Blimp Rock

Last updated
Blimp Rock
Blimp Rock.jpeg
Background information
Origin Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Genres Indie rock
Folk Rock
LabelsLabel Fantastic!, Tree Machine Records
MembersPeter Demakos

Claire Whitehead
Emma Tollefsen

Robyn Letson
Website blimprockenterprises.com

Blimp Rock is a Canadian band from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Their music has been described as quirky and sincere and has been compared to Lou Reed, The Weakerthans and Sufjan Stevens. [1] [2] [3] Their live performances have been said to include a PowerPoint presentation and the selling of outdated office equipment. [1]

Contents

History

2012 to present

The band claims it was recruited by a corporation known as "Blimp Rock Enterprises" in 2012 to raise funds for a concert in a blimp above Lake Ontario. [4] [5] The funding goal was set by the group at $700 000 which was the amount they claimed to require to launch the airborne concert. [6]

In 2014, the band embarked upon a tour of Europe and Eastern Canada, culminating in a headlining performance at Paradiso in Amsterdam. [7] Since then, they have performed alongside such acts as The Burning Hell, Elliott Brood and Wax Mannequin.

In 2015, the album Sophomore Slump was released. The album received positive reviews from Exclaim! and Now Magazine. [1] [2] The single "Let's All Stay In Tonight" was chosen by CBC Music as a "Searchlight Standout" and charted on the CBC Radio 3 R3-30, peaking at number 22. [8] [9]

Soap Opera, the band's third album, was released June 16, 2017. [10] According to Exclaim!, the album was the first ever recording to be issued inside bars of soap. [11] Indie88 called the album's first single Dear Science a "quirky, lovable single that truly does signal a fresh start for the band." [10]

As of January 2016, the band had raised $-2388 of their $700,000 goal for a blimp concert. [12]

Acquisition history

On January 4, 2016, Blimp Rock announced the "acquisition" of Phil Elvrum's band naming service. [13] In exchange for $200, the name of the service was changed from Band Naming Services to Blimp Rock Enterprises Presents: Band Naming Services and Blimp Rock's logo was added to the website. [13] Also as part of the deal, Elvrum tweeted the following haiku:

I still can't be bought
but I did just sell ad space
to a blimp concert [12]

In October 2015, Blimp Rock requested royalties from the Toronto Blue Jays for their 2012 song "Oh Baseball." In a Facebook post, the group claimed to have invented the "Come Together" slogan adopted by the Major League Baseball team in February, 2015. [14] While the royalty claim proved unsuccessful, the dispute led to a large amount of hate mail being sent to the band, ultimately providing them with the material for the music video "In The Doghouse." [15]

Discography

Albums

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Broken Social Scene</span> Canadian indie rock band

Broken Social Scene is a Canadian indie rock band, a musical collective including as few as six and as many as nineteen members, formed by Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning in 1999. Alongside Drew and Canning, the other core members of the band are Justin Peroff (drums), Andrew Whiteman (guitar) and Charles Spearin (guitar).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue Rodeo</span> Canadian band

Blue Rodeo is a Canadian country rock band formed in 1984 in Toronto, Ontario. They have released 16 full-length studio albums, four live recordings, one greatest hits album, and two video/DVDs, along with multiple solo albums, side projects, and collaborations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metric (band)</span> Canadian indie rock band

Metric is a Canadian rock band founded in 1998 in Toronto, Ontario. The band consists of Emily Haines, James Shaw, Joshua Winstead and Joules Scott-Key. The band started in 1998 as a duo formed by Haines and Shaw with the name "Mainstream". After releasing an EP titled Mainstream EP, they changed the band's name to Metric.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joel Plaskett</span> Canadian singer-songwriter

William Joel MacDonald Plaskett is a Canadian rock musician and songwriter based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He was a member of Halifax alternative rock band Thrush Hermit in the 1990s. Plaskett performs in a number of genres, from blues and folk to hard rock, country, and pop.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chad VanGaalen</span> Musical artist

Chad VanGaalen is a Canadian musician and artist from Calgary, Alberta.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Lake Swimmers</span> Canadian folk rock band

Great Lake Swimmers is a Canadian folk rock band from Wainfleet, Ontario, and currently based in Toronto.

<i>"No Flashlight": Songs of the Fulfilled Night</i> 2005 studio album by Mount Eerie

"No Flashlight": Songs of the Fulfilled Night is the first studio album released by the band Mount Eerie. It was released on the 9th May 2005 and features appearances by Geneviève Castrée and Jason Wall.

<i>Mount Eerie</i> (album) 2003 folk album by the Microphones

Mount Eerie is the fourth studio album by American indie folk and indie rock band the Microphones, released by K Records on January 21, 2003. The album is named after the mountain Mount Erie near Anacortes, Washington, which is the hometown of Phil Elverum, the band's frontman. The album received generally positive reviews from critics, including accolades such as Pitchfork's "Best New Music" title and inclusion on Treblezine's list of "essential" psychedelic folk albums.

Miracle Fortress is a Canadian indie rock band based in Montreal, Quebec. The band's studio work is primarily a solo, project of songwriter Graham Van Pelt, who is accompanied by the rest of the band during live shows.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Born Ruffians</span> Canadian indie rock band

Born Ruffians are a Canadian indie rock band based in Toronto. Officially founded in 2004 in the Georgian Bay town of Midland, Ontario, the band is composed of frontman Luke Lalonde, bassist Mitch DeRosier, and drummer Steve Hamelin. During the 2010s, they were also joined by Andy Lloyd (guitar/keyboards) and Adam Hindle (drums). Born Ruffians released their debut album Red, Yellow & Blue in 2008, and have since released seven albums in total, including their two most recents records, Juice and Squeeze, both released in 2020.

Zulu Records is a Canadian record store and independent record label, based in Vancouver, British Columbia, that sells new and used CDs, LPs, 45s, turntables and concert tickets and is currently located at 1972 West 4th Avenue. One of the most famous independent record stores in Canada, Zulu was a finalist in CBC Radio 3's Searchlight contest to name Canada's best record store.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Rural Alberta Advantage</span> Canadian rock band

The Rural Alberta Advantage is a Canadian indie rock band that formed in 2005 in Toronto, Ontario. The band consists of Nils Edenloff on lead vocals and guitar, Amy Cole on keyboards, bass, and backing vocals, and Paul Banwatt on drums. They have released four albums and are signed to Paper Bag Records in Canada and Saddle Creek Records internationally. In 2011, they were nominated for a Polaris Music Prize.

The Darlings of Chelsea are a Canadian punk rock band formed in 2008 in Toronto. The band toured Ireland in 2009 as part of Canadian Music Week.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wildlife (band)</span> Canadian indie rock band

Wildlife are a Canadian indie rock band formed in 2005. The band is currently based in Toronto, Ontario. The band's debut LP Strike Hard, Young Diamond was favourably received by both Exclaim! and Chart.

Stuck On Planet Earth is a Canadian three piece alternative rock band from Vaughan, Ontario, consisting of Adam Bianchi, Al Capo and Andrew Testa (drums).

Jimmy Bowskill is a Canadian blues singer, guitarist and bassist based in Toronto, Ontario.

Folly & the Hunter are an indie-folk band from Montreal, founded by members Nick Vallée, Laurie Torres, and Christopher Fox with their 2011 self-released debut album Residents. The band recorded their second album with Jace Lasek of The Besnard Lakes at his Breakglass Studio in Montréal and signed to Canadian record label Outside Music to release Tragic Care on April 16, 2013. Tragic Care established the band's detailed hand at crafting "multidimensional folk", and garnered comparisons to Sigur Rós. Folly & the Hunter recorded their 2015 album Awake with Howie Beck at Toronto's Revolution Studios in Toronto and touring member Phil Creamer joined the band as a permanent member.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nap Eyes</span>

Nap Eyes is a Canadian indie rock band from Halifax, Nova Scotia. The band consists of vocalist Nigel Chapman, guitarist Brad Loughead, bassist Josh Salter and drummer Seamus Dalton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Beaches (band)</span> Canadian rock band

The Beaches are a Canadian rock band formed in Toronto in 2013. Named after the Toronto neighbourhood where three of the four members grew up, the band consists of Jordan Miller, Kylie Miller (guitar), Leandra Earl, and Eliza Enman-McDaniel. They released their debut album, Late Show in 2017. They won the Juno Award for Breakthrough Group of the Year in 2018, and the Juno Award for Rock Album of the Year in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Casper Skulls</span> Indie rock band from Toronto

Casper Skulls are a Canadian indie rock band from Toronto, Ontario. They are most noted for receiving a SOCAN Songwriting Prize nomination in 2018 for their song "Lingua Franca".

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Album Reviews: Blimp Rock". Now Magazine , April 22, 2015.
  2. 1 2 "Blimp Rock - Sophomore Slump (Album Stream)". Exclaim! , May 9, 2015.
  3. ↑ "3 Ontario Songs You Need To Hear This Week". CBC , May 28, 2017.
  4. ↑ "This Toronto band wants $700,000 for inventing the Blue Jays’ #ComeTogether". Chart Attack , October 15, 2015.
  5. ↑ "Toronto's Blimp Rock Ready Debut Full-Length for Label Fantastic!". Exclaim! , May 7, 2013.
  6. ↑ "Blimp Rock Claim Blue Jays Owe Them $700,000 for #ComeTogether Slogan". Exclaim! , October 15, 2015.
  7. ↑ "Blimp Rock" Archived 2015-10-29 at the Wayback Machine . Paradiso , May 31, 2014.
  8. ↑ "The R3-30: Radio 3’s top 30 songs for the week of June 1, 2015". CBC Music , June 1, 2015.
  9. ↑ "More of Grant Lawrence's First Round Standouts". CBC Music , April 9, 2015.
  10. 1 2 "Indie88 Premiere: Blimp Rock". Indie88 , May 17, 2017.
  11. ↑ "Blimp Rock: Soap Opera (Album Stream)". Exclaim! , May 17, 2017.
  12. 1 2 "Blimp Rock Buy Out Phil Elverum's Band Naming Service". Exclaim! , January 5, 2016.
  13. 1 2 "Toronto band Blimp Rock Phil Elverum's band naming service". Chart Attack , January 4, 2016.
  14. ↑ "Toronto Band Claims Credit for Blue Jays Win and Come Together Slogan" Archived 2015-11-27 at the Wayback Machine . AUX , October 15, 2015.
  15. ↑ "Blimp Rock - In The Doghouse (video). Exclaim! , October 22, 2015.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.