Thursday, March 15   11:00 p.m.
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  Ruth Minnikin - Southern Misfortune
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Internationally acclaimed muli-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter Ruth Minnikin releases her 3rd CD ‘Folk Art’.

"Ruth Minnikin signed with EMI as part of The Booming Airplanes at the age of 17. Ten years and several albums with Nova Scotian Alternative Country band The Guthries later, she issues her third solo record, Folk Art, in a small cloth bag with stenciled artwork, accompanied by a handwritten track sheet. Recorded and mixed in three days, even fans of lo-fi singer songwriters like Jodie Holland or Freakwater might find Folk Art a little minimal, but Minnikin's cracked vocal skips over perfectly miniaturized songs featuring mandolin, banjo and French horn. Find Folk Art at www.ruthminnikin.ca. There's a hootenanny in the dolls’ house."
London Sunday Times, Stewart Lee

"Canadian country gal Ruth Minnikin just gets better and better. Beautifully presented in a stamped canvas sleeve, third LP Folk Art (4 stars) finds her shifting further from the sweet country-folk of earlier work into the darker recesses of rural American tradition. A bony set of tunes veering from freakshow carnival nightmares ("Bad Dreams Pt.1") through N’awlins jazz ("Chicken Cooped Up In Country Music") to spare parlour folk ("Song Mill"). See www.ruthminnikin.ca for details." Uncut April 2007, Rob Hughes

“Play her when you have company and absolutely everyone will ask you who the singer is. Some will say she sounds like a female Leonard Cohen.” Monday Magazine, BC

“Ruth Minnikin has a voice that would harmonize happily with the McGarrigle sisters and writes songs of stark but simple emotion that are evocative of Natalie Merchant or Gillian Welch at their respective best.” Maverick Magazine, UK

When Ruth’s first band, the Booming Airplanes signed with EMI she was just 17 years old. Now ten years later, she is a musician, visual artist and businesswoman with an impressive roster of national and international tours both as a member of such bands as The Guthries, The Heavy Blinkers, and as a solo artist. Her voice can be consistently enjoyed on radio stations in Canada, the US, Germany, France, Belgium, Japan and The Netherlands. Her drive to stay independent is evidenced in her approach to this latest project.

‘Folk Art’ is an album that follows Ruth’s recording and releasing tradition. The album recorded in 2 days and then mixed in just 1 (with engineer and fellow Heavy Blinker Andrew Watt).

A testament to the high demand for Ruth’s unique voice has found her on upwards of 40 recordings. Some of the big-wigs that Ruth has been lucky enough to share a stage or CD space with are: Beth Orton (UK), David Byrne (UK), Gold Rush and KTB (UK), Orwell (France), The Handsome Family (US), Calexico (US), Kris Kristofferson (US), Joel Plaskett, The Super Friendz, Mike O’Neill, Wax Mannequin, Buck 65 and Blue Rodeo.

The recording features:
Ruth Minnikin (The Guthries, The Heavy Blinkers) – vocals, guitars, keys
Gabriel Minnikin (The Guthries) – vocals, guitars, mandolin, keys
Dave Christensen (The Heavy Blinkers) – group vocals, bass clarinet, flute
Brian Murray (The Guthries) – group vocals, banjo, percussion, theremin
Anna Plaskett – group vocals, French horn

Release to Canadian stores, radio and press Oct. 2006.
Release to international radio and press Nov. 2006
Ruth has big plans for 2007, with multiple tours across Canada and overseas.
Contact Ruth at ruth.minnikin@ns.sympatico.ca, www.ruthminnikin.ca
Listen at www.newmusiccanada.ca


Look for Ruth’s distinctive canvas covered disc. Give it a listen today!!!!!