Paint

"In a world where too many bands are 'too cool' to write danceable hooks, Paint is ice-f*$king-cold because they do... Paint have hit an easy medium between order and chaos, 'the marriage of heaven and hell' as William Blake would say. Paint is a very tight combo that play with reckless abandon. Paint somehow manages to combine the mathematical structure of Rush with the melodic anarchy of Sonic Youth. The end result is a show that is not to be missed and an album that is more than worth your time" (The Loudmouth Bear) Paint's rock 'n' roll mission is clear: to delicately balance a "wall of sound" with infectious, pop-infused hooks, clever, thought-provoking narratives, and "lyrics that scream out for a new generation to step forward, learn, and take care of the world around us" (Youthink). The songs are an anthemic hybrid: where the screaming tube amps of Brit rock bands like Oasis, Catherine Wheel, and Idlewild meet the social awareness and grand tradition of fine storytellers like Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, and Billy Bragg; where the intellectual indie rock sensibility of Bright Eyes meets the stadium rock grandiosity of U2, Pearl Jam, Radiohead, R.E.M., and the Smashing Pumpkins. Singer/guitarist and social activist Robb Johannes envisioned Paint in Vancouver in 2008 as a fusion of experiments in pop, shoegaze, and punk rock. Upon relocation to Canada’s music capital of Toronto in late-2009, the band's impassioned live show and take-no-prisoners attitude quickly accumulated snowball audiences and critical praise. Their sonically ambitious and unapologetic album, Can You Hear Me?, has been called "5 stars: in your face, but not overpowering, melodic but still harsh, well-crafted but not over-perfected... yet uplifting... (with) an underlying sense of sonic maturity and strong lyrical insight... manages to retain the attractive simplicity of a great rock album" (Youthink) and "...done with so much audacity and seismic guitar crunch... (Paint) wisely keep the sound big, but the anthemic denouements concise" (Montreal Mirror). In just seven months in their new home, Paint had already won a vote on Canada’s biggest rock station, 102.1 The Edge as a fan favourite, and jumped into marathon touring expeditions through Ontario and Quebec. They’ve headlined festivals such as Under the Volcano, showcased at Canadian Music Week, North By Northeast, and New Music West, performed at the Light of Day Concert Series (often headlined by Bruce Springsteen and the Goo Goo Dolls), worked with producer Caleb Stull (Hinterland, The Neins Circa), and shared the stage with The Februarys, Marah, The Joy Formidable, Veda Hille, Adrienne Pierce, The Vicious Guns, Willie Nile, Paper Moon, Parlour Steps, The Ascot Royals, and The Orchid Highway. Robb Johannes: vocals, guitar Mandy Dunbar: guitar, vocals Marcus Warren: bass Chris Oliver: drums