The site is rolling along and e-mails are slowly trickling in, which is great to see. Keep it up. I’ll train to maintain updating at least twice a week. I hope the interest is out there for the site. Please feel free to spread word to anyone you think might be interested.
Also, I’ve been told I should consider doing album reviews on the site. I might just do that, so keep an eye out for reviews of East Coast music only.
Onto the news …
East Coast Music Association announces board of directors
The East Coast Music Association (ECMA) recently announced its 2008-2009 board of directors, elected at the association’s Annual General Meeting in Corner Brook, NL, on May 31.
The 2008-2009 board includes:
Representing mainland Nova Scotia:
Heather Frantsi
Marcel McKeough (Treasurer)
Representing Cape Breton:
Laurel Munroe (2nd Vice Chair)
Mike Sheppard
Devon Strang
Representing New Brunswick:
Marc Chouinard (Past Chair – non-voting)
Hilary Montbourquette (1st Vice Chair)
Chuck Teed
Representing Prince Edward Island:
Doug Gallant (Secretary)
Mark Hemphill
Representing Newfoundland & Labrador:
Lloyd Bartlett
Denis Parker
Wade Pinhorn (Chair)
The ECMA’s honourary directors are Sheri Jones, Heather Ostertag and Sam Sniderman. The ECMA 2009 event committee chair is David Smallwood.
The 2009 East Coast Music Awards, Festival & Conference will take place February 26-March 1 in Corner Brook, NL.
Radio station seeks East Coast music
While we’re on the ECMA topic, a Corner Brook radio station will be initiating a new East Coast music program. The East Coast Sunday Showcase on K-Rock will air from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. on Sundays starting mid-July up until and possibly after the 2009 event. The show will feature only East Coast music and some interview or announcement dialogue.
But of course, to swing this effort, the station needs East Coast music. For those artists/bands interested in having their music aired on the show, send two or more CDs to the ECMA office:
ECMA – EAST COAST SUNDAY SHOWCASE
Confederation Centre of the Arts
145 Richmond St.
Charlottetown, PEI
C1A 1J1
Barra MacNeils get busy
Cape Breton’s Barra MacNeils are touring the festival circuit this summer. The band, which is celebrating 20 years as a group this summer, played Toronto’s Luminato Festival this past summer. Nova Scotia’s Ashley MacIsaac also played the festival. This weekend, the six-sibling group head to Trumbull, Conn. For the Fairfield County Irish Festival. The festival is just one of the first of many American festivals the group will be part of this year.
Andy Brown to release False Alarm
Fredericton, N.B.-based singer-songwriter Andy Brown is set to release his second full-length album, False Alarm, on July 31. Brown’s Facebook page lists David Gray, Dave Matthews, Damien Rice and Howie Day as influences, so that gives you an idea of what you’ll get from Brown.
Brown has a high profile gig coming up this summer when he shares the stage with several other Canadian acts at the North Rocks the Bay Festival in North Bay, Ont., Aug.1-3. Blue Rodeo, David Wilcox and Hedley are headlining the three-night show and Brown will perform on Saturday, Aug. 2, supporting Wilcox.
Great Big Sea see fortune’s favour
Newfoundland favourite Great Big Sea are prepping for the release of the band’s ninth album. The three-piece – Alan Doyle, Sean McCann, and Bob Hallett – made a surprising choice of producer for the new disc. Indie favourite Hawksley Workman produced Fortune’s Favour.
In a press release for the album, Bob Hallett explains the choice: “We wanted to push ourselves, to be surprised by our own music, and Hawksley was the right pilot for the flight.”
The band tried new things and sounds which could surprise longtime fans. “The challenge was rejuvenating”, said Doyle. “I feel like I am reapplying for the job.”
Fortune’s Favour is due for release June 24.
