the Battleship, Ethel

Born in the magical, yet somehow awful surroundings of Ancaster, Ontario the Battleship, Ethel was the first really unsafe band of Southern Ontario's music scene in the dawn of the new millenium (2001). Making their permanant home at the opposite pole of the mainstream, the BS,E decided the only thing to do was to give up the thought of having a singer, never rehearse, and improvise behind mountains of ancient unreliable musical instruments, and surprises. Coming off like something along the lines of early Can, Hawkwind, Faust, or Amon Duul II, the Battleship, Ethel clearly were onto something else, and had no interest in hearts on sleeves or typical machismo cliches. Some interesting points along the way have been touring Ontario and Quebec supporting legendary Can frontman Damo Suzuki, playing with some great bands such as the Arcade Fire, Caribou, Explosions in the Sky (3X!) Holyfuck! Nash the Slash, Great Lake Swimmers, Bob Lanois and Simply Saucer to name a few. Other BS, E facts are the guys who left the band went on to do things like, form Sailboats are White! or join Simply Saucer. The band has since slimmed down to more dangerous 3 piece organ,drums and bass combo, now focusing their highly educated abilities and tastes into some incredible compositions. Imagine that Sun Ra also had John Enstwistle, and Bill Bruford locked up in his basement as a maverick avant-garde-pop side project, and you would be in the ballpark of what this band sounds like. And with a live set that is so explosive and tightly executed, it is an arresting, dare i say, religious experience to see.
The Battleship, Ethel have their own recording studio, and get to spend endless amounts of time detailing their compositions, and being able to fulfill all of their visions with no compromise, and no noise complaint$$.
Somewhere buried in that basement, they have mastered something entirely their own, a songcraft unlike anything else, and a sound that will change everything in its path.
The band currently is preparing a debut full length release of original material and are performing live shows of this with an intensity that is like getting beat up. They really are a band that is pushing every envelope before them and constantly challenging themselves and their audiences to push further, into their vast sonic explorations. I have never seen anything like them,... they are the white elephant in every band I have heard since my introduction the mighty Battleship, Ethel.....they make everyone else's cup, half empty.