What do you do when you are lucky enough to have great friends that are also killer musicians and talented cinematographers?  Ok, I don’t know what you would do but I know what I did…

Pony Express – help me chase this train!

CBC Radio 3, VIA Rail and Greencouch Productions have hand picked a few bands to ride the train from Vancouver to Toronto for NXNE June 8th – June 12th and they are selecting 3 MORE bands to ride the train! They will be selecting them from nominated artists and this is where I need YOU, The Pony Express, to become a force and help me get on this train! Please help me do this by one or ALL of the following:

1. Send an email to tracksontracks@cbcradio3.com and tell them you nominate Katie Rox and TELL THEM WHY (they need Katie Rox on the train because she keeps things on track)!

2. Tweet with the hashtag #tracksontracks to @cbcradio3 and @cbc_music that you nominate Katie Rox and they should choo choo choo choose her! Don’t forget the hashtag #tracksontracks

3. Post a comment on this link http://music.cbc.ca/#/blogs/2012/4/TRACKS-ON-TRACKS-The-Ultimate-Canadian-Rock-n-Rail-Adventure and tell them why you nominate Katie Rox!

Don’t forget to include WHY you think KATIE ROX should be on the train (because every train ride needs at least one girl fronted band, or because Katie Rox keeps things on track or that you choo choo choo choose Katie Rox…)

THANK YOU!!!  Choo chooooo

Filmed on location on Osaka & Tokyo.  A big arigato to everyone involved in the making of this video.  Arigato!

My CMW Showcases have been announced:

WITH MY BAND: Thursday, March 22nd at Czehoski. The magic will happen at 1am!

SOLO: Friday, March 23rd at The Central. I’ll be folkin’ after midnight!

To get tickets or wristbands for the entire festival go HERE.  Lots of amazing bands, and some of my favorites and friends like Sidney York, The Matinée, Washboard Union & Zoo Lion.

With Matt Rose from The Matinée on guitar, Brandi Sidoryk from Sidney York on bass and Luke Cyca from Sidney York/Beekeeper on Drums!

Thank you to Cendrine and Examiner.com for listing me on their list of Best Independent Artists of 2011!  You can read the full article right HERE.

A big THANK YOU to Airdrie Echo for picking me at #4 on their list of:

Top 5 Entertainment Acts Of The Year!

Love you, my hometown!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

image credit

Merry Christmas everyone!

CD REVIEW: Pony Up by Katie Rox
Cendrine Marrouat, Canada Independent Artist Examiner
December 14th, 2011

Country music is a genre which I listen to quite rarely. The reason is that, more often than not, I find myself focusing on the rehashed tunes and the clichéd lyrics, and I end up complaining about the complete lack of creativity.

Just when I thought I would never be able to change my mind about that particular genre, Katie Rox came along. She had me at “Now or Never,” made me tap my feet during “I Won’t,” forced my mind to wander on “Airplane.” And when the heartfelt ballad titled “Not a Day” was over, I had to play “Pony Up” again — and again and again…

Rox has a natural talent. And that talent pervades her entire latest album. Her angelic voice, combined with a light but catchy guitar playing create a sense of honesty and simplicity, while revealing a lot of maturity. A maturity that is clearly apparent on songs like “Leave Me Here” (where Rox sings with Simple Plan’s Sébastien Lefebvre) and “Overdose.”

Here we go friends! The Top 3 from the poetry contest! It ward hard to choose, all of the poems were as awesome as Christmas itself.

TOP 3

Feels like an overdose of love
All those snowflakes up above
Settle back. Look! up in the sky
An airplane is just passing by
Joy like this is hard to find
I’m gonna leave everything behind
Waste no minute, not a day
Merry Christmas. It’s all I can say
- Christina Sauprigl

‘Tis the season for long distance
There’s not a day where I won’t think of you
The one who’s so hard to find
The air so crisp, the smell of pine
All that’s missing is your hand in mine
Just got on that airplane, don’t waste more time
It’s now or never, don’t leave me here
Stay, it’s Christmas!
- Gabriella Albino

(this is just a portion of a longer poem)
Kids begin the task
Of writing letters again
And it’s there where they ask
For that bright and white plane

Parents go crazy
Buying hard to find things
Like a big plush daisy
Or every color rings

And I won’t talk about
The overdose of candy
Or when there’s a light-out
and they spike eggnog with brandy
……..
- May Ortiz

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Rudolph suffered an overdose just the other day
Now with Rudolph dead and reindeer being hard to find
To pull the bearded man’s sleigh
Santa an ingenious man replaced him with an airplane
I won’t ever deal with reindeer again
with my new mach 4 sled
- Aysha O’Brien
(thanks for making me roll on the floor laughing over this one, Aysha)

I’m not going to overdose on Christmas this year
I’m going to take an airplane and I won’t forget you dear
With bells and halls and wreaths and wraths, Christmas won’t leave me here this year
Not a day will go by without a Christmas cheer
so ring it clear, let me hear
But I won’t overdose on Christmas this year
- Nick Donald

(a portion of a longer poem)
It’s Christmas time for family and friends
Festivity could company, hope it never ends
Hope, Love, Peace and Joy in all our hearts abound
It’s not hard to find, around me friends surround

Now or never, there is only this moment
I won’t give it up, a Christmas statement
I need Auld Lang Syne, God please peace on earth
A stately place, the eve of the holy birth

Sing Jeruselem and Come All Ye Faithful
I love this life although it’s sometimes stressful
What treasures about beneath the Christmas tree
Let’s all find peace, let the world dance so free
….
- Robert Hampton