Here's the bad news: Montreal-via-Edmonton indie rock trio the City Streets are breaking up. But there's good news too, since they will release one final album as they head into the sunset. Pretenders is out on May 14.
The album was recorded at the Hive just outside of Vancouver with Jesse Gander (Japandroids, White Lung). In a statement to Exclaim!, frontman Rick Reid wrote that the album is a collection of sparse folk-rock tracks inspired by the likes of Big Star and Red House Painters. The spiky yet tuneful album cut "Prairie Night" is streaming at the bottom of the page, where you'll also find the album's title track.
By the sound of things, the band's breakup is in no way acrimonious, since drummer Mark Chmilar will be going back to school while Reid and bassist Matt Leddy will continue on under the name Eternal Husbands. In a statement posted on Facebook, Reid noted, "We always said if one of us quit or died, or we all perished in a car crash on mushrooms (one of many strange rumours I've heard about us) we'd hang up the skates."
Read the full heartfelt statement below:
It's over. I hope you can understand the love we feel for all of you who listened, heard, felt, cared, came to shows, bought records, stole records, kissed, fucked, regretted, held and helped us. Who let us crash at your place after the show (which meant party until dawn, eat your bread). Thanks Edmonton. Thanks to all the brilliant musicians who played with us, inspired us, gave us advice, told us not to do it, or say that...how could we not? We always tried to have fun, we knew we were lucky, it was dark sometimes but that's ok. I love rock n roll. Matt and I will continue as Eternal Husbands. Different, but still about Songs. Mark is going back to school because he is brilliant in more than one way. We wish him well, our brother. Can't make a decent living in this music game. Still I'm not complaining. We always said if one of us quit or died, or we all perished in a car crash on mushrooms ( one of many strange rumours I've heard about us) we'd hang up the skates. 7.5 years, 6 albums, 4 ep's, 500 shows, 3 vans, 1 decapitated deer and all those beautiful nights were worth it. So we didn't "make it". I regret nothing, Promoters' reprimands be damned. I'm proud of what we created, and so honoured and humbled to play for all of you people. This is the only real way I know how to connect to other human beings, so thank you for that. Pretenders is our last album. It's a bit sad, but livin' life. And so it goes.
The album was recorded at the Hive just outside of Vancouver with Jesse Gander (Japandroids, White Lung). In a statement to Exclaim!, frontman Rick Reid wrote that the album is a collection of sparse folk-rock tracks inspired by the likes of Big Star and Red House Painters. The spiky yet tuneful album cut "Prairie Night" is streaming at the bottom of the page, where you'll also find the album's title track.
By the sound of things, the band's breakup is in no way acrimonious, since drummer Mark Chmilar will be going back to school while Reid and bassist Matt Leddy will continue on under the name Eternal Husbands. In a statement posted on Facebook, Reid noted, "We always said if one of us quit or died, or we all perished in a car crash on mushrooms (one of many strange rumours I've heard about us) we'd hang up the skates."
Read the full heartfelt statement below:
It's over. I hope you can understand the love we feel for all of you who listened, heard, felt, cared, came to shows, bought records, stole records, kissed, fucked, regretted, held and helped us. Who let us crash at your place after the show (which meant party until dawn, eat your bread). Thanks Edmonton. Thanks to all the brilliant musicians who played with us, inspired us, gave us advice, told us not to do it, or say that...how could we not? We always tried to have fun, we knew we were lucky, it was dark sometimes but that's ok. I love rock n roll. Matt and I will continue as Eternal Husbands. Different, but still about Songs. Mark is going back to school because he is brilliant in more than one way. We wish him well, our brother. Can't make a decent living in this music game. Still I'm not complaining. We always said if one of us quit or died, or we all perished in a car crash on mushrooms ( one of many strange rumours I've heard about us) we'd hang up the skates. 7.5 years, 6 albums, 4 ep's, 500 shows, 3 vans, 1 decapitated deer and all those beautiful nights were worth it. So we didn't "make it". I regret nothing, Promoters' reprimands be damned. I'm proud of what we created, and so honoured and humbled to play for all of you people. This is the only real way I know how to connect to other human beings, so thank you for that. Pretenders is our last album. It's a bit sad, but livin' life. And so it goes.