Matt Mays & El Torpedo
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
Music
Press
“I can’t even find the words to describe his genuine, gorgeous songcraft and the band’s killer live performance.”
May 2005 - Performing Songwriter
“…one of Canada’s most exciting live rock acts.”
(April, 2005) - Maclean's
“One dazzling set and you’re a convert – that’s how it works.”
(March, 2005) - Now Magazine, Toronto
“Matt Mays is on his way to becoming one of this country’s top roots rock n’ roll songwriters. With band El Torpedo by his side, Mays picks up speed with meatier rock numbers without forsaking his roots credentials” (4.5 out of 5 stars)
- Ottawa Xpress
“On this sophomore album, the singer has utilized an almost pristine balance — fusing at times the jagged, loud garage rock of Neil Young into a tighter, more polished Tom Petty format. This gorgeous combination makes it easily one of the more impressive albums you'll hear…” - Allmusic.com
“The new album is one of my faves of the year thus far, and the band’s non-stop touring ethic has ensured that they are absolutely killer live”
Barry Walsh, Editor - Canadian Music Network
“Fans across the country know them as one of the best live acts on the club circuit, capable of tearing up the landscape with awe-inspiring riffage, the measured twang of Mays’ voice soaring overhead.” - The Ottawa Citizen
"Mr. NXNE 2004, Matt Mays … has been talked about in the sort of excited tones usually reserved for Sam Roberts, and the product of Dartmouth might be poised for a similar rush of adulation.”
- The National Post
"one of the most impressive Canadian CDs of the year."
- Georgia Straight
Discography
Matt Mays & El Torpedo - Terrminal Romance
Released in 2008 (Sonic Records)
Featuring the singles 'Tall Trees' and 'Building A Boat'
Matt Mays - When The Angels Make Contact
Released in 2006 (Sonic Records)
Featuring the singles: "When The Angels Make Contact" (w/ Buck 65) and "850 Commando"
Matt Mays & El Torpedo - Matt Mays & El Torpedo
Released in Canada 2005 (Sonic Records) & USA 2006 (00.02.59)
Featuring the singles: "Cocaine Cowgirl" "On The Hood", "Time Of Your Life ('til You're Dead)"
Matt Mays - Matt Mays
Released in 2003 (Sonic Records)
Featuring the singles "City of Lakes" and "Where Am I Going?"
Photos
Bio
Matt Mays & El Torpedo (MM&ET) return with Terminal Romance, the brilliant follow up to 2005’s breakthrough self-titled debut. Terminal Romance was recorded in England with producer Chris Tsangarides (Judas Priest, Thin Lizzy, The Tragically Hip) and mixed in Vancouver with Mike Fraser (AC/DC) with a few sessions home in Halifax thrown in along the way. The album’s first single “Tall Trees” is already Top 20 at Canadian Rock Radio.
The album is a huge leap forward, both in terms of Mays’ song writing and the band’s musical chops. Creating a cohesive whole from diverse influences…the Who-like bombast of “Building a Boat”, the retro eighties vibes of “Digital Eyes”, the Crazy Horse chug-a-lug of “Tall Trees”, the punk snarl of “Rock Ranger Record” and the epic E-Street band workout of the title track… and that’s just the first half! Influences aside, it’s all MM&ET and it’s all good.
MM&ET consists of Matt Mays (guitar, vocals), Jay Smith (guitar, vocals), Andy Patil (bass, vocals), and Tim Jim Baker (drums). Since forming in 2003 to perform shows in support of May’s self-titled JUNO nominated debut, the band has toured Canada countless times as well as performed numerous dates in the US and the UK.
The band’s self-titled album was released in Canada on Sonic Records in 2005 and a year later in the US on the 00.02.59 imprint. The debut was co-produced by the band and Grammy Award-winner Don Smith (Tom Petty, Keith Richards). The first single “Cocaine Cowgirl” was a massive hit and the album went on to win four East Coast Music Awards in 2006 (Album of the Year, Group of the Year, Rock Recording of the Year, Single of the Year).
Mays followed up the success of the Matt Mays & El Torpedo album by producing the When the Angels Make Contact soundtrack album with Baker. The project was an adventurous exploration of Matt and Tim’s many musical influences and went on to receive rave reviews and two JUNO nominations.
For more information on MM&ET and upcoming tour dates, visit: www.mattmays.com
Links
