The New Pornographers
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| The New Pornographers | |
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 Left to right: Blaine Thurier, Todd Fancey, Neko Case, Carl Newman, Kurt Dahle, Kathryn Calder, John Collins
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada |
| Genre(s) | Alternative rock Indie rock Power pop Art rock Jangle pop |
| Years active | 1997–present |
| Label(s) | Matador, Mint, Last Gang |
| Website | www.thenewpornographers.com |
| Members | |
| Dan Bejar Kathryn Calder Neko Case John Collins Kurt Dahle Todd Fancey Carl Newman Blaine Thurier |
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The New Pornographers is a Canadian/American indie rock supergroup formed in 1997 in Vancouver, British Columbia. Their music is often described as power pop, with several critics likening their sound to that of Cheap Trick.[1]
Carl Newman, who writes most of the band's material, has said, "When I seriously started to try to write songs, my main influences were, like, Burt Bacharach, Jimmy Webb, and Brian Wilson. Those were the guys I kinda looked at their music and went, 'What the hell are they doing here?' I was just fascinated by the structures and the harmonics."[2] Many of Newman's own songs have a similar harmonic complexity.[3][4] For instance, the titular songs of the band's first two albums use at least six distinct major chords each, suggesting two or three different keys.[5][6] The melody of the second of those songs, "The Electric Version", begins with an arpeggiated diminished triad—a rare opening flourish for a pop song.
The band's first three albums each ranked in the top 40 on The Village Voice's Pazz & Jop year-end poll of hundreds of music reviewers. From 2000 to 2006, either a New Pornographers' album or a solo album from one of the band's members ranked in the top 40 on the list each year.[7] In 2007, Blender magazine ranked The New Pornographers' first album, Mass Romantic, the 24th best indie album of all time. It is the second-highest Canadian album on the list, behind Arcade Fire's Funeral (which came in sixth).[8]
The name of the band was chosen by Newman, who has said that he came up with it after watching a Japanese film called The Pornographers.[9] Many critics, however, have assumed that the name was a reference to Jimmy Swaggart's reputed claim that rock and roll was "the new pornography."[10]
The band has released four albums to date: Mass Romantic (2000), Electric Version (2003), Twin Cinema (2005), and Challengers (2007). A live album recorded on their 2006 tour is available only at concerts and on the band's website.
Contents |
[edit] Members
- Dan Bejar of Destroyer and Swan Lake
- Kathryn Calder of Immaculate Machine
- Neko Case, solo artist, also of Maow and Cub
- John Collins of The Evaporators
- Kurt Dahle of Limblifter and Age of Electric
- Todd Fancey, solo artist (as Fancey) and Limblifter
- Carl Newman, solo artist (as A.C. Newman), also of Superconductor and Zumpano
- Blaine Thurier, independent filmmaker.
[edit] Discography
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK[11] | US[12] | ||
| 2000 | Mass Romantic
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— | — |
| 2003 | Electric Version | — | — |
| 2005 | Twin Cinema | — | 44 |
| 2007 | Challengers | — | 34 |
[edit] Live albums
- Live Session (iTunes Exclusive) (2005)
- LIVE! (2006)
- LIVE from SoHo (iTunes Exclusive) (2008)
[edit] Singles
- "Letter from an Occupant" (2002, Europe)
- "Use It" (2005)
- "Sing Me Spanish Techno" (2005)
B-side: "Graceland" - "My Rights Versus Yours" (2007)
- "Myriad Harbour" (2007)
B-sides: "Fugue State"; "Silent Systems" - "The Spirit of Giving" (2007)
B-sides: "Joseph, Who Understood"; "Arms of Mary/Looking at a Baby" (Chilliwack cover medley)
[edit] Contributions
- Queer as Folk (2000) – "Mass Romantic"
- Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001) – "Letter from an Occupant"
- Men With Brooms (2002) – "Mass Romantic"
- FUBAR: The Album (2002) – "Your Daddy Don't Know"
- CBC Radio 3 Sessions, Vol. 1 (2004) – "The Fake Headlines"
- Matador at Fifteen (2004) – "Graceland"
- Prom Queen: The Marc Hall Story (2004) - "Mass Romantic"
- The Office Episode 13: "The Client" (2005) – "Use It"
- Weeds (2005) – "The Laws Have Changed"
- Waiting... (2005) – "Electric Version"
- The Hour Main title theme season 3 (2006) – "Use It"
- Chuck Season 1, episode 2 (2007) – "Challengers"
- Heroes Season 2, episode 6 (2007) – "All for Swinging You Around"
- Rock Band (2007) – "Electric Version", "Use It", "All of the Things That Go to Make Heaven and Earth" (DLC)
- Numb3rs (2008) – "Challengers"
- University of Phoenix television advertisement (2007) – "The Bleeding Heart Show"
- The Secret Diary of a Call Girl (2008) Series 2, episode 2 – "Adventures in Solitude"
- Gilmore Girls (2005) – "The Laws Have Changed"
- Ivy Tech Community College (2008) television advertisement – "The Laws Have Changed"[citation needed]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Articles excerpted on Matador Records biography
- ^ Coke Machine Glow interview
- ^ Canada Calling: A Talk with Carl Newman
- ^ New Musical Express review of Challengers
- ^ "Mass Romantic" chords
- ^ "The Electric Version" chords
- ^ Pazz & Jop awards from robertchristgau.com
- ^ 100 Greatest Indie-Rock Albums of all time, #30 - #21, from Blender.com
- ^ Handler, Shane (2005-11-01). "The New Pornographers: Canadian Blockbuster". Glide Magazine. http://www.glidemagazine.com/Articles/47784/The-New-Pornographers:-Canadian-Blockbuster.html. Retrieved on 2007-09-27.
- ^ New Pornographers bio from TrouserPress.com
- ^ Warwick, 2004. p.780
- ^ "New Pornographers > Charts & Awards". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&searchlink=NEW. Retrieved on 2008-06-09.
[edit] External links
- Official site
- Matador Records label website
- "Use It" artist commentary
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