Fall Music Preview

SEPTEMBER

Ria Mae
Under Your Skin (independent)
Moody and melancholy, Ria Mae is trying to “break and mend your heart.” August 30

Double Vision Quest
Double Vision Quest (Divorce)
Freewave free digital release from ex-Secret Colours will please the most discerning palates.
September 1

JFM
JFM (Divorce)
Part of the triple-whammy of Freewave digital releases. September 1

Transfixed
Freewave (Divorce)
Divorce’s Freewave free digital releases keep coming with the spacey party masters. September 1

Carleton Stone
Carleton Stone (Groundswell)
The slick self-titled record, produced by one Hawksley Workman, is your September treat, then, and only then will you be able to fill your head with Stone’s “contemporary smart-pop” sounds.
September 6

Teenburger
Burgertime (Droppin’ Science)
Ghettosocks, Timbuktu and DJ Jorun Bombay make up Teenburger, and their aim is to rock you, your body, the club and environs. September 6

Quaker Parents
No Crime When Covered In Grime (Hot Money)
The ever-lovable QPs will be releasing “our third thingy” (they mean EP) this month. Ready yourself for the catchy jams. Like that’s even possible! September 9

Cicada
Cicada (independent)
Dartmouth’s unconvential metal band (African djembe? Why not?) release their first self-titled album, following their first music video release. September 17, Club 1668

heavy meadows
Night Mechanics (independent)
Get a much-needed dose of heavy meadows’ ’70s-inspired pop rock very, very soon. September 20

Night Surf
Dinosaur Blood (independent)
Last October, Night Surf set out to release a free EP for every month for a year and this offering marks a goal completed (get them at nightsurf.bandcamp.com). Shawn McNally and Palmer Jamieson’s songs range from ambient guitar instrumentals to dream pop electronic to ’80s nostalgia. September 20

Votive
Good Luck Have Fun (independent)
Connor Josey’s carefully crafted solo debut comes to you on both CD and cassette, 1999-style.
September 23

We Need Secrets
Purple/Slow Summer (Noyes)
Part of the Noyes records singles series—with a chic 100 copies on light-blue vinyl—Chad Peck (Kestrels, Union of the Snake, Noyes) describes the 7-inch as “a fuzzy paean to an old friend and a short blast of bent guitar and melancholia.” September 1

Like A Motorcycle
Dress Decent (independent)
The snarly and sweet trio gears up for a September mini-tour with its debut record, a six-song CD EP recorded by Jay Methot, available at likeamotorcycle.bandcamp.com and in CD form.
September 25, Gus’ Pub

Generic Shit/Panties
SELF-TITLED (Robot Lust)
Cape Breton no-wave noise versus Halifax power electronics duke it out on this cassette release from noise-masters Robot Lust.
mid-September

Blue Shirts/Zarach Baal Tharagh
SELF-TITLED (Robot Lust)
Halifax/Montreal’s free improv noise is backed by French black metal on cassette, to add to the accessibility. mid-September

First To Fall
HOME (independent)
Lunenburg’s most melodic and technical hardcore heroes release a new EP into the wild. late September

Willie Stratton
Willie Stratton (independent)
Willie Stratton’s latest promises twangy old-timey folk with more instruments than you can shake a stick at. mid-September

OCTOBER

Minus World
Minus World (Berserker Lion)
This cassette EP is available digitally now, but the physical copy is coming up, at which point you should also get physical and shake booties to the electro-pop fun times. October 3

Last Of The Lions
The Wilderness (Prehistoric)
Matt Houlihan and Luke Pincock present an ambitious representation of a live acoustic set with no added production. One guitar, one djembe, one vocal and one take for every track, every song. October 4

David Myles
Into the Sun (Little Tiny)
Renowned nice guy and genre-manipulating songster Myles drops his new album, featuring the Classified-produced summer jam “Simple Pleasures.” October 6

Dumpster Mummy
Dumpster Mummy (independent)
Your favourite trash-metal band is releasing its full-length album. Expect riffs, rolling around onstage in a garbage can and “an onslaught of garbage-obsessed shenanignans,” at the release party at CD Heaven in September.

Bad Vibrations
Black Train (Brotherhood)
Oh yes! A full-length LP from the band that is so good we all get stomachaches. They say it will be their “heaviest, darkest and most sonically pleasing” recording so far. MAN.
October 14, The Seahorse Tavern

The WAX
Departure (independent)
Electronic-infused rock outfit follows up its full-length Lost Societies with a new joint produced by Colin Crowell (JSB, Ruby Jean). October 15

Kestrels
TBA (Noyes)
Kestrels’ third incarnation releases their much-anticipated limited edition 12-inch. Special guitar guest appearance from Brit pop legend Tim Wheeler of Ash. October 18

Steve Gates
Hello Jesus (independent)
Travelling folkie created an EP of songs—some “mildly blasphemous”—including a duet with Catherine MacLellan of Willie Nelson’s “Always On My Mind.” October 18

rich aucoin
over the top! (sonic)
If you are reading this, there is a chance you performed on Rich’s upcoming album as one of 500 artists he conscripted to perform on it from all the across the country. It’s finally coming out this Pop Explosion.
October 19, St. Matthew’s Church

Bloodhouse
Please Don’t Meet Me/
Cool Intentions (Caesar Cuts)
Big city sounds from Halifax. The men are releasing a seven-inch record that is much salivated over on Phildelphian label Caesar Cuts. Local boys make good (music). October 19, Reflections

The Weekend Dads
The Weekend Dads (It’s Alive)
The Dads unleash their consistently awesome pop-punk on your deserving brain. Said release coincides with their HPX showcase. October 21

The Weekend Dads/Fat Stupids/Hemingways/
Murderburgers
SELF-TITLED (Russian Spy)
Should you require more quality sounds, there are more Dads coming to you in vinyl form on the very same day as the above release. Inconceivable! October 21

Jeff Torbert
Urban Poultry & Other Hopes (independent)
Torbert’s release is a Halifax Pop Explosion event (your wristband gets you in). The full-of-life sextet projects optimism, activism and who doesn’t like the thought of urban poultry? October 22, FRED

Cold Warps
Cold Warps/Endless
Bummer (Noyes)
Both the tapes from Halifax’s all-boy summer fun band are compiled onto a hotly anticipated limited 12-inch including a screenprint by Yo Rodeo, just in time for HPX. October 25

Long Weekends
Don’t Reach Out/Show Your Face (Noyes)
Leaving the land of cyber downloads and landing on your turntable is the first physical release for these upstarts (it’s also a free bonus seven-inch to those who subscribed to the Noyes singles series) to coincide with HPX. The release will be accompanied with a video for “Don’t Reach Out” that will hopefully involve fun costumes. Recorded with Bloodhouse’s Gabe Wallot-Beale. October 25

Ian Gosbee
Invisible (independent)
Following the late-June release of Music, Gosbee offers up his latest, which he says is “more rock driven with a taste of techno-pop and reggae.” October 28

Make No Gains
End of History (independent)
The heavy punk group’s second release in all its vinyl glory, following the Severed Ties cassette from November. October 28

SoHo Ghetto
Humble Beginnings Make For Good Night Life (independent)
The sophomore EP from these alt-country dance enthusiasts features musical guest appearances and artwork by local artist Geordie Moore. October 28

The Sorrys
TBA (independent)
Celebrating their 10-year anniversary with four songs on 10-inch vinyl, titles in the works are “10 Inches of Sorry,” “Pity Fuck” or “Sitting Duck.” All in favour of a vote say “aye.” No matter what the title, the band hopes “that people figure it’s a fairly unapologetic slab.”

Hind Legs
Pleasure Cave (independent)
The perennial charmers drop their provocatively titled debut full-length. They are trying to kill you with radness, probably. October 29

Hugonaut
Hello Destroyed (independent)
Classic stoner-metal enthusiasts release their debut on the spookiest of weekends. October 31

Uncle Fester &
Ambition
KREAM2: The Purple Kicks (Backburner)
The follow-up release to 2010’s Kicks Rule Everything Around Me. “Stupid beats, smart raps and more Fresh Prince references than the first one,” is their enticing claim. October

Gypsophilia
Constellation (Forward)
ECMA winners plan no ordinary album release—there is a masquerade party involved here. Celebrating the genre-defying instrumental group’s third full-length (on white vinyl and CD, of course) in style.
October 28, The Seahorse Tavern

NOVEMBER

Rain Over St.
Ambrose
Campfires (Acadian Embassy)
Yarmouth rock ’n’ roll superheroes gear up to release their second EP. November 1

Nick Everett
SELF-TITLED (independent)
Nick Everett’s weird folk and “on the other side will be a special, deluxe, certified, hand-crafted mystery band whose name I must not tell just yet.” November 4

Snug
Starstruck (indie)
Dartmouth-based electronic producer releases a follow-up to Time Travel. Expect a “deep, introspective, melodic and rhythmic” sound.
November 15

Virgil’s Girls
tapetape (independent)
Ten tracks of sweet “slacker pedal punk” from a mystery super group. November 15

Jon Hines Trio
Sasquatch (indie)
Hines and his crew keep the rock, blues and funk rolling. November 25

Nick MacDonald
Roses (independent)
Debut EP featuring an upbeat blend of folk and pop.

DATES TBA

Al Tuck
TBA
Very little is known about the upcoming release from the folk master. But even knowing it is a twinkle in Tuck’s eye is enough to build a dream on.

Cousins/Construction and Deconstruction
SELF-TITLED
Power drummer and big-voiced blondie Aaron Mangle and crew have two-fold plans. A lil’ record in the fall and a full-length in the winter, to warm up your long nights.

Fuck Montreal
TBA
The gem in Radiator Collective’s crown will be following up its Winter Mange 7-inch and five cassette splits with a long-playing 12-inch.

OUTTACONTROLLER
TBA (P-Trash)
Who’s excited? Halifax’s newest garage punks have half a record in the can and just the European label to release it.

Glory Glory
TBA
The gang are in the same boat as Tuck, but look for a new release from the group in the fall.

Jerk Damaged
It’s A Start (independent)
A CD compiled of the best “pseudo singles” that have been released online. It’s ’80s style punk containing elements of all the bands that appear in my frequently played list.

Jon Mckiel
Tonka Warcloud (Saved By Vinyl/Youth Club)
Mckiel presents 10 tracks recorded in the winter “with no heat and no money,” he says. Five were released as his last EP, Confidence Lodge. Get the full picture with Tonka Warcloud.  

The Numbered Head
Meat (independent)
The group aims for a September/October release with its brand-new bassist. Go and cheer on the new guy.

The Trouble Shooters
A Whole ’Nother Thang (independent)
Known for a rootsy, rockabilly sound, their sophomore release reveals a grittier blues/rock attack with saxophones and over-driven guitars. Recorded last winter at Echo Chamber and Codapop Studios.

This article appears in Aug 25-31, 2011.