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Local Guides
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HAMILTON MUSIC NOTES
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by
Ric Taylor
August 20- 26, 2009 |
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Ballin’ Outta Control
It was in August 2007 that Greg Santilly handed in his resignation
as a Dundas drum teacher and serendipitously found a ‘drummer
wanted’ ad for Guelph’s The D’Urbervilles. The young performer
had cut his teeth in early high school bands like Ernie Thompson
(with Chris Yang and Andrew Macdonald) but began maturing,
exploring electronic music once he met up with Gregg Ebberhard,
otherwise known as Slow Hand Motëm.
He’s since got to travel quite a bit with the now Toronto
based D’urbervilles but he still deejays locally, including a radio
show on McMaster University’s 93.3 CFMU (The Switch Saturdays,
5:30–7 pm), performs as part of eclectic, underground Hamilton
hip hop crew New Slang and even his own solo project, Muffled
Suitcase. With The D’Urbervilles gearing up to play VirginFest at
the Molson Amphitheatre at the end of the month and recording a
new album to be released in the fall, Santilly is developing his
ever–growing resume, now as a show promoter, with an event this
week with a show that encompasses a smattering of his projects.
“The music community in Hamilton is great,” smiles Santilly.
“I’ve been fortunate to be involved in it for almost ten years and
I’ve found the level of diversity here is immense––there is really
something for everyone here, and people here are open to new
sounds and new styles. Because I get to travel around so much,
I’ve been fortunate to explore other communities and Ballin’
Outta Control brings portions of those communities to Hamilton
in the form of out–of–town bands.
“Right now, Ballin’ Outta Control is a once in a while type of
show productions company. Meaning that when an out of town
band I know wants a show, I’ll organize one, book it in a different
place from the last Ballin’ Outta Control, with a line up I feel
compliments the overall tone of the music being performed.
Currently, they’ve been taking place every few months or so at
venues like the Casbah Lounge, Envoke fashion boutique in
Dundas and now the new This Ain’t Hollywood on James Street
North. The next show will likely be at a new alternative space I’ve
never used before.”
His experience taking his bands across the country has had
its influence and Santilly brings those influences to Hamilton to
further expand on the local culture he loves.
“I play in Slow Hand Motëm, fronted by one of the most
unique personalities I’ve ever encountered; D’Urbervilles is strictly
focused on combining the efforts as a group to make interesting,
enticing high energy rock music,” offers Santilly. “This week’s
show features two acts that are from two different cities but are
putting out a split seven–inch together. Diamond Rings is the solo
project of John O’Regan (lead singer, The D'Urbervilles) and PS I
Love You are a duo we met in Kingston. The split seven–inch is
released on O’Regan’s self–funded Hype Lighter record label/art
website. John is a close friend of mine since I’ve been drumming
in a band with him for the last two years, playing countless shows
and having fun all over the country. His solo project is more of an
emotional outlet than that of The D’Urbervilles, with pop hooks,
keyboards and outrageous outfits the likes of which Boy George
has never seen. PS I Love You is a band we met in Kingston – a
band that features a front man who sings, plays the guitar and
plays bass pedals with his feet – truly a delight for the eyes and
ears. Slow Hand Motëm is playing because I like to be involved in
the performance aspect of my shows. The great thing about all
the bands on the bill is their uniqueness, and their abilities to
push and explore the boundaries of performing original songs
and music.”
“The goal is to put out fresh, unique and interesting shows in
the Hamilton area,” adds Santilly. “The name Ballin’ Outta Control
comes from a confidence level I’ve established by opening myself
up to the potentials of combining art and community on as large a
scale as possible.”
Ballin’ Outta Control presents the Diamond Rings / PS I Love You
Split 7” Hamilton Release party with Slow Hand Motëm this
Thursday August 20 at This Ain’t Hollywood. Cover is $5, or $10
with a 7”. myspace.com/slowhandmotem, thisainthollywood.ca
Tom Wilson and the Florida Razors Reunite
When the Florida Razors began rocking Hamilton clubs in 1981,
they were a bunch of adrenaline fuelled youth taking on the
electronic inspired new wave and more style conscious punk
worlds. The content the Razors offered was a harkening back to a
more authentic time for music – ‘50s style rock, country punk and
pop played to maximum effect.
Featuring Tom Wilson (lead vocals, guitar), Jason Avery
(guitar), Greg Cannon (drums) and Carl Keesee (bass), the Florida
Razors disbanded in 1987 and Wilson has gained national and
international notoriety with his bands Junkhouse, Blackie and the
Rodeo Kings and most recently, Lee Harvey Osmond (featuring
Cowboy Junkies members and more) and Sons of the Hammer
(featuring Teenage Head members).
While their recorded product was scant (remember in the
early ‘80s records cost big bucks and few indie bands could
muster the cash), their influence remains a constant. The best of
the group’s scant ‘80s output, Beat Music: The Essential
Collection, was released in August 2000 on Bullseye Records and
Wilson still finds time to reunite with his old chums occasionally –
particularly for a good cause.
“I’m on the road constantly,” says Wilson. “I’ve been going
from Sons of the Hammer to BARK to Lee Harvey Osmond to BARK
to Lee Harvey Osmond to Sons of the Hammer. I’ve been getting
it right so far so I don’t think I’ll be having a problem Saturday
night.
“We’re just playing music together – it’s nothing like a high
school reunion,” offers Wilson on the reasons for the band
reuniting. “People go to high school reunions and don’t know why
they’re there. Musicians like playing together and there’s a love
that builds amongst each other and any chance to get together
after all of these years is something that we like to do. You spend
seven years with four guys you get a bond that nobody else gets
in your life. Same with any band that I’ve been in – Florida Razors
or Blackie and the Rodeo Kings or I’m sure with what’s going on
with Lee Harvey Osmond we’re on the road so much we’ve got a
bond going on, too. The Florida Razors were a band that loved
music and loved playing music so it’s something in our hearts
and I don’t think your heart ever gets rusty. Sometime your
fingers get a little old and sometimes your mind might play tricks
on you but the heart of that band is still intact.
“We were also asked to raise money for Wounded Warriors
because no one isn’t really aware of how many soldiers are
coming home all fucked up from a land that our government
shouldn’t have them in, we figured we might be good people,
too,” he adds. “It’s usually artists that step out and make that
money and make people aware of it, so that’s what we’re doing.
My father was blinded in the Second World War and it was a time
when the government and people still had a respect for soldiers –
it’s funny, there’s nothing I have against soldiers but I think it’s
politicians that should be the ones strapping the guns on and
shitting in their own helmets and facing the death and the
destruction that young men have to face. I’m anti–politician and I
am pro–soldier.”
As well as reuniting with old band mates, this particular show
even features his son Thompson Wilson’s band Harlan Pepper
opening the show.
“They’ve grown up to Merle Haggard and Hank Williams and
they’ve grown up around a lot of music – it’s kind of like the
Flying Burrito Brothers with a Moog synthesizer in it,” proudly
offers Wilson on the new generation of Wilson music. “It’s got this
real psychedelic edge to it, real modern and aggressive but the
roots of it are in country.”
Family, friends and a whole whack of old and newer fans will
fill the Casbah for the rare summer reunion of some classic
Hamiltonia that over the years has taken a life of its own.
“It’s amazing, because the Florida Razors are something
people in Hamilton think only belongs to Hamilton but whenever
I’m on stage I get requests for Florida Razors songs in Vancouver
or Texas so... It’s going to be like 1983, I hope, only with a little
more facial hair and a little more meat on the bones,” smiles
Wilson. “It’s not exactly like 1983. I don’t drink at all anymore and
I don’t do drugs – but I have a cigarette after every show so you
know... I still like to fuck.”
Tom Wilson and the Florida Razors reunite this Saturday August
22 at Casbah with Harlan Pepper opening. Tickets are available at
Casbah Lounge (905–521–4441), Dr. Disc (905–523–1010), Picks
N Sticks (905–528–6058) and at casbahlounge.ca,
woundedwarriors.ca
Aitch’s
Fashionably Late
It’s been a long while since Burlington’s drunk punks The Spicolis
broke up and for former lead singer Brandon Pascoa, finding his
own identity has been a long journey. Leaving the blood, sweat
and beers of his former band behind, Pascoa renamed himself
after the grade school musings of how to spell the eighth letter of
the alphabet and the first full–length from Aitch, entitled
Fashionably Late, is finally being released this week.
“I’ve been playing as much as I possibly can,” offers Pascoa
on his recent activities. “The recording of this record has taken up
a lot of my time recently. However, the record is finally done and
now is the time to start pushing my solo identity, and shedding
the skin of the band I formally fronted. I feel like I can only move
forward from here on out as a solo artist.”
The question about his nom de plume doesn’t faze Pascoa
and he simply smiles and replies, “Yeah man, Aitch is sticking
around until it becomes a household name like Bono, Madonna or
Xbox. Besides the fact that it has indeed taken a lot longer than
my engineer and I had thought, this CD is me saying ‘finally I’m
here’. I’ve made it to this point, and I actually have something
solid to contribute. It’s about time, so let’s move this thing to the
next level.”
What defines Aitch as a solo singer/songwriter is perhaps
those aspects that go against that very definition.
“People always ask me how I would describe my music and I
tell them I tell stories, and try to keep it entertaining so if that’s
what one would call a folk singer then dammit, that’s what I am,”
offers Pascoa. “I do tend to avoid writing the age–old love ballad,
for the most part. I am however guilty of having a song or two
that may fall into that category. I’ll also keep the love bug at bay
with the occasional tongue in cheek anti–love song on this record.
Many solo acoustic artists either write love songs or love lost
songs, and no in between. Not all of them are like that, but I find
a lot of people feel acoustic music should stay slow and somber. I
hope to be one of the exceptions. I like to think I mix it up and
write about everything and anything I experience and even enjoy
throwing a little fiction in there. Fashionably Late goes from a
love story to a fun story to a down and out story, and turns right
around into an inspiring story in a matter of four tracks.”
Sequestering himself with Toronto engineer Eric Riehl, Pascoa
co–produced Fashionably Late, building on songs to fill out the
sound with the goal of expanding his audience.
“I always had an idea of how I wanted my record to sound,
and I wanted it polished,” explains Pascoa. “Barebones, for me, is
cooler when I hear it and play it live. I wanted my first effort as a
solo artist to sound clean and nice on the ears. Eric and I co–
produced Fashionably Late – lead guitars and more vocals were
added to make the songs sound bigger.
“This CD chronicles some major happenings in and around
my life so far, this is just the beginning of hopefully greater and
crazier things to come,” adds the singer. “I have a couple songs
and close to finished tunes already waiting to be recorded. So it’s
not an end to a journey because it doesn’t stop, there are way
more things to experience and write about.”
The CD release party offers a novel venue and the songs in
that original bare bones format. With some friends adding their
own acoustic songs, Pascoa hopes for a smooth release party at a
novel venue to begin the next phase of his career.
“It is a casual gathering of friends to celebrate a big stepping
stone in a young man’s life,” laughs Pascoa on the pending CD
release party this weekend. “It is just me, my guitar, and my mic.
It’s cool being by yourself up there because you get to be so
much closer with your audience, more intimate and engaging.
When you play bare bones live, there is no distortion to hide
behind, it’s so natural. I love it.
“Friends of mine have redone their rooftop patio in this
building,” he adds. “It blew my mind how nice they’ve made it and
since I was looking for your non–traditional bar and stage venue
for my CD release party I thought this place was perfect. It starts
at 9 pm and ends at 11 pm so we are going to stay within the
Burlington bylaws, so hopefully we won’t bother anyone and they
won’t bother us.”
Aitch performs this Saturday, 22 August atop 399 John Street in
Burlington with Walk Off The Earth and 9 Yrs. For more info click
on www.myspace.com/brandonpascoa V [RIC
TAYLOR]
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