Joel Plaskett won the CBC Radio 3 Golden Bucky Award today for his song “Lightning Bolt”. The song is performed by Joel Plaskett Emergency from their latest album, Scrappy Happiness.

The Bucky Awards are presented by CBC Radio 3 in celebration of the very best Canadian music of the year, as chosen by their listeners. Thank you to CBC Radio hosts, fans, and music directors for spinning Plaskett tunes all year ’round.

Hey Everybody,

Joel Plaskett Emergency are playing 5 shows at Toronto’s legendary Horseshoe Tavern in December to be part of their 65th anniversary celebration. The dates are Dec 12-16 with Sunday Dec 16 being an all-ages show. We are very excited for these shows and it will be an amazing way to wrap a busy year of touring. Tickets go on sale to the public on Oct. 4 at Ticketmaster, Rotate FThis, Soundscapes or the ’Shoe itself.

I just got home from a stellar tour of BC, AB and SK and Mo Kenney was opening all the shows. I produced her debut self-titled record, which was released last week. I’m really proud of the work we did on the record and she will be opening our upcoming Ontario dates. Here is a video link to the CBC session Mo and I did a couple weeks ago. She even does a version of my song, Somewhere Else which I like more when she sings it! You can also get the whole record on iTunes, here.

In other recording news, I’ve been busy wrapping a few projects and building a new studio. The last song I produced at the old Scotland Yard is a sweet, soulful duet by Molly Thomason and Carleton Stone. It’s being released tomorrow as a single and you can check it out, here.

The old Scotland Yard is no more and the New Scotland Yard is under construction. Below is a creepy photo of me cleaning up the dust in the new space.

Excited to get back to some more recording in the new year. Until then, on the road again…

I’m gearing up for another round, this time with the Emergency in Ontario. We also have dates lined up for Newfoundland and the Maritimes in November and December (Halifax is still not scheduled but it will be, I promise!). For a complete list of upcoming dates see below.

Tour dates:
10/6 Huntsville, ON – Algonquin Theatre
10/9 North Bay, ON – Capitol Centre
10/10 Barrie, ON – Georgian College Theatre
10/11 Lindsay, ON – Academy Theatre
10/12 Oshawa, ON – Regent Theatre
10/13 Kingston, ON – Grand Theatre
10/16 Cobourg, ON – Park Theatre
10/17 Belleville, ON – Empire Theatre
10/18 Waterloo, ON – Starlight Club
10/19 Hamilton, ON – Hamilton Place Theatre
11/2 St John’s, NL – St John’s Arts & Culture Centre
11/4 Labrador City, NL – Labrador West Arts & Culture
11/5 Happy Valley-Goose Bay, NL – The O’Brien Arts Centre
11/7 Bonavista, NL – Garrick Theatre
11/8 Gander, NL – Gander Arts & Culture Centre
11/9 Grand Falls-Windsor, NL – Grand Falls-Windsor Arts & Culture Centre
11/10 Corner Brook, NL – Corner Brook Arts & Culture Centre
11/11 Stephenville, NL – Stephenville Arts & Culture Centre
11/13 Clarenville, NL – Clarenville Events Centre
11/30 Saint John, NB – Imperial Theatre
12/1 Moncton, NB – Capitol Theatre
12/3 Windsor, NS – Mermaid Imperial Performing Arts Centre
12/4 Truro, NS – Marigold Cultural Centre
12/5 Glace Bay, NS – The Savoy Theatre
12/12 Toronto, ON – Horseshoe Tavern 65th Birthday Celebration!
12/13 Toronto, ON – Horseshoe Tavern 65th Birthday Celebration!
12/14 Toronto, ON – Horseshoe Tavern 65th Birthday Celebration!
12/15 Toronto, ON – Horseshoe Tavern 65th Birthday Celebration!
12/16 Toronto, ON – Horseshoe Tavern 65th Birthday Celebration!

Hello friends,

Mo Kenney released her eagerly-anticipated, debut self-titled album today on Pheromone Recordings and New Scotland Records. Mo’s album is produced by Joel Plaskett and she is currently on tour across the country opening for Plaskett in BC, AB, SK, ON, NB and NS.

Mo Kenney is receiving high praise from CBC Radio 3 and Exclaim!, among others, and now you can have your very own copy of the album. Purchase a digital copy on iTunes or a physical copy from MapleMusic.com, and we’re filling orders for record stores across the country as we speak.

Mo was in Toronto last week and recorded an acoustic, live session with Plaskett at CBC. You can watch the videos of their performance, here, including her new single “Deja vu”.

Thank you for your support – we’ll see you at a show, we hope you enjoy the album!

Mo Kenney

Upcoming tour dates:

Sept. 26
Golden, BC – Golden Civic Centre ^
7:30 PM / Price $25.00 / Advance Price $15.00
Ticket Link

Sept. 27
Lethbridge, AB – Southminster United Church ^
8:00 PM / Price $35.00 / Advance Price $30.00
Ticket Link

Sept. 28
Swift Current, SK – Lyric Theatre ^
9:00 PM / Price $35.00 / Advance Price $20.00
Tickets: call the Lyric Theatre at 306-773-6292

Sept. 29
Cochrane, AB – Cochrane Alliance Church ^
7:30 PM / Price $25.00 / Advance Price $22.00
Ticket Link

Oct. 9
North Bay, ON – Capitol Centre #
7:30 PM / Price $37.00
Ticket Link

Oct. 10
Barrie, ON – Georgian College Theatre #
8:00 PM / Price $32.50
Ticket Link

Oct. 11
Lindsay, ON – The Academy Theatre #
8:00 PM / Price $35.00
Ticket Link

Oct. 12
Oshawa, ON – The Regent Theatre #
8:00 PM / Price $35.00
Ticket Link

Oct. 13
Kingston, ON – The Grand Theatre #
7:30 PM / Price $34.50 / Advance Price $28.50
Ticket Link

Oct. 15
CD Release! Guest: Joel Plaskett
Toronto, ON – The Rivoli
7:00 PM

Oct. 16
Cobourg, ON – Park Theatre #
8:00 PM / Price $35.00
Ticket Link

Oct. 17
Belleville, ON – The Empire Theatre #
8:00 PM / Price $29.95
Ticket Link

Oct. 18
Waterloo, ON – Starlight Club #
8:00 PM / Price $40.00 / Advance Price $34.50
Tickets: call the Starlight at 519-886-1689

Oct. 19
Hamilton, ON – Hamilton Place Theatre #
8:00 PM / Price $34.00 / Advance Price $29.50
Ticket Link

Oct. 24
CD Release!
Halifax, NS – The Seahorse
8:00 PM / Price $12.00 / Advance Price $10.00
Ticket Link

Nov. 30
Saint John, NB – Imperial Theatre #
8:00 PM / Price $35.00
Ticket Link

Dec. 1
Moncton, NB – Capitol Theatre #
7:30 PM / Price $33.00 / Advance Price $27.00
Ticket Link

Dec. 3
Windsor, NS – Mermaid Imperial Performing Arts Centre #
8:00 PM / Price $32.00 / Advance Price $30.00
Ticket Link

Dec. 4
Truro, NS – Marigold Cultural Centre #
7:30 PM / Price $40.00
Ticket Link

Dec. 5
Glace Bay, NS – Savoy Theatre #
7:00 PM / Price $39.50
Ticket Link

^ Special Guest to Joel Plaskett
# Special Guest to Joel Plaskett Emergency

First off, BIG congratulations to longtime super fan Eddie Orso from Toronto, Ontario!

Eddie submitted his music video for “North Star” and won with 1,119 votes as of July 15 at midnight AST, which means I will travel to Toronto to play a concert for Eddie and 25 of his friends and family.

You can watch Eddie’s awesome music video here. Eddie’s testimonial on why he had to win is also great: http://eddieorso.tumblr.com (Eddie – send a picture of where I’ll be playing so we can post it on the site)

I’m truly blown away by the time, energy and talent put into all the videos in the contest. Trying to pick a few videos for honourable mention was like trying to pick my top 5 Zeppelin songs. Close to impossible because there are so many great ones.

Having said that, here are 5 that really jumped out right away. I think I’m partial to animation and drawings

Somewhere Else – by Sam Hall and Jocelyn Spence

Tough Love – directed by Andrew Bundas

Lightning Bolt – drawn by Nicolas Friesen

Tough Love – starring the rocking kids

Lightning Bolt – drawn by Catie Doucette

The director/creators of these five videos will receive a complete autographed JP discography on CD or vinyl. Everyone else who entered the contest will be receiving an autographed CD of Scrappy Happiness in the mail soon as a token of appreciation.

We’ll be creating a special page on the website for all the videos so please leave them up on YouTube so they rock online for years to come.

Once again, thanks for the great videos, and most importantly, for digging the music.

Scrappy happiness indeed.

Joel Plaskett

PS: That Roller Derby team was awesome too.
PSS: So was the number of people dancing and rocking out.
PSSS: and the painted faces, singing kids and life sized cut outs.

I could rattle on for days….

Joel Plaskett fans have taken the Scrappy Happiness Video Contest over the top!

With 69 outstanding music videos submitted for songs from the new album, from Burnaby, BC to Kensington, PEI, the collection of footage has become a soundtrack of entertaining, inspiring, and memorable moments. The videos capture the uninhibited devotion of Plaskett fans, their love for their hometowns, their families and friends, and most of all, the music.

Submissions closed June 30. Voting continues for two weeks, until July 15 at midnight AST.

Here’s how you vote:

After watching the music video submissions on the contest page at www.joelplaskett.com/contest, sign in to your YouTube account and select “Like” to vote for your favourite video. Each “Like” counts as one vote and you can “Like” as many videos as you want only once.

The video with the most “Likes” wins! Joel Plaskett will fly to anywhere in Canada and play a live show for the winner and 25 of their friends and family.

The Scrappy Happiness video contest is presented in partnership with AUX TV. The winner will have their video premiered on the national music channel.

Visit www.joelplaskett.com to view the contest page and “Like” your favourite Scrappy Happiness music video now!

Toronto, ON – Pheromone Recordings is thrilled to welcome 22 year-old Nova Scotia native Mo Kenney to the roster. Kenney has been turning heads in the Maritimes for the past 18 months commanding stages with a cool and easy grace that belies her age.

It’s those qualities that brought her to the attention of JUNO award-winner and multiple Polaris Music Prize nominee, Joel Plaskett. Plaskett just finished producing Mo’s self-titled debut album, currently scheduled for release September 25th on Plaskett’s New Scotland Records in conjunction with Pheromone Recordings.

Kenney is no stranger to the spotlight. After successful CMW showcases in Toronto this spring, she has also performed at ECMA Week, the Stan Rogers Folk Festival, Evolve, Nova Scotia Music Week, The Rebecca Cohn Theatre, and The Carleton. Her song “Eden” won the Atlantic Film Festival’s 10 x 10 music video program.

Kenney is quickly gaining admiration from where it counts most – fellow musicians. Ron Sexsmith, the Crash Test Dummies, and Gordie Sampson are among those spotted at her shows and singing her praises.

This fall, while gearing up for her album release, Kenney will join Plaskett on the road, opening his Alberta and British Columbia dates.

Canada is known worldwide for the quality and quantity of its singer-songwriters, both male and female. A select few stand out in that LARGE crowd from the very beginning. We think Mo Kenney is one.

Click here to listen to “Scene of the Crime” featuring an incredibly emotive Kenney vocal backed by Plaskett on some fuzzy guitar.

Praise for Mo Kenney

“We all loved Mo. She’s the ‘real deal.’ Hope to do more work with her.” – Ron Sexsmith

“Mo’s voice is silky smooth, her lyrics are smart, she has wonderfully inventive, memorable melodies, and an understated yet commanding stage presence. Check her out, folks – she will not disappoint!” – Brad Roberts, Crash Test Dummies

“I’m on the road over 220 days a year and see a lot of openers and I was gobsmacked. She was stunning. The room was hushed and everyone was engaged and listening. I can’t wait to watch her develop.” – Steve Poltz

“Special mention goes to one of my favourite emerging performers in the Songcamp crowd, elfin songstress Mo Kenney, who is able to create a special mental picture and atmosphere with every song, and whose upcoming CD produced by Joel Plaskett is bound to be something special.” – Stephen Cooke, The Chronicle Herald

Thank you to J. for this review of New Scotland Records 7″ vinyl singles series -

I’m just about done reading Linden McIntyre’s Cape Breton trilogy (The Long Stretch, The Bishop’s Man, and the recently released Why Men Lie) so Nova Scotia has been on my mind a fair bit, and memories of my trip to the province a number of years back has rekindled a desire to head back there very soon. I figured the perfect soundtrack to these reminiscences would be the 7″ single series from New Scotland Records, which was capped off earlier this spring with the final two volumes, one from Joel Plaskett and Jeremy Fisher and the other from Mo Kenney.

Though the artists featured haven’t been exclusively from Nova Scotia, the series curator (and label found) Joel Plaskett is unavoidably tied to the area he calls home. He’s peppered the collection with friends old and new, a handpicked collection of artists that have sparked his interest and desire for creative collaboration. Despite being collected over a number of years and showcasing a variety of musical styles, it’s a captivating series in the way that each single compliments the others. A number of the artists, like Yellow Jacket Avenger, are new to me, but enjoyed alongside recognized names like Peter Elkas, Ben Gunning and David Myles, these songs feel like familiar friends.

You can pick up all 12 singles in the series from New Scotland Records now, but as a starting point, I’d suggest investing in the series final release, “Eden” b/w “The Great Escape” from Mo Kenney. Kenney wrote “Eden” when she was only 16 (she’s 21 now), an effortless song that spills over with youthful innocence and wide-eyed wonder. It’s flip-side is a weightier affair, and offers another side of this young new artist we haven’t heard the last of.

by J. Di Gioia

For the uninitiated (or those of us who don’t collect vinyl), 7” singles are vinyl records that hold 2-4 tracks— too short to be an EP, and definitely too short to be a full-length album. It is, however, a great way for artists to collaborate with one another and try new sounds that may very well carry over into a full-length release.

With that blurb out of the way, Nova Scotia’s New Scotland Records has recently released a string of 7” singles— 12 to be exact. As the label is headed by Dartmouth favourite Joel Plaskett, several of the singles are from him, and many have his creative fingerprints over them. You can grab the singles (both on vinyl and digitally) over at New Scotland Records.

Since the 7” are short and sweet, I’ll keep the blurbs about them the same way:

Mo Kenney – “Eden” b/w “The Great Escape” (video above)
Expertly plucked guitars, a voice once soulful yet playful. For fans of immensely talented young songwriters.

Joel Plaskett & Jeremy Fisher – “When You Come Around” b/w “Paper Crown”
JP contributes a bright guitar rocker, while JF contributes a harmonica-tinged, guitar-strummed sing-along. For fans of their typical fare.

Joel Plaskett & Shotgun Jimmie – “Jimmie’s Still Jimmie” b/w “That’s Not Joel”
Brothers in arms, armed with rollicking rockers and made-up-on-the-spot wordplay. For fans of singing along at the top of their lungs and the shake-and-shimmy.

Ben Gunning – “Destructive” b/w “High Road”
Campy keys effects, cowbells, heavy 80’s influence. For fans of out-of-left-field pop.

Myles Deck & The Fuzz – “Police Cops”, “Ayatollah” b/w “Boom! Boom!”
High energy, high speed chase soundtrack. For fans of riff-driven, catchy F-U rock.

David Myles – “Out of Love” b/w “Wrong So Wrong”
Ahhh. Myles has a smooth voice made for crooning about love. Favourite line: “I picked up running just to pass the time.” For fans of “adult contemporary” love songs that make you smile instead of cringe.

Matthew Grimson – “Matthew Doesn’t Live Here Anymore” b/w “For A Song”
Off-beat. Keys driven. Gruff voice. For fans of— I really don’t know, something different.

Joel Plaskett – Three More – “Compete With Loneliness”, “Spinning for You” b/w “Stay, Stay, Stay”
For fans of the Three themes of leaving home, being away, and returning, and more of that chugging Joel word play.

Tyler Messick – “Half Lit Through the Leaves” b/w “The Scotsman”
He plays folk songs of weight and depth that belie his age. For fans of lush storytelling folk songs of yore.

Ana Egge – “Storm Comin’” b/w “Farmer’s Daughter”
A throaty voice full of yearning, simply plucked guitars, and shuffling beats courtesy of J. Plaskett. For fans of talented American folkies with a Canadian connection.

Yellow Jacket Avenger – “Becoming a Silhouette” b/w “Holding Ghosts”
For fans of playful, dueling guitar riffs.

Peter Elkas – “Poor Young Things” b/w “Repeat Offender”
“These will be our glory days.” For fans of bromance and feel good buddy rock.

by Brenda Lee

The record label founded by Joel Plaskett has been working away on its single series since 2009, and it just recently drew the series to a close with two tracks by Mo Kenney, one by Joel Plaskett himself and another with Jeremy Fisher. The series has also included several tracks by Myles Deck and the Fuzz and that awesome double release of Joel Plaskett singing about Shotgun Jimmie and vice versa.

First, the tracks by Mo Kenney. “The Great Escape” is a surprising track, starting with simple guitar picking and some great vocals from Kenney. Partway through, though, the song suddenly gets louder and more complex, making for a very interesting listen. I loved the line “You’re afraid of the dark because you’re afraid to die.” The track is paired with “Eden,” a simple and sweet song with just Kenney picking her acoustic guitar. It’s gentle, just as I imagine living in the famous garden would feel like.

Following this is “When You Come Around,” sung Joel Plaskett. The track is immediately powerful, with a loud but controlled attack of guitar and drums. Plaskett is by now a bedrock of the Canadian music scene, so I probably don’t need to tell you how good and catchy the track is. But it is both of those things, I might add.

Jeremy Fisher’s “Paper Crown” has a great folk-roots flavour to it. Fisher’s vocals alone introduce the track before it’s joined by some guitar and really kickass harmonica. The song seems very tongue-in-cheek as he talks about “Beauty queen, without a doubt/I ring ‘em in, and it wrings me out.”

Rating: Hunting Call (Excellent) +*swoop*

by Michael

Everybody had that cool music loving friend growing up. The type of person who new the cool bands before everybody else knew they were cool. The person you would go to when all 40,000 songs stored on your computer were “boring” and you needed something “new”.

Joel Plaskett takes on that music genius friend role with the New Scotland Records 7” singles series. Over the span of 2009-2012, Plaskett produced 12 vinyl singles at his Scotland Yard studio in Dartmouth. Artists included bandmates, frequent collaborators, friends and artists he took under his wing such as Peter Elkas, Shotgun Jimmie, Ana Egge and Myles Deck & the Fuzz.

The great thing about the series is you know the man behind the project has a good taste in music, making it worthwhile to check out the artists he likes. Sure, some of the artists may not tickle your fancy, but chances are you will find a few treasures.

The single series wraps up with two vinyls. The first features two songs from Waverly, Nova Scotia’s Mo Kenney. The second is a pair of tracks written and performed by Jeremy Fisher and Plaskett.

Mo Kenney

Kenney, 21, was first on Plaskett’s radar as a 17-year-old when she was recording at a small studio at Shambhala school in Halifax. It may be shocking to learn she wrote “Eden” when she was 16. The song is simple, but remains interesting as a story full of dreams and promise is told with lots of heart. The second track “The Great Escape” sounds more mature, the boredom of life and the need for an escape sinking in. Kenney’s voice carries more weight and confidence on the track.Halfway through the song, percussion and electric guitars unexpectedly drop in, adding a dose of urgency that contrasts the dreamy sound of the A-side.

Joel Plaskett and Jeremy Fisher

The other final vinyl in the series comes from Joel Plaskett and Jeremy Fisher. The pair first met in 2009 in Vancouver while writing songs with Great Big Sea. “Paper Crown” has that back porch feel. A simple acoustic track sung by Fisher with some harmonica and “wo-oh’s” thrown in the background. “When You Come Around” features Plaskett on vocals and has a little more umph. Like many of Plaskett’s tracks, this one looks at love in a non-cheesy way while still having fun. The catchy chorus with the lyrics “You’re in my blood, you’re in my veins, run through my heart and back again” make it easy to join in and sing along before one listen is over.

by Jonathan Briggins