The Manvils
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The Manvils

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | INDIE

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | INDIE
Band Rock Alternative

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This band has not uploaded any videos

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"The Manvils"

The Manvils?Sandbag/Fontana? The Strokes. The Clash. The Who. Kings of Leon. The Smiths. R.E.M. Eagles. The Byrds. Thin Lizzy. Motorhead. Motorhead? In the press notes that herald a new album from Vancouver rock group The Manvils, a full fridge of influences are name-checked. Perhaps I shouldn’t bother with my own assessment of “early U2 brashness," with one tune (Strange Disaster) resembling the “tuneful muscularity of Queens of the Stone Age." Everyone has their own reference points, and The Manvils do a pretty good job of revealing theirs, even without the record-label hype. Pity that namesake and leader Mikey Manville isn’t as overt with his lyrics – he sings in a preening, broadly casting way, but any meaning is elusive. This 35-minute album has ringing guitars, a self-important manner, a dynamic rhythm section, a lightweight majesty, verve and a killer single (Turpentine) that is lustrous and bold. - The Globe and Mail


"The Manvils"

The search for genuine rock ‘n’ roll can be a fruitless one. The dodgy back alleys is where you’ll find the Manvils, a Vancouver trio who comes at you with an immediate sonic punch to the gut on its self-titled second full-length release. Although the Manvils owe a drink and a debt of gratitude to its predecessors, including the Tragically Hip on the tumbling yet uplifting “Substation” and Them on the harmonious sway of “The Stoker”, the band harnesses these sounds remarkably and adeptly, creating a vibe all its own. Lead singer and guitarist Mike Manville emits an omnipresent howl that not only keeps the record afloat but directs its ebb and flow. “Madame Guillotine” shakes with fervent emotion and may be the one to bring the house down, but ever the students of history, the Manvils will probably build it up again soon enough. - Pop Matters


"CD Reviews: Aug. 18"

The first album hinted at a band that had a reckless approach to rock 'n' roll bordering on messy garage-rock. Here, the band enters with a swagger and more focus. Right from the beginning, "Good Luck Club," the Manvils take control and don't let go. Perhaps the peak is "The Stoker," that has the band at its most wantonly commercial (a chant will do that) but "Madame Guillotine" and "True Believers," which follow, burn with dramatic intensity. Ryan Dahle's production is filled with subtle details that make the difference between good rock 'n' roll and a good record. - The Vancouver Province


Discography

The Manvils LP - 2009 SBR

Strange Disaster EP - 2007 SBR

Buried Love LP - 2006 SBR

Photos

Bio

There's a ringing majesty to "Turpentine", the first single from The Manvils’ new self-titled album, released through upstart Vancouver indie label Sandbag Records. It comes in with a magnetic flourish from Mikey Manville’s white, 1956 Gibson Les Paul Jr., a beefy double-time beat, a chiming wall of guitars, and the kind of covertly brilliant chorus that REM used to manufacture out of thin air.

It's a decisive and muscular way to start a record, and with expectations as high as they were, it had to be. The music video for "Turpentine" stars Manvils fan and Hollywood actor, John Savage (The Deer Hunter, Thin Red Line), and in late 2009, the single charted on Galaxy Rock Satellite Radio from medium to heavy rotation.

The album producer was Ryan Dahle (Limblifter, Hot Hot Heat engineer) who spent two years in the production of the 11 song self-titled album.

In 2008, after starring in a national Budweiser ad campaign that aired during the Super Bowl and the 2008 Beijing Olympics, The Manvils contributed eight songs to the Space Network thriller "Never Cry Werewolf", provided the musical score for the CBC Humanity award-winning documentary "Moscow Freestyle", and set out on a major North American tour that saw them in New York, L.A. and Toronto three times in six months.

In 2009, the bands hot streak continued. The Manvils were hand picked by Bif Naked to support her national tour and upon their return, graced the cover of Vancouver's #1 entertainment magazine, The Georgia Straight, and rocked the 2009 Virgin Fest main stage crowd, supporting Sonic Youth, Jarvis Cocker, Metric and Ben Harper.

Since its release, the album and first single "Turpentine" had garnered impressive international reviews. Pop-Matters and Access Magazine both scored "The Manvils" 8/10. Brad Wheeler of the Globe and Mail proclaimed "Turpentine" "...a killer single that is lustrous and bold ***/4" and SoundProof Magazine scored the album four stars out of five.

"A bright energy exists in every corner of this record,” says front-man Mikey Manville. “In every chorus, and every verse. Each time I hear it, still, it overwhelms me with how proud I am of these guys, and how dedicated Ryan was. We took these songs that were written on acoustic guitar in my living room, and they were transformed into something that I'm gonna be proud of for a very, very long time."