Congratulations are in order to Nova Scotia rock favourite Wintersleep who won a Music Music Video Award last week for their video “Weighty Ghost.” The band won VideoFACT’s Best Independent Video award.
El Torpedo returns with Terminal Romance
East Coast rockers Matt Mays & El Torpedo are gearing up to return for the band’s sophomore album, Terminal Romance (Sonic), Tuesday, July 8. I received an early copy of the album, and I have to say, it rocks. It still sounds like Mays & El Torpedo, but the band expands on their sound here and there. Anyway, more on that in a review (coming soon).
The band (Mays, Jay Smith, Andy Patil and Tim Jim Baker) have a slew of dates lined up for the next month or so that will see them tour mostly out west. It’s likely an East Coast tour is in the works.
Joel Plaskett launches label
Nova Scotia rocker Joel Plaskett is taking the next logical step in his music career by launching his own record label. Plaskett’s indie label New Scotland Records (NSR) was born of his desire to develop production work and make great recordings with friends, a press release for the new venture says.
Plaskett’s most recent production credit is Two Hours Traffic’s latest release “Little Jabs”.
NSR will be distributed by Fontana North and the label’s first release will be Dave Marsh’s “The True Love Rules” on July 29. As drummer and a founding member of the Joel Plaskett Emergency, Marsh’s debut recording is a natural choice to kick off the new label.
Marsh and Plaskett co-produced the 14 track recording with guest appearances by longtime collaborators and friends including original Emergency bassist Tim Brennan, Cool Blue Halo’s Paul Boudreau, Peter Elkas and The SuperFriendz.
East Coast artists in line for Polaris Music Prize
More congrats go to some East Coast friends tonight as Nova Scotia’s Buck 65 (Situation), P.E.I.’s Two Hours Traffic (Little Jabs) and Nova Scotia’s Wintersleep (Welcome to the Night Sky) have made the Long List for the 2008 Polaris Music Prize.
The Long List consists of the top 40 full-length Canadian records released from June 1, 2007 to May 31, 2008, selected by the 185 members of the Polaris Music Prize jury.
The Polaris Jury will now vote from the Long List to determine the 10 Album Short List, which will be revealed July 7.
