Sonic Unyon Records :: young rival

news:

Tuesday, March 30th sees the release of an advanced two track digital EP by new Sonic Unyon signings YOUNG RIVAL. The release, available now through iTunes in Canada, contains the song "Authentic" off their upcoming full length, set for release in Canada on April 13th, and an exclusive non-album track "Dead End Scene". It can be purchased now through iTunes Canada at http://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/authentic-single/id361446258

On Friday, March 1st YOUNG RIVAL performed the track "Authentic" on the social networking site Chatroulette.com to overwhelming response. The video has since been uploaded to youtube and had had more than 14,000 views since Friday, March 5th. You can view the video online now at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unoqbrBOmEM

On top of this new two song digital EP out today, YOUNG RIVAL has also been confirmed as the special guests of Warp recording artists BORN RUFFIANS for their upcoming North American tour. The bands will be touring together throughout the USA and Canada during the month of June, playing the following shows, listed below.

In addition to these new announced June dates, YOUNG RIVAL already has a string of album release dates confirmed in April and May for their new self-titled album, set for release in Canada on April 13th.

The members of YOUNG RIVAL will be available for interviews in advance of all upcoming album release shows.

upcoming live dates

2012-02-09 Guelph, ON - E-Bar
2012-02-10 Kingston, ON - Grad Club
2012-02-11 Hamilton, ON - The Casbah
2012-02-12 St. Catharines, ON - Mansion House

bio:

From Hamilton Ontario comes Young Rival.

This trio hails from a city most widely-known for its blue-collar work ethic - a quality that Young Rival have always proudly embraced. With a sound that is both raw and hazy, dark and melodic, this band delivers an undeniably unique brand of grit-infused, wildcat rock and roll. Their latest offering comes to us in the form of an amazing collection of songs, recorded in June 2009 by Polaris Prize winning record maker Jon Drew (Fucked Up, Tokyo Police Club, Arkells).

"Jon has a total hands-off approach to recording a band like us," says drummer Noah Fralick.�"We recorded in a high-ceiling room with mics scattered throughout.� The result is an album that's bigger sounding than anything we've done before, because it captures the intensity of our live playing, while still highlighting the more subtle aspects of our band's dynamic."

With shows and tours alongside The Sadies, Born Ruffians, King Khan and the Shrines, and Tokyo Police Club, as well as forthcoming remixes by Junior Boys, this young band occupies a unique - and important - position in today's indie landscape. They hearken back to a time where musicianship was primary; where a band's ability to collaborate and play well together was posited as the goal more important than any other. And yet Young Rival offer a sound that's both refreshing and current; delivering it with an uncompromising edge and swagger.

Critics have responded eagerly to Young Rival's efforts so far. Their self-released debut EP, recorded by NYC producer�Emery�Dobyns�(Patti�Smith, Battles,�Lou�Reed),�was greeted with glowing reviews from press outlets across Canada, including 4 star write-ups in both major Toronto weeklies, NOW and EYE�WEEKLY.� Lead-off single�"Your Island"�rose to Number 2 on CBC Radio 3's weekly countdown and its video reached rotation on MuchMusic. Internationally, the band has received radio play on BBC Radio 2� and XFM in the United Kingdom, as well as features on trend-setting U.S. music blogs such as Stereogum and Pitchfork.

Young Rival's self-titled new album will be released in Canada on April 13 2010 via Sonic Unyon Records.

latest releases:

young rival lp

item number: SUNCD1252
upc code: 621617012523
format: cd
release date: 2010-04-13
genre: rock

buy digital now from itunes US

buy physical now from sonicunyonstore.com

press:

The steel city three-piece has created a sound that is classic but not backward-looking, a return to the roots of what made rock 'n' roll great in the first place while not falling into the kitsch of nostalgia, something that feels recognizable but fresh. – Brian Birtles, VUE WEEKLY (Edmonton AB)

For a band that have yet to release a full-length, Young Rival are already presenting themselves as a heavy contender – E.D. Cauchi, Exclaim!

If what you need is snotty, razor-sharp, too-good-for-the-garage indie rock, then Hamilton, Ontario?s Young Rival has you covered – Georgia Straight (Vancouver, BC)

Take a great song, a great website and a great idea for a video, and greatness is all but assured. Such was the discovery of Hamilton-based "wildcat" rock'n'rollers Young Rival (www.myspace.com/youngrival), who on March 1 of this year performed one of their new songs, Authentic, on the social networking site www.chatroulette.com - eliciting the impromptu participation of many webcam chatters who happened to be online at the time - and then uploaded the resulting video to www.youtube.com a few days later where nearly 15,000 folks have since enjoyed the band's brilliance. (Helps that the song is a beaut, too.) – Jamie O'Meara, hour.ca

NOW Rating N N N N (4 out of 5)

Disc Review

Young Rival
(Sonic Unyon)
By Paul Terefenko

Hailing from the Hammer, Young Rival take that nickname personally. Their self-titled debut nails 60s garage rock – without the use of old, rusty nails. The trio succeeds by not succumbing to the artificial throwback throw-up danger faced by anyone toying with “like your dad did it” sounds.
Adding to the punchiness is brevity; nearly half the tracks clock in under three minutes. The quick shifts no doubt make for energized live shows, a quality Jon Drew’s rounded, raw production effectively captures. The band’s strongest going full steam, like on Modern Life and T-Shirt And Shorts. The latter track’s also a good wardrobe recommendation for what’s destined to be a hot, sweaty summer tour.
Top track: T-Shirt And Shorts
Young Rival play the Horseshoe April 30. – Paul Terefenko, NOW Magazine
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EYE WEEKLY - 3 stars

Young Rival: Young Rival LP
Sonic Unyon

BY Chandler Levack April 07, 2010 21:04
Editorial Rating: 3 star out of 5

Now that the early-’00s garage-rock revival is behind us, Young Rival’s refined blend of Vines-era grunge and sunny, Kinksy pop-rock feels almost like it’s on the vanguard. This self-titled LP builds on the Hamilton outfit’s three-chord anti-establishment pop, adding more filth to their 2008 EP’s fury thanks to the rough-hewn production. While similar tracks “Authentic,” “Modern Life” and “Ghost In The Park” chug cheerfully along, thanks to the band’s driving basslines and disaffected poetry, Young Rival stand out when they take risks — “A Few Things Left” sets a harmonica solo adrift over a slow guitar jam to great dramatic effect, while the sexual-frustration burn of “The Ocean” employs pretty minor-chord guitars for its portrait of a cad. Here’s a band that should step out of the garage more often.
– Chandler Levack, Eye Weekly
View the article