The Old Ceremony
Encyclopedia
The Old Ćeremony is a Chapel Hill, North Carolina
pop-noir musical group fronted by Django Haskins
. Formed in 2004, the group has released four full-length albums, Our One Mistake, on sonaBLAST! Records
; and The Old Ceremony, Walk On Thin Air, and Tender Age on the Durham, NC label, Alyosha Records. Through unique live performances, radio airplay, and positive critical reviews, the group has risen to regional prominence, touring extensively throughout the US and Canada.
, then a member of North Carolina
rock supergroup International Orange, decided to form a 'mini-orchestra' to explore music that would be difficult to play in a traditional rock band. For this effort, Haskins gathered numerous musical luminaries from the NC Triangle
region and the end result was dubbed 'The Old Ceremony,' after Leonard Cohen
's 1975 album, New Skin for the Old Ceremony
.
The fledgling group was soon granted an extended residency at Chapel Hill
's West End Wine Bar, where they worked to develop their unique sound and refine their musical skills. These residency performances became popular due to the group's unusual instrumentation and on-stage presence (all band members wore suits) and the group soon gained a local following. Several months after their first residency, the group recorded and released their first full-length album, The Old Ceremony.
and IOTA
. At one of their New York performances, the group attracted the attention of filmmaker Gill Holland
, who offered the group a contract on his record label, sonaBLAST! Records
. The contract was accepted, and in 2006, the group released their second album, Our One Mistake, on this record label. Our One Mistake was chosen by Paste Magazine as one of the 'Top 100 Albums of 2007.'
, Cake
, Polyphonic Spree, Avett Brothers, Poi Dog Pondering
, Dex Romweber and Squirrel Nut Zippers
, among others. Their third full-length album came out in Feb 2009, garnering positive press from Pitchfork Media
, Allmusic and Daytrotter
. The video for "Til My Voice is Gone," from "Walk on Thin Air," starred Ed Asner
and Eileen Ryan
. It was produced by Sharon Lawrence
and Andrew Carlberg, and directed by longtime TOC videographer Sam Griffith. In Sept 2010, the full-length "Tender Age" was released to the usual critical acclaim. The band composed the soundtrack to the Ed Asner film (2011 release date), "Elephant Sighs," which was directed by Ed Simpson. Most recently, the group contributed to a compilation album, Guilt by Association Vol. 3
, released by Engine Room Recordings
November 15, 2011. On the album the group have a cover of Whitesnake
s "Here I Go Again
."
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Chapel Hill is a town in Orange County, North Carolina, United States and the home of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and UNC Health Care...
pop-noir musical group fronted by Django Haskins
Django Haskins
Djángo Haskins is a North American singer-songwriter. He is named after legendary jazz musician Django Reinhardt. Originally from Florida, Django Haskins, now resides in the state of North Carolina where he is currently the frontman of pop-noir musical group The Old Ceremony...
. Formed in 2004, the group has released four full-length albums, Our One Mistake, on sonaBLAST! Records
SonaBLAST! Records
sonaBLAST! Records is a Louisville, KY-based independent record label founded by film producer Gill Holland in 2002. The label kicked off with Irish singer-songwriter Mark Geary, whose 2004 release Ghosts is nearing Gold status and received critical acclaim in Ireland and the USA.-Artist...
; and The Old Ceremony, Walk On Thin Air, and Tender Age on the Durham, NC label, Alyosha Records. Through unique live performances, radio airplay, and positive critical reviews, the group has risen to regional prominence, touring extensively throughout the US and Canada.
Formation of the group
In the summer of 2004, Django HaskinsDjango Haskins
Djángo Haskins is a North American singer-songwriter. He is named after legendary jazz musician Django Reinhardt. Originally from Florida, Django Haskins, now resides in the state of North Carolina where he is currently the frontman of pop-noir musical group The Old Ceremony...
, then a member of North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
rock supergroup International Orange, decided to form a 'mini-orchestra' to explore music that would be difficult to play in a traditional rock band. For this effort, Haskins gathered numerous musical luminaries from the NC Triangle
The Triangle (North Carolina)
The Research Triangle, also known as Raleigh-Durham and commonly referred to as simply "The Triangle", is a region in the Piedmont of North Carolina in the United States, anchored by North Carolina State University, Duke University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and cities of...
region and the end result was dubbed 'The Old Ceremony,' after Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen
Leonard Norman Cohen, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet and novelist. Cohen published his first book of poetry in Montreal in 1956 and his first novel in 1963. His work often explores religion, isolation, sexuality and interpersonal relationships...
's 1975 album, New Skin for the Old Ceremony
New Skin for the Old Ceremony
New Skin for the Old Ceremony is Leonard Cohen's fourth studio album. On this album, he begins to evolve away from the rawer sound of his earlier albums, with violas, mandolins, banjos, guitars, percussion and other instruments giving the album a more orchestrated sound...
.
The fledgling group was soon granted an extended residency at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Chapel Hill is a town in Orange County, North Carolina, United States and the home of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and UNC Health Care...
's West End Wine Bar, where they worked to develop their unique sound and refine their musical skills. These residency performances became popular due to the group's unusual instrumentation and on-stage presence (all band members wore suits) and the group soon gained a local following. Several months after their first residency, the group recorded and released their first full-length album, The Old Ceremony.
Touring and the second album
Soon after releasing their first album, the group embarked upon a tour of North Carolina and the Eastern US, playing venues such as Joe's PubJoe's Pub
Joe's Pub at Public Theater is a nightclub that hosts live performances regularly. The venue, which is a non-profit operation, is located at 425 Lafayette Street near Astor Place in Manhattan, New York City...
and IOTA
Iota
Iota is the ninth letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals it has a value of 10. It was derived from the Phoenician letter Yodh . Letters that arose from this letter include the Roman I and J and the Cyrillic І , Yi , Je , and iotified letters .Iota represents...
. At one of their New York performances, the group attracted the attention of filmmaker Gill Holland
Gill Holland
John Gill Holland, Jr. , better known as Gill Holland, is a Norwegian-American award winning film producer and co-developer of The Green Building in Louisville, Kentucky.-Background:...
, who offered the group a contract on his record label, sonaBLAST! Records
SonaBLAST! Records
sonaBLAST! Records is a Louisville, KY-based independent record label founded by film producer Gill Holland in 2002. The label kicked off with Irish singer-songwriter Mark Geary, whose 2004 release Ghosts is nearing Gold status and received critical acclaim in Ireland and the USA.-Artist...
. The contract was accepted, and in 2006, the group released their second album, Our One Mistake, on this record label. Our One Mistake was chosen by Paste Magazine as one of the 'Top 100 Albums of 2007.'
Walk on Thin Air, Tender Age, Ed Asner, and more touring
TOC continued to perform all over the US and Canada, appearing with Chuck BerryChuck Berry
Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" , "Roll Over Beethoven" , "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B...
, Cake
Cake (band)
Cake is an American alternative rock band from Sacramento, California. Consisting of singer John McCrea, trumpeter Vince DiFiore, guitarist Xan McCurdy, bassist Gabe Nelson and drummer Paulo Baldi, the band has been noted for McCrea's sarcastic lyrics and deadpan voice, DiFiore's trumpet parts, and...
, Polyphonic Spree, Avett Brothers, Poi Dog Pondering
Poi Dog Pondering
Poi Dog Pondering is an American musical group, noted for its cross-pollination of diverse musical genres, including various forms of acoustic folk music, and electronic music. Founded in Hawaii in 1985, the band moved to Austin, Texas in 1987, where they recorded their first three albums...
, Dex Romweber and Squirrel Nut Zippers
Squirrel Nut Zippers
The Squirrel Nut Zippers are a band formed in 1993 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina by James "Jimbo" Mathus , Katharine Whalen , Chris Phillips on drums, Don Raleigh on bass and sideman Ken Mosher....
, among others. Their third full-length album came out in Feb 2009, garnering positive press from Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
, Allmusic and Daytrotter
Daytrotter
Daytrotter is a website for the recording studio Horseshack, which hosts recording sessions with many popular and typically upcoming indie music acts, although it works with local bands in the Illinois area as well. The sessions can be compared to that of a radio station's lounge recordings, where...
. The video for "Til My Voice is Gone," from "Walk on Thin Air," starred Ed Asner
Ed Asner
Edward Asner , commonly known as Ed Asner, is an American film, television, stage, and voice actor and former president of the Screen Actors Guild, primarily known for his Emmy Award-winning role as Lou Grant on both The Mary Tyler Moore Show and its spin-off series, Lou Grant...
and Eileen Ryan
Eileen Ryan
Eileen Ryan is an American actress who has appeared in a number of movies and TV series. She is the widow of actor and director, Leo Penn, and mother of singer, Michael Penn, and actors, Sean and, Chris Penn, who died in January 2006....
. It was produced by Sharon Lawrence
Sharon Lawrence
Sharon Elizabeth Lawrence is an American television actress. She is best known for the role of Sylvia Costas Sipowicz in the Television series NYPD Blue...
and Andrew Carlberg, and directed by longtime TOC videographer Sam Griffith. In Sept 2010, the full-length "Tender Age" was released to the usual critical acclaim. The band composed the soundtrack to the Ed Asner film (2011 release date), "Elephant Sighs," which was directed by Ed Simpson. Most recently, the group contributed to a compilation album, Guilt by Association Vol. 3
Guilt by Association Vol. 3
Guilt by Association Vol. 3 is a compilation album released November 15, 2011 by Engine Room Recordings. Like its previous installments, Guilt by Association Vol. 1 and Guilt by Association Vol. 2, Guilt By Association Vol...
, released by Engine Room Recordings
Engine Room Recordings
Engine Room Recordings is an independent record label with a roster of Indie rock and Alternative rock musicians. Beyond marketing and distribution for its artists, the label does booking and artist management....
November 15, 2011. On the album the group have a cover of Whitesnake
Whitesnake
Whitesnake are an English rock band, founded in 1978 by David Coverdale after his departure from his previous band, Deep Purple. The band's early material has been compared by critics to Deep Purple, but by the mid 1980s they had moved to a more commercial hard rock style...
s "Here I Go Again
Here I Go Again
"Here I Go Again" is a #1 hit song recorded by Whitesnake. Originally released on their 1982 album, Saints & Sinners, the song was re-recorded for their eponymous 1987 album Whitesnake. The song was re-recorded yet another time that year in a new "radio-mix" version...
."
Discography
- The Old Ceremony (Alyosha Records, 2005)
- Our One Mistake (sonaBLAST! RecordsSonaBLAST! RecordssonaBLAST! Records is a Louisville, KY-based independent record label founded by film producer Gill Holland in 2002. The label kicked off with Irish singer-songwriter Mark Geary, whose 2004 release Ghosts is nearing Gold status and received critical acclaim in Ireland and the USA.-Artist...
, 2006) - Walk On Thin Air (Alyosha Records, 2009)
- Tender Age (Alyosha Records, 2010)
Compilations
- Here I Go AgainHere I Go Again"Here I Go Again" is a #1 hit song recorded by Whitesnake. Originally released on their 1982 album, Saints & Sinners, the song was re-recorded for their eponymous 1987 album Whitesnake. The song was re-recorded yet another time that year in a new "radio-mix" version...
(WhitesnakeWhitesnakeWhitesnake are an English rock band, founded in 1978 by David Coverdale after his departure from his previous band, Deep Purple. The band's early material has been compared by critics to Deep Purple, but by the mid 1980s they had moved to a more commercial hard rock style...
cover]] from Guilt by Association Vol. 3Guilt by Association Vol. 3Guilt by Association Vol. 3 is a compilation album released November 15, 2011 by Engine Room Recordings. Like its previous installments, Guilt by Association Vol. 1 and Guilt by Association Vol. 2, Guilt By Association Vol...
(2011).
External links
- Official Band Site
- Raleigh News & Observer article featuring the group
- Independent Weekly article reviewing Our One Mistake
- Chapel Hill News article regarding Our One Mistake
- Official band bio (PDF format)
- The Graham Weekly Album Review of Our One Mistake (text and RealAudio)
- BreakThru Radio- Artist of The Week