Picastro (from Toronto, Canada) have received much praise for their broodingly beautiful, melancholic soundscapes. Picastro’s string-laden dynamics share a kinship with the music of fellow Canadians Godspeed You! Black Emperor, as well as The Dirty Three and Rachels. The band has played shows with Godspeed, Mick Turner (of The Dirty Three), Smog, Elliot Smith, Cat Power, Herman Düne, Cerberus Shoal and Thee More Shallows.

You may already be familiar with their music from the use of a track from the album in the hit Kiefer Sutherland TV drama ‘24’. Liz Hysen also appears on Cerberus Shoal's album ‘Bastion of Itchy Preeves’ and Dwayne Sodahberk's album ‘Unfortunately’ (tigerbeat6).

Other band members have included Owen Pallett ( Final Fantasy, The Arcade Fire, The Hidden Cameras), Evan Clarke (Burn Rome In A Dream), Zak Hanna (Bush League, ex-Pecola) and Rachel McBride.

Their debut album 'Red Your Blues' was awarded 'album of the week' in the London Sunday Times and was also well received in various other publications including Q, The Wire, The Morning Star, Time Out New York and AMG. A previously unreleased Picastro track called 'Tow Truck" appeared on the Wire Tapper CD that comes free with The Wire magazine.