…as the Poets Affirm
Encyclopedia
As The Poets Affirm were a Canadian independent
rock band formed in 2001 from Ottawa
, Ontario
, Canada
. The band began as a three-piece acoustic project, and later evolved into a seven-member lineup experimenting with jazz
, classical
and electronica
. Their name is taken from a line in Dante's Inferno
.
The band's 2004 album The Jaws that Bite, The Claws that Catch reached the top five in !earshot
, Canada's national campus radio
chart, in February 2005.
The band has also received airplay on CBC Radio 3
and Brave New Waves
.
The group played alongside many notable Canadian acts such as The Dears
, Destroyer
, Apostle of Hustle
, Sunset Rubdown
, Elliott Brood
, P:ano
, and Rock Plaza Central
. Other acts they played alongside include The Dirty Projectors, City and Colour
, and Grizzly Bear (band)
.
As The Poets Affirm disbanded in 2007 after a summer of playing Ottawa's Bluesfest, and recording their final album at Little Bullhorn Studios. The final album is yet to be officially released. Half of the band's final lineup are now in Videotape (band)
.
Their full catalog is available through Zunior, an online record label run by Dave Ullrich
of The Inbreds
.
Indie (music)
In music, independent music, often shortened to indie music or "indie" is a term used to describe independence from major commercial record labels or their subsidiaries, and an autonomous, Do-It-Yourself approach to recording and publishing....
rock band formed in 2001 from Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, Ontario
Ontario
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....
, 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...
. The band began as a three-piece acoustic project, and later evolved into a seven-member lineup experimenting with jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, classical
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
and electronica
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
. Their name is taken from a line in Dante's Inferno
Inferno (Dante)
Inferno is the first part of Dante Alighieri's 14th-century epic poem Divine Comedy. It is followed by Purgatorio and Paradiso. It is an allegory telling of the journey of Dante through what is largely the medieval concept of Hell, guided by the Roman poet Virgil. In the poem, Hell is depicted as...
.
The band's 2004 album The Jaws that Bite, The Claws that Catch reached the top five in !earshot
Exclaim!
Exclaim! is a monthly Canadian music magazine that features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with special focus on Canadian and cutting-edge artists...
, Canada's national campus radio
Campus radio
Campus radio is a type of radio station that is run by the students of a college, university or other educational institution. Programming may be exclusively by students, or may include programmers from the wider community in which the radio station is based...
chart, in February 2005.
The band has also received airplay on 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...
and Brave New Waves
Brave New Waves
Brave New Waves was a Canadian radio program which aired on CBC Stereo, later known as CBC Radio 2, from 1984 to 2007. Airing weeknights from midnight to 4 a.m., the show profiled alternative and indie music and culture, including film, comics, literature and art...
.
The group played alongside many notable Canadian acts such as The Dears
The Dears
-History:The band formed in 1995 and released their first album, End of a Hollywood Bedtime Story, in 2000. Their orchestral, dark pop sound and dramatic live shows cemented The Dears at the foundation of the then-emerging Canadian indie renaissance...
, Destroyer
Destroyer (band)
Destroyer is a Canadian indie pop band fronted by singer-songwriter Dan Bejar.- Overview :Daniel Bejar is an independent pop singer-songwriter from Vancouver who formed Destroyer in 1995. He self-produced his first album, the lo-fi We'll Build Them a Golden Bridge, which was recorded at his in...
, Apostle of Hustle
Apostle of Hustle
Apostle of Hustle is a Canadian indie rock group, formed in 2001 by Andrew Whiteman.-History:The band is more or less the brainchild of Andrew Whiteman, who has been in such groups as Bourbon Tabernacle Choir and Que Vida. He released a solo effort titled Fear of Zen in 1995. He is also the lead...
, Sunset Rubdown
Sunset Rubdown
Sunset Rubdown is an art rock band from Montreal, Canada. The band began as a solo project for Spencer Krug of Wolf Parade, who released his debut, Snake's Got a Leg, in early 2005...
, Elliott Brood
Elliott Brood
Elliott BROOD is a three-piece, alt-country band from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, consisting of Mark Sasso on lead vocals, guitar, banjo, ukulele, and harmonica, Casey Laforet on guitar, backing vocals, bass pedals, keys and ukulele and Stephen Pitkin on percussion, sampler and backing vocals...
, P:ano
P:ano
P:ano was a Canadian indie pop band formed in 1999 from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The band's members consisted of Larissa Loyva, Justin Kellam, Julia Chirka, and Nick Krgovich...
, and Rock Plaza Central
Rock Plaza Central
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...
. Other acts they played alongside include The Dirty Projectors, City and Colour
City and Colour
City and Colour is the recording alias for Juno Award-winning Canadian singer-songwriter Dallas Green, who was also the guitarist and vocalist of the post-hardcore band Alexisonfire. He plays melodic acoustic and folk music and is often accompanied by a rotating number of Canadian indie rock...
, and Grizzly Bear (band)
Grizzly Bear (band)
Grizzly Bear is a Brooklyn-based indie rock band, composed of Edward Droste , Daniel Rossen , Chris Taylor and Christopher Bear . The band employs traditional and electronic instruments...
.
As The Poets Affirm disbanded in 2007 after a summer of playing Ottawa's Bluesfest, and recording their final album at Little Bullhorn Studios. The final album is yet to be officially released. Half of the band's final lineup are now in Videotape (band)
Videotape (band)
Videotape is the three-piece pop project of Adam Saikaley, Nathan Gara and Ryan Patterson. Originally from Ottawa , the group formed after the breakup of their last project in late 2007....
.
Their full catalog is available through Zunior, an online record label run by Dave Ullrich
Dave Ullrich
Dave Ullrich is a Canadian musician and entrepreneur.He was the drummer of the band The Inbreds in the 1990s. Following the band's breakup, he formed the independent record label Zunior Records, Canada's first online-only label. "Zunior" is Ullrich's childhood nickname.In 2005, Ullrich started a...
of The Inbreds
The Inbreds
The Inbreds were a Canadian indie rock band formed in 1992. Originally from Kingston, Ontario, Canada the band relocated to Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1996. Three of the four albums released during the band's existence reached number one on the Canadian national university charts, and the band...
.
Discography
- I Want to Tell My Heart to You, But I Cannot Say English (January 2004)
- The Jaws that Bite, The Claws that Catch (November 2004)
- Awake (November 2006)
Members
- Gary Udle - Acoustic and Electric Guitar, Vocals
- Nathan Gara - Drums
- Ryan Patterson - Electric Guitar, Pocket Trumpet, Vocals
- Adam Saikaley - Moog, Organ, Vocals
- Alex Cairncross - Bass Guitar, Vocals
- Cindy Olberg - Cello
Former members
- Kina De Grasse - Cello, Rhodes, Vocals
- Ben Belanger - Electric Guitar, Rhodes, Synth, Trumpet, Vocals
- Ryan Griffin - Bass
- Renee Leduc - Violin