Key to the City

The Songs ~ Buy It

Owls of Getchü

Key to the City - Owls Of Getchü CD cover When Calgary-based dark pop ensemble Vailhalen decided it was time for a break back in 2007, the seeds of the album that would become Owls Of Getchü had already been sown. Ten Halloween-themed songs – not-too-campy, not-too-serious takes on classic Hollywood monsters, both in their own right and as metaphors for life and relationships – waited for their moment in the sun, evolving slowly over the next couple of years. By the time Vailhalen re-emerged in 2009 as the Coldwave-meets-New Wave quartet Key To The City, Owls Of Getchü had reached its final form as a unique, rebellious, fascinating album.

As members of Vailhalen, Chris Vail (vocals/guitar), Brent Gough (keyboards/vocals), Pablo Puentes (bass/vocals), and Joel Nye (drums) had played music festivals such as Canadian Music Week, the Sled Island Festival, The Western Canadian Music Awards, and Austin’s Folk Alliance. The band has also toured extensively throughout Canada, in support of their 2005 critically acclaimed full-length album Pop Violence (Saved By Radio). When Vailhalen geared down, the members of what is now Key To The City reinvigorated their creative energies in a variety of ways: Nye stayed busy with his other band, Hot Little Rocket; Puentes embarked on a new ‘day job’ as a tattoo artist; Gough took a sabbatical to travel extensively throughout Europe and Asia; and Vail opened up a live music venue/bar in Calgary, before spending a year playing in The Dudes. Now, in Key To The City, all the band members now share in all band-related duties, including songwriting, as opposed the early years of Vailhalen when Vail was the catalyst and focal point. Despite there being fewer members, they are actually more of a group now than have ever been!

The production on Owls Of Getchü was inspired by 10cc's The Original Soundtrack, and features a clean ’70s-style drum sound and extensive horn and string sections (the horns on the opening track "Our House Is Host" were arranged and conducted by Jay Crocker, with the rest arranged by Vail). The songs range from the Prince-ian vampire/mummy romance of “There’s a Fire” and the bouncy werewolf duet “Silver Bullets” to the sadly reflective monsters’ tales of “Back In Black Lagoon” and “Will O’ The Wisp”.

The Songs

Our House Is Host
There's a Fire
U Cast A Spell
Back In Black Lagoon
Will O' The Wisp
I Am Invisible, Man
Silver Bullets
Buried Live
Music Works
Proud Tradition

With the assistance of Jay Crocker (horn arrangements), JC Jones (trombone), Howie Woiwod (trumpet), Andrew Blizzard (clarinet), Garrett McClure (glockenspiel, background vocals, drums), Carl Lukasewich (guitar), Dolly Sillito (percussion, glockenspiel, background vocals), Chris Dadge (drums), Rachel Wise (violins), Foon Yap (violins), Clea Foofat (cellos) and the late Dan Meichel (bass clarinet, saxophones).

Written, arranged and produced by Chris Vail/Key To The City. All tracks mixed by Jeff Drummond, except track 2 mixed by Chris Vail and Craig Newnes. Track 1 recorded at Sundae Sound by Dave Alcock. Track 5 recorded by Chris Vail at Larkspur Studio, Hillcrest. Tracks 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10: Drums, bass and keys recorded by Dave Alcock at Sundae Sound, overdubs and vocals recorded by Gabriel Collins at Marquee Room and Chris Vail in various locations. All songs mastered by Dave Horrocks at Infinite Waves.

You can purchase the CDs online from Saved By Radio
or contact our distributor, Outside Music.



	SBR Releases 90.9 With A Bullet (CJSW) AA Sound System Ryan Bourne Ayla Brook BYOP (Bring Your Own Plywood) Jay Crocker Mark Davis Deadhorse Extra Happy Ghost!!! Falconhawk Ghostkeeper Hospital Bombers Tim Hus Junior Pantherz Kara Keith Key to the City Nathan Lawr Lorrie Matheson Old Reliable Parkas les.petits Saved By Saskatoon Rae Spoon The Summerlad Ultimate Power Duo Vailhalen SBR Catalogue		Key to the City The Songs ~ Buy It Owls of Getchü When Calgary-based dark pop ensemble Vailhalen decided it was time for a break back in 2007, the seeds of the album that would become *Owls Of Getchü* had already been sown. Ten Halloween-themed songs – not-too-campy, not-too-serious takes on classic Hollywood monsters, both in their own right and as metaphors for life and relationships – waited for their moment in the sun, evolving slowly over the next couple of years. By the time Vailhalen re-emerged in 2009 as the Coldwave-meets-New Wave quartet Key To The City, Owls Of Getchü had reached its final form as a unique, rebellious, fascinating album. As members of Vailhalen, Chris Vail (vocals/guitar), Brent Gough (keyboards/vocals), Pablo Puentes (bass/vocals), and Joel Nye (drums) had played music festivals such as Canadian Music Week, the Sled Island Festival, The Western Canadian Music Awards, and Austin’s Folk Alliance. The band has also toured extensively throughout Canada, in support of their 2005 critically acclaimed full-length album *Pop Violence* (Saved By Radio). When Vailhalen geared down, the members of what is now Key To The City reinvigorated their creative energies in a variety of ways: Nye stayed busy with his other band, Hot Little Rocket; Puentes embarked on a new ‘day job’ as a tattoo artist; Gough took a sabbatical to travel extensively throughout Europe and Asia; and Vail opened up a live music venue/bar in Calgary, before spending a year playing in The Dudes. Now, in Key To The City, all the band members now share in all band-related duties, including songwriting, as opposed the early years of Vailhalen when Vail was the catalyst and focal point. Despite there being fewer members, they are actually more of a group now than have ever been! The production on Owls Of Getchü was inspired by 10cc's The Original Soundtrack, and features a clean ’70s-style drum sound and extensive horn and string sections (the horns on the opening track "Our House Is Host" were arranged and conducted by Jay Crocker, with the rest arranged by Vail). The songs range from the Prince-ian vampire/mummy romance of “There’s a Fire” and the bouncy werewolf duet “Silver Bullets” to the sadly reflective monsters’ tales of “Back In Black Lagoon” and “Will O’ The Wisp”. The Songs Our House Is Host There's a Fire U Cast A Spell Back In Black Lagoon Will O' The Wisp I Am Invisible, Man Silver Bullets Buried Live Music Works Proud Tradition With the assistance of Jay Crocker (horn arrangements), JC Jones (trombone), Howie Woiwod (trumpet), Andrew Blizzard (clarinet), Garrett McClure (glockenspiel, background vocals, drums), Carl Lukasewich (guitar), Dolly Sillito (percussion, glockenspiel, background vocals), Chris Dadge (drums), Rachel Wise (violins), Foon Yap (violins), Clea Foofat (cellos) and the late Dan Meichel (bass clarinet, saxophones). Written, arranged and produced by Chris Vail/Key To The City. All tracks mixed by Jeff Drummond, except track 2 mixed by Chris Vail and Craig Newnes. Track 1 recorded at Sundae Sound by Dave Alcock. Track 5 recorded by Chris Vail at Larkspur Studio, Hillcrest. Tracks 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10: Drums, bass and keys recorded by Dave Alcock at Sundae Sound, overdubs and vocals recorded by Gabriel Collins at Marquee Room and Chris Vail in various locations. All songs mastered by Dave Horrocks at Infinite Waves. You can purchase the CDs online from Saved By Radio or contact our distributor, Outside Music.

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