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Music in the key of ska

Hippocratic Oaf gets a woman's touch; revive up-beat style

By Jason Houle

The University of Maine Campus Newspaper

Printed 04/18/2002 Pages 1 and 8

Media Credit: Campus Photo * Jason Houle

Noah Bryant, trumpeter for Hippocratic Oaf, plays at a recent band practice.

To many people the word "ska" is nothing more than the result of a thick Maine accent butchering another piece of the English language. But for others — like the seven members of local ska band Hippocratic Oaf, or HO for short — it means much more.

Ska music, originally an offshoot of Reggae, hit a peak most recently in the mid-nineties, but soon lost its following and fell off the charts and MTV airwaves. In doing so the style of music became buried into the underground — virtually shielded from the eyes of the mainstream.

"I was introduced to ska when I first came to UMaine — I loved it instantly," said Hippocratic Oaf front-woman Bronya Hamel. "I am frequently disappointed when I ask people if they like ska and they look at me like I have three heads."

The band's membership consists of a multitude of backgrounds — Hamel, a senior music education major, turns the heads of the audience not only through her vocal talent — but also her gender.

"At the Battle of the Bands after seeing a few groups perform, it dawned on me that none of the bands had any women ... at all," Hamel said. "That surprised me, but it's just another thing that makes HO unique."

"Ska, like a lot of music, also needs women as front persons, sharing their experiences, worldviews and voices, in order to connect with people and their diversity of life experiences," said bassist Darin Arsenault, a graduate student in psychology.

"Each of us have our own attitudes," said Noah Bryant, trumpet player for the band and first-year student.

This especially pertains to guitarist Robert McInnes, a die-hard Iron Maiden fan.

"He's our metal man," Arsenault said.

"I have all the references from Hell," said McInnes.

The band is a melting pot for talent, including UMaine graduate and guitarist Nate Spencer, trombonist Zachary Lampron and Drummer Kevin Mania, who has been drumming for 12 years.

In their music the band incorporates ska with several other styles, such as surf, jazz and even blues.

"I think there is a need for fresh approaches to ska, and that is what we are trying to do," Arsenault said.

In the song "On the Run," ska and surf collide, while the song "How to be a Successful Criminal" displays ska fronting a heavy guitar sound, and is only enhanced by Hamel's vocal ability.

"She's able to connect with the audience," Arsenault said.

According to the band, they prefer positive easygoing messages in their music, instead of the high-strung emotional songs of today.

"It's not 'I dumped my girlfriend' [songs]," Bryant said.

In tracks like "Sunday Hangover" the group pokes fun at having too much fun on the weekend — and the consequences it can bring.

"It's about partying too much Saturday night and waking up on Sunday morning," Arsenault said.

The band is also in the process of recording their first album, and hopes to have it released and ready for sale by Bumstock weekend.

"The name of the record is 'No Charge'," Arsenault said. "We used to get a lot of free pizza."

"And the slip would say 'two fourteen-inch pizzas — no charge,'" Spencer added.

According to the band, the reaction to their live music is a positive experience. The group, who performed at last semester's Battle of the Bands, noticed the infectious appeal of their music on the crowd.

"I'd like to call it high energy," Bryant said. "Stuff you can really dance to."

"Or who knows, maybe they were just drinking [too much]," Arsenault said.

Hippocratic Oaf takes the Bumstock stage as the last act of the weekend on Saturday, April 27, at 11:15 p.m., following headliners Jeremiah Freed.

"That'll be a tough act to follow," Arsenault said. "We can tell them that Red Man is out back — they'll wait."