hamelin

On May 12 and 13, Mobile's own Hamelin will take the stage for a night of rockin' and rollin'. According to their Web site, Hamelin plans on releasing a follow-up to their debut CD "Paintings on the Wall." This is no surprise when you take a look at the musical talent behind Hamelin. "Paintings on the Wall" offers a radio-friendly while definitively Southern sound. The track,"Ladders," features a driving rhythm guitar highlighted by a laid back lead guitar and syncopated bass. It is reminiscent of some of the newer Skynyrd, but "Ladders" takes an admirable turn with the addition of Ross Newell's clean vocals. If you want to pick up "Paintings on the Wall," then head out to All Music Pro or Warehouse Music.
- Lagiappe, Stephen Centanni

Hamelin and Catfish Flats don't have a heck of a lot in common, but they do illustrate why BayFest continues to seem worthwhile to local acts, most of whom receive only a modest honorarium for playing there. For Hamelin, as for Catfish Flats, BayFest is a public milestone, a chance to measure where the band is at in its career. Last year, when it also appeared, the rock band had a brand-new album in hand, one that resonated eerily with Hurricane Katrina even though it had been recorded beforehand.
This time around, there's not a new disc in hand, just new songs for one that's in the works. But Hamelin has evolved nonetheless, slowly broadening its touring range and attending music-industry conferences such as this weekend's Atlantis event in Atlanta. That makes for a busy weekend, but plans call for Hamelin to be back in plenty of time to open the Pepsi Stage on Saturday. They'll be followed by local favorites The Ugli Stick, then rock band Sister Hazel, then The Wreckers.
Their first album, "Paintings on the Wall," has been "incredibly good to us," said vocalist Ross Newell. He joked that since they've had to order a second shipment of it, it's reached "double aluminum" sales status.
On a more serious note, Newell said the new material, and the forthcoming album, show Hamelin deepening its musical approach. Already distinctive, that sound tends to convey a rare degree of musical and emotional tension.
BayFest is a prime chance to show off that growth.
"It amazes me, every time, the amount of people who come from out of town for it," Newell said. And the fact that BayFest is open to an all-ages crowd is "really cool," he said, because some younger fans can't make it out to the bars where the band usually performs.
- Mobile Register, Lawrence Specker

Alabama is in the Central Time Zone, an hour behind most of you reading these words, but not nearly as far back in time as the mood set during "Paintings on the Wall," the 2004 full length from Deer Park-based and Saraland-bred emotive modern rockers Hamelin.
The band is named for a German town infested with rats in the 13th century that hired (and subsequently screwed) a pied piper to take care of the problem. When the piper went unpaid for his pest control efforts, he kidnapped the kids. The undeniably radio-ready, 1990-something sound may not be pushing the proverbial envelope, but it just may end up kidnapping a few kids. The youthful four-piece of Ross Newell (guitar and vocals), Adam Lynn (bass), Jonathan Brown (drums) and Garrett Thornton (guitar) excels at delivering familiar themes and tunes.
The belief that Hamelin isn't doing anything that has not been done before could be interpreted as a critical perspective, but it should be noted that the real strength of "Paintings on the Wall" can be found in what the material and musicianship suggests is on the horizon.
"We actually went into the studio to record, like, a demo-quality album, but instead it has turned out to be a great album that has pushed us farther than we ever would have thought," says Lynn.
Considering the band's early success and commitment to the cause, there's no reason to believe Hamelin won't continue with positive growth and, with this maturation, develop a signature sound - as opposed to simply paying homage to its influences.
As for the post-grunge vibe of its independent debut, Lynn admits, "A lot of good music came out of the '90s, and we grew up in that era, so I guess you can say it does come natural. 'The Paintings on the Wall' album was a good start with us evolving into us. We have never sat down and said that we were going to be in a certain genre. We just said, let's play what we want to play and see where it takes us from there."
As for comparisons, some are undoubtedly flattering, while others can leave a band a bit distressed.
When fans and journalists discuss the Hamelin sound and Newell's vocal tendencies, several names get thrown around.
"The one person I have heard the most is Eddie Vedder," shares Lynn, before adding, "It's never really been just one band that people say that we sound like. I've heard a lot of different comments like Coldplay meets Counting Crows meets Ryan Adams. The ones that piss me off, I have to say, is Lynyrd Skynyrd and 3 Doors Down. They are not the only two bands in the South, people!"
- Athens Banner Herald, David Eduardo

Everyone has a song that brings them back to a certain moment in their life.

A song that when it hits your ears - whether in your car, in the elevator, or you may be three sheets to the wind at the bar - it brings back a wave of memories of a time in your life that is unforgettable.

Usually this song is tied to an event, and every time you hear it, you live that event vicariously through three minutes of lyrical ballads.

However, what if you came across a song that you had never heard, from a band you had never heard, and feel the same emotion with one audible glimpse? A song that you repeatedly hit the repeat button on, only to once again feel the full force of emotion when you hear it for yet the millionth time.

Impossible? Hardly.

Bringing hope to a locally deprived original music scene, the boys of Hamelin are bringing not only a breath of fresh air, but a debut CD that far surpasses that of even signed recording artists.

The CD, titled "Paintings on the Wall," was released in 2004 and has since gained recognition from local fans as well as media. After winning "Shooting Star" in 2005, Hamelin caught the eye of local radio station WABB, and soon their song "Whispers" was being spun around the clock.

The band was also featured on the "Top 4 at 4" and "Top 8 at 8," the station's daily countdowns of the most requested songs.

While "Whispers" is the band's first single, and seemingly the most popular song of the album, a moment to listen to the CD in its entirety will most likely change this view.

Each song creates what can best be described as a canvas - a blank one - with a million colors to pick from in order to create an individual representation as perceived by each person who listens. Each song is so emotionally appealing because the general message is relatable to so many experiences, and while the entire CD follows a vague trend of heartbreak, every song can be twisted to contend with every emotion.

"There is a meaning of our own (the band)," said bass player Adam Lynn when asked about the true meaning behind the music. "But, we want each person who hears the CD to have their own meaning for each song and to relate it to their own personal experience."

The CD was recorded at Grave D.anger and produced by Brian Graves. The band says that the recording process was not the typical planned sessions in which the members would generally take a few weeks to dedicate to recording, but more of a sporadic timing of sessions. However, in the end, the finished product satisfied the band and the producer.

Now that the CD is completed, the boys of Hamelin - Ross Newell (guitar, lead vocals), Adam Lynn (bass), Jonny Brown (guitar), and Garrett Thornton (drums) - are performing live at local venues, as well as working on new stuff for their second album.

Their live shows include all of their originals but also covers like Coldplay, Incubus, Bob Dylan, and Pearl Jam.

If you are unable to catch a show - where their CD is always for sale - All Music Pro in Saraland is the only retailer carrying it ... for now.

Simply calling this band "worth hearing" would be far from an understatement. A band like this comes along once in a lifetime and by jumping on their bandwagon and getting a CD now, you will probably appreciate it a lot more when it goes platinum.

- Jana Lunceford/Jan. 17, 06

Unexpected hurricane resonances aside - and in theis album's lyrics there are enough of them to give you the chills - the song exemplifies the quality that seems to be the essence of any Hamelin song: a dramatic tension that's partly musical, partly emotional. There's always the sense that something is about to break loose, that some question is about to be answered or some moment of catharsis reached. - Lawrence Specker/10.07.05