Frazey Ford

As 2011 comes to a close, Nettwerk Music Group is excited to share a year-end recap of some significant milestones the label has achieved in Canada.

Toronto’s revered indie-folk/rock band Great Lake Swimmers saw their Juno-nominated album Lost Channels exceed 16,000 copies sold, bringing their career sales to nearly 30,000 albums in their home country. Meanwhile, Australian sibling duo Angus & Julia Stone, whose sophomore album Down The Way debuted at #118 on the Canadian Soundscan Album Chart, saw their album surpass 10,000 copies sold in Canada, with break-out single “Big Jet Plane” exceeding 11,000 in track sales.

Nettwerk has also been focused on expanding its label roster over the past 12 months with the addition of various up-and-coming Canadian talents, including Vancouver-based folk singer/songwriter Joshua Hyslop, Waterloo sibling trio Kidstreet, Toronto-born folk/rock artist Liam Titcomb and Vancouver-based electro synth-pop fivesome Young Liars.  More information on each artist is below.

“Since its inception over 25 years ago, Nettwerk has remained committed to the flourishing Canadian music scene,” says Nettwerk President Ric Arboit. “We’ve signed some amazing Canadian talent in the past months are excited to be redoubling out efforts in 2012.”

In addition to new albums from the aforementioned label roster additions, 2012 brings anticipated releases from some of Nettwerk’s most loved Canadian artists, including 2010 Juno-Nominees Great Lake Swimmers and Vancouver’s Frazey Ford (of the Be Good Tanyas). Angus & Julia Stone will also return with new music following the worldwide success of sophomore album Down The Way, and Grammy-nominated remixer/prdoucer Morgan Page will release his new single “Body Work,” a collaboration with Canadian indie duo Tegan & Sara.

Frazey Ford will join the Carolina Chocolate Drops on a handful of US tour dates in December.  She'll be performing songs from her critically-acclaimed solo album Obadiah, and will be joined by her fellow Be Good Tanyas bandmate Trish Klein.

Tour dates:
Sat, Dec 3     Charlotte, NC @ Neighborhood Theater
Sun, Dec 4    Asheville, NC @ Orange Peel
Wed, Dec 7    Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse
Thu, Dec 8     Chattanooga, TN @ Track 29
Fri, Dec 9      Knoxville, TN @ Bijou Theater
Sat, Dec 10,   Nashville, TN @  Mercy Lounge

Nettwerk Music Group is excited to share the Nettwerk Fall Music Sampler 2011, featuring stand-out tracks from current label artists such as Peter Murphy, Ladytron, Frazey Ford, Great Lake Swimmers, William Fitzsimmons and many more. This Fall Sampler not only highlights some of the great music that's come from label over the past year, but also serves as an introduction to those music lovers not as familiar with Nettwerk's artist. Get it free on Amazon.com here: http://amzn.to/pYw9PL.

Listen to Frazey Ford's "Blue Streak Mama" from Obadiah above. 

Former Be Good Tanyas frontwoman Frazey Ford has announced a handful of North American tour dates in September. She’ll co-headline these dates with Whitehorse, a duo made up of fellow Canadians Luke Doucet and Melissa McClelland.

Frazey released her debut solo album Obadiah in 2010 to critical acclaim. Most recently, she reunited with her former bandmates for a Be Good Tanyas reunion tour in celebration of the release of their debut album, Blue Horse, on vinyl for the first time.

Be Good Tanyas Tour Dates:
Wed, Aug 17 Seattle, WA @ Woodland Park Zoo Amphitheatre**

Fri, Aug 19 Portland, OR @ Oregon Zoo Amphitheatre**

Sat, Aug 20 San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
Sun, Aug 21 San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
(**As special guests of the Carolina Chocolate Drops)

Frazey Ford Tour Dates (co-bill with Whitehorse)
Sat, Sept 17 New York, NY @ The Living Room
Sun, Sept 18 Philadelphia, PA @ Tin Angel
Mon, Sept 19 Boston, MA @ Club Passim
Tues, Sept 20 Montreal, QC @ Petit Campus
Wed, Sept 21 Toronto, ON @ Glenn Gould Studio

“The combination of delicacy and fire in the act’s three-part vocal harmonies – added to the conviction of its performances – means that it only takes a few seconds of listening to [Blue Horse] to understand why Nettwerk signed the trio.” - Billboard

“On its debut, this all-female British Columbia trio, much like kindred new traditionalist spirits like Gillian Welch, explores a carefully chosen selection of deep country, early American folk, lonesome blues and soul.” – Rolling Stone

It’s been 10 years since Vancouver-based, alt-folk trio The Be Good Tanyas released their critically-lauded debut album Blue Horse on Nettwerk Records. To celebrate, the band has announced that they will released a special, limited edition 180-gram vinyl on July 5, 2011, with a deluxe 2-LP gatefold, 28-page songbook and digital download card. The vinyl will include the 12 original tracks from Blue Horse, as well as three previously unreleased bonus tracks.

The Be Good Tanyas—Frazey Ford, Samantha Parton and Trish Klein—have achieved cult status since their inception in the late ‘90s. With classic albums like Blue Horse (2000), Chinatown (2003) and Hello Love (2006), the three young women were met with ever growing critical and fan acclaim, garnering 4 star reviews in Rolling Stone and MOJO, and selling out concert halls across North America and Europe. Combining original material with traditional standards, the Tanyas’ stunning vocals and seamless harmonies, combined with gorgeous acoustic instrumentation, resulted in music that was warm, honest and captivating.

Keep reading for more information on the Blue Horse vinyl and tour dates...

ChinaShop Mag recently caught up with Frazey Ford at SXSW for an exclusive, super-intimate performance and interview.  Armed only with her guitar and her distinct voice, Frazey performed two songs: Al Green's "That's How Strong My Love Is" (above) and Neil Young's "Out On The Weekend."  Watch/read the full story at ChinaShop Mag. 

Stay tuned for more news from Frazey Ford.

As SXSW quickly approaches, we wanted to make sure to share with you the full list of Nettwerk artists across the label, management and publishing arms who will be appearing in Austin.  The Submarines, Frazey Ford, Pint Shot Riot, Lucy Schwartz, Datarock, Great Lake Swimmers and Matt & Kim are just some of the artists you can expect to see playing multiple showcases and parties.  Keep reading for the full list of artists, dates and venues, and be sure to check out the video playlist aboveto get a taste of what you can expect from each performance. See you in Austin!

NBC's Cat Greenleaf caught up with Frazey Ford while she was in New York for a 'Talk Stoop' interview and performance. Frazey talks with Cat about her solo debut, Obadiah,  and shares some secrets, like her dad being on the run from the FBI!  Check it out above or click HERE. 

Frazey Ford recently sat down with Guy Raz, the host of NPR's Weekend All Things Considered, to talk about new album Obadiah. If you missed it, listen HERE. 

Former Be Good Tanyas frontwoman Frazey Ford stopped by the NPR offices in Washington, DC a couple weeks ago for a special acoustic performance at host Bob Boilen's desk for NPR's coveted Tiny Desk Concerts.  Check it out HERE. 

Says host Bob Boilen: "Ten years ago, I heard an astonishing voice stand out in a group filled with strong singers. The voice belonged to Frazey Ford; the group was The Be Good Tanyas.

The Be Good Tanyas released three outstanding albums — Blue Horse is still a favorite of mine — and then, silence. It's been four years since we've heard Ford's lilting, laid-back sound, but now she's back with a solo record. The album, Obadiah (which also features another Be Good Tanya, Trish Klein) follows Ford's love of rhythm and blues and traditional American country music.

Ford came to the NPR Music offices for this Tiny Desk Concert — armed with her acoustic guitar and a cheetah jumpsuit — and lulled our office with four beautiful tunes. If you loved The Be Good Tanyas, like me, you'll be thrilled to hear her sing again. And if you've never heard Frazey Ford, you're in for a treat."