The Yoko Casionos

At a time when the Vancouver scene is spurting out esoteric pop bands of every stripe, The Yoko Casionos appear as an anomaly: a straight forward pop-rock group with no pretense, an abundance of energy, and songs that would make sense on commercial radio, if commercial radio made sense.

So, The Yoko Casionos are a pop band. Apologies not forthcoming.

A showcase at the El Mocambo at the NXNE music festival in Toronto led to the band being awarded the 2005 Best Unsigned Artist prize. Nonplussed, the band returned home to Vancouver to begin work on a full-length album with producer Todd Simko (Pure). As these recordings made their way back to Toronto, the A&R folks at Universal Music caught on to what was happening. What was happening was an album that would eventually become the band’s debut, These Are the New Old Times. What was happening was that Sloan was inviting the band out on tour. What was happening was that Universal was signing the Yoko Casionos to a three-album deal for the world.

Not ones to rest on their new-found laurels, the Yoko Casionos have embarked on a 28 date tour of Canada supporting their friends Sloan. “I basically begged them to get this record out in time to tour with Sloan this fall so I could see them play and catch up with them and it looks like it's happening and I can't wait," says Chris Murphy of the rock band Sloan. Chris Murphy’s begging has worked and the record is slated for a September 26th release in Canada.