Key Witness
Encyclopedia
Key Witness is a Canadian alternative country band formed in 2005 from Toronto
, Ontario
, Canada
.
Mercury in Retrograde was self-released in 2007, following several hand-made EPs. The members of the band are: JM McNab (vocals, guitar); Dave Clark (bass, vocals); Shinnosuke Yamaguchi (drums); Stefan Banjevic (guitar, cello); David Stein (guitar, clarinet, synth).
The band's music incorporates many genres; although many of the songs have alt-country roots, they draw on indie rock
, garage rock
, classic rock
, folk
, post-rock
. The vocals of JM McNab bring to mind Bob Dylan
, while the song writing is reminiscent of Wilco
, Arcade Fire, Sonic Youth
and at times Primus
.
The band played their first gig as Key Witness in 2005 at Toronto's Legendary Horseshoe Tavern
. They've played with Polaris Prize winner Patrick Watson, Japan's Zoobombs
, Plants and Animals
, the Willowz
, and the Soundtrack of our Lives. After several handmade EP's, Key Witness released their debut Mercury in Retrograde in December 2007, which Exclaim!
called "one of the most overlooked albums of 2007".
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
History
Their debut albumAlbum
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
Mercury in Retrograde was self-released in 2007, following several hand-made EPs. The members of the band are: JM McNab (vocals, guitar); Dave Clark (bass, vocals); Shinnosuke Yamaguchi (drums); Stefan Banjevic (guitar, cello); David Stein (guitar, clarinet, synth).
The band's music incorporates many genres; although many of the songs have alt-country roots, they draw on indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
, garage rock
Garage rock
Garage rock is a raw form of rock and roll that was first popular in the United States and Canada from about 1963 to 1967. During the 1960s, it was not recognized as a separate music genre and had no specific name...
, classic rock
Classic rock
Classic rock is a radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format features music ranging generally from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, primarily focusing on the hard rock genre that peaked in popularity in the...
, folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
, post-rock
Post-rock
Post-rock is a subgenre of rock music characterized by the influence and use of instruments commonly associated with rock, but using rhythms and "guitars as facilitators of timbre and textures" not traditionally found in rock...
. The vocals of JM McNab bring to mind Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
, while the song writing is reminiscent of Wilco
Wilco
Wilco is an American alternative rock band based in Chicago, Illinois. The band was formed in 1994 by the remaining members of alternative country group Uncle Tupelo following singer Jay Farrar's departure. Wilco's lineup has changed frequently, with only singer Jeff Tweedy and bassist John...
, Arcade Fire, Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth is an American alternative rock band from New York City, formed in 1981. The current lineup consists of Thurston Moore , Kim Gordon , Lee Ranaldo , Steve Shelley , and Mark Ibold .In their early career, Sonic Youth was associated with the No Wave art and music scene in New York City...
and at times Primus
Primus (band)
Primus is an American rock band based in San Francisco, California, currently composed of bassist/vocalist Les Claypool, guitarist Larry "Ler" LaLonde and drummer Jay Lane. Primus originally formed in 1984 with Claypool and guitarist Todd Huth, later joined by Lane, though the latter two departed...
.
The band played their first gig as Key Witness in 2005 at Toronto's Legendary Horseshoe Tavern
Horseshoe 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...
. They've played with Polaris Prize winner Patrick Watson, Japan's Zoobombs
Zoobombs
Zoobombs are a Japanese indie rock band, formed in Tokyo in 1994 by vocalist and guitarist Don Matsuo. The band's funk-rock style draws on influences such as the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix and Miles Davis....
, Plants and Animals
Plants and Animals
Plants and Animals are a Canadian indie-rock band from Montreal which comprises guitarist-vocalists Warren Spicer and Nic Basque and drummer-vocalist Matthew Woody Woodley. They often describe their music as post-classic rock. They are signed to Secret City Records...
, the Willowz
The Willowz
The Willowz are a garage rock band based in Anaheim, California, formed 2002. The band's sound incorporates influences from punk, soul, and blues from the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. The band has released several albums on the label Sympathy for the Record Industry and has done a split single with the...
, and the Soundtrack of our Lives. After several handmade EP's, Key Witness released their debut Mercury in Retrograde in December 2007, which Exclaim!
Exclaim!
Exclaim! is a monthly Canadian music magazine that features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with special focus on Canadian and cutting-edge artists...
called "one of the most overlooked albums of 2007".
See also
- Music of CanadaMusic of CanadaThe music of Canada has influences that have shaped the country. Aboriginals, the British, and the French have all made unique contributions to the musical heritage of Canada. The music has subsequently been heavily influenced by American culture because of its proximity and migration between...
- Canadian rockCanadian rockCanadian rock describes a wide and diverse variety of music produced by Canadians, beginning with American style rock 'n' roll in the mid-20th century. Since then Canada has had a considerable impact on the development of the modern popular music called rock...
- List of Canadian musicians
- List of bands from Canada
- :Category:Canadian musical groups