Buy this track on iTunes ADD Add Favourite

artist Imaginary Cities

Winnipeg, MB, CANADA
Hidden Pony Records
plays
54,343
playlisted
2,019
liked
500

biographical info


Western Canadian band Imaginary Cities’ debut disc Temporary Resident is so fully realized that it’s surprising to learn that happenstance first brought primary songwriters Marti Sarbit and Rusty Matyas together in Winnipeg’s small but fertile music scene.

It was Marti Sarbit’s voice that immediately captured multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Rusty Matyas’s attention at the Cavern, a Winnipeg bar where Sarbit was fronting a Motown cover band and Matyas had come to mix the sound. Matyas, a major label veteran via his band The Waking Eyes and a touring member of Canadian indie rock stalwarts The Weakerthans, knew he wanted to write something for -- or with -- this innately gifted young singer if only to commit her voice to tape and hear what the results might be. The instantly compelling “Say You” was the song they soon whipped up, and one quick listen to what is now Imaginary Cities’ dramatic album opener clearly demonstrates what caught Matyas’s ear – and what subsequently propelled the duo to the top of Canada’s college charts and year-end best-of lists.

Though Canadian critics often emphasis the soul-music aspect of the duo, Imaginary Cities utilizes a mixture of musical flavors for a more expansive, often stirring, pop-rock palate, as in the albums’ title track “Temporary Resident”, or others such as “Don’t Cry,” or “Hummingbird”. They also take an amusing left turn with “Manitoba Bossa Nova,” which sounds just like the title suggests.

Throughout 2011, Imaginary Cities’ debut has gradually been released in various territories outside of Canada, including Europe and Australia, where they toured last year, backed by a band they’d assembled with other Winnipeg-based musician friends. Their reputation grew quickly, appearing in the North by Northeast music festival, winning a Western Canada Music Award for best pop album of the year and were long-listed for the Polaris Prize. They have snagged opening spots with groups like Ra Ra Riot and Besnard Lakes. Most impressively they were invited to join the Pixies on the entire run of their North American tour last year.

In a little over a year, Rusty and Marti have evolved from strangers, to a pair of musical allies tinkering in the studio to part of a permanent five-piece band preparing for the U.S release of Temporary resident and subsequent tour dates. Imaginary Cities is proof that sometimes the best creative partnerships are simply destined to be. 

 

Temporary Resident
Label Hidden Pony Records
Released February, 2011
Temporary Resident
Hummingbird EP
Label Hidden Pony Records
Released October, 2010
Hummingbird EP

Imaginary Cities US Tour Blog on Property of Zack

posted by Imaginary Cities   
Now YOU can follow Imaginary Cities on the road! Keep up to date with Marti's tour blog here: http://bit.ly/JLykIr
posted by Imaginary Cities   

earlier posts

Imaginary Cities US Tour Blog on Property of Zack

posted by Imaginary Cities on May 23, 2012  

US TOUR ON NOW!

posted by Imaginary Cities on May 16, 2012  

Winnipeg Jazz Fest Tickets Now Available

posted by Imaginary Cities on May 02, 2012  

Imaginary Cities at Winnipeg Jazz Fest 2012!

posted by Imaginary Cities on Apr 13, 2012  

It's our official EP release day in the US!

posted by Imaginary Cities on Jan 24, 2012  

New Music Video and US only EP!

posted by Imaginary Cities on Jan 20, 2012  

Imaginary Cities European Tour 2012

posted by Imaginary Cities on Nov 29, 2011  

Thees Uhlmann about tour, Canada, us and our song Hummingbird

posted by Imaginary Cities on Oct 19, 2011  

North american Tour 2011

posted by Imaginary Cities on Sep 06, 2011  

It's our official Australian release day!

posted by Imaginary Cities on Aug 05, 2011  

Temporary Resident out on Vinyl!

posted by Imaginary Cities on Jul 28, 2011  

Imaginary Cities Australian Tour 2011

posted by Imaginary Cities on Jul 04, 2011  

Imaginary Cities naminated for the 2011 Polaris Prize

posted by Imaginary Cities on Jun 16, 2011  

A recap on the year

posted by Imaginary Cities on Mar 23, 2011  

Four for Twenty!!!

posted by Imaginary Cities on Nov 23, 2010  

Imaginary Cities European Tour 2011 (incl. Dates with GREG MACPHERSON!)

posted by Imaginary Cities on Nov 18, 2010  

We Are Opening for The Weakerthans!!!

posted by Imaginary Cities on Nov 09, 2010  

New Eastern Canada Tour Dates!!!

posted by Imaginary Cities on Nov 09, 2010  

Hummingbird Ep Out Now!

posted by Imaginary Cities on Oct 26, 2010  

Pre-Order Imaginary Cities' "Hummingbird" EP on VINYL!!!

posted by Imaginary Cities on Oct 07, 2010  

On Tour!

posted by Imaginary Cities on Sep 29, 2010  

New Tracks and POP Montreal!

posted by Imaginary Cities on Sep 27, 2010  

New Tracks Available!

posted by Imaginary Cities on Aug 20, 2010  

Trackin

posted by Imaginary Cities on Apr 08, 2010  

upcoming shows

May 25 San Antonio White Rabbit
May 26 Dallas The Door
May 28 Downtown Music Hall
May 29 Outland Ballroom
May 30 The Waiting Room
Jun 01 Columbia The Blue Note
Jun 02 Iowa City Blue Moose Tap House
Jun 04 Minneapolis The Triple Rock Social Club
Jun 05 Milwaukee Turner Hall Ballroom
Jun 06 Indianapolis Deluxe
Jun 07 20th Century Theatre
Jun 08 The Lost at Harlem Urban Lounge
Jun 09 Toronto The Mod Club
Jun 11 Rochester Water Street Music Hall (w/ Chamberlin)
Jun 12 Burlington Higher Ground
Jun 13 Northampton Pearl ST. Nightclub
Jun 14 Pawtucket The Met
Jun 15 Hoboken Maxwell's
Jun 16 Asbury Park The Stone Pony

Video

Imaginary Cities, Say You 4:21

Imaginary Cities, Say You

Live from the Royal Albert Arms Hotel in Winnipeg, MB.

Imaginary Cities Promo Video! 4:29

Imaginary Cities Promo Video!

Check out our new Promotional Video, featuring interviews with Marti and Rusty, plus, footage of them playing outside in Winnipeg on a beautiful afternoon!

Imaginary Cities, Hummingbird 3:41
Imaginary Cities,feat. Alexa Dirks, Ride This Out, Live at The Burton C Theatre 2:50
Imaginary Cities, That's Where It's At Sam, Live at The Burton C Theatre Winnipeg 3:50
Imaginary Cities, Ride This Out 2:51

Imaginary Cities, Ride This Out

Imaginary Cities music video for their song Ride This Out. Directed by Jeremy Fisher www.imaginarycities.ca

Imaginary Cities, Hummingbird, Music Video 3:57

Imaginary Cities, Hummingbird, Music Video

New Imaginary Cities video for the song Hummingbird. Made by Crush media.

Imaginary Cities, Calm Before the Storm 4:18
where to buy

Live Radio

Genre Streams

Login required

Oops - you have to be logged in to add to My Saved Items.


Don't have a CBC Music account?
Join Now for free