Dead Messenger is a Canadian power pop/rock band from
Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple- ...
,
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Government of Canada, Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is ...
, Canada. They have released 3 albums, and their frenetic, high energy live performances have garnered them a reputation as one of the best live bands in Montreal.
History
The Band was formed in 2005 by Roger White (guitar, lead Vox) Ted Yates (lead guitar) Sebastien Marin (bass) and Charlton Snow (drums). In 2006 they released a self-titled album that was recorded by ex
Planet Smashers
The Planet Smashers are a Canadian ska punk band from Montreal. Since their formation in 1993, they have been a staple of the Montreal music scene. During the third wave of ska, they performed nationally and later internationally, with tours in ...
Drummer Tim Doyl in Montreal and mixed by
Jordon Zadorozny at his French Kiss Studios in
Pembroke, Ontario
Pembroke is a city in the Canadian province of Ontario at the confluence of the Muskrat River and the Ottawa River in the Ottawa Valley. Pembroke is the location of the administrative headquarters of Renfrew County, though the city itself is pol ...
.
In 2007 Dead Messenger went on hiatus and Sebastien Marin left the band. In early 2008 the band reformed with Alex Chavel on bass and began working on new material. In the fall of that year they recorded ''Love Is the Only Weapon'' at
Breakglass Studios in Montreal. The album was produced by
Jonathan Cummins (ex
doughboys
Doughboy was a popular nickname for the American infantryman during World War I. Though the origins of the term are not certain, the nickname was still in use as of the early 1940s. Examples include the 1942 song "Johnny Doughboy Found a Rose in ...
, Bionic) and engineered by
Jace Lasek
Jace Lasek is a Canadian musician and producer living in Montreal. He and his wife Olga Goreas are the principal songwriters for the Montreal-based indie rock band The Besnard Lakes. Lasek plays guitar, bass, drums and keyboards. He is also the b ...
(
The Besnard Lakes
The Besnard Lakes ( ) are a Canadian indie rock band from Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Formed in 2003 by the husband and wife team of Jace Lasek and Olga Goreas, the band also includes Kevin Laing (drums), Richard White (guitar), Sheenah Ko (keybo ...
).
The band has played such festivals as
Pop Montreal
POP Montreal is an annual music festival occurring in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in the early fall, usually at the end of September or the beginning of October. More than 400 bands are scheduled to play in more than 50 venues across the city, mos ...
,
Canadian Music Week
Canadian Music Week (or CMW) is an industry conference and music festival held over ten days in Toronto and Ontario, Canada.
History
Canadian Music Week began in 1981 and has grown to become one of Canada's largest and most influential media a ...
,
NXNE
North by Northeast (or NXNE) is an annual music and arts festival held each June in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The festival's main focus is live music, but it also includes an eSports gaming tournament, comedy, a conversations series, a flea mark ...
, Pitter Patter Fest and
UnPop Montreal, as well as performing live at the 2011 GAMIQ awards (Gala Alternatif de la Musique Indépendante du Québec).
''Love Is The Only Weapon'' was rated 96 on
CKUT Montreal top 100 Albums chart for 2009.
In Feb 2013 Dead Messenger released "Recharger". The album was initially intended to be a follow-up EP to "Love Is The Only Weapon" and was to be released in early 2011.
[Dead Messenger entre le sublime et le tragique](_blank)
Scene 1425 "Recharger" was being recorded at The Pound, an underground live venue/art gallery/cultural space and home base to the band. Recording was cut short due to the Pound having to close its doors as the result of a lack of permits.
Shortly after this lead guitarist Ted Yates became seriously ill and spent the better part of a year in and out of the hospital.
White, Chavel, and Snow briefly considered disbanding the group as the severity of Yates's illness became apparent, but decided to continue on and record a full-length at the urging of Yates, with Yates contributing as a writer but unable to attend pre production rehearsals.
Using Yates's condition as an inspiration, "Recharger" explores themes of life, death, and starting over, and has a much more conceptual and atmospheric feel than its predecessor.
Recharger was recorded by Roger White and Alex Chavel and Mixed By Aaron Holmberg
"Recharger" debuted in Feb 2013 at #167 in the top 200 national college radio chart in Canada.
Charlton Snow left the band in the Summer of 2015, he was replaced by Tim Harbinson formerly of the band
Laki Mera
Laki Mera are a three-piece electronic band, based in Glasgow, Scotland.
History
Formed in 2004 as a recording project by Andrea Gobbi and Laura Donnelly (formerly of God's Boyfriend), Laki Mera took their name from the Chimaera of Greek myt ...
.
In 2015, four of the band's songs were featured in CBC's critically acclaimed drama This Life.
Members
Current
*Roger White - Guitar, Lead Vox (2005–present)
*Ted Yates - Lead Guitar, Vox (2005–present)
*Tim Harbinson - Drums (2015–present)
*Alex Chavel - Bass, Vox (2008–present)
Former members
*Sebastien Marin - Bass, Vox (2005–2007)
*Charlton Snow - Drums (2005–2015)
Discography
*''Dead Messenger'' (2006)
*''Love Is The Only Weapon'' (2009)
*''Recharger'' (2013)
*''The Owl in Daylight''(2016)
Videography
*Fat Black Heart (2009)
*Toothcomb (2013)
*Can't Help Myself (2013)
References
External links
deadmessenger.netDead Messenger - FAT BLACK HEARTEcoutez.ca - Découvrez, partagez et encouragez la musique du QuébecNow Toronto
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dead Messenger
Canadian indie rock groups
Canadian power pop groups
Musical groups from Montreal
Musical groups established in 2005
English-language musical groups from Quebec