Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
THE REVIEWS
“THE CANDIDATES HAVE TAKEN IT UP A NOTCH WITH THEIR LATEST RELEASE, FAME, FORTUNE & FREE DRINKS. THEIR GUNG-HO ROCK N’ ROLL IS HELPED BY SOPHISTICATED PRODUCTION AND A RENEWED CONFIDENCE AFTER EONS SPENT GRINDING IT OUT AT SHOWCASES ACROSS ONTARIO. HAVING DROPPED THE SUITS AND SKINNY TIES…THEY’VE FREED THEMSELVES OF STYLISTIC CONSTRAINT AND CELEBRATE A RAUCOUS HOOKY ROCK THAT WALKS AWAY FROM THE UNCULTIVATED COCKINESS OF THEIR DEBUT. ROCK N’ ROLL INCUMBENTS. (4 ½ out of 5) – FATEEMA SAYANI, XPRESS MAGAZINE (OTTAWA) – DEC 2002
“THE CANDIDATES ARE THE MOST ROCK, PERIOD. WHEN RELEASING FAME, FORTUNE & FREE DRINKS, THE CANDIDATES ROCKED IN REGAL SPLENDOUR. THEIR SWEATY, HOOK-LADEN AMALGAMATION OF 70’S ROCK MACHISMO AND MOD STYLISHNESS BRANDED THE CAPACITY AUDIENCE WITH MORE RIFFS AND SING-ALONG ANTHEMS THAN ONE BAND SHOULD BE ALLOWED. ALL THAT’S LEFT TO SAY IS, YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE.” -- BRENT HAGERMAN, ECHO WEEKLY (KITCHENER) – JAN 2003
“CAMBRIDGE’S CANDIDATES ARE IN LOVE WITH ROCK N’ ROLL. IF YOU COULDN’T TELL THAT FROM THEIR MELANGE OF MOD, GARAGE AND CLASSIC ROCK RIFFS, THEN THE LYRICS WOULD GIVE IT AWAY. THE ALBUM IS BOOKENDED BY TWO SONGS ABOUT THE DECLINE OF ROCK RADIO; ONE, “R.A.D.I.O.”, IS A FIST-PUMPING ANTHEM ABOUT RADIO’S POSSIBILITIES, WHILE THE OTHER, “F*** ROCK & ROLL”, IS A BITTER RANT ABOUT HOW WATERED-DOWN MODERN ROCK HAS BECOME. THE CANDIDATES ARE SUCH OBVIOUS ROCK HISTORY BUFFS, SINGING WITH A “MOUTHFUL OF MAGAZINES”…BUT WHEN THE BAND THEMSELVES ARE HAVING SO MUCH FUN WITH IT, WHY COMPLAIN? THE (CANDIDATES) HAVE IMPROVED BY LEAPS IN RECENT YEARS.” – MICHAEL BARCLAY (KITCHENER-WATERLOO RECORD) – DEC 2002
“CAMBRIDGE COOL CATS THE CANDIDATES HAVE NEVER BEEN SHY ABOUT ADVERTISING THEIR ACE RECORD COLLECTIONS IN SONG, BUT WHERE THEIR 2000 DEBUT, MEET THE CANDIDATES, GLEEFULLY NICKED MOVES FROM ‘70s STALWARTS LIKE THIN LIZZY AND THE NEW YORK DOLLS, ALBUM NO. 2 FINDS THE QUARTET MOVING INTO THE MODERN AGE. THE BEST SONGS ON FAME, FORTUNE & FREE DRINKS BOP ALONG WITH THE SAME STREET-SHUFFLE BOUNCE THAT THE STROKES LEARNED FROM THE JAM AND TOM PETTY’S “AMERICAN GIRL”. FAME, FORTUNE & FREE DRINKS IS…A WELL-STOCKED MINI-BAR OF CHEAP THRILLS FOR THOSE WITH RICH ROCK ‘N’ ROLL TASTES.” – STUART BERMAN, EYE WEEKLY (TORONTO) – MARCH 2003
“BLENDING COSTELLO QUIRKINESS WITH THE SPIRIT OF THE KNACK, KISS AND AC/DC, THE CANDIDATES WORK IT LIKE THE VETERANS DID BACK IN THE DAY. BIG, FUZZY GUITARS AND A BANG-ON GRASP OF MELODY. IT’S ALL HI-WATT AMPLIFIERS, A LOTTA SNOT AND ONE EYE ON THE AC/DC CHORD BOOK. LET THERE BE ROCK!” – TIM MELTON, CHART MAGAZINE - VARIOUS SOURCES
Discography
CANDIDATES DISCOGRAPHY
Fame, Fortune & Free Drinks (2003)
Meet The Candidates (2000)
LISTEN TO THE CANDIDATES
To hear tracks from our latest album, visit our page on New Music Canada at http://www.newmusiccanada.com
Type "The Candidates" in the "Artist" search or follow this link: www.newmusiccanada.com/genres/artist.cfm?Band_Id=5756
Audio files will be added to this EPK shortly!
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
THE CANDIDATES
THE STORY
THE CURRENT LINEUP OF CAMBRIDGE, ONTARIO’S FAVOURITE ROCK & ROLL SONS, THE CANDIDATES, CAME INTO BEING AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR 2002. THE BAND’S LATEST ALBUM FAME, FORTUNE & FREE DRINKS WAS RELEASED IN NOVEMBER 2002, AND HAS ENJOYED CONSIDERABLE SUCCESS AT CANADIAN COLLEGE RADIO, SPENDING 13 WEEKS ON THE NATIONAL TOP 50, WITH A PEAK POSITION OF #11.
THE CANDIDATES HAVE BUILT THEIR REPUTATION UPON THEIR ASS-SHAKIN’, SWEAT-FLYIN’, KARATE-KICKIN’ LIVE SHOW AND PLAY FREQUENTLY IN ONTARIO AND BEYOND, TOURING THE COUNTRY FROM COAST TO COAST IN SUMMER 2003.
THE BAND HAS RECENTLY LICENSED NUMEROUS SONGS FROM FAME, FORTUNE & FREE DRINKS TO TELEVISION SHOWS IN NORTH AMERICA, INCLUDING RADIO FREE ROSCOE (FAMILY CHANNEL) AND ZOE BUSIEK: WILD CARD (LIFETIME), AMONG OTHERS.
THE CANDIDATES ARE CURRENTLY WRITING NEW SONGS FOR THEIR THIRD ALBUM, WHILE CONTINUING TO PLOT WORLD DOMINATION.
LEARN MORE BELOW, WISE READER.
THE HIGHLIGHTS
THE CANDIDATES RECENTLY PERFORMED AT THE CHART MAGAZINE SHOWCASE FOR CANADIAN MUSIC WEEK 2004 with DEATH FROM ABOVE 1979, THE HIGH DIALS, THE SMUGGLERS & THE EVAPORATORS AT THE HORSESHOE TAVERN IN TORONTO, SATURDAY MARCH 6.
THE CANDIDATES PERFORMED AT THE 2002 HALIFAX POP EXPLOSION, PLAYED TWO SHOWS AT NEW MUSIC WEST 2003 IN VANCOUVER (AS PART OF THE NETTWERK RECORDS AND EMI PUBLISHING SHOWCASES), AND ALSO PERFORMED AT NXNE 2003 IN TORONTO (AT THE NOW MAGAZINE SHOWCASE). THE CANDIDATES HAVE TOURED EXTENSIVELY, INCLUDING A CROSS-COUNTRY TOUR IN MAY 2003 THAT SAW THE LADS PLAY 20 SHOWS IN 25 DAYS.
FAME, FORTUNE & FREE DRINKS WAS VOTED BEST ALBUM OF 2002 BY THE READERS OF THE KITCHENER-WATERLOO RECORD, AND THE CANDIDATES WERE NAMED ONE OF THE BEST LIVE ACTS OF 2002 BY ECHO WEEKLY IN KITCHENER.
FAME, FORTUNE & FREE DRINKS ENJOYED GREAT SUCCESS AT CAMPUS RADIO ACROSS CANADA, SPENDING 13 CONSECUTIVE WEEKS ON THE CANADIAN NATIONAL CAMPUS RADIO TOP 50, WITH A PEAK POSITION OF #11.
FAME, FORTUNE & FREE DRINKS ENTERED THE EARSHOT NATIONAL CAMPUS RADIO CHART IN FEBRUARY 2003 AT #7 (THE HIGHEST RANKED INDEPENDENT CD THAT MONTH) AND ALSO CHARTED AT #30 FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL 2003.
FAME, FORTUNE & FREE DRINKS PLACED AT #64 OVERALL ON THE EARSHOT TOP 200 OF 2003, WHICH COMPILES THE MOST PLAYED RECORDS ON CANADIAN CAMPUS RADIO FOR THE YEAR.
FAME, FORTUNE & FREE DRINKS ALSO ENJOYED A 2-WEEK RUN AT #1 AT THE COUNTRY’S LARGEST CAMPUS RADIO STATION CIUT IN TORONTO & ALSO SPENT TIME AT #1 AT CFCR IN SASKATOON AND CFBX IN KAMLOOPS, BC!
FAME, FORTUNE & FREE DRINKS HAS RECEIVED AIRPLAY ON CBC’S RADIOSONIC & NEW MUSIC CANADA SHOWS AS WELL AS ON TORONTO ROCK STATION 102.1 THE EDGE.
THE SUPPORTING CAST
Bands that THE CANDIDATES have blown off the stage include the following:
SAM ROBERTS, HOT HOT HEAT, DANKO JONES, THE SADIES, DEATH FROM ABOVE 1979, BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE, MONEEN, THE EVAPORATORS, THE ILLUMINATI, WARSAWPACK, THE WALKMEN, THE HIGH DIALS, LES SEQUELLES, THE SMUGGLERS, ROBIN BLACK, THE GRUESOMES and MANY, MANY MORE!
THE CONTACTS
PAUL SHULL
WATCHDOG EAST
DIVISION OF MACKLAM-FELDMAN MANAGEMENT
8 ELM STREET
TORONTO, ON M5G 1G7
(416) 598-0067
shull@slfa.com
OR E-MAIL THE BAND DIRECTLY AT:
info@thecandidatesrockband.com
Links
