Street Pharmacy
Encyclopedia
Street Pharmacy is a four piece reggae rock
band from Welland, Ontario
, formed in 2006. The group strives for a fresh reggae sound while combining the influences of hip hop
and 90s Alt Rock.
Their second album, Free Delivery, was independently produced and has sold over 5000 copies to date. The band has received international attention in print, on radio, and on television, where they are currently finalists on the second season of MuchMusic
's disBAND
.
The band is represented by agent Jeff Craib (The Tragically Hip
, Hedley
, Matt Good
), and lawyer Chris Taylor
, who is the co-founder of Last Gang Records and credited with discovering Metric
, Nelly Furtado
, and Sum 41
.
, he travelled to the United States, where an MRI confirmed that his condition was encephalitis
, caused by the chicken pox virus. This experience, including the combined side effects of brain swelling and hospital-induced anti-psychotic medication, resulted in Guay's creative horizon rapidly expanding.
Street Pharmacy's influences include: Smashing Pumpkins, Sublime
, Souls of Mischief
, Pearl Jam
, The Pharcyde
, Incubus
, Led Zeppelin
, The Beatles
, The Doors
, and Wu Tang.
in search for an authentic Reggae
sound to incorporate into the band's concept album titled The Legacy of Rudy. The work chronicles the adventures of a Cuban named Rudy, who is seen as the original Rude boy
and whose life experiences are described in individual tracks on the album. Featured sounds include Cuban musicians playing horns and bongos, as well as a children's choir.
on December 9, 2009. The show centered around professionally recording and performing their single "Stone Bricks and Mortar" in the MuchMusic environment. The band thoroughly impressed their mentor, producer and musician Greig Nori
(of Treble Charger
and Bunk Rock Entertainment), who stated in the episode that he would quit disBAND
if the band was unsuccessful on the show. The group had their photos taken by renowned celebrity photographer Matt Barnes, and were also scoped out by multiple agents and labels during a concert with illscarlet. They performed live in front of a panel of judges including Colin Lewis (The Agency Group), Mark Spicoluk
(Universal Music Canada), and Chase Parsons (Chris Smith Management), who unanimously agreed that the band showed great potential (especially lead singer, Guay). They became the first band of the season to be inducted into the show's finale.
In late 2009, Adam Webster (lead guitar, congas, vocals) serendipitously became part of the group during their time on disBAND.
Street Pharmacy's appearance on disBAND evolved into an alliance with Greig Nori
, who is producing their new album (Divorice) and redistributing the band's previous album, The Legacy of Rudy, in a deal with Bunk Rock Entertainment.
Reggae fusion
Reggae fusion is a fusion genre of reggae that mixes reggae or dancehall with other genres, such as pop, rock, hip hop, R&B, house, jazz & drum and bass....
band from Welland, Ontario
Welland, Ontario
Welland is a city in the Regional Municipality of Niagara in Southern Ontario, Canada.The city has been traditionally known as the place where rails and water meet, referring to the railways from Buffalo to Toronto and Southwestern Ontario, and the waterways of Welland Canal and Welland River,...
, formed in 2006. The group strives for a fresh reggae sound while combining the influences of hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
and 90s Alt Rock.
Their second album, Free Delivery, was independently produced and has sold over 5000 copies to date. The band has received international attention in print, on radio, and on television, where they are currently finalists on the second season of MuchMusic
MuchMusic
MuchMusic is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Bell Media. MuchMusic is dedicated to music-related programs, pop and youth culture.-History:...
's disBAND
Disband
Disband was an all girl band in New York City from 1978-1982. The members were artists rather than musicians. The band's sound was a type of a cappella No Wave. Disband performed mostly at art venues like Franklin Furnace, P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center and Hallwalls...
.
The band is represented by agent Jeff Craib (The Tragically Hip
The Tragically Hip
The Tragically Hip, often referred to simply as The Hip, is a Canadian rock band from Kingston, Ontario, consisting of Gordon Downie , Paul Langlois , Rob Baker , Gord Sinclair and Johnny Fay . Since their formation in 1983 they have released 12 studio albums, two live albums, and 46 singles...
, Hedley
Hedley (band)
Hedley is a Canadian pop rock band comprising lead singer Jacob Hoggard, Tommy Mac on bass, Dave Rosin on lead guitar and Chris Crippin on drums. The current band retains the original name of Hoggard's pre-Canadian Idol group, although the membership has changed. The band originated in Abbotsford,...
, Matt Good
Matt Good
Matt Good is an American guitarist and vocalist. He is best known for being the rhythm guitarist and lead vocalist of post-hardcore band From First to Last from its founding to its hiatus. He was formerly the guitarist of grindcore band The Color of Violence, which featured future From First to...
), and lawyer Chris Taylor
Chris Taylor (attorney)
Christopher Normand "Chris" Taylor is a Canadian entertainment lawyer and an influential music industry executive.Taylor was raised in Windsor, Ontario and graduated with a Communications degree in 1987, and a law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1990...
, who is the co-founder of Last Gang Records and credited with discovering Metric
Metric (band)
Metric is a Canadian indie rock and New Wave band founded in 1998 in Toronto. The band has also at various times been based in Montreal, London, New York City and Los Angeles...
, Nelly Furtado
Nelly Furtado
Nelly Kim Furtado is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer and actress. Furtado grew up in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.Furtado first gained fame with her debut album, Whoa, Nelly!, and its single "I'm Like a Bird", which won a 2001 Juno Award for Single of the Year and a 2002 Grammy...
, and Sum 41
Sum 41
Sum 41 is a Canadian rock band from Ajax, Ontario. The band was formed in 1996 and currently consists of members Deryck Whibley , Tom Thacker , Jason McCaslin and Steve Jocz .In 1999, the band signed an international record deal with Island Records...
.
Current members
- Ryan Guay (lead vocals, guitar) (2006–present)
- Nate Triano (guitar) (2006–present)
- Jesse Robitaille (bass) (2010–present)
- Dan Fretz (drums) (2006–present)
Former Members
- Brandon Adam Ventresca (bass) (2006–2010)
- Adam Webster (lead guitar, congas, vocals) (2009–2010)
Inspiration & Influences
The band's driving force and creative front-man Ryan Guay contrived the band's name and concept in late 2005, when he experienced symptoms of swelling of the brain and was misdiagnosed with schizophrenia. After being admitted to several mental hospitals in OntarioOntario
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....
, he travelled to the United States, where an MRI confirmed that his condition was encephalitis
Encephalitis
Encephalitis is an acute inflammation of the brain. Encephalitis with meningitis is known as meningoencephalitis. Symptoms include headache, fever, confusion, drowsiness, and fatigue...
, caused by the chicken pox virus. This experience, including the combined side effects of brain swelling and hospital-induced anti-psychotic medication, resulted in Guay's creative horizon rapidly expanding.
Street Pharmacy's influences include: Smashing Pumpkins, Sublime
Sublime (band)
Sublime was an American ska punk band from Long Beach, California, formed in 1988. The band's line-up, unchanged until their breakup, consisted of Bradley Nowell , Eric Wilson and Bud Gaugh . Michael "Miguel" Happoldt also contributed on a few Sublime songs, such as "New Thrash." Lou Dog, Nowell's...
, Souls of Mischief
Souls of Mischief
-Studio albums:-Singles:-External links:* [ Allmusic Biography]* *...
, Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included Eddie Vedder , Jeff Ament , Stone Gossard , and Mike McCready...
, The Pharcyde
The Pharcyde
The Pharcyde are an alternative hip hop group based in South Central Los Angeles. The original four members of the group are Imani , Slimkid3 , Bootie Brown and Fatlip . DJ Mark Luv was the group's first DJ, followed by producer J-Swift and then J Dilla...
, Incubus
Incubus (band)
Incubus is an American rock band from Calabasas, California. The band was formed in 1991 by vocalist Brandon Boyd, lead guitarist Mike Einziger, and drummer Jose Pasillas while enrolled in high school and later expanded to include bassist Alex "Dirk Lance" Katunich, and Gavin "DJ Lyfe" Koppell;...
, Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
, The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, The Doors
The Doors
The Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore, and guitarist Robby Krieger...
, and Wu Tang.
Cuba & the Concept Album
In 2008, lead singer Guay travelled to CubaCuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
in search for an authentic Reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
sound to incorporate into the band's concept album titled The Legacy of Rudy. The work chronicles the adventures of a Cuban named Rudy, who is seen as the original Rude boy
Rude boy
Rude boy, rudeboy, rudie, rudi or rudy are common terms used in Jamaica. In the 1960s it was also used for juvenile delinquents and criminals in Jamaica, and has since been used in other contexts...
and whose life experiences are described in individual tracks on the album. Featured sounds include Cuban musicians playing horns and bongos, as well as a children's choir.
disBAND
Street Pharmacy were featured on MuchMusic's disBANDDisband
Disband was an all girl band in New York City from 1978-1982. The members were artists rather than musicians. The band's sound was a type of a cappella No Wave. Disband performed mostly at art venues like Franklin Furnace, P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center and Hallwalls...
on December 9, 2009. The show centered around professionally recording and performing their single "Stone Bricks and Mortar" in the MuchMusic environment. The band thoroughly impressed their mentor, producer and musician Greig Nori
Greig Nori
Greig Andrew Nori is a producer and musician from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada and is well known as the former frontman, lead vocalist and guitarist of the pop punk band Treble Charger...
(of Treble Charger
Treble Charger
Treble Charger was a Canadian rock group, consisting of vocalist Greig Nori, bassist Rosie Martin and drummer Trevor MacGregor. Guitarist Bill Priddle, a founding member of the band, left in 2003. They began with a melodic indie rock style, but evolved into more of a pop punk band after signing to...
and Bunk Rock Entertainment), who stated in the episode that he would quit disBAND
Disband
Disband was an all girl band in New York City from 1978-1982. The members were artists rather than musicians. The band's sound was a type of a cappella No Wave. Disband performed mostly at art venues like Franklin Furnace, P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center and Hallwalls...
if the band was unsuccessful on the show. The group had their photos taken by renowned celebrity photographer Matt Barnes, and were also scoped out by multiple agents and labels during a concert with illscarlet. They performed live in front of a panel of judges including Colin Lewis (The Agency Group), Mark Spicoluk
Mark Spicoluk
Mark Spicoluk founded and played bass for the band Closet Monster from 1997 until December 8, 2005. Closet Monster reunited to play Wakestock on August 8, 2009. Spicoluk established the indie punk rock label Underground Operations in 1995.During his period with Closet Monster, Spicoluk played for...
(Universal Music Canada), and Chase Parsons (Chris Smith Management), who unanimously agreed that the band showed great potential (especially lead singer, Guay). They became the first band of the season to be inducted into the show's finale.
In late 2009, Adam Webster (lead guitar, congas, vocals) serendipitously became part of the group during their time on disBAND.
Street Pharmacy's appearance on disBAND evolved into an alliance with Greig Nori
Greig Nori
Greig Andrew Nori is a producer and musician from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada and is well known as the former frontman, lead vocalist and guitarist of the pop punk band Treble Charger...
, who is producing their new album (Divorice) and redistributing the band's previous album, The Legacy of Rudy, in a deal with Bunk Rock Entertainment.
Discography
| Year Released | Title | Label |
| 2006 | Self-Prescribed Feelgood | Independent |
| 2007 | Free Delivery | Independent |
| 2009 | The Legacy of Rudy | Bunk Rock Entertainment / Fontana North |
| 2011 | Divorce | 2011 |