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What’s up Sorry Staters? Can you believe it’s April already and Easter has happened? We’ve already had a taste of summer with a blast of warm weather here this week. May we have a few weeks of spring please? March Madness is about to conclude on Monday and unfortunately our NC State Wolfpack didn’t make it to the final, but played great all the way and we’re very proud around here. Unless you follow Duke or Carolina, that is. Ha! Not that I follow college sports too closely, but being local, I’ll get into the spirit of things.
John Scott mentioned the other week that his musical choices are largely informed by the current weather, and I think many of us can agree on that. I know personally that as soon as the sun is out and the temperature rises, my record selections often favor more tropical fare shall we say. Although I have never been a surfer, I have always had a soft spot for surf music. In particular, the tougher edge surf guitar sound that also combines a sci-fi space-age element. If it sounds like Batman with a theremin and Star Trek theme vocals, I’m interested. Add a cover with rocket ships and aliens on it, even better. We have all that and Elvis on my recommendation for you this week. It’s In Space by The Hamiltones on Swimming Faith/Big Neck Records. Not to be confused with the R&B group of the same name that hail from here in North Carolina.
The Hamiltones come from Buffalo, New York and have a demo tape dated from 2015, so have been around close to a decade now. Their first full length LP, Dracula Invitational, 1791, was released in 2021 and In Space is their second. Just like that first LP, which was the soundtrack to a fictitious Dracula movie, this album is also a soundtrack to an unmade movie. As the title suggests, this one concentrates on space and aliens rather than vampires. Musically, the palettes are similar. Surf guitar a la Dick Dale, The Ventures etc. but mixed with some sci-fi sounds of the sort you’d find on soundtracks to drive-in B-movies from the 50s and 60s. I do the band and the record a disservice by breaking it down quite so basically, but you get the gist.
Perhaps because retro reissue label Sundazed Records used to be based in Coxsackie, NY and served the local populus with good surf and garage records for over two decades, there are more than a couple decent surf combos from the area. Who knows? Buffalo has an active music scene representing many stripes of the rock ‘n roll beast. Indeed, Hamiltones main man John Toohill wears many caps himself, chief among them being the brainchild behind HC Noise band Science Man. That’s probably his most recognizable band, but not the only one. He’s also in Ismatic Guru and Brute Spring to name two other projects. These are more synth-punk and industrial sounding, with some weird psychedelic stuff mixed in.
Back to The Hamiltones and this record, In Space. As I mentioned, it’s a soundtrack to an imaginary film about moon people, music made in space, and a CIA cover-up plot involving aliens and Elvis. The package to the record is ace. The outer jacket apes an old Phase 4 Stereo LP with suitable images of the moon and a space capsule. Inside the gatefold, we are treated to a cartoon painting of a wild party scene on the moon featuring go-go dancing Barbarella alien girls, flying saucers, laser shooting astronauts and assorted alien characters. Even Dracula makes an appearance. Besides the record, which features an awesome synth tone locked groove that could play in a new age crystal shop all day and no one would notice, there is a manilla envelope purporting to be a CIA file. On opening, we find a secret dossier and a seven-inch single with sounds from The Moon People. Listeners are encouraged to play the record between the two sides of the LP to enjoy the full experience. I gotta say, I love shit like this. It appeals to me on so many levels and I certainly don’t consider myself any kind of authority on sci-fi and alien conspiracy theories or surf music, really. It’s the music that’s the main sell here, and that delivers handsomely, in my opinion. This could have come out in the 60s or any time after, and checks all the right boxes stylistically and more. No matter how much of a sci-fi or surf fan you are, I think you’ll find plenty to like and enjoy on this platter. Easier for you to listen and decide yourself, so hit this link here to check it out. Say hello to the Silver Surfer for me when you hang ten past Saturn’s rings and don’t stare directly at the sun during the eclipse.
Later - Dom