Two Hours Traffic doesn’t pull any punches with their second full-length, Little Jabs (Bumstead Records). Joel Plaskett returns to the producer’s chair on Little Jabs, which packs a wallop with eleven captivating tracks that blur the line between folk rock and powerful pop. The video for their seasonal anthem, “Nighthawks,” is currently in rotation on MuchMusic and the band is hitting the Trans-Canada to bring their unparalleled pop sensibilities to the masses. Unabashedly catchy and sincere, Two Hours Traffic is deservedly at the fore of the Canadian Maritime pop revival and Little Jabs will only solidify that position.
Two Hours Traffic began in 2003 when former kindergarten colleagues Liam Corcoran and Alec O’Hanley recruited fellow University of PEI chemistry students Andrew MacDonald and Derek Ellis. After the better part of a year, the group released an EP entitled The April Storm (Independent). This record caught the ear of acclaimed Halifax guitar hero Joel Plaskett, who immediately offered to produce the group’s first full-length album. When not breaking Erlenmeyer flasks, the group managed to pen and record an anthemic eponymous full length album.
Recorded while the band was still in their teens, their second album Two Hours Traffic (Independent) recalls the eccentricity of The Cars and the immediacy of Big Star. People took to the songs without hesitation: Limelight fueled some hottub drama on The OC, Better Sorry Than Safe edged out indie-rock mainstays Broken Social Scene and The Constantines on CBC Radio 3's 2005 year-end list, and the album was nominated for Best Rock Recording at the 2006 East Coast Music Awards. While their debut full length album was a magnet for critical accolades, their peers began to take notice as well; Two Hours Traffic toured Canada extensively with the likes of Wintersleep, The Joel Plaskett Emergency and The Golden Dogs.
The 2006 release of their second EP, Isolator (Independent), signified the band’s arrival as accomplished songwriters. More critical acclaim followed and the disc received a 2007 ECMA nomination for Best Alternative Album. Two Hours Traffic has gladly left behind the ivory towers of higher education for less dignified pursuits.
No more 15 second samples. I fucking love you guys. I don..t know if Alec checks this, but pass the word to my guitar player pretender cousin that I am placing a massive collagen rock records order. I am getting money sent to young Jackson, he will be buying t-shirts from you guys, a couple extra from the hugs, that Danks shirt, a Mardeen shirt, and all of your records, to be shipped out with me dad when he goes home for vacation in early June, so I don..t have to pay shipping for all four Collagen Rock bands. I will be your Calgary representative, wearing proudly your shirts at work and listening happily to your tunes at home. I meant to take this shit out with me, but I totally fucked up and didn..t even pack a single cd from any of you guys that I already owned, let alone any cd period. Boxer the Horse is on Collagen Rock records to I guess.
Hey dudes! we think you guys are awesome and we love your music! we made a sweet video blog for our band, and we used on of your songs:) hope you enjoy it! one love<3 chris&mike ps. come to ontario soon!
Hey, Two Hours Traffic... Greetings from a band of rock n' roll astronauts for peace. Thanks for letting us land our eco-spaceship on your planet of cool powerpop... kudos! You are always welcome at dreamland11, our Cosmogaian outpost of social justice, activism, and rock. Peace and friendship, RE-VO
Just catching up on the TiVo from this week, and was so so stoked to hear "Jezebel" on Castle! Way to infiltrate one of my favourite new shows without warning anyone...
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