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Template:Infobox musical artist Lost Dakotas was a Canadian alternative country band in the 1990s.<ref>"Lost Dakotas find popularity with earthy approach to music". Halifax Chronicle-Herald, March 5, 1993.</ref> The band originally consisted of vocalist Paul Dakota and bassist Greg McConnell (formerly of Absolute Whores), who began in 1989 as a busking duo at the corner of Yonge and Dundas Streets in Toronto, Ontario.<ref>"But does it beat busking?". The Globe and Mail, February 22, 1994.</ref><ref name=offstreet>"Dakotas get off street ... and hit highway". Toronto Star, March 11, 1993.</ref>
Dakota and McConnell added guitarist Adam Faux and drummer Ron Duffy for their 1990 debut, Love to Play.<ref name=offstreet/> Initially released as a limited edition cassette, the album completely sold out in just two days.<ref name=globe>"Gregarious Greg McConnell", The Globe and Mail, May 19, 1999.</ref> The band's visuals, including posters, album art and animated video clips, were created by artist Erella Vent.<ref name=offstreet/>
1991's Last Train to Kipling (a reference to Kipling station on the Toronto Transit Commission's Bloor-Danforth subway line) stayed in the campus radio charts in Chart for over 100 weeks.<ref name=globe /> The album was most noted for a countrified cover of AC/DC's "Back in Black".<ref name=raunch>"Lost Dakotas found some raunch on new CD". Ottawa Citizen, January 20, 1994.</ref>
In 1992 Faux left to focus work on his previous band Pig Farm<ref>"Pigfarm drummer didn't miss a beat". Edmonton Journal, May 10, 1994.</ref> and was replaced by Rick O'Brien<ref name=offstreet/> and later by Tim Bovaconti.<ref name=raunch/> The band supported the album with their first full-scale national tour in spring 1993.<ref name="offstreet"/>
Their third and final album, Sun Machine, was released in 1993 on Cargo Records.<ref name=ununplugged>"Lost Dakotas find new sound going un-unplugged". Edmonton Journal, December 6, 1994.</ref> The album included a cover of Ned Sublette's "Cowboys Are Frequently, Secretly Fond of Each Other",<ref name=raunch/> 13 years before the song was made famous by Willie Nelson. At the 1993 Kumbaya Festival, the band performed the song live with rock singer Lee Aaron as guest vocalist.<ref>"AIDS benefit concert goes over big 3 ways". Toronto Star, September 6, 1993.</ref> For their 1994 tour to support that album, the band was also joined by J.C. Orr, formerly of King Apparatus, as a second guitarist.<ref name=ununplugged/>
The band's final recording was a cover of Bob Snider's "You" on the 1996 tribute album Poetreason: The Songs of Bob Snider.<ref>"How EMI signed busker Bob Rags-to-records tale brings Snider to Yellow Door". Montreal Gazette, November 4, 1995.</ref>
McConnell went on to form Stratochief, but died in 1999.<ref name=globe /> He was replaced by Scott Bradshaw, who performed as the band's vocalist on both of their recorded albums.<ref name=light>"Scott B. Sympathy lets in a little light". Brantford Expositor, May 23, 2002.</ref> Erella Vent, now Erella Ganon, continues as an illustrator and writer. Adam Faux currently leads two bands with drummer Topher Stott, Hot Fo Gandhi and The Tiny Specks.
DiscographyEdit
AlbumsEdit
- Love to Play (1990)
- Last Train to Kipling (1991)
- Sun Machine (1993)
Other AppearancesEdit
- Kumbaya Album Nineteen Ninety Four (1994) - includes a live recording of "Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly"
- Poetreason: The Songs of Bob Snider (1996) - includes a live recording of "You"