Hamell not only records music, performs live, does independent writing, he also paints. All of the images below, and many you see as the accompanying artwork on the digital releases, are Hamell paintings. These vary in size and price, but are all acrylic on canvas. Hamell paints scenes inspired by the 'underground' and 'disenfranchised' of our society. Ed uses bold and bright colors in his paintings which contrast the darker subject matter, championing the underclass, drawing you into the characters he depicts, endearing you to them and sparking emotions one might not anticipate.Hamell is also available for specific painting commissions. For serious inquiries to purchase Hamell original art contact Emily at hamelltv@gmail.com
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about
When I lived in Albany there used to be a little indie record store, (remember them?) and I was talking to the owner, telling him I was a solo acoustic player who sounded like a punk band, (or some such shit) and he asked me if I had ever heard of Anti-Folk and more specifically Roger Manning...I hadn't. He handed me a cassette, (remember those?) that was Roger Manning's first record on SST. SST?!?! The label Black Flag and The Minutemen and all these cool bands were on, and herev was a solo guy! i brought it home and fell in love with it. it's still one of my favorite records. I wrote Big As Life soon after, directly inspired by Roger and his album.
lyrics
Temper temper little cloud, I thought we were in this together. I gotta another 30 miles to go and you change your mind like the weather. But I know how it feels though with that blinding lightning flash, I'm all alone now but I got my guitar, let's think about some stuff we can smash.
I slept last night by the side of the road I was thinking about the nearest phone. I was wondering if she would accept the charges, I was wondering if I had a banana for a backbone. Then I had a dream about Count Basie but he didn't want to talk to me, he had a lot of hurt in his face he had a copy of LIFE magazine. It had Elvis on the cover, it had an article inside it didn't say who it was written by. Closer inspection I noticed Albert Goldman was still writing and LIFE wouldn't let him die. Well Count Basie opened up that magazine to page 30, he threw at me and he walked away, I said, "Oh man, that's Count Basie, he's like my hero, I had so many questions there was so many things that I wanted to say" but after ten glossy pages of big LIFE magazine format people holding guns and smoking crack I stepped back from that magazine and my mouth flew open because all of those people were black.
I used to work in a bar in Syracuse NY and we had what we referred to as an 'incident' most every night. There were drugs sales, there were guns but all of those people were white. True story, I pulled a pregnant girl out of the bathroom one time she was in there just over an hour, people were complaining and she was smoking crack...and she was white as snow, she was white as blow and she was most definitely not black. And I think Count Basie was just trying to point out that if I wasn't careful I might fall into a trap because take a look at that magazine, am I on acid or what but it appears to me someones getting a bad bad rap.
Page 26 and 27 there was a Sony ad, a white family hanging by the swimming pool. Couldn't see the mother's reflection in the water, she was holding the video camera, what color was she well now let's not be a fool, so there you go and it's Big As Life and Count Basie he don't want to talk to me, Miles Davis never rang my phone off the hook and I'm not anticipating any phone calls from Spike Lee. Roger Manning says something about hatred and being any color and being not but as i look around this whole big world, not just this room here tonight or any room in this building, building on this street, street in this city, city in this state, state in this whole big world it's blue, baby blue, that's the color we all got.
Temper, temper little cloud I thought we were in this together, I got another 30 miles to go and you change your mind like the weather...but I know how you feel though with that blinding lightning flash, i'm all alone now but I got my guitar, let's think about some stuff we can smash. lets think about some stuff we can smash.
Hamell on Trial is loud, fast music informed by politics, intelligence and a wicked sense of humor.
1995-Mercury
Records-Big as Life, The Chord is Mightier Than the Sword.
1997- Choochtown
2003-Righteous Babe Records-Tough Love
2005, Songs For Parents Who Enjoy Drugs.
2007-“The Terrorism Of Everyday Life,” (Edinburgh Fringe Herald Award)
2012-New West Records -The Happiest Man Alive....more
I love the Jordan Lake Sessions albums, they're so ALIVE! I'm excited to listen to these versions of my favorite songs forever and ever, and always max out my Mazda's speakers on the sax parts. grenadinegrace
