The Unicorns were an
indie popIndie pop is a genre of alternative rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the mid 1980s, with its roots in the Scottish post-punk bands on the Postcard Records label in the early '80s such as Orange Juice and Josef K and the dominant UK independent band of the mid eighties, The Smiths...
band from
MontrealMontreal is the second-largest city in Canada and the largest city in the province of Quebec. Originally called Ville-Marie , the city takes its present name from Mont-Royal, the triple-peaked hill located in the heart of the city, whose name was also initially given to the island on which the...
,
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, formed in December 2000 by
Nicholas ThorburnNicholas Thorburn is a Canadian musician who has fronted The Unicorns, Th' Corn Gangg, Islands, Reefer, and Human Highway. He has gone by the stage name "Nick Diamonds."...
(Nick Diamonds) and
Alden PennerAlden Penner is a Canadian musician who founded influential indie pop band The Unicorns with Nicholas Thorburn in 2000. Shortly after forming, the band quietly created a demo, entitled Three Inches of Blood, which they gave to owners of the venues they played at...
(Alden Ginger), who were later joined by
Jamie ThompsonJamie Thompson is a Canadian musician who has been the drummer for several Canadian bands, including The Unicorns, Islands, and Th' Corn Gangg. Jamie joined The Unicorns in 2003 for the release of the band's first major album, Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone?...
(J'aime Tambour) in December 2003.
http://www.alien8recordings.com/artists/the-unicorns
The Unicorns were originally formed in December 2000 by
Nicholas ThorburnNicholas Thorburn is a Canadian musician who has fronted The Unicorns, Th' Corn Gangg, Islands, Reefer, and Human Highway. He has gone by the stage name "Nick Diamonds."...
(stage name Nick "Neil" Diamonds, as well as a host of other aliases) and
Alden PennerAlden Penner is a Canadian musician who founded influential indie pop band The Unicorns with Nicholas Thorburn in 2000. Shortly after forming, the band quietly created a demo, entitled Three Inches of Blood, which they gave to owners of the venues they played at...
(stage name, Alden Ginger;
Elvis PresleyElvis Aaron Presley was an American singer and actor. A cultural icon, he is commonly known simply as Elvis and is also sometimes referred to as The King of Rock 'n' Roll or The King....
's fiancée when he died was
Ginger AldenGinger Alden is an American actress/model who is best known as being the fiancee of Elvis Presley....
).
The Unicorns were an
indie popIndie pop is a genre of alternative rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the mid 1980s, with its roots in the Scottish post-punk bands on the Postcard Records label in the early '80s such as Orange Juice and Josef K and the dominant UK independent band of the mid eighties, The Smiths...
band from
MontrealMontreal is the second-largest city in Canada and the largest city in the province of Quebec. Originally called Ville-Marie , the city takes its present name from Mont-Royal, the triple-peaked hill located in the heart of the city, whose name was also initially given to the island on which the...
,
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, formed in December 2000 by
Nicholas ThorburnNicholas Thorburn is a Canadian musician who has fronted The Unicorns, Th' Corn Gangg, Islands, Reefer, and Human Highway. He has gone by the stage name "Nick Diamonds."...
(Nick Diamonds) and
Alden PennerAlden Penner is a Canadian musician who founded influential indie pop band The Unicorns with Nicholas Thorburn in 2000. Shortly after forming, the band quietly created a demo, entitled Three Inches of Blood, which they gave to owners of the venues they played at...
(Alden Ginger), who were later joined by
Jamie ThompsonJamie Thompson is a Canadian musician who has been the drummer for several Canadian bands, including The Unicorns, Islands, and Th' Corn Gangg. Jamie joined The Unicorns in 2003 for the release of the band's first major album, Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone?...
(J'aime Tambour) in December 2003.
http://www.alien8recordings.com/artists/the-unicorns
History
The Unicorns were originally formed in December 2000 by
Nicholas ThorburnNicholas Thorburn is a Canadian musician who has fronted The Unicorns, Th' Corn Gangg, Islands, Reefer, and Human Highway. He has gone by the stage name "Nick Diamonds."...
(stage name Nick "Neil" Diamonds, as well as a host of other aliases) and
Alden PennerAlden Penner is a Canadian musician who founded influential indie pop band The Unicorns with Nicholas Thorburn in 2000. Shortly after forming, the band quietly created a demo, entitled Three Inches of Blood, which they gave to owners of the venues they played at...
(stage name, Alden Ginger;
Elvis PresleyElvis Aaron Presley was an American singer and actor. A cultural icon, he is commonly known simply as Elvis and is also sometimes referred to as The King of Rock 'n' Roll or The King....
's fiancée when he died was
Ginger AldenGinger Alden is an American actress/model who is best known as being the fiancee of Elvis Presley....
). They were later joined by drummer
Jamie ThompsonJamie Thompson is a Canadian musician who has been the drummer for several Canadian bands, including The Unicorns, Islands, and Th' Corn Gangg. Jamie joined The Unicorns in 2003 for the release of the band's first major album, Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone?...
(stage name J'aime Tambeur).
The band self-released their debut album
Unicorns Are People TooUnicorns Are People Too was The Unicorns' first release, and was limited to 500 copies on their own label, Caterpillars of the Community. It does not feature Jamie Thompson .-Track listing:# "I Do " – 3:51...
in March 2003 through their own record label Caterpillars of the Community, with a limited press run of 500 copies.
In October of the same year they went back into the studio, recording several new songs as well as reworking a number of songs from their debut. The resulting second album,
Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone? Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone? is the second and last full-length album of Canadian Indie-rock band The Unicorns. It was released in 2003.-Track listing:# "I Don't Wanna Die" – 2:03# "Tuff Ghost" – 2:57# "Ghost Mountain" – 3:10...
, recorded by
Mark LawsonMark Lawson is a freelance audio engineer and record producer based in Montreal, Canada. He has contributed to, among others, Islands , Arcade Fire , Ballast, Bell Orchestre , SoCalled, Alden Penner, the The Hamster Cage film score, as well as the television program Da Vinci's Inquest...
in Montreal, was released in November 2003 on the label Alien8 Recordings. It was a notable departure for a label that has traditionally released albums by
avant-gardeAvant-garde means "advance guard" or "vanguard". The adjective form is used in English, to refer to people or works that are experimental or innovative, particularly with respect to art, culture, and politics....
and highly experimental artists such as
Acid Mothers TempleAcid Mothers Temple & the Melting Paraiso U.F.O. is a Japanese psychedelic band, the core of which formed in 1995. The band is led by guitarist Kawabata Makoto and early in their career featured many musicians, but by 2004 the line-up had coalesced with only a few core members and frequent guest...
and noise pioneer
Merzbowis a noise project created in Tokyo, Japan in 1979 under the direction of noise technician . Since 1979, he has formed two record labels and has contributed releases to numerous independent record labels. As well as being a prolific artist, he has also written a number of books and has been the...
.
The album received glowing reviews from
The Village VoiceThe Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper in New York City, United States featuring investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts reviews and events listings for New York City...
,
NMEThe New Musical Express is a popular music magazine in the United Kingdom which has been published weekly since March 1952. It was the first British paper to include a singles chart, which first appeared in the 14 November 1952 edition. The magazine's commercial heyday was during the 1970s when it...
, online magazine
PitchforkPitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on independent music, especially indie rock...
and numerous other publications around the world,
http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/unicorns/whowillcutourhairwhenweregone?q=the%20unicorns and it quickly earned the band a fanatical following on the indie-rock circuit. The band toured constantly for thirteen months following its release, initially supporting fellow Canadian band
Hot Hot HeatHot Hot Heat is an indie rock band from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. The band currently is composed of Steve Bays , Paul Hawley , Parker Bossley and Luke Paquin .-Biography:...
across North America before proceeding to play to sold-out crowds in Australia, Europe and the UK, as well as touring several more times across the U.S. and Canada.
In November 2004, a split 7" between the Unicorns and noise artists,
Man Is The BastardMan Is the Bastard were a pioneering hardcore punk band who contributed the name, and perhaps also the ethos, to the punk subgenre known as power violence...
, for release on
Kitty Play RecordsKitty Play is a New Jersey based record label formed in late 2003. It is owned and operated by Mark Blumenthal. The label's acts covers a wide variety of genres from straight forward rock music to abrasive noise. Currently the label is operating via a myspace site and will return from hiatus in the...
was announced by the bands website and Pitchfork media but it was never finished.
http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/page/news/33885/The_Unicorns_Plan_Split_SevenInch_Tour_Australia#33885
The band's hectic touring schedule took its toll, however, and by the time of their Australian tour in December 2004 they were showing signs of exhaustion, playing reportedly lukewarm shows and verbally clashing with audience members.
http://exclaim.ca/musicreviews/generalreview.aspx?csid1=53&csid2=886&fid1=26557 On December 28, 2004, a short message appeared on the Unicorns' website reading "THE UNICORNS ARE DEAD, (R.I.P.)", leading fans to speculate as to whether they had broken up.
In early February 2005
PitchforkPitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on independent music, especially indie rock...
reported that The Unicorns had split. Also the website
Solid PR issued a press statement on the band's behalf confirming the claims of break-up.
Thorburn and Thompson continued to collaborate together as
Th' Corn GanggTh' Corn Gangg is an indie pop/hip hop band from Montreal, Canada. The band was founded by Jamie Thompson and Nicholas Thorburn as a direct off-shoot project of The Unicorns several months prior to their December 2004 break-up, but prior to the formation of Islands by those same two musicians.Th'...
(a pop/hip-hop project) and
IslandsIslands is an indie rock band based in Montreal, Quebec, which currently records for Anti Records.-Return to the Sea:In mid-2005 Islands recorded a debut album titled Return to the Sea, which was released in April 2006...
(a pop project). However, on May 28, 2006, Jamie Thompson announced his departure from Islands.
Penner released a
7"A gramophone record, commonly known as phonograph record, vinyl record, or simply record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed modulated spiral groove usually starting near the periphery and ending near the centre of the disc...
on the
MelbourneMelbourne is the capital city and most populous city of the State of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne city centre is the anchor of the larger geographical area and statistical division known as the Greater Melbourne metropolitan area – of which Melbourne is...
-based Art School Dropout label. The A-side,
The Ghost of Creaky Crater"The Ghost of Creaky Crater" is a single released by Canadian musician Alden Penner. It was recorded in Melbourne, Australia while his then-band, The Unicorns, were touring the country...
, was recorded in Melbourne on December 19, 2004 while The Unicorns were touring the country. The release was limited to a hundred copies. Penner performed under the name Dub Intefadah
http://www.peak.sfu.ca/the-peak/2005-3/issue6/ar-dubint.html and scored the soundtrack for the indepdendent
feature filmIn the film industry, a feature film is a film made for initial distribution in theaters and being the "main attraction" of the screening...
The Hamster Cage.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0431799/fullcredits Alden recently formed a new band called Clues, with Brendan Reed (formerly of the Arcade Fire and Les Angles Morts), and Bethany Or, of the band
Shanghai TriadShanghai Triad is a 1995 Chinese film, directed by Zhang Yimou and starring Gong Li. The film is set in the criminal underworld of 1930s Shanghai and spans seven days...
. They made their debut at
Pop MontrealPop 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 acts are scheduled to play in more than 50 venues across the city, mostly located in the Mile End area...
in October 2007.
Members
- Nicholas Thorburn
Nicholas Thorburn is a Canadian musician who has fronted The Unicorns, Th' Corn Gangg, Islands, Reefer, and Human Highway. He has gone by the stage name "Nick Diamonds."...
- stage name "Nick 'Neil' Diamonds"
- Alden Penner
Alden Penner is a Canadian musician who founded influential indie pop band The Unicorns with Nicholas Thorburn in 2000. Shortly after forming, the band quietly created a demo, entitled Three Inches of Blood, which they gave to owners of the venues they played at...
- stage name "Alden Ginger"
- Jamie Thompson
Jamie Thompson is a Canadian musician who has been the drummer for several Canadian bands, including The Unicorns, Islands, and Th' Corn Gangg. Jamie joined The Unicorns in 2003 for the release of the band's first major album, Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone?...
- stage name "J'aime Tambeur"
Albums
- Three Inches of Blood (Early split Demos)
- Unicorns Are People Too
Unicorns Are People Too was The Unicorns' first release, and was limited to 500 copies on their own label, Caterpillars of the Community. It does not feature Jamie Thompson .-Track listing:# "I Do " – 3:51...
(Caterpillars of the Community, March 2003) - limited to 500 copies
- Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone?
Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone? is the second and last full-length album of Canadian Indie-rock band The Unicorns. It was released in 2003.-Track listing:# "I Don't Wanna Die" – 2:03# "Tuff Ghost" – 2:57# "Ghost Mountain" – 3:10...
(Alien8, November 2003; Black/Pink vinyl released March 2004)
Singles/EPs
- The Unicorns: 2014 b/w Emasculate the Masculine (March 23, 2004) 7" on Suicide Squeeze Records
Suicide 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...
- The Unicorns: 2014
The Unicorns: 2014 is an EP by The Unicorns released in 2004 by Suicide Squeeze Records. It was the final release of the The Unicorns before the band split up.-Track listing:#"The Unicorns: 2014" 3:55#"Emasculate the Masculine" 4:15...
- EP
Unreleased tracks
- "Haunted House"
- "Abominable Snowman"
- "Livin' in the Country"
- "The Adventures of Bayou Billy"
- "Hanz(Suicide Is a Shame)"
- "I Do It (For Your Love)"
- "Bad Mind"
- "Rough Gem"
See also
- Th' Corn Gangg
Th' Corn Gangg is an indie pop/hip hop band from Montreal, Canada. The band was founded by Jamie Thompson and Nicholas Thorburn as a direct off-shoot project of The Unicorns several months prior to their December 2004 break-up, but prior to the formation of Islands by those same two musicians.Th'...
- Islands
Islands is an indie rock band based in Montreal, Quebec, which currently records for Anti Records.-Return to the Sea:In mid-2005 Islands recorded a debut album titled Return to the Sea, which was released in April 2006...
- Clues
Clues are an indie pop band from Montreal, Canada formed by Alden Penner, Brendan Reed and Bethany Or. After Or left the band, local musicians Ben Borden, Lisa Gamble and Nick Scribner solidified the lineup.-Formation :...
- Human Highway
Human Highway is a Canadian indie rock band, consisting of singer-songwriter Jim Guthrie and Nicholas Thorburn of the band Islands. The band's name is a reference to the Neil Young song "Human Highway" , which was suggested by Thorburn after attending a Neil Young concert.The band started while...
- Small is Beautiful
- Reefer
External links
Official sites
Related Projects
- Reefer — Nick Thorburn and Daddy Kev
Daddy Kev is a prolific underground hip-hop and electronic musicproducer, recording engineer and record label owner. His recording studio is known as The Echo Chamber, currently located in Downtown Los Angeles....
.
- The Small is Beautiful — Jamie Thompson's mashup
A mashup, bootleg or blend is a song or composition created by blending two or more songs, usually by overlaying the vocal track of one song seamlessly over the music track of another.- Synonyms :...
/hip-hop project.
- Human Highway — Nick Thorburn and Jim Guthrie
Jim Guthrie is a Canadian singer-songwriter. He has recorded both as a solo artist and as a member of the bands Islands, Royal City and Human Highway.He was born and raised in Guelph, Ontario, and currently lives in Toronto....
.
Interviews & Articles
Fansites