Paint makes guitar-driven rock music the way it was meant to be experienced: so loud that you cant hear your neighbour yelling minto your ear. At the same time, the bands signature wall of sound achieves a delicate melodic balance with infectious, pop-infused hooks, clever, thought-provoking narratives, and lyrics that scream out for a new generation to step forward, learn, and take care of the world around us (Youthink). The songs are an anthemic hybrid: where the screaming tube amps of Brit rock bands like Oasis, Catherine Wheel, and Idlewild meet the social awareness and grand tradition of fine storytellers like Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, and Billy Bragg; where the intellectual indie rock sensibility of Bright Eyes meets the stadium rock grandiosity of U2, Pearl Jam, Radiohead, R.E.M., and the Smashing Pumpkins. To top it all off, Robb Johannes (vocals/guitar), Mandy Dunbar (guitar/vocals), Marcus Warren (bass), and Chris Oliver (drums) have proven theyre willing to publicly express how much they hate each other but will kick the sh*t out of any outsider who speaks ill of any of them. They are, in the literal sense of the term, an obnoxious left-wing rock n roll family. Formed in 2001 in Vancouver, Paint's first release, Urban Folk Tales, was praised as A truly unique first effort, held together by frontman Robb Johannes strong vocals. He can sing in hushed tones one minute, before switching to a full on swagger that would make James Brown proud (Scene and Heard). The album reached the top ten on campus radio in Canada, and Paint's song, Open Your Eyes, was featured on UK label E3 Records Showcase International compilation. The band was voted fan favourite in E3 online polling, beating the competition by thousands of votes. After an extended hiatus, during which time Johannes dabbled in pop, shoegaze, and punk rock on stage and political activism off stage, Paint reformed in 2008 with a clean slate, a new purpose, a new sonic mission, and a take-no-prisoners attitude, along with a relocation to Canadas music capital of Toronto in mid-2009. The resulting release of the rock opus, Can You Hear Me?, coupled with the bands energetic and impassioned live show, quickly accumulated snowball audiences and critical praise, such as, "5 stars: in your face, but not overpowering, melodic but still harsh, well-crafted but not over-perfected... yet uplifting... (with) an underlying sense of sonic maturity and strong lyrical insight... manages to retain the attractive simplicity of a great rock album" (Youthink) and "done with so much audacity and seismic guitar crunch... (Paint) wisely keep the sound big, but the anthemic denouements concise" (Montreal Mirror). Theyve racked up the miles in a tour van, headlined festivals such as Under the Volcano, showcased at New Music West, performed at the Light of Day concert series (often headlined by Bruce Springsteen and the Goo Goo Dolls), worked with producer Caleb Stull (Hinterland, The Neins Circa), and shared the stage with The Februarys, Marah, Veda Hille, Adrienne Pierce, Paper Moon, Willie Nile, Parlour Steps, In Medias Res, The Ascot Royals, The Orchid Highway, and The Hermit. Paint promises to be one of the loudest and most unapologetic rock bands of the 2000s and not just because of the guitars; rest assured the band wont back down from anyone with their words or their actions. Not even each other. Robb Johannes: vocals/guitar Mandy Dunbar: guitar/vocals Marcus Warren: bass Chris Oliver: drums