Picastro

Last updated
Picastro
Origin Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Genres Shoegazing, Folk rock, Dream pop
Years active1998 - current
Labels Alien8
MembersLiz Hysen, Nick Storring, Matthew Ramolo, Germaine Liu
Past membersBrandon Valdivia, Evan Clarke, Rachel McBride, Owen Pallett, Stephanie Vittas, Kurt Newman, Alex McLeod, Zak Hanna

Picastro is a Canadian slowcore and rock music band based in Toronto, Ontario. The band is fronted by guitarist/vocalist Liz Hysen, [1] and currently includes cellist Nick Storring, synth and guitarist Matthew Ramolo (Khora) and drummer Germaine Liu. Past members included Evan Clarke, Rachel McBride, Owen Pallett, Stephanie Vittas, Kurt Newman, Alex McLeod and Zak Hanna.

Contents

History

Picastro formed in 1998 in Toronto. In 2002 they released their debut album, Red Your Blues, with slow, heavy instrumental music overlaid with Hysen's vocal work. [2] The band toured the U.S. and performed on WFMU as well as recorded a session for Daytrotter Session.

Red Your Blues was featured as "Album of the Week" in the London Sunday Times following its release on Monotreme and the band appeared on Gideon Coe's BBC 6 show. The song "Winter Notes" appeared on the television show "24".

Following this, Metal Cares was released on Polyvinyl Records and Monotreme and the band toured Europe several times, performing on VPRO and various festivals.

After releasing the album Whore Luck, Picastro performed at the X-Avant Festival in 2007. [3] The song "Towtruck" was featured on the BBC and included on the Wire's, Wire Tapper, volume 13.

The band's 2009 album, Become Secret, featured mainly the lead singer Hysen; 2012's Fool, Redeemer was a collaboration between Hysen, Aidan Baker and Leah Buckareff. [4] The band continued to tour Europe expanding into the Balkans, Eastern Europe and the Baltics.

in 2014, Picastro released You, which contained more extensive contributions from the other band members. [5] The band then went on a European tour.

Discography

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Champion Jack Dupree</span> American pianist and singer

William Thomas "Champion Jack" Dupree was an American blues and boogie-woogie pianist and singer. His nickname was derived from his early career as a boxer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Albert King</span> American blues musician (1923–1992)

Albert Nelson, known by his stage name Albert King, was an American guitarist and singer who is often regarded as one of the greatest and most influential blues guitarists of all time. He is perhaps best known for his popular and influential album Born Under a Bad Sign (1967) and its title track. He, B.B. King, and Freddie King, all unrelated, were known as the " The three Kings of the Blues". The left-handed Albert King was known for his "deep, dramatic sound that was widely imitated by both blues and rock guitarists".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pat Travers</span> Canadian rock musician (born 1954)

Patrick Henry Travers is a Canadian rock guitarist, singer and songwriter who began his recording career in the mid-1970s.

<i>By Your Side</i> (The Black Crowes album) 1999 studio album by The Black Crowes

By Your Side is the fifth studio album by American rock band The Black Crowes. It was released in early 1999 on Columbia Records, following the band's move from American Recordings, after second guitarist Marc Ford and bassist Johnny Colt had left the band in 1997. It is the only album to be released on that label. Audley Freed and Sven Pipien were hired as the new guitarist and bassist, respectively, although Rich Robinson played all the guitar parts on the album. By Your Side was recorded in New York City during the second quarter of 1998 and produced by Kevin Shirley. It comprised songs written in the studio, revised songs from pre-production and re-recorded songs from the abandoned 1997 album Band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin</span> American indie pop band

Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin (SSLYBY) is an American indie pop band from Springfield, Missouri. They are named after Boris Yeltsin, the first President of Russia after the breakup of the Soviet Union. Their first full-length album, Broom, was independently released in 2005. They are now signed with Polyvinyl Record Co.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Weston (guitarist)</span> British guitarist (1947–2011 or 2012)

Robert Joseph Weston was a British rock guitarist, who was a member of Fleetwood Mac in the early 1970s. He also recorded and performed with a number of other musicians, including Graham Bond, Long John Baldry, Murray Head, Sandy Denny, and Danny Kirwan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Rose (guitarist)</span> American guitarist

Jack Rose was an American guitarist originally from Virginia and later based in Philadelphia. Rose is best known for his solo acoustic guitar work. He was also a member of the noise/drone band Pelt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trophy Scars</span> American experimental rock band

Trophy Scars, is an American experimental rock band from Morristown, New Jersey, United States, with blues and psychedelic influences. Trophy Scars began as a post-hardcore group but has since embraced broader genres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian blues</span>

Canadian blues is the blues and blues-related music performed by blues bands and performers in Canada. Canadian blues artists include singers, players of the main blues instruments: guitar, harmonica, keyboards, bass and drums, songwriters and music producers. In many cases, blues artists take on multiple roles. For example, the Canadian blues artist Steve Marriner is a singer, harmonica player, guitarist, songwriter and record producer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Micky Moody</span> English musician (born 1950)

Michael Joseph Moody is an English guitarist, and a former member of the rock bands Juicy Lucy and Whitesnake. He was also a founder-member of Snafu. Together with his former Whitesnake colleague Bernie Marsden he founded the Moody Marsden Band, and later, the Snakes, having previously collaborated with unofficial fifth Status Quo member Bob Young in Young & Moody. Along with Marsden and ex-Whitesnake bassist, Neil Murray, he formed the Company of Snakes and M3 Classic Whitesnake with which they mainly performed early Whitesnake songs. From 2011 to 2015, Moody toured and recorded with Snakecharmer, a band he co-formed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Red Devils (blues band)</span>

The Red Devils were a Los Angeles–based blues rock band who were active from 1988 to 1994, featuring singer Lester Butler.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Good Brothers</span> Canadian country, bluegrass and folk music group

The Good Brothers are a Canadian country, bluegrass and folk music group originating from Richmond Hill, Ontario. The band's core members are Brian Good (guitar), his twin brother Bruce Good (autoharp) and younger brother Larry Good (banjo).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Little Axe</span> American blues musician

Skip McDonald is an American musician who also performs under the stage name Little Axe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Dodos</span> American indie rock band

The Dodos are an American indie rock band, consisting of guitarist and singer Meric Long and drummer Logan Kroeber. Originating from the San Francisco Bay Area, the duo has released eight studio albums over a fifteen-year span since their formation in 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Japandroids</span> Canadian rock band

Japandroids are a Canadian rock band from Vancouver, British Columbia, consisting of Brian King and David Prowse.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red Fang</span> American rock band

Red Fang is an American rock band from Portland, Oregon, formed in 2005. It is composed of guitarist and vocalist Bryan Giles, bassist and vocalist Aaron Beam, guitarist David Sullivan and drummer John Sherman. The band has released five studio albums: Red Fang (2009), Murder the Mountains (2011), Whales and Leeches (2013), Only Ghosts (2016) and Arrows (2021).

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

The Sheepdogs are a Canadian rock band formed in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan in 2004. The Sheepdogs were the first unsigned band to make the cover of Rolling Stone and have gone on to a career featuring multi-platinum album sales and four Juno Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adept (band)</span> Swedish metal band

Adept is a Swedish metalcore band from Trosa. Formed in 2004, the band consists of vocalist Robert Ljung, guitarists Gustav Lithammer and Kasper Larcombe-Tronstad, bassist Filip Brandelius, drummer Gabriel Hellmark. Adept have released three EPs and four studio albums to date, including Another Year of Disaster in 2009, Death Dealers in 2011, Silence the World in 2013, and their latest release Sleepless in 2016. The band ceased to perform live or release new music by 2019 and went on hiatus the same year. In 2024, the band announced a 20 year anniversary show to take place in November 2024 in Germany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sleepmakeswaves</span> Australian post-rock band

Sleepmakeswaves are an Australian post-rock band who formed in Sydney in December 2006. The group is currently composed of guitarist Otto Wicks-Green, drummer Tim Adderley, and bassist/keyboardist Alex Wilson. To date, they have released four full-length studio albums. The band have achieved notable success internationally for their energetic live performances and modern approach to the post-rock genre. They are currently released through Australian independent record label Bird's Robe Records, which is distributed through MGM in Australia and independently worldwide. In 2013, UK label Monotreme Records licensed their debut album for an international release across the UK, Europe, and North America.

Matthew Simms is an English guitarist best known for his work with the band Wire.

References

  1. "Becoming Secret An Interview with Liz Hysen of Picastro". Ian Mathers 22 April 2010
  2. "Picastro Red Your Blues". AllMusic Review by Sean Carruthers
  3. Musicworks. Vol. Issues 100-102. Music Gallery. 2008. p. 44.{{cite book}}: |volume= has extra text (help)
  4. "Q&A: Picastro". NOW Toronto, by Joanne Huffa January 5, 2012
  5. "Picastro You". Pop Matters, Ian Mathers 17 March 2014