Odds (band)
Encyclopedia
Odds are a Canadian
alternative rock
band. The band's power pop
style has been frequently compared to that of contemporaries such as Squeeze, Elvis Costello
, Weezer
, Tom Petty
, Sloan
, The Clash
, XTC
, Franz Ferdinand
, and The Tubes
.
, British Columbia
, consisting of vocalist-guitarists Craig Northey
and Steven Drake (both of whom had led different bands appearing on a Vancouver
music compilation album, Spotlight '86), bassist Doug Elliott and drummer Paul Brennan
. The band members claim the name came when Brennan asked Drake, in a town somewhere on the BC coast, "What are the odds of us ever escaping bullshit gigs like this?"
In the late 1980s, the band played up to four nights a week as a 1960s and 1970s cover band called Dawn Patrol at the Roxy nightclub in Vancouver, while playing as the Odds on weekends and funding their own demo recordings at Crosstown Studios in North Vancouver, hoping for a break. They traveled to Los Angeles doing showcases and eventually signed to Zoo Entertainment.
In 1991 they released their debut self-produced album Neopolitan
, which spawned the radio hits "Love Is The Subject" and "King of the Heap" (both sung by Northey). The third single, the sexually explicit "Wendy Under the Stars" (sung by Drake), failed to chart, but attracted the attention of music critic Greil Marcus
in his book Dead Elvis
. After the release of Neopolitan, the band were picked up by Warren Zevon
, becoming his touring band for his album Mr. Bad Example
.
In 1993, Zevon returned the favor by guesting on the bands Bedbugs
album. Its lead single was "Heterosexual Man". The video for that song featured the band members performing in drag
, with Dave Foley
, Kevin McDonald
and Mark McKinney
from The Kids in the Hall
, themselves often noted for drag performances, as stereotypically macho
jocks in the audience until Foley inexplicably turns into a woman. Three more singles were released from the album --"It Falls Apart", "Jackhammer" and in Europe only " Yes (Means Its Hard To Say No)". "Jackhammer" features a guitar battle between Robert Quine
( Lou Reed, Richard Hell, Matthew Sweet, etc.) and Zevon.
In 1995 Brennan left the band, moving to Toronto
during the recording of their third album, and subsequently joined Big Sugar
. He was replaced by Pat Steward, a friend of Doug's & former drummer for Bryan Adams
. Good Weird Feeling
, their most commercially successful album, included drum tracks from both Brennan and Steward. The album featured the top 10 hit singles "Truth Untold" and "Eat My Brain". "Satisfied" hit the top 20. "Mercy to Go" and "Smokescreen" also charted. "Eat My Brain" later found a place on the Craig Northey-produced soundtrack to the The Kids in the Hall
movie Brain Candy
. Northey composed the score for the movie along with Steward and Elliott.
In 1996 the album Nest
was released. The track "Someone Who's Cool" originally intended for a sequel to the Friends
soundtrack, was their first #1 single in their native Canada. It hit the U.S. top 40 and was #3 at AAA radio. It later was also used as the title theme for the short-lived CBS comedy "Love Monkey".
The follow-up single "Make You Mad"" featured a video which was co-directed by and starred Bruce McCulloch
of The Kids in the Hall. "Nothing Beautiful" was the third single.
Odds toured extensively during the 1990s, including as an opening act for The Tragically Hip
and Barenaked Ladies
. The band performed until 1999, headlining that year's Arts County Fair year-end concert at the University of British Columbia
, but released no further new studio albums.
. A second compilation, The Essentials, was released in 2005.
Later in 1999 Elliott, Steward and Northey teamed up with organist Simon Kendall (of Doug & the Slugs) to release an instrumental soul CD under the moniker Sharkskin. Drake followed up his previous work mixing The Tragically Hip's 1996 album Trouble at the Henhouse
by furthering his career as a recording engineer and producer based in Vancouver.
Northey released a solo album, Giddy Up, in 2002, and worked as a songwriter and producer for other acts (including Rosanne Cash
) throughout the decade. In 2004, he collaborated with Gin Blossoms
guitarist Jesse Valenzuela
on the Northey Valenzuela album. The pair also recorded the theme song to the sitcom Corner Gas
, "Not a Lot Going On". Northey, Steward and Elliott all recorded and toured with Rob Baker of the Tragically Hip as the band Stripper's Union
, and continued to perform as the Craig Northey Power Trio, in addition to forming the core of the backup band for Canadian blues-rock guitarist Colin James
.
In early 2006 Odds' song "Someone Who's Cool" was used as the theme song to the short-lived CBS music industry comedy Love Monkey
, starring Tom Cavanagh
, Jason Priestley
and Teddy Geiger
.
' "Ships and Dip" event aboard a cruise ship in the Caribbean Sea. They released a new album, Cheerleader, on May 20, 2008, with Northey now performing all lead vocals. It was the very first release by Kim Cooke's new label Pheromone Recordings. The first single, "My Happy Place," was released in mid-March. However, as the band's rights to the name Odds had lapsed, the album was released under the name The New Odds.
After re-securing rights to its original name, the band obtained U.S. distribution through independent record label Second Motion Records
. A new EP, Noise Trade (named for the website used to sell it), comprising several songs from Cheerleader and covers of tunes from Pointed Sticks
and Art Bergmann
was prepared for early 2009 release. Early in the year, the band also appeared as themselves (in retro-'50s garb) during a dream sequence in the final season of the Corner Gas television series. The band continues to perform regularly, mostly at festivals and events across Canada including such performances as on the 2009 and 2010 Canadian Pacific Holiday train. During the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver Odds were the "house band" at Canada Hockey House.
The band was named the Vancouver Canucks 'house band' of the 2010 and 2011 NHL playoffs. The Odds performed the theme music to the CBC/IFC television series The Kids in the Hall: Death Comes to Town.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band. The band's power pop
Power pop
Power pop is a popular musical genre that draws its inspiration from 1960s British and American pop and rock music. It typically incorporates a combination of musical devices such as strong melodies, crisp vocal harmonies, economical arrangements, and prominent guitar riffs. Instrumental solos are...
style has been frequently compared to that of contemporaries such as Squeeze, Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello , born Declan Patrick MacManus, is an English singer-songwriter. He came to prominence as an early participant in London's pub rock scene in the mid-1970s and later became associated with the punk/New Wave genre. Steeped in word play, the vocabulary of Costello's lyrics is broader...
, Weezer
Weezer
Weezer is an American alternative rock band. The band currently consists of Rivers Cuomo , Patrick Wilson , Brian Bell , and Scott Shriner . The band has changed lineups three times since its formation in 1992...
, Tom Petty
Tom Petty
Thomas Earl "Tom" Petty is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is the frontman of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and was a founding member of the late 1980s supergroup Traveling Wilburys and Mudcrutch. He has also performed under the pseudonyms of Charlie T...
, Sloan
Sloan (band)
Sloan is a Toronto-based alternative rock quartet from Halifax, Nova Scotia. Throughout their 20-year tenure Sloan has released 10 LPs , two EPs, a live album, a "best of" collection and no less than thirty singles...
, The Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
, XTC
XTC
XTC were a New Wave band from Swindon, England, active between 1976 and 2005. The band enjoyed some chart success, including the UK and Canadian hits "Making Plans for Nigel" and "Senses Working Overtime" , but are perhaps even better known for their long-standing critical success.- Early years:...
, Franz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand (band)
Franz Ferdinand are a Scottish post-punk revival band formed in Glasgow in 2002. The band is composed of Alex Kapranos , Bob Hardy , Nick McCarthy , and Paul Thomson .The band first experienced chart success when their second single, "Take Me Out", reached #3 in...
, and The Tubes
The Tubes
The Tubes are a San Francisco-based rock band, whose 1975 debut album included the hit single, "White Punks on Dope". During its first fifteen years or so, the band's live performances combined quasi-pornography with wild satires of media, consumerism, and politics...
.
Odds (1987-1999)
The band was formed in 1987 in VancouverVancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, consisting of vocalist-guitarists Craig Northey
Craig Northey
Craig Northey is a Canadian musician and one of the founding members of the band Odds.After the breakup of Odds in 1999, Northey has embarked on several other ventures, including working with Colin James, Rosanne Cash, Glen Phillips, Bruce McCulloch and many others...
and Steven Drake (both of whom had led different bands appearing on a Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
music compilation album, Spotlight '86), bassist Doug Elliott and drummer Paul Brennan
Paul Brennan (Canadian musician)
Paul Brennan is a Canadian musician. A drummer, Brennan has been a member of the Animal Slaves, Odds and Big Sugar. He has also contributed as a guest musician on albums by Meryn Cadell, Sarah McLachlan, Taste of Joy, Julie Ann Bertram and Mae Moore. He is currently playing with Alannah...
. The band members claim the name came when Brennan asked Drake, in a town somewhere on the BC coast, "What are the odds of us ever escaping bullshit gigs like this?"
In the late 1980s, the band played up to four nights a week as a 1960s and 1970s cover band called Dawn Patrol at the Roxy nightclub in Vancouver, while playing as the Odds on weekends and funding their own demo recordings at Crosstown Studios in North Vancouver, hoping for a break. They traveled to Los Angeles doing showcases and eventually signed to Zoo Entertainment.
In 1991 they released their debut self-produced album Neopolitan
Neopolitan (album)
Neopolitan is a 1991 album by Odds. It is named for the flavour of ice cream; although intentionally a misspelling , "neopolitan" is the spelling that appears on the album cover. Members of the band have stated that the album title was intentionally misspelled in order to see if anyone would pick...
, which spawned the radio hits "Love Is The Subject" and "King of the Heap" (both sung by Northey). The third single, the sexually explicit "Wendy Under the Stars" (sung by Drake), failed to chart, but attracted the attention of music critic Greil Marcus
Greil Marcus
Greil Marcus is an American author, music journalist and cultural critic. He is notable for producing scholarly and literary essays that place rock music in a much broader framework of culture and politics than is customary in pop music journalism.-Life and career:Marcus was born in San Francisco...
in his book Dead Elvis
Dead Elvis (book)
Dead Elvis: A Chronicle of a Cultural Obsession is a non-fiction book by American rock-music critic Greil Marcus that examines the influence of Elvis Presley on United States culture in the latter half of the 1970s....
. After the release of Neopolitan, the band were picked up by Warren Zevon
Warren Zevon
Warren William Zevon was an American rock singer-songwriter and musician noted for including his sometimes sardonic opinions of life in his musical lyrics, composing songs that were sometimes humorous and often had political or historical themes.Zevon's work has often been praised by well-known...
, becoming his touring band for his album Mr. Bad Example
Mr. Bad Example
Mr. Bad Example is an album by American singer/songwriter Warren Zevon, released in 1991. .-Track listing:All tracks composed by Warren Zevon, except where indicated.#"Finishing Touches" – 4:05#"Suzie Lightning" – 4:04...
.
In 1993, Zevon returned the favor by guesting on the bands Bedbugs
Bedbugs (album)
Bedbugs is a 1993 album by Odds.The album's first single "Heterosexual Man" was supported by a video that featured the band appearing in drag with members of The Kids in the Hall. "It Falls Apart" was also a notable single. "Jack Hammer" features guest appearances by Robert Quine and Warren Zevon...
album. Its lead single was "Heterosexual Man". The video for that song featured the band members performing in drag
Drag (clothing)
Drag is used for any clothing carrying symbolic significance but usually referring to the clothing associated with one gender role when worn by a person of another gender. The origin of the term "drag" is unknown, but it may have originated in Polari, a gay street argot in England in the early...
, with Dave Foley
Dave Foley
David Scott "Dave" Foley is a Canadian comedian, writer, director, and producer best known for his work in The Kids in the Hall, NewsRadio, A Bug's Life, and Celebrity Poker Showdown...
, Kevin McDonald
Kevin McDonald
Kevin Hamilton McDonald is a Canadian comedian and actor, known as a member of the Canadian sketch comedy group The Kids in the Hall.-Early life:...
and Mark McKinney
Mark McKinney
Mark Douglas Brown McKinney is a Canadian comedian and actor, best known for his work in the sketch comedy troupe The Kids in the Hall. Following the run of their television series and feature film , he went on to star in Saturday Night Live from 1995 to 1997...
from The Kids in the Hall
The Kids in the Hall
The Kids in the Hall is a Canadian sketch comedy group formed in 1984, consisting of comedians Dave Foley, Kevin McDonald, Bruce McCulloch, Mark McKinney, and Scott Thompson. Their eponymous television show ran from 1988 to 1994 on CBC in Canada, and 1989 to 1995 on CBS and HBO in the United States...
, themselves often noted for drag performances, as stereotypically macho
Macho
Macho typically refers to machismo. Other uses include:*Macho , a short-lived disco group in the late 1970s*Pique macho, Bolivian dish*Macho Man , a 1978 disco song performed by the Village People...
jocks in the audience until Foley inexplicably turns into a woman. Three more singles were released from the album --"It Falls Apart", "Jackhammer" and in Europe only " Yes (Means Its Hard To Say No)". "Jackhammer" features a guitar battle between Robert Quine
Robert Quine
Robert Wolfe Quine was an American guitarist, known for his innovative guitar solos.A native of Akron, Ohio, Quine worked with a wide range of musicians, though he himself remained relatively unknown in comparison...
( Lou Reed, Richard Hell, Matthew Sweet, etc.) and Zevon.
In 1995 Brennan left the band, moving to Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
during the recording of their third album, and subsequently joined Big Sugar
Big Sugar
Big Sugar is a Canadian blues-rock band, they were active from 1991 to 2004 and again since April 2010. The band has sold more than half a million albums in Canada.-History:...
. He was replaced by Pat Steward, a friend of Doug's & former drummer for Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams, is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter, guitarist, bassist, producer, actor and photographer. Adams has won dozens of awards and nominations, including 20 Juno Awards among 56 nominations. He has also received 15 Grammy Award nominations including a win for Best Song Written...
. Good Weird Feeling
Good Weird Feeling
Good Weird Feeling is a 1995 album by Odds. It was the band's most commercially successful album, and spawned the hit singles "Truth Untold", "Eat My Brain", "Satisfied" and "Mercy To Go" and " I Would Be Your Man".-Track listing:# "Truth Untold"...
, their most commercially successful album, included drum tracks from both Brennan and Steward. The album featured the top 10 hit singles "Truth Untold" and "Eat My Brain". "Satisfied" hit the top 20. "Mercy to Go" and "Smokescreen" also charted. "Eat My Brain" later found a place on the Craig Northey-produced soundtrack to the The Kids in the Hall
The Kids in the Hall
The Kids in the Hall is a Canadian sketch comedy group formed in 1984, consisting of comedians Dave Foley, Kevin McDonald, Bruce McCulloch, Mark McKinney, and Scott Thompson. Their eponymous television show ran from 1988 to 1994 on CBC in Canada, and 1989 to 1995 on CBS and HBO in the United States...
movie Brain Candy
Brain Candy
Brain Candy is a feature film by The Kids in the Hall, a Canadian comedy troupe. Directed by Kelly Makin, filmed in Toronto, and released in 1996, it followed the five season run of their television series, which had been successful in both Canada and the United States.The five man team plays all...
. Northey composed the score for the movie along with Steward and Elliott.
In 1996 the album Nest
Nest (album)
Nest is a 1996 album by Odds. It was the band's last album until the release of "Cheerleader" in 2008."Someone Who's Cool" was the album's most successful single, peaking at #2 in Canada and top 10 in the United States...
was released. The track "Someone Who's Cool" originally intended for a sequel to the Friends
Friends
Friends is an American sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994 to May 6, 2004. The series revolves around a group of friends in Manhattan. The series was produced by Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
soundtrack, was their first #1 single in their native Canada. It hit the U.S. top 40 and was #3 at AAA radio. It later was also used as the title theme for the short-lived CBS comedy "Love Monkey".
The follow-up single "Make You Mad"" featured a video which was co-directed by and starred Bruce McCulloch
Bruce McCulloch
Bruce Ian McCulloch is a Canadian actor, writer, comedian, and film director. McCulloch is best known for his work as a member of The Kids in the Hall, a popular Canadian comedy troupe, and as a writer for Saturday Night Live. McCulloch has also appeared on series such as Twitch City and Gilmore...
of The Kids in the Hall. "Nothing Beautiful" was the third single.
Odds toured extensively during the 1990s, including as an opening act for The Tragically Hip
The Tragically Hip
The Tragically Hip, often referred to simply as The Hip, is a Canadian rock band from Kingston, Ontario, consisting of Gordon Downie , Paul Langlois , Rob Baker , Gord Sinclair and Johnny Fay . Since their formation in 1983 they have released 12 studio albums, two live albums, and 46 singles...
and Barenaked Ladies
Barenaked Ladies
Barenaked Ladies is a Canadian alternative rock band. The band is currently composed of Jim Creeggan, Kevin Hearn, Ed Robertson, and Tyler Stewart. Barenaked Ladies formed in 1988 in Scarborough, Ontario, then a suburban municipality outside the City of Toronto...
. The band performed until 1999, headlining that year's Arts County Fair year-end concert at the University of British Columbia
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
, but released no further new studio albums.
Hiatus (1999-2007)
Northey announced that he was leaving the band in 1999, although he continued to work with Elliott and Steward frequently in subsequent years. The band members pursued other projects after 1999, releasing a greatest hits/singles compilation in 2000, entitled Singles: Individually WrappedSingles: Individually Wrapped
Singles: Individually Wrapped is a greatest hits album by The Odds, released in 2000. The album contains singles from all four of the band's studio albums, as well as a rendition of the Christmas song "Kings of Orient" which the band recorded for the 1991 Christmas compilation A Lump of Coal.-Track...
. A second compilation, The Essentials, was released in 2005.
Later in 1999 Elliott, Steward and Northey teamed up with organist Simon Kendall (of Doug & the Slugs) to release an instrumental soul CD under the moniker Sharkskin. Drake followed up his previous work mixing The Tragically Hip's 1996 album Trouble at the Henhouse
Trouble at the Henhouse
Trouble at the Henhouse is the fifth full-length album from Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip. It was released on May 7, 1996. Produced by the band and Mark Vreeken, the album was mixed by Steven Drake, guitarist for Canadian band Odds, which had toured with the Hip the previous year...
by furthering his career as a recording engineer and producer based in Vancouver.
Northey released a solo album, Giddy Up, in 2002, and worked as a songwriter and producer for other acts (including Rosanne Cash
Rosanne Cash
Rosanne Cash is an American singer-songwriter and author. She is the eldest daughter of the late country music singer Johnny Cash and his first wife, Vivian Liberto Cash Distin....
) throughout the decade. In 2004, he collaborated with Gin Blossoms
Gin Blossoms
Gin Blossoms is an American pop rock band formed in 1987, in Tempe, Arizona. They took their name from a photo of W.C. Fields which bore the caption "W.C. Fields with gin blossoms", referring to what appeared to be the actor's gin-ravaged nose, but was actually a skin condition known as rosacea...
guitarist Jesse Valenzuela
Jesse Valenzuela
Jesse Valenzuela was the original vocalist of the alternative rock band Gin Blossoms when it was formed in 1987. In 1988, he switched roles with the band's new guitarist, Robin Wilson. He continued to be a member until the band's breakup in 1997, and reunited with the rest of the group in 2002...
on the Northey Valenzuela album. The pair also recorded the theme song to the sitcom Corner Gas
Corner Gas
Corner Gas is a Canadian television sitcom created by Brent Butt. The series ran for six seasons from 2004 to 2009. Re-runs still air on CTV and The Comedy Network in Canada; it formerly aired on WGN America in the United States....
, "Not a Lot Going On". Northey, Steward and Elliott all recorded and toured with Rob Baker of the Tragically Hip as the band Stripper's Union
Stripper's Union
Stripper's Union is a Canadian rock band consisting of Rob Baker , Craig Northey , Doug Elliott , Simon Kendall , and Pat Steward ....
, and continued to perform as the Craig Northey Power Trio, in addition to forming the core of the backup band for Canadian blues-rock guitarist Colin James
Colin James
Colin James is a Canadian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer, who plays in the blues, rock, and neo-swing genres. He grew up as a Quaker.-Early years:...
.
In early 2006 Odds' song "Someone Who's Cool" was used as the theme song to the short-lived CBS music industry comedy Love Monkey
Love Monkey
Love Monkey is a television series created by Michael Rauch and based on a book of the same name, by Kyle Smith. It starred Tom Cavanagh as a 30-something, single, record executive who navigated the tumultuous and highly amusing waters of work and dating in New York City.Its first episode aired on...
, starring Tom Cavanagh
Tom Cavanagh
Thomas "Tom" Cavanagh is a Canadian actor.-Early life:Cavanagh was born in Ottawa, Ontario. He is of Irish descent and was raised in a large Roman Catholic family. Cavanagh moved with his family to Winneba, a small city in Ghana, when he was seven years old. In his teens, the family moved to...
, Jason Priestley
Jason Priestley
Jason Bradford Priestley is a Canadian-American actor and director. He is best known as the virtuous Brandon Walsh on the television series Beverly Hills, 90210, a role which catapulted him to recognition in the early 1990s....
and Teddy Geiger
Teddy Geiger
-Singles:-Album appearances:-Television and movie appearances:-External links:****...
.
New Odds and Odds again (2008-present)
In 2007, Craig Northey, Doug Elliott, Pat Steward and new guitarist Murray Atkinson performed old and new songs on the Barenaked LadiesBarenaked Ladies
Barenaked Ladies is a Canadian alternative rock band. The band is currently composed of Jim Creeggan, Kevin Hearn, Ed Robertson, and Tyler Stewart. Barenaked Ladies formed in 1988 in Scarborough, Ontario, then a suburban municipality outside the City of Toronto...
' "Ships and Dip" event aboard a cruise ship in the Caribbean Sea. They released a new album, Cheerleader, on May 20, 2008, with Northey now performing all lead vocals. It was the very first release by Kim Cooke's new label Pheromone Recordings. The first single, "My Happy Place," was released in mid-March. However, as the band's rights to the name Odds had lapsed, the album was released under the name The New Odds.
After re-securing rights to its original name, the band obtained U.S. distribution through independent record label Second Motion Records
Second Motion Records
Second Motion Records is part of Second Motion Entertainment based in Carrboro, North Carolina. The Label was founded in Chapel Hill, NC by Stephen Judge, who is the former manager of the rock band Athenaeum as well as the former General Manager/A&R Director of Redeye Distribution and Yep Roc...
. A new EP, Noise Trade (named for the website used to sell it), comprising several songs from Cheerleader and covers of tunes from Pointed Sticks
Pointed Sticks
Pointed Sticks are a Canadian punk rock/power pop band from Vancouver. Originally active from 1978 to 1981, they reunited to perform in 2006 and have remained together since then....
and Art Bergmann
Art Bergmann
Art Bergmann is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter who was one of the key figures in Canadian punk rock in the late 1970s.-Punk bands:...
was prepared for early 2009 release. Early in the year, the band also appeared as themselves (in retro-'50s garb) during a dream sequence in the final season of the Corner Gas television series. The band continues to perform regularly, mostly at festivals and events across Canada including such performances as on the 2009 and 2010 Canadian Pacific Holiday train. During the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver Odds were the "house band" at Canada Hockey House.
The band was named the Vancouver Canucks 'house band' of the 2010 and 2011 NHL playoffs. The Odds performed the theme music to the CBC/IFC television series The Kids in the Hall: Death Comes to Town.
Singles
| Release Date | Title | Chart positions | Album | |
| CAN RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... |
CAN Alt Canadian rock/alternative chart The Canadian rock/alternative chart was first published on June 11, 1995 by RPM magazine under the name Alternative 30. The song which held the number-one spot on this first chart was "More Human than Human" by White Zombie... |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 1991 | "Love Is The Subject" | #43 | - | Neopolitan Neopolitan (album) Neopolitan is a 1991 album by Odds. It is named for the flavour of ice cream; although intentionally a misspelling , "neopolitan" is the spelling that appears on the album cover. Members of the band have stated that the album title was intentionally misspelled in order to see if anyone would pick... |
| January 1992 | "King Of The Heap" | #42 | - | |
| March 1992 | "Wendy Under The Stars" | - | - | |
| June 1993 | "Heterosexual Man" | #60 | - | Bedbugs Bedbugs (album) Bedbugs is a 1993 album by Odds.The album's first single "Heterosexual Man" was supported by a video that featured the band appearing in drag with members of The Kids in the Hall. "It Falls Apart" was also a notable single. "Jack Hammer" features guest appearances by Robert Quine and Warren Zevon... |
| September 1993 | "It Falls Apart" | #69 | - | |
| March 1994 | "Yes (Means It's Hard To Say No)" | #60 | - | |
| January 1995 | "Truth Untold" | #15 | - | Good Weird Feeling Good Weird Feeling Good Weird Feeling is a 1995 album by Odds. It was the band's most commercially successful album, and spawned the hit singles "Truth Untold", "Eat My Brain", "Satisfied" and "Mercy To Go" and " I Would Be Your Man".-Track listing:# "Truth Untold"... |
| May 1995 | "Eat My Brain" | #22 | #21 | |
| August 1995 | "Satisfied" | #29 | #19 | |
| May 1996 | "Mercy To Go" | #26 | - | |
| November 1996 | "Someone Who's Cool Someone Who's Cool "Someone Who's Cool" is the first single by Canadian rock band Odds from their third studio album, Nest. The song was originally written for the Friends soundtrack. The song was very successful, peaking at #2 on Canada's Singles Chart. It remains to be Odds' highest charting single and one of the... " |
#2 | #3 | Nest Nest (album) Nest is a 1996 album by Odds. It was the band's last album until the release of "Cheerleader" in 2008."Someone Who's Cool" was the album's most successful single, peaking at #2 in Canada and top 10 in the United States... |
| February 1997 | "Make You Mad" | #8 | #18 | |
| June 1997 | "Nothing Beautiful" | #73 | - |
Albums
| Year | Title | Chart positions | Certifications |
|---|---|---|---|
| CAN Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
CAN Cria A cria is the name for a baby camelid such as a llama, alpaca, vicuña, or guanaco. It comes from the Spanish word cría, meaning "baby". Its false cognate in English, crya , was coined by British sailors who explored Chile in the 18th century and were quick to describe the camelids onomatopoeically... |
||
| 1991 | Neopolitan Neopolitan (album) Neopolitan is a 1991 album by Odds. It is named for the flavour of ice cream; although intentionally a misspelling , "neopolitan" is the spelling that appears on the album cover. Members of the band have stated that the album title was intentionally misspelled in order to see if anyone would pick... |
- | |
| 1993 | Bedbugs Bedbugs (album) Bedbugs is a 1993 album by Odds.The album's first single "Heterosexual Man" was supported by a video that featured the band appearing in drag with members of The Kids in the Hall. "It Falls Apart" was also a notable single. "Jack Hammer" features guest appearances by Robert Quine and Warren Zevon... |
- | |
| 1995 | Good Weird Feeling Good Weird Feeling Good Weird Feeling is a 1995 album by Odds. It was the band's most commercially successful album, and spawned the hit singles "Truth Untold", "Eat My Brain", "Satisfied" and "Mercy To Go" and " I Would Be Your Man".-Track listing:# "Truth Untold"... |
23 | Platinum |
| 1996 | Nest Nest (album) Nest is a 1996 album by Odds. It was the band's last album until the release of "Cheerleader" in 2008."Someone Who's Cool" was the album's most successful single, peaking at #2 in Canada and top 10 in the United States... |
- | Gold |
| 2000 | Singles: Individually Wrapped Singles: Individually Wrapped Singles: Individually Wrapped is a greatest hits album by The Odds, released in 2000. The album contains singles from all four of the band's studio albums, as well as a rendition of the Christmas song "Kings of Orient" which the band recorded for the 1991 Christmas compilation A Lump of Coal.-Track... |
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| 2005 | The Essentials | - | |
| 2008 | Cheerleader | - | |
| 2009 | Noise Trade EP | - |
JUNO Award Nominations
- Nominated - Best New Group (1994)
- Nominated - Best Rock Album (1996)
- Nominated - Songwriter of the Year (1996, 1998)
- Nominated - Group of the Year (1996)
- Nominated - Best Video (Someone Who's Cool) (1997)
Members
- Craig NortheyCraig NortheyCraig Northey is a Canadian musician and one of the founding members of the band Odds.After the breakup of Odds in 1999, Northey has embarked on several other ventures, including working with Colin James, Rosanne Cash, Glen Phillips, Bruce McCulloch and many others...
- Lead Vocals, Guitar - Doug Elliott - Bass, Back Vocals
- Pat Steward - Drums, Back Vocals
- Murray Atkinson - Guitar, Back Vocals