Band of the Week: Ohbijou

[July 14-20]
Ohbijou
Sounds Like: Folk/Indie-Pop
Drinking Buddies: Great Lake Swimmers, The Acorn, Sufjan Stevens.
Synopsis: "Small town stories... big city phenomenons."
Makes You Want To...: Introspect; Retrospect; Relax with friends.
[Myspace]




One week, one band. You know the drill.
This week, the featured artist is Ohbijou.


Not to sound fussy, but these days, somewhere between the traffic jams, the dirty gray skylines, the withered plants from the summer heat, and the lack of proper air conditioning, things can get pretty stressful. It's the modern lifestyle we're living, which signifies an extreme emphasis on its motto, "Busy, busy, busy." I realize that this is the way things go, but I think a communal session of relaxing is in order. When I'm stressed, I relax, and when I relax, I listen to music.

But not any ol' band is relaxing. I don't doubt the prowess of Dir en grey, or the wild beats from YATCH, but when I'm listening to something to chill out I need something slightly more calming. I could listen to Colin Meloy's solo work, with his lovely cover songs. There's always Iron & Wine, with their Georgian folk. Then there's always Sufjan Stevens with his adventurous and enlightening (and of course, slightly quirky) musical projects.

But lately, my weary heart and soul has been turning to a certain septet hailing from the Ontario, Canada. Congregated in the Toronto Metroplex is the provincial folk collective known as Ohbijou. If you're looking for something communal, you need go no farther, as this band has been touted as having a strong family vibe since their inception. And this isn't just because lead singer Casey Mecija - who is a multi-instrumentalist along with her sister Jessica Mecija - happen to share a surname. These seven friends come together as a family all their own, and their commonality is reflected in Ohbijou's sound.

Slow rhythms, with beautiful harmonies between the Mecija sisters, ebb and flow between the subdued melodies that Ohbijou brings to the table. Their songs tend to be slow and steady, and purposely, perfectly round themselves out, building and falling like snowbanks or waves. The wonderful instrumentation supports their gorgeous poetry, which is pretty tough to rival. "This could be our last resort/Let’s cut these limbs that weigh us down/The spies hide out in smoky leaves/Our love is sweet espionage." Ohbijou's music is not the talents of any one individual, but the talents of everyone put together. This is music for the introspective souls, and can warm a heart like a fire or a family.

Ohbijou released their first debut album, Swift Feet For Troubling Times, two years ago to positive acclaim. As if that wasn't enough, they opened for The Flaming Lips at the Virgin Music Festival in Toronto, and were nominated for CBC Radio's The Galaxie Rising Stars Award, where they were up against other amazing Canadian outfits such as Final Fantasy (Arcade Fire alumni) and Emily Hayes (of Metric and alumni from University of Broken Social Scene). They also released a lovely compilation with tons of friendly bands called Friends In Bellwoods, which was to donate all funds to the Daily Bread Food Bank of Toronto.

But that's ancient history (or a year ago, anyway). As for present day Ohbijou, they are brewing over the rim with excitement. The final tweaks to their new album, which remains mysteriously untitled, are underway, and the album is set to release after New Years. They have their first publicly debuted song from the new album, "Black Ice," currently up on Myspace for your listening pleasure. More good news: Ohbijou is due to record a split-EP with friends The Acorn, and will be launching on tour with them soon thereafter. To top it all off with a cherry Friends In Bellwoods, released back in December of 2006, has raised over ten-thousand dollars as of May's end! If that's not celebratory, I'm not sure what is.

Ohbijou is definitely one of the best bands I've heard all year, and absolutely deserve your ear. Let them entertain you while I wish you an absolutely great week, reader. Peace.