Hokus Pick

    Hokus Pick

    Also credited as Hokus Pick Manouver

    Vancouver, British Columbia8 reviews across 6 releases

    alternative rockpop rockpower popska
    Discogs

    Hokus Pick was a Christian rock band formed in Vancouver in 1988. Its first major release, Pick It Up, moved from folk-influenced rock toward southern-rock gestures and dance rhythms, with novelty passages adding to the difficulty of placing the group and the inexperienced production leaving the songs less unified. By Brothers From Different Mothers in 1994, producer Mark Heimermann had given the band a smoother, more forceful sound, while preserving its energy and humor. Bookaboom brought a more mature, funky pop-rock approach without removing the comic edge. The Christian writing remained direct and personal, turning questions of faith or romantic embarrassment into jokes before returning to earnestness.

    In 1994, Hokus Pick joined Steve Taylor's Squinternational tour, extending a live reputation that had already outgrown its recordings. The quartet continued working across Canada and the United States, including dates with Guardian and dc Talk, while its Freedom Records period allowed room for the loose performances and unreleased material collected on The B-Sides. The band's final album, Super Duper, appeared in 1999. After its release, the members retired Hokus Pick to spend more time with their families, ending a decade of recording and touring. The group later resurfaced for the Canadian Gospel Music Association's 2007 Lifetime Achievement Award and performed at the Covenant Awards in October 2008, where it also hosted the ceremony.

    6 releases reviewed