Category: Clients

HUFF – The Halifax Urban Folk Festival, is now in its 5th year (I believe?), and it starts THIS weekend (Sunday, August 24th!) and runs straight through to September 1st. Artists will be performing in several venues throughout the city, showcasing singer songwriters of international acclaim as well as some homegrown talent.

You know Dave Pirner from Soul Asylum?.. he’s there for a bunch of nights. Or Steve Poltz? …of course he’ll be there (it’s his second home). Garland Jeffries, Brian Potvin from Northern Pikes… there is a lot to cover. However, I would like to outline the 4 RHR artists that will be playing the festival, and one of them just happens to be the feature artist for RHR’s Thursday Track this week. Funny, that… 🙂

(click on the artist name to view their HUFF profile and show time / venue)
ADAM WASHBURN
KIM HARRIS
QUIET PARADE
DAVE MARSH AND THE TRUE LOVE RULES

Now, the Thursday Track this week comes from Adam Washburn. His EP Beautiful Things, was recorded by Dale Murray (The Guthries, Cuff The Duke, many more), and features background vocals from he and his partner, Christina Martin. The song “Dead of Winter” is track one from the EP. Take a listen and go out to see Adam at HUFF!!

 

It’s passed very quickly, but we still have a month of summer left and we’re celebrating with Quake Matthews‘ insta-hit, “Summertime Win” feat. Dylan Guthro. I don’t feel the need to have to sell this one too hard.

With radio ads picking up, and no samples to worry about, this song is easy to clear and easy to play on REPEAT! Turn it up and drive. Or bbq. Or whatever you want to do with the rest of YOUR summer!

We’ve partnered up with our friends at Seventh Fire Records, and are making the tracks in their 7″ Series available for licensing through Rocking Horse Road Productions! We already work closely with 7th Fire as we represent Express and Company as well as Melissa Payne, but we thought we’d take our relationship a little further.

Available tracks are by artists including The Weber Brothers, Matthew Barber and The Spades, Nicke Ferrio and His Feelings, James McKenty and Dave Tough (feat Serena Ryder). SUPES! Keep an eye on your inboxes. These will be delivered in the next little while.

The Thursday Track this week comes from one of these artists. The seriously awesome Weber Brothers – once members of The Hawks (yup, Ronnie Hawkins’ Hawks – read their bio here). The song is “Jesus, Jesus” – released with the Seventh Fire Series for June – and it’s cool old school rock that will leave you wandering around the house or your office singing “jesus, jesus” for the rest of the day.

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

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.

 

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

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!

(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…