Last night found a collection of low flying stars gathering in Halifax @ The Seahorse Tavern. We had Guthries, Kinley Dowling and her stlying boots, Share, In-Flight Safety, Heavy Blinkers and many many more. Out of nowhere, Matt Mays keyboard man Adam Baldwin delivered a country fused, Tom Petty-inspired collection of rocker to warm things up, and then Matt Charlton flooded the stage with at least 8 friends including Christina Martin, Jason MacIsaac, Andrew Sisk, Dan Ledwell and Jon Mullane. The band ran out of outputs, so Charlton was forced to bust out interpretive dance moves and drink instead of strum.

Essentially, this is all just preamble to me posting a video of a fleshed out take of Spread, but a night of TPU, Christina Martin and the pleasant surprise of Adam's set had us all warm despite the frigid temperature that continues to mangle Halifax.

MYSPACE:: http://www.myspace.com/theprospectorsunion

Labels: Andrew Sisk, Christina Martin, Dan Ledwell, Halifax, Inflight Safety, Matt Charlton, Share

It's almost the weekend, and for all you youngens it's probably close to the end of your term/school year so you might as well head out on Friday for some drinks and great local music.

Christina Martin - you know, #13 on our Best-of 2008 list - and The Prospector's Union (complete with 9 piece backing band) are fixing to crank out the jams at The Seahorse on Friday night, and thanks to Ms. Martin, we have 2 tickets for one lucky reader.

All you have to do is send us an email to HEROHILL AT GMAIL DOT COM or leave the info in the comments section. We will pick a winner tomorrow afternoon.

MP3:: The Prospectors Union - Raven's Claw

MYSPACE:: http://www.myspace.com/cpmartin
MYSPACE:: http://www.myspace.com/theprospectorsunion

Labels: Christina Martin, contests, Prospectors Union

With fall taken a stranglehold on the province, it's pretty fitting that the last two artists have been talented rootsy females that are tailor made for the season change. While Ruth Minnikin has made a name for herself locally and across the pond, Christina Martin still toils in relative obscurity.

As someone hoping to promote the talent trapped here on the East Coast, that frustrates me to no end. Ms. Martin is one of my favorite singers, but much like the honey voiced Rose Cousins, she doesn't seem to get nearly enough attention in these parts. Case in point, after playing in LA for film execs, she came home to unleash new tunes and a new band lineup, and Tribeca was fairly dead.

Missing that show my friends was a real shame, as Martin and her band showed a more muscular, spacey sound and played a few new tunes. Considering how strong Two Hearts is (review), the fact I left the bar excited about her as of yet unscheduled new record spoke volumes.

Luckily, she was nice enough to share some demos - recorded by Dale Murray in his basement - and some info about what to expect:

"There was no question in my mind, I needed to record this next project with Dale Murray (Producer/Engineer). We are looking to make an album with more of a folk-rock/edge, a bit of angst, a lot of tension/release... but its hard to say exactly how sonically things will turn out. We are just excited to get started in and the focus will be creating something we are proud of that people can connect to."

So do yourself a favor and grab these tracks, her old record and go see this talent when she plays next. You won't be disappointed, of that I guarantee.

MP3:: Christina Martin - I Can Too (acoustic)

MP3:: Christina Martin - They Say

MP3:: Christina Martin - Daisy (demo)
MYSPACE:: http://www.myspace.com/cpmartin
WEB:: http://www.christinamartin.net/

Labels: Christina Martin, MNS artist of the month, Music, Nova Scotia

When it comes to promoting East Coast acts, there aren’t many people working harder than Matt Charlton (well, except us of course). I remember when herohill first started getting emails from his PR firm – efficient, easy to download snippets without any of the glowing hyberbole that plagues not only music PR people, but bloggers as well – and I assumed Matt was just a guy that loved music and wanted to find a way to make a living from it.

Now, a year or so later his roster has grown and he's helping acts get outside the Maritimes and get heard by a bigger audience, but it's his song writing that really grabs my attention. I had no idea he even played until last year's Halifax Pop Explosion when he opened for The Retribution Gospel Choir. That night, he stood on stage – well, on the slightly raised floor of St. Matthew’s Church - with some of Nova Scotia’s most talented artists (Daniel Ledwell, Christina Martin, John Mullane, Andrew Sisk to name a few) and let his voice and melodies boom out the open front door and onto the street. Since that night, I’ve been harassing him about getting off his ass and releasing the debut Prospectors Union record.

Well, that day is getting very, very close.

Matt finally finished recording Syracuse and is ready to release it to the world. Although Charlton may listen to a collection of stripped down, no nonsense artists (Townes, Mark Kozalek) this “home” recording is remarkably lush and defined. With support from the likes of Martin, Ledwell, Mullane, Sisk, Jason MacIsaac, Kinley Dowling, and David Casey, Syracuse plays more like a studio odyssey than a local, independent release.

more importantly, even with all the expert production and contributors, Charlton puts himself front and centre. With only a few picked notes, echoing subtle drums and Christina Martin's harmonies, Flaming Death is dark, but engaging. Over time, Ledwell’s steel work and MacIssac’s atmospheric keys are added and echo in the emptiness of the song, taking some of the weight off the harrowing tale, but it's Charlton's voice that grabs your ear. Even with the talent that surrounds him and the layers that move in and out of the song, he never fades to the background.

The same can be said about the confident strums of Storm Seas. Charlton shows he’s a natural story teller. The song could have easily stood on his strong foundation, but slowly the band adds group harmonies that hover in the distance. It might not seem like much, but the vocal support makes this more than a coffee/shop open mic song and even though it's only a hiccup longer than 1:30, Storm Seas says as much about the recording as any of the tracks. It's well thought out, shows how comfortable the musicians are around each other, and that Charlton isn’t a fan of wasted notes.

Dowling’s ear grabbing strings, Martin’s backing vocals are thickened up by nice drums and keys, but again, it’s Charlton taking the lead on the EP’s catchiest track, Montreal. Matt may prefers the tale of the brokenhearted wanderer, but unlike so many young songwriters, he doesn’t let his melancholy dictate the tempo of an affair. Montreal shifts and moves, and the spike in pace lets you relax as the band downshifts into slower tracks.

One thing I really like about this EP was how much restraint the all-star backing band displays. On the closer, The Valley Neighbours, the song is beefed up with slide, harmonies, keys, keep time drums and a choral outro all make an appearance, but none of the layers ever crowd the mix or distract from the melody. The song would work just as well – and does in a live setting – with an acoustic and a second mic. It’s obvious that Charlton can’t pack most of these people in a van every time he wants to play a show, so it's crucial that the structure of the songs lets him grab a guitar and play alone OR treat the audience to a hybrid of the supergroup he assembled for the EP.

The EP release show is July 18th/09 @ The Seahorse. I’d wager it will be packed with friends of Matt’s coming out to say congrats and there will be more than a few guest appearances. I’d highly suggest you make it out too.

MP3:: Prospector's Union - Salt City Blues

MP3:: Prospector's Union - Flaming Death

MYSPACE:: http://www.myspace.com/theprospectorsunion

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But as a special treat for herohill, Charlton grabbed a few friends and recorded a live EP and is letting us give it away to you readers. The four songs show a rougher side of the band’s persona; one more concerned with smiles, wine and a night of music than intricate production. They still toss around strings, horns and terrific harmonies, but they feel more spontaneous and alive.

Without question, Old Wonders is a different beast; from the poppy feel of Edmunston, to the roots rocking, earthy vibe of More Tales Involving a Man of Questionable Morals or the back porch feel of Raven’s Claw, the songs stand up without any of the glossy efforts of a classic studio recording. Ledwell lets less be more and Charlton shows he’s got a lot of bullets left in his gun – plus, Jason’s keys and Dan’s trumpet just make you melt – and Prospectors Union is a name we will all hear a lot more off in the near future.

Recording info:

Download Old Wonders
1.) Prospector's Union - Edmunston
2.) Prospector's Union Raven's Claw
3.) Prospector's Union - More Tales Involving a Man of Questionable Morals
4.) Prospector' Union - Old Wonders

Labels: Andrew Sisk, Christina Martin, Dan Ledwell, Halifax, Inflight Safety, John Mullane, MNS artist of the month, Music, Prospectors Union, Reviews