Facebook page details: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=198454962126

I started advertising this yesterday and got a load of orders, so thought I would extend the offer to our Facebook group and MySpace friends.

Need some host gifts? Stocking stuffers? Staff presents? People who love music? For $10, we will mail our latest critically acclaimed release See Your Midnight Breath in the Shipyard straight to your door. Yes, that price includes taxes and shipping (provided you live in Canada). Even further, for $14, we'll wrap it, include a personalized card and mail it to somebody on your behalf with instructions on the envelope (ie open and put directly under the tree, don't open until December 24th, etc.)

Here are some quotes about the album:

"Toronto, ON's Megan Hamilton forces a high-pressure jet of intense folk rock through a potent blend of human emotion on her second full-length album. More stylistically consistent than her beautifully quirky 2006 debut, Feudal Ladies Club, Hamilton's sophomore release is a sonic brew powerful enough to make the head swim."
-Exclaim!, Rachel Sanders

"Ontarian folk that sways, rocks and writhes, with great production and penmanship. Watch out, Martha Wainwright."
- Montreal Mirror

"The Torontonian singer-songwriter is possessed of a rich, resonant set of pipes. Her vocals are husky and malleable, a smoky, wood-fired alto with lovely undertones of rust, tequila and threadbare flannel. Depending on the song, Hamilton can muster anything from the elastic-band hiccup of Joanna Newsom to the sun-soaked drawl of Lucinda Williams."
- Eye Weekly - Street Spirit, Sarah Liss

But you have to act now in order for the gifts to be delivered on time! You can order by cheque (payable to Megan Hamilton - email me for the mailing address) or place your order right now by PayPal http://www.paypal.ca (account: meganhamiltonmusic@gmail.com - please be sure to include the address you'd like the gift delivered to).  If you live outside Canada I'll have to charge a little more for shipping, but it'll probably be about $2 US and $3 Internationally!

See Your Midnight Breath in the Shipyard provided the band with an amazing year in 2009. We toured Southern Ontario and Quebec, did a tonne of live performances on radio shows, charted on the campus radio stations and got lots of play nationally on the CBC stations. We played CMW, NXNE, the CBC Radio 3 Searchlight Phog Phest and played with some amazing bands. I think my favourite was Pink Mountaintops. With that in mind, we are planning a tour to BC and back in late May 2010, so the proceeds from this Holiday sale will go towards that.

Happy, happy holidays, and if you'd like to take advantage of this offer, I'd act quick to get stuff in on time!!!

MH & the VC xo

If you're like us, you think a lot about the upcoming holiday season, start celebrating early and pull out the decorations on December 1st, watch A Christmas Story 800+ times (wait, probably only I do that), eat your pants off, and then panic a week ahead of the game because you haven't done any shopping!

We'd like to provide you with an easy and reasonably priced gift idea - the beautiful and wondrous gift of music. 

Until November 30th (or so), for CAN$40, we'll send you each of the 3 records (Feudal Ladies Club [2006], how we think about light [2007] and the critically acclaimed release from this year: See Your Midnight Breath in the Shipyard) along with a special, handmade card for whomever you might be presenting the gift to.  We can customize it to reflect whichever holiday your friend is celebrating, as well. 

If ordered in Canada, the price includes postage.  If ordered in the US, add CAN$5.  Outside of North America, let's talk.

That is potentially THREE presents for $40.

We have a PayPal account (which acts extremely well as an address book, and we like to use it despite the gauging fee they charge us per exchange).  We also accept cheques.  If you live near one of us, we'll take cash.  We'll even give you a receipt if you'd like so you can WRITE your PRESENT off. 

This is a great idea for host/hostess presents for the parties you go to - nothing says thank you like the amazing joy of a musical gift. 

For details, please email meganhamiltonmusic@gmail.com or visit PayPal directly using the previously mentioned email address.

May the joyful spirit of the holiday season fill your heart and your belly with love and amazement and may the year 2010 provide you with such wealth of experience as you've never known.

Love,
MH & the VC

ps we're also offering limited lower prices for individual CDs as well, and heck, we'll throw in a card, too.  Just write to the email address above for details!

Hallo.  Here is the twitter address if you're into tweeting:
http://www.twitter.com/mhamiltonmusic

Also, our friend Lisa at TWM asked me some questions:
http://www.twowaymonologues.com/interviews/10-questions-with-megan-hamilton-nxne-preview/

See you Saturday!
MH & the VC xo

Do you tweet?  May I tweet you?  It's my tweet.  Twick or twee...
okkkkk.  I'm tired.

Anyhoo, you can follow our amazing and astounding tweets at:
http://www.twitter.com/mhamiltonmusic

Let's be twitter palz.

In other news, a blog called Grubtunes  compared thee to a summer's day.  Thou art more temperate...

Wait.  As a personal exercise, I am now going to see if I remember a sonnet I learned in theatre school.  Prepare thyself:

In faith, I do not love thee with mine eyes
For they, in thee, a thousand errors note.
But 'tis my heart that loves what they despise
Who, in despite of view, is pleased to dote.

Nor are my ears with thy tongue's tune delighted.
Nor tender feelings to base touches prone.
Nor taste, nor smell, desire to be invited
To any sensual feast with thee alone.  (<-- good one.  sensual feast with thee.  that's why bill got all the ladies.  pay attention, gents.)

But my five wits, nor my five senses
Can dissuade one foolish heart from loving thee.
Who leaves unswayed, the likeness of a man.
Thy proud heart's slave and vassal wretch to be.

Only my heart, thus far, I [shit] my [blame?]
That she that makes me [damnit] awards me pain.

Here's what I screwed up:
"Only my plague thus far I count my gain,
That she that makes me sin awards me pain."

Never liked that ending, anyhow. (That's a lie because I'm mad that I forgot it.)

So, love on, people. Poetically. And physically. I'm not sure why I'm writing like this today,
but I am, so...

Come to London!
Come to Windsor!
Come come come. And also come. (sensual feast with thee)

What?
Get me off this thing.
MH (the VC had no part in this)

That's right - we're about to embark in the olde Econoline and hit your town!

First stop - Kitchener-Waterloo, where one of my best friends may or may not have had (over night) or will have (today) her new baby!  To celebrate the birth of little Hunt-Godbolt, we will rock Maxwell's Music House with the help of Daniel Bossenberry and his Champagne Social Club (recent winners of an award for a video they made).

Jason Schneider wrote about the show in the K-W Record:
http://news.therecord.com/arts/NightLife/article/525240

Woke up to a tweet about the new album:
http://blogcritics.org/archives/2009/04/23/073534.php

:)  See you on the road!
MH & The VC x

Oooooh you lovely, nice people who came to the Rivoli for our Toronto release party for See Your Midnight Breath in the Shipyard. What a swell time that was. Three cheers for the magnificent Kathleen Phillips and the magical Olenka & The Autumn Lovers. Pics are up at the Facebook group http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=17236948464 along with pics from CMW that Frank Yang from http://www.chromewaves.net took.  You can also check the here for new stuff!

The website has been revamped!  http://www.meganhamiltonmusic.com - thanks to Jimmy Rose for that!  You can stream the whole album there.

There is a tonne of press and links now up - reviews, interviews and features - check http://www.meganhamiltonmusic.com/press.html or in the previous blog entry and at Facebook pages.

See Your Midnight Breath in the Shipyard is available at most of your record stores, but please ask them to order it if they're not carrying it.

To order online:
Scratch Records - http://www.scratchrecords.com
Zunior - http://www.zunior.com (a really super digi download company)

We start our series of mini tours through Ontario and Quebec this coming Thursday at Maxwell's Music House in Kitchener (keep your eye out for a feature in Thursday's edition of the K-W Record)! Please see the listed tour dates here and if you know folks in the towns we'll be visiting, please invite them to come out!

I recorded some in-house solo versions of songs at CIUT last week, and they will air this coming Wednesday, April 22 between 8am and 10am on CIUT's Take 5 - 89.5 FM, or stream it at http://www.take5.fm

We're starting to chart on the campus radio stations, and your support by requesting songs is immeasurable. Here is a handly link to all the campus station: http://www.earshot-online.com/stations.cfm with email addresses!

Above and beyond everything else, thank you all so much for your enthusiasm and support. I was really excited that so many people came out to the release, and we appreciated it immensely.

Please keep checking http://www.myspace.com/meganhamilton for the most up-to-date show and tour dates - for example, I was recently asked to open for Royal Wood's EP release party at Hugh's Room in May.

It's a pretty neat time right now.
All the best, and with many thanks,
MH & the VC xoxoxxoxoxo

Hey everybody,

Please join us tomorrow night at the Rivoli in Toronto to celebrate the release of See Your Midnight Breath in the Shipyard.  Tix are ONLY available at the door, so be sure to get there early.  (Doors 8:30pm)

Another reason (or 2) why you'll want to get there early is because you do NOT want to miss the two opening acts:
--Kathleen Phillips - one of my favourite comic performers ever.  I'm in love with her.  
--Olenka & The Autumn Lovers - a beautiful, 7-piece band from London, ON - cellos, violins, accordions, honestly you will be mesmerized.

Check our top friends right now for links to Kathleen and Olenka.

Here's a list of the most up-to-date stuff that's been written:

"Her sound has evolved from a plaintive, high lonesome country-folkiness to a more electrified sound that almost borders on bar-rock boogie at points but manages to stay distinctive thanks to Hamilton’s just slightly off-kilter vocals."
-Chromewaves.net, Frank Yank

"Her simple vocal lines benefit greatly from her backing band and from sound designer Mark Vogelsang, who recorded the instruments according to how they might sound in various places on a ship." (NNN)
- NOW Magazine, Paul Terefenko

"Toronto, ON's Megan Hamilton forces a high-pressure jet of intense folk rock through a potent blend of human emotion on her second full-length album. More stylistically consistent than her beautifully quirky 2006 debut, Feudal Ladies Club, Hamilton's sophomore release is a sonic brew powerful enough to make the head swim."
-Exclaim!, Rachel Sanders

"It's pretty great. Just trust me on this one."
-Narratives, Jennifer Polk

"Not a bad folk-rock album from a Torontonian with an interesting, textured voice."
-Chartattack.com

"Combining the folksy earthiness of Buffy Sainte-Maire with the starry eclecticism of Joanna Newsom, See Your Midnight Breath In The Shipyard is connecting with me on a different level than I'm used to, and after I'd listened to it once, I found myself craving for it later."
-It's Not The Band I Hate, It's Their Fans

"Working with familiar touch of co-producer Mark Vogelsang, Megan's songs are more mood driven and she lets her beautiful voice curl around the smokey melodies, adding just enough reverb and distortion to disrupt the calm (Sprout Through The Load)."
-Herohill

Interviews/Features

"Toronto-based singer/songwriter Megan Hamilton has gradually eased into the "Canada's best kept secret" club."
- BlogTO, Gary Peter

"The most fully realized set of Hamilton’s young career. It’s the first time she arranged, rehearsed and played in the studio with her backing band, The Volunteer Canola and their support on new numbers like “Cat Tail Legs” and “Sprout Through The Load” rock convincingly. But Hamilton’s evocative wordplay and winsome delivery is still her ace, best displayed on “Wherever You Are” and the luminous, devotional closer “Moth.”"
-No Depression, Paul Cantin

See you tomorrow!
Love,
MH & the VC xo

See Your Midnight Breath in the Shipyard gets a glowing review, and Meg talks a bit about making the album here.

"More stylistically consistent than her beautifully quirky 2006 debut, Feudal Ladies Club, Hamilton's sophomore release is a sonic brew powerful enough to make the head swim."
-Rachel Sanders

Hi guys - if you'd like to win 2 tickets to our Toronto CD release party on Thursday, April 9th, also featuring Kathleen Phillips and Olenka & The Autumn Lovers - as well as a copy of all 3 Megan Hamilton records (Feudal Ladies Club, how we think about light, See Your Midnight Breath in the Shipyard), an American Apparel how we think about light t-shirt and set of 4 buttons from the SYMBitS collection featuring creatures drawn by Jenny Joyal, please do the following:

Send an email to familiarmusic@gmail.com with "Megan Hamilton Contest" in the title.  In the body of the email, tell us why you think you should win this contest.  Creativity counts.  So do entries created by hand and scanned or photographed in... An audio recording counts.  A story that makes us laugh or cry counts.  REALLY YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO ANYTHING EXCEPT SAY "ENTER ME IN THE CONTEST" if, you know, you don't have time, or you don't have a scanner/digi camera/etc.

HINT:  entries that feature a unicorn in any form are given preference.  (See sentence below)

This contest will be totally biased.  Yep.  Sorry.  Whatever WE deem to be the neatest entry wins.

We will announce the winner (and, if they let us, the winning entry will be displayed) here at 6pm on Wednesday, April 8th (also Meg's birthday), and if it's YOU, you can pick up your pack at the Riv on the 9th!!

GOOD LUCK!!!!