Take It To The Tiki

Music Nova Scotia
"Take It To The Tiki"
Battle of the Bands: Final Round

SoHo Ghetto

SoHo Ghetto are a band out of Halifax, Nova-Scotia, Canada. They released their first album the Parisien EP in November of 2009 and will be releasing their second album "Humble Beginnings Make for Good Night Life" this fall (2011).

Having slowly slid into the vein of indie-roots music this 7-piece band now possesses an energetic stage show to go along with its hook-laden roots and folk songs.

Rain Over St. Ambrose

Out of the foggy banks of Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, Rain Over St. Ambrose emerges with Overton Window – an album that combines powerful melodies with good old-fashioned rock n’ roll fun, and highlights the band’s knack for churning out pop -rock anthems. Whether it’s the catchy chorus of the EP’s single, “Campfires,” the captivating sing-alongs of “Chemtrails of Happiness,” or the eerie synth-hook of the album’s title track, Overton Window reverberates with the energy and excitement of a band poised to escape from their rural fringes into the heart of the city. Recorded over a weekend at Codapop Studios in Halifax, NS, the band’s sophomore album will be released in November to coincide with hometown showcase during Nova Scotia Music Week. The inception of Rain Over St. Ambrose is a remarkable one. A week after Curtis LeBlanc told his son Cory he’d rather see him be the frontman in a band than stuck behind the drums for the rest of his life, he suffered a heart attack and died.

The next day, Cory LeBlanc (once the drummer for Jon McKiel, Ruby Jean & The Thoughtful Bees, and others) packed up his kit and picked up his guitar. Assembling a band with his brother, Curt, and some of Yarmouth’s best up-and-coming musicians, Cory christened Rain Over St. Ambrose – a testament to the weather on the day of their father’s funeral – and began writing songs. The band released their first self-titled EP in February, 2011 as a free download via Acadian Embassy and garnered initial praise for its “crunchy guitars, honest lyrics and memorable hooks” (IndieMusicFilter), its “sing- along friendly choruses” (Herohill), and “classic rock patterns [reminiscent of] The Hold Steady” (Round Letters). In April, Rain Over St. Ambrose were named the winners of DevCom – a development competition for new and up-coming bands in Halifax sponsored by The Seahorse Tavern, SpinCount, Codapop Studios and Ballsy Cancer Society – beating out 12 other bands for a coveted prize pack that included recording time, promotion, and marketing, among other things. For more information on Rain Over St. Ambrose, visit http://www.acadianembassy.com.

Adam Baldwin

Best known as keyboard player for Matt Mays, Adam Baldwin has steadily been forging his own path in the Canadian music scene. He is set to release his debut solo album this spring; an ode to all things plaid-shirted and Springsteen-esque. An evocative and engaging songwriter, his subject matter is surprisingly mature given his youth. Adam draws you in with tales so close to home, you feel as if he’s been reading your thoughts…in fact, he probably has.

Adam has appeared on Christina Martin's "Two Hearts", Matt Mays & El Torpedo "Terminal Romance", Joel Plaskett "Three", Dave Marsh "True Love Rules", Kelly Sloan "Always Changes", Norma MacDonald "The Forest For the Trees" Al Tuck "Food for the Moon" just to name a few. He is currently working on his first release with Tim Jim Baker and Brian Murray.

Sprag Session

Sprag Session, formerly Colin Grant Band, has developed a unique style and repertoire of music. Lingering somewhere amidst the rich, soulful roots of traditional Cape Breton music and the grooves of a thousand branches of rock and funk, Colin Grant embarks on his latest project: a dynamic and thoughtful mingling of beats and melodies from an extensive host of musical influences. Far from the awkward malaise of mohawked bagpipers and kilted punks, the Sprag Session has created a kind of Celtic fusion that is as much Béla Fleck and the Flecktones and Frank Zappa as it is Ashley MacIsaac. With a traditional trio comprised of the manic Jason ”leaden-left-hand” Roach (piano, Dawn and Margie Beaton) and embarrassingly talented Darren MacMullen (mandolin, guitar, banjo, J.P. Cormier) Grant hooked up with the rough and red-eyed blues/funk rhythm section of Merlin Clarke and Donnie Calabrese (Tom Fun Orchestra). Together, the group produces a fervent yet calculated rhythm that backs an expressively diverse range of tunes.

While the lively sound never strays too distantly from its Cape Breton roots, Sprag Session has found an open ear in everyone from indie scenesters to blue-haired bingo stampers. 2010 brought the release of the album ‘Fun For The Whole Family’, winner of Music Nova Scotia’s Roots/Traditional Recording of the Year, and nominee for Instrumental Album of the Year at the Canadian Folk Music Awards. 2011 has been the biggest yet for the boys with tours of New England, Ireland, and the U.K., and appearances at Celtic Fest Vancouver, Salmon Arm Roots & Blues Festival, and Kansas City Irish Fest, in addition to time in-studio to record their debut album, which is due for release in Spring 2012.