Saint Alvia

Artist Bio:
It’s been one hell of a good year for Saint Alvia. Since the release of their critically acclaimed Self-Titled debut in May ‘07 they’ve had three incredibly successful national tours, three heavy rotation radio singles/videos and a truckload of award nominations including a Juno nod for Rock Album Of The Year, an MMVA nomination for “Blonde Kryptonite”, a CASBY, a Cravefest Award and a CBC Indie Award among others.

Even with all the accolades and recent success, Saint Alvia has maintained a firm foothold in it’s punk rock roots and ethics; preferring to redefine and challenge genres rather than to follow current trends. “Between The Lines” is no exception. A screaming tribute to late 80’s rap switches up to angry reggae tunes which flow seamlessly into country-infused ballads then flip into full-on Clash-esque punk rock anthems. There’s even a booze-fuelled Russian waltz in there that would make Tom Waits blush. The album also features guest appearances from good friends Wade McNeil (Alexisonfire, Black Lungs), Ricky Snips (Ceremonial Snips) and Scott Russell (Planet Smashers, Toasters).

Radio Strategy:
Back with their new album and September cross-Canada tour with Against Me, we are hitting the airwaves with the first single “Between The Lines” targeting Modern Rock stations.

Press Quotes:
“…bubbling with pop/ska/punk crossover appeal, all with a re-imagining that is totally fresh…” 4/5 Alternative Press

“With Between The Lines, the Saint Alvia Cartel successfully avoid the sophomore slump and transcend their “former members of” status in a single bound. Whereas the band’s self-titled debut showed a group unafraid to push genre boundaries, creating a record that was a breath of fresh air in the process, Between The Lines ups the ante in a way that would make the Clash stand up and take notice….But the true gems are “Drugs,” “Are You Serious?” and the politically charged “Americafioso,” which sport some of the catchiest, up-beat group sing-alongs ever put to plastic.”
Exclaim Magazine Sept 08

“The Saint Alvia Cartel are winning awards, popping up on year-end best-of lists and appearing on magazine covers. But after speaking with the group’s Rob Pasalic, you get the sense that he and his bandmates are oblivious to it all.” – Chart Magazine

Artist Website • Myspace

Spiral Beach

Artist Bio:
“It’s colourful” says drummer Daniel Woodhead. “It jumps out at you, catches you off guard and takes you to other places.” Toronto’s Spiral Beach have been drawing much attention lately to their strange and dynamic energy, and will certainly be catching the ears of many with the release of their album Ball this  past October on Sparks Music.  Ball’s release comes on the heels of the band’s first cross-Canada tour, a journey that Daniel describes as “mind-expanding”. However, this isn’t the band’s first major outing, as they’ve already toured in the United States with fellow Torontonians the Hidden Cameras last November, and again with Sloan this past spring. These successes on the road haven’t kept the band from finding a place for itself in Toronto’s thriving music community though, where their shows have become notorious for the raw energy and surprising musical ability that seems to draw both young and old crowds.    

Radio Strategy:
With the quirky first single “Made Of Stone” off the band’s newest album, we garnered Modern Rock radio airplay across Canada and achieved a peak chart position of #31.  We also managed to secure high-profile radio station/live-concert partnerships including an 102.1 The Edge Toronto’s Next Big Thing performance, a Live 88.5 Ottawa “Live Lounge” showcase, and an 102.1 The Edge Friday Night Live feature interview/performance.

Ivana Santilli

Artist Bio:
Born to an Italian father and French Canadian mother, Ivana Santilli’s background is nothing if culturally rich. She tasted major label success while still a wide-eyed teen with the funk-pop outfit Bass is Base. In 1999 the tri-lingual multi-instrumentalist ventured out alone and released her debut solo album Brown. The album won Ivana an impressive collection of awards and nominations and put her firmly in the vanguard of the then nascent indie music scene. Corduroy Boogie, her 2004 follow up, featured a host of guest appearances and critically acclaimed singles, garnering favorable reviews and further endearing her to her legions of loyal fans. Since then she has established herself as the sought-after vocalist/ keyboardist in the Nu-Soul, Broken Beat and Electronica scenes and has collaborated with heavyweight producers including: Dwele, Omar, Dego(4 Hero), King Britt, James Poyser, Mitsu the Beats, & Circle Research. Ivana is recognized for her winning musical formula by combining soul bearing lyrics, strikingly beautiful music, with high energy live shows having toured with the likes of: The Roots, De La Soul, Tito Puente, James Brown, and Jamiroquai.

Her new album TONY released June 10, 2008, is full of catchy hooks and sweet harmonies. Says Ivana, “When I was a kid, I was exposed to my sister’s R&B and Funk collection, to my dad’s Neapolitan love songs, but I was also raised on pop music.” “TONY is my love song to old-school pop songwriting.”

Radio Strategy:
The second single from TONY is “Been Thru This.” The upbeat and catchy track earned adds from Vibe Calgary, Virgin Radio Toronto, and Proud FM right out of the box with Z103.5 Halifax quickly following. Targets are CHR radio stations.

The lead off single from her new album TONY was the infectious “Whateva U Want”. Targets were CHR and Hot AC radio across Canada. Supporting stations included: Mix 99.9 Toronto, Flow Toronto, Proud FM Toronto, Vibe Calgary, Z103.5 Halifax.  Contesting was done with Mix 99.9 and Proud FM both doing on-air giveaways with tickets and albums. Plus we set up interviews and station visits for Ivana.

Press Quotes:
“Canadian soul singer Ivana Santilli is back. It has been about four years since we last heard from the young chanteuse, when she released her sophomore recording Corduroy Boogie. Promotion for that CD took her from Japan to the U.S., Europe and throughout Canada, where she played festivals and clubs and expanded her already formidable fan base. Now, Santilli is set to tour and launch her newest CD, TONY, and it is safe to say that she is sounding better than ever.” - What’s On Winnipeg

Artist Website • Myspace

About With A Bullet Radio Promotion

Launched at the beginning of February 2008, With A Bullet is an independent radio promotion company started by Cara Heath. The goal is to provide a strong foundation in traditional radio promotion and add to that a modern approach that capitalizes on all the avenues of promotion now available in the digital landscape. With A Bullet’s focus will be to solidify the relationship between radio and artists but also look for new and unique opportunities to further this rapport.  Ultimately, it’s all about getting the music out to the listeners.

Hard work, persistence, and interactivity are key!  A passion for music and respect for artists is the driving force of everything With A Bullet does.  We only work with clients we believe in, which means you will benefit from our passion, strong work ethic, and established relationships.  Let With A Bullet work with you to develop a full strategic plan, that will achieve maximum realistic results.

Prior to launching With A Bullet, Cara spent three years helping build another radio promotion company, where she worked with artists including Feist, The Saint Alvia Cartel, DJ Champion, and Paul Brandt. She also set up on-air promotional campaigns for clients including Eagle Rock Entertainment, Anchor Bay/Starz, and Morningstar Entertainment. Before that, Cara served for two years in BMG Canada’s radio promotion department.

Welcome to the new site!

Thanks for visiting With A Bullet.  Hope you like the new site!  This is the section where I’ll post news as it happens, thoughts and opinions, as well as some helpful articles. Check back soon