Peterborough Folk Festival: What Are they Thinking
A note tonight from the Burning Hell indicates that they were 'turned down again' for the Peterborough Folk Festival (again?!?). I was shocked. I mean there is alot of talent in Peterborough no doubt but the note would imply that the Burning Hell, one of the best live acts in the country, and a band that proudly lives in (and around) Peterborough has been rejected more than once to play their hometown festival. It would be like a Toronto festival rejecting Broken Social Scene, or a Vancouver fest nixing the New Pornographers. I know the Burning Hell are nowhere near that big yet, but Peterborough isn't Toronto or Vancouver either.
I hope, I really hope, that when the festival announces their lineup that it's amazingly brilliant and packed full with great Canadian artists.
Sadly, according to the rumor mill the two front runners to headline at this point are:
The Burning Hell and Construction and Destruction Live
On Sunday I was at the Rancho Relaxo for Mint Julip, the Burning Hell and Port Greville, Nova Scotia's Construction and Destruction. I have video of the entire Burning Hell show, but the file is over a gigabyte which means that YouTube doesn't want it.
So - here is the mp3 of the show. This is a scaled down version of the Burning Hell: It starts with just Mathias by himself and then he is joined by Dave Hartley, Jill Staveley, and Construction and Destruction by the time it's done.
and here is a short clip of Construction and Destruction from the same show:
Construction and Destruction - What the NonHuman Taught Us
You can catch the Burning Hell in the not too distant future at
28 May Lee’s Palace Toronto, Ontario 4 Jun Zaphod Beeblebrox solo w/Marie Josee Houle Ottawa, Ontario 5 Jun The Spill Cafe, solo with Marie Josee Houle Peterborough, Ontario 6 Jun Yellow Door, solo with Marie-Josee Houle Montreal, Quebec 3 Jul Ponybar Hamburg, Hamburg 4 Jul Fourtrack On Stage Festival Berlin, Berlin 18 Jul Pohoda Festival Trencin 16 Aug Fred Eaglesmith Charity Picnic Aylmer, Ontario
(Also, as a special reward for reading this far I'll mention that if you go to the Burning Hell Myspace and read very carefully, you can find out how to get a free copy of the Burning Hell's new album Baby.)
The Burning Hell + Construction & Destruction at Rancho Relaxo
According to the Burning Hell Myspace it's going to be a 'solo' show, but the word on the street is that Mathias won't really be alone, just a scaled down version of the 13 people that joined him at the Shoe recently. Also playing is Port Greville, Nova Scotia's Construction and Destruction who I haven't seen but I've heard good, good things about and Mint Julip who I'm afraid I don't know anything about at all. Doors are at 8 - show starts sometime after that.
I mentioned when I wrote about Jill Stavely that one of the things that makes the Burning Hell so good is all of the talented people that stand behind Mathias Kom on stage. In addition to Staveley, regular appearances by various Barmitzvah Brothers and others who I'm sure I'll tell you about soon enough, there is Weird Weather.
Out of Weird Weather's four members I know that Nick Farrio and Mike Duguay have both played with the Burning Hell. The other two (Jay Sinnerton and Lindsay Fitzsimmons) have not, to the best of my knowledge, been in the band but they will be eventually unless they cut and run now.
The backstory on Weird Weather reads
"Nick Ferrio started Weird Weather when he was a coffee delivery boy, carrying heavy carafes of coffee through hail, sleet and snow to Peterborough’s downtown businesses. Filling the time between entry into a shop and an exit with a slightly lighter thermos were those conversations that fill the gaps in every awkward interaction, pregnant pause and tentative approach; gaps and spaces that Ferrio’s songs endeavour to bridge in ways other than “Weird weather we’ve been having.”
Enlisting two other veterans of the coffee delivery and local music scenes: drummer, organist and fellow Burning Hell member Mike Twinkle-fingers Duguay and guitarist Jay Swinnerton, Ferrio took his haunting songs to local audiences showcasing sweet harmonies and a stark, yet powerful, band that offer a driving darkness to the material. Between academics, work and their other creative projects, the band has kept close to home for most of their tenure but have enjoyed shows with bands they admire and share an affinity with, such as $100, FemBots and Timber Timbre."
Weird Weather's first CD "Surface of the Moon" will officially be born tomorrow night in Peterborough (you can grab it on Zunior now though.) After Peterborough they head out to Toronto and then east through Ontario, Quebec, PEI, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia (scroll to the bottom for tour dates.)
Listen for Weird Weather on future episodes of the Mixtape Podcast. They'll sound alot like this:
Weird Weather - Give Up the Ghost
Oh...and here's some video from all of their first set together at the Sadlier House in Peterborough:
and here are those Tour Dates
29 Apr Gordon Best Theatre - CD Release Peterborough, Ontario 30 Apr The Tranzac Club - w/ The Weather Station CD Release! Toronto, 1 May The Artel - w/ The Weather Station Kingston, Ontario 2 May AvantGarde Bar - w/ the Weather Station Ottawa, Ontario 3 May Le Divan Orange Montreal, Quebec 6 May Ampersand Charlottetown, Prince Edward 7 May Wilser’s RoomFredricton, New Brunswick 8 May Gus’ Pub Halifax, Nova Scotia 9 May The Khyber Halifax, Nova Scotia 10 May Strut’s Gallery - w/ Construction and Destruction Sackville, New Brunswick
London's Oh! Fest takes place this weekend at multiple live music venues around the city. The festival is put on the by Open House Arts Collectiv, London's own arts collective. Great Canadian acts will be playing all weekend long, including CHRW Local Album of the Year winner, Olenka and the Autumn Lovers, who kicked off the festivities last night with a stellar performance we've come to expect from London's folk ambassadors.
Tonight (Saturday May 25) at The Black Shire Pub more exciting Canadian bands are strutting their stuff. New-age disco outfit Lioness highlights the show opened by The Ghost is Dancing and A Horse and His Boy. Lioness combines shopped and screwed disco with experimental synths to put together a sound worth hearing live. Their most popular track, a bona fide club hit, “You're My heart” is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Lioness.
The Ghost is Dancing combines an alt-rock sensibility, with some great hooks. This band is so catchy you'll want to sing along and with the perfectly placed chanting interludes. A mystical quality emanates The Ghost is Dancing's sound that will surely draw the audience into their live set tonight. London's own A Horse and His Boy will open with their ambient sound and distorted lyrics.
Sunday night will also be a can't-miss evening at Chaucer's Pub. Singer-songwriter Laura Barrett headlines alongside The Burning Hell, one of Canada's most intriguing bands at the moment. Justin wrote a full feature on them a while back, be sure to check it out.
I don't know what they are putting in the drinking water in Peterborough. There are roughly 75-100,000 people there, but they seem to have more than their share of talented musicians. Enough that Radio Free Peterborough gets by playing only Peterborough artists.
If the name Jill Staveley doesn't mean anything to you (it will soon just wait) then think the Burning Hell. As I've said, I know that Mathias Kom is the Burning Hell even when he's alone, but I've never seen him that way and can't imagine him without Staveley backing him up.
I mean what the hell would "Everything You Believe is a Lie" sound like without her?
So now you have some context and you've heard the incredible voice but did you know that she also has solo stuff? (No you didn't - at least not unless you picked that up from the first podcast.) Check out the Staveley Project! And in keeping with the "Everything You Believe is a Lie" theme you can grab the album Anything But the Truth on Zunior.
All by herself she sounds kinda like this:
Jill Staveley - Charlotte Street Symphony
And she absolutely kills on this cover of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star (Dylan originally I think?)
This is the first episode of what I'm calling the NxEW Mixtape Podcast. It is 60 minutes of music without commentary (no talking just music.) It is a mix of old stuff and new stuff but I hope you enjoy. Comments/suggestions are more than welcome.
I'd like to thank everyone who allowed me to use their music for this (as well as future episodes.) The response so far has been enormous and episode 2 is already taking shape nicely. Please support the artists who make this possible by buying some music, going to shows, buying t-shirts and otherwise showing them some love.
Found this new video on YouTube which features an interview with Mathias Kom and live performances of songs from the the Burning Hell's new album Baby.
Earlier today on Q with Jian Gomeshi actor Billy Bob Thorton said that "Canada is like mashed potatoes without gravy ...' he also said that he had more musical credibility than younger artists who Jian might interview and that Canadian audiences just sat there. So, by way of response I'd like to present a little Canadian gravy: Bands who are younger than Billy Bob but are doing what he is trying to do only they're doing it better. In large part they are better because they have their own distinctive sound and approach, where as Billy Bob's Boxmasters are little more than a mediocre, average, unremarkable country band with less musical credibility than Bruce Willis. You'll also notice in some of these live clips that, if you're any good at what you do, audiences don't just sit there.
Elliott Brood - Wrote It All Down For You
Rock Plaza Central - Anthem for the Already Defeated
Tyler Wade of Two Way Monologues and Zygiella fame pointed me to an amazing archive of live recordings at soundmann.com. The recordings go back to a Chris Brown and Kate Fenner show in October of 2004. Sadly there is no RSS feed for the site so you'll just have to check it regularly for new stuff but it's all in MP3 format and it's all free.
There are way too many shows to list but they include
The Burning Hell. 2008 Jul 26. Hillside Festival, Guelph ON.
Rebekah Higgs. 2008 Jul 25. Hillside Festival, Guelph ON.
D'Urbervilles. 2008 Aug 17. Dog Day Afternoon, Fergus ON.
Caribou. 2008 Mar 19. Starlight, Waterloo ON.
Forest City Lovers. 2008 Mar 15. 130 King, Waterloo ON
Julie Doiron. 2007 Sep 16. Jane Bond, Waterloo ON
Rock Plaza Central. 2007 Jul 28. Hillside Festival, Guelph ON
and that, as I said barely begins to scratch the surface a little. Dig In!
When I went to the Burning Hell CD Release the other night the Camera I took was sadly not up to the job. So most of the video I shot will never see the light of day, but I had to get at least a little bit in here.
In the first song in this clip Mathias Kom will explain to you why you need to come out and represent when touring musicians come through your town. Don't let your city become the one he's describing.
I am normally not terribly effusive in my praise of bands. There was a day when people read about new bands in magazines and 'experts' would use phrases like 'reminiscent of ...' and compare them with other bands and rate their latest effort according to some scale or other. The thing is, it's music and this is the internet. When I tell you about a band I can just play a bit and you can decide for yourself whether you like it or not. No amount of big words and lofty comparisons is going to make you like something that you don't like (at least I hope not.) You can be a music 'expert' all you like but what a person likes to listen to has nothing to do with expertise.
Having said all of that I have to try now to convince you to go see the Burning Hell. Mathias Kom is a brilliant songwriter, on a level with John K. Sampson but Mathias is funnier.
Just listen to the song It Happens in Florida and sing along (lyrics below)
Love, it’s like a hurricane: it happens in Florida, it gets into everything. Love, it’s like a monster truck: it fills up whole stadiums, but it crushes smaller trucks Love, it’s like a marmoset: it may be small and cute, but sometimes it eats its young Love, it’s like a trailer park: ugly but functional, the rent is cheap enough Love, it’s like a garbage man: it collects waste and filth, it smells like rotting flesh Love, it’s like an interstate: it gets you from place to place, but it’s littered with dead raccoons Love, it’s like a newborn child: seems interesting when it’s young, gets pedestrian after a while Love, it’s like a hurricane: it happens in Florida, it destroys everything.
So, he writes brilliant, funny songs but nothing I've heard recorded captures the pure fun of the Burning Hell live. Take Mathias and his ukulele and then add an omnichord, accordian, drums, bass, glockenspiel, guitar, banjo, horns, violins, and whatever else they can squeeze on stage and you get a sound that is more like the Tom Fun Orchestra. So, not only do they have the big, big sound but they are all obviously friends, they all obviously really enjoy playing together, and they are all obviously having tremendous amounts of fun. It's all incredibly infectious and just keeps building until the end. (Make them do an encore, you won't be sorry.)
There are some bands that simply cannot capture in an audio recording what they do live. In Canada these bands include the Sunparlour Players, the Pack A.D. and most definitely, the Burning Hell.
Take, for example, this studio recording of Grave Situation Part 1
and compare it with this live recording of the same song
(cred. to Bootlog for the live one). Even the live recording doesn't really capture it but it gives you an idea of the difference.
The Burning Hell's albums are great (go buy them all on Zunior) but to really, fully appreciate it you have to get the live experience. I can't claim to have seen every band in this country, but the Burning Hell may just be the most fun live band in Canada.
Oh! One more thing before I get to the tour dates as long as Jenny Omnichord is on tour with them, so is Otis Omnichord-Mitchell a 6 month old prodigy who has already been called the Glen Gould of the bassoon (ok now he's been called that). So, if you have any little golden books lying around, or just things that are child safe and good for chewing on bring them!
Tour dates (which I know I've given you before) are below.
April 3 The Black Sheep Inn w/ FemBots & Gertrudes Wakefield, Quebec
April 4 Bar None w/ FemBots & Gertrudes Kingston, Ontario
Paul Watson, general manager at Zunior and blogger at the possibly defunct Wolves, Hawks and Kites and the Toronto Music Blog Collective is also Dog is Blue and has just released his first album, "...Makes Ghost Noises" which he calls "basically a half-hour bout of homemade ghost-folk".
You can download a couple of Paul's tracks at dogisblue.com. One of them is
Grandma (from "Makes Ghost Noises")
Then there's Don't Think Twice, It's Alright (Dylan cover, not on the album).
If you like what you hear you can grab the album at Zunior and you can catch Dog is Blue
"A few months ago, The Burning Hell came to Halifax and really blew me away. I already enjoyed Matthias’ ukulele ditties – and yes, made the obligatory Stephin Merritt comparisons – but when the band crowded on the small stage at Gus’ Pub, the energy, excitement and enjoyment was unreal. That energy really carries over onto the band’s new Weewerk release, Baby.
...Really the fact you can't help but like the songs is probably the best way to sum up Baby. Fans will love it - it stays true to what you expect and love about the uke driven troubadour but moves more towards the energy and unashamed fun they deliver in a live setting - but the infectious melodies will win over new fans as well. Win, win if you ask me."
As anyone who reads my other blog knows, one of my favorite live bands is Peterborough, Ontario's the Burning Hell - which is sometimes, but not usually, just Mathias Kom. So for anyone who doesn't know the Burning Hell here is a brief introduction.
And this will give you an idea of what they're like live.
The box below contains an advertisement, wer'e just trying to pay the bills and do not necessarily endorse what is advertised here (although it might be very nice.)
Subscribe in a Feed Reader
or via email
NxEW.ca is licensed under a Creative
Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. Please attribute to the author of the piece and NxEW.ca Please note that this applies to what is written here only. For photoraphy and music files please discuss with their creators.
The box below contains an advertisement, wer'e just trying to pay the bills and do not necessarily endorse what is advertised here (although it might be very nice.)
