Wolf Parade

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Wolf Parade
Wolf Parade at the Theater of the Living Arts in Philadelphia on August 20, 2007.
Background information
Origin	Montreal, Québec, Canada
Genre(s)	Indie rock Indie pop
Years active	2003 – present
Label(s)	Sub Pop
Associated acts	Sunset Rubdown Atlas Strategic Handsome Furs Swan Lake Frog Eyes Johnny and the Moon Hot Hot Heat Fifths of Seven
Website	Official site Official MySpace page
Members
Spencer Krug Dan Boeckner Arlen Thompson Hadji Bakara Dante DeCaro

Wolf Parade is an indie rock band from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, now based in Montreal, Quebec.

Contents 1 Overview 2 2008: At Mount Zoomer 3 Personnel 4 Discography 4.1 Albums 4.2 EPs 5 Associated acts 6 Trivia 7 See also 8 References 9 External links

[edit] Overview

Wolf Parade began when former Frog Eyes member Spencer Krug was offered a gig supporting Arcade Fire’s Us Kids Know tour. With only a 3-week deadline to form a band and record enough songs to support a tour, Krug contacted a fellow Canadian guitarist Dan Boeckner (formerly of British Columbia band Atlas Strategic) and began writing songs in Krug's apartment.^[1] Initially using a drum machine for their rhythm section played through computer speakers, Krug later invited Arlen Thompson to the lineup as the drummer;^[2] however, the newly formed trio rehearsed as a full band only the day before their first show.^[2] During the tour, Wolf Parade recorded and released their self-titled debut EP (referred to as the 4 Song EP) in 2003.

In 2004, Hadji Bakara joined Wolf Parade, contributing his synthesizer and sound manipulation skills to the lineup.^[1] Within the year, the band released its second independent, self-titled EP, commonly referred to as the 6 Song EP.

Dante DeCaro (formerly of Hot Hot Heat) joined in 2005 as a second guitarist and percussionist.^[1] Wolf Parade was signed to Sub Pop Records by Isaac Brock of Modest Mouse. On its new record label, the band released its first widely-distributed EP, Wolf Parade, in July 2005.

In September 2005, the band's debut album Apologies to the Queen Mary was released on Sub Pop Records to critical acclaim, earning a 2006 Polaris Music Prize nomination. ^[3]

[edit] 2008: At Mount Zoomer

In a March 12, 2007 Pitchfork interview, Dan Boeckner said of the next Wolf Parade album, "If everything goes according to plan... I'd like to be finished with this record by May."^[4] In August 2007, the band began playing songs from the upcoming album, speculatively named Pardon My Blues. In advance of the album's release, setlists contained song names such as "Crazy Horse", "Fine Young Cannibals", "Language City", "Chinese Way", "Soldiers", "Stevie", and "Billy J".^[5] In a Blender interview, Boeckner stated, "There's a more Marxist collective-style collaboration on Pardon My Blues...the weeks of isolation have made Wolf Parade like a man who lives in a cabin in the woods penning letters to God with dirt and tree sap..."Crazy Horse" is like a 12 minute song that sounds vaguely like Slayer."^[6]

In March 2008, the band released a statement to an unofficial fan site: "The record is done and will be officially released in June. It will have 9 songs, some short and some long. Everyone in the band is really happy with it and they will start touring in July."^[7]

On March 31, 2008, Pitchfork revealed that the album's title was originally going to be Kissing The Beehive, and that it would be released in North America on June 17, 2008.^[8] On April 11, 2008, Billboard magazine reported that the title may be a possible copyright infringement, as it is already the title of a book by author Jonathon Carroll. The following track listing was provided:

• "Soldier's Grin"
• "Call It a Ritual"
• "Language City"
• "Bang Your Drum"
• "California Dreamer"
• "The Grey Estates"
• "Fine Young Cannibals"
• "An Animal in Your Care"
• "Kissing the Beehive"^[9]

On April 9, 2008, the album was described on the Sub Pop website: "The legion of bearded, sweater-vested critics will want to file this album under 'Prog Rock' because it doesn’t offer up sugary cast-offs for the short-attention-span set, but no one ever danced to The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. It might instead be this generation's Marquee Moon, or an indie rock Chinese Democracy released forty years early and sixty million dollars under budget (and without cornrows, to boot). Better, though, to think of it as the sound of a band edging forward into a wispy darkness, one hand reaching out, the other firmly clutching the past."^{[10][dead link]}

On April 28, 2008, Pitchfork reported that the album's title had been changed to At Mount Zoomer, a reference to the band's recording studio.^[11]

[edit] Personnel

• Dan Boeckner: vocals, guitar
• Spencer Krug: vocals, keyboards, guitar
• Arlen Thompson: drums
• Hadji Bakara: sound manipulation, keyboards
• Dante DeCaro: guitar, percussion

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums

Apologies to the Queen Mary (2005) Sub Pop

At Mount Zoomer (2008) Sub Pop

[edit] EPs

Wolf Parade (4 Song EP) (2003) Self-Released

Wolf Parade (6 Song EP) (2004) Self-Released

Wolf Parade (2005 EP) (2005) Sub Pop

[edit] Associated acts

• Spencer Krug is currently heading a side project called Sunset Rubdown. Other bands Krug has belonged to include Frog Eyes, Fifths of Seven, and Swan Lake.
• Dan Boeckner also is performing in a side project, called Handsome Furs. Before joining Wolf Parade, Boeckner played in Atlas Strategic.
• Dante DeCaro is currently fronting a side project called Johnny and the Moon. Prior to Wolf Parade, DeCaro played in Hot Hot Heat.
• Arlen Thompson played drums on the Arcade Fire song "Wake Up".
• Hadji Bakara is a member of the dance DJ crew Megasoid, along with Sixtoo and Subtitle (Giovanni Marks).

[edit] Trivia

Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines. The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.

• In a BBC Radio 1 interview with Jo Whiley in July 2006, Lost star Jorge Garcia confessed to having a mild fascination with the band. He was introduced to them by several other cast members and listened extensively in between scenes.
• Dan Boeckner contributed a t-shirt design to the Yellow Bird Project, a Montreal based non-profit initiative.

[edit] See also

• List of bands from British Columbia
• List of bands from Canada

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Jeremy Brendan: Wolf Parade Interview
• Cokemachineglow.com substantial interview with Wolf Parade.
• Pitchfork Interview
• Hyden W. Grossman: Interview with Spencer Krug
• Pitchfork Media: The New Wolf Parade Album Title Is Terrible, March 31st 2008

v • d • e Wolf Parade Spencer Krug | Dan Boeckner | Arlen Thompson | Hadji Bakara | Dante DeCaro Albums: Apologies to the Queen Mary | At Mount Zoomer EPs: Wolf Parade (4 songs) | Wolf Parade (6 songs) | Wolf Parade See also: Sunset Rubdown | Handsome Furs | Swan Lake | Johnny and the Moon | Atlas Strategic | Hot Hot Heat | Frog Eyes | Fifths of Seven