Violet Archers

Though Rheostatics singer and bassist Tim Vesely and his new band launch their debut CD tonight at The Horseshoe, it would be a mistake to assume that the Violet Archers — Vesely on guitars and keyboards, pianist Ida Nilsen, drummer Steve Pitkin, bassist Aaron MacPherson, and guitarist Yawd Sylvester — have dug themselves into an identifiable musical niche. Folk forms are the base of many of though songs here — "Simple" and "Fool's Gold Rope," for example, sound like timeless traditional ballads, and the CD resonates with echoes of Neil Young, and the psychedelic-period Byrds — though the dressing is an elaborate jumble of styles, from crunchy, guitar-laden country rock to orchestral rock and pure pop, with big hooks, horn parts and fully loaded harmonies. Vesely's tunes are clever and quirky, his lyrics at times whimsical, ironic, sentimental and satirical, and his light voice an extremely pleasant instrument in this new setting. Best part about this CD is that Vesely has resisted the urge to give it the big production treatment. Instead, he has let this collection of eccentric musicians find their own way to the heart of the songs, using simple, organic instruments and eschewing grand gestures and synthesized symphonic arrangements. -Greg Quill

- Toronto Star

I'm sure being a Canadian icon and woefully underappreciated at the same time is something Tim Vesely, the voice of the Rheostatics, knows a thing or two about. Maybe his sidestepping project, the Violet Archers, will vault Vesely to the NME-Rolling Stone buzz stratosphere. Bringing in Ida Nilsen (Buttless Chaps) to play piano and sing along shows Vesely's genius. She adds a nice touch of introspective wonder to the set. Wayne Omaha boys Aaron MacPherson and Steve Pitkin help flesh out the hook-laden melodies. By Divine Right's Jose Contreras adds some of his mojo to a few tracks, but it's still Vesely's vehicle, and he's driven into some pretty tasty territory. - BR - Now Magazine

Master pop craftsman Tim Vesely steps out from the Rheostatics to deliver the catchy melodies he¹s known for. The architect behind the Rheos¹ biggest singles (³Claire,² ³Bad Time to be Poor²), Vesely¹s gifted enough to send his thoughtful lyrics into the air with cheery music hot on its tail. Quiet and unassuming, Vesely modestly writes amazing songs that often steal the spotlight from his domineering partners in the Rheostatics. It¹s a real treat to hear Vesely venture into solo territory with the Violet Archers. From the lethargic, slow-build of "Co-ordinates" to the dark, Crazy Horse vibe of "All the Good" and peppy charge of "Life and Then", The End of Part One is an eclectic affair. The sparse folk of "Simple" flows pleasantly after the hopeful tone of "Saved Me", and Vesely makes such transitions seamless. Rather than forcing erratic musical twists and turns, Vesely is keen to let his songs develop naturally. The songs here are too interesting to be straight per se, but are free of the idiosyncrasies his musical day job is known for. Instead, we get a classic album of understated pop music from one of the best writers around. - By Vish Khanna

- Exclaim

THE VIOLET ARCHERS The End Of Part One (Northern Electric/Maximum/Universal)
Tim Vesely could well be considered the "normal" Rheostatic when put up against his songwriter cohorts, the goofier Dave Bidini and loopier Martin Tielli. Of course in such a unique band normal is relative, but Vesely's songs generally lean more towards straightforward rock-pop — a trend he doesn't stray far from in his solo side-project The Violet Archers. Nothing here would sound out of place on a Rheos album, but without the competing frontmen it becomes a thing all its own. Great Aunt Ida vocalist Ida Nilsen contributes sweet harmonies, and while Vesely doesn't take any wild artsy side-trips, he crafts gentle ballads and pop exuberance. - David McDougall

- Chartattack

Here's the skinny. Some bands just deserve your attention. No questions (jackets) or back story required. But some deserve your attention and have a compelling back story to boot. Enter The Violet Archers.

The Violet Archers is the new project of former Rheostatic, Tim Vesely. Almost every Canadian music fan has some tie in to the Rheostatics, but getting to hear Tim in a new form is pretty great. It doesn't hurt his band is full of talented musicians from outstanding bands (Great Aunt Ida, Sarah Harmer, Raising the Fawn), but the first track from the new record - Sunshine at Night - is simply a great rock song. No frills or extra descriptors required. Just an ear pleasing acoustic, solid harmonies and dancing electric work. What else can you really ask for?

http://www.herohill.com/2008/04/quick-hitters-violet-archers.htm - Herohill

Top 30
RANK ARTIST TITLE (LABEL)
1 THE VIOLET ARCHERS* Sunshine At Night (Zunior)
2 NDIDI ONUKWULU* The Contradictor (Jericho Beach)
3 GONZALES Soft Power (Arts & Crafts)
4 RUBY COAST* Ruby Coast (Independent)
5 FRIENDLY RICH AND THE LOLLIPOP PEOPLE* Dinosaur Power (Pumpkin Pie Corp.)
6 THE TALLEST MAN ON EARTH Shallow Grave (Gravitation)
7 VARIOUS Disco Italia: Essential Italo Disco Classics 1977-1985 (Strut)
8 VARIOUS* This Beautiful City (Fontana)
9 ERIC CHENAUX* Sloppy Ground (Constellation)
10 RYAN DRIVER* Feeler Of Pure Joy (Rat-Drifting)
11 HEY ROSETTA!* Into Your Lungs (Sonic)
12 MATMOS Supreme Balloon (Matador)
13 THE GRUFF* Trail Of Missing Thoughts (Goat Tea)
14 DANIEL LANOIS* Here Is What Is (Red Floor)
15 ISLANDS* Arm's Way (Anti)
16 RICHARD BLIWAS Was Is (Rising Rose)
17 WYE OAK If Children (Merge)
18 MUDHONEY The Lucky Ones (Sub Pop)
19 CADENCE WEAPON* Afterparty Babies (Upper Class)
20 VARIOUS In The Name Of Love - Africa Celebrates U2 (Shout! Factory)
21 THE RAMBLIN' AMBASSADORS* Vista Cruiser Country Squire (Mint)
22 YOUNG AND SEXY* Arc (Mint)
23 VETIVER Thing Of The Past (Gnomonsong)
24 SAGAPOOL* Episode Trois (Anubis)
25 PETER PROJECT* Peter Project (Fuzzy Logic)
26 WOODHANDS* Heart Attack (Paper Bag)
27 FEUERMUSIK* No Contest (Standard Form)
28 RUN CHICO RUN* Rocket Surgery (Reluctant)
29 ELI 'PAPERBOY' REED AND THE TRUE LOVES Roll With You (Q-Division)
30 4D* L'Equanimite (Fruit)
 - U of Guelph radio

Sometimes a band's breakup can pave the way for a greater amount of material through new channels. The only good thing about the dissolution of the legendary Canadian indie-rockers The Rheostatics is that it has led to four times as much great music being released. This is the second record from former Rheo Tim Vesely's indie-pop group, The Violet Archers.  Their first album, The End of Part One, was very well received and this CD should only help to build the band's momentum.
“You and I”, the first track on the CD is quick to establish the primary focus of the album.  It is smooth and low key but manages to maintain your interest. The rest of the album follows the same path, it doesn't demand your attention but you can’t really help but want to listen to it. That said, the most exciting part of this record is how Vesely and Ida Nelson (of the Buttless Chaps and Great Aunt Ida) are able to really come together and create some brilliant male/female dynamics. “Insecure” shows off Nelson’s prowess and it does not disappoint.
The middle of the album is more focused on Vesely's vocals and the jangling and slightly quirky musicianship of Camille Giroux, Yawd Sylvester and Scott Remila on drums, guitar and bass respectively. They do a great job at throwing a variety of sounds together to come up with a non-threatening result.  The album closes well with “Listening” and bonus tracks “Another Round” and an acoustic version of “You and I” which bring a satisfying ending to a satisfying collection of songs.
Maybe the most interesting aspect of the CD is how it continues to show how sonically diverse the Rheo's really were.  Lacking Dave Bidini's punk-ish tendencies and Martin Tielli's oblique song writing, Vesely is able to bring his pure pop-sensibilities to the forefront, another great addition to a long and storied career.
-William Krueger
william@qromag.com

- QRO Magazine

A lot of the things I said about Matthew Barber's record hold true for the latest effort by The Violet Archers. I'm not trying to say they sound the same, because sonically they aren't even close, but both understand how important the little things are when it comes to making a song complete. With Barber, it's a result of a methodical approach to song writing, but for Tim Vesely and the rest of The Violet Archers it seems to be more the benefits of experience.

If you look at Insecure, you get an idea of the confidence and experience the band has and how it helps their song writing. If you asked a bunch of teenagers to hop in a car and drive six hours, they'd speed along, trying to get there as fast as possible, leaving lulls and disappointment. They'd get bored and looks for ways to have fun. For bands, that translates into adding unnecessary layers, huge out of place solos and a tendency to race through a melody.

The Violet Archers are able to treat the drive as an adventure, taking the time to see the sights and just enjoy what creeps over the horizon. On the surface, the track should be able to break the 5-minute mark, but the band shows patience and understanding by adding snippets of horns, dueling vocals and guitar work at just the right times; no element stays too long or takes away from the keep time drums and acoustic riff, but each part has something to say that is worth hearing. Taken on it's own, no element would command attention, but the arrangement builds nicely and really rewards the listener.

That's not to say this record comes off like a drive with your parents. The Violet Archers sequenced the album beautifully. The 90's minor tones (and vocab - as they chorus drops "lame") and crunch of Tired fuels the middle section of the record and really takes you back to a time when Indie rock was not a generic moniker slapped on music. The hook breaks down into some sonic, chaotic wash and really gets you excited for the next track (the single and most enjoyable track on the record), Sunshine at Night. The road trip ready rocker Don't Talk infuses another jolt of energy that pushes you through to the end of the record.

For people outside of Canada, Vesely's involvement with The Rheostatics might not be a selling point, but even without the solid musical pedigree of him and the band (all staples in the Canadian scene) there are countless tracks to be embraced. Whether it's the John Roderick like whimsy of Sunshine at Night, the unashamed catchiness of the "bonus track", Another Round or the Nada Surf like vocals on Transporter, the Violet Archers reveal new wrinkles that will appeal to music lovers everywhere.

You get to a point in life where you stop caring what people think and what is cool. Instead of trying to write songs that fit a little niche, The Violet Archers are just writing the songs that work for them and as a result they make a connection. When they sing "this is love" on You and I, you really get the feeling that love is exactly why they keep playing music and why you are listening. - HeroHill

VIOLET ARCHERS - SUNSHINE AT NIGHT (ZUNIOR)
As a founding member of the Rheostatics, Tim Vesely can't be blamed for pulling the plug on the band after 27 years; they had begun to drift apart in irreparable ways, and the new material felt like spinning wheels. And yet when he struck out on his own, on the Violet Archers' 2005 debut album, it sounded like a regression rather than a liberation. There, Vesely -- part of one of the most wonderfully creative bands to ever come out of Canada -- seemed stuck in a monotonous groove, with little distinguishing one mid-tempo number from another.
All of this points to why Sunshine at Night is such a welcome statement of renewal for Vesely as a songwriter, and a proper launch for his new band. For starters, the tempos are considerably more varied than last time out, and his live band -- featuring ex-Weeping Tile drummer Cam Giroux and Vancouver keyboardist Ida Nilsen -- show their teeth when necessary. Marked by Vesely's characteristically low-key delivery, the mood and the colours of Sunshine at Night are consistent -- arguably to a fault, much like last time. The difference now is that Vesely has assembled an album's worth of songs that stands with his finest, particularly the beautiful bookends (You and I, Listening) and the title track.
Vesely sings, "I'm so tired of beating myself at my own game/ it's so lame!" But with Sunshine at Night, he proves to be very much still in the game--and it's certainly not lame. - K-W Record

CBC Radio3 - top 30
week of Aug 8, 2008

1. Sam Roberts – Love At The End Of The World (Universal)
2. Danny Michel – Feather, Fur & Fin (Independent)
3. Dragon Fli Empire – Intermission EP (Makebelieve)
4. Wolf Parade – At Mount Zoomer (Sub Pop)
5. Pony Da Look – Shattered Dimensions (Murder)
6. Islands – Arm’s Way (Anti)
7. Sloan – Parallel Play (Murder)
8. The Violet Archers – Sunshine At Night (Zunior)
9. Elliott Brood – Mountain Meadows (Six Shooter)
10. Christa Couture - The Wedding Singer and the Undertaker (One Foot Tapping)
11. Modernboys Moderngirls – I Might As Well Break It (Independent)
12. Hey Rosetta! – Into Your Lungs (Sonic)
13. Will Currie and the Country French – A Great Stage (Murder)
14. Said The Whale – Howe Sounds (Upper Management)
15. Karkwa – Le Volume Du Vent (Audiogram)
16. The Awkward Stage - Slimming Mirrors, Flattering Lights (Mint)
17. Tokyo Police Club – Elephant Shell (Mean Beard)
18. Matt Mays & El Torpedo – Terminal Romance (Sonic)
19. Vancougar – Canadian Tuxedo (Mint)
20. Brendan Canning – Something For Us All… (Arts & Crafts)
21. The Wet Secrets – Rock Fantasy (Rodeo Peanut)
22. Sebastien Grainger and the Mountains – American Names (Outside)
23. Gonzales – Soft Power (Arts & Crafts)
24. Fred Eaglesmith Tinderbox (Independent)
25. Justin Rutledge – Man Descending (Six Shooter)
26. Les Dales Hawerchuk – Les Dales Hwerchuk 2 (C4)
27. Women – self-titled (Flemish Eye)
28. Young And Sexy – The Arc (Mint)
29. Attack In Black – The Curve Of The Earth (Dine Alone)
30. The Jolts – Haute Voltage (Independent) - CBC Radio 3 # 8