Newfoundland’s Hey Rosetta! released their third album “Seeds” in February 2011. It went on to be Short Listed for the Polaris Music Prize, following in the footsteps of 2009 Short Listed, “Into Your Lungs…” and the band saw itself nominated for two Casby Awards, a Juno Award (and performed on the broadcast show), nominated and won several ECMA’s and toured steadily across the world. “Seeds” is now out in the US, officially, on ATO records and the band will play select summer festival shows before beginning work on the next chapter, for which, I can barely wait. A collection of marvellous and truly talented people, and who I am honoured to work for. Check out the FP blog for a recently posted Hey Rosetta! EPK, which is stunning.

In the early 2000’s when Rock Was Back and every band in the world seemed to be looking for a wormhole to a 1970’s garage, METRIC frontwoman Emily Haines was hauling around — gasp! — an analog synthesizer as the band worked their way up in New York City’s clubs. METRIC has confirmed June 12th, 2012 as the North American release date for their fifth, full-length studio album, “Synthetica”. Following the success of their last album “Fantasies” which was globally self-released outside Canada and sold well over a million albums/singles worldwide, Synthetica will continue the trend and be released through the band’s own label everywhere, including Canada. While many artists feel strangled by the industry’s power structure, the Toronto-based quartet has undone all their business entanglements and started their own company, Metric Music International (MMI). On Fantasies, they became the first artist in history to achieve their first ever Top 20 hit at U.S. commercial radio without the backing of a traditional label; sold out arenas and headlined festivals; picked up JUNO Awards for “Alternative Album of the Year” and “Band of the Year”; had a hand in scoring films for everyone from Edgar Wright to David Cronenberg, and wrote the theme song for the Grammy nominated and Academy Award shortlisted Twilight: Eclipse soundtrack with composer Howard Shore. They even performed “Gimme Sympathy” at a private event for the Queen of England. Further details about “Synthetica” and Metric’s plans for 2012 will follow soon.

Library Voices, a seven piece pop collective from Regina, Saskatchewan released their debut EP, Hunting Ghosts (& Other Collected Shorts) in 2008. SPIN took immediate notice proclaiming Library Voices the “undiscovered band you NEED to hear now.” They have been featured in The New Yorker. They were nominated for a 2010 Western Canadian Music Award for “Independent Album of the Year.” They’ve been mugged twice and lost all their gear twice (once through theft, once through an act of God). “Denim on Denim” their debut album, was released on April 13, 2010 (Young Soul Records / EMI), and their second, “Summer Of Lust” was just released on August 23, 2011 (Nevado / Dine Alone). The band has toured non-stop again, with repeat international encores to the U.S. (including SXSW) and their first tour of Europe at the UK this spring. Library Voices were crowned the Sirius/XM Indie Award winner for “Favourite Alternative Group of The Year” in March. They’re already planning their next album.

Hannah Georgas released her debut album, “This Is Good” in April 2010 (Hidden Pony/EMI). She was Exclaim’s cover artist for May and there was a flurry of glowing album reviews and feature pieces that followed her along her first national tour for the record. Hannah was long-listed for the coveted Polaris Music Prize and This Is Good was name checked by Metro newspaper’s as one of the Best Albums of 2010. Hannah was crowned the XM Verge Emerging Artist of The Year and bestowed an Indie Award winner for Favourite Solo Artist of The Year. She racked up two 2011 Juno Award nominations for Songwriter and New Artist Of The Year. Hannah’s just finished work on a new record (with production by Graham Walsh, Holy Fuck) due out sometime in 2012. Hannah’s currently on an international tour with Kathleen Edwards.

Rah Rah the Regina, SK alt-pop ensemble released their sophomore album “Breaking Hearts,” in June 2010. It was the follow up to their equally incredible debut album, 2008′s “Going Steady” (both on Young Soul Records). Rah Rah spent the day this past summer at Canada’s Wonderland, where ‘The Behemouth’ rollercoaster changed Joel’s life. Wait until he hears about the newly opened, ‘Leviathan.’ CBC.ca declared that Rah Rah “provided the perfect, upbeat closer of the 2011 NXNE festival.” In 2011, they signed to Hamilton-based label/management group (and close friend of Freshly Pressed PR) – Hidden Pony Records/Upper Management, and released a 3 track EP called “The Sailors”. Over a bit of collective band downtime, Erin Passmore and Marshall Burns from Rah Rah released solo/side-projects, and the band decamped to record their next album with illustrious indie-rock producers Gus Van Go and Werner F. That upcoming album, “The Poet’s Dead” will be released in the fall of 2012, and an EP of non-album tracks, called “Little Poems” out on June 12, will prepare listeners for the awesomeness to come.

Rococode are the B.C. indie pop /rock quartet who released their debut album ”Guns, Sex and Glory” on February 7, 2012 (on Head In the Sand Records). Striving to create music that is equal parts arty and accessible, sexy and sweet, badass and beautiful “Guns, Sex and Glory” was co-produced by Ryan Guldemond (Mother Mother) and Andrew Braun and mixed by John Congleton (St. Vincent, Pink Mountaintops, Polyphonic Spree). The band were an iTunes “Single of The Week” feature with their single Empire as of release. Live, Rococode are outstanding. They played CMW 2012 to a fantastic response, completed a coast-to-coast run of shows and are in the stages of planning their fall tour. The video for Empire was premiered on Spinner, and there is much more in the works from this band. Stay tuned…

Erin Passmore is perhaps best known for her work in the Regina indie-rock band Rah Rah, where she’s a multi-instrumentalist, contributing drums, keys, bass and her crowd-rousing vocals. Erin’s voice is not brash, booming, or overdone. It’s honest, warm and real. It’s one of those gifts you’re born with. And you can’t help but take notice when she takes the mic. She’s a twist on the modern prairie girl. Erin’s only vocal training came from singing in her school’s concert choirs (for extra credit) and belting out Aretha Franklin songs in the shower. Friends and family had no idea she even had her vocal chops, until they heard her on early Rah Rah recordings and at some early local live shows. Erin recorded “Downtown” in Montreal over the summer of 2011 with production from Matt Lederman. Her studio band featured members of Wintersleep, Patrick Watson’s band and Gramercy Riffs. It was released on February 28, 2012 (Hidden Pony Records). Erin will play select tour dates to support Downtown, and Rah Rah will release and tour their newest record (recorded with Gus Van Go) in the fall of 2012

If more bands of this caliber formed the way of Montreal’s Half Moon Run, CraigsList might reconsider expanding and capitalizing on their musician listings. Devon Portielje, from Ottawa, met Conner Molander and Dylan Phillips, from Comox, BC through a mutual friend and an ad on CraigsList in 2009. In two short years, this young 20-something trio has grown their partnership into an incredible start. Their highly anticipated debut album “Dark Eyes” is set to be released on March 27, 2012. The raw musical talent they each possess combines to make an awe-inspiring, multi-tasked sound and live show. Phillips often plays drums and keys simultaneously as Molander and Portielje shuffle between guitar, keys, samplers and percussion. Folky, 60’s inspired three-part harmonies hold down moody, psychedelic arrangements and electronic-infused soundscapes.
They were proclaimed “Buzz Kings Of The Festival” by the NME, and further high praise has come from The Montreal Gazette and Brooklyn Vegan (amongst many others) to their M for Montreal festival performance in late 2011. With the release of “Dark Eyes”, 2012 sees extensive touring in Canada, the U.S., the U.K., and Europe and beyond…

Beloved Vancouver-based indie-pop quintet Said The Whale worked their sophomore disc “Islands Disappear” by touring Canada non-stop. The band released a digital-only, acoustic companion EP called “Bear Bones” in February of 2010. They placed second in the Peak Performance Prize and won “New Group Of The Year” at the 2011 Juno Awards in Toronto. They took the summer of 2011 to record their latest album “Little Mountain” with long-time band producer Tom Dobrzanski and recruited multi-Grammy award winning mixer, Jack Joesph Puig to complete the team. Released on March 6, 2012 and entering the Canadian Top 200 Albums Chart at #17, the band completed a coast-to-coast Canadian and US tour, and are presently charming the UK to their sweet sounds. There will be so much more to come…