In interviews, Vancouver’s Mother Mother rarely discusses influences besides The Pixies and The Beatles, but its sound is too much of a cocktail to limit to a list of bands the band liked while growing up. What is always present and undeniable in the sound is emotional conflict. “A lot of the heartache out there […]
Ryan Hemsworth
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Talk of the town: best music of 2009
A History OfAction in the North Atlantic (Noyes) High-octane, Maritime-themed math rock? Yes, please. A History Of gets the Halifax music scene right, and finally gives us a full-length record. —LK Black MoorThe Conquering (Diminished Fifth) The stuff of heavy metal legend: surviving a car crash, Black Moor channels death and Kill Em All hooks making you […]
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Prairie Cat
Cary Pratt’s Prairie Cat has stepped out of bedroom pop and into the world of pure pop. Ring-tone rappers and Rock Band rock stars may infest the industry, but Pratt has a formula that will save his soul, and his listeners’ alike: have fun and stay human. Sparks is an album built up from two […]
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The sample life: Q&A with Girl Talk
Ryan Hemsworth: Where are you? Girl Talk: I’m at my home in Pittsburgh for a couple of days…can you hold on a second, someone’s knocking on my front door. A few moments later… GT: Hey. A delivery guy had a little treat for my dog—blew my mind. When I describe your music to people I […]
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Girls
Usually when a band is relentlessly described as “lo-fi,” I run. But when I say Girls are lo-fi sweetie pies, learn from my mistakes and stick around. Up there with Women as one of the most un-Googleable bands, Girls is well worth the search. The contrast stands out most: a group of feminine men making […]
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Wat Pomp
I don’t understand a word Die Antwoord is saying, nor do I care. If the cast of Looney Tunes was South African and took on hip-hop (or rap-rave, as they’ve described it), it would almost sound like this. Music that could only be made in this day and age—and thank god we’re here.
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11th Dimension
You may know Casablancas as the indifferent singer of The Strokes. Where most solo projects disappoint by misstepping fans’ expectations, Casablancas expands on his band’s potential. The structure still (thankfully) screams Strokes, but he’s noticeably more careful with the writing of this emotionally and politically (gasp!) charged pop song.
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Mille, “Crysteena”
Justice? Pfft. Crookers? Pfft. Give me some Mille! This song’s like a dance club playing videogame music. And it makes you wish that club existed. So bad. The cascading, fantastical synth riffs and super-duper-compressed drums leave you stranded on the peak of a snowy, digital mountain. Or dancing alone in your socks, in my case.
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Darwin Deez
Self-described as “happy music for sad people, white music for black people,” Darwin gives a surprisingly accurate rundown—his music sounds like he’s trying to convince listeners to be happy, and it works. The events in his lyrics sound tempting, but don’t “ding-dong-ditch a Televangelist” until you finish dancing.
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Petunia’s flower power
This guy is timeless. Sixty years ago he could’ve been honky-tonking with Hank Williams, 20 years ago he could’ve been singing behind an episode of Twin Peaks. This weekend, with music that’s been described as “life-giving,” Petunia is bringing his surreal, avant-country swagger to Halifax. Saturday and Sunday night you’ll find the last real McCoy […]
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Friendly Fires
What’ll we call this, indie tribal pop? Whatever sub-sub-genre you’re comfortable with, these guys are on the energetic level of Passion Pit, with half the members and twice the drummers. Soaked in reverberation, “Kiss of Life” demands you to make a fool of yourself dancing. Pitchfork likes them, and that’s all that matters, right? Kiss […]
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Wale, (feat. Jazmine Sullivan)
With producers Cool & Dre, DC rapper Wale delivers another track sounding like the front door of a house party getting kicked in. Wale shares this floor-shaker with Jazmine Sullivan, who helps hype it twofold. An end-of-summer party jam for y’all. Found at a zSHARE near you. –Ryan Hemsworth