Posted on: January 28, 2009 Posted by: anfnewsacct Comments: 0

As 2006 saw a new wave of indie dance-rock hit the radars, with bands like the Klaxons, CSS, Crystal Castles and The Teenagers quickly hijacking the attentions of music lovers and critics all over the world, an up and coming five-piece from British Columbia named You Say Party! We Say Die! (or YSP!WSD! for short) were quickly developing a name for themselves minutes over the Northern borders of Canada (where they have currently been residing comfortably at #1 on college radio for the past 6 weeks). From their humble beginnings, this exciting, indie-punk five piece have worked fans into a dancing frenzy far and wide, from their home in a small Canadian farm town to overseas in Camden town.

You Say Party! We Say Die! began their days opening up for local bands in a church basement of their hometown of Abbotsford, just a short drive away from Vancouver, Canada. It was there that they steadily gathered a growing legion of loyal fans extending far beyond the basement, yielding a successful national tour and independently releasing their debut EP, ‘danskwad’ (pronounced: “dance-squad”) in 2005 — soon after they signed to Sound Document who sent them back to the studio to work on their debut album.

Two full lengths later, with plenty of lengthy and enjoyable yet equally exhausting tours behind them, the band decided to take some time off from the road in 2008 to record their newest album, XXXX signed to Paper Bag Records. Set for release in the US early next year, coupled with a pending US tour to coincide, You Say Party! We Say Die! are finally able to set their sights beyond the border for 2010.

XXXX is an energetic fusion of punk, dance-rock and grunge, with a mix of synthesizers and tech-heavy rhythms led by the ethereal vocal stylings of Becky Ninkovic. Likened to the sounds of groups like The Yeah Yeah Yeahs and an electro-charged Florence and the Machine, Pat Benetar, and Kim Wilde, You Say Party! We Say Die! teamed up with producer Howard Redekopp (Tegan & Sara, The New Pornographers) for an unforgettable album of unrelenting energy and vehemence.

However, despite having two full lengths in the bag since 2006, with several successful tours and various magazine covers across Canada beneath their belts already, the mystery of why this rousing five-some have been absent across these borders is a classic rock and roll tale.
Not far off from ’66 when the Kinks, despite being coined as national treasures back home playing and developing a strong cult following across shores where they could not, faced the inconvenient reality of being “delisted” from playing in the US. YSP!WSD! were presented with a similar scenario, unable to spread their music and play across the borders and explore new territories until now.

After much patience and determination, You Say Party! We Say Die! are finally equipped with a brand new album and are raring to go, with a live show performance guaranteed to revive the spirit and vibrancy so lacking in so many of their contemporaries.

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