Music
Press
"Tight, melodic and poppy with big, arcing, sing-along choruses and a nod towards new wave, The Mission District have already carved out a loyal and populous fan base both here in Montreal and across the country. [...] If the best-case scenario plays out, [The Mission District] will rank right up there with lumber and ice wine as one of Canada's best-known exports."
http://www.hour.ca/music/music.aspx?iIDArticle=14305 - The Hour
"Listen To This: Hot Sweaty Boys Make Hot Sweaty Music. The Mission District is one of our favorite new Canadian bands. From Montreal, their music sounds like a beautiful hybrid of California and British pop rock. There's influences of Blink 182 and The Cure. Canada rules!"
- Perez Hilton
"...The new songs are immediately catchy and well-crafted, and if they're anything to go by, we might get a musical highlight early next year..." - Blog Name: Music of the Moment
"Alright, here's a good band for when you're looking for pop-punk to listen to when you've got the windows down and the wind blowing through your hair. For real. It's like a cross between Mae and Motion City Soundtrack without the discombobulated lyrics. Catch the Mission District, another good thing out of Canada besides the maple leaf. Cute boys with long hair and tunes to shake your tush to never fail to amaze me. Call it a guilty pleasure, but I'm intrigued and wouldn't mind hearing more out of them. If you want to indulge with me, please do." - Blog Name: Confessions of a Music Addict
"The Mission District are straight outta Montreal, and heading for the airwaves. Their debut album, Youth Games is scheduled for a March 2008 release, and my guess is these boys are going to burn up Much Music/MTV and have all the girls swooning by summer's end. Emo-core or whatever they're calling it these days isn't usually my cup of tea, but of the tracks I've heard so far, The Mission District seems to be setting their sights higher than just being 2008's flavour of the moment" - Blog Name: Quick Before It Melts
"Canadians The Mission District will release their debut album Youth Games sometimes early next year. Judging from the songs I've heard so far this will be something for anyone who's into catchy indie/alternative rock music" - Blog Name: Hits In The Car
"The Mission District make really tasty pop music... the boys definitely know how to craft excellent pop music.
Their lyrcism is cute, their music and guitar riffs are cute too" - Blog Name: Analog Scene
"Montreal quintet The Mission District injects plenty of modern vigor into the romance and melancholy of 80's Britpop. David Rancourt’s vocals would win a butter-melting contest any day!"
- Montreal Mirror - Lorraine Carpenter
"...their performance last Tuesday night at the Horseshoe was filled with the pomp and confidence that a band with their abilities are more than justified in showing. Tambourine-wielding lead vocalist David Rancourt showed just the right amount of brooding Bono-esque swagger that, should the band ever hit the big time, the transition should be smoother than the Labatt's 50 that I somehow have to drink whenever I'm at that particular venue. Furthermore, the band is so tight that you're sure they've been doing this for years. Go see them now, before they're doing stadium shows that you can't afford!" - Blog Name: It's Not The Band I Hate, It's Their Fans
"Majestic, sincere and dreamy pop from Montreal. Vocalist (David Rancourt) has been compared to Jeff Buckley. Influences range from The Cure, to U2, to Jeff Buckley, to My Bloody Valentine"
http://www.nme.com/newmusic/the-mission-district - NME
Discography
The Mission District - 2008/M&B Entertainment/EMI
Photos
Bio
The Mission District may have called their full-length debut Youth Games, but there's nothing frivolous or shallow about it. This is a musically mature and compelling work, one that reflects the wealth of creative experience the still young sextet has already accumulated.
"We came up with the title Youth Games, as the record is in many ways about us, reflecting on the end of our teenage years and where we are going from here," explains lead singer and lyricist David Rancourt. "We wanted to capture a certain youthful energy."
Mission accomplished here. A musical and lyrical exuberance flows through all its songs, a collection of 'all killer, no filler' material destined to make a real impact. This is the kind of album that can give pop music its good name back. "We didn't want to write a self-indulgent and arty record," David declares. "We wanted to write a pop record. We wanted to have big choruses that you could sing along to, and something that would really come across live."
The Mission District sound has a definite trans-Atlantic feel. Rancourt cites the likes of '80s Brit Pop bands as The Cure, Tears For Fears, and Talk Talk as sources of inspiration, alongside such contemporary American pop outfits as Metro Station, Jimmy Eat World, and The Get Up Kids. Those influences can be detected in the ringing guitar, swirling keyboard sounds, and full vocal harmonies, a perfect frame for David's melodic and plaintive voice and accessible yet smart lyrics. There's a pleasing collage of tempos and tones here, with standout pop gems "So Over You" and "Heartbreaker" rounding out the palette of colors that could tickle any eardrums pink.
The musical empathy between Rancourt and guitarists Travis Barfoot and Rob Rousseau isn't surprising, given that the three founding members of The Mission District have been playing together over the past two years. With the recent additions of Antoine Rochette (bass) and Mike Hand (drums) they were soon playing local gigs, and attempting to carve out a stylistic niche in the convoluted and eclectic Montreal music scene. The Mission District have blown away crowds as the opening act for the likes of The Bravery, Simple Plan, Mobile, and Elbow, and now have a loyal base of fans in both Montreal and Toronto.
The album was recorded with producer Matt DeMatteo (Hawksley Workman, Big Wreck, Mobile) and released independently online in May 2008. Positive reviews from Perez Hilton, Cosmogirl Magazine, and a number of blogs furthered the excitement and support from a growing fan base. The group recently signed with Relentless Records/EMI to release a single in the UK and is currently working with Andy Green (Keane, The Feeling, Scouting For Girls).
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