The Barettas

Some acts display an edge to distance themselves from their pop sound. The Barettas utilize this same grittiness to run straight towards the infectiously catchy. Evidenced by “Touché” and its video, directed by Chris Juraschka, this Ontario trio is going to keep on making powerfully poppy songs with all their might (and without the least bit of regret.)

- Watch Me For the Changes

Oh, man, you’re going love this, I promise. If you’re a fan of honest-to-goodness, premium-grade, sugar-coated power pop, then you’re going to fall head over heels for The Barettas. This Hamilton, ON trio has a deliciously sweet 7? single fit for mass consumption over at their Bandcamp site that’s yours for free.

“Touche” is so catchy they’ll need to develop a vaccine for it soon. The Barettas shot a super-cool video for it, too. I’m sure some of you local readers will recognize the locale for it
- Quick Before It Melts

The Barettas are a trio from Hamilton, Ontario. We’ve never been, but their e-mail said it’s a city known for it’s industrial decay, grittiness, and blue-collar roots.

Each member of the band has taken on a couple of jobs, usually a combination of cleaning houses during the day, and tending bar at night in order to reap the reward that it lets them make music and blow off steam at every other possible opportunity.

Their first 7 inch Touche backed with Black Sheep sounds very much a product of their surroundings, with two energy filled, rough edged pop numbers giving a glimpse of where they’re from and maybe, where they’re headed!

It took us just a couple of plays to be utterly seduced by the ramshackle charm and the infectious feel good nature of the band, but don’t be fooled, The Barettas can play and are serious about their music – like bubblegum wrapped around a six inch nail.

- The Mad Mackerel

The Baretta’s, a band formed by the supposed grit and decay of their hometown Hamilton. Power pop with far more blues and rockabilly influences than your typical all female trio. Having formed after the lead singer Katie started playing the guitar during a lengthy school suspension (Tut, tut) they have played a series of underground gigs around their hometown that have caused a huge stir. And quite rightly so, on their newly released 7? Touche (that is also available FREE) there are 2 pop gems showcasing just exactly what the Baretta’s are currently all about. Comparisons vocally can be drawn to the likes of Imelda May, whilst the nature of both artists could not differ more dramatically, the comparisons and contrasts of them definitely makes the hard edged, whilst remarkably endearing, sound of The Baretta’s far far more exciting. Just look at them too (nothing weird), stylistically they are wonderful! Straight up nostalia dripping 50's chique, a throwback to their influences I suppose.. Perhaps it is the results of the superficial culture that we are now a part of, but the look and feel of The Barettas supplement their music beyond your average trend setting fads. For them it seems, the music they create really is a reflection of their way of life.. and probably better for it.

So anyway, both songs on their single are available on their bandcamp that you can visit HERE along with some more information on the slightly mysterious Baretta’s. Both songs on their new single however are hosted below and you’re most welcome to listen to and download. Enjoy them, I did.

- Hey Man Check My Band

Here’s a clip of Hamiltonian punkabilly-flavoured rock/pop punk rock trio The Barettas. It’s the video for their single ‘Touché”. You can currently download the single for FREE on their bandcamp page, good people. The single, with an equally excellent B-side in “Black Sheep” was released last month.

The band is made up of three women - Katie Bulley (guitar, vocals), Kate Kimberley (bass, vocals), and Carly Kilotta (drums) - who’s average age is currently 22, yet sound as though they’ve been at this game for twice that time at least. Since their formation in 2009, the trio has rubbed elbows in support slots for acts as critically acclaimed as the Diodes (!), The Fleshtones (!!), The New York Dolls (!!!) and A Flock of Seagulls (!!?) among others.

Among the references you’ll find about this band in the press are comparisons between their hometown of Hamilton, Ontario, and the soul music, blues, and garage rock mecca of Detroit Michigan. Sure, both are industrial, blue collar towns. Both are criminally left behind in comparison to other cities when it comes to accolades of cultural importance where pop music is concerned (although, KISS never wrote about Hamilton – or they haven’t yet). But, do the comparisons end there?

Well, I decided to ask Katie that question, among others including questions about dayjobs, about what a support band can learn from a headliner, and about what it is to be a woman in a 21st Century rock ‘n’ roll band.


The Delete Bin: You’re a Hamilton band, known as, rightly or wrongly, a blue-collar town. What’s your take on this idea that blue collar cities – like Detroit, to which Hamilton has been compared – have the upper hand when it comes to immediate, to-the-bone music?

Katie Bulley of The Barettas: Funny, we were just in Detroit this past summer for a Hole show (I jumped on stage and hugged Courtney Love then got thrown out – ahaha). Anyway, while we were there we drove around a lot and came across tons of abandoned and burnt down buildings, and all together very rough areas: a lot like Hamilton.

We met alot of hard-working people with heavy backrounds. And for me, that’s way more inspiring than a clean cut suburb, where kids parents are sheltering them and paying their way through life. But maybe I’m just jealous.

DB: My ear tells me that your music has sprung from a number of sources – the Stooges, a bit of rockabilly, the Strokes, even a bit of Motown. What is your sense of that history as you craft your sound and approach to performance?

KB: I try to learn and hear as much as I can about music history. I have book after book about bands, and their stories. It’s all I’m really interested in hearing about, and I take little nibbles from it all. No bites though.

DB: Tell me about the video for the single “Touché”. It’s got a vintage look to it, like it was shot in the ’40s. How did the idea of the shoot come about?

KB: Our good friend Chris Juraschka is attending a film school in Toronto and he offered to shoot it. He also said it could be done in real film but it would take longer. We loved the idea of having it look grainey and old so we went with it. It not only goes with our style and music but it also sets the video aside from alot of videos that are coming out now.

DB: You guys have mentioned that you have day-jobs which ‘puts gas in the van to get to the next gig’. How does one life during the day in day-jobs and the other at night on stage comes out in your writing?

KB: I work around a lot of different people everyday. A lot of those blue-collar workers come to the bar, and I listen to how their days went ,or stories from their everyday lives. So I might have subconciously been inspired by that. But, I don’t tend to think about my day job while I’m writing.

DB: You served a lot of time as a support act for some prominent acts. In watching them in the wings, what are some of the most important things you’ve learned when it comes to engaging a live crowd?

TB: Don’t do drugs. Quit smoking. Move around. Be energetic. Have something to say in between songs. Smile. Don’t burn bridges.

DB: Being an all-female band, do you feel that you have to work much harder to prove yourselves in that live setting, even in the 21st Century?

TB: Sometimes. But we just channel Joan Jett and ROCK AND ROLL! [Ed: Wow. Good answer.]

- The Delete Bin

Here’s a clip of Hamiltonian punkabilly-flavoured rock/pop punk rock trio The Barettas. It’s the video for their single ‘Touché”. You can currently download the single for FREE on their bandcamp page, good people. The single, with an equally excellent B-side in “Black Sheep” was released last month.

The band is made up of three women - Katie Bulley (guitar, vocals), Kate Kimberley (bass, vocals), and Carly Kilotta (drums) - who’s average age is currently 22, yet sound as though they’ve been at this game for twice that time at least. Since their formation in 2009, the trio has rubbed elbows in support slots for acts as critically acclaimed as the Diodes (!), The Fleshtones (!!), The New York Dolls (!!!) and A Flock of Seagulls (!!?) among others.

Among the references you’ll find about this band in the press are comparisons between their hometown of Hamilton, Ontario, and the soul music, blues, and garage rock mecca of Detroit Michigan. Sure, both are industrial, blue collar towns. Both are criminally left behind in comparison to other cities when it comes to accolades of cultural importance where pop music is concerned (although, KISS never wrote about Hamilton – or they haven’t yet). But, do the comparisons end there?

Well, I decided to ask Katie that question, among others including questions about dayjobs, about what a support band can learn from a headliner, and about what it is to be a woman in a 21st Century rock ‘n’ roll band.


The Delete Bin: You’re a Hamilton band, known as, rightly or wrongly, a blue-collar town. What’s your take on this idea that blue collar cities – like Detroit, to which Hamilton has been compared – have the upper hand when it comes to immediate, to-the-bone music?

Katie Bulley of The Barettas: Funny, we were just in Detroit this past summer for a Hole show (I jumped on stage and hugged Courtney Love then got thrown out – ahaha). Anyway, while we were there we drove around a lot and came across tons of abandoned and burnt down buildings, and all together very rough areas: a lot like Hamilton.

We met alot of hard-working people with heavy backrounds. And for me, that’s way more inspiring than a clean cut suburb, where kids parents are sheltering them and paying their way through life. But maybe I’m just jealous.

DB: My ear tells me that your music has sprung from a number of sources – the Stooges, a bit of rockabilly, the Strokes, even a bit of Motown. What is your sense of that history as you craft your sound and approach to performance?

KB: I try to learn and hear as much as I can about music history. I have book after book about bands, and their stories. It’s all I’m really interested in hearing about, and I take little nibbles from it all. No bites though.

DB: Tell me about the video for the single “Touché”. It’s got a vintage look to it, like it was shot in the ’40s. How did the idea of the shoot come about?

KB: Our good friend Chris Juraschka is attending a film school in Toronto and he offered to shoot it. He also said it could be done in real film but it would take longer. We loved the idea of having it look grainey and old so we went with it. It not only goes with our style and music but it also sets the video aside from alot of videos that are coming out now.

DB: You guys have mentioned that you have day-jobs which ‘puts gas in the van to get to the next gig’. How does one life during the day in day-jobs and the other at night on stage comes out in your writing?

KB: I work around a lot of different people everyday. A lot of those blue-collar workers come to the bar, and I listen to how their days went ,or stories from their everyday lives. So I might have subconciously been inspired by that. But, I don’t tend to think about my day job while I’m writing.

DB: You served a lot of time as a support act for some prominent acts. In watching them in the wings, what are some of the most important things you’ve learned when it comes to engaging a live crowd?

TB: Don’t do drugs. Quit smoking. Move around. Be energetic. Have something to say in between songs. Smile. Don’t burn bridges.

DB: Being an all-female band, do you feel that you have to work much harder to prove yourselves in that live setting, even in the 21st Century?

TB: Sometimes. But we just channel Joan Jett and ROCK AND ROLL! [Ed: Wow. Good answer.]

- The Delete Bin

Today’s featured song comes from a pulsating, punchy, pretty, post punk, power pop, pulchritudinous posse (how’s that for alliteration!!) or The Barettas for short. Hailing from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada and definitely not to be confused with dire all girl rock band the Berettas from the UK, they have just released their first single ‘Touche’ as a free download. It’s implausibly catchy in a Gwen Stefani meets the Libertines wrestling The Donnas at CBGB’s kinda way.

They’ve opened for the likes New York Dolls, Juliette Lewis, and She Keeps Bees but to be honest we don’t know too much about the band other than what lead singer Kate tells us - ‘Our first 7 inch ‘Touche’ is very much a product of our surroundings, with two rough edged pop numbers giving a glimpse of where we’ve been and where we’re headed!’ There are no trust funds in Hamilton, so each of us has taken on a couple jobs, usually a combination of cleaning houses during the day, and tending bar at night. The reward and real purpose for these jobs is that it lets us make music and blow off steam at every other possible opportunity.’

- Von Pip Musical Express UK

Skip to contentHome2010 ALBUMSAboutDecade ? [mp3] Cotton Jones – “Egg On A Sea”[video] How to Dress Well – “Suicide Dream 1? & “Suicide Dream 2? ?February 2, 2011 · 1:48 am ? Jump to CommentsIntroducing: The Barettas


Hamilton, Ontario’s The Barettas claim their home city is known for industrial decay, grittiness, and blue-collar roots, but you’d be hard-pressed to find those influences in their positively buoyant debut single “Touché”. These power-pop girls clearly know their way around naturally-sweetened hooks, even if they’re made of more than sugar and spice and everything nice – sailor’s blood and old gypsy bones, to be exact. The “Touché” 7” is available as a free download at their bandcamp, and comes backed by “Black Sheep”, another spirited blast of infectious indie-pop. Hopefully there will be more from these girls from the North Country before too long.

- Popheadwound

COVER
THE BARETTAS by Ric Taylor
It was a little over a year ago that Katie Bulley (vocals, guitar), Kate Kimberley (bass, vocals) and Carly Kilotta (drums, vocals) came together to form the Barettas, but almost immediately, the trio started turning heads.[more]

(cover image in EPK photo files)


http://www.viewmag.com/viewstory.php?storyid=6963

- View Magazine

http://www.cmw.net/cmw2010/artist_spotlights.asp
- Canadian Music Week

With the usual mix of aspiring artists, too cool trendsetters and music junkies alike, the Casbah was packed again on a Friday night for the Barettas record release show for "Bang Bang". With a set list that covered everything from garage-punk to tropical bohemian riffs, the eclectic crowd would not be dissapointed.

I arrived a little late, and after trying to catch up with a few cheap Jager shots, The Barettas began their set. The band so kindly supplied me with a hand-written set-list, and even did a check-up mid show to make sure I was keeping up. With a stage presence that could battle the big boys, these ladies had the crowd locked down to their every note.

There are not many bands that could give a cover of "love potion #9" street cred, but with the romantic rawness of Katie Bulleys lead vocals, (tink Jessica Rabbit meets Sonic Youths' Kim Gordan) they ripped apart the stage, Katie taking aim at the audience while holding her guitar...well like a beretta. Songs like the blues driven "Catman" made it hard to beleive the Barettas have only been together little over a year. The chemistry between the three could really be felt, and heard. It was a refreshing change to hear songs that were cleaver and catchy, not prdictable and played out.

I was so impressed with how these ladies played (and partied) that I didn't even stay for the headlining band (sorry Pumps, we'll catch your next show) and opted to head to an after party with the band instead, but that's another story.

-Danielle Plester - Nightdreamer Magazine

The Barettas - The Horseshoe
“Get away from my boyfriend!”shouts guitarist/vocalist Katie Bulley.The Barettas aren’t looking for a fight. Not yet anyways. This Hamilton-based trio are the best exponents of bouncy psychobilly-pop…an all-out collage of fuzzy garage-rock, rockabilly, ska revival, jangly pop-hooks, and 50’s girl-group harmonies. Beware. You may fall victim to their take-no-prisoners attitude, infectious charm, and musical chops. Breakneck rock n’ roll from Steeltown doesn’t get any better.

- Lonely Vagabond

Recommended if you like: The Black Keys, Luscious Jackson
Why we picked them: Bluesy power-trio rock and '90s riot grrrl snarl -- why didn't anyone think of this before?

http://www.spin.com/articles/spin-picks-even-more-undiscovered-bands-worth-listen
- SPIN.com