Born Ruffians

by MacKenzie Wilson
Toronto's Born Ruffians features Luke LaLonde (vocals/guitar), Mitch DeRosier (bass/vocals), and Steve Hamelin (drums). Formed in 2002, the indie rock trio creates a jaunty mix of shifty guitar riffs and hyper-chic vocals for a Pixies-esque shredded kind of sweetness. An appearance at the annual Pop Montreal festival and U.S. tour dates with Hot Chip and Shy Child coincided the release of Born Ruffians' self-titled debut EP for Warp Records in October 2006. The band's first full-length, Red, Yellow & Blue, arrived in spring 2008.