DESCRIPTION:
from the album 'Fatigue Kills' 2002. Christiana (99'-2003, formerly NECK 93'-99). Dave Rodgers-guitar/vocals, Andrew McAllister- guitar/vocals, Paul Boddum-drums, Jonny Dovercourt (Jonathan Bunce) bass/vocals. CD Reviews..."After eight years of releasing low-to-mid-fidelity cassettes and EPs under the inauspicious name Neck, Canadian do-it-yourselfers Christiana released the full-length Hydrofield of Myth, one of 2001's most promising and overlooked debuts the frenzied jangle of the Wedding Present, the woozy distortion and quick time changes of the Swirlies, the arch dissonance of Mission of Burma, and even the sunny, swooping harmonies of the Beach Boys. The opening song, "I Cannot Share Your Point of View," takes two minutes to turn into the best song Unrest never wrote. On album highlight "Pretend," the chord progression of the verse is so unrelentingly tense that when Dave sings along with the ascending guitar line in the chorus, it sounds like a ray of light forcefully penetrating the darkness how many other bands do you know of nowadays that can carry the torch of mid-1990s noise-pop and still do it this well? MUNDANE SOUNDS


Fatigue Kills is yet another solid entry in Christiana's ongoing saga of autonomous self-actualization. They've gained confidence and prowess as singers, musicians, songwriters, and producers. I have reason enough to believe that their next album will supersede Fatigue in quality just as much as Fatigue has superseded Hydrofield. You heard it here first: Christiana are on the verge of greatness, so jump on the bandwagon NOW. ~Sean Padilla

SPLENDID E-ZINE, Downers Grove, Illinois
"[...] songs are expertly played and have some sense of direction -- the noise carries the listener to a meaningful place, taking interesting steps and turns. It also helps when there's some string of melody or a punch of smart lyrics to help hold the music together. Fatigue Kills isn't exactly experimental noise, or punk or the still mystifying,genre descriptor math-rock, but it is discordant, and in a mostly good and surprisingly pop way.There are consistent strengths here. There are drums that spurt out smartly-played rhythms that pace the songs in sporadic, creative bursts. There are interesting basslines that enhance those rhythms. There are vaguely abstract spoken/sung vocals about say, love and TV commercial breaks, that fit with the relatively abstract instrumental context in which the words are being sung. Mixed into all of this are guitar parts that sustain strange chords, effectively "chopping" the melody into smaller pieces and then going off on their own minor tangents. Pairing long-ish, involved instrumentals with engaging pop harmonies, Fatigue Kills is an impressive experiment in making noise listenable. Give Christiana your ears, and see how they do it. ~ Christine Back

PUNK PLANET, Chicago, Illionois
"Nostalgic yet proggy, intellectual yet psychedelic, this gypsy garage pop rocks through most of its 12 songs, hinting at the deep, dark, cabalistic charisma of Thirteenth Floor Elevators. Besides retro and dreamy stylings, fuzzed out guitars and tempo changes, the Toronto four-piece toys with interesting atonal layering and intros. Andrew McAllister's smooth, pretty vocals sound a touch like Pinback.. An enigmatic debut with its own cool sound.".. ~ Jillian Steinberger

EYE WEEKLY, Toronto
"Lock your bedroom door to keep those nitpicking parents out, open up some hip zine that proves the world isn't all work and no play and let Christiana's sonic squall pour out your speakers like some steaming elixir. Fatigue Kills features all of the elements needed to establish an impenetrable dose of noisy indie-rock: jangling guitar blasts, awkward lyrical posing, kick-ass drum changes and fervent bass-playing. Sometimes tender, often urgent and always intricate, Toronto's all-male Christiana succeed by paying as much attention to sonic detail as they do to crafting complex songs. Fans of early Modest Mouse, Unrest and Goo-period Sonic Youth should curl up tight with Fatigue Kills and never let go... ~ Kevin Hainey

EXCLAIM MAGAZINE, Toronto
"'Veteran' and 'indie rock' seem awkward place side by side, but the members of Christiana are about as close as you can get to old hands in indie rock. Though Christiana has existed for a scant two years, their members have been contributing to their scene for more than a decade now. It's this seasonsed experience that makes Fatigue Kills one of the most concise and clearheaded offerings the genre has ever seen, as their collected influences have had ample time to seep in and solidify. The end result is a tremendous hybrid of 60's influenced pop and Sonic Youth-ian noise, springkled with hints of math rock, new wave and old school punk. For anyone that says the kids are the only ones making great rock, one go at Fatigue Kills will prove them wrong."-Neil Haverty