Miracle Fortress
{{Short description|Canadian indie rock band}}
{{Infobox musical artist
|name = Miracle Fortress
|image =
|caption =
|image_size =
|background = group_or_band
|alias =
|origin = Montreal, Quebec, Canada
|genre = Indie rock
|years_active = {{Start date|2005}}–present
|label = Secret City, Rough Trade
|associated_acts = Adam and the Amethysts, Think About Life, The Luyas
|current_members = Graham Van Pelt
Adam Waito
Jessie Stein
|past_members =
}}
Miracle Fortress is a Canadian indie rock band based in Montreal, Quebec. The band's studio work is primarily a solo, project of songwriter Graham Van Pelt,{{cite news|url=http://exclaim.ca/News/miracle_fortress_returns_with_sophomore_lp_readies_canadian_dates_with_shad|title=Miracle Fortress Returns with Sophomore LP, Readies Canadian Dates with Shad|accessdate=17 April 2011 | work=CBC News | date=31 March 2011}} who is accompanied by the rest of the band during live shows.
Band history
Van Pelt, a member of the band Think About Life, recorded all of the music himself for five songs, and then self-released an EP, Watery Grave. In 2007, he released a debut album Five Roses under the name Miracle Fortress, on Secret City Records.[https://www.vice.com/en/article/a-completely-biased-ranking-of-the-60-best-canadian-indie-rock-songs-of-the-00s-part-ii/ "A Completely Biased Ranking of the 60 Best Canadian Indie Rock Songs of the 00s Part II"]. Vice, Cam Lindsay Apr 10 2017{{cite journal|author=Jennifer Maerz|title=Miracle Fortress Five Roses|journal=SPIN|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-gSPOtHSH08C&pg=PA98|date=July 2007|publisher=SPIN Media LLC|pages=98–|issn=0886-3032}} The album received positive reviews,[http://www.clickmusic.com/albums/article/Miracle-Fortress-Five-Roses "Miracle Fortress - Five Roses"]. ClickMusic, Colleen Newbanks and was included on the shortlist for the 2007 Polaris Music Prize,[http://exclaim.ca/music/article/miracle_fortress-solitary_man "Miracle Fortress Solitary Man"]. Exclaim, By Cam Lindsay Apr 24, 2011 which was ultimately won by Patrick Watson.{{cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/arcade-fire-feist-on-polaris-short-list-1.636638?ref=rss|title=Arcade Fire, Feist on Polaris short list |access-date=July 10, 2007 | work=CBC News | date=July 10, 2007}}{{cite web|url=http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/2007/07/10/4328574-cp.html |title=Feist, Fire get Polaris noms |author=Cassandra Szlarski |date=July 10, 2007 |accessdate=July 11, 2007 |url-status=usurped |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20071011225300/http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/2007/07/10/4328574-cp.html |archivedate=October 11, 2007 }} Van Pelt recruited drummer Jordan Robson-Cramer of Sunset Rubdown and Magic Weapon, guitarist Jessie Stein of SS Cardiacs and The Luyas, and keyboardist Adam Waito of Telefauna to adapt Five Roses into a live show.[http://www.allmusic.com/artist/miracle-fortress-mn0001941085/biography " Miracle Fortress"]. AllMusic Biography by Margaret Reges This group made a cross-Canada tour in 2007.[https://www.proquest.com/docview/439229117 "One-man band takes friends for a ride; Graham Van Pelt's acclaimed Miracle Fortress assembles an indie team for cross-Canada tour"] . Toronto Star - Toronto, Ont. Raju Mudhar Jun 21, 2007 Page: E.9 Nathan Ward, Adam Waito and Jessie Stein also took part in some of the shows.{{usurped|1=[https://archive.today/20120530170347/http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/Artists/M/Miracle_Fortress/2007/07/11/4330299.html "Miracle Fortress believes in self"]}}. Jam! Music, July 11, 2007. by Allan Wigney, Sun Media
The style of the band's single, "Maybe Lately", was compared by critics to that of the Beach Boys.[http://www.clashmusic.com/reviews/miracle-fortress-maybe-lately "Miracle Fortress - Maybe Lately Continue the Beach Boys fascination"]. Clash Music, 10 · 04 · 2008[https://www.theguardian.com/music/2007/jul/20/popandrock.shopping "Miracle Fortress, Five Roses"]. The Guardian, David Peschek 20 July 2007
Miracle Fortress' third album, Was I the Wave? was released in April 2011. It was musically quite different from the previous album, with simpler instrumentation and more rhythm.[http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/15638-was-i-the-wave/ "Miracle Fortress Was I the Wave?"]. Pitchfork, David Bevan July 13, 2011 The album won a GAMIQ Award for Electronic Album of the Year.[https://montrealgazette.com/entertainment/music/galaxie-cleans-up-at-the-2011-gamiq-awards "Galaxie cleans up at the 2011 GAMIQ Awards"]. Montreal Gazette, November 14, 2011
In 2014, Van Pelt continues to release music as Miracle Fortress.[http://exclaim.ca/music/article/miracle_fortress-even_in_america "Miracle Fortress "Even in America"]. Exclaim!, By Alex Hudson Sep 16, 2014
Discography
- Watery Grave EP (2005, self-released)
- Have You Seen In Your Dreams 12" (2007, Secret City Records, Rough Trade Records)
- Five Roses (2007, Secret City Records)
- Maybe Lately 7" (2008, Rough Trade Records)
- Was I the Wave? (2011, Secret City Records)
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://miraclefortress.com/wordpress/ Miracle Fortress] official site
- [http://secretcityrecords.com/artists/miracle-fortress Secret City Records artist page]
{{Authority control}}
Category:Musical groups established in 2005
Category:Musical groups from Montreal
Category:Canadian indie rock groups
Category:English-language musical groups from Quebec