Tom fun orchestra

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The Tom Fun Orchestra
Press Photo taken by Nathan Boone
Background information
Origin	Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada
Genre(s)	Gypsy Rock
Years active	2004–Present
Label(s)	Company House Records
Associated acts	Broken Social Scene Tom Waits
Website	www.tomfun.ca
Members
Ian Mac Dougall Morgan Currie Alicia Penney Donnie Calabrese Albert Lionais Zach Mac Lean Dave Mahalik Devon Strang Victor Tomiczek

The Tom Fun Orchestra is a Cluster Rock ensemble featuring an ambitious mix of electric and acoustic instruments and enough skilled musicians on stage to intimidate even the largest crowds. With their unique sound, undeniable songwriting and musicianship, and exuberant onstage delivery, The Tom Fun Orchestra provides an experience that has refreshed impressions of what Canada’s Maritime provinces have to offer musically. ^[1]

1 History
2 Discography
- 2.1 Albums
- 2.2 EPs
3 References
4 External Links

[edit] History

The Tom Fun Orchestra is a nine-piece cluster-rock group from Cape Breton Island that has been impressing music fans with their raucous stage presence and high-energy show. Their unconventional lineup of violin, banjo, accordion, trumpet and double bass, hitched to a driving trio of electric guitars and pounding drums, is redefining what people think of Canada's East Coast music. .^[2]

With a sound that has elicited references ranging from The Clash, Tom Waits and The Pogues to The Arcade Fire and Broken Social Scene, The Tom Fun Orchestra is truly in a league of their own, defying musical clichés and putting a refreshing new spin on traditional East Coast music that bridges elements of folk, roots, blues, rock and punk into a unique and timeless sound. ^[3]

Live artist pick of the weekend was undoubtably Cape Breton's rolling party known at the Tom Fun Orchestra. This nine-piece ball of energy put on an unbelievable set of pure joy, somewhat like a Maritimes version of the Hidden Cameras fronted by the lead singer of the Misfits. By the time they closed their set with a rousing cover of Greg Macpherson's blue collar anthem "Company Store", they had me fully converted. They were the singular band that captured the spirit and passion of the event, and in turn the spirit and passion of Nova Scotia's deep music roots. The Tom Fun Orchestra is doing three shows in Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal and you should not miss them. .^[4]

During a busy year that saw Tom Fun performing all over Central and Eastern Canada and at festivals in the U.K., the band recorded their debut album, You Will Land With A Thud, with Violent Femmes' singer-guitarist Gordon Gano and platinum-selling producer Warren Bruleigh (the Violent Femmes, The Pixies, Louise Attaque). Mixed by Phil Palazzola (The New Pornographers) and mastered by Howie Weinberg (Nirvana), the album is slated for release January 29, 2008 on Company House Records (EMI Music Canada).

The Tom Fun Family Orchestra is a gumbo of influences and sounds, eight members (plus Sean MacGillivary sitting in) playing a host of guitars, plus accordion, violin, banjo and trumpet. Unlike the indie rock sourness of some musical collectives, the band from Sydney, NS plays irrepressibly up-tempo gypsy dance music. Imagine if the Pogues were from New Orleans with a young Mike Scott of The Waterboys on vocals. Backing and sometimes lead vox come from Alicia Penny, who has a huge and full voice. At times, the band seem to shuck their celtic/swamp rock melange and dive right into 80s pop melodies: I swear to God at one point they almost started to play "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" by Wham, before segueing into one of their own rave-ups. But maybe I just imagined it. .^[5]

While the band's lineup will undoubtedly draw comparisons to indie-rock contemporaries like The Arcade Fire and Broken Social Scene, their sound is more reminiscent of The Pogues, Tom Waits and the Clash. The Tom Fun Orchestra comes from a hot-bed of traditional music on the East Coast, but they embody the tradition of playing music rather than the custom of playing traditional music. In the process, they are creating a timeless, unique sound that bridges generational gaps and defies musical cliches.^[6]