alabama Shakes, Blood Red Shoes and The Shins.

Enjoy listening,

Mobeeh & The Indie Update


FACTS - Retro Ocean
The Maccabees - Lonley Boy (The Back Keys Cover)
KO KO - Float
Citizens - True Romance (Live KEXP)
The Temper Trap - Rabbit Hole
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - Man On Fire
Grimes - Oblivion
The Shins - 40 Mark Strasse
The Paper Kites - Featherstone
Bombay Bicycle Club - How Can You Swallow So Much Sleep
Rosie Thomas & Sufjan Stevens - Where Were You
Artic Monkeys - R U Mine
Alabama Shakes - Hold On
Miles Kane - First Of My Kind
All The Young - Arcane (Mahogany Sessions)
Blood Orange - Sutphin Boulevard
Blood Red Shoes - In Time To Voices
Howler - Told You Once (Live KEXP) - The Indie Update, I Saw You Blink

By Joni McKervey

As well as being in a sort of cultural no-mans land, Five Sixty on Seymour Street (the old A&B Sound, to Vancouverites over 25) is itself a sort of void. Cavernous, multi-leveled, and covered all over with small square tiles and whitewashed brick in a Euro toilet chic, the venue feels like a place you’re more likely to get lost in than discover anything new at.
There to check out the Glass Kites album release show, I was ready to take that feeling to the bank, but instead I ended up pleasantly surprised by the parade of talented young bands that carried on with the night in front of a sparse, but loving crowd. In a huge venue like Five Sixty you really have to feel for the opening act.

Playing to a couple dozen fans and friends in a space that could easily hold two hundred, Bed of Stars did their best to banish the vacuum of empty space. Singer Evan Konrad, backed up by the band’s beautiful, melodic pop, gave an impressive vocal performance reminiscent of Royston Langdon from 90s glam pop band Space Hog. “We’re not disappointing you, are we?” Konrad asked the early evening crowd. “No? That’s good,” he replied to an unclear response from the crowd. “At least, I hope that was a no.” Bed of Stars closed their set with “Nothing left to Lose,” a bouncy crowd pleaser that has been seeing regular airtime on the Peak radio station since the release of their EP I Fell in Love in the City last year in August.

Next, with little ado, following a few choice old school drum and bass and deep house tracks DJed by Wobangs, Facts took the stage. The band seemed determined to give the crowd a primer on their most significant musical influences–a bit of Talking Heads here, some Spoon and the Killers there, at times a Zooropa-era U2 flavour–and so Facts’ set read like a Wikipedia entry on Popular Rock & Roll music of the last 40 years. The homage mélange was surprisingly pleasing, delivered as it was by clearly accomplished and enthusiastic players, making the show more entertaining and less doggedly derivative than it could have been.

After two full sets the crowd size noticeably increased. But, despite the surge in numbers, the energy remained on the mellow side for the third band on the bill, Supercassette. Seemingly immune to the band’s jokes and their exuberant brand of party-fueling synth-rock, folks proceeded to stand at a polite distance from one another and watch Supercassette sweat it out.

“You don’t have to be afraid to dance,” quipped the lead singer, but the crowd didn’t bite. Supercassette played a solid, high-energy set, but ended with a song we were told we may “recognize from TSN.” Titled “Good Company,” the song was a departure from the rest of their playlist and, owing to its more generic radio rock sound, kind of a down note to end on.

Glass Kites, whose first full-length album came out online January 1, served up an ambitious, all-encompassing look-see at the recently pressed material. Playing the album front to back, engulfed in a swirling display of lights–sometimes like snowflakes, sometimes like spinning galaxies, sometimes like lush grassy green hills disintegrating into nothingness–Glass Kites’ set was one part Laser Pink Floyd, one part Sigur Rós junior, and one part make-out room at a 70s high school party.
The crowd at this point had reached peak density, huddling close to the stage and swaying to the band’s layered, heavy, dreamy progressive rock. Between singer Leon Feldman’s acrobatic, Thom Yorke-ish vocals and guitarist Curt Henderson’s knife-sharp Jonny Greenwood profile, the Radiohead parallels are hard not to make. To their credit, the band has meticulously composed their way into territory all their own.

After playing the album’s closing track, “Slowly (Home)”, Glass Kites shut things down with a tonne-of-bricks-heavy medley of two non-album songs, “Apocalypse” and “Redemption,” a howling and relentless jam that broke the dial off at eleven. Satisfying.

DJ Wobangs played the crowd out with an appropriately far-out mix of dance hits, from CeCe Peniston to CSS, but perhaps not surprisingly, still no one was dancing. - Discorder

By Joni McKervey

As well as being in a sort of cultural no-mans land, Five Sixty on Seymour Street (the old A&B Sound, to Vancouverites over 25) is itself a sort of void. Cavernous, multi-leveled, and covered all over with small square tiles and whitewashed brick in a Euro toilet chic, the venue feels like a place you’re more likely to get lost in than discover anything new at.
There to check out the Glass Kites album release show, I was ready to take that feeling to the bank, but instead I ended up pleasantly surprised by the parade of talented young bands that carried on with the night in front of a sparse, but loving crowd. In a huge venue like Five Sixty you really have to feel for the opening act.

Playing to a couple dozen fans and friends in a space that could easily hold two hundred, Bed of Stars did their best to banish the vacuum of empty space. Singer Evan Konrad, backed up by the band’s beautiful, melodic pop, gave an impressive vocal performance reminiscent of Royston Langdon from 90s glam pop band Space Hog. “We’re not disappointing you, are we?” Konrad asked the early evening crowd. “No? That’s good,” he replied to an unclear response from the crowd. “At least, I hope that was a no.” Bed of Stars closed their set with “Nothing left to Lose,” a bouncy crowd pleaser that has been seeing regular airtime on the Peak radio station since the release of their EP I Fell in Love in the City last year in August.

Next, with little ado, following a few choice old school drum and bass and deep house tracks DJed by Wobangs, Facts took the stage. The band seemed determined to give the crowd a primer on their most significant musical influences–a bit of Talking Heads here, some Spoon and the Killers there, at times a Zooropa-era U2 flavour–and so Facts’ set read like a Wikipedia entry on Popular Rock & Roll music of the last 40 years. The homage mélange was surprisingly pleasing, delivered as it was by clearly accomplished and enthusiastic players, making the show more entertaining and less doggedly derivative than it could have been.

After two full sets the crowd size noticeably increased. But, despite the surge in numbers, the energy remained on the mellow side for the third band on the bill, Supercassette. Seemingly immune to the band’s jokes and their exuberant brand of party-fueling synth-rock, folks proceeded to stand at a polite distance from one another and watch Supercassette sweat it out.

“You don’t have to be afraid to dance,” quipped the lead singer, but the crowd didn’t bite. Supercassette played a solid, high-energy set, but ended with a song we were told we may “recognize from TSN.” Titled “Good Company,” the song was a departure from the rest of their playlist and, owing to its more generic radio rock sound, kind of a down note to end on.

Glass Kites, whose first full-length album came out online January 1, served up an ambitious, all-encompassing look-see at the recently pressed material. Playing the album front to back, engulfed in a swirling display of lights–sometimes like snowflakes, sometimes like spinning galaxies, sometimes like lush grassy green hills disintegrating into nothingness–Glass Kites’ set was one part Laser Pink Floyd, one part Sigur Rós junior, and one part make-out room at a 70s high school party.
The crowd at this point had reached peak density, huddling close to the stage and swaying to the band’s layered, heavy, dreamy progressive rock. Between singer Leon Feldman’s acrobatic, Thom Yorke-ish vocals and guitarist Curt Henderson’s knife-sharp Jonny Greenwood profile, the Radiohead parallels are hard not to make. To their credit, the band has meticulously composed their way into territory all their own.

After playing the album’s closing track, “Slowly (Home)”, Glass Kites shut things down with a tonne-of-bricks-heavy medley of two non-album songs, “Apocalypse” and “Redemption,” a howling and relentless jam that broke the dial off at eleven. Satisfying.

DJ Wobangs played the crowd out with an appropriately far-out mix of dance hits, from CeCe Peniston to CSS, but perhaps not surprisingly, still no one was dancing. - Discorder

The text message reads like directions to a hideaway: Walk east until you reach a bridge. Cross it; then follow the path through the trees until you reach the other side (where I’m promised the home of Facts’ keyboardist Sean Bayntun lies).

It’s a beautiful day in East Van and I’m on an adventure to discover Facts.

Bassist Hugh MacDonald is lounging on Bayntun’s back porch with a beer. I join him while we wait for the arrival of guitarist Sean Bletcher and percussionist Roland Poulin.

The house feels like an oasis of sorts, replete with vintage couches, pianos, an impressive record collection, seemingly innumerable rooms and a view of the mountains.

Soon Bletcher and Poulin arrive. Using music as an axis, the conversation ranges from muskets and math to encyclopedias and trampolines. The entire day is, much like Facts’ music, dreamlike and inviting. Come on in, Facts seems to say, we think you’ll like it here.

Part of the welcoming atmosphere must be Facts’ underlying affection for each other: Bayntun and MacDonald have been acquainted since high school (back then, Bayntun was an award-winning pianist and MacDonald was just picking up a guitar). Both used to play in The Armadilettantes with Bletcher.

At a certain point, MacDonald relates, their other projects were “dissolving away.”

The trio then came together with Poulin and multi-instrumentalist Mike Doull to “do something we’d all wished we’d been doing already… We were trying to basically make a dance record. And what we ended up [with] was not exactly a dance record, but it is pretty cool.”

The bespoke album is Like a Living Being, which dropped March 27.

Facts seemed to be enjoying a much-welcome (if only momentary) break from a long and complex artistic process that afternoon. All the members were adamant that the band is, as Bletcher puts it, “super-collaborative.”

“It’s a not a situation where one or two people call the shots,” MacDonald explains. “We really let everyone play a pretty big role.” Of course, a chorus of voices can also become a cacophony of opinion.

For Like a Living Being, this meant lots of discussion during the recording process. “Everybody has to feel good about it,” Bletcher tells me. It sounds arduous, but the word Bletcher and MacDonald use most often is “fun”: The record is fun; the band had fun making it; the songs are fun to perform.

And the album is fun. It’s the sort of record girls put on before they go out; when we’re they’re in the mood to drink and dance and start trouble. It’s a pop album descended not from the bloodline of boy bands and mega-hits, but from the Talking Heads and contemporary indie pop.

The tracks are infectious: bright synthesizer riffs bounce on top of urgent and anxious guitars. Members take turns with the vocals; most of the lyrics are strange but enticing.

“We want to make songs for people to enjoy… But it’s not all just for fun, it’s got a little bit of feeling behind it, a little bit of mood,” MacDonald reflects.

Take Facts’ first single, the catchy “Retro Oceans.” The song is a peppy, cheerful ode to love’s frustrations- if you can stop bobbing your head long enough to notice.

On its heels comes the wonderfully jittery “Body Break,” where urgent bass lines and driving drumbeats unexpectedly give way to spacey keys and vocals.

Almost seamlessly, the record transitions to the dangerous and indescribable “Phewf!”. The peculiar medley continues throughout all of Like a Living Being, rushing madly through genre and emotion with a healthy dose of the surreal.

Like a Living Being may be Facts’ first record, but the boys promise me it won’t be the last. “This band has follow-through,” Bayntun tells me while chopping vegetables in the kitchen, “which is rare.” Bletcher and MacDonald confirm that there will be more albums and that they’re dedicated to Facts. Bletcher elaborates, “It’s a big learning experience… We know where our strengths lie and it’s easier now to put things together, to write things when you have that understanding.”

To celebrate the album’s release, Facts will be performing in the cabaret of The Waldorf Friday, April 13 with SynthCake and Gang Signs.

http://hearthefacts.bandcamp.com/


Written by: Sarah Kramer - Vancouver Weekly

The text message reads like directions to a hideaway: Walk east until you reach a bridge. Cross it; then follow the path through the trees until you reach the other side (where I’m promised the home of Facts’ keyboardist Sean Bayntun lies).

It’s a beautiful day in East Van and I’m on an adventure to discover Facts.

Bassist Hugh MacDonald is lounging on Bayntun’s back porch with a beer. I join him while we wait for the arrival of guitarist Sean Bletcher and percussionist Roland Poulin.

The house feels like an oasis of sorts, replete with vintage couches, pianos, an impressive record collection, seemingly innumerable rooms and a view of the mountains.

Soon Bletcher and Poulin arrive. Using music as an axis, the conversation ranges from muskets and math to encyclopedias and trampolines. The entire day is, much like Facts’ music, dreamlike and inviting. Come on in, Facts seems to say, we think you’ll like it here.

Part of the welcoming atmosphere must be Facts’ underlying affection for each other: Bayntun and MacDonald have been acquainted since high school (back then, Bayntun was an award-winning pianist and MacDonald was just picking up a guitar). Both used to play in The Armadilettantes with Bletcher.

At a certain point, MacDonald relates, their other projects were “dissolving away.”

The trio then came together with Poulin and multi-instrumentalist Mike Doull to “do something we’d all wished we’d been doing already… We were trying to basically make a dance record. And what we ended up [with] was not exactly a dance record, but it is pretty cool.”

The bespoke album is Like a Living Being, which dropped March 27.

Facts seemed to be enjoying a much-welcome (if only momentary) break from a long and complex artistic process that afternoon. All the members were adamant that the band is, as Bletcher puts it, “super-collaborative.”

“It’s a not a situation where one or two people call the shots,” MacDonald explains. “We really let everyone play a pretty big role.” Of course, a chorus of voices can also become a cacophony of opinion.

For Like a Living Being, this meant lots of discussion during the recording process. “Everybody has to feel good about it,” Bletcher tells me. It sounds arduous, but the word Bletcher and MacDonald use most often is “fun”: The record is fun; the band had fun making it; the songs are fun to perform.

And the album is fun. It’s the sort of record girls put on before they go out; when we’re they’re in the mood to drink and dance and start trouble. It’s a pop album descended not from the bloodline of boy bands and mega-hits, but from the Talking Heads and contemporary indie pop.

The tracks are infectious: bright synthesizer riffs bounce on top of urgent and anxious guitars. Members take turns with the vocals; most of the lyrics are strange but enticing.

“We want to make songs for people to enjoy… But it’s not all just for fun, it’s got a little bit of feeling behind it, a little bit of mood,” MacDonald reflects.

Take Facts’ first single, the catchy “Retro Oceans.” The song is a peppy, cheerful ode to love’s frustrations- if you can stop bobbing your head long enough to notice.

On its heels comes the wonderfully jittery “Body Break,” where urgent bass lines and driving drumbeats unexpectedly give way to spacey keys and vocals.

Almost seamlessly, the record transitions to the dangerous and indescribable “Phewf!”. The peculiar medley continues throughout all of Like a Living Being, rushing madly through genre and emotion with a healthy dose of the surreal.

Like a Living Being may be Facts’ first record, but the boys promise me it won’t be the last. “This band has follow-through,” Bayntun tells me while chopping vegetables in the kitchen, “which is rare.” Bletcher and MacDonald confirm that there will be more albums and that they’re dedicated to Facts. Bletcher elaborates, “It’s a big learning experience… We know where our strengths lie and it’s easier now to put things together, to write things when you have that understanding.”

To celebrate the album’s release, Facts will be performing in the cabaret of The Waldorf Friday, April 13 with SynthCake and Gang Signs.

http://hearthefacts.bandcamp.com/


Written by: Sarah Kramer - Vancouver Weekly

By Slavko Bucifal

First times are either awkward forgettable moments or experiences that excite and engage. Vancouver’s Facts comfortably stand in the latter category with their first full length, Like a Living Being. The album is full of various instrumentation, yet remains tight throughout, emitting the impression that the band has been producing records for a decade.

Facts have impressed audiences over the last few years, so it comes as no surprise that their ‘80s inspired new-wave dance revival sounds as good on tape as it does live. The five gents that comprise Facts are experienced musicians in their own right and they bring a diverse set of talent to the mix, including a classically trained pianist and a synth pop producer. The elements blend into a danceable and delectable offering.

If you have taken advantage of the free download of “Retro Oceans,“ Facts’ first single available from their Bandcamp page, do not be discouraged; although the track has a radio friendly vibe, it is not the highlight.

“Colorful Box” leads the album brilliantly with an exercise in momentum-building, as a fuzzed-out synth motif erupts into a crescendo during the chorus and reveals passionate and intense vocals towards the finish. The hands up hit of the bunch is “Body Break,” which ignores convention with nearly four minutes of quality body-movin’ instrumentals before the jittery vocals take the lead and amp up the groove factor by an exponent of 10, only to slow things down through what normally would be considered the bridge—except the track never returns to its initial intensity, leaving you wanting more. It is rare when you are left feeling incomplete and satisfied in the same instance.

The album also features a number of gorgeous tracks that aim for a calmer effect. “C-C-C Cold,” and “Purists,” offer hook friendly choruses and methodical textures and layers that are pure ear candy.

Like a Living Being has many great moments that linger beautifully; most of the tracks are over five minutes, allowing for their full development. This is a stellar debut from band that has already proven their worth on stage. - Discorder

By John Lucas, March 29, 2012

Like a Living Being (Independent)

On its debut album, Facts sticks strictly to a blueprint of ’80s-flavoured synth pop. Well, except for “C-C-C-Cold”, which sounds like that time Radiohead and Spiritualized recorded a song together and got the Art of Noise to remix it. Oh, and there’s also “Body Break”, which welds spazzy no-wave guitar to a motor-disko beat, and “Purists”, on which Facts gets its jagged dance-punk on and parties like it’s 2003.

For the most part, though, Facts has its heart in the decade of Dynasty and leg warmers. On “Colourful Box”, which opens Like a Living Being in fine New Romantic fashion, the five-piece sounds as if it might be gunning to be the hottest ticket at the Blitz circa ’81. The track also showcases what appear to be Facts’ signatures, including awesomely antiquated-sounding drum-machine beats, immodestly mannered vocals, and a finely honed sense of irony. That last quality comes to light when, five minutes in, singer-guitarist Sean Bletcher announces, “I have a short attention span,” and then the song carries on for another two minutes.

That Bletcher and his bandmates make zero apologies for their occasionally cheesy, lo-fi synthesizer tones and drum sequences is evident from the lyrics to “Retro Oceans”: “Those 8-bit sounds they make me feel nostalgic.” The song is a bit reminiscent of Hot Hot Heat’s more pop-leaning work—well, if Hot Hot Heat had been around 25 years ago, that is. - Georgia Straight

Facts are set to release their debut album Like A Living Being soon this month. So far the only song I’ve heard is Retro Oceans. It should tickle the fancy of anybody who’s into some good indie rock. I imagine them as this summer’s indie rock sensation. Down with those Foster the People dudes. - Ride The Tempo

I’ve always taken a sneaky bit of pride in the fact that I try to give readers a few factual morsels around the band that I am introducing, usually there are places I can find these be that their Facebook page or website. I feel (or rather hope) it makes the blogs a little more interesting, in fact I often imagine you, the reader, nodding a long in slight amusement as they read my waffle. Why am I sharing my insecurities with you? Well the band I am introducing to you tonight is perhaps the newest and so least well know band since I started tapping away here on Joe Bloggers. This raises an issue. There is next to no info on them, after having a good search on the Google, I found two things. They are from Canada and they originally they wanted to be Robots, obviously this fell through and so they decided to form a band. This only fuelled my now puzzled interest in them, so there was only one thing left to do: An (all be it short) email interview with Sean from ‘Facts’.

“So! Sean, where do you take your influences from?”

“We’re mostly a bunch of rock musicians that got heavily inspired by dance music and Electro/New Wave from the 80's. Our new single Retro Oceans is more of a pop song, but most of the album is Rock blended with electronic beats and disco. We were listening to a lot of LCD Soundsystem, Talking Heads, and New Order.”

“How the album is coming along? (I’m very excited!)”

“We’re excited too! It’s been about two years in the making so we are eager to get it out there. Like a Living Being is currently being pressed into physical copies and will be available online mid March.”

“Do you think your music would benefit from you being robots or do you think your human side is a bonus?”

“I think one of the best things about our sound is that we are doing our best to emulate robots, even as we play along side sequencers and samplers. You can actually hear, in real time, the contrast between computerized composition and human performance counter-weighing each other.”

I’d like to thank Sean for participating they are top lads and we wish them all the best, they are planning to tour Canada but of course as they say (about touring in England): “The UK would be a dream come true and we would love to make it over there one day.”

Exciting stuff, you heard it here first! ‘Facts’ releasing their album March 2012. Have a listen to their new single ‘Retro Oceans’, its fantastic: - JoeBloggers.net

Fact: Facts are a great new band from Vancouver set to release their debut album (Like A Living Being) mid March.

Fact: Tom Dobrzanski from The Zolas produced the album, recommended for fans of Indie/Electro rock.

Fact: I found out about them from Winnie Cooper.

Fact: Stream and Download the single “Retro Oceans”. - Indie Music Filter

Prepare yourself for some buzz. Local boys FACTS are releasing their debut album mid March and let me tell you it will be something to take note of. Produced by Tom Dobrzanski from The Zolas, FACTS are made up of Sean Bletcher, Sean Bayntun, Hugh MacDonald, Roland Poulin, Mike Doull. Bordering the fine line between Indie Rock and Electro, I’ve heard they’ll give our local boys, Young Liars, a run for their market share.

Come see them play Thursday March 15th with Glass Kites, SuperCassette and Bed of Stars at Five Sixty (560 Seymour St)
Enjoy their track, “Retro Oceans“, from their up and coming album.

“Those 8-bit sounds they make me feel nostalgic”

Posted first by John - WinnieCooper.net

The first band up was Facts (formerly knows as Armadillatantes) which is kind of a great name, just for the pun potential alone. They had a very electro-dance-punk sound to them that, on a couple occasions, reminded me of LCD Soundsystem-lite. Especially when one of singers attempted the James Murphy Yell, with middling success. They put on a fun dance party, but a few of their songs were a bit repetitive and their set went on for a shade too long. - 3AM Revelations

BAND NAME: FACTS

BAND INFO:
Sean Bletcher – Vocals, Guitar, Sampler
Hugh Macdonald – Vocals, Bass, Percussion
Sean Bayntun – Vocals, Keyboards, Synth
Roland Poulin – Drums, Percussion

WHAT GENRE DO YOU CONSIDER YOURSELVES TO BE?
Electro Rock

HOW AND WHEN DID THE GROUP FORM?
We were a bunch of Vancouver musicians from various broken bands. We kind of met each other through happenstance. A few of us wanted to start making dance music with samplers and electronic drums, which we had never really tried before. We worked with a few people on a few different ideas. Then we met Roland at a show and, being super hypersocial, he basically told us he wanted to drum for a dance rock band. We tried him out and it was great.

HOW DOES YOUR SONG WRITING PROCESS WORK?
It happens in various ways. The easiest is when one person starts with a basic frame or idea. they’ll play it and other people will lay their ideas on top of it. Sometimes we have had a lot of chemistry in our jams too, where we’re just really stoked about stuff we come up with on the spot, and we try to refine those ideas into songs. We do spend a lot of time working over ideas together, telling each other different ways to try it. We’re pretty exhaustive.

IF YOU WERE TO COLLECTIVELY GO INTO A RECORD STORE TOGETHER WHAT RECORDS WOULD YOU BUY AND WHY?
Sean Bletcher: The new Gang Gang Dance record – because it’s badass
Roland: I’ve never heard of that
Sean Bletcher: They’ve been a very experimental band for some time but they’ve broken into a new pop sound that’s really great
Roland: I’d like to include Cut Copy personally. Probably the only band I listen to every single day probably.
Sean Bletcher: The New Teen Daze album because they’re local and they’re awesome
Sean Bayntun: I would either look for something by New Order, or, Miles Davis. They’re two sounds that I’m totally intreagued by, and have sort of discovered recently. There’s a lot of meat for me to listen to
Roland: How do you listen to meat?
Sean Bayntun: I don’t know, just like all the layers.
Sean Bletcher: I’d go into the oldies or used section and pick up some Evelyn King because she makes some of the best disco music in the world
Hugh: I think the one I’ve been most excited to hear recently is the new Beastie Boys

WHAT IS YOUR MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT AS A MUSICIAN?
sean bletcher: Jumping on to my amplifier, falling off my amplifier, and then my amplifier falling onto me. That was like our third show. I tried to sort of backsummersault as fast as i could and get back up. now whenever i get on an amp i test it

roland: I also jumped from a drum stool. and took out my entire drum kit. and continued to play somehow. it wont be the last time i jump off my drum stool.

ANY UPCOMING SHOWS?
July 16th at Goody! with Piper Davis.

WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO YOU AS A BAND?
I want to get people excited. I just want a positive reaction to something i made. if i could make someone forget about bad shit in their life for five seconds, that’s awesome. It makes us feel like contributing members to society.

WHAT IS ONE THING THAT YOU WOULD WANT PEOPLE TO BE FEELING/THINKING AFTER SEEING ONE OF YOUR LIVE SHOWS?
I would like people to think of how other people see them, and how much that doesn’t matter. That’s not very articulate.
At one of our first shows, we finished a song, and when we stopped playing there was silence. And you could hear this one guy say “WOW”. that was pretty great.

WHO IS SOMEONE THAT YOU WOULD RECOMMEND WE FEATURE ON THE SITE?
Synthcake – it’s indie circus music!

DO ANY OF THE BAND MEMBERS HAVE ANY HIDDEN TALENTS?
it’s not exactly hidden but our keyboardist can play the Full House theme song. Our guitarist can do a spot-on Gollum impression. And a chewbacca impression. Roland doesn’t have anything that is hidden. Hugh has the mouth of a hoover.

FAVORITE 80'S SONG?
Flash Man theme from Mega Man 2. Listening to it right now. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsW3oYwD2oM
Hugh: Psycho Killer by Talking Heads. Or anything by the Pixies
Sean Bletcher: Bette Davis Eyes, by Kim Carnes
Roland: The ultra long version of Perfect Kiss by New Order.

WHAT GRINDS YOUR GEARS?
people who stop explaining stuff halfway through
when our equipment breaks, which is a lot, because we have a lot of it

What turns you on?
Tight outfits
girls on bikes
really good dancing

ANY LAST WORDS?
Always try your best.

Check out their site to listen/download 2 of their tracks:
http://hearthefacts.bandcamp.com/

Interview by

Crystal Wesolowski - getgrounded.tv