An April March
Encyclopedia
An April March is a Canadian alternative rock band formed in Kitchener, Ontario
in 1989. The band's last incarnation consisted of singer/guitarist Danella Hocevar, guitarist Chris Perry and drummer Michael Klüg. The band "An April March" is not to be confused with April March
, an unrelated artist, as well as Russian and French bands called by similar names.
. Their stylistic influences include pop, shoegazing
, dream pop
and ambient
. The group broke up in 1999, playing their last show on 29 April of that year.
Their first release was a cassette under the band name The Whittingtons. In 1993 the band signed with the now-defunct Washington, DC-based label Bedazzled Records
. Their first full-length with Bedazzled was "Impatiens," released in 1993. Subsequent releases were Instruments of Lust and Fury (EP – 1995), Lessons in Vengeance (1995), Adagio (EP – 1996), It Goes Without Saying (1997), and Something once true is always true... (1999). Since splitting up in 1999, the band members have pursued their own musical careers, with Hocevar releasing music under the moniker Danellatron. Chris Perry has become a recognised and sought-after record producer.
The band has also recorded songs for tribute albums, including the Cocteau Twins, with "Pink Orange Red", released on Half Gifts (Dewdrop Records, 2002). The band also recorded Alec Eiffel
for The Pixies tribute release Pixies Fuckin' Die! (The Orchard, 1999).
The band released two videos: "Lava" and "Scarlet Bliss".
Kitchener, Ontario
The City of Kitchener is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada. It was the Town of Berlin from 1854 until 1912 and the City of Berlin from 1912 until 1916. The city had a population of 204,668 in the Canada 2006 Census...
in 1989. The band's last incarnation consisted of singer/guitarist Danella Hocevar, guitarist Chris Perry and drummer Michael Klüg. The band "An April March" is not to be confused with April March
April March
April March is an American indie pop singer/songwriter who sings in English and French...
, an unrelated artist, as well as Russian and French bands called by similar names.
History
The band members met in 1989 in Kitchener, Ontario when they were in their late teens/early twenties, originally calling themselves The Whittingtons. That band put out a demo cassette. After Hocevar and Perry moved to Toronto, Ontario to work, the band changed its name to An April March and began recording and performing in Toronto at local venues such as the Horseshoe TavernHorseshoe Tavern
The Horseshoe Tavern is a concert venue located at 370 Queen Street West in downtown Toronto, and has been in operation since 1947. Owned by "JC", Ken Sprackman, Craig Laskey and Naomi Montpetit, the venue is a significant part of Canadian musical lore...
. Their stylistic influences include pop, shoegazing
Shoegazing
Shoegazing is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged from the United Kingdom in the late 1980s. It lasted there until the mid 1990s, with a critical zenith reached in 1990 and 1991...
, dream pop
Dream pop
Dream pop is a subgenre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom in the mid-1980s, when bands like The Passions, Dif Juz, Lowlife and A.R. Kane began fusing post-punk and ethereal experiments with bittersweet pop melodies into dreamy, sensual soundscapes. The term was almost...
and ambient
Ambient music
Ambient music is a musical genre that focuses largely on the timbral characteristics of sounds, often organized or performed to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual" or "unobtrusive" quality.- History :...
. The group broke up in 1999, playing their last show on 29 April of that year.
Their first release was a cassette under the band name The Whittingtons. In 1993 the band signed with the now-defunct Washington, DC-based label Bedazzled Records
Bedazzled Records
Bedazzled Records was an American record label, based in Washington, D.C., which existed from 1989 to 2000. It primarily featured dream pop, goth rock and shoegaze bands...
. Their first full-length with Bedazzled was "Impatiens," released in 1993. Subsequent releases were Instruments of Lust and Fury (EP – 1995), Lessons in Vengeance (1995), Adagio (EP – 1996), It Goes Without Saying (1997), and Something once true is always true... (1999). Since splitting up in 1999, the band members have pursued their own musical careers, with Hocevar releasing music under the moniker Danellatron. Chris Perry has become a recognised and sought-after record producer.
The band has also recorded songs for tribute albums, including the Cocteau Twins, with "Pink Orange Red", released on Half Gifts (Dewdrop Records, 2002). The band also recorded Alec Eiffel
Alec Eiffel
"Alec Eiffel" is a song by the American alternative rock band Pixies, and is the third track on their 1991 album Trompe le Monde. The song was written and sung by frontman Black Francis, produced by Gil Norton and recorded during the album's recording sessions...
for The Pixies tribute release Pixies Fuckin' Die! (The Orchard, 1999).
The band released two videos: "Lava" and "Scarlet Bliss".
Albums, EPs and 7-inches
- "Last of Ariadne/No Answer", Apostrophe Records/Cartwheel Productions, 1992 (split 7-inch with the Curtain SocietyThe Curtain SocietyThe Curtain Society is a band which formed in Southbridge, MA in 1988, and consists of singer/guitarist Roger Lavallee, Ron Mominee and Duncan Arsenault. Their stylistic influences include pop, shoegazing, Dream pop and alternative rock & roll....
's "No Answer"). - Impatiens, Cartwheel Productions, 1993 (CD)
- "Lava", Bedazzled Records, 1996, (7-inch)
- Instruments of Lust and Fury, Bedazzled Records, 1995 (EP)
- Lessons in Vengeance, Bedazzled Records, 1995 (CD)
- Adagio, Bedazzled Records, 1996 (EP)
- It Goes Without Saying, Bedazzled Records, 1997 (CD)
- ...something once true is always true, Bedazzled Records, 1999 (CD)
Singles and compilations
- "Scarlet Bliss, on Indie-Can 1992, Intrepid RecordsIntrepid Records (Canada)Intrepid Records was a Canadian independent record label in the late 1980s and early 1990s. People associated with the label included founder Stuart Ravenhill and A&R rep Graham Stairs....
, 1992. - "Ceiling", on ANON, Castle von Buhler, 1993.
- "Delirium", on Woke Up Smiling, Bedazzled Records, 1995.
- "The Red Dots", on Radio Hepcats, Antarctic PressAntarctic PressAntarctic Press is a San Antonio-based comic book publishing company which publishes "American Manga" style comic books.Founded by Ben Dunn in 1984, Antarctic Press has produced over 850 titles with a total circulation of over 5 million...
, 1996. - "Avidbake", Alleviation, Silber Records, 1996.
- "Waltz of the Flowers" (An April March vs. Pi Tchaikovsky), Bedazzled RecordsBedazzled RecordsBedazzled Records was an American record label, based in Washington, D.C., which existed from 1989 to 2000. It primarily featured dream pop, goth rock and shoegaze bands...
, 1997 (also contains videos for "Scarlet Bliss" and "Lava"). - "Let Everyone Down", on Losing Day Vol. 1, Losing Today Records, 1998.
- "Daylight Falters", on News From Nowhere, Plan 11 Records, 1998.
- "Alex Eiffel" on the Pixies tribute release Pixies Fucking Die, The Orchard, 1999.
- "Pink Orange Red", on Half-Gifts: A Tribute To The Cocteau Twins, Dewdrop Records, 2002.
See also
- ShoegazingShoegazingShoegazing is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged from the United Kingdom in the late 1980s. It lasted there until the mid 1990s, with a critical zenith reached in 1990 and 1991...
- List of shoegazing musicians
- Dream popDream popDream pop is a subgenre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom in the mid-1980s, when bands like The Passions, Dif Juz, Lowlife and A.R. Kane began fusing post-punk and ethereal experiments with bittersweet pop melodies into dreamy, sensual soundscapes. The term was almost...
- Alternative rockAlternative rockAlternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
External links
- myspace.com/danellahocevar
- myspace.com/datafreqvsdanellatron
- chrisperry.ca
- An April March discography
- [ An April March credits], AllMusic Guide
- [ Danella Hocevar credits], AllMusic Guide'