ABOUT The spirit of the 60s is alive and well in the music and philosophy of The Urban Monks; a four-piece band from Waterloo, Ontario, on a mission to create meaningful and interesting pop music. Their sound draws melodically from flower power giants like The Beatles and The Turtles, with lyrical shades reminiscent of Bob Dylan’s social commentary. "My hope," says Pete Oldridge, The Urban Monks songwriter and frontman, "is to make something that can create positive change in people's hearts.” As an aspiring 'Urban Monk' himself, Pete’s personal goal is to be part of a fully sustainable community and to advocate responsible consumption of resources, using only what is needed and doing without that which is not. “I'm certainly not perfect in this regard but I'm trying. I still drink my coffee and rely on a vehicle too often.” After touring Southern Ontario extensively, the Monks released their debut album “The Same Light” in 2008, which shot to the top of university radio charts. Songs like “Cute” and “Familiar Face” became favourites among listeners for their melodic charm and allure. Infectious hooks aside however, the messages buried within the lyrics are significant enough to warrant at least a second and third listen. Songs like “The Complicated Part” and “All About The $” admonish the pursuit of creature comforts and the undue societal pressures of the capitalist machine, while “We Buy Our Cells” and “Let’s Get Up” provide sobering caveats about the long term effects of inaction. “I want people to be affected by my music,” says Oldridge. “I definitely feel like we’re abusing the world with our current modus operandi and I want to draw attention to that in my songs.” The band is currently working on material for their new album. Please join the mailing list for further updates. Booking and Contact: Trevor Ross, Danforth Music Productions (647) 880-7934 or trevor@danforthrecords.com

NEWS May 04 2010 New shows announced - May 15 - The Downtown Community Center (Kitchener, ON) - DNA'S (Downtown Neighbourhood Association) 5th anniversary party May 21 - Queen Street Commons Cafe (Kitchener, ON) - with special guests The Bad Bong Water Boys May 22 - Otter's Edge Estates and Campgrounds (Port Burwell, ON) - Private Function Jun 10 - The Anchor Pub (Listowel, ON) - covers and originals all night Jul 22 - The Anchor Pub (Listowel, ON) - covers and originals all night Mar 29 2010 April 10th - Factory 163 (Stratford, ON) - opening for Samson and Delilah April 30th - Molly Blum's (Stratford, ON) - covers and originals all night Mar 12 2010 Link to The Urban Monks on Get Hammered on Hamilton's Y108 -- click here Mar 10 2010 Listen to Y108 at 11:30 on March 11th to catch The Urban Monks on Get Hammered - Listen live at www.y108.ca Feb 1 2010 The Monks are currently working on material for their new album. Check back or join the mailing list for updates