Mathias Kom (ukulele, vocals) Jill Staveley (guitar, vocals) Charlie Glasspool (piano) Mike Duguay (synths, glockenspiel) Jenny Gleeson (accordion, bass) Jenny Mitchell (omnichord, tenor banjo) Darcy McCord (cello) Adam DeMarsh (drums) Steve McNabb (trumpet, banjolele) Nick Ferrio (lapsteel, bass) Geordie Gordon (violin, fashion) Alison Corbett (violin, baglamas) Dave Hartley (harmonica)
Extra Special Guests:
Kim Barlow (banjo) Bucky (didjeridoo)
Research and Development Team:
Leigh Kotsilidis (design and layout) Gabe Foreman (art visionary, ink jockey) Andy Magoffin (engineering, vocals, rat coach)
Auxillary Support Network:
Wyatt Burton (electric guitar) Rob McInnis (saxophone) Johnny Chartrand (violin) J.P. Contois (drums) Ian Osborn (bass) Brian Sanderson (viola, horns) Scott Montgomery (tuba) Jordan Mack (uke) Mary Jane McCallum (vocals) Cameron Welch (vocals) Kelly Davis (flute, vocals) Patrick Walsh (vocals) Alana Farmer (autoharp, vocals) Andrew Sainsbury (banjo) Benj Rowland (jaw harp)
Influences
General Influences: Plastic; cats dressed in doll clothing; models of the human brain; careless whispers and just about anything that I can feel coming in the air tonight (oh lord).
Musical Influences: Hot Buttered Charlie, Jill Staveley, Patrick Walsh, Brian Sanderson, Mike Duguay and most late-90s rap/metal outfits.
We've got another new record out this week - it's called "This Charmed Life", and it's only available on 12" vinyl at shows (look at our tour dates and come get one!) or as a digital download at Zunior
So if you would rather skip the whole leaving the house thing, or if live music is just too loud these days, you can always purchase This Charmed Life or any of our other albums online at Zunior or in select record stores in Canada and Europe. Thank you in advance for your support - your dollars are keeping us in vittles and trousers.
Here's what the prowling jackalsof the press have to say:
"Instead of standing alone with his uke or with the support of his rollicking band of noisemakers, 'This Charmed Life' is Kom, his uke, the wonderful cello work of Darcy McCord, and the subtle electronics of Walter Bloodway. The songs were born from random road signs and town names, cold nights and bus trips but it's the interesting arrangements that really make you sit up and take notice. Kom has always had a knack for using his sad baritone to draw you into the most bizarre lyrics, and of course that doesn't change, but the way he presents his thoughts certainly does. Honestly, Kom's clever metaphors and deprecating humor benefit from the modern textures his friends add to the mix, and make this EP/LP a necessity for fans of the band."
"Peterborough’s Burning Hell is back with its sophomore release, and far from just avoiding the dreaded sophomore slump, Burning Hell is bringing the party with it from Northern Ontario. Slightly more upbeat in outlook than the band’s previous album, 2008’s Happy Birthday, Baby nonetheless retains all of the wacky gallows humour that leader Mathias Kom made a name for himself with—and some of it is twisted into wild, meta tangents. And with plenty of horns keeping everything as exciting as a mariachi party, you can get the party on down."
"The Burning Hell began 2008 celebrating HAPPY BIRTHDAY, their (weewerk) debut of low-key ukelele and banjo-driven baritone ballads that showcased Mathias Kom's wry wit and songwriting strength. Their celebratory circus of a live show, however, is a different beast altogether; constant cross-country touring transformed this Peterborough crew into one of the best live acts in the country."
Exclaim Magazine, Dec. '08, "Artists To Watch in 2009",
"Moments of macabre comedy weave their way in and out of nearly every song on Happy Birthday… the kind of album we'll be throwing on the stereo as the end times draw near and we crowd into our bomb shelters to eat granola bars and have a good laugh over everything that's gone wrong with the world."
"Don't let Mathias Kom's doomy Leonard Cohen baritone or the brooding, skeletal folk arrangements upon which he tends to hang his words fool you – the guy's actually pretty funny. The Burning Hell's latest album, Happy Birthday, is veritably overflowing with black wit and cracked genius."
Do you know how easy it is to make a movie or video these days? We don't, but some of our friends do, and they all say "well, it's not too easy, actually". But they do it anyway! Mitch from Southern Souls shot a couple of talkies of us in Guelph - you can see one of them below and the other is on our website www.wearetheburninghell.com.
Also, Burning Hell member Leigh Kotsilidis has made a wonderful stop animation featuring our song 'Dinosaurs'! Making stop animation is hard, and involves clever fingers and more talent than you can shake a stick at. Why would you want to shake a stick at talent, anyway? You can see this fabulous video down there (down pointing arrow).
And special thanks to Brian Mitolo, aka guythehood, and Paul Watson from Zunior TV for filming us all the time, even when we are sleeping. Right down there you can witness with your very own eyes, or with borrowed or rented eyes, a set at the Gordon Best Theatre in Peterborough, Paul Watson capturing the first song of our set at Sappyfest this summer, and an infomercial, which is very, very informative - all through the magic of motion pictures! Check out some of guythehood's other films on Youtube!
"My Name Is Mathias", Live at the Mall!
Live at the Gordon Best Theatre, November 2008:
"I Love The Things That People Make", live at Sappyfest 2008:
"Dinosaurs", stop animation by Leigh Kotsilidis:
And finally, the famous Burning Hell infomercial, by guythehood:
Paleozoic Era, Cambrian Period: Early ancestor of The Burning Hell first walks on land. Significant Fossil: "OPUS" (cassette only, limited edition. sold out forever.)
Paleozoic Era, Silurian Period: Though primitive, The Burning Hell shows signs of dim intellect: gathers twigs and grubs in forest, records first 'studio' album. Significant Fossil: "Here Comes Evil!" (out of stock.)
Paleozoic Era, Carboniferous Period: Vestigal tail disappears, and The Burning Hell begins to compete for scarce food and territory with other local bands. Significant Fossil: "Tortured Lost Souls Burning Forever" (a cult classic in some areas of west-central Peterborough and the Federated States of Micronesia.)
Mesozoic Era, Jurassic Period: Also known as 'The Great Migration', this period sees The Burning Hell cross the Atlantic; brain evolves; skin becomes translucent. Significant Fossil: "When Animals Attack" (available only at Starbuck's, Wal-Mart and Winners during the 2004 Holiday Season)
Mesozoic Era, Cretaceous Period: First live birth signifies that The Burning Hell has evolved from reptile to mammal, though other signs of progress are nil. Significant Fossil: "Tick Tock".
Cenozoic Era, Paleocene Epoch: The Burning Hell gets serious, discovers fire, senses the creeping inevitability of death. Significant Fossil: "Happy Birthday".
Cenozoic Era, Oligocene Epoch-Miocene Epoch: The Burning Hell finds religion, listens to REM's 'Out Of Time', loses religion. Significant Fossil: "Baby".
Ack! I can't believe I'm gonna miss your St. John's shows. Be sure to stop through London (ON) at some point in the near future. I'm stuck here and need some burning damnation.
Very jealous. I'm sticking around home for the bulk of 2010. Working on a new record, focusing on school, writing music for a fringe play...fun but I miss the highway.
Hey Mathias, thanks, thanks, thanks! The package arrived all right. And o, my folks did cheer:) Will report later with my review of the audio part of it.
In the meantime, Chris [Barickman] had another gig at this tiny place near my bro's apartment in Brno (Duck Bar) and even though very few people showed up, 'twas memorable 'cos it was just me and my friends/schoolmates and Chris really loosened up and we got to talk, listen and sing along.
Merry Xmas time and a safe landing into the New Year!
It's four years since Sound Of Mu opened its doors to Oslo. Lasso (elastique) celebrate with a selection of seldom heard songs. And what better way to celebrate the winter solstice? Druids welcome! .
![The Oldest Child[THURSDAYS @ The 2nd Floor Lounge]](http://c3.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/121/s_dac8c5598f744c3da213065b92907dee.jpg)
