The New Pornographers is a Canadian indie rock band formed in 1999 in Vancouver, British Columbia.
History[edit]
The band's first four albums each placed in the top 40 on The Village Voice's Pazz & Jop year-end poll of hundreds of music reviewers. From 2000 to 2006, either a New Pornographers' album or a solo album from one of the band's members ranked in the top 40 on the list each year.[1] In 2007, Blender magazine ranked The New Pornographers' first album, Mass Romantic, the 24th best indie album of all time. It is the second-highest Canadian album on the list, behind Arcade Fire's Funeral (which came in sixth).[2] In 2009,Rolling Stone magazine ranked the band's second studio album, Electric Version, No. 79 in the "100 Best Albums of the Decade".[3]
The name of the band was chosen by Carl Newman, who has said that he came up with it after watching a Japanese film called The Pornographers.[4] Many writers have assumed that the name was a reference to Jimmy Swaggart's claim that rock and roll was "the new pornography."[5] The band has released five albums to date: Mass Romantic (2000),Electric Version (2003), Twin Cinema (2005), Challengers (2007), and Together (2010). A live album recorded on their 2006 tour is available only at concerts and on the band's website.
All of the band's original members were prominent within the Vancouver music scene prior to forming The New Pornographers. Kathryn Calder, who is also Newman's niece, joined the band in 2005 largely as a live replacement for Case, whose solo career often left her unavailable to perform with the band. Calder's first lead vocals for the band were on 2007'sChallengers, singing the lead on "Failsafe" and sharing the lead with Newman on "Adventures in Solitude"[citation needed].
In 2009, The New Pornographers contributed a cover of the song "Hey, Snow White" to the AIDS benefit album Dark Was the Night, produced by the Red Hot Organization.
The band released their fifth album—Together—on May 4, 2010, on Matador Records. The album includes collaborations from St. Vincent, Beirut's Zach Condon, and Okkervil River's Will Sheff.[6]
In 2012, The New Pornographers contributed a cover of the song "Think About Me" for the Fleetwood Mac tribute CD called "Just Tell Me That You Want Me" released by Hear Music.
Members[edit][]
- Dan Bejar of Destroyer, Swan Lake, and Hello, Blue Roses
- Kathryn Calder, solo artist and of Immaculate Machine
- Neko Case, solo artist, also of Maow, The Corn Sisters, and Cub
- John Collins of The Evaporators and Destroyer
- Kurt Dahle of Limblifter and Age of Electric
- Todd Fancey, solo artist (as Fancey) and of Limblifter
- Carl Newman, solo artist (as A.C. Newman), also of Superconductor and Zumpano
- Blaine Thurier, independent filmmaker
Carl Newman shares the lead vocal duties with Dan Bejar, Neko Case and Kathryn Calder. The band's songs are generally written by either Newman or Bejar, and vocal responsibilities are decided once the songs are written[citation needed].
Discography[edit][]
Live albums[edit][]
- Live Session (iTunes Exclusive) (2005)
- LIVE! (2006)
- LIVE from SoHo (iTunes Exclusive) (2008)
Singles[edit][]
- "Letter from an Occupant" (2002, Europe)
B-sides: "The End Of Medicine", "When I Was A Baby" (The Donner Party cover) (UK No. 139)[9] - "Use It" (2005)
- "Sing Me Spanish Techno" (2005)
B-side: "Graceland" - "High Art, Local News" 7" (2005), available with purchase of Twin Cinema
- "My Rights Versus Yours" (2007)
- "Myriad Harbour" (2007)
B-sides: "Fugue State"; "Silent Systems" - "The Spirit of Giving" (2007)
B-sides: "Joseph, Who Understood"; "Arms of Mary/Looking at a Baby" (Chilliwack cover medley) - "Togetherness" 7" (often titled as "Togetherness: The New Pornographers Play Outrageous Cherry") (2010)
B-sides: "Georgie, Don't You Know"; "Electric Child Of Witchcraft Rising" - "Your Hands (Together)" (2010)
- "Crash Years" (2010)
- "Moves" (2011)
B-side: "A Drug Deal Of The Heart"
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Contributions[edit][]
- Queer as Folk (2000) – "Mass Romantic"
- Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001) – "Letter from an Occupant"
- Men with Brooms (2002) – "Mass Romantic"
- FUBAR: The Album (2002) – "Your Daddy Don't Know"
- CBC Radio 3 Sessions, Vol. 1 (2004) – "The Fake Headlines"
- Matador at Fifteen (2004) – "Graceland"
- Prom Queen: The Marc Hall Story (2004) - "Mass Romantic"
- The Office (Season 2, Episode 7: "The Client") (2005) – "Use It"
- Weeds (2005) – "The Laws Have Changed"
- Waiting... (2005) – "Electric Version"
- Gilmore Girls (2005) – "The Laws Have Changed"
- The Hour (Main Title Theme Season 3) (2006) – "Use It"
- Chuck (Season 1, Episode 2: "Chuck Versus the Helicopter") (2007) – "Challengers"
- Heroes (Season 2, Episode 6: "The Line") (2007) – "All for Swinging You Around"
- Rock Band (2007) – "Electric Version", "Use It", "All of the Things That Go to Make Heaven and Earth" (DLC)
- University of Phoenix Commercial (2007) – "Bleeding Heart Show"
- Stone of Destiny (2008) – "Mutiny, I Promise You"
- NBA Playoffs (2008) – "Use It"
- Numb3rs (2008) – "Challengers"
- Secret Diary of a Call Girl (Series 2, Episode 2) (2008) – "Adventures in Solitude"
- Management (2009) – "Adventures in Solitude", "All the Old Showstoppers"
- Dark Was the Night (2009) – "Hey, Snow White"
- Ugly Betty (2010) – "Adventures in Solitude"
- The Good Wife (Season 2, Episode 13) (2011) – "Testament to Youth in Verse"
- Amazon Kindle commercial – "Sweet Talk, Sweet Talk"
- T-Mobile Commercial (2011) – "Moves"
- Hyundai Commercial (Canada) – "Moves"
- Go On (Opening Credits) (2012) – "Moves"