Artificial Joy Club, at first known as Sal's Birdland, was a Canadian alternative rock band active in the 1990s.[1] The group recorded three albums under various names and had one hit single.[2][3]
Artificial Joy Club | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Sal's Birdland |
| Origin | Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |
| Genres | alternative rock, Electronic music |
| Years active | 1993–1999 |
| Labels | Crunchy Records, Interscope, Ghetto Records, Discovery Records |
| Past members |
|
History
editThe band formed in 1993 when Louise Reny and Leslie Howe, formerly of the pop group One to One, joined with guitarist Michael Goyette, bassist Tim Dupont and drummer Andrew Lamarche. Initially taking the name Sal's Birdland ('Sal' was Reny's stage name), the group released its debut album, So Very Happy, in 1994.[4][5]
In 1995, the group signed an international deal with Discovery Records',[6] which re-worked So Very Happy with production assistance from Michael James and released the album Nude Photos Inside.[7]
The label rejected their planned follow-up,[8] and the band signed to Interscope Records,[8] changing their name to Artificial Joy Club at the same time.[1][9] Goyette, Dupont and Lamarche had previously used the name Artificial Joy Club for a short-lived side project with Ottawa singer Doug Wilson.[10]
In 1997, they released the album Melt, and the maxi-single Sick And Beautiful.[11][12][13] The song "Sick and Beautiful" was a No. 17 Billboard Modern Rock Tracks hit;[14][1][15] it also climbed to No. 11 on the Radio and Records Alternative chart.[16] It hit #35 in Canada on the RPM Top 100. It was also featured on the soundtrack for the 1998 film Homegrown.[17]
The band then went on a full North American festival tour.[18] It included opening the mainstage at Buzzfest '97,[19] and appearing on the second stage bill at Lollapalooza.[20]
In 1998, Artificial Joy Club released the three-track EP Spaceman, which was three versions of their song of the same name. They also released a video.[21][22] The band broke up in 1999.
Discography
editas Sal's Birdland
edit- So Very Happy (1994), Ghetto Records
- Nude Photos Inside (1995), Ghetto Records, Discovery Records
as Artificial Joy Club
edit- Melt (1997), Interscope
- Sick And Beautiful (1997), Interscope, Crunchy Records
- Spaceman (EP) (1998), Interscope
References
edit- ^ a b c "Crunchy Act Artificial Joy Club melts away doubters with 'Sick & Beautiful' single". Billboard, Nielsen Business Media, Inc. August 9, 1997. page 62. by Chuck Taylor ISSN 0006-2510
- ^ "Audio Track". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 20 December 1997. pp. 69–. ISSN 0006-2510.
- ^ "Artificial Joy Club". AllMusic. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
- ^ "Sal's Birdland – So Very Happy". Discogs.com. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
- ^ "Not quite banned, Sal's Birdland rocks on". Ottawa Citizen, December 22, 1994.[dead link]
- ^ "Colin Linden just a book of blues". Ottawa Citizen, June 22, 1995.[dead link]
- ^ "Sal's Birdland – Nude Photos Inside". Discogs.com. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
- ^ a b "Lippy litany of buzzwords is Sal's way". The Province, September 26, 1997.[dead link]
- ^ ": One To One" Archived 2017-03-14 at the Wayback Machine. The Canadian Pop Encyclopedia, Jam Showbiz
- ^ "Big Smoke success smells sweet to Waltons". Ottawa Citizen, May 4, 1995.[dead link]
- ^ "Artificial Joy Club – Melt". Discogs.com. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
- ^ "Customer Reviews". Amazon.ca. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
- ^ "Artificial Joy Club – Sick And Beautiful". Discogs.com. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
- ^ "Sick & Beautiful · Artificial Joy Club". Retrieved 28 January 2022 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Popular Uprisings". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 26 July 1997. pp. 19–. ISSN 0006-2510.
- ^ "R&R" (PDF). Worldradiohistory.com. 22 August 1997. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
- ^ "SoundtrackINFO: Homegrown Soundtrack (complete album tracklisting)". Soundtrackinfo.com. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
- ^ "Artificial Joy Club's Concert History". concertarchives.org. Concert Archives. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
- ^ "Houston (Buzzfest '97), Aug. 30, 1997". Houston Today, via Silver Chair.
- ^ "Lollapalooza's Recycled Hormones: Rebellion by the Numbers". The New York Times, by Jon Pareles, July 14, 1997
- ^ "Artificial Joy Club – Spaceman". Discogs.com. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
- ^ "Artificial Joy Club - Spaceman". Retrieved 29 January 2022 – via YouTube.