Montreal's Local Rabbits always tried as hard as they could to please themselves and others by making challenging and sophisticated music that was also entertaining. Before disbanding, they carved a die-hard cult fanbase for themselves in Canada by consistently serving up original music and touring heavily with their revered live show.
The Rabbit's first full length release on Murederecords/Universal - You Can't Touch This (1996) was a decidedly rough and ready rock and roll album recorded almost entirely off-the-floor with the help of Sloan's Jay Ferguson. The tours following (with Superfriendz, Inbreds, Thrush Hermit, Kelly Deal 6000), as well as the critical praise generated by this release put the band on the map in Canada. The band released videos for "Sally Ann's Style Denial" and "61 Days" in support of that album.
Their second Murderecords release, 1998's Basic Concept , decorated with strings, horns and piano, was a stylistic departure from their debut, and it showcased the evolved musical and lyrical ability of the group. Fans and critics adjusted nicely to the changes, and Local Rabbits had a chance to show their stuff on the western half of the 1998 Edgefest tour and on a Canadian tour with longtime fans and supporters The Rheostatics. That summer even saw them playing theToronto, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, and Denver dates of Lilith Fair, backing up Country singer Neko Case who hand picked them for the job. Basic Concept, like their previous release, charted high on the college radio charts, and is (or has been) strongly supported by shows such as Nightlines, Brave New Waves, and Radio Sonic on the CBC. The Rabbits, in fact, have performed many recording sessions for the station over the years. They, and their video for "Something So Big" has appeared on Much Music, Musique Plus , YTV, Mike Bullard, and the Tom Green Show.
After that , Local Rabbits toured across Canada twice, once on the "Frontman War" tour with The Flashing Lights. They also supported Sloan on a tour of the American Northeast, participated in Austin's SXSE 2000, and supported and backed up rapper Maestro at a Canadian Heritage gig for International Music Day in Toronto. Local Rabbits released their final album entitled This Is It Here We Go: the most consistent batch of songs that the group has put forth to date. It combines both the raw energy of You Can't Touch This and the ambition of Basic Concept while boasting a new solidity that was absent from earlier recordings. Local Rabbits have coated their adventurous lyrical and musical approach with a tighter, more contemporary and rhythm-heavy production style courtesy of Don Kerr (Ron Sexsmith, Rheostatics). Both modern and classic elements of Rock and R&B are brought together here in an album that can only have been made by people who love music as much as Local Rabbits. It is available at www.zunior.com.