the james clark institute
Pop / Rock / Folk Rock
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"sing-a-long maladies"
Toronto, Ontario
Canada
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8535
Last Login:
10/10/2008
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| the james clark institute: General Info
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| Member Since | 8/22/2005 | | Band Website | clarkinstitute.com | | Band Members | james clark - singing; guitar; harmonica.
vince yue - electric guitars; singing.
mike zammit - bass; singing.
gord fynes - drums.
greg condie - keys. | | Influences | beatles; ray davies; harry nilsson; michael nesmith; jeff tweedy; bob dylan; warren zevon; aimee mann; michael penn; jon brion; beck; eels; peter townshend; flo and eddie; burt bacharach; elliot smith; patti smith; grant lee phillips; jim white; elvis costello; jellyfish; zombies; stephen duffy; motown; stax; big star; badfinger; beach boys (pet sounds-holland); andy partridge; partridge family; archies; flaming lips; johnny cash; hank williams; neil young; lucinda williams; charles chaplin; buster keaton; cindy sherman; every traumatic event in my life thus far...and SO MUCH MORE!...oh yeah, and pop tarts. | | Sounds Like | "...a catch-up with a lovely offbeat cousin, who has never quite managed to get it together".
- Narelle Jackson
independent music reviewer | | Type of Label | None |
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the james clark institute's Latest Blog Entry
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new songs...finally
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yes virginia there really is a new james clark institute record coming!
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Toronto Independent Music Awards Showcase!
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LAKE MONONA LAST NIGHT
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MY ANIMATED VIDEO!
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| About the james clark institute |
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Full of sardonic bite and heartfelt sadness, the new james clark institute record is an exorcism of emotions felt after a long term relationship went south. What began merely as a therapeutic exercise in the fall of 2005, ‘Sideshow Unattraction’ took shape in early 2006 after 25 songs had been written. Conjuring up the same spirit as John Lennon’s ‘Walls and Bridges’; Frank Sinatra’s ‘In The Wee Small Hours’; Beck’s ‘Sea Change’ and Bob Dylan’s ‘Blood On The Tracks’, this farewell record to a lost lover/friend was released in May 2008. Taking the sideshow theme one step further, James spent the late winter months of ’08 painting a full size 9’x6’sideshow banner reminiscent of the ones used in the vintage days of the freak shows. Incorporating several images and characters that are found in the new songs, the banner will be used as a backdrop for James’ live shows.
Contrary to what the name suggests, the james clark institute is only one person. Singer/songwriter James Clark, while confronting the ghosts from his past, puts them to song and twists and turns them into witty pop tunes. His strong songwriting sensibilities have been compared to Neil Finn; Elvis Costello; and Warren Zevon.
It was as a young boy in suburban Toronto, listening to his brother’s Beatles and Monkees records that the idea of playing music struck him. That desire was solidified when his father arrived home from his job at a toy manufacturing plant with a makeshift drum kit he had built out of industrial drums covered in a psychedelic plush wrap. When James wasn’t banging on those drums, he could often be found scribbling down the little songs that he was writing in his head. But it wasn’t until the death of his father years later that he began to take his songwriting seriously. He taught himself guitar and became much more introspective lyrically.
While spending six years as the drummer for Toronto’s western
Surf band The Sin-Tones, James was also busy writing songs of his own, some of which would eventually end up on 2004’s ‘Home is Where the Heart Attack is’. In 2005 that record received airplay on campus radio across Canada and charted in Ontario. Tracks from the CD also received considerable airplay and widespread recognition on internet radio stations around the world. The song ‘The Worst Photograph Ever Taken Of Me’ hit 5 on MP3unsigned.com operating out of the U.K. and the CD reached 3 on the Pop Album charts of MP3.com.au based in Australia.
“…one of Canada’s finest and highly individual songwriters.”
- Colin Lynch
- RCAT International Online Music Magazine.
"...a witty, concise and sometimes acerbic lyricist with moving, memorable and often hilarious songs".
- Blair Packham
- Producer; Singer/Songwriter; Composer; Educator.
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