“We used to do ‘Cheap Sunglasses’ by ZZ Top, but it depends on the day,” says keyboardist Robert Crowell on his favourite cover to play with the rock band Deer Tick. From Providence, Rhode Island, Deer Tick returns to The Marquee on Friday for its first show here since the Halifax Pop Explosion. In 2012, […]
Adria Young
Feels like home
Growing up on the small Caribbean island of St. Lucia, Kayo Guevarra discovered his love for hip-hop like many of us: through R. Kelly. He was 14 when he joined his school choir. “We were going to sing R. Kelly’s ‘The World’s Greatest,’” Guevarra explains. “The choir leader wanted to add a rap verse, so […]
Essential Yasiin Bey tracks
Quit calling him Mos Def. In 2012, the producer, rapper and actor announced to a crowd in Anchorage, Alaska, that he would henceforth prefer to be called by his legal and chosen name, Yasiin Bey. Born Dante Smith, Bey was raised in Brooklyn; his father was a member of the Nation of Islam, which he […]
Aboriginal Day’s unity and solidarity
“I think hip-hop got adopted very quickly by First Nations culture because of the idea of the struggle. Especially with hip-hop being born from the struggle of New York, it was something that First Nations children and kids growing up on the rez could identify with, and rightly so,” says Ian Campeau (AKA DJ NDN) […]
Hot summer concerts 2014
June 28 Bastid’s Coast 2 Coast BBQ I was stoked when I saw Skratch Bastid on the turntable at a Raptors game. The Halifax DJ and producer is kind of a big deal and he’s touring Canada with a party in tow, hitting the Waterfront Warehouse with A Tribe Called Quest’s Ali Shaheed Muhammad, locals Jorun […]
Everything you need to know about summer ’14’s festivals
June 15-22 Editor’s Pick The Nova Scotia Multicultural Festival This summer marks 30 years of the Nova Scotia Multicultural Festival. It’s an immersive week of cultural education with artisans, performances, a parade, AMAZING FOOD (there’s a full line-up of international hot dogs), workshops and a health and wellness series across Halifax and Dartmouth, throwing a spotlight […]
New Music 2014
Help yourself to these sweet 15 local bands in our 2014 New Music Issue. Read up in print and head to thecoast.ca to check out the tracks online that will be the brightest diamonds in your summer playlists—whether you’re piling into the Jeep on another epic beach mission or sitting in a darkened bathroom in […]
Surveillance
“I basically tell everyone we’re ripping off Eric’s Trip,” says Surveillance drummer Tri Le. The noisy rock three-piece formed about a year ago and named themselves after a “24-Hour Surveillance” sign. Coincidentally, “about a week later, the Edward Snowden thing came out,” says guitarist Dave Burns, who felt it was his time “to start a […]
Never Human
“There’s not many hardcore bands in the city right now, and the ones that do exist, most of Never Human is already in a bunch of them,” says Cody Googoo, guitarist of the new noise hardcore band. “And each have their own special style or twist or whatever.” Flanked by Dexter Outhit (vocals), Ben Radford […]
Measure Up
If Measure Up was a classic TV game show, guitarist and vocalist Alex Babineau says that Halifax straight-edge hardcore punk band would be Hollywood Squares, “but we’d only play as the Xs.” Members of Measure Up had been hoping to put together a straight-edge band for awhile but needed enough people to do it (are […]
The Lauras
While jamming a new bossanova-style song at drummer Tri Le’s house around 9:45pm a few weeks ago, The Lauras received their first-ever noise complaint and subsequent (outrageous) fine. “Everyone was straight-goofing and living their life,” recounts Kathleen Prinsen, who was surprised by the use of force. “We’re three little wusses playing a bossanova song.” Led […]
Woadie
“I listen to a lot of music, so it’s hard to stick to one specific sound,” says Halifax DJ and producer Woadie (AKA Thomas Ly). Since last spring, the young homie, aged 19, has produced and released over a dozen jams on Soundcloud that range from incredibly chill to incredibly turnt up. “I feel like […]

