A few years after his band the Inbreds broke up, Dave Ullrich emerged as the CEO of Zunior, one of the world's first digital music delivery services. Others have come and gone, but 10 years on, Zunior remains a hub for great Canadian music.
As previously reported, the folks at Zunior have been deservedly patting themselves on the back for their 10th anniversary, engaging in a bevy of celebratory activities. Top among them is the upcoming Sandbanks New Waves, which will take place on Saturday (September 13) in Ontario's Sandbanks Provincial Park.
The lineup features Bry Webb and the Providers, DIANA, Cuff the Duke, Evening Hymns and the Hylozoists, among others. Also, at the event you'll be able to get your hands on a new cookbook curated by none other than Ullrich himself.
In the lead-up to the big event, Exclaim! took a moment to catch up with Ullrich, who ponders several milestones in Zunior's history.
10 Key Moments in Zunior History:
10. Introducing Happiness
"Presenting the Rheostatics tribute album to the band live on [Toronto radio station] the Edge with Dave Bookman, prior to their final show. It was a surprise and the looks on their faces were hilarious."
9. We Bought a Zune
"Microsoft creating the Zune inspired me to copyright 'Zunior' in the U.S. (as we were first) in case they tried to sue us. They didn't, but Wired did a piece on it anyway, which was quite neat."
8. Here Comes the Solar
"Putting together the Our Power [compilation] raised funds for awareness about residential solar power. I have had panels on my roof since 2006 and I think it's a good thing to do if you live in the city."
7. Hammin' Egger
"Our Zunior show at the Horseshoe back in 2005 where Wax Mannequin, Scribbled Out Man, and the Mountainside Band played. I had a chance to do a mini Egger set [Ulrich's post-Inbreds project] with Scribbled as the band, and it still classifies as the one and only public performance of Egger."
6. The Good in "Good Grief"
"Our 2009 Christmas charity album was a tribute to the Peanuts Christmas record. It has all kinds of great songs from people like Jill Barber, Wayne Petti and more. It continues to be one of the best sellers every Christmas."
5. Thinking Out of the Boxing Day
"The annual Boxing Day sale, which started as a tribute to the old Sam the Record Man sale on Yonge Street in Toronto, where people would line up for hours. Our sale is two-for-one and we do it every December 26. It gets bigger and better."
4. The MP3 Café
"Stuart MacLean! Many years ago, Stuart tapped us to become his official store and this has been a great thing for us. He's like our patron saint!"
3. Ad Boosters
"Our Commercials. Scott Cudmore made us some amazing commercials back in 2006, one of which stars Martin Tielli. They are totally weird and totally cool."
2. More Than a Store
"Although Zunior is a store, we're also a label inside the box. Over the years we've only released a small collection of albums but there are some great ones by the Violet Archers, Wax Mannequin, Golden Seals, Ben Gunning, Great Aunt Ida and more."
1. Indie Hall of Fame
"This had a short three-year run starting in 2007, but it used public feedback and a judge panel to crown winners: Rheostatics, Sloan and Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet. It was fun but a lot of work, believe it or not."
Learn more about Sandbanks New Waves over at the festival's website.
As previously reported, the folks at Zunior have been deservedly patting themselves on the back for their 10th anniversary, engaging in a bevy of celebratory activities. Top among them is the upcoming Sandbanks New Waves, which will take place on Saturday (September 13) in Ontario's Sandbanks Provincial Park.
The lineup features Bry Webb and the Providers, DIANA, Cuff the Duke, Evening Hymns and the Hylozoists, among others. Also, at the event you'll be able to get your hands on a new cookbook curated by none other than Ullrich himself.
In the lead-up to the big event, Exclaim! took a moment to catch up with Ullrich, who ponders several milestones in Zunior's history.
10 Key Moments in Zunior History:
10. Introducing Happiness
"Presenting the Rheostatics tribute album to the band live on [Toronto radio station] the Edge with Dave Bookman, prior to their final show. It was a surprise and the looks on their faces were hilarious."
9. We Bought a Zune
"Microsoft creating the Zune inspired me to copyright 'Zunior' in the U.S. (as we were first) in case they tried to sue us. They didn't, but Wired did a piece on it anyway, which was quite neat."
8. Here Comes the Solar
"Putting together the Our Power [compilation] raised funds for awareness about residential solar power. I have had panels on my roof since 2006 and I think it's a good thing to do if you live in the city."
7. Hammin' Egger
"Our Zunior show at the Horseshoe back in 2005 where Wax Mannequin, Scribbled Out Man, and the Mountainside Band played. I had a chance to do a mini Egger set [Ulrich's post-Inbreds project] with Scribbled as the band, and it still classifies as the one and only public performance of Egger."
6. The Good in "Good Grief"
"Our 2009 Christmas charity album was a tribute to the Peanuts Christmas record. It has all kinds of great songs from people like Jill Barber, Wayne Petti and more. It continues to be one of the best sellers every Christmas."
5. Thinking Out of the Boxing Day
"The annual Boxing Day sale, which started as a tribute to the old Sam the Record Man sale on Yonge Street in Toronto, where people would line up for hours. Our sale is two-for-one and we do it every December 26. It gets bigger and better."
4. The MP3 Café
"Stuart MacLean! Many years ago, Stuart tapped us to become his official store and this has been a great thing for us. He's like our patron saint!"
3. Ad Boosters
"Our Commercials. Scott Cudmore made us some amazing commercials back in 2006, one of which stars Martin Tielli. They are totally weird and totally cool."
2. More Than a Store
"Although Zunior is a store, we're also a label inside the box. Over the years we've only released a small collection of albums but there are some great ones by the Violet Archers, Wax Mannequin, Golden Seals, Ben Gunning, Great Aunt Ida and more."
1. Indie Hall of Fame
"This had a short three-year run starting in 2007, but it used public feedback and a judge panel to crown winners: Rheostatics, Sloan and Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet. It was fun but a lot of work, believe it or not."
Learn more about Sandbanks New Waves over at the festival's website.
