An annual tradition continues this year with the 2021 release of the Bermuda Snowhawk Holiday music compilation. The submissions are compiled with care in an ongoing joint venture between Lansing labels Bermuda Mohawk Productions (run by Caleb Sauter) and GTG Records (with Tommy Plural steering that ship). The comps feature a who’s-who of the Lansing, Michigan music scene with a couple satellite contributions, ranging from hastily-assembled basement recordings of holiday covers and demented takes on Christmas misadventures to fully realized and slicker-sounding seasonal themed songs
Jeremy Porter and The Tucos introduce their new bass player Jake Riley, who plays stand-up bass and sings the high harmonies on the Americana-flavored “Eggnog Time Again.” Jake replaces Bob Moulton on the low end, who left the band amicably in November. The Tucos have big plans for 2022: “We’re thrilled to have Jake with us heading into what will hopefully be a year of more shows and less Covid.” Porter Says. “Jake brings a lot to the table that we’re really excited about – great harmonies, a deep knowledge of the band and material, and especially his enthusiasm! He’s no slouch on the bass either, by the way.”
The Tucos did what they could in 2021, including opening for Soul Asylum in Detroit, a full-circle moment for Jeremy. “Soul Asylum is a band I have loved since I was 16. I saw them upwards of a dozen times between `88 and `93.” He says. “The show was great, despite Covid concerns and things like that. The first time I set foot in Saint Andrew’s Hall was to see Soul Asylum in July 1988, and here I was, 33 years later, opening for them in the same building. It wasn’t lost on me, the nostalgia of it all.”
This year’s Bermuda Snowhawk compilation is a bit leaner than previous years, but here are just a couple other highlights!
A Rueful Noise lays down a Sabbath-esque track called “Winterdream.” These guys & gal are ex-Scary Women and Hat Madder and have quite a buzz about them around Lansing. Watch for their debut 7” on GTG Records in 2022, produced by Pencil Storm’s Co-Editor in Chief and Tucos front man Jeremy Porter.
Danielle Gyger – The Wild Honey Collective’s ace-in-the-hole fiddle player and singer gifts us this 47 second happy birthday ditty that’s not only humorous and clever, but beautifully melodic.
The Plurals are GTG Records founding band, and this compilation wouldn’t exist without their contribution. Drummer Hattie Mae sings this, and it’s a wonderful sampling of their punk meets melody style. Tommy Plural tells us that it’s “a low key tribute to Mike Nesmith, who recorded the song for the Monkees Christmas album. We arranged it very quickly and recorded the whole thing in about the space of an hour, not really knowing what the end result would be - something that's totally in the spirit of the whole Snowhawk project.”
Bank of America is Plural’s bassist Nich on guitar and ex-Cheap Girls Adam on bass with the best band name on the comp and a couple minutes of their gloriously-noisy rock.
Each of the 15 tracks are worth taking in. Stream the comp, pay what you want for the files. They don’t care, it’s a gift - just enjoy it!
