P.E.I.'s Boxer The Horse is set to release its sophomore album.

Prince Edward Island’s Boxer the Horse will release its second album, French Residency, on March 13.

The band – Jeremy Gaudet (guitar/vocals), Andrew Woods (guitar/drums), Isaac Neily (keys/drums) and Christian Ledwell (bass) – released its debut full length, Would You Please, in 2010 to widespread critical acclaim.

They were named the Best New Band of 2010 by CBC Radio 3 — who shortlisted lead single Mary Meets the Pilot for 2010 Song of the Year — and were awarded the Music PEI’s 2011 Rock Recording of the Year. The band has appeared in support of such nationally heralded acts as The New Pornographers, Two Hours Traffic, In-Flight Safety, Dog Day and Hey Rosetta!.

Returning to the studio with producer Alec O’Hanley, Boxer the Horse recently completed their sophomore record French Residency.

The band will be taking French Residency on a national tour and dates will be announced soon.

Former Inbreds member back with solo record

Mike O’Neill, of long-defunct duo The Inbreds, has released Henry, the first single from his forthcoming album Wild Lines, available for free download (here).

Wild Lines is the follow-up to (more…)

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Andrew Sisk (photo by Scott Munn)

Share and Coco et Co. frontman Andrew Sisk will release his debut solo LP, Treelines, on Tuesday, Jan. 31.

Treelines was completed in Sisk’s apartment in Montreal with his son Elliott sleeping on his lap during vocal takes and quietly watching him record classical guitar parts. While self-engineered and produced, the album features contributions from members of Wintersleep, Snailhouse and The Two Minute Miracles.

Shivering Songs gears up + free stuff!

The second annual Fredericton-based Shivering Songs Festival is set for Feb. 3-5. Included in the lineup this year are Mark Kozelek of Sun Kil Moon/Red House Painters, Micah Blue Smaldone (SubPop) Postdata, Hot Toddy, Catherine MacLellan and many others.

Several shows are planned for throughout the weekend, including the Songwriters and Storytellers Matinee show at the Wilmot Church, with David Myles hosting for a second year. Myles will moderate the Saturday Matinee, which also features David Adams Richards, Catherine Maclellan, Mike O’Neill and Andrew Sisk.

The festival will take place at (more…)

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Carleton Stone will perform at ECMA Week in April. (Mat Dunlap photo)

The East Coast Music Association has released its list of showcase performers for East Coast Music Week, taking place in Moncton, April 11-15.

The list includes Moncton’s own Motorleague, Backyard Devils, Divorcees and others like Kim Stockwood, Christina Martin, Old Man Luedecke, Roch Voisine, Tim Chaisson and the Morning Fold and many, many more.

Click here for the full list of performers.

Smith celebrates new album on tour

Warner Music Canada recording artist and 2011 Juno Award Winner Meaghan Smith is going on tour to support her new holiday collection, It Snowed.  The tour kicked off in Vancouver last week and passes through Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, before returning her home to Halifax (more…)

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Penny Blacks (photo by Dan Culberson)

Saint John, N.B. band Penny Blacks released their debut album, Harbour, this week.

Formed in 2006, the band has released two EPs in its five years and received fantastic reviews in that time.

Penny Blacks began as a solo project for vocalist/songwriter Jason Ogden. Ogden had been hoarding more personal, intimate acoustic songs in his apartment that didn’t fit with his post-punk band Hospital Grade for over a decade. According to a press release, events in his life had suddenly created an overwhelming desire to finally get the songs out of his bedroom and before an audience. For all intents and purposes homeless for a period, Ogden drifted in and out of (more…)

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Rich Aucoin

Halifax indie rocker Rich Aucoin will release his latest record, We’re All Dying To Live (Sonic Records), on Nov. 1.

Aucoin’s new record is a musical scrapbook compiling more than 500 musicians, friends and fans from across Canada. From St. John’s, NL to Dawson City, YK, Aucoin invited everyone and anyone who wanted to be on the record.

“The record is really about making big life decisions or at least about thinking about those decisions and how to live one’s life,” says Aucoin.

Unlike his debut Personal Publication (2007), an EP that synchs to Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas, We’re All Dying To Live is a very public affair.

Jon McKiel hits the road for Tonka War Cloud

We had some news on Jon McKiel’s latest record (released on Oct. 4) a few weeks ago. Since then he has announced tour dates in support of Tonka War Cloud, beginning tomorrow: (more…)

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Music New Brunswick held its second annual awards night in Moncton on Sunday, with 27 awards handed out.

Memramcook’s George Belliveau walked away with the most awards on Sunday, winning six. The Backyard Devils and Phil Flowers won three awards while Babette Hayward and Bruno Jacques Pelletier each won two.

The gala awards event was co-hosted by CBC’s Bob Mersereau and Espace musique’s Amélie Gosselin. The winners were selected by Music N.B. members’ votes (50 %), a jury vote (25 %) and the general public (25 %).

Anglophone Recording: Phil Flowers – People People
Francophone Recording: George Belliveau – Whisky amer
Anglophone Male Recording: Phil Flowers – People People
Francophone Male Recording: George Belliveau – Whisky amer
Female Recording: Babette Hayward – You Might Be Somebody
Group Recording: The BackYard Devils – Self Titled
SOCAN Singer Songwriter (Anglophone): Chris Colepaugh
SOCAN Singer Songwriter (Francophone): George Belliveau
Emerging Artist: The BackYard Devils – Self Titled
Anglophone Country Recording: The BackYard Devils – Self Titled
Francophone Country Recording: George Belliveau – Whisky amer
Folk Recording: The Olympic Symphonium – The City Won’t Have Time to Fight
Pop Recording: Babette Hayward – You Might Be Somebody
Rock Recording: Phil Flowers – People People
Spiritual Recording: Mike Biggar – The Season
Classical Recording: Bruno Jacques Pelletier – Musique Ancienne/Early Music
Electronic/Urban Recording: The Arka Teks – Evolver
Classical Artist: Bruno Jacques Pelletier
2011 NB Expat Artist: David Myles
Musician of the Year: Christien Belliveau
Video/DVD of the Year: George Belliveau – La Grange à GB
Music Industry Professional of the Year: Carol Doucet
Event/Venue/Festival of the year: Plan B
Visual artist of the year: Jessica Rhaye – Jessica Rhaye Design
2011 Educator of the year: Isabelle Thériault
2011 Fans Choice Anglophone Artist: The Arka Teks – Evolver
2011 Fans Choice Francophone Artist: George Belliveau – Whisky amer

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The 24th annual East Coast Music Week will be held in Moncton, April 11-15, 2012. The festivities began today at a press conference in Moncton with New Brunswick Premier David Alward, Moncton Mayor George LeBlanc and members of the East Coast Music Industry officially announcing the event.

“Our Support of ECMA is part of our commitment to support the growth of the cultural industries in New Brunswick,” Alward said.  “This event is instrumental in helping to promote East Coast Music both at home and around the globe.”

New Brunswick native Roch Voisine will host the awards show in Moncton, which will take place on Sunday, April 15, at Casino New Brunswick.  Other main stage venues for the week include the Delta Beausejour Hotel, the Capitol Theatre, the Oxygen and Manhattan clubs.  Other venues will be announced closer to the event.

The 2012 Gala Awards show will be live webcast to the world by Bell Aliant and musical events throughout ECMA Week 2012 will be widely broadcast on radio through CBC and Newcap radio stations across the region.

More than 6,000 people are expected to attend ECMA events during the four days in April that will provide $2.5 million in direct revenue and over $6 million in indirect revenue for Moncton and surrounding communities.

There are some shows this weekend to kick off the event, including tonight’s show at the Tide & Boar on Main Street featuring Les Païens, Andy Brown, Babette Hayward and Chris Colepaugh and The Crew. Tomorrow morning at The Moncton Market on Westmorland Street, between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., Mike Biggar, Dann Downes, The Divorcees and Samantha Robichaud will perform. In the event of rain, that show will be moved to the Tide & Boar from 4-6 p.m.

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Jon McKiel released his latest record this week.

Halifax native Jon McKiel released new record Tonka War Cloud (Youth Club Records, Saved by Vinyl) this week.

His latest effort was recorded in The Old Confidence Lodge in Riverport, N.S. Built in 1929, the building was used as an Odd Fellows Hall until it was recently converted into a studio and venue.

Some the tunes on the new record were released earlier this year on the Confidence Lodge EP, which was a preview for the new record.

The recording approach often saw McKiel playing multiple instruments (guitar, bass, synth, large chains and percussion) over his own voice, building songs in layers. This proved challenging since the massive building did not yet have the luxury of heat when the album was being recorded in the dead of winter.

David Myles heads Into The Sun

Folk singer-songwriter David Myles spreads his wings a bit on new album Into The Sun (Tiny Little Records), also released this week. (more…)

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So I’m way behind. You’re not honestly surprised, are you?

It’s been more than a month and I’ve been swamped with work and busy with a touch of vacation. But I’m back with an update on a ton of albums either just released or about to be released. And honestly, there’s way more coming, but I don’t have time to list them all tonight. I’ll try for another update in the next week or so to fill you all in on more of them.

Here we go …

Cheers!

Eric

Alt-country duo Madison Violet release new album

JUNO Award nominees and winners of the 2010 John Lennon Songwriting Competition’s Maxell Song of the Year Award (more…)

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Dog Day is now a two-piece, Nancy Urich and Seth Smith.

Halifax-area two-piece Dog Day released its new record, Deformer, this week on the band’s own label, Fundog Records.

Deformer is the follow-up to 2009’s acclaimed Concentration and the band’s debut as a duo. Prior to recording the new record, (more…)

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