Music
Press
“The vancouver band can be loosely described as country-rock but its the open-ended kind that might be associated with New Riders of the Purple Sage or the Grateful Dead circa American Beauty. The songs have an edge, the band has wit and an aware perspective though its softened by The Seams’ relaxed approach.”
Tom Harrison, The Province
- The Province, Vancouver BC
Discography
Releases
2009 - Coming in May! "Just A Little Off The Top"
A new full length cd from Rueben and his band.
2008 - The Winter of our Discotheque
2005 - Rueben deGroot: with Hot Diamonds
2001 - Rueben deGroot (self titled)
Releases with other groups:
2005 - The Seams - The Castaway Motel
1999 - Nuclear Goodtime Boys (self titled)
Photos
Bio
Rueben deGroot suffers from serious musical wanderlust; musical and otherwise. Following stints in Vancouver, San Francisco, and Edmonton, Rueben has settled in Kingston, Ontario and has quickly become part of the indie music scene there; producing cds for local acts The Gertrudes and Christina Foster as well as two of his own albums in the past 12 months.
Like Randy Newman, Rueben finds his voice through sympathetic character studies of people removed from his own life experience. Like Newman, Rueben uses first person narrative of others to expose the underside of modern life; the depravity, the small joys and heartaches of youth and old age.
The accompanying music is a kind of jazz, rock and country fusion that hasn't been widely practiced since the 70's by bands like the Amazing Rhythm Aces, Little Feat and early Steely Dan. These influences are transparent in their live shows as well as on the EP of relaxed pop and country songs called "The Winter of Our Discotheque" and the upcoming full length cd to be released in may of 2009.
Rueben has co-written songs with Open Road artist Ridley Bent, Happy Kreter, Tania Elizabeth of The Duhks, Steve Matheson and others. His songs have been featured on the television shows Jpod and Robson Arms. His band The Seams, out of Vancouver, featured co-writer/co-founder Cameron Latimer of Black Hen Records, Steve Dawson, and Adam Dobres of Outlaw Social and Toni Child's band.
Links
