The New Pornographers

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The New Pornographers
The New Pornographers, 2005.jpg
Background information
Origin Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Genres Indie rock, power pop
Years active 1999–present
Labels Matador, Mint, Last Gang
Associated acts Pretty Girls Make Graves, Destroyer, AC Newman, Limblifter, Age of Electric, Zumpano
Website thenewpornographers.com
Members Dan Bejar
Kathryn Calder
Neko Case
John Collins
Todd Fancey
Carl Newman
Blaine Thurier
Past members Kurt Dahle
Fisher Rose

The New Pornographers is a Canadian indie rock band formed in 1999 in Vancouver, British Columbia.

History

The band's first four albums each placed in the top 40 on The Village Voice's Pazz & Jop year-end poll of hundreds of music reviewers. From 2000 to 2006, either a New Pornographers' album or a solo album from one of the band's members ranked in the top 40 on the list each year.[1] In 2007, Blender magazine ranked The New Pornographers' first album, Mass Romantic, the 24th best indie album of all time. It is the second-highest Canadian album on the list, behind Arcade Fire's Funeral (which came in sixth).[2] In 2009, Rolling Stone magazine ranked the band's second studio album, Electric Version, No. 79 in the "100 Best Albums of the Decade".[3]

The name of the band was chosen by Carl Newman, who has said that he came up with it after watching a Japanese film called The Pornographers.[4] Many writers have assumed that the name was a reference to Jimmy Swaggart's claim that rock and roll was "the new pornography."[5] The band has released six albums to date: Mass Romantic (2000), Electric Version (2003), Twin Cinema (2005), Challengers (2007), Together (2010), and Brill Bruisers (2014). A live album recorded on their 2006 tour is available only at concerts and on the band's website.

In 2005, the band was the subject of Reginald Harkema's documentary film Better Off in Bed.[6]

All of the band's original members were prominent within the Vancouver music scene prior to forming The New Pornographers. Kathryn Calder, who is also Newman's niece, joined the band in 2005 largely as a live replacement for Case, whose solo career often left her unavailable to perform with the band. Calder's first lead vocals for the band were on 2007's Challengers, singing the lead on "Failsafe" and sharing the lead with Newman on "Adventures in Solitude"[citation needed].

In 2009, The New Pornographers contributed a cover of the Destroyer song "Hey, Snow White" to the AIDS benefit album Dark Was the Night, produced by the Red Hot Organization.

The band released their fifth album, Together, on May 4, 2010 on Matador Records. The album includes collaborations from St. Vincent, Beirut's Zach Condon, and Okkervil River's Will Sheff.[7]

In 2012, The New Pornographers contributed a cover of the song "Think About Me" for the Fleetwood Mac tribute CD called "Just Tell Me That You Want Me" released by Hear Music.

The band's sixth album, Brill Bruisers, was released on August 26, 2014.

Members

Current members

Members' other projects in brackets

Touring members

Former members

Former touring members

  • Lindsay "Coco" Hames – vocals, percussion, acoustic guitar (The Ettes) (2014)

Timeline

Discography

Year Title Peak chart positions
US
[9][10]
UK
[11]
2000 Mass Romantic
  • Released: November 28, 2000
  • Label: Mint
  • Formats: CD, LP
2003 Electric Version
  • Released: May 6, 2003
  • Label: Mint/Matador
  • Formats: CD, LP
196
2005 Twin Cinema
  • Released: August 23, 2005
  • Label: Mint/Matador
  • Formats: CD, LP
44
2007 Challengers
  • Released: August 21, 2007
  • Label: Matador
  • Formats: CD, LP
34 156
2010 Together
  • Released: May 4, 2010
  • Label: Matador
  • Formats: CD, LP
18
2014 Brill Bruisers
  • Released: August 26, 2014
  • Label: Matador
  • Formats: CD, LP
13

Live albums

  • Live Session (iTunes Exclusive) (2005)
  • LIVE! (2006)
  • LIVE from SoHo (iTunes Exclusive) (2008)

Singles

  • "Letter from an Occupant" (2002, Europe)
    B-sides: "The End Of Medicine", "When I Was A Baby" (The Donner Party cover) (UK No. 139)[11]
  • "Use It" (2005)
  • "Sing Me Spanish Techno" (2005)
    B-side: "Graceland"
  • "High Art, Local News" 7" (2005), available with purchase of Twin Cinema
  • "My Rights Versus Yours" (2007)
  • "Myriad Harbour" (2007)
    B-sides: "Fugue State"; "Silent Systems"
  • "The Spirit of Giving" (2007)
    B-sides: "Joseph, Who Understood"; "Arms of Mary/Looking at a Baby" (Chilliwack cover medley)
  • "Togetherness" 7" (often titled as "Togetherness: The New Pornographers Play Outrageous Cherry") (2010)
    B-sides: "Georgie, Don't You Know"; "Electric Child Of Witchcraft Rising"
  • "Your Hands (Together)" (2010)
  • "Crash Years" (2010)
  • "Moves" (2011)
    B-side: "A Drug Deal Of The Heart"
  • "Brill Bruisers" (2014)[12]
  • "War on the East Coast" (2014)
  • "Dancehall Domine" (2014)

Contributions

  • Hyundai Commercial (Canada) – "Moves"
  • Go On (Opening Credits) (2012) – "Moves"

See also

References

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  6. "Harkema's road rockumentary inspired by the Rolling Stones". Edmonton Journal, July 22, 2005.
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External links