Music

Hamilton psych legends Simply Saucer finally release 'Bullet Proof Nothing' single

by Mark Teo

Few all-timers are as synonymous with Hamilton, ON’s music scene as Simply Saucer—aside from, perhaps, Sonic Unyon, who reissued the legendary proto-punk band’s classic opus, Cyborgs Revisited, 10 years ago. For good reason: The project, who legendarily treated confused Hamiltonians to a blistering performance on the roof of Steeltown’s Jackson Square mall, became one of the most cherished bands of the Canadian underground, with frontman Edgar Breau leading the charge. (The LP also helped launch the careers of then-Hamiltonians Bob and Daniel Lanois, who’ve since become some of music’s biggest producers. But that’s another story.)

But while the band disbanded in the late 1970s, interest in Simply Saucer has been on the uptick. Over the last few years, Breau and company have been playing shows on the local circuit—though they’ve reached as far as Cleveland, playing with their rust-belt, proto-punk brethren in Rocket From the Tombs—and, amongst others, Toronto promoters like Wavelength have been championing their cause. Now, Mammoth Cave Recording Co. is stepping up to the plate to release Bullet Proof Nothing, a song we love that originally appeared on Cyborgs Revisited, for the first time as a 7-inch, complete with reimagined artwork and liner notes.

The 7-inch is the latest in the label’s classics series, which also includes the vinyl reissue of Shadowy Men From a Shadowy Planet’s classic Savvy Show Stoppers. The label is accepting pre-orders for Bullet Proof Nothing—along with pre-orders for LPs by a duo of Calgary bands, Lab Coast and Teledrome—now. And if you’re not convinced, check out the video for “Bullet Proof Nothing,” featuring incredible archival Steeltown footage, below.