Atlantic Airwaves with Stephanie Domet

On this Saturdays' edition of the program - A concert from Caleb Miles - and a feature Linda Brooks and her recent release The Upside

Caleb Miles is a guy who doesn't let the grass grow under his feet - His musical journey began under the blazing sun of New Mexico's high desert playing lead guitar in original rock'n'roll bands throughout the 1980s and early 90s - From there his path led to places as far-flung as Detroit Michigan, Athens Georgia, Lexington Kentucky, Portland Oregon as well as countless forgettable dives in between - In 2005 Caleb moved to Nova Scotia expecting to surrender to a rural solitude and an early retirement from the stage - Instead, he found a rich and rocking community of musicians, songwriters, performers and listeners with whom to share his ongoing musical adventures.
Last March we invited him to take part in an evening of music we were presenting along with the Deep Roots Co-Operative at the Al Whittle Theater in Wolfville Nova Scotia.
Listen to concert

The past year has been a busy one for Linda Brooks - writing, traveling and recording - Last October, she journeyed to California to shoot a video for her holiday song, 'This Christmas', which received radio play across Canada during the holiday season - She then packed her bags for Nashville where she hooked up with Chris Leuzinger, best known as guitarist on all of Garth Brooks' albums, to produce her new album 'The Upside' - The first single 'Now That You're Here' debuted on the top 10 indie downloads on DMDS and is currently being played on over 25 stations coast to coast - In addition to her musical successes, Brooks is also an actor and has recently appeared on CBC's hit comedy Mr. D and will appear in the upcoming feature film, 'Guys Who Move Furniture', starring Will Sasso, Charlie Murphy, and Victor Garber.

On this Saturdays' edition of Atlantic Airwaves - features on two Prince Edward Islands acts - Dennis Ellsworth has a new recording, 'Dusk Dreams - and the North Lakes have released their new album, Grand Prix

Of all the singer songwriters that are making their presence known on Prince Edward Island, and there are quite a few, Dennis Ellsworth is standing out from the crowd. Although his rise to prominence is a fairly recent achievement, his road goes back a long ways. He's been at it since he was 15, but he's been singing "Forever in Blue Jeans", on the bathroom counter while brushing his teeth, since he was 5 years old. He is a music lover; always has been, always will be. His contributions to music are far reaching; He's been in rock, indie, punk, and country bands. His songwriting is sincere, evocative, poetic, and honest.
His new album, 'Dusk Dreams', which was released on May 15 on Busted Flat Records, was recorded in Athens, Georgia, with acclaimed musician and producer, David Barbe.


Sending reverberations from beyond the Confederation Bridge, North Lakes are a rock n' roll band that radiate with swagger and bravado. Taking their cue from '60s pop and garage rock, the energetic five-piece combines vivid lyrical imagery and a colossal roar of musicality to craft punchy, concise rock records. Their latest album, Grand Prix, captures North Lakes at their most raw. Recorded in a church in Long Creek by Adam Gallant (whose credits include acts such as Boxer The Horse, The Danks, English Words, Al Tuck and more), the album is a testament to the galvanized direction and ambition of the up-and-coming Prince Edward Island-based band.

On this weekends' edition of the program, a very special concert - Erin Costelo and Stephen Fearing, Together For The First Time.

listen to concert
A very special concert we recorded at the end of March - The venue was the Al Whittle Theater in Wolfville , and performers were Erin Costelo and Stephen Fearing along with a great band consisting of Jamie Gatti on bass, David Burton behind the drums and a horn section of Chris Mitchell, Rick Waychesko, Ken MacKay and Danny Martin.

The idea behind this project was to challenge these two Artists, who normally create the music they make in isolation, and commission them to collaborate and co-write three totally new pieces of music. That was back in December. The process so invigorated the creative juices that when rehearsals came there were seven new songs.

The subject matter of the commissioned songs was left to Erin and Stephen, except for one. Because April 15 marked the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, it was suggested that they write one song based on a Titanic theme. The result is a song titled 'Lord Come and Take Me Home'.

On this weeks' edition of the program - A feature on The Long Distance Runners and their new release 'Tracks - and - A feature on John Gracie and his new release 'Live From The Flamingo'

For the past two years, The Long Distance Runners have built a reputation as one of Newfoundland's hardest working and dynamic up-and-coming bands. Their debut self-titled EP (2010) solidified their place in the east coast music scene with a recent handful of ECMA (East Coast Music Association) and MusicNL (Music Newfoundland and Labrador) award nominations. Now, the St. John's based four-piece are getting ready to enter the next chapter of their career with the release of their first full length album 'Tracks'. Recorded at Kilbride's Lab Of Chaos with Krisjan Leslie over the winter of 2011,'Tracks' marks a significant shift for the band as they head into new territory in their songwriting and growth as musicians. Soaring three-part harmonies, swirling organs and jangly guitars set against singer Chris Picco's humourously dark lyrics invoke late-60's era Beatles, Kinks and Velvet Underground.

John Gracie began singing before he was speaking! His mother would often find him behind the coal stove singing his little heart out. He thought if you couldn't see him, you couldn't hear him. John's mother knew John had a special gift and sent him to vocal lessons when he turned 4. He starting writing songs shortly after that. One day, he came out of the bathroom crying, his Mom asked him what was wrong. He replied through his tears, "Mommy, I just wrote a very sad song." John went on to perform as a teenager in local events and on local radio. He taught himself to play the guitar and wrote continuously. In unversity, he performed and hosted intercollegiate folk festivals and was a favourite on the college circuit. After university, he started to perform professionally.
He moved to Halifax and at that point began touring the globe, performing on national television and recorded his first album. A fortune teller once told John's mother that she saw a guitar in her son's life and that it would bring him everything he wanted in life. After much success, John continues to grow musically.

On this weekends' edition a concert from Rose Cousins recorded at the Ironwood Stage and Grill in Calgary Alberta.

Halifax based singer-songwriter Rose Cousins finds insight in solitude and strength in numbers - Supported by a thriving Halifax music scene and welcomed by an equally vibrant Boston community, her new album,'We Have Made A Spark', was made in Boston with that spirit of community and collaboration.

Rose regularly performs and records with artists in the US and Canada - her Canadian collaborations have included recording and touring with Joel Plaskett on his multi-Juno-winning album 'Three' and recording 'A New Kind Of Light', a Christmas CD, with label-mate Jill Barber and 2011 Juno New Artist of the Year, Meaghan Smith.

'We Have made A Spark' follows on the heels of her two multi-award-winning albums, 'The Send Off' produced by Luke Doucet and 'If You Were For Me' produced by the CBC here in Halifax. Rose Cousins is currently on tour in support of that new album and our colleagues in Alberta recently caught up with her in concert at the Ironwood Stage and Grill in Calgary.

On this weekends' edition of Atlantic Airwaves, we'll have a feature on Geoff Arsenault and his new recording 'Voodoo Baby Rattle'

If you've ever attended a live concert from Ray Bonneville , Morgan Davis , Carlo del Junco, Mary Jane Lamond , Thom Swift , Rita MacNeil , David Myles or Bill Stevenson, then you've probably seen and heard Geoff Arsenault. He's the unassuming guy tucked in behind the drum kit laying down the solid rhythmic foundation. For most of his life, Geoff has done just that, quietly making other people sound better.

But there's another side to Geoff, that of a songwriter, a singer with an incredible voice, and a more than adequate guitarist. Up until he released his first solo recording, 'This Ain't No Fiction', back in 2006, most of his closest friends and band mates knew nothing of this other side. Well, now Geoff Arsenault is back with his second solo recording 'Voodoo Baby Rattle'. It was recorded at the legendary Echo Chamber in Halifax with Charles Austin and released back in February, and ike his first recording, the songs on this one are based on very subtle grooves with a Tony Joe White vocal style and guitar work reminiscent of JJ Cale.

On this Saturday's edition of the program - A special 2 hour live to air broadcast from the Breakout Stage at the 2012 ECMAs being held in Moncton.

This will be a two hour broadcast on CBC Radio One in Atlantic Canada beginning at 5 past 5pm - We will be live streaming a full three hours beginning at the same time at http://www.cbc.ca/ecma/
Our special musical guests will be:

Banded Stilts' are a alternative-folk band that play unique singer-songwriter tunes backed by a folk ensemble. The sometimes odd lyrics, beautiful melodies, folk styling and storytelling narratives of lead singer/songwriter Steve Haley appeal to young and old alike.

The fact that Dylan Guthro was brought up in a musical household is quite evident. He picked up his first guitar at the age of four and has since toured with his dad, the internationally renowned Bruce Guthro, as far afield as the prestigious Tonder Festival in Denmark and as close to home as the Stan Rogers Folk Festival.

Mo Kenney is 21 years old and resides in Waverley, Nova Scotia. Mo writes songs on a Hensel parlour guitar and enjoys singing them for people when the opportunities arise. A few of the songs are happy. Most are not. Mo has performed at ECMA, Stan Rogers Festival, Evolve, Nova Scotia Music Week, The Company House and the Carleton. Mo's song "Eden" won the 10 x 10 video contest during the Atlantic Film Festival. Mo is currently working on a debut album at the Scotland Yard with Joel Plaskett producing. It will be released on New Scotland Records in 2012.

The BackYard Devils honour country and bluegrass tradition, making for a familiar yet gratifying listen. With the ghosts of bluegrass and country greats past and present looking approvingly upon them, the boys show they're capable of writing catchy tunes including the hilarious Mean Moonshine Blues, while tracks like For My Lord and House On The Coast seem instantly recognizable. That seems to be a big part of the Devils' charm; their ability to honour a time-tested genre like bluegrass while injecting a modern take on it. Frankly, their ability to walk that line so well will help them appeal to the traditional fan while also most likely winning over non-typical bluegrass.

For the past two years, The Long Distance Runners have built a reputation as one of Newfoundland's hardest working and dynamic up-and-coming bands. Their debut self-titled EP (2010) solidified their place in the east coast music scene with a recent handful of ECMA (East Coast Music Association) and MusicNL (Music Newfoundland and Labrador) award nominations. Now, the St. John's based four-piece are getting ready to enter the next chapter of their career as they prepare to release their first full length album 'Tracks' this April which will be available on CD, vinyl and iTunes.

The last two years have been busy for The Meds with multiple sell-out shows in each Maratime province. The Meds have shared the stage with such notable acts as Meatloaf, Matt Mays and Down with Webster, as well as PEI artists like Tim Chaisson, Two Hours Traffic, and Paper Lions.

On this week's edition of the program a concert from The Barra MacNeils and Symphony Nova Scotia

The founding members of the Barra MacNeils are siblings Sheumas, Kyle, Stewart, and Lucy MacNeil and in 2005 two additional brothers, Ryan and Boyd, joined the band.
The core group began performing together in 1980 while still teenagers. In 1986, they released their first album on their own independent label, winning their first East Coast Music Award in 1991. They've won four more since, including an Album of the Year award for TimeFrame in 1992, and a Group of the Year award in 2001. Along their journey they signed with Polygram for a few years and their 1993 album Closer To Paradise earned them a gold record. Fast forward to the spring of 2011 and we find the Barra MacNeils teamed up with Symphony Nova Scotia for a concert at the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium in Halifax which could possibly be the best concert they have ever given. A dream come true for the group.

On this On this weeks' edition of the program - A feature on Olivier Jarda and his new recording 'Good Luck Cartel' - and a concert featuring the the Caravan from our East Coast Sessions series.

Olivier Jarda was born in Ottawa to Haitian immigrants, but spent most of his youth in New Brunswick where he played drums, bass and guitar for various ensembles, most notably the former Moncton-based group Turnstiles. He moved to Halifax for undergraduate studies, then with a Rhodes Scholarship in his pocket it was off to the University of Oxford in the UK for masters studies. Following that his path lead to Washington DC where he worked on climate policy at a think tank before returning to Canada to seriously pursue a career in music.

Jarda's debut solo LP, Diagrams (2008), which he supported with several UK dates and a cross-Canadian tour in 2009, has been described as "a confident and well-crafted release...Diagrams not only stands up to repeated listens, it demands them." -Wolves Hawks and Kites

His new album, Good Luck Cartel is better than the last. He recorded it in Halifax over the last two winters with Charles Austin at Echo Chamber, and with the help of some very talented friends. What came out was a decent representation of some decent songs. His new band consists of Nick Wombolt, former drummer for Jimmy Swift Band, Devin Ryan, former bass player for Krasnogorsk, a cellist, a keys player, and a backup singer. Jarda plays the guitars and sings. The album will be released independently in Canada in April and it will be released on the independent label Jam Jar Records in the UK in May.

Caravan full audio concert
The Caravan is a refreshing east coast hiphop trio whose roots run the gamut of rock ,jazz ,soul and even Appalachian music. Their preference for 'jamming it live' and for using various instrumentalists versus samples creates an energy and chemistry that is infectious and catchy. Kyle Mckenna, Mike Ritchie and Mark Bachynski (Classified's drummer) are the nucleus of the Caravan. They're joined on this show by Phil MacKenzie , Matt Myer (Gypsophelia) and Mary-Grace Koile.

Halifax born and based, these musicians have put their own spin on a genre. "Hip Hop, done our way" says vocalist Kyle McKenna, "We're not from New York, or L.A., we're East Coasters, might as well show it."

"We influence each other, always trying to improve our sound, while soaking in what Halifax is doing as a whole." - Mike Ritchie (Lead Guitar) The Caravan have never stopped exploring where they can take the music. "We put some Bassoon on our last album with huge violin solos, for Hip Hop, we're changing the norm. Mike's got a whole sound scape going in his head, and we're ready to see what we can produce!" - Mark Bachynski (Drums).

On this weeks' edition of the program - A feature on Dale Murray and his new recording Dream Mountain Dream - and a concert featuring the Modern Grass from our East Coast Sessions series.

A lot of good things have happened to Dale Murray since his days back in the '90s with the legendary Halifax based, indie folk rockers, the Guthries. He's become a sought-after session musician, a solid songwriter, as well as a producer and recording engineer. He's toured and recorded with some of Canada's hardiest road warriors; Hayden, Joel Plaskett, Cuff the Duke, Buck 65, wife Christina Martin, Matt Mays and Blue Rodeo. After a seven-year silence since the release of his last solo album, Brighter Lives, Darker Side, he's finally back with a new one, Dream Mountain Dream. He recorded this one at his newly minted home studio

The instrumentation is bluegrass, the music is newgrass. With influences ranging from jazz to bluegrass, gypsy to blues, classical and folk, this young group of musicians are melding styles and taking acoustic music into the future.The members of the Modern Grass are Tom Terrell - vocals ,acoustic guitar; Andrew Sneddon- dobro, backing vocals; Donald MacLellan - violin,backing vocals; Adam Pye- bass; and Dan MacCormack on banjo and mandolin. Although the Modern Grass is only a little over a year old, they have already done a cross Canada tour and are in the process of recording their second album.

Here's an interview with the Modern Grass with CBC's Shauntay Grant.

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