The Grapes of Wrath were formed in Kelowna , British Columbia , in 1983 by Chris Hooper, Tom Hooper, and Kevin Kane. All three had been members of the short-lived punk rock band Kill Pigs. They came up with the new band name after looking at a movie guide, though…
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The single, artwork and accompanying music video – with a montage of a Loverboy program from the band’s 1983 Keep It Up tour – prominently features the late bassist Scott Smith. “It was one of the first tunes we ever recorded,” he said. “He’s playing his ass off on it.…
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Before The Killer Dwarfs formed, the band consisted of Darrell Millar, Bryce Trewin, and Ange Fodero in a group called Sphinx. After Sphinx, Russ Graham entered the picture and they became The Killer Dwarfs. The original line-up consisted of Russ Graham (vocals) and Darrell Millar (drums), along with Bryce Trewin…
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Influences on Arcade Fire included David Bowie , Talking Heads , Bruce Springsteen , Roxy Music , Radiohead , and U2 . Both the band and their longtime orchestral arranger, Owen Pallett , have drawn inspiration from Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark ‘s album Dazzle Ships (1983).
The Asexuals formed in 1983 when Sean Friesen, T.J. Collins and Paul Remington, all Beaconsfield High students, decided to start a punk rock band. Another Beaconsfield native, future actor Al Goulem, was in the band as second guitarist for a few months with Collins singing. Their friend John Kastner quickly…
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Never Surrender was initially released in December 1982 on Attic Records in Canada, but was not released in the United States until January 1983. The album attained gold status in the US, and peaked at No. 26 on the US album chart. It saw the band’s compositions take on more…
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Neil Osborne and Brad Merritt met in 1978 at South Delta High School in Tsawwassen , British Columbia . After studying at the Berklee College of Music in Boston , Osborne returned home and formed the band 54-40 with Merritt and drummer Ian Franey. The band played their first gig…
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Aaron recorded her debut album, The Lee Aaron Project , in 1982 on Freedom Records; it was later reissued on Attic. The album featured well-known musicians of the Toronto music scene, including members of Moxy , Rif Raf3 (Q107 Homegrown Vol 4 / Lee Aaron Project band), Santers , and…
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McNary left the band in 1982, and, after an international search, he was replaced in 1983 by George Criston (from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, US), giving Kick Axe the “distinguished front man” they had long desired. Shortly after his joining, the group signed a major label deal with Spencer Proffer ‘s Pasha…
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The band’s follow-up album, Get Lucky , released in October 1981 when it was opening for Journey , included the hit tracks ” Working for the Weekend “, ” When It’s Over “, and “Lucky Ones”. It became the group’s best selling album in the U.S., reaching No. 7 on…
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