The Angstones
| Company type | Musical group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1992 |
| Headquarters | Ottawa , Canada |
| Products | Music albums |
The Angstones were a musical group originating from Ottawa, Canada, known for blending European and North American folk traditions with jazz-influenced rhythms and witty lyrics. The ensemble included Peter Kiesewalter on reeds and accordion, Kurt Walther on guitar, Rob Frayne playing saxophone, John Geggie handling bass duties, and Ian Mackie on drums. Several members were also involved with acts such as Fat Man Waving and Chelsea Bridge.
History
The Angstones launched their career with the 1992 release Kommen Een Der Karz and appeared at the Ottawa Jazz Festival the following year in 1993. Their 1994 album, When Ahab Met Moishe, received a nomination for the Juno Award in the Best Global Album category in 1996.
In 1995, they issued The Hills are Alive, a parody inspired by Rodgers and Hammerstein's The Sound of Music, while performing at both the Winnipeg and Vancouver Folk Festivals. The band returned to the Winnipeg Folk Festival in 1997 and took part in the Ottawa Folk Festival in 1999, the same year they released their final record, Bytown...It's My Town.
Following their disbandment, Kiesewalter became ABC's resident House Composer in 1999 and later established Brooklyn Rundfunk Orkestrata in 2004, which staged a touring production of The Hills are Alive in 2011. Frayne created the Dream Band and was a co-founder of Ottawa's JazzWorks. Mackie shifted his focus to foley artistry while maintaining his involvement in music. Walther pursued a career in visual arts, and Geggie assumed a role as Professor of Music, specializing in double bass instruction at both the Crane School of Music and the Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Québec.
Discography
- Kommen Een Der Karz (1992), Independent
- When Ahab Met Moishe - Soundtrack From The Motion Picture (1994), Canal Records
- The Hills Are Alive (1995), Canal Records
- Bytown...It's My Town (1998), Canal Records