Cory Lee - What a Differene a Day Makes (2005)

"The Naughty Song" by Cory Lee



Degrassi High not only produced musical talent; Degrassi High also attracted musical talent.  Ms. Oh (or Cory Lee) was a pop artist with a Juno-nominated club hit ("The Naughty Song") and a couple albums before taking a music-teaching position at Degrassi.  Her debut album on Sextant Records What a Difference a Day Makes released in 2005.

Here is the discography surrounding Cory Lee's debut album:

The Naughty Song (2005 single)
What a Difference a Day Makes
Goodbye (2005 single)

"Goodbye" by Cory Lee


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Cassie Steele - How Much for Happy (2005)

"Rock Your Bones" by Cassie Steele


Jimmy Brooks (or Aubrey Graham or Drake) wasn't the only student of Degrassi High aspiring towards a musical career... though he's so far the only one to make a successful go of it.  Fellow student Manny Santos (or Cassie Steele) also gave it a shot with her release of How Much for Happy in 2005.

Here is the discography surrounding Cassie Steele's debut album:

How Much for Happy 

"Blue Bird" by Cassie Steele


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Bloc Party - Silent Alarm (2005)

"Like Eating Glass" by Bloc Party


Scissor Sisters music video for their single "Laura" was directed by the directing team of Alex Large and Liane Sommers, collectively known as AlexandLiane.  They also directed the music video for Bloc Party's "Banquet" and "So Here We Are" from their debut album Silent Alarm circa 2005.

Here is the discography surrounding Bloc Party's debut album:

She's Hearing Voices (2004 single)
Banquet (2004 single)
Bloc Party (2004 EP)
Little Thoughts (2004 single)
Helicopter (2004 single)
Peel Session (2004 Peel Session)
Little Thoughts (2004 EP)
Tulips (2005 single)
So Here We Are (2005 single)
Silent Alarm
The Black Sessions (2005 live bootleg)
Banquet (2005 single)
Pioneers (2005 single)
Silent Alarm Remixed (2005 remix album)
Two More Years (2005 single)
The Present (2006 other tracks)

"Helicopter" by Bloc Party


"So Here We Are" by Bloc Party



"Positive Tension" by Bloc Party


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United Steel Workers of Montreal - Broken Trucks and Bottles (2005)

"Number 4" by United Steel Workers of Montreal


Another band that released their debut album on the weewerk label was the six-piece alternative country group United Steel Workers of Montreal (from downtown Montreal, naturally).  The band formed as a gathering of buskers that played together at Lucien-L'Allier metro station every Tuesday.  After seven or eight months, they became a permanent band, booking gigs and recording original material.  At formation, the band consisted of Gern F (vocals/acoustic guitar), Felicity Hamer (vocals/accordion), Sean "Gus" Beauchamp (vocals/acoustic guitar), Matt Watson (electric guitar), Roger Dawson (bass) and Sean Moore (banjo/mandolin).  They released their debut album Broken Trucks and Bottles in 2005.  The album featured guest appearances by David Macanulty and Andrew Horton also of the Montreal alt scene.

Here is the discography surrounding United Steel Workers of Montreal's debut album:

Broken Trucks and Bottles

"Life Bearable in Texas" by United Steel Workers of Montreal


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Tally Hall - Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum (2005)

"Spring and a Storm" by Tally Hall


As a child, Robin Williams moved around a lot and used his comedy and impressions to help him fit in at school.  One of the towns he moved to was Bloomfield Hills, Michigan where he attended Detroit Country Day School.  On a personal note, I also went to school in Bloomfield Hills (the prestigious public school Andover High), and my senior year the biggest thing to graduate from Andover (aside from ESPN anchor Dana Jacobson) was the eclectic five-piece rock band Tally Hall.  (Technically, only two members of Tally Hall graduated from Andover.  Two others graduated from our dreaded rival school Lahser and the fifth from Pingry High in New Jersey.  Andover and Lahser have since been consolidated to form Bloomfield Hills High School.)

Tally Hall formed in 2002 in Ann Arbor, Michigan where all five members were Wolverines.  They quickly established an iconic look for themselves each wearing black slacks and a white dress shirt; each differentiated by a different color tie.  Tally Hall consists of Rob Cantor (yellow tie, vocals, guitar), Andrew Horowitz (green tie, vocals, keyboard), Joe Hawley (red tie, vocals, guitar), Zubin Sedghi (blue tie, vocals, bass), and Ross Federman (gray tie, percussion).  The gray tie was once worn by Steve Gallagher who left the band in 2004.  Locally successful and developing a cult following online thanks to their comedy sketch internet videos, Tally Hall signed to independent label Quack! Media on which they released, in 2005, their debut album Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum.  (Note:  The album is named for an antique arcade and curio museum found in an outdoor shopping mall (that used to be named Tally Hall) just outside of Bloomfield Hills).  The band found some early success appearing on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (not their best performance), having their song "Good Day" featured on The OC, and having their cover of The Killers's "Smile Like You Mean It" being one of the few interesting tracks on a The OC covers album.

The band's word of mouth popularity was strong enough to gain the attention of a major label, Atlantic Records.  The band signed with them and started to work on a marketing campaign that would build off of their early internet success.  The band would re-rerecord and re-mix bits of Marvin's with a new producer in preparation for a re-release in early 2008 that would be built up to through their very own Tall Hall Internet Show.  Their music is a strange mix of alternative rock with the harmonies of a barbershop quartet while their songwriting is a deft and balanced mix of humor, sentiment, and existentialism.

Here is the discography surrounding Tally Hall's debut album:

Break It Down (2002 comedy sketch as anonyMous)
Party Boobytrap (2003 demo EP)
Welcome to Tally Hall (2004 demo EP)
Complete Demos (2004 demo compilation)
Pingry (2005 EP)
Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum
Good Day (2008 single)
Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum (2008 re-issue)

"Welcome to Tally Hall" by Tally Hall


Tally Hall Internet Show Episode 1 + "Good Day" by Tally Hall


Tally Hall at SXSW 2007


"Directions" by Tally Hall


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