Lost Dakotas
| Lost Dakotas | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Genres | alternative country |
| Years active | 1989–1996 |
| Labels | Cargo Records |
| Past members |
Greg McConnell Paul Dakota Adam Faux Ron Duffy Rick O'Brien Tim Bovaconte J.C. Orr |
Lost Dakotas was a Canadian alternative country band in the 1990s.[1] The band originally consisted of vocalist Paul Dakota and bassist Greg McConnell (formerly of Absolute Whores), who began in 1989 as a busking duo at the corner of Yonge and Dundas Streets in Toronto.[2][3]
Dakota and McConnell added guitarist Adam Faux and drummer Ron Duffy for their 1990 debut, Love to Play.[3] Initially released as a limited edition cassette, the album completely sold out in just two days.[4] The band's visuals, including posters, album art and animated video clips, were created by artist Erella Vent.[3]
1991's Last Train to Kipling (a reference to Kipling station on the Toronto Transit Commission's Bloor-Danforth subway line) stayed in the campus radio charts in Chart for over 100 weeks.[4] The album was most noted for a countrified cover of AC/DC's "Back in Black".[5]
In 1992 Faux left to focus work on his previous band Pig Farm,[6] and was replaced by Rick O'Brien[3] and later by Tim Bovaconte.[5] The band supported the album with their first full-scale national tour in spring 1993.[3]
Their third and final album, Sun Machine, was released in 1993 on Cargo Records.[7] The album included a cover of Ned Sublette's "Cowboys Are Frequently, Secretly Fond of Each Other",[5] 13 years before the song was made famous by Willie Nelson. At the 1993 Kumbaya Festival, the band performed the song live with rock singer Lee Aaron as guest vocalist.[8] For their 1994 tour to support that album, the band was also joined by J.C. Orr, formerly of King Apparatus, as a second guitarist.[7]
The band's final recording was a cover of Bob Snider's "You" on the 1996 tribute album Poetreason: The Songs of Bob Snider.[9]
McConnell went on to form Stratochief, but died in 1999.[4] Erella Vent, now Erella Ganon, continues as an illustrator and writer. Adam Faux currently leads two bands with drummer Topher Stott, Hot Fo Gandhi and The Tiny Specks.
Discography
- Love to Play (1990)
- Last Train to Kipling (1991)
- Sun Machine (1993)
References
- ↑ "Lost Dakotas find popularity with earthy approach to music". Halifax Chronicle-Herald, March 5, 1993.
- ↑ "But does it beat busking?". The Globe and Mail, February 22, 1994.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Dakotas get off street ... and hit highway". Toronto Star, March 11, 1993.
- 1 2 3 "Gregarious Greg McConnell", The Globe and Mail, May 19, 1999.
- 1 2 3 "Lost Dakotas found some raunch on new CD". Ottawa Citizen, January 20, 1994.
- ↑ "Pigfarm drummer didn't miss a beat". Edmonton Journal, May 10, 1994.
- 1 2 "Lost Dakotas find new sound going un-unplugged". Edmonton Journal, December 6, 1994.
- ↑ "AIDS benefit concert goes over big 3 ways". Toronto Star, September 6, 1993.
- ↑ "How EMI signed busker Bob Rags-to-records tale brings Snider to Yellow Door". Montreal Gazette, November 4, 1995.
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