The Constantines
Encyclopedia
History
The band was formed by Steve LambkeSteve Lambke
Steve Lambke is a Canadian singer-songwriter. He is a vocalist and guitarist for the indie rock band Constantines, and releases solo material under the name Baby Eagle.-Biography:...
, Bryan Webb
Bryan Webb
Bryan Webb often credited as Bry Webb, is a Canadian indie rock singer and songwriter. He is best known as the lead vocalist for indie rock band the Constantines...
, Doug MacGregor
Doug MacGregor
Doug MacGregor is a Canadian rock musician. He played in the band Shoulder in the 1990s and currently plays drums in the indie rock band the Constantines, as well as a few small side projects.Doug moonlights as a bartender in some of Toronto's hipster hotspots....
, and Dallas Wehrle in 1999, following the break-up of Webb and MacGregor's emotional hardcore band Shoulder. Their style has been described as "art-punk", and they have been compared to bands like 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...
, Fugazi
Fugazi (band)
Fugazi is an American post-hardcore band that formed in Washington, D.C. in 1987. The band's continual members are guitarists and vocalists Ian MacKaye and Guy Picciotto, bassist Joe Lally and drummer Brendan Canty....
, Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
, The Replacements, and Nick Cave
Nick Cave
Nicholas Edward "Nick" Cave is an Australian musician, songwriter, author, screenwriter, and occasional film actor.He is best known for his work as a frontman of the critically acclaimed rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, established in 1984, a group known for its eclectic influences and...
.
The name of the band is taken from an episode of Coast to Coast with Art Bell
Art Bell
Arthur W. "Art" Bell, III is an American broadcaster and author, known primarily as one of the founders and the original host of the paranormal-themed radio program Coast to Coast AM. He also created and formerly hosted its companion show, Dreamland...
, in which Bell was playing recordings of ghost voices in static, and one of the ghosts’ names was Constantine.
From their hometown of Guelph the band relocated to London, Ontario
London, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
and then 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...
, where in 2001 they released their self-titled first album. Constantines
Constantines (album)
Constantines is the eponymous debut album by the Constantines. It was released June 5, 2001 on the Canadian record label Three Gut Records. In following years, the band's popularity grew due to their critically acclaimed album Shine a Light, and Constantines was subsequently re-released...
enjoyed widespread play on campus radio
Campus radio
Campus radio is a type of radio station that is run by the students of a college, university or other educational institution. Programming may be exclusively by students, or may include programmers from the wider community in which the radio station is based...
and was nominated for a Juno Award
Juno Award
The Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music...
for Best Alternative Album. The first track, "Arizona", is based on the suicide of Danny Rapp
Danny Rapp
Daniel Joseph "Danny" Rapp was an American musician and the frontman for the group Danny & the Juniors. The group is best known for their 1957 hit "At the Hop".He was born in Philadelphia, Pa , the youngest of seven siblings...
, the lead singer of Danny and the Juniors of "At the Hop
At the Hop
"At the Hop" is a hit rock 'n' roll song written by Arthur Singer, John Medora and David White and originally released by Danny & the Juniors. The song was released in the fall of 1957, and reached number one on the US charts on January 6, 1958, thus becoming one of the top-selling singles of 1958...
" fame. The song begins with the lyric "This is a song about the death of Danny Rapp. And that great gospel jest called rock 'n' roll."
In 2002 they added keyboard player Evan Gordon to the lineup and released the EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
The Modern Sinner Nervous Man
The Modern Sinner Nervous Man
The Modern Sinner Nervous Man is an EP album by the Constantines. It was released April 16, 2002 on the Suicide Squeeze record label.-Track listing:# "Dirty Business" – 3:28# "Underneath the Stop Sign" – 4:47# "Blind Luck" – 3:43...
. Gordon left the band soon after to pursue his own song writing. He was replaced by Will Kidman, and the band released Shine a Light in 2003. This album was the band's first to be released outside of Canada on the Sub Pop
Sub Pop
Sub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman in Seattle, Washington. Sub Pop achieved fame in the late 1980s for first signing Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney and many other bands from the Seattle music scene...
record label.
In 2005, they embarked on a cross-Canada tour with The Weakerthans
The Weakerthans
The Weakerthans are a four-piece Canadian indie rock band.-History:The band was formed in 1997 in Winnipeg, Manitoba by John K. Samson, after he left the punk band Propagandhi to start a publishing company. Samson joined forces with bassist John P...
called The Rolling Tundra Revue. Later in the year their album Tournament of Hearts
Tournament of Hearts (album)
Tournament of Hearts is the third full length album by the Constantines. It was released September 27, 2005 on the Canadian label Three Gut Records. Sub Pop released the album outside of Canada two weeks later, on October 11, 2005. In an interview with CBC Radio 3 to promote the release of...
was released September 27 by Toronto record label Three Gut Records
Three Gut Records
Three Gut Records was a Guelph, Ontario, Canada based independent record label. It was founded in 1999 by Lisa Moran and Tyler Clarke Burke as a vehicle for releasing albums by their friends; it became an influential player in Canadian music with the breakout success of the Constantines'...
in Canada, and on October 11 by Sub Pop in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
The members of the Constantines have occasionally played shows under the name Horsey Craze, covering
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
Neil Young
Neil Young
Neil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...
songs. In early 2006, they released a vinyl only split-album with The Unintended
The Unintended
The Unintended is a Canadian indie supergroup, consisting of Dallas Good, Travis Good, Sean Dean and Mike Belitsky of The Sadies, Greg Keelor of Blue Rodeo and Rick White of Eric's Trip and Elevator....
. The Constantines recorded four Neil Young covers for the LP
LP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
, while The Unintended performed four Gordon Lightfoot
Gordon Lightfoot
Gordon Meredith Lightfoot, Jr. is a Canadian singer-songwriter who achieved international success in folk, folk-rock, and country music, and has been credited for helping define the folk-pop sound of the 1960s and 1970s...
songs.
In 2007, following the demise of their former Canadian record label Three Gut Records, the Constantines signed with Arts & Crafts
Arts & Crafts (record label)
Arts & Crafts Productions is a Toronto-based independent artist services company, offering expertise as an independent record label, management firm, merchandiser and music publisher both in Canada and internationally...
. On January 15, 2008 they released a limited edition 7" on white vinyl, entitled Hard Feelings. Their fourth full-length album, Kensington Heights
Kensington Heights
Kensington Heights is the fourth full-length album by the Constantines. It was released on the Arts & Crafts record label April 15, 2008 in Canada, and April 29, 2008 in the US.The track "Hard Feelings" was released as the album's first single....
, was released on April 15 in Canada and April 29 in the US.
Guitarist Steve Lambke has released three albums and a split 12" under the name Baby Eagle, and keyboard player Will Kidman has recorded under the name Woolly Leaves.
In December 2009, the band celebrated their tenth anniversary with a tour of southwestern Ontario. Shortly thereafter, keyboardist Will Kidman left the band. This, coupled with Webb's migration from his home in Montréal back to Guelph, fueled rumours of the band's demise. In an August 2010 radio interview, however, Webb said, "I think we're just slowing down. We'll just say, 'see you around.'"
Current members
- Steve LambkeSteve LambkeSteve Lambke is a Canadian singer-songwriter. He is a vocalist and guitarist for the indie rock band Constantines, and releases solo material under the name Baby Eagle.-Biography:...
– guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, keyboardsElectronic keyboardAn electronic keyboard is an electronic or digital keyboard instrument.The major components of a typical modern electronic keyboard are:...
, vocals - Doug MacGregorDoug MacGregorDoug MacGregor is a Canadian rock musician. He played in the band Shoulder in the 1990s and currently plays drums in the indie rock band the Constantines, as well as a few small side projects.Doug moonlights as a bartender in some of Toronto's hipster hotspots....
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person .... - Bryan WebbBryan WebbBryan Webb often credited as Bry Webb, is a Canadian indie rock singer and songwriter. He is best known as the lead vocalist for indie rock band the Constantines...
– vocals, guitar - Dallas Wehrle – bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, backing vocals
Former members
- Will KidmanWill KidmanWill Kidman is a Canadian rock musician, best known as the keyboard player for the Constantines. He has also released two acoustic solo albums under the name Woolly Leaves, the first entitled Dew Dab, recorded in 2001, before joining the Constantines. His second record, entitled Quiet Waters was...
– keyboards, guitar, percussion, backing vocals - Evan Gordon – keyboards
Albums
- ConstantinesConstantines (album)Constantines is the eponymous debut album by the Constantines. It was released June 5, 2001 on the Canadian record label Three Gut Records. In following years, the band's popularity grew due to their critically acclaimed album Shine a Light, and Constantines was subsequently re-released...
(Three Gut RecordsThree Gut RecordsThree Gut Records was a Guelph, Ontario, Canada based independent record label. It was founded in 1999 by Lisa Moran and Tyler Clarke Burke as a vehicle for releasing albums by their friends; it became an influential player in Canadian music with the breakout success of the Constantines'...
) – June 5, 2001 - Shine a Light (Three Gut Records) – August 19, 2003
- Tournament of HeartsTournament of Hearts (album)Tournament of Hearts is the third full length album by the Constantines. It was released September 27, 2005 on the Canadian label Three Gut Records. Sub Pop released the album outside of Canada two weeks later, on October 11, 2005. In an interview with CBC Radio 3 to promote the release of...
(Three Gut Records) – September 27, 2005 - Kensington HeightsKensington HeightsKensington Heights is the fourth full-length album by the Constantines. It was released on the Arts & Crafts record label April 15, 2008 in Canada, and April 29, 2008 in the US.The track "Hard Feelings" was released as the album's first single....
(Arts & CraftsArts & Crafts (record label)Arts & Crafts Productions is a Toronto-based independent artist services company, offering expertise as an independent record label, management firm, merchandiser and music publisher both in Canada and internationally...
) – April 15, 2008
EPs
- The Modern Sinner Nervous ManThe Modern Sinner Nervous ManThe Modern Sinner Nervous Man is an EP album by the Constantines. It was released April 16, 2002 on the Suicide Squeeze record label.-Track listing:# "Dirty Business" – 3:28# "Underneath the Stop Sign" – 4:47# "Blind Luck" – 3:43...
(EP, Suicide Squeeze RecordsSuicide Squeeze RecordsSuicide Squeeze Records is a Seattle, WA - based independent record label that presses a significant number of 7" vinyl singles in addition to the more prevalent compact discs. The label was started in August 1996 with the release of a 7" single from 764-Hero. The label quickly grew from owner...
) – April 16, 2002 - Nighttime AnytimeNighttime AnytimeNighttime Anytime is an EP album by the Constantines released July 8, 2003 on the Sub Pop record label. The first two tracks are songs that were later released on the album Shine a Light...
(EP, Sub PopSub PopSub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman in Seattle, Washington. Sub Pop achieved fame in the late 1980s for first signing Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney and many other bands from the Seattle music scene...
) – July 8, 2003
Singles
- Young Lions (single, Sub Pop) – August 10, 2004
- Hard Feelings (7" single, Arts & Crafts) – January 15, 2008
- Islands in the Stream (7" single with Feist, Arts & Crafts) – 2008
- Our Age (7" single, Arts & Crafts, B-side is cover of "Fuckin' UpFuckin' UpFuckin' Up is a song by Neil Young from his album, Ragged Glory, released in 1990. It features grungy distorted guitar playing and heavy drums. It has been covered live by Pearl Jam and featured on their album Live on Two Legs....
" by Neil Young and Crazy Horse) – November 25, 2008 - Too Slow for Love (Electronic-only companion for Kensington Heights) – March 17, 2009
Splits
- Constantines Play Young/Unintended Play LightfootConstantines Play Young/Unintended Play LightfootConstantines Play Young/Unintended Play Lightfoot is a 2006 split album released only on vinyl by independent record label Blue Fog Records. The LP features Canadian indie rock band the Constantines covering four songs by Neil Young on side one, and Canadian supergroup The Unintended performing...
LPLP albumThe LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
(Blue Fog Records) – 2006
Compilation Appearances
- The 20 Year Design Theory (AntiAntenna Recordings) – "The Young and the Desperate" – June 1, 2001
- Patient Zero – "Young Lions" (Sub Pop) – June 1, 2004
- CBC Radio 3 Sessions, Vol. 1CBC Radio 3 Sessions, Vol. 1CBC Radio 3 Sessions, Vol. 1 is a compilation album released in 2004, compiling tracks from live sessions performed on CBC Radio 3.- Track listing :# Sloan - "Losing California" # The New Pornographers - "The Fake Headlines"...
– "Blind Luck (live)" – June 15, 2004 - Wide Awake, Crescent Shaped: Volume 10 – "St. You (live)" – June 15, 2004
- Songbook Of Songs (Sub Pop) – "Working Full-Time" – May 24, 2005
See also
- Music of CanadaMusic of CanadaThe music of Canada has influences that have shaped the country. Aboriginals, the British, and the French have all made unique contributions to the musical heritage of Canada. The music has subsequently been heavily influenced by American culture because of its proximity and migration between...
- Canadian rockCanadian rockCanadian rock describes a wide and diverse variety of music produced by Canadians, beginning with American style rock 'n' roll in the mid-20th century. Since then Canada has had a considerable impact on the development of the modern popular music called rock...
- List of bands from Canada
- List of Canadian musicians
- :Category:Canadian musical groups
External links
- Constantines official website
- Constantines on former label Three Gut RecordsThree Gut RecordsThree Gut Records was a Guelph, Ontario, Canada based independent record label. It was founded in 1999 by Lisa Moran and Tyler Clarke Burke as a vehicle for releasing albums by their friends; it became an influential player in Canadian music with the breakout success of the Constantines'...
- Constantines on Sub PopSub PopSub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman in Seattle, Washington. Sub Pop achieved fame in the late 1980s for first signing Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney and many other bands from the Seattle music scene...