If you’re one of the near 40,000 viewers who caught Da Gryptions first single, “The Bixi Anthem” on YouTube or bought it off iTunes you’re already well ahead of the curve. Da Gryptions, formed over carpooling together to play hockey are most notably, a collective of some of Canada’s indie-rock mainstays, expressing themselves in their hip hop alter egos.
They are; rapper Dark Science (Patrick Guay, online marketing guru at Montreal-based Sweetytruck), crooner Apsobibi (Evan Cranley of Stars), beat-master Ripples (Stephen Ramsay from Young Galaxy), and Future Shark (Trevor Barnes, a Montreal bar owner), with production from Weirdo Beardo (Liam O’Neil formerly of The Stills).
With an oddball hilarity that would definitely be at home as an SNL digital short, “The Bixi Anthem” was an instant local hit, attracted national media coverage and big views to their slickly produced video (by Darren Curtis) which featured the Da Gryptions crew decked out in vintage Expos gear riding their rented bikes around downtown Montreal, extolling the virtues of reducing their carbon footprint. The Montreal Gazette voted it #4 song in their year-end wrap up, and it was touted as ‘Montreal’s Song of the Summer’ by Canada.com.
Da Gryptions latest single was produced by Xxxtreme Catcher (Andrew Whiteman of Broken Social Scene, Apostle of Hustle, aROARa), the accompanying video, as equally as entertaining as Bixi was just posted in time for St. Jean Baptiste last week with an eye to Canada Day festivities at the end of this week. It’s called, “It’s BBQ Time”
In keeping with its Bixi brethren, the rhyme is in English with Quebecois flourishes and features a gang chorus of shout outs to various beer brands and careful consideration to only the best BBQ cuts from local butcher, Vito’s. “It’s BBQ Time” is also available as a track to purchase only at iTunes.
Da Gryptions have seen video play at Musiqueplus, and radio play at CBC and as a band, played Osheaga last year. With an album in the works for sometime next year, and future track considerations being ‘J'Imagine’ about the 1967-76 golden era in Montreal and a song about the city's Metro system, Da Gryptions just want us for now, to kick back, fire up the ‘que and embrace another summertime song, “It’s BBQ Time.”