Poledo

Lore & Background

Poledo was formed in 1994 in Thornhill, Ontario, by Joshua Malinsky, Mitch Roth, and Dave Capogna. They released two independent cassettes, *Buzz Muffin* and *Let Up*, before signing to Sonic Unyon. In 1996 they released the full-length album *There, You* on Sonic Unyon, which charted on Canada's campus radio charts in 1996, and the band performed as far west as Vancouver that year.

In March 1997, the band recorded new songs intended for a second album that never materialized. These recordings were later released as *The Poledo Demos* in 1998, including two re-recorded tracks from *Buzz Muffin*. The band broke up in December 1997, playing their final show on January 24, 1998, at the El Mocambo in Toronto. After the breakup, Malinsky later performed solo as Kid Lunch, releasing an eponymous CD in 1999 and a second album, *Volume 2*, in 2020.

Reader's Guide

Poledo's significance lies in their brief but impactful presence in the Canadian alternative rock scene of the mid-1990s. Their music, characterized by loud, heavily distorted guitar riffs and screamed lyrics, placed them within the louder, more abrasive edge of the era's indie rock. Their releases on Sonic Unyon and Squirtgun Records, and their charting on campus radio, indicate a modest but real reach within Canada's underground music network. The band's connection to Hayden—through a split single and Hayden's engineering of their demos—ties them to a notable figure in Canadian indie rock. Their legacy is preserved through their recorded output, including the posthumous *The Poledo Demos* and compilation appearances, and through the subsequent solo work of Joshua Malinsky as Kid Lunch. Poledo represents a snapshot of the vibrant, DIY-oriented Canadian alternative rock community of the 1990s.

Did You Know?

• Poledo's final show was on January 24, 1998, at the El Mocambo in Toronto.
• Two tracks on *The Poledo Demos* were re-recordings of songs from their 1994 cassette *Buzz Muffin*.