New Brunswick / Fredericton Rap up.

There are so many great artists in New Brunswick and even more specifically the most beautiful city in Canada, Fredericton. Freddy beach as its more affectionately known to locals has a great music scene which culminates in the great music fest in Atlantic Canada, Harvest Jazz and Blues. I want to introduce you to three more Freddy artists that all deserve to be heard. The band Oh No Theodore (kick ass name) is a young group that has a folkie roots thing going for them. To be honest I have yet had the opportunity to see them live but as I have recently moved back home I hope to see them soon. I just checked and they are playing tonight at the Charlotte Street Arts Center, solid. Another young Fredericton band that I saw for the first time at Harvest last year and that has been getting allot of local press is Andy Brown. He has a great voice and puts on a great show. He was been doing well for himself lately with a number of awards and honourable mentions in sing writing contests. Go out and see him if you can. I promise you will not be disappointed. The final person I want to introduce you too is a former member of another solid Freddy Band, Hot Toddy. His name is Thom Swift. He has now branched out on his own and can be seen mostly around Halifax. He has also been doing well for himself. Winning the right to represent NB in the most recent CBC Song Quest competition. His song about the beautiful drive along the St John river can be seen here: http://goo.gl/WdJKl He is back on tour both solo and with his backup band this summer. Be sure to check out both formats if possible because they are quite different and great in their own right.

Oh No Theodore:


Andy Brown:

(Available in HD)

Thom Swift

(I love this guitar)

New Brunswick - Olympic Symphonium

I am back. Sorry for the delay but I have been trying to who to showcase for my final NB artist and I have decided it should be The Olympic Syphonium. I mentioned them briefly last week and I haven't stopped listening to them since so they get the nod.  I previously saw them at Harvest with another blog inductee, Rose Cousins.  It was a great concert but I missed most of their act but liked the videos they were sending out when playing with Rose. You might also notice the bass player, Kyle Cunjack,  from a David Myles CD or concert. He has been touring with Dave for a couple of years now.  I like how interchangeable the band is as well. I have seen videos where each had played each other's music. This band really gets the social media aspect of a developing artist. They have some of the highest quality and video's on the web. I am looking forward to seeing them at the Dooryard Arts Festival in Woodstock, NB. Here is their lineup just announced today: http://www.rivervalleyarts.net/schedule/   You will notice Jenn Grant will be there, another artist I have introduced you too.  Its going to be a great little weekend and I am looking forward to exploring more of this province. I hope you enjoy their soothing sounds as much as I do:

Great song and video

(HD Available)

Another great video

(HD Available)

This song is nice

Nova Scotia Wrap Up - Matt Mays

Nova Scotia was really hard to limit to only 3 artists. Why? Halifax is one of the best places in Canada and has a great music scene. Allot of the east coast musicians I love got their start here (and even some I didn't). The maritimes is too spread out for most musicians to try to make it on their own so most move to Halifax to try to make a go of it. Jill Barber for one now lives in BC, grew up in Ontario but made a name of herself in Halifax. There are plenty of more examples and I will talk about them shortly once I gross the ferry into PEI and then back across the bridge to NB. However there is still one more Nova Scotian I want to talk about,  Matt Mays and yes the first time I saw him was at Harvest. He is a good east coaster that loves it here and talks allot about it in his music. I've seen him quite a few times and have never been dissapointed. If you get a chance to see him play I am sure you won't be either. He plays some pretty heavy rock but also recently plays allot of his tunes acoustic as can be bought and previewed here: http://goo.gl/LpnOp  I strongly recommend downloading it. I just did and it is deadly. Check out this version of Cocaine Cowgirl and compare the two: http://goo.gl/pQuo8  Which one do you like better? There's a good chance that he'll be playing the latter version when he opens up for Metallica in July !! Thanks for stopping by and I will leave you with this little ditty.

Nova Scotia - Old Man Luedecke

A Banjo player. Yes, I am going to blog about a banjo player. The one man band of Chris Luedecke, Old Man Luedecke. I have liked him since I saw him on the east coast sessions website and in case you missed it earlier its here: http://www.cbc.ca/eastcoastsessions/  The first time I saw him live was, any guessesÉ, Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival. If you ever get to see him live please do some because he is one funny guy. Due in part that teh banjo is not the quickest instrument to tune he has to fill the tuning time with stories of his songs and how he came up with them. They are usually quite witty and funny. You can find a great full concert here: http://www.cbc.ca/radio2/cod/concerts/20100430luede  You should also go to his website. He is giving away his first ep for FREE. You can download that here: http://oldmanluedecke.ca/mole.html After you listen to the CBC concert and download his ep make sure you go out and buy his most recent CD, My Hands Are On Fire and Other Love Songs. Its great. Here's some of his best stuff on the tube:

He does a much better job of introducing him then I can:

(ps I love the intro music, it is a good cape bretoner Ashley MacIsaac)

Pretty funny if you ask me:

(Make sure you change to HD)

My favorite song off his new album, again pretty witty lyrics

(HD Available)

Nova Scotia - Joel Plaskett

Joel is awesome. I figure I can call him by his first name since I've listened to him for so long. I have been trying to remember today the first time I saw him. It was either, as usual, at the Harvest Jazz and Blues or opening for the Hip. I have seen him at different venues all across Canada and anytime he's playing within a couple of hundred kilometers of me I am there. I was at this concert with my good friends Andrew and Christine: http://www.cbc.ca/radio2/cod/concerts/20090424plask  He used to play with "the emergency" but most his shows now are acoustic, sometimes even with his dad by his side. My favorite series of shows I have seen him was at the Horsehoe Tavern in Toronto. He played 6 nights in a row and played with a different special guest each night and played a different album cover to cover. The first night I saw him with Gord Downie from The Hip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VG-r1Jhqtn0&feature=related  Amazing concert, amazing venue and just good times. His is certainly one of my favorite artists currently out there and I cannot wait to see him next.

My favorite song (I love the 12 string)

Here's the studio version http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkLB5-TiLxQ&feature=artist  just because I really want you to listen to this song.

From his album Three:

You'll notice Rose Cousins singing backup. We'll talk more about her once I get to PEI

Best find (probably ever)