Halifax, Nova Scotia | THE COAST: Music Reviews

Public Publication EP

editor@thecoast.ca (Ryan McNutt) — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 04:00:00 -0300

Rich Aucoin (Sonic) by Ryan McNutt Rich Aucoin aims to destroy dance music�s greatest irony: that its communal audience experience is built on songs often recorded in isolation by studio auteurs. In contrast, over 500 musicians from across Canada contributed to this EP�a companion piece to his forthcoming full-length�and you can hear their weight behind every electro beat and singalong.…

Year of the Carnivore

editor@thecoast.ca (Dave Hayden) — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 04:00:00 -0300

Various artists (Last Gang) by Dave Hayden Forget that this record is a soundtrack because it isn�t�at least not in the traditional sense (ie glorified mixes of classic rock or otherwise well-trodden material). The lone pre-released track is Buck 65�s �Girls with Boyfriends,� which can only be found on an obscure tour compilation that sold out a few years ago.…

Meat Curtains/Pompoir

editor@thecoast.ca (Laura Kenins) — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 04:00:00 -0300

Meat Curtains/Pompoir (Isolated Now Waves) by Laura Kenins A split between two bands taking their names from semi-gross sexual references, Halifax�s Meat Curtains and Vancouver�s Pompoir, this tape keeps the lyrics and sound dirty with sludgy punk rock. The Meat Curtains side features grungy guitars with a post-punk ethos.…

Watching You Think

editor@thecoast.ca (Doug Taylor) — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 04:00:00 -0300

Neema (Sony) by Doug Taylor The Mideastern beauty who is Leonard Cohen�s companion steps forward. Cohen helps out with production and illustration.…

Blood Like Lemonade

editor@thecoast.ca (Sean Flinn) — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 04:00:00 -0300

Morcheeba (PIAS) by Sean Flinn Original vocalist Skye Edwards rejoins the Godfrey brothers (Paul providing beats and turntablism, Ross playing trippy, soulful riffs) for Morcheeba�s seventh proper studio album. Edwards is still a sleepyheaded singer and the Godfreys don�t want to disturb her.…

Land of Talk

editor@thecoast.ca (Sean Flinn) — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 04:00:00 -0300

Cloak and Cipher (saddle creek) by Sean Flinn Throughout much of its fifth release, Montreal trio Land of Talk trades its sharpened edge for a feathery one. Tempos are slowed.…

Play Guitar

editor@thecoast.ca (Laura Kenins) — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 04:00:00 -0300

Play Guitar (Youth Club/Noyes) by Laura Kenins Originally begun as an art-rock collaboration, the ex-Halifax band finally puts out their first full-length release, with the current lineup including the powerhouse team of brothers Christian (Burdocks) and Jef (Special Noise) Simmons. Though the members have moved to Montreal, you can still hear the east coast experimental-pop sound in their music.…

Jenny and Johnny

editor@thecoast.ca (Tara Thorne) — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 04:00:00 -0300

I�m Having Fun Now (Warner) by Tara Thorne Jenny Lewis bought a house in LA�s Laurel Canyon and with her boyfriend, Johnathan Rice, helped resurrect the storied singer-songwriter scene Joni Mitchell smoked her way through in the �60s. I�m Having Fun Now is reminiscent of that sound, with its warm, laidback acoustic vibe and dreamy girl-boy harmonies.…

Semi-Precious Weapons

editor@thecoast.ca (Trevor Savory) — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 04:00:00 -0300

You Love You (Geffen/Streamline) by Trevor Savory You Love You is the kinetic sophomore release that manages to harness the raw ferocity of NYC band Semi-Precious Weapons. This is pop-infused glam rock that provides a good incentive to check out the band live.…

Aphasia

editor@thecoast.ca (Sean Flinn) — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 04:00:00 -0300

Crocodile Society of Aphasia (White Wabbit) by Sean Flinn An independent music community has coalesced over the last couple decades in Taiwan, which has both borne the burden and resisted the weight of Chinese rule for more than 60 years. This is a collection of noise rock instrumentals from Taipei quartet Aphasia (a term for loss of speech, usually following head trauma or injury.)…

SISTER

editor@thecoast.ca (Sue Carter Flinn) — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 04:00:00 -0300

SISTER (Independent) by Sue Carter Flinn Forget Scott Pilgrim for a second. Plumtree�s Lynette and Carla Gillis, wisely taking advantage of the big-screen boost, released their new EP at the Scott Pilgrim book launch in Toronto, but SISTER deserves attention on its own.…

Fred Eaglesmith

editor@thecoast.ca (Doug Taylor) — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 04:00:00 -0300

Cha Cha Cha (Lonesome Day) by Doug Taylor True to the title, there is a Latin lilt to Eaglesmith�s latest, with soothing, swaying backup vocals from the Ginn sisters. They take the edge off a desolation and dissipation that can make Tom Waits sound like a boy band.…

East Infection

editor@thecoast.ca (Laura Kenins) — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 04:00:00 -0300

Seven-inch compilation (Foul & Fair) by Laura Kenins Featuring four of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick�s weirdest, coarsest bands, this EP hits like a Colt 45 hangover. A live, unedited recording from Sydney�s Mess Folk tries to capture the band�s live sound, louder and more abrasive than its lo-fi bedroom recordings.…

Quaker Parents

editor@thecoast.ca (Laura Kenins) — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 04:00:00 -0300

Huge Mask (Hot Money) by Laura Kenins This nine-song tape is the first release from locals Quaker Parents. Made up of members of the Gamma Gamma Rays and Long, Long, Long, Huge Mask starts off with a lo-fi sound recalling elements of various bands the three members have played in.…

Bibi Tanga & the Selenites

editor@thecoast.ca (Sean Flinn) — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 04:00:00 -0300

Dunya (Nat Geo Music) by Sean Flinn Bienvenu (Bibi) Tanga plays bass precisely and lyrically, carrying the technical load and providing the tone and mood that help communicate the theme. Writing of peace, hope and celebration, he stumbles on the first two tracks, �The Moon� and �Red Wine.� Instead of writing and singing a whole lyric, Tanga�s best when he uses his voice as an additional instrument; for example, the minimalism of �Dunya� or repeating a line as on �Bonjour mon ami Jean.� Co-produced with turntablist le Professeur Inlassable, this full-length debut has some fine formations of Western and African jazz, funk and R&B from Tanga, who grew up in the Parisian suburbs the son of refugees from the Central African Republic, and his quartet of Selenites.]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Colleen and Paul

editor@thecoast.ca (Sean Flinn) — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 04:00:00 -0300

Colleen and Paul (Boompa) by Sean Flinn As far as summer anthems go, �TV Summer� is a brilliant addition to the tradition from duo Colleen and Paul. Colleen Hixenbaugh, who plays rhythm guitar and sings most lead vocals, goes �la-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la-la, ta-da!� And Paul Linklater, who plays lead acoustic and harmonizes vocally, chimes in with calls of �TV summer!� And then Hixenbaugh goes �whoa-ohhh-oh.� Christine Bougie joins on drums and lap steel and Darcy Yates on Hofner bass throughout and help make tunes like �You�re My Globe� gorgeous.…

The Golden Dogs

editor@thecoast.ca (Doug Taylor) — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 04:00:00 -0300

Coat of Arms (Nevado) by Doug Taylor Toronto�s Golden Dogs have overcome a fondness for cacophony and delivered as crisp and punchy a pop album as you�ll hear anytime soon. Coat of Arms is the band�s first full-length in four years.…

Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse

editor@thecoast.ca (Sean Flinn) — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 04:00:00 -0300

Dark Night of the Soul (EMI) by Sean Flinn Mark Linkous (Sparklehorse) committed suicide in March. Linkous�s last work is this collaboration with (and initiated by) Danger Mouse.…

Daniel Romano

editor@thecoast.ca (Sue Carter Flinn) — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 04:00:00 -0300

Workin� for the Music Man (YC) by Sue Carter Flinn Daniel Romano�s biography reads like the most melancholy of Hank Williams tunes: adopted by an older couple who teach him the six-string, loses most of his vision in one eye, meets musical birth parents. After the death of his adopted parents, Romano records in their empty house, but the recordings are lost when the house is demoed while he�s away.…

Crowded House

editor@thecoast.ca (Sean Flinn) — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 04:00:00 -0300

Intriguer (Fantasy) by Sean Flinn Before Coldplay, The Killers, Wilco (on occasion) or Justin Rutledge, there was Crowded House and arguably one of the best pop songwriters of the last almost-25 years at its heart in Neil Finn. Without largesse, artifice or literary pretensions, Finn has written a truly literary, exciting and engaging body of pop composition.…

Arcade Fire

editor@thecoast.ca (Ryan McNutt) — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 04:00:00 -0300

The Suburbs (Sonovox) by Ryan McNutt So this is how it all falls apart, right? The troublesome third album, where for every rare triumph---your OK Computer, your Moon and Antarctica---there are dozens of buzz bands that either buckle under the pressure to evolve or prove that their initial formula was all they had to offer in the first place.…

La Strada

editor@thecoast.ca (Laura Kenins) — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:00:00 -0300

New Home (Ernest Jenning) by Laura Kenins It�s early summer, and the warm damp air is blowing in through the windows, and the slow rhythm of La Strada�s guitars, strings, drums and accordions has a calming effect. The New York band�s first full-length album, New Home, is like a burst of positive energy, conjuring up visions of travelling and wanderlust.…

Hot Hot Heat

editor@thecoast.ca (Sean Flinn) — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:00:00 -0300

Future Breeds (Dine Alone) by Sean Flinn It�s been a continuous cooling off period for Hot Hot Heat since that first full-length, Make Up the Breakdown. That�s eight long years ago, of course.…

M.I.A.

editor@thecoast.ca (Sean Flinn) — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:00:00 -0300

Maya (XL) by Sean Flinn The clue to M.I.A.�s musical modus operandi on her third album resides in the album�s visual design: a cacophonic collage using the debris of digital culture. Most tracks sound forced and chaotic.…

Common

editor@thecoast.ca (Doug Taylor) — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:00:00 -0300

Go! Common Classics (Geffen) by Doug Taylor Arguably the handsomest, nicest rapper, Common could breathe fire back in the day. Only one example of those origins is included here: �The Bitch in Yoo,� a 1996 upbraiding of Ice Cube, when Common was Common Sense.…