To the uninitiated, Entire Cities might seem to
have a personality disorder. From gratuitously confusing time signatures
to delightfully simple hooks, from meticulous choral and instrumental
arrangements to their glorious train wreck of a live show, the
Toronto-based collective have been refusing to be pigeon-holed since
2006, garnering critical praise and a devout fan following along the
way.
Their debut album Deep River has been hailed as one of the
2008's best. It became one of college radio's highest-charting
independent releases of the year, appearing regularly on critics' 'Best
Of' lists. Recorded with Dale Morningstar (Gord Downie, Great Lake
Swimmers, Godspeed) over only a few days in the summer of 2007, the
album features a collection of revivalist barn-burners, soulful ballads
and psychedelic cow-punk.
Entire Cities, led by Simon Borer, is
as much about their message as their sound. Critics have quickly picked
up on his deeply poetic lyrics amidst the raucously ragged music.
Borer's songwriting is "meticulous and raw,"* at turns plain-spoken and
hallucinatory. Whether he is crafting a clever dialogue on the
negotiations of love, an ode to the limits of language, or plainly
recounting the madnesses of rural poverty, Borer manages to marry the
delicate craft of his words with his unique musical sensibilities.
While it might be difficult to categorize at first listen, Borer traces
his approach to a generation of songwriters like The Rolling Stones and
the Velvet Underground, for whom genres and conventions were stops on
the roadside: places to be frequented, gleefully explored, and pissed on
when necessary.
At its core, Entire Cities is Borer (guitar,
vocals), Tamara Lindeman (banjo, keys, vocals), Ruhee Dewji (flute, sax,
vocals), David Missio (guitar, harmonica), Paul Sorenson (bass) and
Andrew Bartle (drums), but a steady stream of collaborators in the form
of artists, musicians and filmmakers have consistently spurred the
band’s ever-evolving approach. Entire Cities have toured extensively
throughout Ontario, Quebec and all along the East Coast with the likes
of the Rural Alberta Advantage and Rock Plaza Central, and have shared
stages with The Mahones, the Retribution Gospel Choir, We Are
Scientists, The Bicycles, Anathallo and Laura Barrett. Along the way,
they've been featured in Exclaim!, the National Post, ChartAttack, the
New Pollution, the Kingston Whig-Standard and countless blogs.
Entire
Cities are busy recording their next full-length album, set to be
released in late 2010, highlighting their unique take on traditional
country and fiery rock and roll. Recently named one of Chart Attack's
top ten NXNE live acts, and hailed as a highlight of Halifax Pop
Explosion by Exclaim Magazine, this summer will see them burning through
festival dates, an extensive tour, and even the wedding of two
long-time fans.
*Laura Kenin, The Coast Halifax, June 19, 2008