My live artist pick of the weekend was undoubtably Cape Breton's rolling party known at the Tom Fun Orchestra. This nine-piece ball of energy put on an unbelievable set of pure joy, somewhat like a Maritimes version of the Hidden Cameras fronted by the lead singer of the Misfits. By the time they closed their set with a rousing cover of Greg Macpherson's blue collar anthem "Company Store", they had me fully converted. They were the singular band that captured the spirit and passion of the event, and in turn the spirit and passion of Nova Scotia's deep music roots. The Tom Fun Orchestra is doing three shows in Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal and you should not miss them. - CBC Radio 3

"Finally, it was up to Sydney's Tom Fun Orchestra to provide the rousing conclusion, and the nine-piece combo threatened to tear the roof off the festival's brand new permanent stage with its rock'n'roll/Celtic/spaghetti western/punk/folk conflagration. Freed from the confines of the tiny bar stages where it usually plays, the orchestra and its gravel-voiced founder lit into a sweat-drenched set that brought dancers young and old over the plastic fence at the front of the field to dance up a storm under the full moon". - The Chronicle Herald

The Tom Fun Orchestra is a nine-piece cluster-rock ensemble from Cape Breton Island that has been impressing music fans and critics alike with their raucous stage presence and high-energy show. Their unconventional lineup of violin, banjo, accordion, trumpet and double bass, hitched to a driving trio of electric guitars and pounding drums, is redefining what people think of as Canada’s East Coast music.

With a live presence that borders on overwhelming, The Tom Fun Orchestra is indeed an impressive sight to see - nine members stretched across the stage like a gang of musical hooligans or huddled together with barely enough room to tip a glass. Their variety of instruments compete for attention in the din, fueling the dynamic of gruff lead vocals and sweet backup harmonies joined by full-on gang vocals for the shout-along choruses that stick in audiences' heads.

During a busy year that saw Tom Fun performing all over Central and Eastern Canada and at festivals in the U.K., the band recorded their debut album, You Will Land With A Thud, with Violent Femmes’ singer- guitarist Gordon Gano and platinum-selling producer Warren Bruleigh (the Violent Femmes, The Pixies, Louise Attaque). Mixed by Phil Palazzola (The New Pornographers) and mastered by Howie Weinberg (Nirvana), the album is slated for release January 29, 2008 on Company House Records (EMI Music Canada).

While the band’s lineup will undoubtedly draw comparisons to indie-rock contemporaries like The Arcade Fire and Broken Social Scene, their sound is more reminiscent of The Pogues, Tom Waits and the Clash. The Tom Fun Orchestra comes from a hot-bed of traditional music on the East Coast, but they embody the tradition of playing music rather than the custom of playing traditional music. In the process, they are creating a timeless, unique sound that bridges generational gaps and defies musical clichés.