ohbijou
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ohbijou

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General Info

  • Genre: Folk Rock / Indie / Pop

    Location Toronto, Ca

    Profile Views: 467060

    Last Login: 5/28/2012

    Member Since 10/12/2005

    Website www.ohbijou.com

    Record Label Last Gang (North America) Bella Union (Europe)

    Type of Label Indie

  • Bio

    In September, 2011, Ohbijou return with their third album: Metal Meets. To be released in North America by Last Gang (Metric, Crystal Castles, New Pornographers), Metal Meets is the band's most mature and creative offering. Recorded by acclaimed producer, Jace Lasek (also of Besnard Lakes fame) in Montreal's Breakglass Studios, Ohbijou presents an album that cements their status as one of the most important bands at work in Canada. Ohbijou is renowned for their devotion to the city in which they live. Their lyrics and sounds have always paid homage to Toronto. Metal Meets, however, was crafted during retreats out of their city's confines. This album is inspired by ventures to cabins in the woods, travel across Asia, Europe and North America (as they headlined tours), and lyrical reflections on familial bloodlines that move across borders. Taking inspiration from territories traversed outside of familiar realms was invaluable. Ohbijou has produced their most thoughtful and experimental record. In Metal Meets listeners will hear the band struggle to realign their sound, using delays, distortions and reverbs to capture a more pensive and experimental relationship to music. This is an album that will draw new audiences while expressing commitment to devoted fans. Conceptually, Metal Meets draws on sites populated by rumbling volcanoes, deep lakes and haunted waterfalls, metals torn from damp earth, and dark desires usually uncommitted to words (Mecija sings, for example: "A parsing of this blood to find myself in you"). This is a poetic offering. The band retreated from the familiar in order to test the limits of their craft and attend to detail in a way they had not before. As a result, each song on the album is housed in a matrix of experimental effects and timbres. Listeners and audiences will feel Ohbijou come of age with this album, and their adulthood is more precocious and imaginative than their youth. Casey Mecija, her sister Jenny Mecija, James Bunton, Ryan Carley, Anissa Hart and Heather Kirby demonstrate a relationship to each other and their instruments that is emotive and zealous. The band's familial-like structure and unwavering support for each other is evident. Casey Mecija is a practitioner of love songs. Here, her audience is privy to a moody, more experimental lyricism and her words bespeak a passionate, rebellious desire. While producing a more complex sound, these songs remain hopeful, at moments pop-infused, and always melodic. Mecija's vocals are layered atop her band's skilled instrumentation. Each band member meticulously conditions the album's narratives with haunting arrangements. Unique to this album are song-writing contributions from Jennifer and Ryan. This is a resonant and infectious offering, guaranteed to satisfy the appetite of critics and audiences anxious for the band's return. ~ written by Hannah Dyer
  • Members

    Casey Mecija, Jennifer Mecija, James Bunton, Ryan Carley, Heather Kirby, Anissa Hart MANAGEMENT: Remi Arora.. management@ohbijou.com BOOKING: Steven Himmelfarb (Canada) Himmelfarb@Billions.com James Alderman (UK/EU) jamesa@freetradeagency.co.uk Bob Van Heur (BeNeLux) bob@belmontbookings.nl PUBLICITY: US: Jolyn Matsumuro jolyn@brookescompany.com Canada: Joanne Setterington joanne@indoorrecess.com
  • Influences

  • Sounds Like

Comments

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  • Lonely Vagabond

    In Exclaim, "From the first reverb-laden guitar note on "Niagara," it's apparent that Ohbijou have created something very special. Casey Mecija's airy, angelic voice carries the 11 songs, with pounding percussion ("Sligo"), soaring orchestration ("Balikbayan") and dreamy melodies ("Obsidian") differentiating one song from the next. The album peaks on "Turquoise Lake," a track that typifies the maturation of the band. A slow beat and Mecija's moving voice take a slow waltz as whirling delay effects and a calming bass line fill the background, then the tempo changes as a completely new melody takes over; it's a wholly brilliant song"

    1 year ago
  • Lonely Vagabond

    Wonderful CD review in Now, "Opening track Niagara sets the tone. The rhythm section is lean and thunderous, perfectly arranged strings and piano add clouds of suspense, while Mecija’s voice soars above it all like a sparrow taking flight. It’s a wonderful balance of loud and quiet, dark and light, dense and clear that continues through the 11th track"

    1 year ago
  • Lonely Vagabond

    In Now Magazine, "n a review of Ohbijou’s last album, I lamented the fact that Casey Mecija seemed to hold back when delivering her delicate vocals and yearning lyrics. But that’s not a problem on the Toronto orchestral-pop band’s third album, a sonically bold effort that sees their dynamism shoot through the roof while keeping intact their trademark hushed ambience"

    1 year ago
  • Weathered Pines

    We're very excited to play with you on the 11th!!! Hope all is well.

    Love, Marissa

    2 years ago
  • Dean Parker

    such a breath of fresh air.

    2 years ago
  • Dean Blondeau

    Hey! I was swimming with you at river and sky! Amazing fun weekend, I can't wait till your all back here in Toronto!

    2 years ago
  • oak

    ♥²

    2 years ago
  • This Great White North

    Just a reminder to listen to CASEY MECIJA(FROM OHBIJOU) on THIS GREAT WHITE NORTH. It's an ALL CANADIAN music show FRIDAYS 4:30-6pm CST on 91.7 KOOP FM in Austin, Texas. You can listen online at www.KOOP.org.

     

    Cheers!

    Doug The Canuck

    2 years ago
  • Glass Ankle

    We love you and your music. Glass Ankle.

    2 years ago
  • Benedict Beattie

    Your music is seriously awesome!! Have a most triumphant tour in China!

    2 years ago

The 411

Members:

Casey Mecija, Jennifer Mecija, James Bunton, Ryan Carley, Heather Kirby, Anissa Hart

Download Swift Feet For Troubling Times Digitally:






MANAGEMENT:
Remi Arora
management@ohbijou.com

BOOKING:
Steven Himmelfarb (Canada)
Himmelfarb@Billions.com

James Alderman (UK/EU)
jamesa@freetradeagency.co.uk

Bob Van Heur (BeNeLux)
bob@belmontbookings.nl

PUBLICITY:
US: Jolyn Matsumuro
jolyn@brookescompany.com

Canada: Joanne Setterington
joanne@indoorrecess.com

Influences:

Appy woods

Sounds Like:

music

Record Label:

Last Gang (North America) Bella Union (Europe)

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