Understudy - What I Don't Need [1B] (Bruce Peninsula singer)

Shit, this came out last May and of course I had no idea about it.

Understudy I guess is a new project from Neil Haverty of Bruce Peninsula. It seems it's the only track released thus far, but I can't help but be very curious about it given BP has been relatively quiet this year after some soundtrack work and other hope for more music.







Understudy on Twitter

Bruce Peninsula - Don't Wake the Giant [1B] (+Sleeping Giant OST)

Great to hear new music from these guys, a band I have enjoyed more and more, but it seems like lost some steam after their last record Open Flames in 2011, and then the great epic Of Songs in 202.

And those along with their other work are some of the most infectious releases over the last 10 years.

I just purchased this new single and the Sleeping Giant OST as well. I suppose I may yearn to see the film soon as well.

How does this sound compares to their previous work? I haven't checked out the full Soundtrack yet, but the single "Don't Wake the Giant" is still them, but with a little electronic emphasis. The soundtrack may be more *cinematic* naturally.

My biggest question is with Neil Haverty and his vocals, which were a big part of their early music and on A Mountain is a Mouth, I wonder if his role as a vocalist has changed or is in transition. Perhaps a bit like Jon Oliva with Savatage in the 90's, etc. I dunno.

Bruce Peninsula - Of Songs [Single] (2012)

1. Of Songs 13:47

PART I

We said we didn't trust a holy man who'd been holy all his life
And but for a single line
A distance bound by points
We watched as a body surrounded
A flickerin' light
And it shivered and it quavered as the wounded walk became the motion of
Arrivin' and returnin'
Sing a song of songs
When we press upon the past
That presses upon us



PART II

Of the world, not of the world
A song of songs I sing to St. Sisyphus
Of myself, not myself
My song mistakes its stone for a crucifix
The of itself, not of itself
Look in, look in, your dull light is flickerin
The of itself, lost in the world
A song of songs I sing to St. Sisyphus
The of itself, lost in the world
The of itself, lost in the world
Flickerin' out

All in the set-up, how how to roll in strides
One foot at a time, dusted with a weary white
(The sound of shivering sigh)
Shins, shoulders and a quiverin' spine
(One wound at a time)
Best just to control it, whoa oh oh oh
(Don't rest on the down roll)
Heave up, huff and hold it, whoa oh oh oh
(Don't rest on the down roll)
Your role actually felt
(Blown out at the knees)
Amazing memories prone to compete
(Daydreams grown as weeds)
To know 'em is to ruin their spark
(To know 'em is to ruin their spark)
Their question mark
(A mystery met, a mouthful said)
Their suiting to spar
(A mass of shooting stars)
To know 'em is to do with your time
(To set the shiver in your spine)
So terribly tight
(Just what you want and when)
Momentum met and left to rest
Let it rest, Let it Rest


PART III

You said that you could trust
The hopeful man's stance
About as far as you can throw him
Through the air
Your roll got knocked off its rail
And tumbled t'wards the edge
And if you don't breathe in
(The ground won't let out)
You'll be dead where you stand
(What you let in, let out)
Arrivin' and returning

Pound for pound
Recoverin' your ground
Lettin' back out
All you take
Pounce for pounce
Rotation comes back around
To claim and count the ground you've made

So lay a claim
Lay a claim
Lay a claim

What you let in, let out again

The of itself lost in the world
Found in the story of a man
Who turned his toiling into song
Who said I know it by the beating
My heart is recieving
That the body leaving
Runs the blood of songs

I know it by the ground I gain beneath
The pressure in my soul is pushing through my feet
The weight of my song

Pound for pound, recovering your ground
Let out all you take
Pounce for pounce, rotation comes back around
To claim and count the ground you've made

I start the work alone then I work along
When in the song I sing I hear a hundred more
I hear a hundred strong
That man was said to start all over again
Through the work of songs

damn, this is awesome. Sublime, tribal, percussive, choral, etc, etc The stuff BP are known for, but this is a bit more extensive/expansive. An epic, prog? sorta, yeah.

I guess it's only a digital release for now. I do wonder if this was left over from the Open Flames period, or totally new. Not a ton of Neil Haverty's vocals though, so I'm think it might be older or recorded around that time at least.

Regardless, this is pretty sweet. Maybe a sign of things to come as well.

Bruce Peninsula - "As Long As I Live" Video

Bruce Peninsula - As Long As I Live by HandDrawnDracula

just watching it in and out, looks pretty surreal. Open Flames is released today. Will a lot of people (I know even) buy or even look-into buying, sampling it? I'd love to believe so, but I just can't expect it given how little interest I've noticed from others telling people about these guys. Reminds me a bit of Bend Sinister, House of Fools or even Margot and the Nuclear So & So's.

A lot of folks are missing out. Not to mention Neil Haverty's incredible triumph over Leukemia in the last year; having Open Flames released is somewhat of a triumph itself.

Open Flames album entry

Bruce Peninsula - Open Flames (2011) (1.0)

9/27/11 11:26AM
ENTIRE ALBUM STREAM

*cwthtaw* aka cannot-wait-to-hear-this-after-work

9/14/11 11:24AM


Pre-Order

debating on the Vinyl and the CD, or just the cd. Either way, I'll be placing a pre-order (and looking at HOW it's being shipped i.e. UPS?, lol..long mostly unrelated story with that and the Arch/Matheos pre-order).

The pre-order comes with an immediate download of the single "In Your Light."


7/27/11 5:14PM

story

The Battle Circus news put a damper in my afternoon, but seeing this helps a bit.



Release Date: October 4, 2011

1. As Long As I Live
2. In Your Light
3. Pull Me Under
4. Warden
5. Say Yeah
6. Open Flame
7. Or So I Dreamed
8. Adrenaline
9. Cliffs & Coves
10. Chupacabra

It would be wonderful to see them live of course, but as A Bend in the Road showed, it's not easy for many bands in Canada, BP sadly, not being that much of an exception. I'd be surprised if they ever played a concert in the States. There's not even a date in Winnipeg. Someday, maybe next year they'll finally get out in my part of the Continent.

BRUCE PENINSULA – FALL TOUR DATES, 2011

August 11 – Toronto, ON – Lower Ossington Theatre
September 09 – Sarnia, ON – The Story
September 10 – Hamilton, ON – Christ’s Church Cathedral *
September 15 – Guelph, ON – Ebar * ^
September 17 – London, ON – OH Fest
September 18 – Waterloo, ON – Waterloo Park / Grist Mill *
September 22 – Kingston, ON – Chalmers Church * #
September 29 – St. Catharines, ON – Mansion House
October 01 – Peterborough, ON – The Attic *
October 05 – Montreal, PQ – Casa Del Popolo ^
October 07 – St. John, NB – Pepper’s
October 08 – Sackville, NS – George’s ^
October 09 – Halifax, NS – Khyber
October 12 – Cornerbrook, NL – Backlot ^
October 14 – St. John’s, NL – The Ship
October 15 – St. John’s, NL – The Ship
October 16 – Port Rexton, NL – Two Whales Cafe ^
October 20 – Riverport, NS – Confidence Lodge 100
October 22 – Halifax, NS – Halifax Pop Explosion
October 26 – Sherbrooke, QC – La Petite Boite Noir – 250 ^
October 27 – Toronto, ON – Lee’s Palace 550
* w/ Snowblink
^ w/ The Weather Station
# w/ The Gertrudes
+ w/ Olenka and the Autumn Lovers
3/28/11 11:32PM

Small Update. April 9th, apparently something should be available online to hear. In the mean time, here's a couple of the new tunes live.

Open Flame

Pull Me Under

1/15/11



More background was posted recently in THIS ENTRY.

New artlcie about Neil Haverty's health

The record will be called Open Flames and it contains ten songs. Although any release plans depend on the speed on Haverty's recovery, the band hope to have it out by the fall. Like 2009's A Mountain Is a Mouth, it was produced by the band and Leon Taheny. Sessions took place from May to October of 2010 in three Toronto studios: Nassau, Angles Up and Boombox Sound.

As for what fans should expect from the LP, Haverty said, "People talked a lot about the genre-less qualities of our last record but I really think this one is gonna surprise people even more. Once all the ideas ended up in the pot, we were playing around in a pretty strange genre pool but still without being lost in the trees."

Haverty's current focus is on his health and he hopes to do some fundraising for the hospital once he has recovered. In the meantime, his friend/bandmate Matt Cully is spearheading a benefit show for Haverty and his family. It will take place on January 29 at Toronto's Music Gallery. From 3 to 6 p.m., there will be a bake sale, as well as DJ sets and solo performances from Bruce Peninsula members. Then, in the evening, there will be a ticketed event featuring Timber Timbre, Austra and Evening Hymns.

Haverty hopes to come to the show himself, and added, "I hope people don't mind seeing a grown, likely bald man cry in public!"

See this Facebook event for more details. You can also donate directly here.

Even if you can't make it out the show, Haverty assured fans that they won't have long to wait until he is back with new music. He ended his interview with Exclaim! with this reassurance: "You'll be hearing from Bruce Peninsula soon. Believe me."

So:

1) Neil's Health. The next 3 months I guess is the focus for treatment and the financial side of things.

2) The Benefit show on January 29th

3) How the album gets released. I guess The Fall is a reasonable window of time. Perhaps by the Summer if things go as, if not better than expected. The album has 10 songs on it.

4) He has other music he plans to make. Electronic music.

I'm really looking forward to this, although Neil's health is obviously the most important thing. So the details (track list, artwork, release date) on Open Flames are really 2nd priority at this point.

Serious news from Bruce Peninsula

blog posting on their homepage

Monday, December 27, 2010
Healing Power in 2011

Inhabitants of the Bruce Peninsula Multi-verse

As we close the door on 2010 we'd like to thank all of those who came out to our shows, took the time to explore our recordings and supported the BP vessel as it navigated the waters of a crazy crazy year.

So, it is with a heavy heart that we announce that our plans for 2011 are currently on hold.

Neil Haverty has recently been diagnosed with Leukemia.

The good news is that it is a highly treatable form of cancer that has a 95% success rate associated with Neil's treatment. He is supported by a wide network of friends and family who are standing behind him in this difficult time.

As for the band: We are not breaking up. We will not stop recording. But for the immediate future, all of our touring plans are cancelled while Neil works toward a full recovery.

What Neil needs most right now are positive vibes, well wishes, and love concoctions of the highest caliber. If you are a fan, friend or foe and would like to send Neil some healing power, please send all messages to : neilhaverty@gmail.com (p.s. it's his birthday this wed. Dec 29th)

Any other questions, or for a mailing address please email: brucepeninsula@gmail.com

If you'd like to help out, please help contribute to the research and care facilities at the Princess Margaret hospital here in Toronto.

Or donate to a cancer charity of your choice.

In other band news, our second record is completed and mastered. We also have an EP in the can and ready to go. We will continue recording, collaborating and excavating as Neil recovers.

Please stay tuned for a fundraising event, happening Sun. Jan 30th that will involve lots of great music, art, food, drinks and conversation.

We appreciate your continued support in this time of need.

THANK YOU
XOBP

Neil, at least I think, is the lead, Tom Waits-like singer from this band I have grown to really love over the last 6 months or so. He also obviously does a lot more. The good news is, obviously his odds of having a successful treatment are high. And the band still plan to go on, once he is able. And they also have music not only for their next full-length, but an EP as well, all recorded, mixed, mastered, etc.

But this obviously is a serious situation for the band and their friends and family, along with fans like myself. I can't help but think of Dean Magraw a bit reading that, and the great story of his overcoming cancer. I truly hope Neil holds a similar if not the same fate that Dean and any number of other musicians or people in general have with this situation.