Chris Bell was a founding member of Sonic Unyon alumni, Chore. While Chore were active, he penned two of the bands most requested songs, ³General Warning² and ³Aloha², both of which were also made into videos that were seen on Much Music frequently. The spot for ³General Warning² was even voted onto a ³best of 1999² list by the producers of Much Music¹s token underground music show, The Wedge. In that same year, Chris recorded alternate, more acoustic based, versions of each song along with a handful of other tunes that he didn¹t feel would fit in with Chore¹s muscular approach to musical execution. These recordings begat his mostly self-performed and produced solo record, ³Time Between Failures² and also planted the seeds for the group that would he would form, subsequent to Chore¹s amicable demise, Alive and Living. Once Chore did throw in the towel in the Spring of 2004, Chris had plenty of new songs in his head and got right to work on solidifying a lineup and has since done so, tenfold. Featuring 4 other freakishly talented young Hamilton musicians, (Erin Aurich ­ violin/vocals, Jackson Hudecki ­ drums, Adam Constantini ­ bass and Kate Davies - Keys/vocals), the band now has it¹s first recorded group effort in the can, a six song EP entitled ³PLO². Chris is fully embracing his folky side with this project. ŒOut¹ are the walls of distorted guitar and Bonham-like bombast on the drums and Œin¹ are the gently plucked guitar parts, violin and piano voicings, and a more tastefully restrained rhythm section. Some may recognize Erin Aurich¹s name as she was a member of ŒA Northern Chorus¹ long enough to be heard on their debut record, ³Before We All Fall to Pieces.² Jackson and Adam are the ³young tykes² of the band, both were fans of Chore and were thrilled with the chance to work with Bell. Kate brings a formally trained set of hands and ears to the mix as well as a beautiful voice that harmonizes seamlessly with Chris. While Bell lays the foundation for the songs, the band arranges the work together, creating an overall sound that is truly their own. One part country, one part pop, with a slick yet slight layer of progressive psychedelia on top that makes the music shine in it¹s own ethereally exciting way. The band has already completed one tour of Atlantic Canada, and gigged extensively throughout the region of Southern Ontario with such contemporaries as Wintersleep, Cuff the Duke, Julie Doiron, and the Two Minute Miracles. They are already enjoying fan support from not only those who were sad to see Chore go but also an entirely different demographic of music lover who might have run quickly out of Chore gigs with fingers in ears.

Comments                                                Add new Comment   View All