All About Us
Band Members
Guitar/Vocals = Ryan H
Guitar/Vocals = Ryan N
Bass = Scott
Drums = Steve
Influences
Slint, Sonic Youth, Blonde Redhead, Pinback, Rodan, June of 44, Shipping News, Tortoise, Polvo, Drive Like Jehu, Unwound, Mogwai, Jawbox, Sunny Day Real Estate, Three Mile Pilot, Don Caballero, Gang of Four, Fugazi, Modest Mouse, Engine Down, Grateful Dead (that's Scotty), Talking Heads, Rites of Spring, Joy Division, James Chance and The Contortions
Sounds Like
A juxtaposition of angular and melodic, unsettling and soothing, frantic and calm. Dissonant. Vocal melodies battle it out with ever changing riffs on an instrumental journey. Often sounds like many songs packed into one.
Bio
In 2003, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy played his first show ever in Ottawa. On this evening, there was another first.
Ryan Hough, ex-axeman/vocalist from legendary Ottawa bands Kluane (featuring future member of Kepler and Weights
and Measures), Angelheaded (featuring future member of Kepler, Arcade Fire, and Weights and Measures), and Prisons
Come Home (featuring a future member of Weights and Measures), was to play violin in his first ever show opening
with the country-tinged garage rock band, Golden Famile. Little did everone know, this was to be the beginning of
a new chapter in rock history.
Ryan Neeb (Jabeenaroc, Scutterbotch) and scott Adams were in the audience and found renewed hope in rock n' roll while
listening to the full, rich sounds of Golden Famile. They were in a dissonant, sax infused rock band called The
Wandering Lifesign. They were intent on rocking with the Golden Famile at a later date, which they did one fateful
night at legendary Ottawa rock venue, Zaphod Beeblebrox. At that rock specatacle, Ryan and Ryan found they were
kindered spirits when it came to musical tastes, so when Wandering Lifesign Broke up, Scott and Ryan had an obvious
choice for a replacement. Along with Ryan, Mike Sheridan came along for the yet unnamed musical jouney.
But things were not working out for the young rock outfit. The drumming situation was not working out and they had
lost their practice space. Morale was low. Where were they to turn?
Luckily, about the same time they found a practice space, a friend from local Ottawa band My Dad vs. Yours named
Jose, suggested former Loopholes/Suburban Pop Project drummer Conrad Amenta to step up to the plate. Conrad brought
a new dynamicism and dry sense of humour to the band and everything seemed to fall into place quickly after that
moment in time.
Then the phonecall came from The Saint Bernard of Love, Mike Wieland. He needed an opener for quirky folk performer
Collapsing Opposites, and was willing to give the fledgling band a shot at greatness. There was a problem. Their
merry band was yet to be named. This called for drastic action. They decided to lock themselves in a sportsbar
with beer and not allow themselves out until a unanimous decision was made. Ryan Hough had remembered strolling
through an old book store and found the title of one section of the bookstore, books on books (meaning books
about books), a tad humourous. The rest of the band agreed, the last beer was finished, and Books on Books was born.
They played their first show at Irene's Pub in front of a modest audience opening for locals Les Allumettes and
Golden Famile, as well as Vancouver folkster Collapsing Opposites. Their set was almost unanimously praised and will
go down in history as one of the greatest first shows in Ottawa.
In September 2006, dear Conrad moved on, leaving space for a new drummer in the form of Steve Sidoli of Quebexico!
The Bio is continuing as you are reading this...