I will keep this very simple.
Dave Marsh and the True Love Rules‘ album The Cause of Many Troubles is one of my favourite records, and the track “This is How We Say Goodnight” is simply brilliant. Tell me the last artist, aside from Bowie, that delivered you a song like this. It’s new, it’s old, it’s familiar but it’s original, it’s dark but comforting. It’s A DAMN GOOD SONG. SO good for placements. PUT IT IN YOUR MOVIE NOW!
I was in a Halifax diner yesterday with my dad and Ria Mae‘s FABULOUS new single came on. It sounds great on the radio. Even in a diner, even while sitting with my dad, I couldn’t help but to bop about to “Clothes Off’. It’s groovy, sexy, cool.. but don’t just take my word for it – PRESS THE PLAY BUTTON BELOW.
This single was released on Sept 16th and will appear on Ria’s new album (which is equally as great). Produced by Classified, who’s ‘Inner Ninja’ won him all sorts of things in last year’s award season, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if the industry will be voting for “Clothes Off” in 2015!
Hear here:
As we continue to build the Hip Hop / DJ / EDM section of the roster here at Rocking Horse Road, we listen to many submissions and go hunting for new music. We are VERY pleased to announce two brand new signings in the category – Sydney, Australia’s Stufly and Toronto’s Rainer + Grimm.
Both of these artists produce high quality, placeable songs and have some great collaborations. SUPES – You would have received both new EPs in your newsletter this afternoon. If you are a music supervisor, producer, director or marketing / advertising director and you’d like to be included on our new music emails, please let me know – janesta (at) rockinghorseroad (dot) ca.
Listen to this week’s THURSDAY TRACK, “Arbean” by Stufly
AND watch the making of the MODERN WILD EP by Rainer + Grimm (on a tiny island in a lake).
In lieu of the Thursday Track, this week’s post is one of Nova Scotia Music celebration.
The Molson Canadian Nova Scotia Music Week 2014 nominations were released yesterday and RHR is pleased to announce that owner Janesta Boudreau and EIGHT RHR artists received recognition, including 6 apiece for Adam Baldwin and Kim Harris! I know it’s not nice to do an ‘I told you so” post, but.. obviously, like I’ve been trying to tell you… those albums are pretty damn special :).
Congratulations to all of the nominees in both the music and industry categories. See below for a list of RHR artists’ nominations or see them all HERE. We are especially proud that these nominations highlight the diversity of our roster. Please contact us for any of your music placement needs!
ADAM BALDWIN (Male Artist Recording, Musician, SOCAN Songwriter, New Artist Recording, Rock Recording, Recording of the Year)
BIT FUNK (DJ of the Year)
CAM SMITH (African Canadian Artist, Digital Artist, Music Video of the Year)
JOSHUA VAN TASSEL (Electronic Recording of the Year)
KIM HARRIS (Female Artist Recording, SOCAN Songwriter, Folk Recording, New Artist Recording, Recording of the Year, Entertainer of the Year)
KIM WEMPE (Pop Recording, Female Artist Recording of the Year)
KUATO (Alternative Recording, Music Video, Group Recording, Recording of the Year)
MAXIM CORMIER (Acadian / Francophone Artist, Jazz Recording of the Year)
+ JANESTA BOUDREAU (Industry Professional of the Year)
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
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!
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 ☺.