“Sea Miner” is the second release from East Coast Music Award nominees and Music Newfoundland and Labrador winners, The Navigators. Having established themselves as one of Newfoundland’s premier bands, the Navigators have found the perfect blend of traditional Celtic and pop rock. Combining traditional instruments like the bodhran, tin whistle and fiddle with the harder edged electric guitar, electric bass and drums gives a blend that is perfectly suited to the baritone haymaker vocals of Arthur O’Brien and Fred Jorgensen. With a varied mix of original songs, a capella, instrumental numbers, ballads and shanties the band has gained a large following stemming from the huge success of their first record, “Dance and Sing”. “Sea Miner” follows in the footsteps of the debut delivering hard-hitting shanties and heartfelt ballads. All are well done and further exemplify the bands importance and lasting impact on Newfoundland’s musical landscape.

Tracks:

1. Mommy’s Boy
2. Couchemar
3. No Greater Queen
4. Happy Girlfriend
5. Lucky You Are
6. Chickadee
7. Car
8. T-Shirt Song
9. Dick-All
10. Liarcheeterloser
11. Le Fantome, Denis
12. Notre Prochaine Rencontre
13. Taken Away By Fairies
14. Next Door Neighbour
15. Bottomless Pit

Sherman Downey and the Silver Lining (formerly the Ambiguous Case) have, in a few short years, emerged as one of Newfoundland and Labrador’s most exciting and talked about new bands at home and abroad. Their debut album, “Honey for Bees” is immediately infectious. From the first few bars of gargly harmonica in “Soulsweeping” to the story of a lonesome ‘cougar’ on the dance floor in “Easy to Break a Heart”, this record has your toes tapping and you singing unashamedly along at the top of your lungs. The album has a rootsy, folk-country flavour spiced with hints of bluegrass and americana. Sherman’s vocal delivery has been likened to a young Paul Simon and he is lyrically and melodically as sharp as they come. “I pulled out a chair, I held a door, I threw a brand new jacket in the mud and I can’t wear it anymore. I crossed my heart and hoped to die. But lately I’ve been thinkin’ ‘bout this needle in my eye” declares the love-lorn anti-hero of “Mudjacket”. Sherman is a fantastic storyteller and the silver lining punctuate these narratives wonderfully and with all the warm goodness of a come home year party or a barn loft dance-up. These tunes will march into your brain and you’ll have every chorus memorized by album’s end. Sherman and the boys have performed at the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver, have recently finished a tour of Australia and Sherman was named Music Newfoundland and Labrador’s Male Artist of the Year for 2010. “Honey for Bees” is a true gem. Be sure to check out a live show if you’re able! Make sure you bring your dance pants!

A career defined by thought provoking, introspective lyrics, beautiful melodies and unique instrumentation, highlighted by the superb soulful singing of Pamela Morgan, is captured here on Figgy Duff’s career best of compilation.

“Beautiful Lyrics, beautifully sung and arranged.” – Canadian Composer

“A superbly seductive piece of work – a fresh and thoroughly contemporary feel.” – Sound Can, Canada

Figgy Duff burst onto the National scene in 1976, playing Celtic rock like nobody had ever heard it before or since. Six piece, brazen and daring, they drew rave reviews from both sides of the border, and comparisons with the Chieftans, Stivell, and Planxty.

Tracks:

1. Galway Girl
2. Close Your Eyes
3. Flatrockin’
4. Heavy Away
5. No Other baby
6. Young Thing
7. Brown Eyed Handsome Man
8. Fisherman’s Blues
9. I Had But 50 Cents
10. Sandymorrisette
11. She Ain’t You
12. All You Ever Do
13. Banks of Newfoundland
14. Big Bow Wow

If you’ve ever been on a ship’s deck with the salt spray in your face or half-tanked in a pub, glass held high and your arm around a stranger, chances are you know a few of these anthemic tunes. This album is a collection of some of the most popular songs in the deep Newfoundland catalogue done by many of the most popular artists in the province including: The Irish Descendants, Ron Hynes, Celtic Connection, The Punters, Shanneyganock, The Fables, Jim Payne and Fergus O’Byrne; all legendary Newfoundland performers.

Tracks:

1. Oh Linda!
2. Silent Walls and Siren Calls
3. Hold My Hand
4. Little One
5. Ambulance
6. The Freezedown
7. Dreaming
8. Tonight’s Your Night
9. Call Me
10. Come Home Darlin’
11. Seventeen

Through his masterful classical guitar playing Lloyd interprets some of Newfoundland’s best known songs with a suggestive and nuanced subtlety often overlooked by many of today’s performers. The music herein is presented with the hope that the listener will find visions of peace and solitude in the gentle musical images of this rugged, timeless land. Lloyd is a wonderfully expressive guitarist and his uncommon and restrained approach on “Reflections” has made it one of our most popular titles.

Fred’s Staff is smitten with Fine Crowd! An impressive line-up including Fred Jorgensen of Navigators fame. This is musically impeccable loaded with Newfoundland folk song gems. Ask for a listen and get ready to Rant and/or Roar.

This is the 13th installment of the widely popular Homebrew series. It features some of the most popular Newfoundland artists doing the songs that have become some of their signature tunes. Shanneyganock, The Once, The Punters, The Masterless Men and the Government Rams all feature on this album. Also present on this collection is traditional Newfoundland/bluegrass band; Tarahan’s spin on the Old Crow Medicine Show hit song, Wagon Wheel. This is a gem in the Homebrew collection. It may just be the best edition yet.