Wooden Stars are a Canadian

indie rock Indie rock is a subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the music they produc ...

band formed in 1994. The band, from Ottawa, consists of vocalist and guitarist Julien Beillard, guitarist Michael Feuerstack, bassists Josh Latour and Mathieu Beillard, and drummer Andrew McCormack.

Style

The band, who describe their music as "a fusion of unlikely influences ranging from

XTC XTC were an English rock band formed in Swindon in 1972. Fronted by songwriters Andy Partridge (guitars, vocals) and Colin Moulding (bass, vocals), the band gained popularity during the rise of punk and new wave in the 1970s, later playing in ...

and

The Clash The Clash were an English rock band formed in London in 1976 who were key players in the original wave of British punk rock. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they also contributed to the and new wave movements that emerged in the w ...

Georges Brassens Georges Charles Brassens (; 22 October 1921 – 29 October 1981) was a French singer-songwriter and poet. As an iconic figure in France, he achieved fame through his elegant songs with their harmonically complex music for voice and guitar and a ...

and

James Blood Ulmer James "Blood" Ulmer (born February 8, 1940) is an American jazz, free funk and blues guitarist and singer. Ulmer plays a Gibson Byrdland guitar. His guitar sound has been described as "jagged" and "stinging". His singing has been called "ragg ...

", released four albums between 1995 and 1999.

History

''Rise Up & Get Down'' was released in 1998 on 12" vinyl by Rhythm of Sickness Records. In 1999, the Wooden Stars collaborated with singer-songwriter

Julie Doiron Julie Doiron (born June 28, 1972) is a Canadian singer-songwriter of Acadian heritage. She has been the bass guitarist and co-vocalist for the Canadian indie rock band Eric's Trip since its formation in 1990. She has released ten solo albums, beg ...

on the album '' Julie Doiron and the Wooden Stars'', which won a Juno Award for Best Alternative Album. Following that album, the band members concentrated on other projects, although the group never formally disbanded. In 2004, they reunited to perform at the 40th birthday party of their longtime producer Dave Draves. In early 2005, the band played several reunion shows in Ottawa,

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...

and

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilt ...

, and rereleased their old material on

Zunior Records Zunior.com is a Canadian online independent record label and music store founded in 2004 by Dave Ullrich, formerly of The Inbreds.People Are Different ''People Are Different'' is an album by Canadian indie rock band Wooden Stars, released in 2007 on Sonic Unyon Sonic Unyon Recording Company is an independent record label based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Their former retail store was locat ...

'', their first album in seven years, on

Sonic Unyon Sonic Unyon Recording Company is an independent record label based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Their former retail store was located on Wilson Street near James Street North. The label has put out releases by bands including Tristan Psioni ...

in 2007. In addition to the Wooden Stars, various band members have played with, or appeared with a variety of bands in Central Canada. Mike Feuerstack fronts his own band

Snailhouse Michael Feuerstack is a Canadian indie rock musician, who has been associated with the bands Wooden Stars and Snailhouse. Snailhouse was essentially a solo project with multiple contributing artists, including Julie Doiron of Eric's Trip, with ...

, played with long running Ottawa outfit

Kepler Johannes Kepler (; ; 27 December 1571 – 15 November 1630) was a German astronomer, mathematician, astrologer, natural philosopher and writer on music. He is a key figure in the 17th-century Scientific Revolution, best known for his laws o ...

, performs with

Angela Desveaux Angela Desveaux is a Canadian singer-songwriter, based in Montreal, Quebec, whose style blends a diverse mix of pop, rock and country influences.T'cha Dunlevy"Not indie, not country, just Desveaux" ''Vancouver Sun'', 18 September 2008. Backgrou ...

, and appears on recent recordings by Bell Orchestre and

Islands An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island ...

. Andrew McCormack played in

CLARK the band CLARK the band was a Canadian indie rock band operating out of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. History The band was formed in Ottawa in 1999 by John Tielli who sang, played guitar and composed. Initially named simply "Clark", the group began using the ...

of Ottawa. In 2013, Invisible Publishing published ''Wooden Stars: Innocent Gears'', a book about the band by author Malcolm Fraser. In 2014, the band appeared on the main stage at the Peterborough Folk Festival.

Discography

* ''Wooden Stars (7-inch)'' (1994) * ''The Very Same'' (1995) * ''Mardi Gras'' (1997) * ''Rise Up & Get Down'' (1998) * ''The Moon'' (1999) * '' Julie Doiron and the Wooden Stars'' (1999) * ''

People Are Different ''People Are Different'' is an album by Canadian indie rock band Wooden Stars, released in 2007 on Sonic Unyon Sonic Unyon Recording Company is an independent record label based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Their former retail store was locat ...

'' (2007)

References

External links

Wooden Stars
official website
Wooden Stars
on

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wooden Stars Musical groups established in 1994 Musical groups from Ottawa Canadian indie rock groups 1994 establishments in Ontario Juno Award for Alternative Album of the Year winners Sonic Unyon artists