The Motes are a Canadian
indie rock
Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom, United States and New Zealand in the early to mid-1980s. Although the term was originally used to describe rock music released through independent reco ...
band from
Truro, Nova Scotia
Truro (Scottish Gaelic: ''Trùru'') is a town in central Nova Scotia, Canada. Truro is the shire town of Colchester County and is located on the south side of the Salmon River (Nova Scotia), Salmon River floodplain, close to the river's mouth ...
, and the founders of a record label called Ant Records. When recording, The Motes were J. LaPointe, and Jon Hutt. When performing live they were the recording duo plus Daniel MacDonald, and Craig Thibault.
History
The Motes began performing locally and releasing music on cassette in 1994.
["Motes The Remains of False Starts"]
''Exclaim!'', By Kevin Hainey Aug 01, 2005 Their first release, on their own label, Ant Records, was ''Super Useless Powers''.
The band performed in
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Halifax is the capital and most populous municipality of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the most populous municipality in Atlantic Canada. As of 2024, it is estimated that the population of the H ...
with the band State Champs,
[James Covey]
"I don’t want to get a job…I want to rock it up full time : A look back at the original Halifax pop explosion"
''Label Obscura'', June 27, 2016 and in 1996 The Motes released a 45 rpm split single, "You'll Love the Epcot Plams/The New Physics", with them, through Ant Records. However, the Motes did not tour extensively to promote their releases.
By 1997 The Motes had disbanded; members of the band went on to form a number of other bands in and around Halifax, including
North of America
North of America is a Canadian post hardcore band formed in 1997 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The music group has recorded with Matlock Records in Canada and the American label Level Plane Records. Members of Halifax's State Champs and Truro's The ...
,
Recyclone, and
INSTRUMENTS
Instrument may refer to:
Science and technology
* Flight instruments, the devices used to measure the speed, altitude, and pertinent flight angles of various kinds of aircraft
* Laboratory equipment, the measuring tools used in a scientific lab ...
.
In 2005 a collection of the band's previously recorded tracks was released on Dependent Records, along with five new tracks.
In 2018 the band released a collection of alternate versions and outtakes titled Normandy Oddity. The cover art for Normandy Oddity was featured on the Music That Doesn't Suck blog.
Three of the original members The Motes performed live for the first time in 22 years as part of the Dartmouth Flood music festival in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia on Saturday, October 26, 2019.
Ant Records
Ant Records was an
independent record label
An independent record label (or indie label) is a record label that operates without the funding or distribution of major record labels; they are a type of small and medium-sized enterprise, small- to medium-sized enterprise, or SME. The labels ...
that was started by members of The Motes. The label released mainly
cassettes and
7-inch singles. The label was founded in 1993, and continued releasing music until 1999.
Discography
*1994: The Motes - ''Super Useless Powers'' (cassette, Ant Records)
*1994: The Motes - ''Secret Air Base'' (cassette, Ant Records)
*1995: The Motes - ''Gesner'' (cassette, Ant Records)
*1996: The Motes - ''The New Physics'' (split 7-inch w/ State Champs, Ant Records / Daydream Records)
*1997: The Motes - ''Trellis I Tripod'' (cassette, Ant Records)
*1998: The Motes - ''The Remains of False Starts'' (cassette, Ant Records)
*1999: The Motes - ''Joe'' (CD, Ant Records)
*2005: The Motes - ''The Remains of False Starts'' (CD re-release, Dependent Music)
*2010: The Motes - ''History Missed'' (remastered digital re-release of all previous albums with bonus tracks)
*2018: The Motes - ''Normandy Oddity'' (alternate versions and outtakes, 1994-1998)
*2020: The Motes - ''Bad Sector'' (digital)
*2020: The Motes - ''Suggestion: Move Quickly'' (digital re-release)
*2021: The Motes - ''Teleport Without Error: Live at Birdland (1995)''
*2021: The Motes - ''L:CD R:OM'' (digital re-release)
*2024: The Motes - ''The Riveter'' (digital)
References
External links
The MOTES official website The MOTES on BandcampAnt Records at Discogs
{{DEFAULTSORT:Motes, The
Musical groups from Halifax, Nova Scotia
Canadian indie rock groups
Musical groups established in 1994
Musical groups disestablished in 1998
1994 establishments in Nova Scotia