Last spring legendary Ontarian singer-songwriter Ron Sexsmith released Carousel One, his 14th studio album and one of his finest to date. Immediately, critics noticed a change in his tune. Longtime considered a perpetual sad-sack, Sexsmith’s Carousel One was filled with much more levity and bounce. The track, “Saint Bernard,” especially showed a lighthearted approach to song composition and […]
Adria Young
Posted inArts + Music
Found: Lost Documents, Halifax’s newest poetry publication
While trying to encourage local writer and musician Daniel Long (The Cannisters) to publish his poetry, Bijoux Wilcox (Faw Haja) noticed it might be easier for her and her buddies, namely Dylan Jewers and Grant Mitchell, who also all write poetry, to just do it themselves. “It became apparent that if we all contributed a few things, it […]
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Watch Jon Bryant’s new video by Caitlin Cronenberg
Today, only on The Coast’s Scene Blog: watch ECMA-nominated folk singer Jon Bryant‘s new video for “Light,” the first single from his upcoming album Twenty Something, which will be released on February 29. Woo. Produced by Grammy nominated producer Alex Newport (Death Cab for Cutie, City and Colour) and Lord Huron‘s Rick Parker in LA (Bryant’s a Clippers fan), it’s a […]
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How sweet it is: James Taylor is coming to Halifax
This just in: five-time Grammy winner James Taylor is coming to Halifax! The legendary troubadour has booked the Scotiabank Centre (1800 Argyle Street) on Tuesday, May 17 to support his most recent album Before This World, his first release of new songs since 2002’s platinum-selling October Road. From the press release: “Before This World was released […]
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The music world is waking up to Halifax’s Nap Eyes
Nigel Chapman is a shy man. Onstage, with his band Nap Eyes, he’s reserved. He looks down at his guitar and sings with his eyes closed. He’ll nervously adjust his glasses or push his blond hair aside. He’s gracious for the attention and he thanks the audience and his bandmates repeatedly. In between songs, when […]
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Annotated Photo: NSCAD’S Art District
With this week’s relocation of the Atlantic Film Festival office, NSCAD’s “art district” vision is complete. Here are some of the key tenants that should help turn the arts university’s Fountain campus into a renewed downtown arts and culture destination—at least until NSCAD decamps to a new “integral campus” sometime in 2019. 1. Art Bar […]
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Watch Reeny Smith’s new video “Last Call”
Halifax soul-infused pop singer Reeny Smith just dropped a new video for the bangin’ single, “Last Call,” featuring some slick bar-tending by rapper Quake Matthews, and funk-R&B guitar and bass. The single, released a few months ago, was produced by Corey LeRue (Neon Dreams) with co-writing by Dylan Guthro and Laura Roy. Directed by GILL, the […]
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PHOTOS: Catch Arkells w/Adam Baldwin live at the Forum
Two Saturday ago, that cold January 23 night, Hamilton rock band and multiple Juno Award winners Arkells played the Halifax Forum, and it rocked. The sold-out audience was warmed up with the jams of Halifax’s Adam Baldwin (the rockin’ roller who plays with Matt Mays) before Arkells got the place lit. Coast photographer Andrew Donovan […]
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Halifax artists among the 2016 Juno nominees
First awarded in 1970, the Juno Awards are the Canadian Grammys, a marker of musical achievement based on sales, radio play and popularity in national and international markets. Usually, the Junos represent the best in Canadian music. And this year, more than in the last decade, some of the largest artists in the whole damn world […]
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Justin McGrath (Walrus) interviews Kurt Inder
Today for The Scene Blog, I’ve asked Justin McGrath (Walrus, The Age) to interview Kurt Inder, the frontman of the Halifax pop-noodle band of the same name. Indebted to the lo-fi jazz-jizz sounds of Mac DeMarco and beyond, I first saw Kurt Inder last summer at The Khyber, featuring one of our favourite drummers Bianca Palmer (Vulva Culture) and […]
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Free film screenings for African Heritage Month
To celebrate African Heritage Month, three landmark films in black cinema will be screened at the Dalhousie Art Gallery (6101 University Avenue) in the next two weeks. Curated by filmmaker and film professor Ron Foley Macdonald, the series is free (!) and open to all. Tuesday, February 2 (5pm) She’s Gotta Have It (1986) Directed, […]
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An interview with hometown rap hero Classified
On January 15, Halifax rapper Classified released Greatful, his 16th studio album with features from the real OG Snoop Dogg, Brooklyn’s DJ Premier (PRhyme), and local artists like singer-songwriter David Myles and popstar Ria Mae. This week, I called up Class (real name: Luke Boyd), chilling in his studio, to chat about the album, his upcoming tour and watching Netflix. […]
