The Danks
Encyclopedia
The Danks are a Canadian indie rock
band from Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, founded by Brohan Moore and Alec O'Hanley. Chris Doiron originally played bass guitar
, but was replaced by Andrew MacDonald, a bandmate of O'Hanley's from Two Hours Traffic
. The current lineup includes lead vocalist
Brohan Moore, O'Hanley on guitar
and keyboards
, MacDonald on bass, and drummer
Phil MacIsaac. The band's style has been likened to that of The Strokes
.
In 2006, The Danks independently released the EP In Alright. They played shows at the North by Northeast
festival. The band released the EP Samples on Collagen Rock Records in 2008. Music critic John Sakamoto of the Toronto Star
wrote, "Like Two Hours Traffic, however, all the handclaps and fast tempos can't completely obscure a vague sense of anxiety lurking just beneath the surface. The result is a compelling tug of war between wanting to dance and feeling that there's something else you're supposed to be doing."
Their full-length debut, Are You Afraid of the Danks? was released on June 30, 2009. Giving the album its highest rating, Chart
described it as "non-stop, hook-laden revelry from start to finish." Fast Forward Weekly, in its review, wrote, "The Danks are straight-up power pop at heart and there’s simply no denying their power."
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 from Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, founded by Brohan Moore and Alec O'Hanley. Chris Doiron originally played bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, but was replaced by Andrew MacDonald, a bandmate of O'Hanley's from Two Hours Traffic
Two Hours Traffic
Two Hours Traffic is a Canadian indie rock band, based in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. They are named after a line in the prologue to Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Although often described as the band that Halifax guitarist Joel Plaskett took "under his wing", they have increasingly...
. The current lineup includes lead vocalist
Lead vocalist
The lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the...
Brohan Moore, O'Hanley on guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
and keyboards
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, MacDonald on bass, and drummer
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
Phil MacIsaac. The band's style has been likened to that of The Strokes
The Strokes
The Strokes are an American indie rock band formed in 1999 in New York City. Consisting of Julian Casablancas , Nick Valensi , Albert Hammond, Jr. , Nikolai Fraiture and Fabrizio Moretti ....
.
In 2006, The Danks independently released the EP In Alright. They played shows at the North by Northeast
North by Northeast
North by Northeast is an annual five-day live music and film festival and music conference in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, held each June....
festival. The band released the EP Samples on Collagen Rock Records in 2008. Music critic John Sakamoto of the Toronto Star
Toronto Star
The Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
wrote, "Like Two Hours Traffic, however, all the handclaps and fast tempos can't completely obscure a vague sense of anxiety lurking just beneath the surface. The result is a compelling tug of war between wanting to dance and feeling that there's something else you're supposed to be doing."
Their full-length debut, Are You Afraid of the Danks? was released on June 30, 2009. Giving the album its highest rating, Chart
Chart (magazine)
ChartAttack is a Canadian online music publication. Formerly a monthly print magazine called Chart, which was published from 1991 to 2009, the web version continues operation....
described it as "non-stop, hook-laden revelry from start to finish." Fast Forward Weekly, in its review, wrote, "The Danks are straight-up power pop at heart and there’s simply no denying their power."
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
External links
- The Danks official site
- The Danks on CBC Radio 3CBC Radio 3CBC Radio 3 is a radio station that consists of two parts devoted to Canadian arts and music: a radio service which is available on Sirius Satellite Radio and streaming audio, and several daily and weekly podcasts from the CBC Radio 3 website...