The Maritimes has become a veritable hotbed of rising stars the last few years. It's amazing how little town artists are no longer limited to their own region anymore and can rise to National and even International recognition.
Some of the hottest alternative/rock acts right now include
- The Chucky Danger Band (Extremely popular)
- In Flight Safety
- Two Hours Traffic
Not as popular as Chucky Danger but getting there. If you watch any of the big name TV series like "The OC" you have heard their music in the background.
- A personal favorite of mine is the Joel Plaskett Emergency. Joel is an extremely talented musician/songwriter who can span all sorts of Genres. He is also sought after by newer bands as a formidable producer.
- The Trews are best enjoyed live for their amazing ability to get a crowd rockin but their CDs are good as well.
I hate to reference country but George Canyon is now almost too big to mention in this thread, at least in Canada.
For the more classically minded, I have previously mentioned Este Mundo's 'Isla Rosada' as being an amazing sounding CD of Spanish Influence.
And of Course! Being the Maritime's we have some of the best Maritime and Celtic performers in the World.
- Natalie McMaster, traditional fiddling, The best traditional fiddler of our generation. A real hottie too.
- Mary Jane Lamont. One of rare and diminishing few remaining Maritimer's who still speak Gaelic and one of a handful of those who's songs in Gaelic have gotten a lot of airplay on pop radio.
- Signal Hill, The best Celtic Rock going- If you can find them live I guarantee you can't resist dancing.
- MacKeel - Electric Guitars and bagpipes, Newfoundland Music with a rock twist = 2X the energy.
- I'm guessing you may have heard of Great Big Sea. Internationally renowned for their 'energetic' to say the least renditions of traditional Newfoundland songs and their own tunes.
- Finally, my hometown hero. Also Internationally known but I'm betting many of you never hear of him because of the genre. Lennie Gallant. Folk, folk rock, sometimes bluesee, some purely French Acadian. If you try anybody on the list check out his "Live" album. The acoustics on it are amazing and there are tons of instruments from strings to horns that will jump out of your Axioms. His songwriting is also true storytelling at its finest.
I could list soooo many more but I'm out of time.
