Ray Down, Kayoko Takahashi, David Milke, Jon Schubert, Tony Koelwyn, Steve Barmash
Influences
Air, The Cars, The Flying Burrito Brothers , Os Mutantes , The Sadies, Teenage Fanclub, White Noise, Steve Miller, The Who, Comus, Television, The Ramones, Cole Porter, The Buzzcocks, Daniel Johnston, Daft Punk, The Zombies, The Pretty Things, Gnarls Barkley, Television, AC/DC, Arcade Fire, The Shins, Slade, Blowfly, The Beatles, Nico, Lee Hazelwood, Nancy Sinatra, Ween, Johnny Cash, Wesley Willis, Stereo Total, The Kinks, The Clash, Spirogyra, Ladybug Transistor, The Velvet Underground, Shuggie Otis, Black Sabbath, Wlico, The Funk Brothers, 13th Floor Elevators, Warren Zevon,
James Brown, Sweet, Ennio Morricone, The Strokes, Nina Simone, Black Moth Super Rainbow, Roxy Music, Abba, The Soft Machine, Frank Zappa & The Mothers Of Invention, Lily Allen, Bruce Haack, Residents, The Supremes, Tomita, The Bonzo Dog Band, Brian Wilson, Yoko Ono, Simply Saucer, The White Stripes, Sonic Youth, Takako Minekawa, Beck, Syd Barrett, The Future Sound Of London, My Bloody Valentine, The New Pornographers, Devo, The Grapes Of Wrath, Manu Chao, Belle and Sebastion, Sloan, The Specials, Blondie, MGMT, XTC, M.I.A., E.L.O., C.C.R., Y.M.O., Ozzy, Pink Fairies, Simon and Garfunkle, Aphex Twin, Neil Young, The Flaming Lips, Dayglo Abortions, The Silver Apples, Yes, Joy Division, Kraftwerk, Cibo Matto, Neil Diamond, Marvin Gaye, Tom Waits, Marshall Mathers, Guns N' Roses, The Animals, Shel Silverstein, The Byrds, William Shatner, Buffalo Daughter, Leonard Cohen, Dick Dale, The Beach Boys, Cornelius, Stereolab, Captain Beefheart, William S. Burroughs, David Bowie, Willie Nelson, Spinal Tap, Cat Stevens, Cat Power, Led Zeppelin, Slayer, America, T.Rex, Alice Cooper, Roy Harper ,The list goes on...
I put a spell on you was the cry at the birth of rock and roll, and generations of musicians since, from ABBA to Zappa, have captured this lightning in the bottle. At the end of this lineage stands The Strange Magic , a collective of Vancouver's finest practitioners of psychedelic pop music. The group was founded by a trio of members from Vancouver's elusive underground dwellers The R.A.D.I.O., Ray Down , Kayoko Takahashi and David Milke in 2007, soon joined by the rock solid cast of Jon Schubert (Panurge) and Tony Koelwyn (The Awkward Stage) and Steve Barmash. Strange Magic made it's debut appearance on the foreign shores of Japan in the fall of 2007, playing to enthusiastic crowds in Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto.
Back in Canada, the group played the Young & Sexy (Mint Records) C.D. release show at The Biltmore in 2008 and signed with Northern Electric Records in 2009 after putting the finishing touches on its debut release,
'Songs 2 Burn', an E.P. set for release in spring 2009 was produced by Kurt Dahle and Todd Simko with Kurt starring on drums and both on the Bass guitar. Expect live showcases throughout the spring and summer 2009 in Vancouver and beyond, as the band delivers its patented brand of infectious hooks, futurist soundscapes and dead-poet's-society lyricism on the unsuspecting ears of the world. Call it the songs of tomorrow today. Call it The Strange Magic.
I really like bonavista. i hear psychedelic bluegrassy banjo, veering into melodic rock anthem 'n some good vocal harmonies. the 3/4 time cut threw me off... i like to be thrown off.
Hey R.A.D.I.O. I dig your music - it's fun & exciting. Beach Boys Christmas album & Piper at the Gates of Dawn right? Looking forward to hearing your 4th album.
Peace & Shine On!
Stephen, Vancouver B.C.
Think I first heard you on one of Bob Harris's shows. You have an amazing sound...I'd try describing it but I'm sure there are enough words in the English language. Listening to your songs is like tapping in to someone else's stream of cnsciousness or something*laughs*
Seriously though, you have a unique and interesting sound.
My own material is a little more conservative I guess but I really would love to know what you guys think of the four songs on my own page. I don't get the chance to gig so I always value the opinion of other musucians.
