The Story of Harmelodia

Last updated
The Story of Harmelodia
The story of harmelodia album cover.jpg
Studio album by
Released1999
Genre Indie rock
Rheostatics chronology
The Nightlines Sessions
(1998)
The Story of Harmelodia
(1999)
Night of the Shooting Stars
(2001)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg link
Crawdaddy! favorable link

The Story of Harmelodia is a 1999 album by Rheostatics. [1]

Contents

Billed as a children's album, [1] the album is a narrative detailing the adventures of Dot and Bug, two children from the land of Harmelodia who fall through a hole (as in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland ) into the land of Popopolis. In Harmelodia, the children attend weekly lessons where they learn highly regimented music, but in Popopolis, they learn to make music using their own creativity on fantastical instruments such as the "wingophone".

The album is based on a story by Dave Bidini, [1] and is packaged in a book containing Bidini's text with illustrations by Martin Tielli. Narration on the album is by Bidini's wife, Janet Morassutti.

A different version of "Song of the Garden" was recorded for the band's 2001 album Night of the Shooting Stars .

Guest musicians on the album include Sarah Harmer, Kurt Swinghammer, Mia Sheard and Kevin Hearn. It is also the only Rheostatics album which includes a songwriting credit for Don Kerr, the band's drummer from 1995 to 2001.

Other notes

In 2004, Centennial Secondary School in Belleville, Ontario created and performed a stage musical version of the album. The show itself did a trial at the legendary Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto.

Track listing

All songs and narration credited to Dave Bidini, except where noted.

  1. "The Harmelodian Anthem"
  2. "Dot and Bug in the Street"
  3. "I Fab Thee" (Martin Tielli)
  4. "It's Easy to be With You"
  5. "Monkeybird" (Kevin Hearn)
  6. "The Descent into Popopolis"
  7. "Invisible Stairs" (Tim Vesely)
  8. "Popopolis"
  9. "I Am Drumstein"
  10. "The Music Room" (Vesely)
  11. "Dot Tries the Wingophone" (Hearn)
  12. "Wingophone" (Hearn)
  13. "Bug's Song (The Sky Dreamed)"
  14. "Loving Arms" (Vesely)
  15. "Father Mourns, Drumstein Schemes"
  16. "The Bee Sky Opus in Magenta (Dr. Drumstein)"
  17. "Father's Sad Song" (Don Kerr, Gordon Downie)
  18. "Home Again" (Tielli)
  19. "Dot and Bug Pop out of the Earth"
  20. "Song of the Garden" (Dave Merritt, Mike Bonnell)

Related Research Articles

Rheostatics Canadian indie rock band

Rheostatics are a Canadian indie rock band. They were formed in 1978, and actively performed from 1980 until disbanding in 2007... After a number of reunion performances at special events, Rheostatics reformed in late 2016, introducing new songs and performing semi-regularly.

<i>Greatest Hits</i> (Rheostatics album) 1987 studio album by Rheostatics

Greatest Hits is the first studio album by Canadian rock band Rheostatics. Only 1,000 copies were released in 1987, and all sold out. The album was subsequently rereleased in 1996.

<i>Introducing Happiness</i> 1994 studio album by Rheostatics

Introducing Happiness is the fifth studio album by Rheostatics, released in 1994 on Sire Records. Produced by Michael Phillip Wojewoda, the album was recorded at Compass Point Studios in the Bahamas.

<i>Whale Music</i> (album) 1992 studio album by Rheostatics

Whale Music is a 1992 studio album by Canadian rock band Rheostatics. It should not be confused with the soundtrack to the film Whale Music, which was also composed by the band and released in 1994.

<i>Music Inspired by the Group of Seven</i> 1995 studio album by Rheostatics

Music Inspired by the Group of Seven is a 1995 album by Rheostatics.

<i>Double Live</i> (Rheostatics album) 1997 live album by Rheostatics

Double Live is a 1997 album by Rheostatics. It collects a variety of live performances by the band, ranging from intimate club settings to record store sessions to their arena tour with The Tragically Hip in 1996.

<i>The Nightlines Sessions</i> 1998 live album by Rheostatics

The Nightlines Sessions is a 1998 album by Rheostatics.

<i>Night of the Shooting Stars</i> 2001 studio album by Rheostatics

Night of the Shooting Stars is a 2001 album by Canadian rock band Rheostatics, released on Perimeter Records.

Martin Tielli

Martin Tielli is a Canadian singer-songwriter. He was a member of the Rheostatics, and has also released material as a solo artist and with the side project Nick Buzz. As well, he has appeared as a guest musician on albums by Barenaked Ladies, Kevin Hearn, The Waltons, Jane Siberry, Ashley MacIsaac, Meryn Cadell and Mia Sheard. He is also a painter, and created most of the album covers for the Rheostatics.

Dave Bidini Canadian musician and writer

Dave Bidini is a Canadian musician and writer. Originally from Etobicoke, Ontario, he was a founding member of the rock band Rheostatics, and currently performs with Bidiniband. In addition, he has published several books about music, travel and sports, and has written feature journalism pieces and columns for numerous Canadian magazines and newspapers. He is the only Canadian to have been nominated for all three of Canada's main entertainment awards, the Gemini Award for television work, the Genie Awards for film work and the Juno Awards for music, as well as being nominated on Canada's national book awards program, Canada Reads.

Kevin Hearn and Thin Buckle

Kevin Hearn and Thin Buckle are a Canadian band consisting of Barenaked Ladies multi-instrumentalist Kevin Hearn as the front man, bassist Chris Gartner and drummer Great Bob Scott. The three had previously collaborated as members of the Canadian alternative rock band Look People. Guitarists Martin Tielli and Derek Orford were originally members; the former left the band to pursue other musical interests in the early 2000s, while the latter left due to injury shortly after the release of Night Light in 2004 and never returned to the band other than as a guest performer on four tracks of The Miracle Mile. Brian MacMillan joined the group on guitar and keyboards after Night Light was released, effectively replacing Orford. MacMillan left the group to pursue his own career after the recording of Havana Winter. Mike Rathke is credited as a member of the band on guitar on that album, although he has never performed live with the group. Sheena Ko began performing with the band in 2010 on keyboards and vocals.

<i>Mothball Mint</i> 1997 studio album by Kevin Hearn

Mothball Mint is a solo CD by Kevin Hearn, keyboardist of Barenaked Ladies. This album was produced by Michael Phillip Wojewoda and released in 1997.

Kevin Hearn

Kevin Neil Hearn is a Canadian musician who is a member of Barenaked Ladies, and his own group, Kevin Hearn and Thin Buckle. He primarily plays keyboards and guitars. He is also a former member of Rheostatics.

If I Had $1000000 1992 single by Barenaked Ladies

"If I Had $1000000" is a song by the Canadian musical group Barenaked Ladies from their album Gordon. Composed by founding members Steven Page and Ed Robertson, the sing-along track has become one of the band's best-known songs, and is a live show staple, despite never having been a true single and without an accompanying music video. The song reached No. 13 in Canada and eventually charted in the United Kingdom and the United States, peaking also at No. 13 on the UK Rock Chart in 1996, as well as No. 37 on the US Billboard Adult Top 40 in 2000.

Don Kerr

Don Kerr is a Canadian multi-instrumentalist and record producer. He is the drummer, lead singer and front man of Toronto band, Communism. He plays in Ron Sexsmith's band, and sometimes with The Kelele Brothers and Dan Mangan.

Tim Vesely

Tim Vesely is a Canadian musician and songwriter. He is best known as a founding member of the indie rock band Rheostatics, in which he shared vocal duties with bandmates Dave Bidini and Martin Tielli. Vesely wrote much of the band's conventionally pop and rock-oriented material, including both of the band's most successful singles, "Claire" and "Bad Time to Be Poor".

<i>The Secret Sessions</i> 2007 compilation album by Various artists

The Secret Sessions is a tribute album to Canadian indie rock band Rheostatics, released March 16, 2007 through the web label Zunior. The album was released to coincide with the band's farewell show scheduled for March 30, and features Canadian indie rock artists performing Rheostatics songs.

The Golden Seals are a Canadian indie rock band formed in 1999 in London, Ontario and now based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The band is led by singer and songwriter Dave Merritt and his long-time collaborator Philip Shaw Bova. Past members and contributors have included Matt Ouimet, Steve Boudreau, Michael Bonnell, Jeremy Gara, Jordon Zadorozny, Andy Magoffin and John Higney.

<i>Snacktime!</i> 2008 studio album by Barenaked Ladies

Snacktime! is a children's-themed studio album by Canadian band Barenaked Ladies released on May 6, 2008 by Desperation Records. A companion book was written with artwork by multi-instrumentalist Kevin Hearn, who also contributed artwork for the album. It is the final Barenaked Ladies album to include Steven Page, who departed the band on February 25, 2009. He was subsequently quoted, saying of the album, "[i]t was a lot of fun to do, but it wasn't my idea. I was along for the ride."

Selina Martin (musician)

Selina Martin is a singer-songwriter and actor based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Her music is a fusion of pop, art-rock, and cabaret. It been described as “sneaky beautiful” and “sharp-as-shards.” She has been compared to PJ Harvey, Björk, and David Byrne.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Rheostatics all live in a Yellow Submarine". The Globe and Mail , December 8, 1999.