artist hopeful monster

Jose, Randy and I stopped by CBC to chat with Rich and play a couple songs. The session aired Thursday, April 22 on Radio 2 and now it's posted here: http://www.cbc.ca/radio2/programs/2010/04/hopeful-monster---live-on-drive.html

NOW Lounge, 189 Church Street, Toronto Saturday, June 20 at 11 pm

I have a new Hopeful Monster website to introduce. Actually it's a blog and I will be using it as my main publishing platform for band news, videos, photos, artwork, lyrics, reviews, new music — the kind of stuff you usually find on band websites. But unlike myspace etc, this site lets me to post music and videos in quicktime format, which permits 16 bit audio, equivalent to the sound quality you get on a CD. So far, I've compiled fairly comprehensive content for the site, including all four Hopeful Monster music videos, an mp3 player, lyrics for all songs released to date, press reviews, album and poster art, multiple downloadable hi res images and a growing photo archive with pics going back to the band's origins in Seabright, Nova Scotia. I even dug up some poems I wrote about a decade ago and posted a few. Now that the basic content is there, I'll be making semi-regular posts, each focusing on a new release, upcoming or recent show, collaboration, memoir, art project, social movement or the like. The idea is to present various media related by subject, in an episodic way, rather than as batches of files of the same kind, like traditional music albums. In each post you will get the full story, whatever it happens to be about, with music, video, photos, words and links to sources and related web pages. The first couple of posts will be live videos from my recent UK tour — not only footage of me but also of some amazing acts I played with. They should be up in a day or two — in the meantime, please have a look around the site and leave me a comment if you like. Here is the URL: http://hopefulmonstermusic.blogspot.com Enjoy! JBall

METATASKING is now available online at CD Baby. Click here to snap one up!

A special, hand-made limited edition of the new hopeful monster album, METATASKING, will be for sale at the horseshoe tavern on June 19. Hopeful Monster will close out an exciting night of live performances, starring David Celia (just back from Europe!), Madviolet and Brothers Cosmoline. The CD is only available at live shows, this being the first. That makes it kind of an unofficial CD release, I suppose... hope to see you!

METATASKING, the new hopeful monster album, is here! It has been a very long time coming and, like most sophomore albums, is highly anticipated as well as long awaited. Seriously, you have been waiting for it so long, you forgot you were waiting for it. Well here it is! I recorded these songs in rural Nova Scotia and downtown Toronto, in my studio or apartment. The first tracks were laid down in 2003 (!) and the last touches were added only a month ago. A few parts were recorded in Montreal and a few more were mailed in or biked across town on a thumbdrive. Some great friends helped by playing and engineering. I think the album sounds great and I hope you like it! I am also pleased to announce the launch of the official hopeful monster website, hopefulmonster.ca! Listen to songs from METATASKING in the MUSIC section and keep checking in for new content as the site develops, and for METATASKING release details. JBall

"Stepping In" from the debut album by hopeful monster has been featured as the first track on Daydream Generation 4, a 2-"disc" indie compilation you can download FOR FREE here

It's kinda like a mixed taped compiled by a music fan with the approval of the artists themselves. The fan? Smally, from Scotland. DG puts out a new compilation every few months. Many of the songs are also available as free singles and can be downloaded individually here

Go check it out and get some great music for free!