Rock Plaza Central
Encyclopedia
Rock Plaza Central is a Canadian indie rock
band. After a pair of glowing reviews from the influential music website Pitchfork Media
, they have come to prominence as a major indie rock band. Their 2006 album, Are We Not Horses
, was critically acclaimed in both Canada and the United States.
in Canada. Because it did not receive an official US release until mid-2007, through Yep Roc
, it made several of 2007's year-end lists as well, including Magnet
s "10 Great Hidden Treasures of 2007", calling it "2007's finest folk/rock find". In the Winter/Spring of 2009, Are We Not Horses was studied as part of the curriculum of a graduate English course in Contemporary Fiction at the University of South Alabama
.
In early 2007, the group received additional attention for their cover of the Justin Timberlake
song "SexyBack
". Their fourth album, ...at the moment of our most needing, was released on May 28, 2009 on Paper Bag Records
.
The group is often compared to Neutral Milk Hotel
and Will Oldham
.
Frontman Chris Eaton is also the author of two novels, The Inactivist (2003) and The Grammar Architect (2005), that have been studied on several university courses across North America. Letters To Thomas Pynchon
is a short fiction collection published as an eBook with Joyland: A hub for short fiction
.
The World Was Hell to Us – 2003
Are We Not Horses
– 2006 neath The Lion's Paw EP – 2009
...At The Moment Of Our Most Needing Or If Only They Could Turn Around, They Would Known They Weren't Alone – 2009
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...
band. After a pair of glowing reviews from the influential music website Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
, they have come to prominence as a major indie rock band. Their 2006 album, Are We Not Horses
Are We Not Horses
Are We Not Horses is an album by Rock Plaza Central. Despite being first released independently, the disc made many top ten lists for 2006, including #8 for CMJ Editor-in-Chief Kenny Herzog, Pitchfork staff writer Stephen Deusner and Americana-UK lead writer David Cowling...
, was critically acclaimed in both Canada and the United States.
Biography
Rock Plaza Cental's independently released album, Are We Not Horses, made many top ten lists for the year, including #8 for CMJ Editor-in-Chief Kenny Herzog, Pitchfork staff writer Stephen Deusner and Americana-UK lead writer David Cowling. The album would eventually be distributed by Outside MusicOutside Music
Outside Music is a Canadian record label and distributor, founded by Lloyd Nishimura in 1995. In 2007, it expanded to include an artist management division which counts Jill Barber, Matthew Barber, One Hundred Dollars and Sunparlour Players as management clients.Outside has released countless...
in Canada. Because it did not receive an official US release until mid-2007, through Yep Roc
Yep Roc Records
Yep Roc Records is an independent International record label based in Haw River, North Carolina and owned by Redeye Distribution . The label has put out albums by artists like The Go-Betweens, The Fleshtones, Gang of Four, The Reverend Horton Heat, and The Minus 5, as well as the work of important...
, it made several of 2007's year-end lists as well, including Magnet
Magnet (magazine)
Magnet is a music magazine which generally focuses on alternative, independent, or out-of-the-mainstream bands.-History:The magazine is published four times a year, and is independently owned and edited by Eric T. Miller. Music magazines with a similar focus in the 1990s era included Option,...
s "10 Great Hidden Treasures of 2007", calling it "2007's finest folk/rock find". In the Winter/Spring of 2009, Are We Not Horses was studied as part of the curriculum of a graduate English course in Contemporary Fiction at the University of South Alabama
University of South Alabama
The University of South Alabama is a public, doctoral-level university in Mobile, Alabama, USA. It was created by the Alabama Legislature in 1963, and replaced existing extension programs operated in Mobile by the University of Alabama. No other areas of the state were willing to support such a...
.
In early 2007, the group received additional attention for their cover of the Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
song "SexyBack
SexyBack
"SexyBack" is a song by American recording artist Justin Timberlake from his second studio album, FutureSex/LoveSounds . It was released on July 7, 2006, by Jive Records as the lead single from the album...
". Their fourth album, ...at the moment of our most needing, was released on May 28, 2009 on Paper Bag Records
Paper Bag Records
Paper Bag Records is a Canadian independent record label and artist-management company, founded in 2002 and based in Toronto, Ontario.-History:...
.
The group is often compared to Neutral Milk Hotel
Neutral Milk Hotel
Neutral Milk Hotel was an American indie rock band formed by singer, guitarist and songwriter Jeff Mangum in the early 1990s. The band was noted for its experimental sound, obscure lyrics and eclectic instrumentation....
and Will Oldham
Will Oldham
Will Oldham , better known by the stage name Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, is an American singer-songwriter and actor. From 1993 to 1997, he performed and recorded under variations of the Palace name, including the Palace Brothers, Palace Songs, and Palace Music...
.
Frontman Chris Eaton is also the author of two novels, The Inactivist (2003) and The Grammar Architect (2005), that have been studied on several university courses across North America. Letters To Thomas Pynchon
Thomas Pynchon
Thomas Ruggles Pynchon, Jr. is an American novelist. For his most praised novel, Gravity's Rainbow, Pynchon received the National Book Award, and is regularly cited as a contender for the Nobel Prize in Literature...
is a short fiction collection published as an eBook with Joyland: A hub for short fiction
Joyland: A hub for short fiction
Joyland: A hub for short fiction is a website for short stories. It was created by authors Emily Schultz and Brian Joseph Davis and its editorial structure is uniquely distributed across eight North American cities and regions. Notable contributors have included Jonathan Lethem, Lydia Millet,...
.
Discography
Are We Not Horses
Are We Not Horses is an album by Rock Plaza Central. Despite being first released independently, the disc made many top ten lists for 2006, including #8 for CMJ Editor-in-Chief Kenny Herzog, Pitchfork staff writer Stephen Deusner and Americana-UK lead writer David Cowling...
– 2006
Videos
- Anthem for the Already Defeated from Are We Not Horses Music Video by Humble Empire
- My Children Be Joyfull from Are We Not Horses by Music Video by Humble Empire
- I Am An Excellent Steel Horse from Are We Not Horses Music Video by Humble Empire
- (Don't You Believe the Words of) Handsome Men from At the Moment of our Most Needing Music Video by Akaflk and Epstein Creative, January 2010