Stereos

Formed in Alberta and active since 2006, the Canadian group Stereos first operated under the name Stand by Me until copyright concerns forced a rebranding. Their refusal to confine themselves to a single style set them apart in the eclectic market of 2009. By fusing hip-hop and pop ingredients they produced a divisive rock aesthetic aimed at the adolescent listeners of the new millennium. Initial visibility came when Pat Kordyback, Miles Holmwood, Dan Johnson, Robert Chalifoux, and Aaron Verdonk appeared on the Canadian reality series disBAND. Momentum built rapidly from that exposure, generating widespread interest in a debut recording and prompting a deal with Universal Music Canada. Sessions followed with Gavin Brown, the Canadian rock producer known for his work with Three Days Grace and Billy Talent, among others. The resulting single Summer Girl registered immediate digital sales that placed it at number two on the Canadian Hot 100 while extensive airplay kept it inside the Canadian Top 20 for the entire summer of 2009. Its successor, Throw Ya Hands Up, entered the same chart at number three. Capitalizing on those two Top Five placements, the band issued its self-titled debut album on October 20, 2009.