Woodhands 'Heart Attack' album

Woodhands is an electro-pop duo with a relentlessly energetic live-show and a total disdain for anything but balls-to-the-wall, dirty, sexy dance parties. The brainchild of Dan Werb (vocals, synths, drum machines) and Paul Banwatt (drums, vocals), Woodhands has gathered national press in Canada and was tagged as one of 5 bands to watch in 2008 by Exclaim! Magazine. This buzz has been built almost entirely on their live show, which is carried out without the help of pre-recorded samples or laptops. Instead, Woodhands create the music from scratch just like old-fashioned rock bands, and manage to steal some of the swagger of glam rock along the way. Armed with a decidedly unironic keytar, dirty analog synths and complex but danceable beats, Woodhands are hell-bent on connecting with their audience and getting the room bouncing. Combine that with an exuberant and nerd-infused sexiness, and it’s no wonder that they’ve been dubbed “as close to a two-headed indie Timberlake as it gets” (Exclaim!, Dec 2007).

Woodhands began as Dan Werb’s solo bedroom recording project (culminating in a critically-acclaimed, self-released album in 2004), but after stints in Montreal, Vancouver (Werb’s hometown), and Paris, he moved to Toronto. He quickly became ensconced in Toronto’s fertile indie rock scene as a keyboard player in a number of indie rock bands, and in August 2006 he connected with ubiquitous drummer Paul Banwatt at a rock show. The pair were soon playing live together, their first show being at an illegal Hallowe’en party in 2006, where they opened for Holy Fuck in the mud-filled and extremely condemned Don Valley Brickworks factory. This dangerous setting may have been the inspiration for their refusal to play shows with any kind of safety net (read:laptop).

Heart Attack is the first album from Woodhands on Paper Bag Records. There are ten songs on it- nine absolute bangers and the one requisite slow jam. Coupled with the band's notorious live show, all have been responsible for the barrage of cover stories and feature articles that have focused around the band since the album's initial Canadian release in April. The band has been out touring relentlessly behind the release, including appearances at SXSW and Canadian Music Week as well as fielding international invites to the Great Escape Festival, the SPOT Festival. The guys are currently looking forward to upcoming dates with Crystal Castles in New York City and Chicago, performances in Beijing, China and participating in Toronto's annual Beats, Breaks and Culture Festival this summer.

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Woodhands - Heart Attack