It’s easy to buy into the Odd Future hype. But their messianic leader, Tyler, the Creator’s new solo album falls flat compared to the work of OFWGKTA’s MellowHype and Frank Ocean. The beats are boring and the lyrics are overtly offensive. That’s not to say Tyler, the Creator isn’t creative. He’s good at marketing himself, […]
Matthew Ritchie
Posted inNews + Opinion
Wheeling and dealing
Buying a new bike can be a perplexing experience for the novice rider. My current street bike, purchased at a big box store, is flimsy and even came with the brakes installed backwards. But for $180, how could I go wrong? Well, every which way, according to Tom Eidt at Bikes by Dave (6191 Young […]
Posted inArts + Music
Harbour Water Fest gives you the punk treatment
Halifax loves it some music festivals. But not every local band is allowed to play in them. Such was the situation with Ryley Beggs in 2010, a local punk whose folk-punk band The Official Suckers had a lack of venues and festivals to attend. “For a couple years, me and my friends had been putting […]
Posted inArts + Music
Stargate Universe Series Finale
Like a lot of good sci-fi shows, Stargate Universe was cancelled before things really got interesting (think Joss Whedon’s Firefly). The gritty Lost-meets-Star Trek Space Channel series, which aired its finale May 10, finishes off the elaborate two season story-arc with a cliffhanger that will likely make diehard fans bitter about the unresolved loose ends—the […]
Posted inArts + Music
Fleet Foxes
If in some magical alternate universe Simon & Garfunkel had made Radiohead’s Kid A, this is probably what it would sound like. Helplessness Blues, the second full-length from Fleet Foxes, is leaps and bounds better than its previous self-titled release due to crisp production and more refined sonic textures. With less of the band’s trademark […]
Posted inArts + Music
Bahamas flies solo
As Afie Jurvanen—AKA Bahamas—prepares to depart from Toronto for Halifax’s Long Live the Queen music festival, he’s excited to play in the atmospheric North Street Church for a rare solo acoustic performance. “That’s a very different type of show,” says Jurvanen. “It’s something I love doing that I don’t do too much of live.” But […]
Posted inArts + Music
The Beastie Boys
The Beastie Boys have been grown-ass men for quite some time now, which is why it should come as no surprise that their latest, Hot Sauce Committee Part Two, is basically a dad-rock album. That’s because Hot Sauce Committee is essentially made for people who grew up listening to the organic funk of 1992’s Check […]
Posted inArts + Music
Shad gets it
Ever since Canadian rapper Shad released his 2010 album TSOL to the hip-hop masses, the London, Ontario-raised musician has seen a growing interest in his career from some of the unlikeliest places. Namely, Salt Lake City. “The show had a lot more sketchy characters than you would think,” says Shad of performing in front of […]
Posted inArts + Music
Royal in Waiting
Modern-day balladeer Royal Wood may perform like a traditionalist, but outside of music he doesn’t seem to have any inclination toward the traditions of the past. “We won’t get into the religious discussion, but Easter to me is just chocolate bunnies,” he says during a phone call on Good Friday while taking a break from […]
Posted inArts + Music
Quiet, please
In The Coast’s recent Best of Music feature, a band with a relatively low profile swept the votes to win the “best band to listen to quietly” award. That band is Quiet Parade, a solo recording venture by Halifax music veteran Trevor Murphy (Sleepless Nights, The Establishment) who has slowly been creeping his way through […]
Posted inArts + Music
22 Bullets
In the French action-thriller 22 Bullets, Jean Reno’s character does his best impersonation of 50 Cent: he’s shot 22 times by the crime family he deserted. After emerging from a coma, Reno delves into his crime-ridden past in an attempt to gain vengeance against his would-be assassins. 22 Bullets falls flat with plot inconsistencies—Reno can […]
Posted inArts + Music
Dinosaur Bones
Five piece indie-rock outfit Dinosaur Bones has been slaying the Toronto music scene for a few years of unsigned doldrums, but its recent acquisition by Dine Alone in 2010 has the band set to reach a wider audience. Made up of songs new and from previous EPs, My Divider offers a more polished sound, while […]