The Weakerthans
Encyclopedia
The Weakerthans are a four-piece (and sometimes six-piece) Canadian indie rock
band.
, Manitoba
by John K. Samson
, after he left the punk band Propagandhi
to start a publishing company. Samson joined forces with bassist John P. Sutton and drummer Jason Tait
, both from Propagandhi's Winnipeg-punk-scene mates Red Fisher, and created The Weakerthans as a vehicle for a more melodic and introspective brand of songwriting than their previous projects.
One origin story for the band's name, as quoted in the liner notes of Fallow
, is a line from the 1992 film The Lover
: "Go ahead, I'm weaker than you can possibly imagine." The band's name may also refer to a Ralph Chaplin quote from "Solidarity Forever
": "What force on Earth can be weaker than the feeble strength of one?" The band alludes to this line in the song "Pamphleteer" from the album Left and Leaving.
The band's debut album, Fallow
, was released in 1997 on G7 Welcoming Committee Records
, and garnered positive reviews from Canadian music critics. Guitarist Stephen Carroll
, formerly of Painted Thin
, subsequently joined the band, and Left and Leaving was released in 2000.
In 2003, the band moved to Epitaph Records
and released Reconstruction Site
. The album was met with rave reviews from Canadian and international critics for its ambitious combination of punk, rock, folk, country and sonnet
s. It also became the band's best-selling record to date, as well as its airplay breakthrough on Canadian radio. It was the second Weakerthans album to be produced by Ian Blurton
.
Sutton, who played on all three of the band's first albums, left in August 2004 and was replaced by Greg Smith.
In 2005, Left and Leaving was named one of the ten best Canadian albums of all time in Chart
magazine's reader poll. In the same poll, Samson wrote the capsule review for another top ten finisher, The Lowest of the Low
's Shakespeare My Butt
, which he cited as a major influence on his own music.
Reunion Tour
was released on September 25, 2007 in North America by Epitaph
and ANTI-
. The band released a video for "Civil Twilight", which consisted of a single, unbroken camera shot of the band on a Winnipeg Transit
city bus.
Epitaph also re-released the Weakerthans' first two albums, Fallow and Left and Leaving, in Canada on November 6, 2007.
In February 2009, the band participated in Barenaked Ladies
' annual Ships and Dip cruise. In a subsequent interview with Canwest News Service
, Samson clarified that the band would be taking some downtime over the summer of 2009 before deciding when to start working on their next album. Shortly afterward, Samson announced a series of solo 7" releases about Manitoba roads, which he plans to release over the next 18 months. The first, City Route 85
, will be released on October 30 through Epitaph
and ANTI-
.
In January 2010, the band announced that they will release a live album, Live at the Burton Cummings Theatre, on March 23. At the same time, they also announced that they were recording material with Jim Bryson
for his album The Falcon Lake Incident
, which was released on October 19, 2010.
chart for Canada in its first week of release, and at #4 on the alternative/modern rock chart. The album reached #181 on the United States Billboard 200
.
The Weakerthans became the first band in the history of CBC Radio 3
's R3-30
charts to reach #1 with two different songs. The band's cover of Rheostatics
' "Bad Time to Be Poor" reached #1 the week of June 21, 2007, and "Civil Twilight", the lead single from Reunion Tour
, hit the top spot the week of November 15, 2007. As of 2009, "Civil Twilight" remains tied with Arcade Fire's "Black Mirror
" as the longest-running #1 in that chart's history. "Civil Twilight" was also the #1 song in The R3-30s year-end Top 100 chart for 2007.
MacKinnon and Poirier also have their own band, FemBots
, and were previously associated with the bands Dig Circus
and Hummer
. Both Bryson and Fellows are solo artists in addition to touring with The Weakerthans; Fellows is married to Samson. Matyas is a member of the bands The Waking Eyes
and Imaginary Cities
.
Hopelessly Devoted to You Vol. 4 (2002, Hopeless/Subcity Records)
"Aside" (from Left and Leaving)
Hopelessly Devoted to You Vol. 6 (2006, Hopeless/Subcity Records)
"Aside" (from Left and Leaving)
Operation: Punk Rock Freedom (2003, Hopeless/Subcity Records)
"Confessions of a Futon Revolutionist" (from Fallow)
Chulksmack Soundtrack (2004, Epitaph Records)
Punk-O-Rama Vol. 9
(2004, Epitaph Records
)
Punk-O-Rama Vol. 10
(2005, Epitaph Records)
Take Penacilin Now
(2005, G7 Welcoming Committee Records)' s "My Favourite Chords")
Wedding Crashers
Soundtrack (2005, New Line Records)
Help: A Day in the Life (2006, Sony BMG)
The Secret Sessions
(2007, Zunior)
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.
History
The band was formed in 1997 in WinnipegWinnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
by John K. Samson
John K. Samson
John Kristjan Samson is a musician from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He is a singer-songwriter and currently the frontman of the Canadian folk punk band The Weakerthans...
, after he left the punk band Propagandhi
Propagandhi
Propagandhi is a Canadian punk band formed in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba in 1986 by Chris Hannah and Jord Samolesky. The band is currently located in Winnipeg, Manitoba....
to start a publishing company. Samson joined forces with bassist John P. Sutton and drummer Jason Tait
Jason Tait
Jason Tait is a Canadian musician. He is the drummer for the Canadian indie rock band The Weakerthans, and has also been a contributing member of Broken Social Scene and The FemBots. He also played drums for the Painted Thin album Small Acts of Love and Rebellion, released in 1995...
, both from Propagandhi's Winnipeg-punk-scene mates Red Fisher, and created The Weakerthans as a vehicle for a more melodic and introspective brand of songwriting than their previous projects.
One origin story for the band's name, as quoted in the liner notes of Fallow
Fallow (album)
Fallow is the debut album by The Weakerthans.It was released in 1997 on G7 Welcoming Committee Records in Canada, and in 1999 on Sub City Records in the United States....
, is a line from the 1992 film The Lover
The Lover (film)
- Production :While adapting the Marguerite Duras novel into the film's screenplay, director Jean-Jacques Annaud and fellow writer Gérard Brach changed the age of "The Girl" from 15½ to 17, but tried to maintain the original structure and literary tone of the original novel. As with the Duras...
: "Go ahead, I'm weaker than you can possibly imagine." The band's name may also refer to a Ralph Chaplin quote from "Solidarity Forever
Solidarity Forever
"Solidarity Forever", written by Ralph Chaplin in 1915, is perhaps the most famous union anthem. It is sung to the tune of "John Brown's Body" and is inspired by "The Battle Hymn of the Republic". Although it was written as a song for the Industrial Workers of the World , other union movements,...
": "What force on Earth can be weaker than the feeble strength of one?" The band alludes to this line in the song "Pamphleteer" from the album Left and Leaving.
The band's debut album, Fallow
Fallow (album)
Fallow is the debut album by The Weakerthans.It was released in 1997 on G7 Welcoming Committee Records in Canada, and in 1999 on Sub City Records in the United States....
, was released in 1997 on G7 Welcoming Committee Records
G7 Welcoming Committee Records
G7 Welcoming Committee Records is a Canadian independent record label started by Chris Hannah and Jord Samolesky of punk band Propagandhi, and their friend Regal in 1997...
, and garnered positive reviews from Canadian music critics. Guitarist Stephen Carroll
Stephen Carroll
Stephen Carroll is a Canadian rock guitarist, currently a member of the indie rock band The Weakerthans. Originally a member of the punk rock band Painted Thin, he appeared as a guest musician on the first Weakerthans album, Fallow, and became a permanent member after Painted Thin broke up.He also...
, formerly of Painted Thin
Painted Thin
Painted Thin was a Canadian hardcore punk band, based in Winnipeg, Manitoba and active from 1994 to 1999. The core of the band consisted of vocalist and guitarist Stephen Carroll and bassist and vocalist Paul Furgale, with a variety of guest musicians, including James Ash, Dan McCafferty and Jason...
, subsequently joined the band, and Left and Leaving was released in 2000.
Epitaph Records
Epitaph Records is a Hollywood, California based independent record label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. The label was originally "just a logo and a P.O. box" created in the 1980s for the purpose of selling Bad Religion records, but has evolved into a large independent record...
and released Reconstruction Site
Reconstruction Site
Reconstruction Site is a 2003 album by The Weakerthans. A song cycle about grief, regret, loss and eventual hope, the album is thematically framed by three tracks, "", "" and "", which set three different sonnets following a terminally ill hospital patient into the aftermath of his death to the...
. The album was met with rave reviews from Canadian and international critics for its ambitious combination of punk, rock, folk, country and sonnet
Sonnet
A sonnet is one of several forms of poetry that originate in Europe, mainly Provence and Italy. A sonnet commonly has 14 lines. The term "sonnet" derives from the Occitan word sonet and the Italian word sonetto, both meaning "little song" or "little sound"...
s. It also became the band's best-selling record to date, as well as its airplay breakthrough on Canadian radio. It was the second Weakerthans album to be produced by Ian Blurton
Ian Blurton
Ian Blurton is a Canadian musician and record producer. He was born in Chicago in 1965, and moved to Toronto in the mid 1970s.He has been a part of Toronto's indie music scene since the early 1980s, playing drums in the original line-ups for Cowboy Junkies and A Neon Rome before becoming the lead...
.
Sutton, who played on all three of the band's first albums, left in August 2004 and was replaced by Greg Smith.
In 2005, Left and Leaving was named one of the ten best Canadian albums of all time in 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....
magazine's reader poll. In the same poll, Samson wrote the capsule review for another top ten finisher, The Lowest of the Low
The Lowest of the Low
The Lowest of the Low is a Canadian alternative rock group formed in 1991 from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They were one of the most influential bands on the Canadian alternative music scene in the early 1990s, garnering widespread critical acclaim and radio play...
's Shakespeare My Butt
Shakespeare My Butt
Shakespeare My Butt... is a 1991 album by The Lowest of the Low.At the time of its release, the album briefly became the best-selling independent release in Canadian history, although it was eclipsed later the same year by Barenaked Ladies' The Yellow Tape. However, its melodic, jangly folk-punk...
, which he cited as a major influence on his own music.
Reunion Tour
Reunion Tour
Reunion Tour is the fourth studio album by The Weakerthans, released on September 25, 2007 in Canada and the U.S. The album was released on both compact disc and vinyl record....
was released on September 25, 2007 in North America by Epitaph
Epitaph Records
Epitaph Records is a Hollywood, California based independent record label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. The label was originally "just a logo and a P.O. box" created in the 1980s for the purpose of selling Bad Religion records, but has evolved into a large independent record...
and ANTI-
ANTI-
ANTI- is an American record label founded in 1999 as a sister label of Epitaph Records.While Epitaph's focus has shifted over the last decade from mostly punk rock, nowadays ANTI- has a more diverse roster, ranging from country , hip hop , reggae , Soul , folk , rap-rock , indie rock...
. The band released a video for "Civil Twilight", which consisted of a single, unbroken camera shot of the band on a Winnipeg Transit
Winnipeg Transit
Winnipeg Transit is the public transit agency in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It is a bus-only operator.The Winnipeg Street Railway operated a horse car operation from 1882 to 1894...
city bus.
Epitaph also re-released the Weakerthans' first two albums, Fallow and Left and Leaving, in Canada on November 6, 2007.
In February 2009, the band participated in Barenaked Ladies
Barenaked Ladies
Barenaked Ladies is a Canadian alternative rock band. The band is currently composed of Jim Creeggan, Kevin Hearn, Ed Robertson, and Tyler Stewart. Barenaked Ladies formed in 1988 in Scarborough, Ontario, then a suburban municipality outside the City of Toronto...
' annual Ships and Dip cruise. In a subsequent interview with Canwest News Service
Canwest News Service
Postmedia News is a national news agency with correspondents in Canada, Europe, and the United States and is part of the Canadian newspaper chain owned by Postmedia Network Inc.-History:...
, Samson clarified that the band would be taking some downtime over the summer of 2009 before deciding when to start working on their next album. Shortly afterward, Samson announced a series of solo 7" releases about Manitoba roads, which he plans to release over the next 18 months. The first, City Route 85
City Route 85
City Route 85 is a solo EP by John K. Samson of The Weakerthans, released October 30, 2009 on Grand Hotel van Cleef in Europe, and November 3, 2009 on ANTI-/Epitaph in North America...
, will be released on October 30 through Epitaph
Epitaph Records
Epitaph Records is a Hollywood, California based independent record label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. The label was originally "just a logo and a P.O. box" created in the 1980s for the purpose of selling Bad Religion records, but has evolved into a large independent record...
and ANTI-
ANTI-
ANTI- is an American record label founded in 1999 as a sister label of Epitaph Records.While Epitaph's focus has shifted over the last decade from mostly punk rock, nowadays ANTI- has a more diverse roster, ranging from country , hip hop , reggae , Soul , folk , rap-rock , indie rock...
.
In January 2010, the band announced that they will release a live album, Live at the Burton Cummings Theatre, on March 23. At the same time, they also announced that they were recording material with Jim Bryson
Jim Bryson
Jim Bryson is a Canadian singer-songwriter. Briefly a founding member of the band Punchbuggy, he moved to a musical life under his own name with the release of his debut album, The Occasionals, in 2000....
for his album The Falcon Lake Incident
The Falcon Lake Incident
The Falcon Lake Incident is the fourth studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Jim Bryson, released October 19, 2010 on Kelp Records and MapleMusic.The album was recorded with The Weakerthans, at a cottage on Falcon Lake in Manitoba...
, which was released on October 19, 2010.
Chart performance
Reunion Tour debuted at #22 on the Nielsen SoundScanNielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan is an information and sales tracking system created by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett. Soundscan is the official method of tracking sales of music and music video products throughout the United States and Canada...
chart for Canada in its first week of release, and at #4 on the alternative/modern rock chart. The album reached #181 on the United States Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
.
The Weakerthans became the first band in the history of CBC Radio 3
CBC Radio 3
CBC 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...
's R3-30
The R3-30
The R3-30 is a weekly record chart show on CBC Radio 3, which counts down the week's top indie rock singles as determined by airplay , listener feedback , and other criteria . The show, hosted by Craig Norris and produced by Pedro Mendes, airs at 11 a.m Eastern time The R3-30 is a weekly record...
charts to reach #1 with two different songs. The band's cover of Rheostatics
Rheostatics
Rheostatics was a Genie Award-winning Canadian indie rock band, active from 1980 to 2007.Although they had only one Top 40 hit, "Claire" in 1995, they were simultaneously one of Canada's most influential and unconventional rock bands, a band whose eclectic take on pop and rock music has been...
' "Bad Time to Be Poor" reached #1 the week of June 21, 2007, and "Civil Twilight", the lead single from Reunion Tour
Reunion Tour
Reunion Tour is the fourth studio album by The Weakerthans, released on September 25, 2007 in Canada and the U.S. The album was released on both compact disc and vinyl record....
, hit the top spot the week of November 15, 2007. As of 2009, "Civil Twilight" remains tied with Arcade Fire's "Black Mirror
Black Mirror (song)
"Black Mirror" is the first single by Canadian indie rock band Arcade Fire in the US from their second album Neon Bible ....
" as the longest-running #1 in that chart's history. "Civil Twilight" was also the #1 song in The R3-30s year-end Top 100 chart for 2007.
Current members
- John K. Samson (lead vocals, guitar)
- Jason Tait (drums, percussion, vibraphoneVibraphoneThe vibraphone, sometimes called the vibraharp or simply the vibes, is a musical instrument in the struck idiophone subfamily of the percussion family....
, keyboards) - Stephen Carroll (guitar, pedal and lap steel, keyboards)
- Greg Smith (bass)
Live show help
- Jim BrysonJim BrysonJim Bryson is a Canadian singer-songwriter. Briefly a founding member of the band Punchbuggy, he moved to a musical life under his own name with the release of his debut album, The Occasionals, in 2000....
(general support). Joined as of September 10, 2007. - Christine FellowsChristine FellowsChristine Fellows is a Canadian folk-pop singer-songwriter from Winnipeg, Manitoba.-History:Born in Windsor, Ontario and raised in France and Kelowna, British Columbia, Fellows lived in Toronto, Vancouver, Guelph and Montreal before settling in Winnipeg in 1992.In 1993, she formed her first group,...
(keyboards/background vocals) - Dave MacKinnon (keyboards)
- Brian Poirier (acoustic guitar and backing vocals)
- Tyler Greenleaf (trumpet and tromboneTromboneThe trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
) - Rusty Matyas (general support) – performed with the band for the 2009 Rolling Tundra Revue
MacKinnon and Poirier also have their own band, FemBots
FemBots
FemBots are a Canadian indie rock band, originating from Toronto, Ontario. Originating members Dave MacKinnon and Brian Poirier also travel with The Weakerthans on tour...
, and were previously associated with the bands Dig Circus
Dig Circus
Dig Circus was a Canadian alternative rock band in the 1990s. Although popular on the Queen Street West scene in Toronto, the band broke up in the mid-1990s without having achieved mainstream success...
and Hummer
Hummer (band)
Hummer was a short-lived Canadian indie rock band, including The Lowest of the Low frontman Ron Hawkins on bass. The band released one album, Electrically Operated Product, in 1997....
. Both Bryson and Fellows are solo artists in addition to touring with The Weakerthans; Fellows is married to Samson. Matyas is a member of the bands The Waking Eyes
The Waking Eyes
The Waking Eyes is a Canadian rock band from Winnipeg and Steinbach, Manitoba.-History:The band formed after the break-up of two other Manitoba bands, The Pets from Steinbach and Novillero from Winnipeg. In 2002 The Waking Eyes released a full-length album, Combing the Clouds. This was followed up...
and Imaginary Cities
Imaginary Cities
Imaginary Cities is a Canadian indie pop band. Based in Winnipeg, the band consists of multi-instrumentalist Rusty Matyas, formerly of The Waking Eyes and a sometime collaborator with The Weakerthans, and vocalist Marti Sarbit....
.
Albums
- 1997: FallowFallow (album)Fallow is the debut album by The Weakerthans.It was released in 1997 on G7 Welcoming Committee Records in Canada, and in 1999 on Sub City Records in the United States....
- 2000: Left and Leaving
- 2001: Watermark EPWatermark (Weakerthans album)Watermark is an EP by The Weakerthans, released on CD in 2001. Being relatively short for an EP, the disc does include the music video for the single "Watermark" . Supplementing this are live, acoustic renditions of two songs originally released on their debut album Fallow...
- 2003: Reconstruction SiteReconstruction SiteReconstruction Site is a 2003 album by The Weakerthans. A song cycle about grief, regret, loss and eventual hope, the album is thematically framed by three tracks, "", "" and "", which set three different sonnets following a terminally ill hospital patient into the aftermath of his death to the...
- 2007: Reunion TourReunion TourReunion Tour is the fourth studio album by The Weakerthans, released on September 25, 2007 in Canada and the U.S. The album was released on both compact disc and vinyl record....
- 2010: Live at the Burton Cummings Theatre
Compilations
- Return of the Read MenaceReturn of the Read MenaceReturn of the Read Menace is a compilation album, released in 1999 on G7 Welcoming Committee Records.-Track listing:# Screeching Weasel, "My Own World"# J Church, "Tightrope"# No Use For a Name, "Hybrid Moments"...
(1999, G7 Welcoming Committee)- "Ringing of Revolution" (Phil OchsPhil OchsPhilip David Ochs was an American protest singer and songwriter who was known for his sharp wit, sardonic humor, earnest humanism, political activism, insightful and alliterative lyrics, and haunting voice...
cover)
- "Ringing of Revolution" (Phil Ochs
- Sub City: Take Action Sampler (1999, HopelessHopeless RecordsHopeless Records is an independent record label located in Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California. The label was started in 1993 by Louis Posen and financed by a group of private investors. Hopeless's artists are generally considered punk rock, pop punk, post-hardcore, or alternative rock, but some...
/Subcity Records)- "Everything Must Go" (alternate version)
- Hopelessly Devoted to You Vol. 3 (2000, Hopeless/Subcity Records)
- "Watermark" (from
- "Confessions of a Futon Revolutionist (Country Style)" (previously unreleased)
- "Past Due (Pre-
- "Diagnosis" (from
- "Watermark" (from
- "The Reasons" (from
Punk-O-Rama Vol. 9
Punk-O-Rama Vol. 9 is the ninth compilation album in the Punk-O-Rama series.This is the first of two entries to be released as a two-disc with a DVD. The DVD features current music videos by bands on the CD, with the exception of Randy and Converge who do not appear on the CD...
(2004, Epitaph Records
Epitaph Records
Epitaph Records is a Hollywood, California based independent record label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. The label was originally "just a logo and a P.O. box" created in the 1980s for the purpose of selling Bad Religion records, but has evolved into a large independent record...
)
- "Plea from a Cat Named Virtute" (from
Punk-O-Rama Vol. 10
Punk-O-Rama Vol. 10 is the tenth and final compilation album in the Punk-O-Rama series. The following year saw the start of Epitaph Records' new compilation series, Unsound....
(2005, Epitaph Records)
- "The Reasons" (from
Take Penacilin Now
Take Penacilin Now is a 2005 compilation album released on G7 Welcoming Committee Records. The compilation features almost every artist that has released material on the label...
(2005, G7 Welcoming Committee Records)
- "My Favourite Power Chords" (alternate version of
Wedding Crashers
Wedding Crashers is a 2005 American comedy film directed by David Dobkin. It stars Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn, with Christopher Walken, Rachel McAdams, Isla Fisher, Bradley Cooper, Diora Baird, Jane Seymour, and an uncredited Will Ferrell....
Soundtrack (2005, New Line Records)
- "Aside" (from Left and Leaving)
- "Utilities" (previously unreleased)
The Secret Sessions
The Secret Sessions is a tribute album to Canadian indie rock band Rheostatics, released March 16, 2007 through the web label Zunior. The album was released to coincide with the band's farewell show scheduled for March 30, and features Canadian indie rock artists performing Rheostatics songs...
(2007, Zunior)
- "Bad Time to Be Poor" (RheostaticsRheostaticsRheostatics was a Genie Award-winning Canadian indie rock band, active from 1980 to 2007.Although they had only one Top 40 hit, "Claire" in 1995, they were simultaneously one of Canada's most influential and unconventional rock bands, a band whose eclectic take on pop and rock music has been...
cover)
Related albums
- John K. Samson – Slips and TanglesSlips and TanglesSlips and Tangles is a rare early demo cassette by John K. Samson, released in 1993 when he was a member of Propagandhi. The song "Greenest Eyes" appeared in a different form on Propagandhi's album How to Clean Everything, which was also released in 1993; there, it was entitled "Showdown " in...
(1993), Little PicturesLittle PicturesLittle Pictures is a solo record recorded between 1993 and 1994 by John K. Samson, then of Propagandhi. It was released in 1995 as a split album with Painted Thin's Small Acts of Love and Rebellion. It was one of G7 Welcoming Committee's first releases, in a PET film pouch. Samson later left...
(1995, 2006) - Jim BrysonJim BrysonJim Bryson is a Canadian singer-songwriter. Briefly a founding member of the band Punchbuggy, he moved to a musical life under his own name with the release of his debut album, The Occasionals, in 2000....
- The Falcon Lake IncidentThe Falcon Lake IncidentThe Falcon Lake Incident is the fourth studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Jim Bryson, released October 19, 2010 on Kelp Records and MapleMusic.The album was recorded with The Weakerthans, at a cottage on Falcon Lake in Manitoba...
Side projects
- Samson frequently collaborates with his wife, Christine FellowsChristine FellowsChristine Fellows is a Canadian folk-pop singer-songwriter from Winnipeg, Manitoba.-History:Born in Windsor, Ontario and raised in France and Kelowna, British Columbia, Fellows lived in Toronto, Vancouver, Guelph and Montreal before settling in Winnipeg in 1992.In 1993, she formed her first group,...
. - Tait has recorded and performed with Broken Social SceneBroken Social SceneBroken Social Scene is a Canadian indie rock band, a musical collective including as few as six and as many as nineteen members, formed in 1999 by Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning. Most of its members currently play in various other groups and solo projects, mainly based around the city of Toronto...
and Do Make Say ThinkDo Make Say ThinkDo Make Say Think is a Canadian instrumental post-rock band from Toronto, Ontario. Their music combines jazz style drums, distorted guitars and wind instruments, as well as a prominent use of the bass guitar.-Biography:... - Tait, Samson, and Fellows collaborated with poet and filmmaker Clive HoldenClive HoldenClive Holden is a Canadian multimedia artist and poet from Victoria, British Columbia, he is currently living in Toronto with his wife, writer Alissa York....
on his multimedia project Trains of WinnipegTrains of WinnipegTrains of Winnipeg is a film and multimedia art project by Clive Holden, released in stages between 2001 and 2004. The final project included a series of 14 short films, designed as visual representations of Holden's poetry, as well as a soundtrack CD and a book.The short films were scored by Emily...
. - Carroll appeared on The DetailsThe DetailsThe Details are an indie rock band formed in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The band, formed in late 2005, features vocalist and guitarist Jon Plett , bassist Keli Martin , guitarist Sean Vidal and drummer Shaun Gibson . Sean and Jon were previously in the band The Home Team...
' Draw a Distance. Draw a Border. and The Original Mark EP. He co-produced a couple of songs on The Original Mark EP as well as their upcoming full-length (2011). - In 2006, all of the Weakerthans except Samson performed on Greg GraffinGreg GraffinGregory Walter Graffin, Ph.D. is an American punk rock musician, college professor, and author. He is most recognized as the lead vocalist and songwriter of the noted Los Angeles band Bad Religion, which he co-founded in 1979 and is the band's only constant member, even though it now features two...
's second solo album, Cold as the ClayCold as the ClayCold as the Clay is the second solo album by Bad Religion's vocalist Greg Graffin released on July 10, 2006 in Europe, and the following day in the USA. It was released on the label ANTI- . It follows on from Graffin's 1997 release of American Lesion.Graffin has described the album as "honor[ing]...
. - In 2000, the Winnipeg Free PressWinnipeg Free PressThe Winnipeg Free Press is a daily broadsheet newspaper in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Founded in 1872, as the Manitoba Free Press, it is the oldest newspaper in western Canada. It is the newspaper with the largest readership in the province....
released a spoken word album by Catherine Hunter that included a bonus track featuring the Weakerthans doing backing instrumentation while Hunter read her poem "Rush Hour".
Won
- Outstanding Independent Album – Reconstruction Site – Western Canadian Music Awards (2004)
- Outstanding Songwriter – John K. Samson – Western Canadian Music Awards (2004)
- Artist of the Year – The Weakerthans – Verge AwardsThe Verge (XM)The Verge is an XM Radio Canada channel featuring new and emerging rock bands from Canada. The channel is produced in Toronto, Ontario for the entire XM platform. The channel's former names included Unsigned, and Signed, which indicated that the channel played a combination of signed and unsigned...
(2008). - ECHO Songwriting Prize – "Night Windows" (2008)
Nominations
- Best Alternative AlbumJuno Award for Alternative Album of the YearThe Juno Award for Alternative Album of the Year is presented annually at Canada's Juno Awards to honour the best album of the year in the alternative rock and/or indie rock genres...
– Left and Leaving – Juno Awards (2001)Juno Awards of 2001The Juno Awards of 2001 were held in Hamilton, Ontario Canada during the weekend of 3-4 March 2001.The primary ceremonies were hosted by Rick Mercer at Copps Coliseum on 4 March 2001 and broadcast on CBC Television... - Video of the Year – "Psalms for the Elks' Lodge Last Call" – Western Canadian Music Awards (2004)
- Alternative Album of the YearJuno Award for Alternative Album of the YearThe Juno Award for Alternative Album of the Year is presented annually at Canada's Juno Awards to honour the best album of the year in the alternative rock and/or indie rock genres...
– Reconstruction Site – Juno Awards (2004)Juno Awards of 2004The Juno Awards of 2004 were presented on April 4, 2004 at Rexall Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and were hosted by Alanis Morissette.Singer-songwriters Nelly Furtado, Sarah McLachlan, and Nickelback led the nominations with five nominations each... - Video of the YearJuno Award for Video of the YearThe Juno Award for "Video of the Year" has been awarded since 1984, as recognition each year for the best music video in Canada. The award was previously called the "Best Video".-Best Video :...
– "The Reasons" – Juno Awards (2005)Juno Awards of 2005The Juno Awards of 2005 were held April 3 at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba and were hosted by comedian Brent Butt. Avril Lavigne and k-os won three awards each, while Billy Talent and Feist won 2 apiece.Nominations were announced 7 February 2005.... - 2008 Polaris Music Prize2008 Polaris Music PrizeThe 2008 edition of the Canadian Polaris Music Prize was presented on September 30, 2008. The prize was won by Caribou for his album Andorra....
— Reunion Tour