Think About Life
Encyclopedia
Think About Life is an indie rock
band from Montreal
, Québec
, Canada
, formed in 2005 by drummer Matt Shane and keyboardist Graham Van Pelt.
Think About Life's third member, vocalist Martin Cesar, also records and performs as Dishwasher. He has released a CD-R
on Pink Triforce Tapes. Cesar also previously sang in the rock band Donkey Heart
.
Graham Van Pelt is an active studio engineer in Montreal, and has engineered or produced for a number of local artists. He also has his own side project, Miracle Fortress
.
Van Pelt and Shane moved into a loft space dubbed the Electric Tractor with other musician friends, and recorded the band's initial songs there.
Regarding the band's name, Shane said, "We were naming all the parts of our songs to remember them better. On [the album opener] 'Paul Cries', there's one part that sounded kind of deep. We joked that it made us think about life. Then someone said, 'Dude, I think that should be the name of the band.'"
The band's self-titled debut recording, Think About Life
, was released in 2006 by Alien8 Recordings
. They began touring in the United States
in late 2005, with Beaver Sheppard standing in for Martin for part of the tour, opening dates for Wolf Parade
and later Art Brut
. John Wenzel of the The Denver Post
called Think About Life "the new Liars
". During this period, the band toured Canada and Japan. The band also issued a Japan exclusive Paul Cries 7" on Every Conversation Records.
On 25 February 2010, all members of Think About Life have signed, together with 500 artists, the call to support the international campaign for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions against Israeli apartheid.
and Shapes and Sizes
, was recruited as a bass player and singer. Shortly thereafter, Matt Shane went on to pursue a fine arts career, and was replaced by Greg Napier, of Special Noise. On October 13, 2009 the album then saw its release in the USA. It was then released in Japan on October 27, 2009 on Escalator Records.
Since the release of Family, the band have toured with Franz Ferdinand
, Ratatat
, Stars, You Say Party! We Say Die!
, Ponytail
, and Land of Talk
, amongst others.
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 Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Québec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, 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...
, formed in 2005 by drummer Matt Shane and keyboardist Graham Van Pelt.
Think About Life's third member, vocalist Martin Cesar, also records and performs as Dishwasher. He has released a CD-R
CD-R
A CD-R is a variation of the Compact Disc invented by Philips and Sony. CD-R is a Write Once Read Many optical medium, though the whole disk does not have to be entirely written in the same session....
on Pink Triforce Tapes. Cesar also previously sang in the rock band Donkey Heart
Donkey Heart
Donkey Heart is an indie rock band from Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The band was known for its DIY attitude and energetic live performances, which often included makeshift costumes, toy instruments, partial to full nudity and lots of dancing.-History:...
.
Graham Van Pelt is an active studio engineer in Montreal, and has engineered or produced for a number of local artists. He also has his own side project, Miracle Fortress
Miracle Fortress
Miracle Fortress is a Canadian indie rock band based in Montreal. The band is primarily a project of songwriter Graham Van Pelt. Van Pelt also a member of Think About Life.-Band history:...
.
Van Pelt and Shane moved into a loft space dubbed the Electric Tractor with other musician friends, and recorded the band's initial songs there.
Regarding the band's name, Shane said, "We were naming all the parts of our songs to remember them better. On [the album opener] 'Paul Cries', there's one part that sounded kind of deep. We joked that it made us think about life. Then someone said, 'Dude, I think that should be the name of the band.'"
The band's self-titled debut recording, Think About Life
Think About Life (album)
Think About Life is self-titled debut album by Think About Life.-Track listing:#"Paul Cries" – 3:15#"Bastian and the Boar" – 2:27#"Commander Riker's Party" – 2:54#"Fireworks" – 2:54#"Money" – 4:52#"In Her Hands" – 3:04#"Serious Chords" – 3:14...
, was released in 2006 by Alien8 Recordings
Alien8 Recordings
Alien8 Recordings is an independent record label founded in 1996 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The music label was founded by Sean O'Hara and Gary Worsley...
. They began touring in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in late 2005, with Beaver Sheppard standing in for Martin for part of the tour, opening dates for Wolf Parade
Wolf Parade
Wolf Parade is an indie rock band formed in 2003 from Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The band is currently on an indefinite hiatus as of May 31, 2011.-History:...
and later Art Brut
Art Brut (band)
Art Brut are a Berlin-based English and German indie rock band. Their debut album, Bang Bang Rock & Roll, was released on 30 May 2005, with its follow up, It's a Bit Complicated, released on 25 June 2007...
. John Wenzel of the The Denver Post
The Denver Post
-Ownership:The Post is the flagship newspaper of MediaNews Group Inc., founded in 1983 by William Dean Singleton and Richard Scudder. MediaNews is today one of the nation's largest newspaper chains, publisher of 61 daily newspapers and more than 120 non-daily publications in 13 states. MediaNews...
called Think About Life "the new Liars
Liars (band)
Liars is a three-piece band formed in 2000 consisting of Angus Andrew , Aaron Hemphill , and Julian Gross...
". During this period, the band toured Canada and Japan. The band also issued a Japan exclusive Paul Cries 7" on Every Conversation Records.
On 25 February 2010, all members of Think About Life have signed, together with 500 artists, the call to support the international campaign for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions against Israeli apartheid.
Family
On May 26, 2009, Think About Life released [Family (Think About Life album)|Family], their second full length record, again on Alien8 Recordings. Shortly after the release of the album, a fourth member was added to the band. Caila Thompson-Hannant, a former member of both Miracle FortressMiracle Fortress
Miracle Fortress is a Canadian indie rock band based in Montreal. The band is primarily a project of songwriter Graham Van Pelt. Van Pelt also a member of Think About Life.-Band history:...
and Shapes and Sizes
Shapes and Sizes
Shapes and Sizes are a Canadian indie rock band from Victoria, British Columbia. There are four members — Nathan Gage, Caila Thompson-Hannant, Rory Seydel and John Crellin. After self-releasing their self-titled first album in early 2006, the band caught the attention of Sufjan Stevens' record...
, was recruited as a bass player and singer. Shortly thereafter, Matt Shane went on to pursue a fine arts career, and was replaced by Greg Napier, of Special Noise. On October 13, 2009 the album then saw its release in the USA. It was then released in Japan on October 27, 2009 on Escalator Records.
Since the release of Family, the band have toured with Franz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand (band)
Franz Ferdinand are a Scottish post-punk revival band formed in Glasgow in 2002. The band is composed of Alex Kapranos , Bob Hardy , Nick McCarthy , and Paul Thomson .The band first experienced chart success when their second single, "Take Me Out", reached #3 in...
, Ratatat
Ratatat
Ratatat is a New York City electronic music duo consisting of Mike Stroud and producer Evan Mast .-History:Evan Mast and Mike Stroud first met as students at Skidmore College, but they did not work together until 2001, when they recorded several songs under the name "Cherry"...
, Stars, You Say Party! We Say Die!
You Say Party! We Say Die!
You Say Party was a Canadian five piece dance-punk band from Abbotsford, British Columbia. Their album Hit the Floor! was released in September 2005, and the band recently completed their second Canadian tour, an appearance at South by Southwest and a tour of the United States, before touring the...
, Ponytail
Ponytail (band)
Ponytail was a 4-piece art rock band formed in Baltimore, Maryland, USA, on the label We Are Free. Their sound has been compared to Deerhoof as well as Ecstatic Sunshine, since Dustin Wong was a founder of that band, and due to the band's experimental guitar work and unique vocal stylings...
, and Land of Talk
Land of Talk
Land of Talk is a Canadian indie rock band formed in 2006 from Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The band consists of singer and guitarist Elizabeth Powell, bass guitarist Joseph Yarmush and drummer Andrew Barr.-History:...
, amongst others.
Discography
- 2006: Think About LifeThink About Life (album)Think About Life is self-titled debut album by Think About Life.-Track listing:#"Paul Cries" – 3:15#"Bastian and the Boar" – 2:27#"Commander Riker's Party" – 2:54#"Fireworks" – 2:54#"Money" – 4:52#"In Her Hands" – 3:04#"Serious Chords" – 3:14...
- 2009: Family