About Murder City Sparrows

The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn, like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars
- Jack Kerouac

Murder City Sparrows are:
Jay Sparrow - Voice & Guitar
Mike Nash - Guitar & Voice
Doc de Groot - Bass & Voice
The Lanny - Drum Kit

Things That the Press Has Said:

Rock Radio Sonic 102.9 Edmonton
Jason Manning Music Director
Burn in water is one of the catchiest, coolest sounding songs on Sonic 102.9.

The Edmonton Sun
Mike Ross
[Murder City Sparrows are] A professional hit-making band that could blow up huge given the opportunity.

Vue Magazine
Edmonton
The six new songs are heavy hitting slabs of rock and roll. Really heavy. Hurt-like-hell-when-you-get-hit-by-them heavy. And these guys didn’t bother to pretty up their sound with a bunch of overdubs, either. They just blast through the tracks with a practically lethal energy.

Dose Magazine
Vancouver
Murder City Sparrows were another huge surprise, manhandling “Folsom Prison Blues” with a viciousness that even Johnny Cash would've admired.

The Edmonton Sun
Mike Ross, Entertainment Writer
Sparrow has figured out how to write a hit song - a gift so powerful...it doesnt matter what you label it: Post Punk, Retro-rock, whatever.

Gateway Magazine
University of Alberta
This band just might be the biggest thing to come out of this town since our monstrosity of a mall.

Editors Reveiw
CNET.com
If Saddle Creek is ever looking to add an indie-punk outpost they ought to check out this Edmonton quartet, who already sound like Conor Oberst in a really pissy mood. But Oberst would do well to exchange self-absorbed emo for pissiness every now and again, and that's the point of the Sparrows: strangely wholesome rock that's properly angry.

The Edmonton Journal
Sandra Sperounes
The four Sparrows could make a bit of history of their own. Their single, Burn in Water, is now getting regular airplay on Sonic FM and has radio hit written all over it - perhaps making them the first locals with a legitimate shot at national airplay. It's catchy as the flu - with bouncy rhythms, raw, bluesy guitars and Sparrow's quivering warbles reminiscent of the Violent Femmes and Jack White.

The Chronicle
Thunder Bay Ontario
It is indeed a unique sound Jay has come up with. It’s emotional, dramatic rock, an extension of Jay’s folk background.

Vue Magazine
Edmonton
“Burn in Water” exists as a murderous groove, with stomping guitars and rattling drums.
“House of the Dawn” is where the Sparrows pull everything together in a song that lives up to their energy with another groove to kill for…

Chris Halmo
Video Director, Casa Giallo Productions Los Angeles
I can say without reservation that Jay and his entire band were some of the most gracious, creatively inspiring, and talented individuals I have come across in my career. Without a doubt this band displays that intangible quality that draws people to them and guides their creative process.

Gateway Magazine
Edmonton
It’s not every day that a band from Edmonton garners major label attention. But then again, it’s not every day that a local band is able to persuade an international star to do guest vocals on their album, hook a platinum artist as their producer, or have a frontman who is a seasoned music veteran even though he’s only in his mid-20s.