Ohbijou: Difference between revisions

| origin = [[Toronto]], [[Ontario]], [[Canada]]

| years_active = {{Start date|2004}}–{{StartEnd date|2013}}

| associated_acts = [[We're Marching On...]], Alight, [[Gentleman Reg]], [[The Wooden Sky]], [[The Acorn (band)|The Acorn]], [[The Rural Alberta Advantage]], [[Forest City Lovers]], [[Timber Timbre]], [[Bruce Peninsula (band)|Bruce Peninsula]], [[Evening Hymns]]

| current_members = [[Casey Mecija]], Jennifer Mecija, Heather Kirby, James Bunton, Anissa Hart, Ryan Carley, Andrew Kinoshita

'''Ohbijou''' was a Canadian [[indie pop]] band that formedwas in 2004based in [[Toronto]], [[Ontario]]. The music of Ohbijou draws on [[pop music|pop]], [[folk music|folk]] and [[Bluegrass music|bluegrass]] influences.

==BiographyHistory==

Ohbijou began as the solo project of [[Brantford, Ontario|Brantford]] singer-songwriter [[Casey Mecija (born 1981)]].<ref name=Sayej>Sayej, Nadja. "Underground rock", ''[[The Globe and Mail]]'', 2007-01-06, p. M2.</ref> (She also works as a production assistant at [[MuchMusic]].)<ref name=Lederman>Lederman, Marsha. "Rocky mountain high", ''[[The Globe and Mail]]'', 2008-03-27, p. R2.</ref> ThroughCasey thebegan processcomposing ofher songwritingown and compositionsongs, Caseytaking discoveredinspiration afrom needCanadian forsongwriter the[[Julie musicalDoiron]]. supportShe ofinvited her sister Jennifer Mecija (born 1985),<ref name=Sayej /> whom Casey invited to assist with her early performances. The Mecija sisters later moved to Toronto to attend [[Ryerson University]] and the [[Ontario College of Art and Design]], respectively&mdash;Mecija soon saw what kinds of music existed in Toronto, and began to seriously consider playing her own music for a real audience.<ref name=Exclaim>[http://exclaim.ca/articles/multiarticlesub.aspx?csid1=135&csid2=778&fid1=40125 Ohbijou - August 2009 Interview]</ref>

[[File:Ohbijou.jpg|thumb|150px|left|Casey Mecija performing at the [[Calgary]] Folk Festival in 2010]]
In Toronto2004, the bandsisters expandedjoined to includewith Heather Kirby (bass, banjo), James Bunton (drums, trumpet), Anissa Hart (cello), Ryan Carley (piano, synth, glockenspiel, electric piano, harpsichord), and Andrew Kinoshita (mandolin) to form the band Ohbijou.<ref>"[http://www.nowtoronto.com/music/localplayer-story.cfm?content=159361 Casey Mecija] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140220230734/http://www.nowtoronto.com/music/localplayer-story.cfm?content=159361 |date=2014-02-20 }}", ''[[Now (newspaper)|Now]]''. Retrieved on 2008-09-28.</ref> In the context of Ohbijou, Casey remains as lead vocalist, though also plays guitar, piano and ukulele. Jennifer continues to add vocal layering, moreover, her instrumental contributions to Ohbijou include violin, harmochord, glockenspiel, organ and melodica.<ref>Langlois, Jill.[https://archive.today/20120713091439/http://exclaim.ca/articles/multiarticlesub.aspx?csid1=135&csid2=778&fid1=40125 "Community Living"], ''[[Exclaim!]]'', August 2009.</ref>

The music of Ohbijou, which draws on [[pop music|pop]], [[folk music|folk]] and [[Bluegrass music|bluegrass]] influences, has been classified in the [[indie pop]] genre. Casey has cited the music of Canadian songwriter [[Julie Doiron]] as an inspiration. The music has been described as being similar to [[Bic Runga]] and [[Mazzy Star]],<ref>Sayani, Fateema. "'Anything goes' for Temporao and new low", ''[[Ottawa Citizen]]'', 2005-07-21, p. E3.</ref> and called "hushed, heart-tugging music".<ref name=Rayner>Rayner, Ben. "Fans wake up to dreamy pop: Hometown buzz pushes Toronto septet Ohbijou into bigger venues", ''[[Toronto Star]]'', 2007-09-09, p. E10.</ref>

[[File:AnissaHart.jpg|thumb|150px|right|AnissaOhbijou Hart performing at the [[Calgary]] Folk Festival in 2010]]Since the release ofreleased their debut album, ''Swift Feet for Troubling Times'', in 2006,. Ohbijou haveThey played festivals across Canada,<ref name=Rayner /> including the [[Osheaga Festival]] in [[Montreal]] and the [[Hillside Festival]] in [[Guelph]]. They played the opening set for the [[Virgin Festival]] in Toronto, and were nominated for the 2007 Galaxie Rising Stars Award of the CBC,<ref>Bliss, Karen (Spring 2008). ''Words & Music'', '''15''' (1): 8.</ref> competing with artists such as [[IllScarlett]], [[Owen Pallett|Final Fantasy]] and [[Emily Haines]] of [[Metric (band)|Metric]]. The band were among the organizers of a 2007 compilation CD, ''[[Friends in Bellwoods]]'' &mdash; based out of Mecija's own Bellwoods Ave. Toronto home and practice space for Ohbijou and their friends &mdash; as a benefit for Toronto's Daily Bread Food Bank.<ref name=Exclaim /><ref>Liss, Sarah. "[http://www.nowtoronto.com/music/story.cfm?content=157047&archive=26,19,2007 Parkside pop: Ohbijou makes new friends in Bellwoods] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605041653/http://www.nowtoronto.com/music/story.cfm?content=157047&archive=26,19,2007 |date=2011-06-05 }}", ''[[Now (newspaper)|Now]]'', 2007-01-11. Retrieved on 2008-09-28.</ref> In 2008, they were chosen as one of three bands for the [[Banff Centre]]'s first Indie Band Residency, where they had the opportunity to spend two weeks working with some top producers and recording engineers.<ref name=Lederman /><ref name=Exclaim />

Their music has been playlisted on [[CBC Radio 3]]. Their song "St. Francis" peaked at No.&nbsp;4 on the network's weekly charts in December 2006,<ref>[http://radio3.cbc.ca/blogs/2006/12/The-R3-30Week-Ending-December-4th-2006 CBC3 weekly charts]{{Dead link|date=April 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> and ranked as the No.&nbsp;34 song on the network's year-end singles chart.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20070921155341/http://radio3.cbc.ca/blogs/2006/12/Top-94-Tracks-of-2006 CBC3 2006 charts]</ref> More recently, Ohbijou was included in the April 5, 2008 broadcast of [[CBC Radio]]'s ''[[The Vinyl Cafe]]'' and chosen as [[Aux.tv]]'s X3 Artist of the month for August 2009, in partnership with [[CBC Radio 3]] and ''[[Exclaim!]]''. As well, Casey Mecija was named one of ''[[Chatelaine (magazine)|Chatelaine]]''{{'}}s 80 Women to Watch for 2008.<ref>Dean, Flannery; Griffith-Greene, Megan; Howard, Cori; et al. (May 2008). "Chatelaine's 80 amazing Canadian women to watch", ''[[Chatelaine (magazine)|Chatelaine]]'', '''81''' (5): 253–273.</ref>

Ohbijou is nationally distributed through [[Outside Music]]. The band released their second album, ''[[Beacons (album)|Beacons]]'' in 2009.<ref name=Exclaim /><ref>[http://www.zunior.com/product_info.php?products_id=2531 Beacons album information]</ref>

Casey Mecija covered [[The Beatles]]' "Dear Prudence" for [[American Laundromat Records]] charity CD ''Sing Me To Sleep -— Indie Lullabies'', which was released worldwide on May 18, 2010. During this year the band also visited China with local promoters [[Split Works]].

* ''[[The Acorn (band)|The Acorn]] + Ohbijou - 12" EP'' (2008)