The Artful Vandelays

2008 was an eventful one for the Artful Vandelays. Hard gigging in Toronto (as well as the occasional show outside of Ontario) brought increasingly large crowds out to see them as word began to spread about the band`s remarkably unique and engaging sound. Recent shows have included headline slots at Lee's Palace and the Velvet Underground.

Echoing the energy of At The Drive In, Fugazi, and the Mars Volta, but recalling the passionate emotion of Travis and Radiohead, the band has evolved into a lean, mean prog rock machine.

Four Ring Circus EP (2009) is already making ripples in Toronto and beginning to spread to other places outside their hometown in southern Ontario. The EP is a testament to the band's unique ability not to sacrifice the quality of songwriting to aggressively experiment with their music. At shows, crowds can routinely be seen singing along to Phone Lines, grooving to Bars to Bars, or simply enjoying the ethereal nature Sign Language and the utter chaos of Pyramid Scheme.

Four Ring Circus has already begun to sell well among indie rock crowds and the band plans to continue playing shows as often as possible to showcase not only the EP`s material, but that which has been written in the past year, since the recording.

With an EP selling well above the band`s expectations, regular features in indiepress, a sponsorship deal with a local brewry, and a setlist that is becoming increasingly exciting and intense, the most exciting part of the Artful Vandelays looks like it's just around the corner.

"The way they try to blend spacey melodies with rage and power is definitely something to keep an eye on." - Herohill

"The great thing about the Artful Vandelays is that with a singer like Anton they have a special dynamic with a strong vocalist singing ahead of a progressive/art punk guitar work from Pinkus." AW Music