THE BESNARD LAKES

THE BESNARD LAKES ARE THE DARK HORSE

Rich with Beach Boys style harmonies, Roy Orbison reverbs and orchestra, Pink Floyd’s pacing and
Freddy Mercury’s falsetto, The Besnard Lakes Are The Dark Horse is a luxurious foray into sound and
music. This is the second record by The Besnard Lakes, Montrealers by way of Western Canada. Their
independently released previous record, Volume I, came out in 2004, and it was noticed by critics but
was largely overlooked by the public at large. On both records, The Besnard Lakes have shown that they
are masters of finely-honed experimental pop songs that invoke the eerie Lynchian setting as aided and
abetted by the music of Julee Cruise. But, on The Besnard Lakes Are The Dark Horse, the band throws
into the mix a mad dash of Fleetwood Mac proportioned swagger and ambition. Not so incidentally,
the Besnard Lakes have created a masterpiece that will resonate within all quarters, amongst critics,
casual and not-so-casual rock listeners, garden variety pop fans and headphone junkies.

The Besnard Lakes Are The Dark Horse was recorded by Jace Lasek at the Breakglass Studios (whose
production credits include Wolf Parade, Islands, Sunset Rubdown and Stars, amongst others) with his
wife and band member, Olga Goreas. The other members of The Besnard Lakes, Steve Raegele, Nicole
Lizée, and Kevin Laing, contributed as well. Nicole wrote dark string and horn parts, Steve wrote dark
guitar solos, Kevin, dark drumming. Also joining in on the making of this record would be George
Donoso III from The Dears, Chris Seligman from Stars, Sophie Trudeau from Godspeed/Silver Mt.
Zion and Jonathan Cummins from Bionic/Doughboys.

As an interesting aside, the completion of the album seems to have conjured a bizarre series of
unexplained events. When the six-person live band, that includes Lasek, Goreas, Raegele, Lizée, Laing
and third guitarist Richard White, began performing this new material (usually accompanied by a five
person choir, French horn, flute, and violins), strange things began to happen. During the quietest
section in the song “Disaster,” a bartender dropped a load of dishes onto the floor. On another occasion,
while opening for Wolf Parade, during the same quiet section in “Disaster,” the front-of-house console
actually turned off (!) then on again creating a thunderous crack throughout the theatre. And Kevin
Laing (drummer) suffered second-degree burns on his face the day after completing drum tracks for
...The Dark Horse. Coincidence? Maybe. This is The Dark Horse; this is The Besnard Lakes...

Disaster
For Agent 13
And you Lied To Me
Devastation
Because Tonight
Rides The Rails
On Bedford And Grand
Cedric’s War

CATALOG #:

JAG106

RELEASE DATE:

FEBRUARY 20, 2007

FORMAT:

CD/LP (VINYL NON-RETURNABLE)

CD BOX LOT:

25 UNITS

LP BOX LOT:

25 UNITS

GENRE:

AVANT POP / INDIE ROCK

KEY MARKETS:

NEW YORK, CHICAGO, LOS

ANGELES, SAN FRANCISCO, SEATTLE,
PORTLAND, MINNEAPOLIS, AUSTIN (TX),
BLOOMINGTON (IN), MONTREAL (QC),
VANCOUVER (BC)

CD UPC:

656605210629

LP UPC:

656605210612

1499 WEST SECOND STREET

BLOOMINGTON, IN 47403

WWW.JAGJAGUWAR.COM

1. The Besnard Lakes have one foot entrenched in each of the two most fertile Canadian scenes: the west
coast Vancouver circle that includes Destroyer as well as label-mates Black Mountain and Swan Lake, and
the Montreal family of bands including The Arcade Fire, Sunset Rubdown and Malajube, among others...
They have toured with Islands and Wolf Parade, and will most likely travel again with friends and family
when they extensively perform throughout the U.S. this spring.

2. Members of Godspeed/Mt.Zion, the Dears and Stars perform on this record. Product is stickered with
descriptive text that remarks on these connections.

3. Extensive domestic and international publicity. 300 college radio stations will be serviced. Ads to occur in
all major indie publications and sites, including Magnet, Bust, Pitchfork and Arthur.

4. Retail posters, promotional CDs and press kits are available upon request.

5. Not exportable to Canada. The record is exclusively available in Canada through Outside Music.

EXCLUSIVELY DISTRIBUTED BY SC DISTRIBUTION

PHONE: [phone] / FAX: [phone]

US DOMESTIC SALES CONTACT JACQUI REFICE

<[e-mail]>

INTERNATIONAL SALES CONTACT ALEX MANN

<[e-mail]>