The Barmitzvah Brothers
Encyclopedia
The Barmitzvah Brothers are an indie pop band from Guelph
, Ontario
. Known for their use of unusual instruments, the group has a distinct sound that has generated buzz in the Canadian music scene. The Barmitzvah Brothers’ upbeat music features everything from the fiddle to homemade instruments. Like the group, the song lyrics are quirky and original; focusing on everyday life, the working world and ordinary people. The band’s sound seems to transcend many genres and varies from record to record, and song to song. Band member John Merritt explains the bands style by saying “We have phases. We started with an electronic-polka phase, then we had a rock phase and a bluegrass phase. I’m not sure what phase we’re in now, but each has a unique sound”.
, Gillian Manford and Geordie Gordon, son of Canadian singer-songwriter
James Gordon
, started the band to compete in a school talent show. The group was dubbed the Barmitzvah Brothers after a friend commented that their music was reminiscent of a Jewish celebration. The band began playing in all kinds of venues; including basements, local events, festivals and bars. Johnny Merritt joined a year later. They soon gained local credibility and began to expand outside of Guelph becoming popular throughout Ontario
and having since toured Canada
and Europe
. Since their inception the band has grabbed the attention and praise of audiences and media alike. The group has even been featured on several television programs, including YTV’s “To The Max”.
The Barmitzvah Brothers have collaborated with a number of other musicians; Sylvie Smith and Tristan O’Malley were frequent additions with O’Malley since becoming the fourth full-time member of the band.
The Barmitzvah Brothers released their first official record, “The Night of the Party
” in 2001; the record was self-released. They soon signed with local record label Robosapien
. The band has released albums almost annually and are currently on the Weewerk
label.
, John Merritt, Geordie Gordon and Tristian O’Malley. They are also occasionally joined by part-time member Sylvie Smith.
Jenny is primarily vocals, bass and omnichord
. She is also responsible for the group’s witty lyrics. Geordie is also a singer, as well as playing violin and keyboard. John acts as the groups rhythm section, provide drums and other percussion. He also experiments on the keyboard. Tristain is the guitar player. Prior to his joining the band, no songs featured guitar. In addition to these roles, each band member plays a wide variety of other instruments. Who plays what varies from one song to the next. It is this innovative use of multiple instruments that gives the Barmitzvah Brothers their unique, signature sound.
Aside from the band, each member still holds other jobs. It is this lifestyle that provided inspiration for their latest album “"Let's Express Our Motives: An Album of Under-Appreciated Job Songs". In addition to their work with the Barmitzvah Brothers Geordie and Jenny both have solo side-projects.
Jenny Mitchell performs on her own as Jenny Omnichord
, is a member of The Burning Hell
, and plays with Richard Laviolette
and Oil Spills. Geordie Gordon is a member of the bands The Magic, the Salt Lick Kids, and has more recently toured with Human Highway
and Islands
. He also plays violin with The Burning Hell and Richard Laviolette and the Oil Spills. John Merritt has played with several Guelph bands including Brides and The Skeletones Four. Tristan O'Malley was a member of the Neutron Stars and former Barmitzvah Brother, Sylvie Smith, was a member of Habitat with John O'Regan
of The D'Urbervilles
and Diamond Rings
. She is currently in the bands The Magic, with Geordie, and Evening Hymns
.
Guelph
Guelph is a city in Ontario, Canada.Guelph may also refer to:* Guelph , consisting of the City of Guelph, Ontario* Guelph , as the above* University of Guelph, in the same city...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. Known for their use of unusual instruments, the group has a distinct sound that has generated buzz in the Canadian music scene. The Barmitzvah Brothers’ upbeat music features everything from the fiddle to homemade instruments. Like the group, the song lyrics are quirky and original; focusing on everyday life, the working world and ordinary people. The band’s sound seems to transcend many genres and varies from record to record, and song to song. Band member John Merritt explains the bands style by saying “We have phases. We started with an electronic-polka phase, then we had a rock phase and a bluegrass phase. I’m not sure what phase we’re in now, but each has a unique sound”.
History
The band was formed in April 2000 and originally consisted of three members. Jenny MitchellJenny Omnichord
Jenny Mitchell, better known by the stage name Jenny Omnichord, is a Canadian indie rock musician. She has released three solo albums and an EP as a solo artist, and also records and performs with the bands The Barmitzvah Brothers and The Burning Hell....
, Gillian Manford and Geordie Gordon, son of Canadian singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
James Gordon
James Gordon (Canadian musician)
James Gordon is a Canadian singer-songwriter, known as a founding member of Tamarack. He has also released more than 20 solo albums. As a prolific songwriter, he is known for such diverse songs as "Sweaters for Penguins" and "Frobisher Bay". He wrote the weekly song for the CBC Radio program...
, started the band to compete in a school talent show. The group was dubbed the Barmitzvah Brothers after a friend commented that their music was reminiscent of a Jewish celebration. The band began playing in all kinds of venues; including basements, local events, festivals and bars. Johnny Merritt joined a year later. They soon gained local credibility and began to expand outside of Guelph becoming popular throughout Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
and having since toured Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. Since their inception the band has grabbed the attention and praise of audiences and media alike. The group has even been featured on several television programs, including YTV’s “To The Max”.
The Barmitzvah Brothers have collaborated with a number of other musicians; Sylvie Smith and Tristan O’Malley were frequent additions with O’Malley since becoming the fourth full-time member of the band.
The Barmitzvah Brothers released their first official record, “The Night of the Party
The Night of the Party
The Night of the Party is a British mystery thriller film directed by Michael Powell and starring Leslie Banks, Ian Hunter, Jane Baxter, Ernest Thesiger and Malcolm Keen. In the United States it was released as The Murder Party.-Synopsis:...
” in 2001; the record was self-released. They soon signed with local record label Robosapien
RoboSapien
RoboSapien is a toy-like biomorphic robot designed by Mark Tilden and produced by WowWee toys. The RoboSapien is preprogrammed with moves, and also can be controlled by an infrared remote control included with the toy, or by either a personal computer equipped with an infrared transmitter, and an...
. The band has released albums almost annually and are currently on the Weewerk
Weewerk
Weewerk, stylized as ', is an independent folk, roots, bluegrass, country record label and artist-management company based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded in 2002 as an art-and-music salon series in the apartment of Teenage USA Recordings partner Phil Klygo and artist-curator Germaine Koh...
label.
Members
Contrary to their name, The Barmitzvah Brothers are not composed of Jewish relatives, nor are they strictly male. The band has four full-time members: Jenny MitchellJenny Omnichord
Jenny Mitchell, better known by the stage name Jenny Omnichord, is a Canadian indie rock musician. She has released three solo albums and an EP as a solo artist, and also records and performs with the bands The Barmitzvah Brothers and The Burning Hell....
, John Merritt, Geordie Gordon and Tristian O’Malley. They are also occasionally joined by part-time member Sylvie Smith.
Jenny is primarily vocals, bass and omnichord
Omnichord
The Omnichord is an electronic musical instrument, introduced in 1981 and manufactured by the Suzuki Musical Instrument Corporation. It typically features a touch plate, and buttons for major, minor, and diminished chords...
. She is also responsible for the group’s witty lyrics. Geordie is also a singer, as well as playing violin and keyboard. John acts as the groups rhythm section, provide drums and other percussion. He also experiments on the keyboard. Tristain is the guitar player. Prior to his joining the band, no songs featured guitar. In addition to these roles, each band member plays a wide variety of other instruments. Who plays what varies from one song to the next. It is this innovative use of multiple instruments that gives the Barmitzvah Brothers their unique, signature sound.
Aside from the band, each member still holds other jobs. It is this lifestyle that provided inspiration for their latest album “"Let's Express Our Motives: An Album of Under-Appreciated Job Songs". In addition to their work with the Barmitzvah Brothers Geordie and Jenny both have solo side-projects.
Band Relations
In addition to their work in The Barmitzvah Brothers, each of the band members take part in a variety of other musical endeavors.Jenny Mitchell performs on her own as Jenny Omnichord
Jenny Omnichord
Jenny Mitchell, better known by the stage name Jenny Omnichord, is a Canadian indie rock musician. She has released three solo albums and an EP as a solo artist, and also records and performs with the bands The Barmitzvah Brothers and The Burning Hell....
, is a member of The Burning Hell
The Burning Hell (band)
The Burning Hell is a Canadian band from Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, now based in St. John's, Newfoundland.-History:The Burning Hell is led by Mathias Kom and band members fluctuate with a rotating cast of up to fourteen other musicians. They are signed to the Toronto based weewerk label and...
, and plays with Richard Laviolette
Richard Laviolette
Richard Andrew Laviolette is a Canadian singer-songwriter based in Guelph, Ontario. Exclaim! has described Laviolette as an "old soul", with a voice that "can swing from a delicate whisper to a guttural bark in the same breath"...
and Oil Spills. Geordie Gordon is a member of the bands The Magic, the Salt Lick Kids, and has more recently toured with Human Highway
Human Highway (band)
Human Highway is a Canadian indie rock band formed in 2008 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The band's name is a reference to the Neil Young song "Human Highway" as suggested by founding member Nicholas Thorburn after attending a Neil Young concert.-History:...
and Islands
Islands (band)
Islands is a Canadian indie rock band formed in 2005 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and currently based in Brooklyn, New York.-Return to the Sea:In mid-2005 Islands recorded a debut album titled Return to the Sea, which was released in April 2006...
. He also plays violin with The Burning Hell and Richard Laviolette and the Oil Spills. John Merritt has played with several Guelph bands including Brides and The Skeletones Four. Tristan O'Malley was a member of the Neutron Stars and former Barmitzvah Brother, Sylvie Smith, was a member of Habitat with John O'Regan
Diamond Rings (musician)
John O'Regan is a Canadian artist and musician best known by his stage name Diamond Rings. In addition to writing, recording, and producing his own music, he is also noted for transcending traditional representations of gender and identity in his live performances and videos.-2003 - 2008: Early...
of The D'Urbervilles
The D'Urbervilles
Matters are a Canadian indie rock band from Guelph, Ontario. The band consists of Tim Bruton , Kyle Donnelly , John O'Regan and Greg Santilly...
and Diamond Rings
Diamond Rings (musician)
John O'Regan is a Canadian artist and musician best known by his stage name Diamond Rings. In addition to writing, recording, and producing his own music, he is also noted for transcending traditional representations of gender and identity in his live performances and videos.-2003 - 2008: Early...
. She is currently in the bands The Magic, with Geordie, and Evening Hymns
Evening Hymns
Evening Hymns is a Canadian indie folk rock band, whose core member is singer and songwriter Jonas Bonnetta. A native of Orono, Ontario, Bonnetta released a solo recording, Farewell to Harmony, under his own name in 2007 before choosing the name Evening Hymns, because he did not want his music to...
.
Albums
- The Night of the PartyThe Night of the PartyThe Night of the Party is a British mystery thriller film directed by Michael Powell and starring Leslie Banks, Ian Hunter, Jane Baxter, Ernest Thesiger and Malcolm Keen. In the United States it was released as The Murder Party.-Synopsis:...
Released January 1, 2001 - Mr. Bones' Walk in Closet Released October 31, 2003
- ...And a happy new album! Released December 24, 2004
- The Century of Invention Released January 12, 2006
- Let's Express Our Motives: An Album of Under-Appreciated Job Songs Released October 6, 2007
External links
- The Barmitzvah Brothers official site
- Weewerk
- MySpace profile