 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Friends in Bellwoods
WWW:
http://www.friendsinbellwoods.com
Bio:
Friends in Belwoods II is a 40-song, double-album set of rare, new and unreleased selections from some of Canada’s most innovative independent musicians, available August 25, 2009.
In 2006, Ohbijou’s Casey Mecija and her bandmate, James Bunton, knew it was time to document and showcase some of the music being created in her home on Bellwoods Avenue in Toronto. In an attempt to render a “digital diary of the house”, the pair curated the first Friends in Bellwoods compilation later that year. Their keen sense of changes taking place in the neighborhood, and their relation to the gentrifying forces at work, led them to consider the geographic connection between the house and a heavily trafficked food bank. As a result, all proceeds from the original and the second compilation go to The Daily Bread Food Bank. The first edition of the compilation has raised over $11,000 since its release two years ago.
Friends in Bellwoods II operates as an archival document that beautifully arrests and captures the sound of a moment in the city’s history. It features rare and unreleased tracks from acclaimed artists such as Final Fantasy, Forest City Lovers, The D’Urbervilles, Great Lake Swimmers, The Acorn, Sandro Perri, Basia Bulat, Timber Timbre, Katie Stelmanis and Ohbijou. Many of the songs were recorded in the house; listen carefully and you might hear the detailing of the house’s life recorded—a window creaking, a kettle boiling, the resident dog shuffling, the constant rotation of friends and musicians that continue to animate a small bungalow on Bellwoods Avenue.
Releases:
 Friends in Bellwoods |  Friends in Bellwoods II |
Press:
2007-03-07 : Interview with Casey : The Spill Magazine Online
2007-03-01 : ohbijou's Casey Mecija discusses the music-oriented community that took root in her Toronto home : Queen's University Journal
2007-01-23 : Friends in Bellwoods Review : Chart Attack
2007-01-18 : Indie rockers show the power of grassroots action at the Tranzac : NOW Magazine
2007-01-12 : Friends in Bellwoods Review : Radio Free Canuckistan
2007-01-11 : THE BASEMENT TAPES : Eye Weekly
2007-01-11 : Friends in Bellwoods Article : NOW Magazine
2007-01-11 : Blog TO Review : Blog TO
2007-01-11 : Friends in Bellwoods Review : Guelph Mercurcy
2007-01-07 : Globe and Mail Article : Globe and Mail