Germans

Friends Steve Kado and Aidan Koper launched Germans in 1999 as a bass-and-vocals duo. Kado exited soon after the start, so the band waited until several years into the new millennium before locking in a stable roster. Leon Taheny, already known for producing albums by Final Fantasy and Ohbijou, added guitars and vocals while Koper supplied vocals and synths. Michael Rozenberg, Steven Lappano, Tim Fagan, and Jesse Foster completed the lineup shortly afterward. Although every member came from the Toronto area, Portland, OR-based Arena Rock Recordings signed the group in June 2006. Their debut album, Cape Fear, reached both Canada and the U.S. the following year and drew comparisons to 1990s rock acts such as Pavement, Dinosaur Jr., and even Modest Mouse.