The Medicine Hat is a five-piece band from Hamilton, Ontario making experimental pop music.
Frontwoman Nabi Sue Bersche’s nimble, raw lyricism is illuminated by a voice like holy fire: blistering and purifying. Focussed guitar work dances with the hypnotic timbres and soaring melodies of analog synthesizers. Deft lines and dangerous grooves are intoned by a disciplined drum & bass combo. Chaos lurks beneath the surface of The Medicine Hat’s tight motifs and rhythmic trances, erupting into moments of prophetic ecstasy. Their live performances are wild affairs. Brimstone at their heels, The Medicine Hat’s contagious energy turns rooms into reveries.
The Medicine Hat has played festivals and dark rooms across Canada with innumerable class acts. They recently collaborated with the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra in an ambitious and innovative performance piece.
| The Medicine Hat Tour Dates |
Good morning!
Hello
Good day, people.
Good morning!
Please excuse today’s half-arsed post. I want to say it will improve in the future but you and I know it wont
garf, you’re doing most of the heavy lifting. Don’t deprecate yourself so dang much! Besides there’s nothing wrong with the above post about The Medicine Hat.
Yes Garf, you are doing good! We seem to have been abandoned here by some, (btw I too abandon this place once in awhile). If we want to sustain this though, I think we really need a pool of people to put it together, i.e creating posts. And assigning it weekly or something. Tough though when everyone has to volunteer their time.
I wonder if we should just create some news headline related posts, once in awhile. You know when there’s nothing else.
I spoke to a CBC Music employee recently, about this site, and they thought this was awesome.
I contacted a couple of former R3 hosts a while ago to see if they would be interested in writing posts for us. They seemed interested but when I mentioned it to other members of the editorial group my idea was shot down.
The plan, in my mind at least, was to have maybe 4 or more people that would write a post on a cyclical basis.
Thanks Garfy!! Happy Christmas!
heyjon
Who was that masked commenter?
Garf, nice creative writing on that post! Hypnotic timbres and dangerous grooves. Hope I’m not disappointed when I listen to the actual music!
@Garf really? Why would they shoot that down? Seems a good way to get people to come to the site. Unless that isn’t the goal. Is there a vision for this site? i.e. what’s it’s purpose?
@Wynnzie, I can only tell you my intentions for the site. To offer a place for former members of the R3 online community to meet and communicate online without needing facebook while promoting new Canadian music. I’m not that bothered how many new users we have at the moment as long as those using the site find it useful.
@Wes, I didn’t write it, it’s their own bio very slightly edited
Michael/Garf, I was going to say something similar. It seems like we have two somewhat conflicting goals: 1) promoting Canadian music, and 2) a place for fans/friends to hang out and chat. Regina’s vision seems to have been professional journalism, but we can’t expect to be taken seriously if the first comment is always someone saying “Hello”, etc…
@Wes, well, I don’t think I’ve seen Reg here for over a month. If we are trying to be like Radio 3 was before CBC Music, then “Professional Journalism” shouldn’t be part of this. But I do think that this site needs to be balanced somewhat in that regard, because if in the end we are trying to promote Canadian Indie, then attracting more users will also help that.
I like your statements on this Garf, I think that is the way forward. The only thing missing for me is the music, at the moment. And I don’t see why we can’t get former R3 hosts to create posts, we shouldn’t be blocking that.
I think it would be great to have guest contributors! Garf has been doing the lion’s share of the work for so long, so anything that helps relieve him of some of that pressure would be great.
@Wynnzie, My
fantasydream is for us to start our own online radio station at some point in the future@Garf, I want to help make that happen!
We could always try the R3 approach and only play music submitted to us by the creator 🙂
Maybe once they fix/update the CBC Music Artists admin, we can use that in the short term.
I like the Medicine Hat, despite their over-the-top bio. Love the photo, even though it looks like a wedding (maybe it’s intentional). Garf, better to indicate the source for stuff like this, like “According to their bio…” Or a line above a block quote: “From the bio:”
Not that I don’t appreciate all you do Garf. Thanks for single-handedly keeping this place going!
@Wes, I will try to do better in future (on this at least)
@Wynnzie, How easy & legal would it be to access the online SiriusXM feed of R3 and make it available here via a free vpn for those of us outside Canada?
re: R3 on Sirius, It likely wouldn’t be legal, but also it’s a classic R3 as I understand it, so it doesn’t really include new music, (am I wrong about this?) But it’s better than nothing. I’d have to investigate if it’s doable.
Let’s try this again! Hello!!
I was able to pop in yesterday but not stick around. Garf, I really admire your, and everyone else’s, efforts. I wish I could do more to help too.
R3 on Sirius does play new stuff too, but not very much. It’s rather slow with putting new tunes up. Like the latest Japandroids was just put up last friday despite the song being out for a couple of weeks.
Plus don’t you need a subscription to Sirius for this? I don’t think they’d like that we are making it available for free. I’m not a hacker so I doubt I could make that work.
@Wynnzie, It was just a thought
I have an idea,
When you have the spotify app open you can see what other people are listening to on the right hand side and with a simple click you can start listening along with them. If a few of us created a huge playlist on spotify (6 to 8 hours) we could all listen to the same music at the same time just like the good old days.
Has anyone heard of soundbounce.org?
Never mind, you need to be a premium Spotify user for soundbounce to work 🙁
Something like soundbounce would be perfect though.
what about 8tracks? Loweeda used to use it
Good morning everyone! @Sless! It’s been a while, happy to see you back. I was away from OB yesterday, ton of work and a large code deployment, happy to be back. Garf, I can’t thank you enough for holding the water for the site for this long. I’ll see what I can do to contribute.
So, has The Medicine Hat actually played in Medicine Hat?
I could write a review of the Wintersleep concert maybe. It would be short.
Maybe we should go back to the idea of topic of the day, to bring more focus to the comments. Or always end the post with a question, like we used to.
@justin, yeah, I was thinking, what’s the connection to Medicine Hat?
Hi all! I am not sure it was shot down. If someone questions or brings up anther opinion doesn’t mean they are shooting it down.
I have been saying for months that we need more voices. It has been one person putting up all the content until they drop out and then someone else and then someone else. Garf better keep hanging on. So anyone else have an idea for a post or a show you would like to review?
I mostly handle the Friday playlists but if you have a playlist you want to share that would be great!
I’m going to see PUP and Holy Fuck next weekend. I could write a review for both of those shows.
I keep forgetting to ask a question at the end of blog posts
@DBS, I don’t have any plans to go anywhere for a while, I am already thinking of how I could go about writing up the Royal Canoe show I should be seeing at the end of next month so
@Wes – I like a question of the day.
My hope for this site is less trying to be some music magazine and just an informal basement where we gather and talk about and share music and whatever else is going on. A place to hang with like minded people kind of thing.
While promoting Canadian Indie artists. That part is important.
@Wes… my first time to Canada ever was a road trip from Missoula to Medicine Hat….. too much debauchery, was hungover for three days (I think I got the stomach flu at the same time) …….. I was 19 and a fine upstanding young man.
I have some history with Medicine Hat as well. My ball team went there every year for a ball tournament. We usually ended up partying with some British soldier guys while there. Always entertaining.
I am glad you are planning on sticking around Garf. We need you!
Correction… my first time to Canada when I was 15 on a Vacouver/Whistler/Blackcomb road trip from Portland when I was 15. Being an awkward 15 year old and sitting on the communal hot tub at the resort, I was very interested in the fine ladies around me, nothing happened, maybe my voice was still cracking. That’s it.
@DBS, I don’t want to name names but I was told in a private conversations that I should have checked with them before asking people to write for us. When I later offered to find some people to create content I was told no.
since they are “the” Medicine Hat, I think they’re trying to related it to the headgear instead of the city
but what connection do urban ON bands have to rural alberta or the wilderness of manitoba?
Well, Garf, for whatever reason, you now appear to be the one creating content. Do what you think will work
Agreed Garf….. I think we can go full steam ahead on whoever writes.
@Garf – Gotcha. It is good to check with others before acting on the sites behalf but I don’t think anyone currently involved has a problem with it.
. . . . What Darbs says . . . . agreed.
The Darcys cover a Mariah Carey Christmas song: http://www.guelphmercury.com/whatson-story/7003431-the-darcys-give-up-indie-rock-for-pop-flavour/
From the article:
[Drummer Wes Marskell’s] fears only worsened after reading an article comparing Canadian musicians to alcoholic drinks. The Darcys were likened to a dark and hoppy beer — a bitter flavour best consumed in small doses.
“I’m more like a vodka-soda kinda guy,” he thought.
One reason they decided to use The Medicine Hat might be the fact there is another band called Medicine Hat
New Jess MacCormack video. May not be suitable for work. Hot.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlgZqJ4EYlI&feature=em-u
SaskMusic has The Best Saskatchewan Albums of 2016 voting open now.
https://www.saskmusic.org/news/the-latest/view,article/6587/voting-open-the-best-saskatchewan-albums-of-2016
So, question for all you lovely Canadian Indie music fans: Do you all have music podcasts you listen to? I was listening to the CBC Radio 3 one, but haven’t enjoyed it as much since Louise Burns took it over, and am looking for something new. I used to listen to All Songs Considered from NPR, but there wasn’t enough Canadian content for me. If anyone has any suggestions I’d love to hear them!
I don’t listen to any music podcasts, Canadian or otherwise
I’m actually surprised that I discover any new music at all these days. I don’t listen to R3. I never listened to podcasts..
It’s basically only through eMusic that I discover stuff, and that’s mostly not Canadian
I have not been listening to podcasts much either. If not R3, new music comes to me through Spotify, Noisetrade, Exclaim, KEXP mostly. I hear about local musicians and check them out a lot as well.
Podcasts? Nope.
CFCR
CKCU
CKXU
KEXP
I have been looking at this and I must be missing something
https://blog.sonixcast.com/bridge/?ccce=cart
The KEXP podcasts are pretty good… not Canadian of course, but def hear a lot of new music with them. The ‘Music that Matters’ is pretty good. There are several DJ’s that rotate through it, all with their own music selections.
http://feeds.kexp.org/kexp/musicthatmatters
Ava Wild is a young Sask girl I had heard about and met at BreakOutWest. You should take a listen to her. I think you will be hearing more from her.
http://open.spotify.com/album/6l7Y1ogqNamvMndruXE0wt
British actor Peter Vaughan, best known for roles in Game of Thrones and Porridge, dies aged 93.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-38225796
Thanks for answering my podcast question, everyone! I’ll have to give the KEXP one a listen. I like podcasts while I’m driving, and am always looking for new ones.
@Janet when I lived in NOVA/DC I listened to KEXP exclusively, was before I discovered R3, I would stream it all day.
Justin, I can understand why! Radio in this area is terrible!
Goddammmit, this is the second time in a week I’ve been fooled by the track / artist order in the Spotify playlist; I thought Stars was coming up, and it turned out to be a song called “Stars” by an artist who is not Stars. (Last week it was Peaches).
but if the song was Peaches by the Presidents of the United States of America…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvAnQqVJ3XQ
Hehe, no, it was by In The Valley Below, which coincidentally sounds rather like a euphemistically named Peaches song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4zbFEHZbOU
(And I’m not sure why, but I feel like “Buried Beds” is a pretty plausible Stars song title)
For anyone that enjoys instrumental check out Factor Eight. I am liking what I am hearing. Good stuff!
http://open.spotify.com/artist/3A8Vzdir8sa6p5pXAtNcN8
sounds like something that would’ve been on 5 ghosts
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glHeVn-826E
g’night folks
https://twitter.com/CompustationInc
The Medicine Hat – ourBasement.ca