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Dan’s band is: Gord Grdina, Kenton Loewen, John Walsh |
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Recently signed to Arts & Crafts, the trail-blazing indie label that brought us Broken Social Scene, Feist, and Stars, Dan Mangan is the first on their roster from the Pacific Northwest. Though Vancouverites once envied the thriving music scenes of Montreal and Toronto, Mangan’s rain-soaked hometown has since developed a potent scene of its own – in recent years, its eclectic and supportive musical community has produced the likes of The New Pornographers, Ladyhawk, You Say Party! We Say Die!, Black Mountain, and Japandroids. Mangan is yet another native son of this emergence. The American release of Nice, Nice, Very Nice comes in the wake of its release in Canada, which saw the good natured and unassuming songwriter skyrocket to critical and fan acclaim. A tidal wave of accolades landed Dan on the covers of publications from coast to coast, and his career went into serious over-drive. First, fan word-of-mouth and an enthusiastic blogosphere got the infectious single “Robots” onto listener- request playlists and into heavy play rotation on Canadian radio. Next, XM Satellite’s The Verge named Mangan Artist of the Year, beating out better-known acts for a $25,000 prize. Then Canada’s public broadcaster (CBC) championed “Robots” as Best Song and Best Vocals of 2009. There were showcase appearances at SXSW, more gigs across Europe and throughout the UK, a record deal in Australia, and even a performance in Dubai. Meanwhile, Nice, Nice, Very Nice sat at #1 on the iTunes Canada Singer/Songwriter chart for nearly six months straight. And to top it all off, Mangan was invited to play at England’s legendary Glastonbury Festival – on the prestigious John Peel Stage, to boot.. Coffee shops and small bars transitioned to much larger sold-out theatres. Nice, Nice, Very Nice was becoming a Canadian hit. Nobody seemed more surprised or appreciative than Mangan himself - “I set my expectations low and my hopes very high, “ he says, “and with the help of so many people, somehow, it always works out in between.” Dan’s songs brim with subtle images and irreverent wit. He has a knack for making what is quaint seem universal and what is universal quaint, so that even his most layered lyrics feel strangely familiar. His uniquely gravelled voice conveys a rare type of honesty, a gift that seems to transcend demographics. On stage, his presence is easy and open. It could work against him, but there’s no façade; here’s a talented, hard-working and unpretentious musician with a poet’s way of seeing through absurdity. With Nice, Nice, Very Nice, Mangan seems to be unwilling to pitch his musical flag in any single section of the record store. He dabbles and teases genre all the way from the indie-rock roar of “Road Regrets” to the string-soaked, orchestral pop of “Fair Verona”. Along the way, he visits everything from the alt-country flavour of “Et Les Mots Croisés” to the 3 a.m.-come-down chamber-folk of “Set the Sails” and the clapboard-shack bluegrass we can hear in “Some People” and “Sold”. The diversity of Dan’s collaborators has no doubt influenced the versatility of his writing. He has shared stages with everyone from Holy F*ck, Broken Social Scene and Julian Casablancas to Sarah Harmer, Horse Feathers and The Broken Family Band. “There’s something to be said for running from pigeonholes,” says Mangan of creative process. “I love the fact that innovators like Radiohead and Wilco have never made the same album twice. Or that Bon Iver and Grizzly Bear can play a sarong-wrapped folk-fest in Northern California, or just as easily to hip kids in French bars.” With Nice, Nice, Very Nice about to be released in America by Arts & Crafts, Dan Mangan is eager to hit the road Stateside again. This time around, he’ll have a full band with him to help refold the road maps and bring out the gritty richness of the album. This release marks Mangan’s official launch in the USA, and success at home hasn’t made him any less hungry - the guy’s got an appetite. |
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Press Praise for Nice, Nice, Very Nice (2009):
"...Knocks you flat on your ass... Mangan's career is clearly on the rise. Hop on board and enjoy the ride." “From his unusual and razor-sharp phrasing to the sage poetry in his everyday-life observations, he’s in the ranks of geniuses such as Greg Brown, Nick Drake or Badly Drawn Boy.” “He’s an observer in the sense you’d want to join him on a patio for a drink just to see the city through his eyes for an afternoon. Until then, Nice, Nice, Very Nice effectively lets you pretend for just over 40 mesmerizing minutes.” “With some of his strongest work to date and an already large fan-base, Nice, Nice, Very Nice could very well be the album that solidifies Mangan as the standout artist he is.” “It’s hard to believe that this new collection of stellar songs won’t help him leave each tour stop with countless new fans in his corner.” “Ultimately, it’s that ability to write lyrics that beg for some consideration of their meanings” “If you like The Weakerthans or early Hawskley Workman, you’ll love this record. It’s all well crafted singer-songwriter stuff with impressive range.” “Listeners wouldn’t expect the cheeky content to sail through waves of dynamic choral balladeering and colourful instrumentation, but Mangan doesn’t only pull it off, he makes it soar. “ For (many) more reviews of Nice, Nice, Very Nice, click here Praise for Roboteering EP (2009)
“If this is the quality of the forthcoming album then it will be immense.” “It’s all great, just great. Hurry up with the rest of it, dude.” “Mangan’s distinctive voice, which is confident and weary beyond his years, sounds like it’s been aged in oak… Compelling, twisty and imaginative.” “Mangan’s next move is definitely going to be worth waiting for.” “Feels so beautiful and personal that time ceases to exist.” “A slightly rough-at-the-edges troubadour, singing true with a golden heart and an earnest charm.” “Think Jim Bryson tubing down the Red River with a bottle of rum” Praise for Postcards and Daydreaming (2007)
“This folk singer may only be 23, but he sings with the soul of Woody Guthrie - if Woody Guthrie had listened to Godspeed (You Black Emperor)” “The deliciously downbeat Postcards and Daydreaming is a good sulky-day companion for anyone who has already invested in the collected works of Hayden or Crooked Fingers.” “Reverential elegance… It’s not easy to play slowly but Mangan’s growly ruminations demand it.” “There is poetic power here.” “In the end, the real appeal of this album is that even through a static speaker, it still seems as though Dan Mangan is singing only to you.” ”His gruff croon has enslaved my ears, it’s just so horribly beautiful… Resistance is futile. There is no escape. Let this be a warning - once you’re into this album, there is no getting out.” (Rating: A) ” * * * * * ” “It is a mystery to me why Dan Mangan has not yet reached superstardom…” “Patrick Watson plays the creepier Jeff Buckley to Dan Mangan’s Damien Rice, but Watson can’t touch Mangan’s live ode to MySpace.” “A knack for the kind of sad songs that could potentially drive you to drink.” “His voice opens up and loats around the room like the smells from my cup of coffee and really let’s you have something to hold onto on those days where everything else seems lost.” |
