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30 Day Song Challenge: A Song That Reminds You of Somewhere

I completely forget where I left off with the 30 Day Song Challenge, but I think it was something like #6. So! A song that reminds me of somewhere? There’s no big story about this one. When you grow up in southern Ontario, it’s hot and shitty all the time, but if you have nice friends they’ll let you stay at their cottage. My friend Mike, who was this rad weirdo who now travels the world and teaches and holds “Cotton Candy Days” at my old high school, had a great cottage somewhere on some lake in Ontario. I

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Mary Stewart’s Sweet Deal

Awhile back, we spoke to the delightful Mary Stewart, whose 365-song-a-day project recently reached its mark. Now Stewart is re-working the songs and looking for funding to help produce an album from the best recordings. In return for your dollars, she offers a series of donation rewards through delicious baked-goods imagery— for example, a “Chocolate Chip Cookie” package ($60 donation) entitles you to an autographed album, entry to a CD release party, a liner note thank-you and a handmade bracelet. If you want to be recognized in Stewart’s liner notes, the funding cut-off is this Thursday – check out

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The Friendly Dimension Returns

It’s been awhile since The Friendly Dimension let us into their swirling and dangerous psychic day-mares. Their last show was nearly six months ago at Pop Montreal (pictured.) Singer Matt Samways says it’s because the band – which includes Troy Richter and Rob Drisdelle – was hunkering down to focus on school. They return triumphantly […]

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Radiator Collective Goes Dartmouth

This is amazing: 16 bands — many of whom comprise the infinitely busy and tirelessly creative Radiator Collective – will be playing a Dartmouth mega-show using both floors of Jacob’s Lounge this Friday beginning at 9:30pm. The show costs $5, which isn’t bad, considering the sheer volume of music you’ll be getting for your buck. […]

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Coppin’ a Trip

It’s pretty impressive when your band embarks on a cross-Canada tour after barely a year of existence. When one of your bandmates bows out at the last minute and your basement gets flooded with sewage right before the trip, as was the case with Moncton’s Cop Shades, the situation grows slightly hairier. But somehow, everything worked out swimmingly for the tenacious psych-rockers. . Bassist and Moncton recording legend Kyle McDonald is still flying high from the trip, which took the trio from Halifax to Victoria last summer. (He’s currently joined by Remi Cormier on vocals and machines and Matt

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Anvil Comes to Halifax

Metal grandpa heroes Anvil – who returned to prominence last year with the release of the very funny/touching documentary ANVIL: The Story of Anvil – are coming to Halifax to play the Paragon Theatre on May 10. Looks like things might be all right for the Paragon for now? Tickets are $25 ($30 at the door) and go on sale this Friday at 10am through all Ticketpro outlets, including United Bookstore (1669 Barrington St), Video Difference (6086 Quinpool Rd & 1239 Bedford Hwy), Alderney Landing (2 Octerloney St) and CD Heaven (118 Wyse Rd), by phone at 1-888-311-9090 and

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30 Day Song Challenge: A Sad Song

Coast Listings Editor, music aficionado and fellow Tall Woman Allison Saunders has kindly chimed in with her own personal entry for today’s 30 Day Song Challenge posting; a song that makes you sad. She picked Feist – “Let It Die.”She explains: This was the theme song to a very sad August in a shitty, dark […]

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The Grass Are Done

After many years and several different incarnations, The Grass are calling it a day. Guitarist Ryan Stanley is moving to Newfoundland for school, and as a result, the Halifax rock band are ending this streak. Their last show is happening Friday April 1 at the Seahorse. They’ll be joined by Raccoon Bandit. There’s also a […]

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The Motorleague Are Part of Your Heritage

Those Canadian Heritage Moments just keep on giving. The Motorleague has now joined Classified in referencing one of the classic 60-second historical clips, naming its upcoming album Acknowledge, Acknowledge in reference to the harrowing Halifax Explosion episode, which is still burnt into my consciousness after all these years. “You can kill an afternoon perfectly watching Heritage Moments, especially if you’re drinking,” says lead singer/guitarist Don Levandier. “We don’t find that episode funny — it’s pretty morbid — but those commercials are inspiring.” The album is due out sometime in May. Meanwhile, the band, who chose to lay low this

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