The Lipstick Junkies
Toronto, Ontario, Canada | Established. Jan 01, 2014 | SELF
Music
Press
Funked-up Toronto indie rock outfit the Lipstick Junkies are gearing up to unleash a new EP titled New Lingo, but before it arrives, Exclaim! is giving you the first listen to the latest single "Motown Prince."
The upcoming EP was recorded with Al Connelly and Sam Reid of Glass Tiger and engineer Dennis Tougas, who set out to capture the party-starting energy of the band to tape. "Motown Prince" offers listeners insight into what's to come for the group, jamming slick grooves and soulful vocals into a neat, retro-referencing but forward-thinking little package.
"This song, to us, is the start of something new," the band said in a statement. "Growing is a natural part of art, it's something that all artists do. This song really defines that for us. When writing it we realized that it was different from anything we had every written. It challenged us, shaped us and helped us along our path of discovery. 'Motown Prince' has become somewhat of a thesis for us. It's the song we wear most proudly as our badge."
Listen to the group's new musical declaration in the player below. - Exclaim!
If the Lipstick Junkies new song, ‘Build Me a Box’, gets stuck in your head for days, don’t blame me. Blame Canada! Blame Canada! The Toronto trio’s new EP was recorded by Al Connelly and Sam Reid of the Juno Award-winning and Grammy-nominated band, Glass Tiger. For fans of HUGE pop songs from the Eighties, let’s let the awesomeness of that sink in for a moment…
Now if this post can’t get Canadian enough, Bryan Adams sings back-up on that Tiger track. OK, back to business. Fun and games is part and parcel for the Lipstick Junkies who take their name from a Red Hot Chili Peppers song (2011’s ‘The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie’). They have performed around southern Ontario, from London to Montreal, including appearances at Canadian Music Week, Indie Week and Ryerson Radio, and have opened for acts like Walk Off the Earth and Organ Thieves — never heard of those bands? Ask a Canadian!
If you think I mock Canada here, you could not be further from the truth. I love Canadian music. From Bryan Adams and Strange Advance in the Eighties, to the 1990’s when I was glued to the sounds of alternate rock powerhouse 89X rolling across Lake Erie from Windsor, Ontario. British Columbia’s Nat Jay is one of my favorite singer/songwriters today and just yesterday, POPDOSE’s Jay Kumar went absolutely nuts over Mississauga’s favorite sons: Triumph.
The Lipstick Junkies are Greg Babinski (vocals/guitar), Brian Davis (bass) and JR Tomlinson (drums); their sound is inspired by an eclectic mix of old-school inspirations. The band is just revving its engine, so only time will tell if they’re the next Honeymoon Suite (one of my all time faves) or Rush. The first two tracks from the new EP, New Lingo, premiered on blogs north of the border (or close to it), so POPDOSE lobbied to do the honors for the EP’s by far most amazing very best song, ‘Build Me a Box’: - Popdose
Falling squarely within the band's uniquely fluid mix of indie/funk, The Lipstick Junkies' "Motown Prince" comes off enticingly smooth with fun beats and a driving melody that only lend their strength to quiet but insistent vocals; it was made for dancing around your room while getting ready and driving with streetlights flashing through the car windows.
Listen to the single below, check out our Q&A with the trio, and head to all the links for more from Toronto based band The Lipstick Junkies. - The Music Rag
What a great punk/funk band. I love them. Anyone who has the balls to sing Boogie everywhere, shake your derriere, and get away with it, is totally amazing. The band, Greg Babinski (vocals/guitar), Brian Davis (bass) and JR Tomlinson (drums) are inspired by an eclectic mix of old-school inspirations, from 70’s funk/disco to groove based rock, such as Jimi Hendrix and the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. You can see they have that sense of fun the Peppers have always been known for. You can also hear a little Kool ‘n’ the Gang and Sly and the Family Stone. You gotta love them. As the days get shorter, the nights get longer, and you know some great punk/funk to get your ass up and moving. The Lipstick Junkies have that groove and more. You put on their album, and you have a party. - Audio Fuzz
Inspired by an eclectic mix of sounds from disco funk of the '70s to groove laden rockers, Toronto-based outfit The Lipstick Junkies have won over fans in Canada with not only their sound, but their fun live show as well. The band has an EP and LP to their name, and today, we're premiering "Boogie Everywhere" from their forthcoming New Lingo EP. The video showcases the band's humorous side, with several alter egos getting down to the spunky sound.
"The idea from this music video started because we love to dance, even if we may not be that good," they explain "We came up with the idea to have us dressed up in different outfits to make distinct dance crews that would battle. We wanted it to be fun, something that shows that we don't like to take ourselves too seriously. There is a meaning behind the video as well; that no matter how something or someone is dressed up you can always let a little happiness into your life."
The Lipstick Junkies' New Lingo EP will be out soon. - PureVolume
The first thought that came into my head when I played this song, was that it sounded like a mix of Gavin Degraw in the vocals and a full out Bad Rabbits vibe. I know artists don’t like to be compared to other artists, but this is a compliment because I like those artists.
Now enough talk of those artists, let’s get back to the point, The Lipstick Junkies is a band from Toronto; it consists of Brian Davis, Greg Babinksi and JR Tomlinson and they give off a great punk/funk vibe. To understand what I mean, you should listen to the track below. Now, If this song interests you, you can check them out on Facebook and also dive right into their soundcloud for more tracks. - kidfromthe6
Discography
New Lingo - 3 song EP - February 2016
The Lipstick Junkies - self titled album - May 2014
Photos
Bio
The Lipstick Junkies are a Toronto-based band with a fresh, vibrant sound combining 70s funk and soul with modern indie rock. Well known for their outlandish, high-energy performances, the group inspires excitement wherever they go, engaging audiences and the people around them.
Since their first release in 2014, the self-titled album The Lipstick Junkies, the band set out to create music they believed in… even if it didn’t fit the mold of other bands around them. They created a musical identity that both blends and transcends their influences from multiple eras. Most of all, they wanted to make people dance.
They achieved this during their performances at both Canadian Music Week and Indie Week that year, where the lineup (at that time) of Greg Babinski on guitar and vocals, Brian Davis on bass, and JR Tomlinson on drums, got hips shaking to their infectious grooves.
In mid 2015, The Lipstick Junkies took to the studio working on a three song EP titled New Lingo. In the production seat was Al Connelly, of the Juno award-winning band Glass Tiger. The three singles, Boogie Everywhere, Build me a Box, and Motown Prince, showcase the diversity and development of The Lipstick Junkies. The band took these songs, with their broader aural tapestry, and expanded their live show to match by adding a fourth member in guitarist Hayden French.
Over the next year, the now four-piece outfit created significant buzz in their hometown of Toronto by performing on the local circuit, including shows at The Rivoli, The Silver Dollar, and Sneaky Dee’s. Meanwhile, their music received press from such publications as Exclaim, AudioFuzz, Naked Underground and Popdose. Furthermore, the band performed their single, Build Me a Box, on morning television live across Canada.
After packing the house for the New Lingo EP launch at The Horseshoe Tavern in early 2016, the band began working on their first self-produced release. What eventuated was the first of series of music titled The Lioness Volume, a culmination of songs and concepts that are authentic to the energy and musicianship that The Lipstick Junkies bring to their live performance.
Band Members
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