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All Music Guide:
The Russian Futurists (aka one-man indie pop orchestra Matthew Adam Hart) make lo-fi bedroom recording into an art form. Hart, who hails from eastern Ontario, Canada, drew rave reviews, as well as comparisons to Magnetic Fields and the Flaming Lips, for his 2001 debut album, The Method of Modern Love, and won fans such as R.E.M.'s Peter Buck and former Blur guitarist Graham Coxon in the process. Hart's ability to make the cheapest production quality sound lush and expansive was put to the test on 2003's Let's Get Ready to Crumble, which he recorded for less than $100. Though the Russian Futurists remained a one-man affair in the studio/bedroom, Hart fleshed out the project into a full touring band in 2004, playing dates in the U.S., Spain, and Canada, including the Primavera Sound and Pop Montreal festivals. Hart finished the third Russian Futurists album, Our Thickness, late that year. It was released in spring 2005 by Upper Class Records. Despite a steady growth in popularity, these albums were not released outside of North America, so the decision was taken to pick the most successful tracks from all three and compile them into one collection, Me, Myself and Rye, released in August 2006 by the U.K. label Memphis Industries. Including the standout track and single "Paul Simon," this anthology afforded an excellent overview of the artist. After a long hiatus, Hart returned with the album The Weight's on the Wheels in November of 2010.
Wikipedia:
The Russian Futurists are a Canadian indie pop band based in Toronto. Their music can be described as lo-fi, indie-electronica fused with a twee-pop temperament. Although they initially had only one member, Matthew Adam Hart (born 1978), the band was later enlarged for live performances.
History
The band debuted with Upper Class Recordings in 2000 with The Method of Modern Love, which was praised by music stars such as Graham Coxon of Blur and Peter Buck of R.E.M. Uncut magazine called it "one of the most melodically seductive and exhilarating records of recent times". The band also received positive reviews in Pitchfork Media, Spin, The Guardian, and XLR8R. In 2004 the band toured in the U.S., Canada and Spain. They have toured with Peter Bjorn and John, Caribou and Junior Boys.
According to an interview with Exclaim! magazine, Futurists mastermind Matthew Adam Hart decided to record his fourth album in a studio, trading his Toronto home (and bedroom where he recorded his first three lo-fi records) for a New York studio. Hart told Exclaim!, "I personally think all of the records, songwise, have been pretty accessible. Production wise? Probably not. I was never one of those guys thinking I have to reinvent the wheel or do something freaky with every record. I did three like that, and I'm getting older now, so I just decided to try it. You can always go back."
The band's track "Paul Simon" has been placed on many Samsung Phones as a feature song.
Hart's influences as a songwriter include Stephin Merritt of The Magnetic Fields. Born and raised in Cornwall, Ontario, Hart spent his early career creating indie hip hop music tracks, using improvised gear, in Cornwall and in Peterborough, Ontario. Hart has remixed other artists' singles, including "Tonight I Have to Leave It" by Shout Out Louds and "The First Five Times" by Stars.
The Russian Futurists released a new album, The Weight’s On The Wheels, worldwide on November 16, 2010.
The Weight's On The Wheels is The Russian Futurists fourth studio album and was produced by Matthew Adam Hart with the aid of Michael Musmanno (Outkast, Lilys, Arrested Development). The lead single “Hoeing Weeds Sowing Seeds”, was mixed by Grammy Award Winner Michael Brauer (Coldplay, John Mayer, The Bravery). The album, ten tracks in total feature tracks “Horseshoe Fortune”, “Register My Firearms? No Way!”,“100 Shopping Days ‘Til Christmas” and “One Night, One Kiss”, a duet with Heavy Blinkers singer Ruth Minnikin.
The songs "Paul Simon", and "Precious Metals" are featured on the NBA 2K11 soundtrack.
The Russian Futurists released a music video for “One Night, One Kiss” off their 2010 fourth studio album, “The Weight’s on the Wheels”.
