Gordie Sampson

Nova Scotia native Gordie Sampson will celebrate the release of his latest album, Almost Beautiful – out on turtlemusik on Tuesday, July 26 — on Friday, Aug. 12 at Casino Nova Scotia’s Schooner Room. Doors open at 7:15 p.m.  and the show starts at 8 p.m.

The Grammy Award-winning Sampson wrote and performed the songs on the album with many of his long-time Nashville collaborators. The first single from the album is Hurricane Jane.

From September until May, Sampson lives and writes in Nashville, where he has become an established member (more…)

Bookmark to:

Al Tuck

Now based on Prince Edward Island, the critically acclaimed Al Tuck got his start in Halifax in the mid-‘90s during the east coast boom of the day. Leading the way, of course, was Sloan, who released Tuck’s first two records via their label, murderrecords.

Tuck has continued to carve out his own musical path over the years. His most recent release (more…)

Bookmark to:

Lots of goodies this week folks, as several east coast bands have released new music videos for their respective singles. Plus, Fredericton, N.B.’s Olympic Symphonium has posted a video of the band performing a new track on a rooftop in Denmark and much more.

Read on …

Eric

Motorleague releases new single, ‘Good Men’

Moncton’s The Motorleague has released a new CD single and video (below) for Good Men, one of the tunes from the band’s next album, Acknowledge, Acknowledge. The album is expected to be released later this year.

Meantime, the single hits stores on June 14, and it boasts two tracks not available anywhere else (including an acoustic version of the band’s most recognized tune, Hymn for the Newly Departed).

And what’s extra cool – the boys are donating a portion of the sales from the single to Cystic Fibrosis Canada.

New Neon Highway single at radio

Also coming out of Moncton, Rik Reese & Neon Highway have released a new single to Canadian country radio, All For Me (video following the turn).

The band has a monster summer ahead of it, where (more…)

Bookmark to:

Joel Plaskett's latest album is a collection of rare tunes.

In 2009, Joel Plaskett challenged us with a great big three-disc album (titled Three) that still managed to be really, really enjoyable. This time he’s aiming for really, really long titles. On Tuesday, June 14, the Nova Scotia songwriter releases a solo-career spanning collection of rarities, EMERGENCYs, false alarms, shipwrecks, castaways, fragile creatures, special features, demons and demonstrations via his own label, New Scotland Records.

Since releasing Three, Plaskett has (more…)

Bookmark to:

Mathias Kom is singer/ukelele player in The Burning Hell.

Newfoundland-based The Burning Hell, led by songwriter/ukulele player Mathias Kom, have released new record Flux Capacitor (weewerk records). A really neat record with a rag-tag mix of sounds and lyrics about the late-‘80s (remember when John Stamos played for the Beach Boys), pirates and beards. Honestly.

The new record was recorded and produced by James Anderson in Newfoundland, mixed by James Anderson in Toronto and mastered by Harris Newman in Montreal. It features (more…)

Bookmark to:

Racoon Bandit

Charlottetown’s Racoon Bandit (Fraser McCallum, Adam Gallant, Roger Carter and Scott Gallant) is set to release its 12-song production, Into The Hills (Collagen Rock Records), on Tuesday.

“This collection of songs shares some common ground with our first album Campcraft, with plenty of story-songs and folk tales like the River Song and Wooly Toque,” says MacCallum. “However, it also (more…)

Bookmark to:

East Coast Music Awards 2011 music award winners, presented only a few hours ago in Charlottetown:

Alternative Recording of the Year: Slowcoaster – The Darkest of Discos
Blues Recording of the Year: Matt Andersen – Piggyback
Children’s Recording of the Year: Rik Barron – Over in the Meadow
Classical Recording of the Year: Measha Brueggergosman – Nights and Dreams
Country Recording of the Year presented by Cavendish Beach Music Festival: Meaghan Blanchard – Chasin’ Lonely Again
DVD of the Year: The Trews – The Trews Acoustic – Friends & Total Strangers (Director: Tim Martin)
Bell Aliant Fan’s Choice Entertainer of the Year: Chris Colepaugh & The Crew
Bell Aliant Fan’s Choice Video of the Year: Highway of Heroes (Director: Tim Martin).
Female Solo Recording of the Year presented by Budget Rent-A-Car: Rose Cousins – The Send Off
Folk Recording of the Year: David Myles – Turn Time Off
Francophone Recording of the Year: Lennie Gallant – Le Coeur Hanté
Gospel Recording of the Year: Chelsea Nisbett – Anchored Roots
Group Recording of the Year: The Once – The Once
Instrumental Recording of the Year: Gypsophilia – Sa‐ba‐da‐OW!
Jazz Recording of the Year: Dwayne Cote & Duane Andrews – Dwayne Cote & Duane Andrews
Loud Recording of the Year: The Fed Pennies – Brain Disaster
Konica Minolta Male Solo Recording of the Year: Matt Andersen – Piggyback
Pop Recording of the Year presented by Coca-Cola: Meaghan Smith – The Cricket’s Orchestra
R&B/Soul Single Track Recording of the Year presented by BMO: Chelsea Nisbett – Anchored Roots
Rap/Hip‐Hop Single Track Recording of the Year: Ghettosocks – Don’t Turn Around (feat. Edgar Allen Floe)
FACTOR Recording of the Year: Wintersleep – New Inheritors (Producer: Tony Doogan)
Rising Star Recording of the Year: The Stanfields – Vanguard of the Young and Reckless
Rock Recording of the Year presented by Roland Canada: Chris Colepaugh & The Crew – Missed a Page
Roots/Traditional Group Recording of the Year: Ennis – Lessons Learned
Roots/Traditional Solo Recording of the Year presented by Purity Dairy: Dave Gunning – A Tribute To John Allan Cameron
Vibe Creative Group Single of the Year: David Myles – Need A Break (Producer: Joel Plaskett)
SOCAN Songwriter of the Year: Rose Cousins – “I Were the Bird” (Performed by: Rose Cousins)
World Recording of the Year: The Idlers – Keep Out

Bookmark to:

Ruby Jean & The Thoughtful Bees will perform at Electro-East tonight.

It’s that time of year again. The East Coast Music Awards are taking place in Charlottetown over the next few days – hundreds of the east coast’s best musicians, and their fans, will be filling up bars, clubs, theatres and other venues through Sunday.

I attended the ECMAs in Charlottetown a few years back, and the city might have provided the best ECMA experience I’ve had (out of three – Charlottetown, Halifax and Sydney). Something about their downtown … (more…)

Bookmark to:

Moonshine Ramblers

Halifax bluegrass act Moonshine Ramblers is hitting the road on its first cross-Canada tour next week in support of its new self-titled album.

The Moonshine Ramblers’ self-titled debut album was recorded live off the floor of a loft studio in Halifax and has already picked up a nomination as Bluegrass/Country Artist/Group Recording Of The Year at the Music Nova Scotia Awards, and a nomination for Alt-Country Album Of The Year at the Independent Music Awards.

Tour dates are as follows: (more…)

Bookmark to:

Moncton-area duo Lovestorm (Nina Khosla and Tim Isaac) have released a new music video for Great Ocean, the title track from the band’s recent album.

Described as a “powerful homage to the sea,” the video features images from the rugged shores of both Newfoundland and New Brunswick and was filmed by Scott Carson.

George Canyon to host ECMAs

The East Coast Music Association (ECMA) announced this week that Nova Scotia native and country music star George Canyon will host the gala awards show on Sunday, April 17 at 8 p.m. in the Homburg Theatre at Confederation Centre of the Arts in Charlottetown, P.E.I.

The gala show will take the audience through a glimpse of traditional Island flavour with (more…)

Bookmark to: