June 21/ 2010
Thanks to all our friends, new and old who came out to see us at NXNE in Toronto this past weekend! We met so many cool people and saw so many great bands and performers. I paid $7 for a can of beer, stayed up until 5am, ate delicious and massive slices of vegan pizza, and learned that Winnipeg is actually quite a clean and beautiful city!
Keep your ears to the ground for shows this summer....
March 28/ 2010
We just uploaded a pile of photos including some from the Album Release Party at the West End! So check them out and let us know if you have or know of any other photos of us floating around. We love when people get involved!Here are some videos for you to look at...
Altruists' Anthem (filmed at the Rudolf Rocker Cultural Centre)
Divider (filmed at The Albert)
January 12/ 2010
A new year, a new ALBUM!!!!!
'A History of Layers' Album Release Party
Feb. 12th at the West End Cultural Centre
With guests Nova and Canon Bros.
Doors/7:15 Show/8:00pm
$12/door $10/advance
Tix @ The West End Cultural Centre, Mondragon Bookstore and Coffee House and Music Trader
Yeah! They're sitting in a box right next to me and I can't wait to celebrate they're release with you!
We're also finalizing the details on a tour out to western Canada right after the release party. So stay tuned and check the tour section to see if we're coming to a town near you...
Stay warm.
November 13/ 2009
Well....Nearly an entire year has passed since the last entry and most certainly much has changed. The new record is ALMOST finished being mixed. Seriously. It's been a long haul for sure, and we're really excited to release it as soon as we can arrange it. It's looking like February 2010. We're also working on a couple of new tunes right now. They feel quite different from our other stuff and might take some work so we'll do our best.You may have heard that Mike Petkau has flown the Condor nest to persue his own beautiful and definitely plentiful endeavors. We wish him the best of luck and look forward to seeing what his crazy brain can come up with!
On that note LOUIS LEVESQUES COTE will be playing bass with us now! You may know him from such amazing Winnipeg bands as Boats!, Crosstown Rivals and The Paperbacks, or maybe The Mandarins or Red Eyed Morning. I've played with Louis in a few different groups and let me tell you he is just full of magic. I can't wait to see where he takes us!
And it looks like we'll be playing a show with Winnipeg's COLD STORAGE, and NOVA in early December so keep an ear to the ground for word on that show. And I'll certainly let you know when we settle the details.
I've been busy walking my dogs and fixing up my house and yard, but I'll try and stay in touch. But if you like walking dogs or home renovations, shoot me an email, and we'll have a blast.
Please take good care.
December 2/ 2008
I hope you're all well. I've recently embarked on a most unexpected journey of self re-definition. I've left the world of carpentry to explore other areas of my intellect that may hold more continuity and long term satisfaction. It was not an easy change to swallow, but the upside is that I have more time to spend on more important things. Things like updating this site and keeping intouch with you out there, and putting out our new record (!!!).
Also......Some of you may know that I do most of my own graphic design, like posters and album art, etc. I've designed a few business cards and flyers and such for others in the more recent past, and as such am officially announcing the birth of my new design alias.......
Yes!!!!
If any one needs posters designed, or business cards, or flyers, or album artwork of anything at all like that, please conctact me (click on the "contact button on the site) and I'd love to help! I'm working on a myspace page to showcase my portfolio and will post this ASAP!
Stay tuned.
February 8/ 2009
This is a message from the future. The new Ian La Rue & the Condor record is the best record since The Woodenstars released "People are Different"!! Just get it and love it when it comes out!September 2/ 2008
Hey everyone! I hope everyone's summer was worth the winter, and that you're ready for the best that this year has to offer! The band and I have been hard at work on the new record and in it's infancy it's already shaking my socks off! I hope you all will love it when we release it in early 2009 (maybe even late this year but don't tell anyone). It's been amazing working with Mike (he's engineering and co-producing it with me!). Lot's of vocals! I've been listening to so much Pedro the Lion and can't wait to hear all the things that I copied and didn't realize at the time.
We don't have any shows for a few months as we work on the album. Mike (bass) is also recouperating from a breezy journey through eastern europe (I think...) and some pretty major surgery on his knee. But I may just play a few surprise solo shows.....
Maybe I'll see some of you at some the great festivals coming up this fall.....Take good care of yourselves!
-Ian
March 29/ 2008
I hope everyone survived the winter with calouses and a renewed sense of triumph.I'm excited to say that I have a whole bunch of performances coming up in April! The first is...
(Solo show)
Crescent Fort Rouge United Church
Friday the 4th of April
w/ RIGHT THROUGH, PERSE and (SOMN) AMBULANCE
+ALL AGES+
then...
(Condor show)
Lo Pub
Sunday the 6th of April
w/ MATTY POWELL and the GREAT TRAIN REVERIE
and...
(Condor show)
the Royal Albert
Wednesday the 9th of April
opening for NEW MODEL ARMY !
Besides practicing and playing too many shows, I've been demoing some new material. You may have heard some of it on my myspace page. I'm super excited to be writing so much music these days, and also really, really greatful to have such an amazing group of people to help bring the songs to such great heights (thanks Condor!). I think I'll be releasing some of the new material as a solo 7 inch or mini disc or something.
As far as new records.....I'm recording a new album in June or July with the Condor, and it's going to be my biggest effort yet.
See you soon!
february 20/ 2008
Hey there. I'm playing this Friday at the Lo Pub with my band the Condor, and the Paperbacks! I think it might just be a great time, and would love to see some friends. Also, I spend a lot of time browsing the dictionary as I read and write and want to share what I come accross, in the form of a periodic featured word on this. Here's one.
cadence:
noun
1 a modulation or inflection of the voice : the measured cadences that he employed in the Senate.
• such a modulation in reading aloud as implied by the structure and ordering of words and phrases in written text : the dry cadences of the essay.
• a fall in pitch of the voice at the end of a phrase or sentence.
• rhythm : the thumping cadence of the engines | try to vary your cadence during a run.
2 (Music) a sequence of notes or chords comprising the close of a musical phrase : the final cadences of the Prelude.
january 16/ 2008
it's been a while since i gave an update, but i've been busy!
I'M PLAYING WITH A FULL BAND NOW AND IT'S AMAZING! we going to call ourselves "IAN LA RUE and the CONDOR". now magura doesn't feel so small. really, though, this step forward is the best thing that's happened to my music in a long time, and it's f***ing great to be doing new things with the songs! the line-up is Mike Petkau on bass, Andrew Workman on keyboards, guitar, and other various forms of sound/atmpospheric contortion, and of course the always-surprizing-you Matt "Maggie" Magura.
I'm also at work on a new record, that includes but is not limited to a brand new song called "sanguine cursive" that I debuted on friday on CKUW (Peg City Groove). I'm so very excited about this song.
as for shows, we'll be playing on february 11th at music trader around 6pm for CKUW's fundrive, and on march 1st at the lipton house for a very fantastic basement show. we're also going to play the HI LO pub sometime in march so if you stay posted, i'll try and stay posting. see you soon!
september 5/ 2007
So I joined THE PAPERBACKS at some point during our last tour out to Halifax! Yep, I try to make noises out of what I can find around the jam space while still trying to figure out what Doug's singing so I can back him up. Sometimes I play this little Yamaha keyboard that I got for twelve bucks a few years ago. On top of that, of late, I've been hamming up my rhythm skills with THE PAPERBACKS so I can play drums on our upcoming tour out to Victoria and back! What a dream! I love playing drums.
I've also just gotten my new baritone guitar back from the shop and am learning how to use it. It should be real neat...
My last record, Bull Days, should be for sale at various online music stores any day now. I think you can get it through iTunes, Napster, eMusic, Rhapsody, and Sony Connect. I don't know if I really like this digital realm....
Maybe I'll see you at THE DETAILS CD release party at the West End on Saturday! Take care.
august 1 / 07
WOW! I just arrived home from the PAPERBACKS/ DETAILS tour to Halifax and back. I had the best time. Thanks to every one that came out to the shows and saw us play and hopefully stayed and chatted with us. I was lucky enough to play a few sets along the way! But mostly I enjoyed my time playing tambourine and trying to figure out the words to Doug's (Paperback's) songs so I could bellow along! All in all it was the time of my life, thanks for that PAPERBACKS and DETAILS!
may 21/ 2007
YEAH! THE NEW SITE! my friend Andrew Workman just reworked the new look and I'm really excited...
i'm getting ready to head out to the east coast so no shows for now, except......a show with LES JUPES (i play drums)! this sunday at the "cavern". it'll be great so come out!
thanks to those who came out to the show at the albert on saturday for mayworks! i had a blast!
may 2/ 2007
"The Federal Government has approved millions of dollars for the Museum of Human Rights to be built in the city of Winnipeg at the same time they deny us of our human rights just as they did when they approved the expropriation of our land in which we occupied at the time, to develop the intake that provides the city of Winnipeg its water supply, they have even violated our ancestors in their resting places our people are dying just to get on and off the man made island. The water leaving our land and lake is the blood of our people. It is ironic that water is their theme.
All our people are asking for is the right to get home.
All my relations,
Neogahbo, Elk Clan
Aka Daryl Redsky
Ojibway Warrior Society"
this was from an email sent to me about the first nations people walking, yeah, walking from the shoal lake area to winnipeg. they should be arriving at the forks, at the future sight of the human rights museum, on thursday, may 3rd sometime.
PLEASE KEEP AND EYE AND AN EAR OUT TO FIND OUT WHEN TO GO THERE, AND THEN GO THERE TO SHOW SUPPORT!
...and MAYWORKS! MAYWORKS! MAYWORKS!
I'VE GOT A SHOW ON MAY 19TH 10pm AT THE ALBERT
"ROCK FOR RIGHTS!" w/ ME AND JO SNYDER and SPECIAL GUESTS!
please come!
also, i'm moving out to halifax this summer, probably for july and august! YEAH! i'll try my hand at the east coast and see how the salty fresh air treats my prairie skin...
i've put up some new songs so check them out please! altruists' anthem is new and unreleased so enjoy.
november 23/ 2006
It's been a busy few months. The new record came out quietly in october at the west end with Anthem Red, and so I'm re-releasing it on...
DECEMBER 16th
at the EDGE GALLERY and Artist's Village
611 Main St.
8pm roughly
With special guests.....POOR TREE and HALF-MAST (doug mclean/ maria bromilow)
The tour that Doug and I were supposed to go on turned into a one show tour to Edmonton by myself. YEAH YEAH! I had a great time and met a new friend Liv there! Edmonton was great, thanks to all the fine folks for all the oil soaked hospitality!
The collapse left me frustrated though, and so with greater gusto and far more fervor I'll plan the next tour in early '07. Probably out west again. I'm so sorry to people that were expecting us! What a let down....
While in Edmonton I picked up a Snailhouse record, Radio Dances, and it blew my mind. Please find it and listen to it! I also picked up the new Converge record, WOW.
Also check out www.sleepingstates.co.uk !
On something else, if anyone has and field recordings, like any kind of ambient sounds, outside noises, people noises, cars, planes, leaves, or anything, if you felt o.k. with it you could send'em to me and I would try to use them to make music. Just a thought. Until next time.
oct. 2/06
two cd releases in one!!!!!
my new record, bull days...
and ANTHEM RED's "dancing on the dishwasher"...
west end cultural center
this sat. oct. 7, 8pm $10
w/ THE PAPERBACKS!!!!
sept. 27, 2006
the new record is done!!!! six songs and it's called BULL DAYS. ANTHEM RED and i are having a double decker cd release party at the west end cultural center w/ THE PAPERBACKS. the show is at 8pm and costs $10. I'd love to see all of you there.
and....a tour of western canada is brewing. doug mclean from THE PAPERBACKS is going to join me on this ground breaking journey of national pride.....no, just a tour.
aug.31, 2006
so i'll be playing, along with THE PAPERBACKS at ANTHEM RED's cd release on oct. 7. don't know where, just when, but will know in good time. unfortunately ANTHEM RED and i will not be touring out in western canada together this fall....but i will be, alone most likely. so stay tuned.
aug. 23, 2006
instrumental ian la rue show with "twin" at the mondragon 91 albert at 8 o'clock on friday aug. 25 after critical mass...then on to "shine thru rain festival" for a set at 9pm on saturday aug. 26
i hope everyone's summer has been well endured. mine has been eventful!? with 5 traffic tickets for the critical mass now and this drama is getting ridiculous... i am so dissappointed at how hard the police are trying to squash this peacful act.
i'll be touring through saskatoon, edmonton, and regina in oct. with "anthem red" this fall so watch out.
may twenty seventh, two thousand and six
billy bragg said this and it inspires me:
"I THINK EVERYONE SHOULD SHUT UP ABOUT PERSONAL FREEDOM AND TALK A BIT MORE ABOUT COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY, BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF BIG PROBLEMS THAT WE CAN ONLY RESOLVE TOGETHER. WHILE I BELIEVE STRONGLY IN THE RIGHTS OF THE INDIVIDUAL I ALSO BELIEVE THEY CAN ONLY BE GUARANTEED BY COLLECTIVE ACTION, OTHERWISE ONLY THE RICH WILL GET TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES AND EVERYONE ELSE WILL BE EXPLOITED BT THEM." (uptown magazine)
and i have four songs now for the ep thing that i have been talking about.
so we had another critical mass and 6 (i think) more people got arrested, violently arrested! it was unreal. i wish soo many more people could have seen the anger and intensity with which the police officers took down, tore down, the cyclists. and according to one police officer the first cyclist to be "apprehended" was "basically inciting a riot". is standing with a bicycle inciting a riot?
sorry sir, your blindfold....
may 8, 2k6
i've got a show for mayworks at the mondragon on wed. may 24 w/ the 1919 insurrectionary orchestra. show's at 7pm by donation.
i have finished recording 3 songs for the upcoming ep, tentatively called "buffalo ep", or "bull ep". i'd like to have 4 or 5 songs but am also so excited to release something new....can't get my god damn priorities straight!
so what the hell was that operation shiting bison or charging bison or what ever it's name?! the only thing i saw was a bunch of hooligans looking stupid in camo-gear guarding fenced in cummunity centers. does anyone know what they did? maybe it was just to drag out the free thinkers and the canada haters and arrest some of them for riding there bikes, taking pictures, and flying black flags. at the critical mass on the 3rd, the cops actually said that a flag is a weapon and tried to confiscate one of the riders flags. tell that to all those american flag flying dupes in the states.....
april 27, 2006
so i'm playing at ragpickers annex on saturday if anyone wants to come out. i'd love it. the fo!ps and funk dubois are also playing. on friday i'll be going to the albert to see the mandarins, mike trike and boat, so should you.
so now i think i'm going to put together a "real" ep. not recorded on my dictaphone, though i may still release that too. i realized that i have three or four songs sitting around that i recorded and am really happy with my girl friend natasha even plays the hammer on a song...
april 17, 2006
get your bikes out folks, cause the fake-bakers are out and the hot pants are raging! and ride those bikes down to the albert on thursday around ten with five dollars or so and i, along with the consumer goods and the western states, will play you some songs. the doers, anthem red and dragon dragon dragon are playing at the ragpickers annex that night too so maybe you will be there, but really you could see both shows if your careful. anyways play safe.
also....i'm working on a new "ep" . i'm recording it all with my old accoustic on a dictaphone....you know, those little voice recorders that people in suits use to "make notes to self" on. it'll be cheap and washy sounding. but we'll see how serious i am in a few weeks when i have more songs recorded.
february 25, 2006
please, come to the albert on march 4. i am playing with the paperbacks and the details. the albert misses you. i haven't played out in a while. i have a new amp and a newish guitar.
oh, and i also have this new page on myspace.....(sigh of slight reluctance). if your into that kind of thing it's at www.myspace.com/ianlaruemusic
finally i can get some friends....
February 15, 2006
sometimes i wish the wind would just stop. i was riding my bike around the city yesterday delivering packages as i do, and i really wondered why...
i have some shows coming up soon. but first i would like to say how frustrated i get sometimes thinking about how "stupid" and "arrogant" humans can be. and i should say "we" humans cause we are all complicit in the shit storm. i have been trying to stay in touch with what has been going on in winnipeg with all the events around haiti in the last while and as much as knowledge is power it is also like a punch in the teeth. but i'll take a punch in the teeth any day over the fucking drool that "they" try incessantly to feed us! there is hope!
about those shows......
the "geek street band" (springsteen cover band) (i play drums...)
saturday, february 18 @ the albert
and... myself w/ paperbacks and the details (i think...)
more like paperbacks and the details w/ me
saturday march 4th don't know where....
i got a new amp!.......smaller and humbler but just as great maybe more.
January 11, 2006
this is where i say something about how i am soo busy and how i am really bad at keeping on top of things and how it doesn't have anything to do with how important things are to me blablablabla.
but what is really important is that i got back from my first tour one month ago in the early days of the jesus month. what a tour it was! mike petkau and i are now great friends and i have been to some funny and some serious places in the lower half of our great neighbour ontario. i now really know how to appreciate playing to one friend and then listening to that one friend by myself. but seriously, not all the shows were like that. we had this great all-ages show in lindsay ontario with like 75 people and it felt like they all gave a shit! a guess is that they still had some youthful interest left and hadn't grown too cool actually pay real attention to something. anyways a way to end off a tour, as it was my last show before dropping mike off in frenchland.
now i am writing and demo-ing and am so excited to play some new material.
see you soon.
November 19, 2005
so this is my first news entry. thank you for venturing to this site. i am just about to head off on tour with winnipeg's very own mike petkau, who has graciously helped me out with my first tour booking adventure (check out the tour section for shows). i have been playing lots of shows and writing very little new music for the past year, and so after this tour will be hibernating(sp?) for at least the first part of winter...
i should also mention that i am in a band called "atsea" with some close friends. we recently said our farewells to our dear guitarist taylor ruth who has his own endeavors to follow, and so will be re-evaluating our strengths and weaknesses to decide what's next...rest assured the music never dies.
i'll probably think of more to say tomorrow so until then.....
August 29, 2005
Welcome to Ian's new website. Please feel free to browse his press kit, check out upcoming show listings, listen to music or look at some photos. Thanks for visiting.