Sloan w/Adyn Townes, Walrus, Hello Delaware, The Town Heroes Thu May 3, 9:30pm, Marquee Ballroom, 2037 Gottingen Street, $25 Halifax is a university town, and universities love to fête their famous alumni. So it makes sense the ECMAs would invite Sloan, arguably the city’s most renowned musical export, to perform at Thursday night’s awards show and […]
Ryan McNutt
Posted inArts + Music
Top 40 albums of 2015
Adria Young’s Top 10 Babysitter, Babysitter (Psychic Handshake) Drake, If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late (OVO/YMCMB) Freak Heat Waves, Bonnie’s State of Mind (Hockey Dad) Future, Dirty Sprite 2 (Epic) Hag Face, R.I.P. (Psychic Handshake) Justin Bieber, Purpose (Def Jam) Nap Eyes, Whine of the Mystic (You’ve Changed) New Fries/Old & Weird, Juice (Pleasance […]
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Rich Aucoin’s really REALLY big show with the Symphony
Four years ago, Rich Aucoin put on one of HPX’s most memorable shows: a full-record performance of his just-released album We’re All Dying to Live at St. Matthew’s Church, featuring nearly 80 musicians and vocalists on-stage. Now he’s set to one-up that count this year with the help of Symphony Nova Scotia. “I think the […]
Posted inLifestyle
Summer playlist: The Girls of Summer
Blondie, “Dreaming” Debbie: Thanks for the cup of tea. I wish you’d figured out that my suit and tie is all an act, that I feel as far away from my dreams as you do. Hope you find yours someday. Camera Obscura, ”Let’s Get Out of This Country” Tracyanne: It’s true, you’re better than this […]
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Robin Thicke
After fending off two stylish robots and a last-minute push from a twerking young pop star, Robin Thicke stands alone on the podium, confetti falling, holding his well-earned Song of the Summer trophy to the skies. With the season’s top prize already in-hand, Blurred Lines the album sounds more like a leisurely victory lap than […]
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Superchunk
In interviews, Superchunk’s Mac McCaughan has said that I Hate Music‘s title is about coming to terms with music’s limits in the face of adult concerns like death and loss. But just like on 2010’s masterful Majesty Shredding, Superchunk’s way of communicating that sobering message is with some of the most joyous, life-affirming power pop […]
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Critics’ picks: music
Adria Young Coast writer since 2012 Adria Young, unofficial president of the imaginary Shotgun Jimmie Fan Club, is counting the days until Jimmie’s next album and *Come Cry with Me* by Daniel Romano. Sloan, Twice Removed Deluxe Edition (sloanmusic.com) By the second album of its career, Sloan achieved indie-rock pop perfection. A reissued vinyl box […]
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Yamantaka // Sonic Titan
w/INSTRUMENTS Friday, October 19, St. Matthew’s Church, 1479 Barrington Street, 8pm, $25 The Yamantaka // Sonic Titan story begins in much the same way it continues today: in the shared space between music and art. “The first time I met Alaska, we were in art school, in this interdisciplinary class, and she had built this […]
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Deer Tick
w/Billie Dre and the Poor Boys, The Belle Comedians, The Novaks Friday, October 19 at The Marquee Club, 2037 Gottingen Street, 9:30pm Deer Tick got labeled with the “alt-country” moniker early in its career, but the band’s real sound, most would argue, is the rock and roll of its raucous, alcohol-fuelled live shows. “It can […]
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Catriona Sturton
w/Dark for Dark, Amos the Transparent, The Burning Hell Friday, October 19 at The Company House, 2202 Gottingen Street, 10pm “It’s so awesome,” says Catriona Sturton about the 20th anniversary of HPX. “I don’t know how to emphasize how much it means to me; ‘a lot’ just doesn’t sound like enough,” says the songwriter, best […]
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Cold Specks
w/Julie Doiron Saturday, October 20 at St. Matthew’s Church, 1479 Barrington Street, 8pm, $25 Al Spx knows that a Cold Specks show can be heavy, full of slow-burning songs that grow from small flames to boisterous wildfires, with lyrics weighed down by questions of faith, loss and doubt. Which is why sometimes, like at her […]