UPDATE - all 5 copies are now gone. Thanks for entering.

It's not surprising that an artist making the long, lonely trek up North would search his inner soul for inspiration. The thing is, when it comes to The Burning Hell's front man Mathias Kom, I'm not sure he's ever held anything back from his audience. He had long since found alienation and loneliness so instead of a collection of songs offering up a glimpse into his most personal thoughts and fears, Kom's trip to Whitehorse just provided him new subject matter and settings.

What did change is how the songs were delivered. The Burning Hell has just released a tour only 12" (or downloadable record) - This Charmed Life - but instead of standing alone with his uke or with the support of his rollicking band of noisemakers, the record is Kom, his uke, the wonderful cello work of Darcy McCord, and the subtle electronics of Walter Bloodway.

Obviously, the journey affected Kom. The songs were born from random road signs and town names, cold nights and bus trips (including three moody, cinematic instrumentals written as he traveled up North) 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 (the record's opening line is "Robert, you're such an idiot", which sung by almost anyone else would leave even the biggest fan a bit suspicious), but the way he presents his thoughts certainly does.

Instead of uke picking, the opening number Robert's Bad End really builds from Darcy's slow bowed strings. It's a subtle shift, but gets you ready for bigger changes. The second track - Don't Let Your Guard Down - is where things get interesting. Walter adds a pulsing heartbeat to the song and Kom's staccato delivery suits it perfectly. His backbeat transforms the oddly summery riff of Last Winter into a head nodding, windows down car ready ditty that I didn't think Kom had in him. The rest of the record is equally as enjoyable and surprising. Northern Life uses a darker, almost ominous electronics and string arrangement to push Kom's trademark word play and wit into the shadows. 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.

So, how can you get a copy? Well, we have 5 - that's right 5 - digital copies up for grabs and we will make this easy. The first 5 people to email us (herohill AT gmail DOT COM) or leave their email in the comments section below will get a nice download code from zunior in return. Not a bad deal there folks, so make with the entering.

MP3:: The Burning Hell - Last Winter
MYSPACE:: http://www.myspace.com/mathiaskom
LABEL:: http://www.weewerk.com/

Labels: Canada, Music, Reviews, The Burning Hell, Weewerk

So it's Saturday, and we thought "why not run a contest?" We're trying our hand in one of those viral type internet things, hoping it goes better than the time Shane dressed up like a banana and sang Peanut Butter Jelly Time at the bus stop.

Today we are pairing up with weewerk records to give away ten copies of the new Ox record, Burnout. If you read my review, you will see that Burnout is a terrific collection of songs that focus on what happens when a band gets tired of the road, the drugs, the beer and just wants to have a home and write songs, knowing the impossible dream of being the biggest band in the world is fading. Burnout is a tour de force full of honest, gripping songs (and one of my favorite roots records of '09), so you'd do yourself a solid if you enter this contest.

Here's the deal, all you have to do is
1.)Head over to weewerk's site
2.) Find their email address
3.) Email them with herohill and OX in the subject line

The first ten people will be emailed a download code from Zunior. It's that easy. Here's the title track and a stellar video from my favorite track, Unknown Legend.

MP3:: Ox - Burnout
MYSPACE:: http://www.myspace.com/oxmusic
LABEL: weewerk

Labels: Canada, contests, Music, Oxen Talk, Weewerk

Yesterday Shane mentioned that very few records are crafted to accentuate the oranges and yellows that grab your eye when the first cold winds hit. While I don’t really agree with that, he certainly gave me a jump off point for the new Ox record. The newly appointed kings of the Sudbury, alt. country scene are fixing to release their new long player, Burnout and it’s perfectly tailored for the mornings when the sun just just can't warm you enough and leaves float sadly to the ground.

On that inevitable day when summer fades, you get hit with reality and are left with lonely nights thinking about the good times long since past and regrets you hold as close as your most treasured childhood memory. If these songs are like a glimpse into front man Mark Browning’s mind, you can see that he’s looking back on the last few years with that same mix of pride and lament. Mark’s drawl still hits you in the gut, but the band seems to have taken a step back from the muscular riffs that you settle into on the road when the frustrations that go along with night after night playing shows and day after day watching the odometer turn. Burnout plays more like a band coming to terms with life than avoiding those realities with booze, weed and the adrenaline you only get when the stage lights clink on.

That common ground helps make Burnout a record you absorb and fall in love with, not just listen to when the mood feels right. When the record opens with Burnout, Mark looks back on the hardships you have to deal with on tour, but unlike so many Springsteen-ian glory days type tracks, you wonder if he wants to leave that life behind. Stolen gear, hangovers, car accidents and the heavy weight of not having a home have taken a toll on the band. You can hear the exhaustion tucked into every line and those disappointments are the type of moments most people try to gloss over. We tend to remember only the best moments, but Mark’s refuses to mask his honesty and when he follows up his road confessions with the melancholic Unknown Legend, you wonder if Mark feels the strain of the band not making it, knowing that they can’t keep up the touring schedule needed to keep the band moving forward.

Really, you could point to any of the seven tracks, settle into the pace and see the shift the band has made, but the obvious track is the reworking of American Lo Fi standout Miss Idaho. The slowed down take on Miss Idaho (redux) strips away the bounce from the original and the harmonies and steel give it a more subdued, back porch feel. That angst has disappeared and the band is more content, not just with the song but with life in general. Even as the song surges to a climax, and the guitars and vocals build you picture the band smiling and laughing. It’s the perfect closer for this record, simply because it lets you remember that no matter how bad you might think it is, how many bad decisions you replay in your mind night after night, it will get better, the sun will come out, your friends will always be there to drink some beers and sing some songs and life is never as bad as you think it is.

Here's the video for another track from the new record, Unknown Legend.

MP3:: Ox - Burnout
MYSPACE:: http://www.myspace.com/oxmusic
LABEL:: Weework Records

Labels: Canada, Music, Ontario, Oxen Talk, Reviews, Weewerk