And … we’re back. No Internet and a broken computer makes it rather difficult to post updates, but here is a quick one with some of the latest news.
Christina Martin tours with Two Hearts
Halifax-based singer/songwriter Christina Martin will be playing four dates along the East Coast in the next week in support of her latest release, Two Hearts.
Produced by Dale Murray (Cuff The Duke, The Guthries), Two Hearts is Martin’s sophomore disc of folk-country sounds.
A little background on Martin: in 1999, she left her home in Halifax for Austin, TX. Within months she was a regular fixture of the Austin bar scene, performing her own material acts such as Wilco and singing as part of the retro-rock outfit Young Heart Attack.
In 2002, Martin began work on her debut album, Pretty Things. After the stateside release of the disc, Martin returned to the East Coast where she has continued to regularly perform.
Here are her upcoming dates:
Aug. 13 – Sackville, N.B. – Bridge Street Cafe
Aug. 15 – Rothesay, N.B. – Sessions Cafe
Aug. 16 – Liverpool, N.S. – The Mersey House
Aug. 19 – Halifax, N.S. – The Seahorse
N.S. performers return home for tour
After performing 42 dates over seven months in New Zealand, Nova Scotia performers Andrew White and Gillian Boucher are returning home to perform a few dates around the Maritimes to promote White’s latest release, Traces of Silver.
Check each musician’s websites for show details.
In the last year, the world-traveling White (who moved from England to Nova Scotia some years ago) has toured Canada and the U.K. with the acclaimed production International Guitar Night which features the world’s top acoustic guitar virtuosos.
Traces of Silver is his tenth release.
Boucher is a native of Inverness, Cape Breton. She has toured the world as a solo artist and with various ensembles, sharing the stage with the likes of Emmylou Harris, Natalie MacMaster and others. In fall of this year, she will be releasing her debut album recorded by Glenn Meisner and Pat Martin at CBC’s Studio H in Halifax. The Gillian Boucher Band will kick off the release with two shows in October’s Celtic Colours Festival.
George Canyon up for six CCMA Awards
Nova Scotia’s George Canyon is up for no less than six Canadian Country Music Awards this year.
Canyon received nods for Male Artist of the Year. CMT Video of the Year (for his version of the Johnny Cash classic “Ring Of Fire”), Producer(s) of the Year (Canyon and Rick Mizzoni for an album by Jo Hikk) and Fan’s Choice Award, the only award voted by the public, which Canyon has taken home before.
Other nominations are Country Music Program or Special of the Year, for “Hometown Helper” (CMT) and the Top Selling Canadian Album, which has five nominees and is purely based on sales, for his album, Classics.
Canyon just returned from a Canada Day visit to the troops in Afghanistan where a missile attack took place in the midst of the beginning of his performance.
“When I heard the alarm my heart was in my mouth, we all had to dive to the ground and hit the dirt for two minutes before putting on our flak vests and helmets and heading off to the nearest bunker which we shared with comedian Mike McDonald,” Canyon is quoted in a press release. “Then when the all clear went we went back out and did the whole show.”
Canyon, who will likely take home at least a few of those awards, will perform on the CCMA broadcast which will air live on CBC at 9 p.m. AST, 9:30 p.m. in Newfoundland on Sept. 8.
Halifax Pop Explosion announces initial line-up
GZA, Retribution Gospel Choir, Monotonix, Holy Fuck and a reunited Inbreds are among the first acts announced for the 2008 Halifax Pop Explosion, taking place from Oct. 21 to 25. Early bird passes for the festival will be available on Monday, August 11.
The Explosion is in its 16th year and it continues to grow.
Other acts announced recently include Brutal Knights, the Islands, The Ruby Coast, Scarce, Ron Sexsmith with the Halifax Symphony Orchestra, Two Hours Traffic and Woodhands.
Early bird passes and selected tickets for The 2008 Halifax Pop Explosion go on sale Monday. Tickets will be available at all Ticketpro outlets in Atlantic Canada, online and by phone. Passes will only be available online and by phone at www.ticketpro.ca or 1-888-311-9090.
CBC picks up Drumlin tunes
Bridgewater, N.S. band Drumlin, who release its debut album Mackerel Skies in May, recently announced that CBC Radio will be distributing Mackerel Skies to all of the CBC radio stations across the country.
Mackerel Skies features a selection of the heritage songs of Nova Scotia from the collections of Helen Creighton. The 12 tracks recorded by the band were chosen from over 1,000 tunes found in the Nova Scotia Archives. The album was produced by Tim Feswick and it features multi-instrumentalist J.P. Cormier on some tracks.
So look (er … listen) to hopefully hear some Drumlin tunes on your local station soon.
ECMA showcase/award submissions to open
Showcase and awards submissions for the 2009 East Coast Music Awards in Corner Brook will open on Aug. 28.
Here are the various deadlines:
Showcase – Wednesday, Sept. 17
Soundwaves – Wednesday, Oct. 1
Music and industry awards – Wednesday, Oct. 15
Discovery Stage and Stompin’ Tom Awards – Wednesday, Oct. 29
Complete details on submission information can be found on the ECMA website.
