The Killjoys (Canadian band)
| The Killjoys | |
|---|---|
 The Killjoys in 2015 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Hamilton, Ontario, Canada |
| Genres | Alternative rock, Pop-punk, Post-grunge |
| Years active | 1992–1998, 2015-present |
| Labels | Warner |
| Website | thekilljoys.ca |
| Members |
Mike Trebilcock Gene Champagne Shelley Woods |
The Killjoys is a Canadian alternative rock band that formed in 1992 in Hamilton, Ontario. It enjoyed moderate success in Canada during the grunge/alternative rock heyday of the 1990s before disbanding in 1998 and reforming in 2015.
Overview
The Killjoys released their first album Starry in 1994, followed by Gimme Five in 1996 and Melos Modos in 1997. In 1998 a live album was released entitled Onenight and a Morningafter. A "best of" compilation was released in 2005 called Essentials.
In 2011 The Killjoys were featured on a compilation entitled, "Today I Hate Everyone - Perfect Songs For A Crappy Day", alongside The Ramones, Ween and Hüsker Dü.
They received a Juno Award for "Best New Group" in 1997 and a Rock Radio Award for "Independent Artist of the Year". Mike Trebilcock was also nominated for a Juno Award with Antoine Moonen in 1994, for "Best Album Design" for "Starry".
The singles "Today I Hate Everyone" and "Dana" were played on MuchMusic and MusiquePlus. The song "Rave + Drool" from Gimme Five was included on the very first Big Shiny Tunes compilation album.
After filming a music video for "I've Been Good" (from Melos Modos) in Mexico, the film was stolen by a crew member. The crew member demanded $13,000, threatening to destroy the film otherwise. The ransom was paid and the footage was returned safely.[1]
In 2000, lead singer/guitarist Mike Trebilcock released his first solo album entitled Shield Millions. He was the producer/arranger for "No Rush" by Dave Pomfret in 2009, and for "Love, War and Propaganda" by The Caretakers in 2012. He co-composed the music for a play, "George A Romero's Night Of The Living Dead Live" in 2013, and arranged, produced and wrote additional music for a Toronto production of "Cannibal! The Musical" in 2015.
Gene Champagne formed Junior Achiever, and released "All the Little Letdowns" in 2008.
The Killjoys reunited for a show in Hamilton that coincided with the Juno awards being held there in March of 2015.
Popular Culture
"Rave + Drool", "Soaked", "Any day now", "Today I Hate Everyone" and "I've Been Good" were frequently included in the repertoire of Canadian Alternative DJ, DJ SDGV.
The songs "Monkeysucker" and "Everything" were used in the movie The Boys Club (1997) starring Chris Penn. "Candyland" was used in the film "Sweet Karma" (2009). "Today I Hate Everyone" was used in the film "Wet Bum" (2014)
Members
Mike Trebilcock was the primary songwriter, and he played guitar and sang vocals. Gene Champagne played the drums and Shelley Woods played the bass and provided back-up vocals.
Discography
- Starry (1994), Cargo Records / Warner Music Canada
- Gimme Five (1996), Warner Music Canada
- Melos Modos (1997), Warner Music Canada
- Onenight and a Morningafter (1998), Shoreline Records
- Essentials (2005), Rhino Entertainment / Warner Music Canada
- Hi-Five (2006), Rhino Entertainment
- Today I Hate Everyone - Perfect Songs For a Crappy Day (Various Artists) (2011), Warner Music Canada
Singles
| Year | Title | Peak Chart Position | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAN [2] |
CAN Alt. [3] | |||
| 1995 | "Today I Hate Everyone" | 67 | - | Starry |
| "Dana" | - | 30 | ||
| "Anyday Now" | - | - | ||
| 1996 | "Rave + Drool" | - | 6 | Gimme Five |
| "Soaked" | 20 | 8 | ||
| "Look Like Me" | 37 | - | ||
| 1997 | "Sick of You" | - | - | |
| "I've Been Good" | - | - | Melos Modos | |
| 1998 | "Perfect Pizza" | - | - | |
References
- ↑ The Killjoys biography at Jam!
- ↑ "The Killjoys Top Singles positions". RPM. Retrieved 2011-02-26.
- ↑ "The Killjoys Rock/Alternative positions". RPM. Retrieved 2011-02-26.