Canadian Blast at The Great Escape

We love Canadian acts here at TLOBF Towers so, if you find yourself going to The Great Escape this weekend, why not catch some of the finest exports from that fine country gracing our shores.

For three days, 20 Canadian bands will travel to the UK, showcasing music from St. John’s, Newfoundland to Vancouver, British Columbia. To celebrate, the Canadian Independent Record Production Association (CIRPA) in conjunction with The Great Escape, is hosting its inaugural Great Escape Canadian Blast! Showcase, starting at noon on Friday May 15th at The Arc (160 Kings Road Arches) on the waterfront. Immediately following the showcase at the same venue (The Arc) there will be a Canadian Blast! Mixer to meet the Canadians and enjoy some Canadian hospitality from 4PM – 6PM.

Dan Mangan – 12:15PM (Vancouver, BC)
www.myspace.com/danmangan
Gaining fans with every performance, Dan Mangan is slowly making his way from Vancouver to the depths of your listening environment. With a thoughtful delivery (think M. Ward), Dan’s weather-beaten vocals serve as a graceful conduit for his thoughtful lyrics. As an emerging young artist, he finds himself in the footsteps of Ryan Adams, Damien Rice or Bright Eyes, building a grass roots following of loyal listeners just a few ears at a time.

Ultimate Power Duo – 1:00PM (Saskatoon, SK)
www.myspace.com/ultimatepowerduo
Ultimate Power Duo are the masters and purveyors of Demolition Rock. This Saskatoon three-piece duo, have hit the roads and ditches across Canada, The US, and The UK preaching their form rock n’ roll revelation while still managing to release four EP’s in quick succession… each one a last of loudtightfast garage rock.

Hey Rosetta! – 1:45PM (St. John’s, NF)
www.myspace.com/heyrosetta
Seeded by Tim after returning home to St. John’s in 2005, Hey Rosetta! quickly bloomed and grew from bars on George Street to showcases at Junofest, ECMAs, CMW & NXNE, along the way winning four MusicNL Awards and a couple ECMA nominations. Recorded in the dead of winter in two East Coast harbour towns with producer and singer-songwriter Hawksley Workman, Hey Rosetta’s new record, Into Your Lungs, is filled with beautiful naivety and confidence. Already it has won an East Coast Music Award in Canada.

Arkells – 2:30PM (Hamilton, ON)
www.myspace.com/arkellsmusic
Sharing a love of the kind of raw, soulful “Springsteenesque” rock that inspires a teen to pick up a guitar and start a band, the Arkells formed in Hamilton, ON, in 2006. Since the release of “Deadlines” the band has traveled across Canada sharing stages with Bedouin Soundclash, Matt Mays & El Torpedo, Sam Roberts Band, Constantines, Alexisonfire, and City and Colour. More recent performances include a stint opening for legendary rockers Black Crowes, MTV Live and V-Fest. Their debut, Jackson Square, was released by Dine Alone Records in 2008.

Ohbijou – 3:15PM (Toronto, ON)
www.myspace.com/ohbijou
Borne in the bedrooms of a family home in Brantford, Ontario, Casey Mecija’s tender compositions, bound with youthful frailty and unnerving beauty, found their pace in Toronto. Enlisting the help of her younger sister, Jenny, and friends Heather Kirby and Anissa Hart, Mecija’s songs took flight. Now they return with their highly anticipated sophomore album, Beacons. The record has gleaned early praise from critics and is being touted as one of 2009’s most anticipated albums. In March the band will travel to Texas for SXSW; a North American Tour will commence shortly thereafter. In the UK/EU, Beacons will be released on Bella Union (also home to Fleet Foxes, Midlake, Andrew Bird, etc.) in June.

The following Canadian bands will perform at The Great Escape:
Arkells
The Acorn
Beast
Brian Borcherdt
Dan Mangan
Duchess Says
Hey Rosetta!
Holy Fuck
LIGHTS
Luke Doucet and Melissa McClelland
Karkwa
Kate Rogers
Metric
Ohbijou
Rebekah Higgs
Ruby Jean & The Thoughtful Bees
Ultimate Power Duo
We Are Wolves
Wintersleep
Woodpigeon