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New Pornographers, The
The New Pornographers is a pop/rock band that formed in Vancouver in 1997 with Carl Newman (vocals, guitar), Dan Bejar (vocals, guitar), John Collins (bass), Kurt Dahle (drums), Todd Fancey (guitar), Blaine Thurier (synthesizer), Neko Case (vocals) and Kathryn Calder (vocals, keyboards). Newman and Case are also solo artists, Bejar fronts Destroyer, Calder is a member of Immaculate Machine and Dahle used to be in Age of Electric, which has led some people to affix the "supergroup" tag to the band. Bejar seldom performs with The New Pornographers and Case only does when she's not busy with her solo work.
Mass Romantic was released in Canada by Vancouver's Mint Records in 2000. The title track and "Letter from an Occupant" got the band's effervescent pop music noticed and helped earn it the 2001 JUNO AWARD for Best Alternative Album. Electric Version followed in 2003 and, partially on the strength of singles "The Laws Have Changed" and "All For Swinging You Around," became one of the most critically acclaimed albums of the year. Tempos were slowed and some songs were less immediately accessible on 2005's Twin Cinema (Calder's first album with the band), which included the singles "Use It" and "Sing Me Spanish Techno." The New Pornographers left Mint for Last Gang Records in Canada for 2007's Challengers, which featured more refined pop and debuted higher on sales charts than previous albums, and in 2010 they released their fifth album, the 12-track Together. American-based Matador Records continues to release the group's music internationally.
