Top 10 Artists, Hamilton Region, CBC #Searchlight Competition. Have Your Say And Vote!

Top 10 Hamilton artists, in alphabetical order

And now, in order of number of listens on CBC Music:

The Human Orchestra: 1943 Plays

The Human Orchestra is an 8 piece alternative folk rock band hailing from Hamilton, ON. It was the September 2012 release of their EP “Lip Service” ( Oak Studio, Toronto, ON) that got them into this past Sound of Music Festival (Burlington), nominated for best new group of the year at The Hamilton Music Awards (2012) & named by CBC’s the buzz as “one of the top bands to see” at NXNE (2013). They have recently released their new limited edition 7” single “Bad Jokes” (Catherine North Studios, Hamilton, ON) recorded with Michael Chambers/moon:and:6 (City in Colour, White Horse) released this past October then in November began working on their debut full length album at Threshold Studios with Mike Kiere (The Dirty Nil, Dark Mean) for release summer 2014 (cd/vinyl/digital download).

From the Bridge: 1239 Plays

From The Bridge is a southern Ontario based musical act which blends a deeply melodic guitar sound with a rare brand of lyrical introspection. The lineup includes lead singer Kerr Smith, guitarist Mike Bolt, James Spekkens on piano and Peter Krpan lending percussion. All unique individuals with varying tastes, it is their collective character which reflects artfully in their sound creating a truly emotive listening experience. From The Bridge gets into you, permeates your senses. Each track, though separate, is seemingly linked together offering little interruption to the state to which you have been led. You find yourself aware, but drifting off to a place of similar contemplation, both reflective and comfortable. From The Bridge is real; each song being a reflection of its four members. For the length of an album, you can join them on their journey.
Written by: Mike Gregson

The Medicine Hat: 1494 Plays

The Medicine Hat is the sound of falling in love: magical, uncompromising, and a bit ridiculous. Born in a cold basement after folk songstress Nabi Loney and her young lover Tyler Bersche realized that they had written enough songs about each other to make a record, The Medicine Hat became the soundtrack to the first of hopefully many love stories.

The Medicine Hat
Photo: Perryn Kruth

The couple enlisted old friends Elliott Gwynne and Michael Boyd, both students at the Humber School of Jazz, and were later joined by their schoolmate Aaron Hoffman. With the five members residing in Hamilton & Toronto, Ontario, The Medicine Hat pleasantly infuse big-city hooks and steel-town crunch into their fuzzed-out pop songs.

Evan Champagne: 685 Plays

Evan Champagne takes an organic approach in fusing a variety of styles and instrumentation together with the acoustic guitar. A multi-instrumentalist with truly signature vocals, he pushes things a step further with his artful use of live-dub technology. Evan performs unique renditions of the hits and introspective original material, which he sells hundreds of copies of yearly - bootleg style, straight off the stage. Ever grateful for his loyal audience, and striving to be a positive force musically and in his community, he has found success as an independent touring singer/songwriter, with over 2,000 live performances during the past decade.

Rachael Kennedy: 456 Plays

Rachael Kennedy. To get a better idea of the kind of music I play, picture this: If Carole King had a granddaughter who grew up next to Coldplay and whose best friends were Imogen Heap, Ed Sheeran, and Tegan and Sara… that person would be me. So far on my musical journey, I've had the opportunity to work with Warner Music Canada in a development/demo deal in 2011. In the summer of 2012, I had the opportunity to take part in the SongStudio writing workshop where I was able to work with amazing writers like Rik Emmett (Triumph), Dean McTaggart (Amanda Marshall, "Dark Horse") and Joel Feeney (Leann Rimes, "Nothin Bout' Love Makes Sense").

Rachael Kennedy
Photo: McCallaman

I spent the fall of 2012 traveling back and forth to Nashville to do some writing and had a blast playing the Billy Block Showcase! I also drove down to New York to take part in the 2013 Montauk Music Festival (and had the best shrimp of my life!). I've just been booked to play this festival again in 2014! I released a self-written EP titled “The In Between”, produced by Joel Feeney in October 2013 and an original Christmas single in December 2013, which was added to the CBC Music Library. I recently opened for Jesse Labelle at Waterloo’s Big Picture Project at Maxwell’s Music House, and I am currently planning an East Coast tour in May.

Jordan Raycroft: 317 Plays

2014 JUNO nominated folk-singer Jordan Raycroft has captivated audiences of all ages across the country with his story telling, foot stomping melodies, and intimate performances. A two-time participant of VIA Rail's Artist On Board Program, Jordan has performed in train cars, theatres, and auditoriums throughout Canada. Named 2013's Folk Artist of the Year by the Niagara Music Awards, Jordan launched his singer-songwriter career four years ago, opening for JUNO nominee Peter Katz. Over one hundred shows and two demos later, April 2013 saw the release of Jordan's self-titled debut album. On top of a 2014 JUNO nomination, "Jordan Raycroft" has earned two 2013 GMA Canada Covenant Awards nominations including Folk/Roots Album of the Year.

Black Rhino Riot: 268 Plays

BLACK RHINO RIOT (BRR) is a four piece indie rock band from Hamilton/Guelph Ontario. BRR consists of frontman Jon Spero on Lead vocals/rhythm guitar, Jamie Giardini playing lead guitar/keys/vocals, Clif Kotwa on bass/vocals, and Adam Briggs on drums/vocals. The members met while attending University of Guelph. They all come from very different musical backgrounds, and consequently their product is something unique and fresh. However they still possess familiar tones and have been likened to bands such as The Strokes, The Arctic Monkeys, and Bloc Party. BRR is actively playing shows around Southern Ontario. In early spring of 2012, BRR finished recording their first EP titled "Truth", you can stream it here. The EP was recorded in Hamilton and produced by Marco Bresette and mastered by Nick Blagona from Jukasa Studio. At present, BRR is writing and recording songs for their second EP. They have yet to write a slow song.

Clear Stone: 267 Plays

Clear Stone, began with the musical collaboration of the brothers Tadin. The southern Ontario based band is fronted by singer songwriter Dio Tadin, whose voice "reminds me of their (Clear Stone's) musical influences, namely John Lennon and Tom Petty" says Canadian Blog House. With his brother Dimitri Tadin on Bass, the two brothers developed a core sound that projects throughout their music. According to Indie Music Album Reviews, "You get an immediate sense that the guys from Clear Stone are feeding off of each others energy."

Paul Federici: 190 Plays

Many of the songs on Paul Federici’s sophomore album, Now and Then, take on a greater poignancy when you learn of the singer’s past struggles with mental health issues. In fact, things got so bad for the Grimsby, ON based singer/songwriter that his father had to move in with him in case he tried to harm himself.

Paul Federici
Photo: Thomas Weller

“It got to the point where it was difficult for me to function,” Federici admits. “At one point, I remember going to work during the day, then driving to CAMH’s (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health) emergency room that evening unsure if I’d need to be admitted.”

StereoKid: 124 Plays

StereoKid is a 4-piece band influenced by indie rock, hip hop, and pop. They have the uncanny ability to deliver an entertaining, high energy performance that is sure to please any crowd. Their eclectic and broad musical repertoire will make you feel like it’s summer all year round.

To place your vote: pull the Hamilton list off this page:
http://music.cbc.ca/#/Searchlight