The members of Canadian vocal quartet Moxy Fruvous -- Murray Foster (bass), Jian Ghomeshi (drums, percussion, flute), Mike Ford (guitar, percussion), David Matheson (guitar, accordion) - met at Thornlea High School in the suburbs of Toronto. They began busking on a Toronto street corner in the summer of 1990, building regular weekend crowds of passers-by that often numbered in the hundreds.
The four baritones are known for their tight harmonies, satirical lyrics and kitschy, improvisational live performances. They self-released an indie cassette in February 1992, which sold in the thousands and helped win the group the Canadian CASBY award for Favorite New Group. It wasn't long before Moxy Fruvous captured the attention of Warner Music Canada, who signed them to a five-record deal.
Their first album, Bargainville, was released in 1993 in Canada, where it went platinum; it came out in the United States one year later. A serious of albums followed, including 1995's Wood, 1996's B and 1997's You Will Go to the Moon. (These titles were eventually distributed in the United States through Bottom Line/Velvel.) All the while, Moxy Fruvous maintained a rigorous tour schedule playing folk festivals throughout Canada, the United States and Europe.
Their latest album, 1998's Live Noise, was recorded during six shows on their 1997 tour, capturing the energy of their live performances. The album was released in the United States on Bottom Line.
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