Meticulously retro in their replication of the political post-punk of acts such as the Jam and Magazine, this sharp-suited Vancouver, Canada act formed in late 2004 and initially featured Bryce Dunn (b.
20 October 1969, Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada; drums), Jeffie Genetic (b. Jeffrey McCloy, 21 November 1973, Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada; vocals/guitar), Nick Thomas (b. 2 November 1971, Colchester, Essex, England; guitar/vocals), and Fergus Stiver-Macleod (b. Scotland; bass), with its members drawn from the cult local bands the Smugglers and the New Town Animals. A string of swiftly released 7-inch singles followed across a number of fledgling, independent labels, beginning with 2006’s Clash -influenced ‘Bigger Houses, Broken Homes’. As the quartet’s sound developed it increasingly resembled that of UK’s Futureheads and although it was ultimately less inventive, their music was exuberant and immediate enough to be licensed to the legendary UK label Stiff Records.
Stiver-Macleod had departed by the time of the recording of the Tranzmitors’ 2007 self-titled album debut. Although Tyler Mountenay (b. 13 September 1980, New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada) played melodic bass throughout the sessions for this record, it was Mike Flintoff (b. 29 September 1980, New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada) that ultimately replaced the Scotsman. The addition of Jarrod O’Dell (b. 26 October 1980, Fort St. John, British Columbia, Canada; keyboards/vocals) lent a ska feel to the album, which was praised by the niche punk press for its updating of a sound that had ironically reached fruition during the year in which Flintoff and O’Dell were born.