ECMA nominations have been announced - and it's like I did so single-handedly.
So thrilled. The only sad thing is two of my favourite local groups are up for Album of the Year, but I'm actually rooting for Ben Caplan, a Hamilton/Halifax artist. His was my favourite concert last year:
• Video Link
The categories I care about
:
Album of the Year
Ben Caplan – Birds With Broken Wings (Producer: Josh “Socalled” Dolgin)
Fortunate Ones – The Bliss (Producer: Daniel Ledwell)
Hey Rosetta! – Second Sight (Producer: Marcus Paquin)
Jenn Grant – Compostela (Producer: Daniel Ledwell)
Mo Kenney – In My Dreams (Producer: Joel Plaskett)
Classical Recording of the Year
Duo Concertante – Mendelssohn and MacDonald Double Concertos
The Sanctuary Trio – Estuary
Saint John String Quartet – Montage
Symphony Nova Scotia – The How and Why of Memory
Xara Choral Theatre Ensemble – Here On These Branches
(Duo is really good)
Folk Recording of the Year
Amelia Curran – They Promised You Mercy
Ben Caplan – Birds With Broken Wings
Jenn Grant – Compostela
Gabrielle Papillon – The Tempest of Old
Old Man Luedecke – Domestic Eccentric
(No one is ever allowed to beat Amelia in this category - this album was especially beautiful)
Group Recording of the Year
Coyote – Proof of Life
Fortunate Ones – The Bliss
Gypsophilia – Night Swimming
Hey Rosetta! – Second Sight
Rain Over St. Ambrose – Still Waking Up
(Hey Rosetta! or Fortunate Ones for the win. Hey Rosetta!'s album was better, but Fortunate Ones' had a couple of really great songs)
Rising Star Recording of the Year
Alana Yorke – Dream Magic
Brianna Gosse – AERA
Coyote – Proof of Life
Fortunate Ones – The Bliss
Kat McLevey – Evergrown
(Brianna is also nominated for Pop Recording of the Year, but I think she has a better chance in this category. She's doing well here, and she's gotten her songs on the soundtrack of a made-for-TV movie in the U.S., etc. but she's still new enough)
Rock Recording of the Year
Hey Rosetta! – Second Sight
Jerry Stamp – Rogue Doubt
Racoon Bandit – Close Your Eyes
Rain Over St. Ambrose – Still Waking Up
The Stanfields – Modem Operandi
(Go Hey Rosetta!)
Roots/Traditional Group Recording of the Year
Ben Miller & Anita MacDonald – A Day at the Lake
Danny Boudreau – DANNY PARTY
The East Pointers – Secret Victory
The Ennis Sisters – Stages
Vishtèn – Terre Rouge
(Ennis Sisters... all my friends hate them; I love them)
Song of the Year
Amelia Curran – “Somebody Somewhere” (Producer: Michael Philip Wojewoda)
Ben Caplan – “Birds With Broken Wings” (Producer: Josh “Socalled” Dolgin)
Christina Martin – “It’ll Be Alright” (Producer: Dale Murray)
Fortunate Ones – “The Bliss” (Producer: Daniel Ledwell)
Hey Rosetta! – “Soft Offering (For the Oft Suffering)” (Producer: Marcus Paquin)
(I don't know what to do. That wasn't my favourite song off Amelia's album (I preferred I Am The Night), same for Hey Rosetta! (I preferred Yer Spring). Both are good, but I liked the others more. Fortunate Ones at least has their best single from the album nominate. Ben Caplan could take the works, though)
Songwriter of the Year
Andrew James O’Brien/Catherine Allan (Fortunate Ones)
Amelia Curran
Chris Luedecke (Old Man Luedecke)
Jenn Grant
Tim Baker (Hey Rosetta!)
(Amelia or Tim, for sure. Fortunate Ones are a little less engaging lyrically. Yer Spring! was especially beautiful)
Fans’ Choice Video of the Year
David Myles – “Santa Never Brings Me A Banjo” (Director: Murray Bain)
Everglow – “Feel Your Heart” (Director: Devin Sooley)
Hey Rosetta! – “Soft Offering (For The Oft Suffering)” (Director: Mark Bennett)
In-Flight Safety – “Animals” (Director: Drew Lightfoot)
Jenn Grant – “Bring Me A Rose” (Director: Jason Levangie)
Mo Kenney – “Telephones” (Director: Nathan Boey)
Natalie MacMaster & Donnell Leahy – “The Chase” (Director: Keith Holding)
The Once – “We Are All Running” (Director: Bryan Dos Reis)
Raphaël Butler – “Harley 1970” (Directors: Patrick Gauvin & Mathieu Laprise)
Ria Mae – “Clothes Off” (Director: Jason Levangie)
Tomato/Tomato – “Toss It All Away” (Director: Jordan Mattie)
(Everglow has a good video, so did The Once (my fave band), but I think this one should go to Nova Scotia with Ria Mae. It was a nice video, especially given her gender-neutral kind of look)
Interesting that this year two of the non-NL artists were actually big here. Usually reading the ECMA nominees is the first time I hear about the ones from the Maritimes, unless they're nationally popular. I don't think Ben Caplan is there yet, but he's big here. And Ria Mae was all over the radio all summer, I assume nationally.
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Boo.
They're Maritimers, right?
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