Germans

Originally formed as a two-piece bass-and-vocals band in 1999 by friends Steve Kado and Aidan Koper, the band Germans didn't actually come together into their more permanent lineup (Kado had left shortly after their inception) until a few years into the new millennium. Leon Taheny, who had also produced albums for Final Fantasy and Ohbijou, came in on guitars and vocals (Koper contributed the same, and also played synths), and shortly after Michael Rozenberg, Steven Lappano, Tim Fagan, and Jesse Foster joined the group. Though the members of Germans all hailed from the Toronto area, they were signed to Portland, OR-based Arena Rock Recordings in June 2006, and the following year their debut, Cape Fear, which drew comparisons to '90s rock bands like Pavement, Dinosaur Jr., and even Modest Mouse, was released in both Canada and the U.S.