Alberta roots-pop collective The Hearts return with new EP Sunshine

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On their fourth studio release, the six-song Sunshine EP, Alberta roots-pop collective The Hearts take the listener on a pleasantly sentimental trip up and down peaks and valleys. From ‘hit’-style pop songs to tear drenched ballads, the album maintains an allusive intensity between the sonic layers, plaintive lyrics and open spaces.

The Hearts deliver memorable pop melodies and moody folk harmonies that fit comfortably at dive bars, soft seat theatres or international folk festivals. What sets them apart is just how easy their down-to-earth songwriting rests against a backdrop of stylish cosmic textures — six standout musicians blending into one unshakable sound.

The Hearts are comprised of Jeff Stuart, Dwayne Martineau, Gavin Dunn, Christopher Quesnel, Brad Tebble and Alex Vissia, and Sunshine was recorded at their home studio in Edmonton, Alberta. It was produced by guitarist Gavin Dunn and mixed by American producer and engineer Sam Kassirer (Josh Ritter, Joy Kills Sorrow and many more). Everything you hear was written, arranged and performed by The Hearts.

The Hearts’ music has been featured in HBO and MTV productions, received international critical acclaim and charted on radio all across Canada. Their 2015 album, Equal Love reached #1 on CKUA Radio and landed on Earshot’s Top 30. They’ve toured extensively and performed at many international festivals and events including SXSW, Edmonton Folk Fest, Calgary Folk Fest, Interstellar Rodeo and many more. They’re revered for delivering an exciting live show where they trade, layer and cohere splendidly — mixing equal parts glitter and grit.

UPCOMING SHOWS
June 23 (Sat) :: North Country Fair :: Waterton Lakes AB
June 29 (Fri) :: Wild Oats & Notes :: Tofield AB
Sept. 1 (Sat) :: Waynestock :: Drumheller AB
More to be announced!

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Wax Mannequin’s Have A New Name streaming exclusively now at Exclaim!

 

WaxM Have A New Name [Cover]

LISTEN HERE

Wax Mannequin (aka Hamilton, Ontario’s Christopher Adeney) is set to release his seventh album, Have A New Name, on June 22 through Coax Records/Outside Music. However, it can be heard now in full exclusively at Exclaim. The album will officially be launched with Wax Mannequin’s June 23 show at This Ain’t Hollywood in Hamilton, followed by a full Canadian tour that kicks off July 14 at The Rivoli in Toronto.

As Wax Mannequin, Adeney has established himself as a profound lyricist and songsmith, as well as a self-effacing showman. His music also reveals him to be a student of the human psyche, constantly finding fresh and interesting ways to frame the people we are and the things we encounter. All of that is gloriously displayed on Have A New Name, the result of Adeney reuniting with producer Edwin Burnett, with whom he made some of the first Wax Mannequin recordings in the early 2000s.

Working in a small east-end Hamilton industrial space containing an array of vintage and modern gear, the pair—along with percussionist Mark Raymond—crafted Have A New Name’s eight songs out of semi-impromptu sessions that eventually expanded with the addition of grand piano, gamba da viola, double bass and a 12 piece choir. The end product is the most sonically ambitious Wax Mannequin album to date, and also arguably the most powerful.

With Have A New Name, Christopher Adeney has made a Wax Mannequin album utterly necessary for this moment in time. Challenging and earthy, funny and heartbreaking, in search of answers yet rooted in hard-earned wisdom.

WAX MANNEQUIN TOUR DATES
Sat. June 23 :: This Ain’t Hollywood :: Hamilton ON [CD Release Show]
Sat. July 14 :: The Rivoli :: Toronto ON
Wed. July 18 :: The Townehouse :: Sudbury ON
Thurs. July 19 :: Downtown Street Fest :: Sault Ste Marie ON
Fri. July 20 :: The Foundry :: Thunder Bay ON
Sat. July 21 :: Brandon Folk Fest :: Brandon, MB
Sun. July 22 :: Johnnie’s Social Club :: Flin Flon MB
Tue. July 24 :: Cafe Koi :: Calgary AB
Wed. July 25 :: Royal On Baker :: Nelson BC
Thurs. July 26 :: The Wise Hall (Lounge) :: Vancouver BC
Fri. July 27 :: Hootstock :: Forest Grove BC
Mon. July 30 :: Elks Lodge :: Vernon BC
Thurs. August 2 :: Rolla Pub :: Rolla BC
August 3-6 :: Artswells :: Wells BC
Wed. August 8 :: Nancy O’s :: Prince George BC
August 10-12 :: MOM Festival :: Fort St James, BC
Tues. August 14 :: The Aviary :: Edmonton AB
Wed. August 15 :: Black Cat Tavern :: Saskatoon, SK
Thurs. August 16 :: The Windsor Hotel :: Winnipeg MB
Fri. August 17 :: The Foundry :: Thunder Bay ON
Sat. August 18 :: Lop Lops :: Sault Ste Marie, ON

Mariel Buckley announces tour of western Canada

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In the wake of her sophomore LP Driving In The Dark earning international rave reviews, and the single “Rose Coloured Frames” earning a month-long run on the CBC Radio 2 Top 20, Mariel Buckley will be hitting the road this summer across western Canada.

The Calgary-based singer/songwriter will appear at several high profile events including the Vancouver and Calgary Folk Festivals, as well as Dauphin Countryfest in Manitoba. For a handful of performances at craft breweries, Mariel will additionally vlog her experiences touring the facilities and tasting the wares.

It will be the first chance for many to experience Mariel performing songs from Driving In The Dark live, an album that reached #1 on CKUA’s Top 30 chart, and earned glowing features in BeatRoute, the Calgary Herald, the Edmonton Journal, VUE Weekly, Wide Open Country and elsewhere.

For Driving In The Dark, Buckley teamed up with decorated songwriter and producer Leeroy Stagger. The album boldly displays her evolution as a songwriter, with Stagger’s production adding a richer, edgier tone. Overall, Driving In The Dark is a complex experience of loss and uncertainty, propelled by raw Americana and tender notes of traditional country.

Cari Burdett cancels summer tour dates

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Due to unexpected circumstances, Cari Burdett has had to cancel her summer tour dates. The B.C. vocalist had several appearances scheduled, including the Winnipeg Jazz Festival, The Burdock in Toronto, and the Upstairs Jazz Bar in Montreal.

Here’s her official statement:

“It is with great sadness and regret I will have to cancel my performances due to health reasons related to my voice.

“After multiple medical appointments, a diagnosis determined I would be unable to give the quality performances that meet my professional standards and would be putting my throat at more risk. I have been advised by my doctors and voice specialists to rest my voice for several months.

I look forward to making new music and performing again once the healing process is completed. Sincerely, Cari.”

In the meantime, you can enjoy her new version of Lhasa’s “De Cara a la Pared”:

New Releases: Carlo / Joe Nolan “Music In The Streets”

A couple awesome releases today:

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CARLO — Carlo
Listen and purchase at Bandcamp

Whether they’re described as throwbacks to a more innocent time in music—or so hip it hurts—Carlo is simply a great band. Drawing equally from Link Wray, Ennio Morricone and Booker T & The MGs, the all-original Toronto instrumental combo has firmly embedded itself on the scene with a self-titled album guaranteed to make any situation a lot cooler.

Carlo is comprised of guitarist James Taylor, keyboardist Kelsey McNulty, bassist Scott McCannell, and current drummer Justin Rupple. Since releasing a debut EP in 2015, the band members have consistently developed their distinctive approach to well-established sounds. Carlo, the album, boldly displays the fruits of that evolution over the past two years.

Carlo certainly achieves that, recorded live at Magnephonic Records in Ottawa, using analog tape and vintage microphones for the highest possible fidelity reproduction. The album was then mastered for vinyl by Precision Pressing using state of their state of the art technology. Such attention to detail is a crucial part of Carlo’s aesthetic although, as evidenced by the band’s enigmatic name, they don’t necessarily follow the rulebook to the letter.

Carlo may be music geeks, but you don’t have to be to enjoy them.

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JOE NOLAN — “Music In The Streets” (ft. Lydia Loveless) [Single]
Listen to the exclusive premiere at Roots Music Canada
Get it HERE

Joe Nolan is back. The roots rocker from Edmonton, Alta., will release his new album, Cry Baby, this fall, but he’s offering an advance preview with the first single, “Music In The Streets,” featuring Lydia Loveless.

Cry Baby is a collection of 11 songs, which take you on a trip of melancholic madness, a departure from his previous work, Tornado, which was produced by Colin Linden in Nashville, TN back in 2014. This time around Nolan made a record that hits close to home. Recorded in the dead of winter with Scott Franchuk, the vision behind Cry Baby is one that Nolan has kept locked up inside for the past three years. The music makes clear his struggles with darkness and depression, booze-filled evenings and broken relationships, but sharing his deepest secrets has led to truly remarkable results.

Nolan’s constant strength is his lyrical ability, as his words and imagery pierce the heart and have you hanging off each breath. He is not afraid to bleed – his open, wounded-heart delivery reminds us that we are all human. His unapologetic vulnerability is brave and endearing. Cry Baby is a journey through his early days, his first love, his feelings of failure and his never-ending search to find where he fits in.

Aaron Allen’s Judgement Day #1 in London

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Thanks to CHRW – Radio Western in London for making Aaron Allen & The Small City Saints’ Judgement Day #1 this week!

The band’s set for more Canadian dates in June, and here’s the schedule so far:

Wed June 20 :: Ottawa ON :: The Rainbow Room
Thurs June 21 :: Kemptville ON :: The South Branch
Fri June 22 :: Montreal QC :: Barfly
Sat June 23 :: Keswick NB :: Barn House Pub
Sun June 24 :: Halifax NS :: Gus’ Pub
Tues June 26 :: Moncton NB :: Plan B
Thurs June 28 :: Charlottetown PE :: Baba’s Lounge
Fri June 29 :: Ottawa ON :: Avant-Garde Bar
Sat June 30 :: Kingston ON :: Musiikki Cafe

Collette Savard & The Savants release video for “Cecil Street”

Check out the whimsical new video for “Cecil Street,” one of the standout tracks from Collette Savard & The Savants‘ self-titled debut album. The song was inspired by Toronto’s Kensington Market, and anyone familiar with the neighbourhood will recognize it in the video.

The band plays the TRANZAC in Toronto on April 12:
https://www.facebook.com/events/161317804693207/