|
Martha’s Trouble’s Anchor Tattoo
When an Ancaster native’s family hit upon hard times, she set upon making her own path in the world and found herself not only a musical partner but also a soulmate. Jen and Rob Slocumb began playing as Martha’s Trouble some 12 years ago after they met in a Houston coffee shop and then performed countless coffee houses across North America
and released nine albums over the next seven years. But five years ago, Jen found herself pregnant and the relentless touring of the husband and wife duo slowed down. Now five years later, Martha’s Trouble have two new additions to the family, Emery (five–years–old) and Wilson (three–years–old) and the Slocumb’s return to their old stomping grounds with their 10th CD, Anchor Tattoo.
“Life happened,” reasons Rob Slocumb on the extended break from recording. “When we were in the middle of supporting the release of Forget October back in 2005, everything was clicking for us but in the middle of all that, we found out we were going to have our first child. We couldn’t believe it, as kids were not in the plan. You know
it took quit bit of adjustment but we figured we weren’t going to let it slow us down. So with baby and nanny we kept at it. A couple years later, we find out we are having our second child. Again, couldn’t believe it, not in the plan at all. This really made us begin to question everything. How does it look to tour with two babies? We looked at trying something different and so we opened a hair salon. We never stopped playing. We did a lot of local and regional stuff during that down time. After of a couple of years of that, we realized how much we missed the music business and that’s really where we want to be. We sold the salon and began to look at how to get back in it full time.
“Coming back from our short absence, we have much more appreciation for being able to do what we do and really have come to realize how much we love what we do,” he adds. “We are really learning to enjoy the moments and find that balance between kids and music. We have a great nanny and one who loves to travel. We spent most of the summer touring relentlessly with the new album, Anchor Tattoo. Then this past fall, we did an exclusive tour of house concerts where we literally would play in people’s living rooms for 50 to 75 of their friends and guest. We did these ‘At Your House Concerts’ as far east as Boston, as far south as Louisiana and everywhere in between. It was a huge success, so much so, that Billboard Magazine invited us to their offices in New York to film a chart beat interview and talk about the uniqueness of a House Concert Tour.”
The house concerts rekindled their resolve and their return to recording redefined their music. When asked to perform the 500 Songs For Kids benefit concert – a 10 day festival featuring 500 artists over 10 days and each performing only one song chosen by festival organizers, the Slocumb’s took up the challenge with remarkable results on Starship’s ‘80s pop hit, “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now.”
“We tried to put our own interpretation on the song best we could,” notes Slocumb. “We got up in front of 300 people that night with just an acoustic guitar and Jen’s vocals. It silenced the room. We figured why not add it to what we are doing and next thing we know it’s on the new album.”
Anchor Tattoo features the glossy hit, stripped down in a beautiful Martha’s Trouble style but while it might be the song that Billboard wanted to feature, the tracks all offer delicate shades of a roots music that harkens back to the duo’s own musical roots. The title track even documents, Jen’s own tale of leaving Ancaster in calamity but discovering a new life that galvanized her spirituality.
“With this record, we wanted to mix roots with folk and a little pop melancholy,” notes Slocumb. “And yes, we were trying to revisit our roots to some extent.”
This week, the Slocumbs bring Martha’s Trouble back to their own roots
in the Hamilton area with a special duo performance featuring Jen on vocals, djembe drum, foot tambourine, hand percussions, harmonica, ukulele and Rob on acoustic guitars and backing vocals and a couple of newer Slocumbs in tow.
“We absolutely love our kids and they make what we do even more special than the years before kids,” says Slocumb. “They love to travel and help out at the shows. We feel very blessed.
“We are always home in Hamilton for the holidays and this year we just felt it’s time to this show again,” adds Slocumb. “If you are into acoustic folk/pop music, we are right up your alley. We put out a lot of sound for just two people. If you are looking to enjoy a night of good solid entertainment from a couple of folks who love to play music and share their experiences, this show is for you.”
Martha’s Trouble plays this Friday December 30 at the Pearl Company. Doors open at 8pm and $15 gets you in. Click on marthastrouble.com
Poetically Organized Entity’s Something Offensive and Clever
The Poetically Organized Entity (aka James Owen Brown) struck the imagination of many a new fan, breaking out with his last disc, Enter The Gimmick, which marked the addition of a six–foot tall dancing bear to his imaginative hip–hop. It was a social commentary on the nature of the music industry and even his own life as an MC. This year,
POE returns with a renewed focus on the word and a more resolute perspective focusing on more words dubbed Something Offensive and Clever.
“I’ll always be a bit ‘rough around the edges’ and if you can’t hop on board with that then you shouldn’t own a P.O.E CD and that’s just how it is,” muses Brown on his lyrical content.
With his new disc, the music is more structured and quickly moves you to the dancefloor but it’s the rhymes that are most dear to Brown’s heart albeit peppered with prolific profanity. Alongside the usual hip–hop swagger in the songs “Taking A Bow,” “I Am Who I Am” and “This Is How I’m Doin’ It,” P.O.E. does offer some more social commentary and even a love song, “She’s Romance” to sweeten the pot. But “I just wanted to be a stand–up comic,” might be one of the most revealing lines from the song that reflects back on his own life, “Remember,” P.O.E.’s hallmark is the machine gun rhyming attack of his presentation that will make you think, and perhaps laugh.
“All along, I’ve loved to make people laugh and think at the same time,” reasons Brown. “I really like to get a reaction from people; be it laughter, anger, or sadness and I really found that through poetry recently but as a kid, yes, my dream was to be a stand–up comic. I just happened to be too good with words not to make use of that gift for other, perhaps easier mediums. “I’ve achieved this through music and am now doing it with poetry as well,” adds Brown. “I’m a believer that there is beauty in darkness
and you can make a point with gross. I’m a smart guy and I like to show that off while at the same time keeping things light. Swearing may alienate some listeners but it will appeal to others when it’s used for emphasis and in the right places.”
Joining forces with the Burlington Slam Project, a group of poets bent on bringing the more literary word to local bars, Brown has been bolstered to also release a new chap book of 17 pieces of poetry used during poetry Slams as well, dubbed More Poetiker Than Ever.
“Poetry has been going amazing for me as of late and I have found a new passion for sure,” smiles Brown. “This is where I get to take the reader or listener on a real journey without having to worry about being catchy. It will be a very intimate experience between me and the reader. By creating the hard copy, it gives a fan of my slam work something they can take home with them that better represents my work in poetry instead of just music.
“The Burlington Slam Project came in fifth place in the nation as a team and I secured the highest scoring individual piece of the entire Canadian Festival of Spoken Word,” he adds. “Since then I have been on a real tear winning poetry slams all over Southern Ontario. Poetry has definitely helped garner new fans on the music side of things.”
Now with both audio and visual merchandise for fans, this weekend P.O.E. releases both the CD and poetry chapbook for a special horror themed event.
“Dan [Murray] and I wanted to throw themed poetry nights as the Rockstars of Poetry and we wanted to start with horror because it should be the most fun,” explains Brown. “I’ll have my bases covered for this show with a mix of music with poetry peppered in and hopefully while people are dancing I can touch them intellectually as well. A P.O.E. fan is someone who is willing to pay attention and appreciate dark beauty and an intense performance.”
P.O.E. plays this Friday December 30 at Doors Pub with the Rockstars of Poetry, Voodoo Ray, Molly Gruesome, and DJ Arum. Doors open at 10pm and $5 gets you in. Click on myspace.com/poeticallyorganizedentity
Laid To Rest’s Nuclear Thrash
The members of one of the latest and loudest additions to the local stage have been cutting their teeth in the Hamilton music scene for almost 20 years with a litany of bands like Chokehold, Hatchetface, Riot Brigade and the Norris Wing on their collective resume. Laid To Rest – featuring Matt Boltz (guitar, vocals), Luke Weatherson (guitar), brother Andy Weatherson (bass, vocals), Sandy Robertson (drums) and Matt Mckeag (vocals) – are as loud as their debut CD, Nuclear Thrash, would lead you to believe. But while the metal is serious, the band does have like to add a bit of levity.
“We have always classified ourselves as Party Metal because we don’t follow the dark, brooding and angry stereotype that’s associated with metal,” offers Mckeag. “We are basically just five big burly dudes who know how to enjoy a fine ale and always bring the party to the stage.
“Our look is a reflection of everything good and fun about our style of
music. Hell yeah it’s humorous, we don’t have anything to prove and really like to have fun. Our music and live show speaks for itself.
“We like having fun with the musicianship, whether its duelling guitars, gnarly solos, classic rock breakdowns or extreme whammy bar
violations,” adds Mckeag. “The beauty of our set is that every show is different. As for mayhem on or in front of the stage, well, we can’t be held responsible for that.”
With 40 shows in the last year, it was time to document the live mayhem for fans to take home. Recording at the Loft Recording studio with Caleb Moroz and Johnny Walker, Laid To Rest assembled a fist–pumping onslaught of everything they love – named from a defining song dubbed “Nuclear Thrash.”
“An album was a necessity,” says Mckeag. “We took kind of a punk rock
approach in the recording of this album with a very crisp and dirty live off the floor sound. Nuclear Thrash was a defining song for us musically and it helped pave the way for the direction we are taking with our sound and song writing.”
With an emphasis on the party aspects of their musical assault, Laid To Rest didn’t want to go release their disc on the night most novices party but instead opted to offer a night of music and drinking to prepare for New Year’s Eve.
“You’ve got to break in the liver before the big night somehow,” smiles Mckeag. “Who is a Laid To Rest fan? Anyone who loves original, fast, heavy and very loud music. We incorporate many different styles with our music that can appeal to everyone from punks, metal heads to God fearing Christians. Our ‘Resties’ [Laid To Rest fans] are a very die hard bunch and will be out in full force on the Friday.” V
The Laid to Rest CD release party happens this Friday December 30 at This Ain’t Hollywood with Door To Door Human Gore and the F-holes. Doors open at 10pm and $5 gets you in. Click on facebook.com/laidtorestband
|
