Halifax’s Big Game Hunt is gearing up to release its latest album, Goliath, the follow-up to 2006’s The Gods Drink Whisky. The album is set for release in Summer 2009.

The band, Jordan Rose, Wayne Muise, Jared McInnis and Matt Duncanson, formed in 2002 in Halifax.

Below is the track list for the new album:

1. Seeing Red
2. Dave And Big G
3. Heavy Blues
4. Revelation
5. Blue Devils
6. Leaving
7. Lucky 13
8. Raise A Glass
9. Embrace
10. Reprieve
11. Heaven Falls
12. Wisdom In One
13. Lesson Learned
14. Search Party
15. Before Long
16. On The Scene

Rusted Dawn prepare for war

Sussex, N.B. thrash metal band Rusted Dawn are also gearing up for an album release for summer.

The band will release The Black Tides of War, a collection of material from the band’s EPs along with some new material sometime in the warmer season.

The band formed in 2004. The group consists of the Goddard brothers, with Jeremy singing and playing guitar and Justin on lead guitar. Rounding out the band is the rhythm section of Chad McMillan on bass and Luke Vautour on drums.

They have two independent EPs, The Toxic Shock E.P. (2006) and The Red Collar E.P. (2008) and they have also appeared on the Diminished Fifth Records Compilation The Music of Artisanship & War: Volume 1.

The Black Tides of War track list:

1. Prologue
2. Red Collar
3. Waking Streets
4. By The Hammer Of Thor
5. Derelict
6. Master Species
7. Stigmantis
8. Where Turns The Tide
9. I Am Becoming Death
10. The Black Tides Of War

Share returns home from Europe

After a successful tour of Europe, Fredericton’s Share (Andrew Sisk, Kyle Cunjak, Nick Cobham and Zach Atkinson) have returned home.

But the band isn’t up for a break, instead it will keep right on playing with shows across New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

Here are the dates:

April 2 - Fredericton, N.B. @ The Capital
April 3 - Moncton, N.B. @ MIME Fest, The Paramount Lounge
April 4 - Halifax, N.S. @ Coconut Grove
April 9 - Rothesay, N.B. @ Shadow Lawn Inn
April 12 - Fredericton, N.B. @ Wilser’s Room

Mullane plays hearing/speech fundraiser

Halifax-based recording artist Jon Mullane will perform on Saturday, April 4 at Casino Nova Scotia in the Compass Room as part of Monte Carlo Night, a major fundraising event in support of the N.S. Hearing and Speech Foundation.

Mullane’s single “Make You Move” was nominated for Single of the Year at the 2009 East Coast Music Awards.  The song was also picked up by NBC for use in their promo commercials for the Beijing Summer Olympics. His new single “Change Your Life” is currently climbing the radio charts nationwide and was featured on a PSA which Jon appeared in for the Hearing and Speech Foundation that was screened in Empire Theatres across Nova Scotia throughout the month of March.

Mullane’s most recent album The Source is available through Fontana North/Universal Music Canada.

Tickets are still available to the show by calling 902-423-1947.

Husband & Knife tours

Halifax’s Husband & Knife (solo artist KC Spidle, also a member of the band Dog Day) is about to embark on a tour of Ontario, but before he does, KC has two east coast gigs.

KC is touring in support of the new album An End (Divorce Records).

He’ll play Friday, April 3 at Gus’ Pub in Halifax with The Ether, The Friendly Dimension and Story, and he’ll play Monday, April 6 with Remi Cormier of Colonial Quarrels/Peter Parkers in Moncton at the Great Canadian Pub.

Fredericton’s Grand Theft Bus hits the road across the east coast next month to play some interesting gigs.

As a way to give back to their faithful listeners, GTB have decided to open up a request line for people to vote on old tunes that they would like the band to dig out of the vault.

It’s a pretty simple process - send your song request (one song only, and fans are asked to only vote once) to this e-mail.

On April 1, the request line will close and the band will then put the five songs that get the most votes back to life. These songs will not be posted anywhere beforehand so you’ll have to come out to the shows to hear them.

The request line (e-mail?) is open now.

Joining Grand Theft Bus in Moncton and Halifax will be Snailhouse from Montreal.  In Charlottetown, Moncton’s own The Nuclear will open and in Saint John, Fredericton’s Tuque (formerly known as Jellyroll) will join the band.

The dates are as follows: April 10, The Paramount in Moncton; April 11, The Seahorse in Halifax; April 17, Hunter’s Ale House in Charlottetown; April 18, AKHORD in Saint John.

Divorcees, the last free men?

Moncton country band The Divorcees are set to release its much-anticipated sophomore album, The Last of the Free Men (Hay Sale/Outside) on May 5.

The band - Alex Madsen, Danny Roy, Denis “Turtle” Arsenault, Brock Gallant and Jason “J Byrd” Nicholson – formed in 2005. Its debut album You Ain’t Gettin’ My Country yielded the singles “Take Take Take” and “Red Haired, Red Blooded Woman.” In 2008, the band took home the 2008 ECMA for Country Recording of the Year for the album.

The Last Of The Free Men was recorded during the fall and winter of 2008/09 at the Tragically Hip’s Bathouse studios in Bath, Ont. The band worked with producer Josh Finlayson of The Skydiggers.

The band is currently on tour out west, but an east coast jaunt is no doubt in the works for after the album release.

Next ECMAs already in the works

The East Coast Music Awards Show & Conference is scheduled March 4-7, 2010 in Cape Breton. If you missed the original broadcast of the 2009 East Coast Music Awards, you can check it out here. This footage includes bonus footage of The Heartbroken (Damhnait Doyle’s new band), who performed following the televised portion of the ECMAs.

Bands take home awards

Congratulations go out to east coast artists who went home with several awards in the last week or so. Age of Daze won the Canadian Radio Music Award for Best New Group/Solo Artist Rock of the Year.

Meanwhile, several east coast bands took home honours at the 2009 Indie Awards, including Hey Rosetta’s Into Your Lungs winning Favourite Album and the band winning the Favourite Artist/Band Website. The Trews took home honours for Favourite Video (“Hold Me In Your Arms”) and Favourite Live Artist/Band. Plants and Animals won in the the Favourite Francophone Artist/Group category, and Matt Mays & El Torpedo won in the Favourite Rock Artist/Group category.

Contact East 2009 seeks performers

Contact East 2009 is now accepting applications for showcasing in Moncton, October 1-4, 2009. Contact East is a four-day performing arts showcase and conference that attracts buyers from across Canada and internationally. Deadline for applications is March 31.

See www.contacteast.ca for information and application forms. Contact Sue or Joady at 902-836-5519 for more.

MIMEFest (Moncton Integrated Music & Entertainment Festival) will be held in Moncton from April 2-5. The festival will feature 50 bands from across Atlantic Canada, Quebec and Ontario.

The event spawned from the birthday concerts that were held for the website Monctonlocals.com but has become a much larger event since its start in 2003. The event, now under the name MIMEFest, will be expanding in 2009 to include more programming, an awards show event and an educational component.

MIMEFest 2009 will showcase all genres of music with acts as diverse as Les Paiens, The Monoxides, Michou, Sigil Of Aeons, The Peter Parkers, Ghostown Belle, ECMA Award winners Iron Giant, Kestrels, Danger Bees, Urban Surf Kings and dozens more.

The new educational component will feature seminars open to festival attendees that will cover subjects such as touring in a band, the do-it-yourself aspect of running a band or label, putting on an all-ages show and a demo critique from record label executives.  The delegates being brought in for this year’s festival are Adam Kreeft of Underground Operations Booking Agency, Katie Clark, operations manager for Underground Operations Record Label and Josh Hogan, CEO of Diminished Fifth Records.

“We’re really looking forward to the educational aspect of this year’s festival,” MIMEFest founder Don Levandier said in a press release.  “The delegates we’ve got coming in will bring a sense of legitimacy to the event and show our local acts that we’re not that isolated and people are paying attention to what’s going on out east.”

The festival will open on Thursday, April 2 with a special launch party featuring The Superfantastics, Morse Code Alphabet, Hospital Grade, L’embuscade, and Bloodsports at The Paramount Lounge.  Friday will see the entire 02 complex filled with bands on every stage, and Saturday will showcase the all ages show at Moncton Lion’s Club as well a show at Doc Dylan’s.

Bracelets, which will grant entry to all venues as well as educational sessions, are on sale now at The Manhattan Tavern and Spin-It Records. For a complete schedule, check out Mimefest.ca.

Bathurst native releases album

Bathurst native fiddler Louise Vautour is set to release Traces, her first solo album composed entirely of original material. The album, which has a Celtic sound, was released this week at a launch party in Caraquet, a long way from where she wrote much of the album – in Spain, France and the Magdalen Islands, to name a few spots.

The album contains many tunes that are very personal to Vautour, like “Grandpa’s Waltz,” which is the first tune she wrote at age 15 to honour her maternal grandfather’s memory. “Lament for the Boys in Red” was co-written by Louise and her father, Daniel Vautour, in memory of the seven basketball players from Bathurst High School who lost their lives as a result of a terrible highway accident in January of 2008. She also co-wrote the tune “Pas perdu” with her fiancé, singer-songwriter Christian Kit Goguen, who also wrote “Cowboy Tune.”

Throughout her young career as a fiddler, Vautour has played with many groups including Vilajoie, which hosted a series of musical diner theater shows at the Historical Acadian Village in Caraquet. She also played with the Adelaide Ensemble, la Belle Amanchure, Bourasque and la Famille Basque. In 2004, she joined Ode a l’Acadie, a show which pays tribute to Acadian songwriters.

“Gibraltar (Gibraltar Jig/Queen Ysabel Reel)” is the first single off the album to be released on the radio.  It was written by Vautour upon her return from a trip to Spain.

Traces is distributed by Distributions Plages.

Songwriters hit the road together

Four of Nova Scotia’s most accomplished young songwriters will hit the road together this week, for a 10-stop “songwriters circle” tour throughout Nova Scotia.

The Whisky Hymnal Tour, featuring Steven Bowers, Christina Martin, Norma MacDonald and Kev Corbett, kicks off Friday, March 20 at The Evergreen Theatre in Margaretsville.

It lands in Petite Riviere on Saturday, March 21 (part of Little River Folk series) at Petite Firehall, and will touch down in New Glasgow (Mar. 28), Truro (Mar. 29), Halifax (Apr. 1), Chester (Apr. 3), Liverpool (Apr. 4), Glace Bay (Apr.9), Amherst (Apr. 10) and Antigonish (Apr.11).

The line up will include violinist/singer Fleur Mainville for Saturday’s show (March 21) in Petite Riviere, while songwriter Thom Swift will take a seat in the circle (replacing Christina Martin) for the Amherst show only, on April 10.

(Photo contributed)

Moncton rock band The Watermen is releasing its sophomore effort, 11,000 Days, tomorrow night (Wednesday) at the Rockin’ Rodeo in Moncton with guests Neon Highway.

The band (Marc Little, Mike Gaudet, Clinton Fernandes, Tom Thompson, Gilles Savoie) released its debut record two years ago.

“It’s a great feeling - album number two,” singer Marc Little told EastCoastNoise in an e-mail. “It’s really a serious milestone. Most bands never release number two.”

The album will be released nationally on March 17 via Prism Music, distributed by Fontana North/Universal.

“The new album 11,000 Days is something the band is very proud of,” Little says. “We enjoy playing the songs, and I am proud of my vocal message. It’s just a blast really, is all it is. Good times really. Not really sure what to compare it to however. I would think if you’re a fan of Tom Petty, new Bon Jovi, Bryan Adams, Doc Walker, Johnny Reid … you may just take a liking to The Watermen.”

By gigging around town, playing open mic nights and so on over several years in Atlantic Canada, Little has managed to build his name up.

“Momentum is a very fickle thing,” he says. “It has to be capitalized upon immediately.  We’re really hoping for a lot of airplay out west. We don’t even bother trying to get airplay in our hometown. Because a local band is always a local band in their hometown and there is almost contempt for local bands.”

Little says radio stations are very “cookie-cutter” and unwilling to break the mold and try out new artists, but he’s hoping to drum up airplay out west. That said, if a music director in Atlantic Canada is willing to give the band a chance, they certainly have Little’s blessing.

Even if radio won’t pick up the band, you’ll be able to hear three of the band’s new songs on The Global Television show Biker TV in spring/summer of this year.

After launching the album in several cities, the band will be on the hunt for gigs across Atlantic Canada.

Also, the band is already working on new material for its next disc with Alex Call (Huey Lewis and the News). Little says he and Call have been bouncing song ideas off each other.

Opening for The Watermen tomorrow night is Rik Reese & Neon Highway. The band just wrapped up some performances at the ECMAs in Corner Brook, NL, during which they were asked to perform at some festivals in the United Kingdom.

Since releasing its album, Mama Raised a Good Boy, last summer, Neon Highway has opened for The Kentucky Headhunters, Julian Austin and Matt Minglewood.

The album was chosen on the list of Top 12 Canadian Country albums for 2008 by Country Music News.

Advance tickets to tomorrow night’s show are $15 at Rockin’ Rodeo, Ayer Convenience, Spin-It CDs & DVDs and Maggie’s Flowers in Riverview. Advance tickets come with a copy of The Watermen’s new album. Admission is $8 at the door.

Hey all,

Just an FYI - East Coast Noise will be down for some maintenance tomorrow. I don’t anticipate this will last more than 24 hours, but you never know.

When we’re back up and running, we have an interview coming with east coast rapper Classified who is dropping a new album on April 7 via Sony Music. I spoke with Classified recently on the new album, signing with a major label, touring and being a new dad.

Cheers,

Eric

Moncton’s Colonial Quarrels released its debut album, The End Was An Honest Mistake, a few weeks back. The album, a mix of folk, alt-country and rock, is in local stores now.

I caught the band’s CD release show in early February. It was a fantastic set by the six-member group.

The band initially formed in 2003 as a side project for Remi Cormier, frontman of the The Peter Parkers.

“It all started with one little sentence – ‘I like the tune but it doesn’t sound like a Peter Parkers song,’” says Cormier.

So he started a new band.

Rounded out by fellow Parkers Chasity Alward (piano/vocals), Cameron Murphy (drums/vocals) and Stephane Doucet (keyboard), the band also features  acclaimed guitarist Denis Surette of Les Paiens  (guitar/slide) and David Gregory (bass) of Mario Poupettes and the

The album was released via Superbob Records. The band’s debut single “BD’s Shoes” can be found on radio now.

Dog Day hits the road

Dog Day is performed last night at The Capital in Fredericton, and now the band is heading out on a one-week tour through Quebec and Ontario.

At the end of the road, the band will spend two days recording with legendary Eric’s Trip front man Rick White, including tracking one song that White has written specifically for Dog Day.

The band has also released “Rome,” a first glimpse of its forthcoming album, Concentration, via its website. The album will be released in late April by Outside Music with a special vinyl edition from Black Mountain Music in Canada and Tomlab in Europe.

The album will feature 11 songs. It was mixed by John Agnello (Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr).

Great Big Sea frontman tapped for film

Alan Doyle from the multi-platinum selling Newfoundland band Great Big Sea has just been tapped to appear in the upcoming Ridley Scott/Brian Grazer Universal Pictures production of Robin Hood. The film, which doesn’t have a proper name just yet, is set to star Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett.  Doyle will appear as Allan A’Dayle in the film.

Crowe has been a longtime supporter of Great Big Sea, having penned the song “Company of Fools,” from their critically acclaimed 2008 CD Fortune’s Favour. In addition, Doyle produced and co-wrote several songs on Crowe’s own album My Hand, My Heart, and has played several shows with Crowe’s band, The Ordinary Fear Of God.

Meanwhile, Great Big Sea will be touring in Canada this month, with their final stop in Vancouver on March 29 where they will perform live on the CTV broadcast of the 2009 JUNO AWARDS. The band received its tenth Juno nomination this year, in the category Group of the Year for their gold-certified album Fortune’s Favour.

The band’s east coast dates include March 11 at the Moncton Coliseum, March 12 at the Halifax Metro Centre and March 14 at St. John’s Mile One Stadium.

Bower named finalist in songwriting competition

Nova Scotia-based, Newfoundland-born Steven Bowers has been named a finalist the International Songwriting Competition (Folk/Singer Songwriter category) for his song “Bees In Jars.”

The song is from his current CD “Homing”, which was nominated for 2009 ECMA Folk Recording of The Year.

The International Songwriting Competition received 15, 500 entries from 100 countries. Winners will be announced in April.

Moncton songwriter night endorsed by SAC

Moncton’s latest open mic night, featuring original music only, is now officially endorsed by the Songwriters Association of Canada (SAC).

This event, occurring on the first Tuesday of each month at Moncton’s St. James Gate, kicked off its first edition last month. It was patterned after the SAC’s branded open mic called SongStage and has now received formal endorsement.

Many things remain the same:  pre-registration is required, each songwriter will have the chance to perform three songs and the event is free of charge to the public. Changes apply to the name of the event, which is now called the SAC Moncton SongStage. For registration, priority will now be given to SAC members.

Songwriters can register in advance for the April 7 edition via e-mail at monctonsong@gmail.com. Participants must bring their own instrument. All languages of performance are welcome. St. James’ Gate is located at 14 Church St. in Moncton.

I was really hoping to make it to the event this year, but it wasn’t happening. Regardless, congrats to all the winners! Looking forward to another great year of East Coast music.

Cheers,

Eric

The 2009 East Coast Music Award winners are:

College of the North Atlantic DVD of the Year: SQUID: The Evolution, directed by Ryan Fraser, Mark Jamieson, Daniel St. Pierre, and Ian MacMillan (Squid)

Colemans Entertainer of the Year: Joel Plaskett Emergency

The Grenfell College, Memorial University Female Solo Recording of the Year: Chances (Jill Barber)

Western Petroleum Group Recording of the Year: Into Your Lungs (and around in your heart and on through your blood) (Hey Rosetta!)

Konica Minolta Male Solo Recording of the Year: Something in Between (Matt Andersen)

FACTOR Recording of the Year: Into Your Lungs (and around in your heart and on through your blood) (Hey Rosetta!)

CBC Galaxie Rising Star Recording of the Year: You Will Land with a Thud (The Tom Fun Orchestra)

Vibe Creative Single of the Year: We Are Young And So Is The Night (Gordie Sampson)

SOCAN Songwriter of the Year: Gordie Sampson (with J. Smith & JT Harding) for “We Are Young and So Is The Night” (performed by Gordie Sampson)

Star Style Creative Works Video of the Year:  “Weighty Ghost”, directed by Sean Wainsteim (Wintersleep)

Newcap Radio Alternative Recording of the Year: Into Your Lungs (and around in your heart and on through your blood) (Hey Rosetta!)

Bluegrass Recording of the Year: The Grass Mountain Hobos (The Grass Mountain Hobos)

Blues Recording of the Year:  Something in Between (Matt Andersen)

Children’s Recording of the Year presented by Marblewood Village Resort: Shine (Rik Barron)

Classical Recording of the Year: A Child’s Cry from Izieu - Oskar Morawetz complete works for violin and piano (Jasper Wood)

Country Recording of the Year presented by Comfort Inn: Chasing the Sun (Tara Oram)

Way’s Transport Folk Recording of the Year: On the Line (David Myles)

Instrumental Recording of the Year: Raindrops (Duane Andrews)

Jazz Recording of the Year presented by Fortis Properties: Chances (Jill Barber)

ECMA 2010 Cape Breton Loud Recording of the Year: Creator of Scars (Iron Giant)

Newcap Radio Pop Recording of the Year: Two Hearts (Christina Martin)

Sirius Satellite Radio Rock Recording of the Year: Terminal Romance (Matt Mays & El Torpedo)

Roots/Traditional Solo Recording of the Year presented by Central Dairies: Endless Memories (Brenda Stubbert)

Roots/Traditional Group Recording of the Year presented by Marble Mountain: When Here Meets There (Troy MacGillivray & Shane Cook)

World Recording of the Year: Against The Grain (Ryan Leblanc)

Newcap Radio Aboriginal Recording of the Year: This is the Life for Me (The Flummies)

CBC Galaxie Francophone Recording of the Year: J’ai Trouvé Dans Une Chanson (Ronald Bourgeois)

Brook Construction Gospel Recording of the Year: The Reason We Sing (The Burkes)

Rap/Hip-Hop Single Track Recording of the Year presented by the Mamateek Inn: The Main Event (Hotbox feat. Spesh K & Y-Rush

The 2009 East Coast Music Industry Award winners are:

Broadcast of the Year sponsored by Supertemp: East Coast Countdown

Event of the Year sponsored by Provincial Airlines: Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival

Graphic Designer of the Year sponsored by Volkswagen Canada: CHR!S SM!TH - funkfactor

Independent Company of the Year: Sonic Entertainment Group

Industry Professional of the Year sponsored by CARAS: Fred Lavery

Live Sound Technician of the Year sponsored by World Vision Artist Associates Program: Carl Gosine

Manager of the Year sponsored by Delta Hotels Atlantic: Darren Gallop

Media Person of the Year sponsored by ECMA 2010 Cape Breton: Jimmie Inch

Photographer of the Year sponsored by Marine Atlantic: CHR!S SM!TH - funkfactor

FACTOR Radio Station of the Year - Major Market: Q104 Halifax

FACTOR Radio Station of the Year - Small Market: CKEC - East Coast FM 94.1

Record Company/Distributor/Independent Label of the Year sponsored by City Chrysler: Warner Music Canada

Retailer of the Year sponsored by Village Music/Gary Bennett Music: CD Plus

Studio of the Year: The Sonic Temple

Studio Engineer of the Year sponsored by OIART: Mike “Sheppy” Shepherd

Venue of the Year sponsored by National Car Rental: The Fredericton Playhouse

Website of the Year sponsored by 101.3 - The Bounce: www.dav-net.com , designer Jud Haynes