Author: Emma Cassidy

  • RHR ARTIST SONG OF THE WEEK – JULY 24

    You may know Melissa Payne as the female half of Express and Company – the sweet background vocals, the killer fiddle player, the on-stage joke teller (when forced by Dylan), but did you know she has a solo career as well?

    Her second album, produced by Greg Keelor (this is where I should note what popular Canadian band he’s been in for 20 years, but.. you should know! If you do not – Google!), has received a really nice response from journalists, and is setting her up for a long run in this crazy music biz.

    Today’s Thursday Track is the title track from her newest effort, High and Dry. Enjoy!

    Some praise for High and Dry:

    “Payne delivers a solid collection of heartbreak songs without over-singing a single one of them. Her second solo album, High and Dry, is beautifully arranged and performed by a who’s who cast of musicians, including Michael Boguski (Blue Rodeo) on piano and organ, Anna Ruddick (Ladies of the Canyon) on bass, Graham Walsh (Holy Fuck) on synth and Dylan Ireland on guitar and drums. Produced by Greg Keelor, the record recalls what’s best about the genre so epitomized by Blue Rodeo — gentle, sincere, road trip-ready Canadiana. Title track ‘High and Dry’ is the energetic standout single, but the slower songs (‘Not The Only One,’ ‘Cool West Wind,’ ‘Cold Out There’) provide just as much punch, thanks to great musicianship.” – Exclaim!

    “‘Kitchen Walls’ is a rip-roaring piano led, rocking old fashioned Country belter, and when the fiddle cuts through the middle section a huge smile lit up my face. The album flits across the Country genres like a butterfly and songs like ‘Call Me a Fool’ and ‘Cool West Wind’ both country songs worthy of Nanci Griffith’s typewriter; yet the punchy ‘Gunning For Me’ brought back memories of the first time I heard Lucinda all those years ago.” – No Depression

    “The Canadian songstress has spent many years honing her craft; be it playing guitar, fiddle or writing songs, time spent learning from the experts around her has served her in good stead. But it’s her husky, soulful, sunny voice that comes naturally, and it’s that which sets her apart, sparkling in its purity and in the rawness of her emotion. From the gentle melancholic tones of ‘Downtown’ to the wistful Americana of ‘Call Me A Fool’, Melissa hits us square and hard with every wailing pedal steel, every aching vibrato, every well-placed lyric, drowning in honesty and realness…I could play this on repeat and just let it wash over me, cleansed and content.” – For The Country Record

    http://melissapaynemusic.com

  • Express and Company Goes Primetime!

    Credit: David Hayman
    Credit: David Hayman

    We couldn’t be more thrilled to announce that Express and Company will be appearing in scene on a primetime television show (CTV / NBC) this fall with their cover of the traditional Newfoundland folk song, “Now I’m 64”. We will release more details as the spot is finalized and an air date is set.

    The band had cameras back-stage as well, so we’ll post some of that video when it’s ready. Wait.. back-stage? Or… behind the scenes? Maybe “on set”? Am I too music for TV speak?

    HUGE thanks to Express and Company’s Dylan and Melissa, M. Bigelow, Jimmy Bowskill, Craig McConnell, Tom Street and Seventh Fire Records and of course, David Hayman and Supersonic Creative!

  • The Richest Songs In The World

    It’s Monday afternoon in Cambridge, and the Tour de France, Stage 3 start and celebrations are over. Roads are almost open again. Pubs are undoubtedly still packed. All is well.

    Now, I know the Tour de France, for some, is incredibly, incredibly, exciting. For me, however, I am more excited about the BBC documentary I just finished watching called “The Richest Songs in the World”. The doc exposes the top 10 money-making songs by royalty pay-outs, and reveals some controversies and stories behind each.

    For instance, did you know that Roy Orbison’s first wife, for whom he wrote ‘Pretty Woman’ died in front of Orbison when she was hit by a car in an intersection while they were out riding motorcycles? Tragic. The song did go on, though, to earn an estimated 13 million British Pounds in royalties. The piece also goes through some sampling issues, which is always a hot topic when talking about royalties and copyrights.

    The doc is up on the BBC website for just 6 more days (as of July 7th, 2014) – and it may be geoblocked (check: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01pjrt5) but I’ve found it on Youtube for your streaming pleasure (speaking of copyright and royalty issues…), if you’re interested in this sort of thing. It’s so far up MY alley that it’s at my front door ☺.

  • RHR ARTIST SONG OF THE WEEK – June 26

    So, I missed a couple of weeks due to traveling and meeting some new contacts in LA, but we’re back with the RHR Thursday Track!

    This week I’m going back a few years to a band that I fell for (hard) when the EP, Grand Prix was released. These guys are from PEI, born and raised on the same soil as Boxer the Horse, Paper Lions, Two Hours Traffic, Meaghan Blanchard etc. etc. etc. There is something in that water. Or in the red dirt. Or in the air… who knows what it is, but the province sure does turn out some of the best pop bands in Canada!

    Without further ado, here is North Lakes’ “Grab Me By The Lapel”. Turn it up and drive fast down a country road. Go.


     

  • EXCLUSIVE GIVEAWAY: New Repartee Track Available to July 1st!

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    Repartee’s brand new song, “Nice Girls”, which debuted on MTV’s Awkward a few weeks ago, is now available on the band’s bandcamp until July 1st. Free. Unreleased. Repartee!

    http://repartee.bandcamp.com

     

  • RHR ARTIST SONG OF THE WEEK – MAY 29

    Repartee-2013-promo-photo-1-shirtsangled

    In honour of Repartee‘s unreleased track “Nice Girls” being the opening track on the Tuesday, June 3rd episode (408) of Awkward, this week’s Thursday Track will be the title track from the EP, Hello Hello Hello.

    I have gushed somewhere before (newsletter? socials?) on how this band live is just SO GREAT. Meg Warren uses every inch of stage, every ounce of energy and every bit of glitter in her make-up case to put on a highly entertaining show. Then she runs to the merch table to thank all of her guests for coming. She is sweet and entertaining as all get out. The boys that back her up are lovely lads, also from Newfoundland, AND they sing the ‘ohohohohohohohnono”s if / when they cover Beyonce’s “Crazy in Love”, which made me fall in love with them even more.

    Catch the new unreleased “Nice Girls” on MTV’s Awkward next Tuesday, and until then, have a listen!

  • RHR ARTIST SONG OF THE WEEK – MAY 22

    transams

     

    (mmm. trans ams.)

    This week’s Thursday Track is one that I pitched recently for an ad, and it got stuck in my brain for the week that followed. I’m not one to usually get electro dance songs stuck in one’s head but… what can you do. It’s a fun tune!

    Scientists of Sound have toured all over, despite one half of the group being a new dad and holding down about 80 jobs and 50 other bands. There will be new stuff to show you soon, but in the meantime, I give you:  Scientists of Sound – PONTIAC.

    Now, dance. You got it good…

  • RHR ARTIST SONG OF THE WEEK – MAY 15 + Other Placement News!

    We received some exciting news today! The Little Ditties, our resident children’s artist (and Children’s Recording of the Year Winner at East Coast Music Week), was asked to perform for Camilla Parker-Bowles (still her last name?), Dutchess of Cornwall, at a family event for Victoria Day in Dartmouth, NS! Congrats to Jeremy, Shane, Dave and the Kevin the Kitten puppet, who will surely make her and the attending kids smile real big :).

    In celebration of this, we’re going to make “The Cow Goes Moo” the Thursday Track this week. BEWARE – this one can get stuck in your head, big time whether you have kids or not. I’ve found myself, more than once, roaming around the streets singing “the cow goes moo, the cow goes moo, the cow goes moo and the horse does too…”. You know what? It’s ok. A good tune is a good tune, right?

    The Little Ditties – The Cow Goes Moo

    IN OTHER NEWS:

    New Repartee!! Repartee’s new unreleased track “Nice Girls” will be placed in an upcoming episode of MTV’s Awkward (E408), which airs Tuesday, June 3rd. The episode will be streaming, following the air date on mtv.com, mtv.ca and other regional mtv sites!

    If you missed SEED on City TV last week, you also missed Black Moor‘s “Hellraiser” in the background of the ‘tattoo parlour” scene! You can stream the episode (209 – Et Tattoo Brute) for the next little while at: http://www.citytv.com/toronto/shows/seed/ 

     

  • The Grand Seduction Hits Theatres

    The Grand Seduction, directed by Don McKellar, with great actors including our buddy Mark Critch, and featuring a song by our very own The Dardanelles, has made its way out in to the world! Check your local theatre listings and watch the trailer below.

  • RHR ARTIST SONG OF THE WEEK – MAY 9

     

    Oh my.. this Thursday Track is being posted on a Friday. I could say that I’ve been so busy or just so sick.. but honestly, I forgot to post this yesterday, as planned. But I will make it up to you by posting one of our most often placed artists, John Jerome & the Congregation.

    JJ&TC was a very early signing at Rocking Horse Road in 2013. I was hooked on the first listen, and the band has gone on to be placed in MTV’s Teen Mom 2 (a few times now), the indie doc 30 Ghosts and a request just hit my inbox for another placement (cool coincidence, eh?).

    The track I’ve chosen isn’t one that’s been placed, but it was the one that made me take notice that day last year when I hit play on JJ&TC the first time. Ah, the memories!

    John Jerome & The Congregation – Great Claims of Grandeur