Newfoundland vs. Quebec: FIGHT!

Okay, all you bands over there in Newfoundland? You b’ys aren’t going to take this MIGHTY QUEBECOIS INVASION of my iTunes playlists lying down, are you?
My fellow Great Big Sea fans, especially those of you who live or have lived in Newfoundland, or who are otherwise well-versed with Newfoundland music: I call upon you: who are the Newfoundland bands I should be investigating, to continue this whole delightful theme of “other bands I should check out while Great Big Sea is on hiatus”? Here are Newfoundland bands I already have albums by:
The Irish Descendants (Across the Water, Rollin’ Home, So Far So Good, Southern Shore)
The Fables (all of their discs)
The Punters (Certified Trad. Music, Songs for a Sunday Morning)
Shanneyganock (Volume VII)
Recommendations for any specific other albums by any of these groups welcome!
Also: the Navigators have already been brought to my attention, but so far I haven’t been able to find their albums sold somewhere where I can actually get them. Recommendations on that also welcome!
And, anybody not on this list, I want to hear about them. Bonus points if they’re anyone GBS has had dealings with, extra bonus points if there are bouzouki players involved! GBS-like style–i.e., high energy, with big full harmony on the vocals, the more people in a band singing the better–is ideal, although I’ll take smaller groups or solo artists too!

4 Replies to “Newfoundland vs. Quebec: FIGHT!”

  1. If you like tunes – The Dardinelles. Graham Wells would fall into the same catagory. Duane Andrews mixes Django guitar with NFLD tunes and then some as well. If you are into the singing then perhaps some early Ennis Sisters albums or newer Ennis might be up your alley. You gotta listen to some Ryan’s Fancy. That’s where all the current bands learned how to do it. Everyone from the Irish D’s to GBS can trace their influences back to these guys. Sure Dermot produced the first GBS record. Mike Hanrahan has a couple of albums out, both good. I can come up with more, but I’m sure there’s enough here to keep you going for a while.

    1. Thank you very, very much for the reminder about Ryan’s Fancy! I’ve heard of them repeatedly but have been remiss in actually finding any of their stuff.
      Tunes OR singing are both very welcome! As a baby session player I am all about learning tunes, but as a GBS fan of course I am all about the vocals. :D I have a track by the Ennis Sisters on the Fire in the Kitchen album, but didn’t know they were Newfoundlanders; awesome! The other names are new to me and I shall hunt them down. Thanks so much for the recs!

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