Caretakers take on the CHCanada.com Indie Radio Show

Jeffrey, Lena and Norm along with Barry Mac brought their accoustic sound to Caledon recently to join DJ Rick Jones and Tom Beyer live in studio.

The new CD Unfinished Thoughts has just been released and it is anything but unfinished. Recorded at the Hamilton landmark Vibe Wrangler Studios this first release for the band has very polished and rehearsed sound. The big wooden studio where they recorded this release has a real warmth that comes out in the Caretakers sound.

The Caretakers emerged from the current hub of Canadian Music - Hamilton Ontario several years ago. But they could have easily stepped off a stage in Greewich Village - circa 1964. With folk music at their roots and the cultural grit of a working class city upbringing, this band fuses Peter Paul and Mary style harmonies with REM inspired melodies with a sometimes swampy '70's inspired southern rock groove.

The Caretakers music speaks to your heart and your mind. They are making music for people who remember a time when folk music was king, and the lyrics and thoughts behind the music meant something. The Caretakers sing about war, animal cruelty, and domestic strife - they are probably not going to be the subject of an 18 year old's tweet any time soon. And that's probably just all right by them.

Check out this clip from their live unplugged radio studio performance...

Barry Mac the new Ian Tyson?

The very idea of a "romantic cowboy" conjures up images of lonely cowboys on the range missing their woman folk left back at the ranch. There is a long history of romantic cowboys, including the interesting genre of "cowboy poetry." Singer songwriter Ian Tyson has a body of work that merges country music with the poetry of the cowboy.
Barry Mac carries on that tradition. With his songs of love found, and love lost, this urban cowboy sings with his heart on his sleeve.

When he's not in Grant Avenue Studios recording his love songs, you can find him out in his Jeep finding mud holes to get winched out of. Or flying out of Mount Hope airport in a Piper Warrior buzzing the farm fields south of Hamilton.
Mac (as he's known to his friends and fans) lives each day like it was his last. And his music reflects that reality.

If you are in Hamilton on Thursday February 4th be sure to check out Barry Mac and his band has they perform at his record release party. The album release party is being held at at This Ain't Hollywood in Hamilton's north end.

Check you this You Tube clip recorded on the CHCanada.com Indie Radio Show. It features Barry with Caretakers front woman Lena Montecalvo.

Hamilton Indie Bands Live on the Radio

We are pumped to have a bunch of Hamilton Bands join us on the CHCanada.com Indie Radio Show this coming Wednesday. The bands you'll hear performing in the Caledon Radio Studio are as follows:

The Cartakers
Matt Paxton
Barry Mac
and the fabulous Mississppi Kings. If you listen to the show you know we like this act. They have a classic rockin' sound that mixes blues and funk with equal messure. It is an interesting stew of influences. Even the songs they cover are interesting - case in point is this attached video of them performing the old Marvin Gaye classic "What's Goin' On" with all proceeds going to charity. Now that's putting your money where your mouth is!
Be sure to tune into Radio Caledon on Wednesday night from 8 till 10 EST to hear some really unique performances. And if you miss the show, you can upload it from this blog.

Is Hamilton the new Seattle?

I've had a few days to reflect on my trip down the QEW to Hamilton, for the Hamilton Music Awards. This City has had it's fair share of unemployment and heartache over the last decade, with massive job losses in their manufacturing sector. If you are like most people, your only view of Hamilton is when you are flying along the highway going over the Skyway Bridge on your way to Niagara Falls and the US Border, or on your way to Toronto. It is not a very impressive sight, unless you are in the steel biz. Dirty smokestacks and flames from coke ovens are like a throughback to another era. And maybe they are.

Hamilton is reinventing itself as an arts and music town. With the downtown core neglected and frankly mishandled by local government mis-steps, pricing of real estate is in the basement - a far cry from the high rents and exorbitant costs of Toronto living. So, artists and musicians are flocking to Hamilton - remaking the city. And the whole arts culture is thriving.

Thus the 8th annual Hamilton Music Awards. As host Tom Wilson tells it, many of Canada's musical talent are from Hamilton (including rock royalty such as Daniel Lanois). Lanois has a very nice converted warehouse on Wellington Street in downtown Toronto where he stays when in Ontario, otherwise he owns a house in Hamilton (near Tom’s house) as he always has. Hamilton is Daniel’s hometown. (he also has homes in L.A. and Jamaica). His mother, brother and sister all live in Hamilton. Lanois arrived in Hamilton from Hull at the age of nine with his family, went to school here and established their first studios here, recording with Eno and many others. He still comes to Hamilton a lot to see family and friends. Lanois was the second artist to be given a lifetime achievement award at the HMAs.

Check this clip out of husband and wife team Melissa McCelland and Luke Doucet. This fab couple have come back to Hamilton to live - make the trip down to the Hammer for a show or to see a gallery. You'll be surprised.

Hamilton Music Awards a big success

What are they putting in the water down there in The Hammer? So many great musicans, this City with the "Mountain" really know how to put on a party. A who's who of Canadian talent performed on the show, including husband and wife team Luke Doucet and Melissa Mclennan who now make Hamilton their home.

Up and comers were in attendence. I had the privlege of sharing a muddy jeep ride up the Mountain to the show with new Country artist Barry Mac and members of the Caretakers, who both have new CDs coming out very soon.

Big props go out to Jane Allison of the Hamilton Spectator and Jeff Martin of Quorum Communications for supplying tickets to the show.

Here is Tom Wilson and his band Lee Harvey Osmond perfoming as part of the awards celebrations...