Gottingen gets The Independent Mercantile Co.
Wendy Friedman comes from a family of many shop owners, running a successful business is basically in her blood. With 18 years (and counting) of Biscuit General Store (1661 Argyle Street) under her belt, she’s branching out with a new addition to the north end’s retail scene. The Independent Mercantile Company, inspired by her love…
Purse stealing car smasher
To the ass who broke my car window and stole my purse…you are a dick. I was trying to be healthy and go for a walk, and returned to a smashed-in car, with a stolen purse/wallet and stolen gym bag. Now I have to take a day off work to deal with fixing my bloody…
Out of the frying pan
Dear pretentious business owners, Please stop wasting and taking credit for the great talent that this fine city has produced. If you feel the need to brag about your accomplishments and flaunt other people’s hard earned money than please show up to work before 10am. Please stop wasting people’s time by showing up late to…
Hey, girlfriend of Nova Scotia Power
To the sad young woman who stole the pretty lamp from Thornbloom this week—this much is true: The beautiful, spirited, hard-working women who own Thornbloom are so kind, they probably would have GIVEN the lamp to you had they known you had no money, and coveted it that badly. One cannot STEAL lightness and happiness.…
And many more
You were born and a lot of things happened. Then I met you and was pleased by the whole enchilada. I’m glad you were born. And that we got a little love out of it. To secrets and stalking and all of the great things you will do. I’m glad. -SBF
You are still a twat
As much as she forgives the continuing adolescent behaviour, your actions these past months have only reinforced that you are still an asshole of the highest order. Fuck you for opening up old wounds because it suited your plan. Fuck you for being a cold-ass bastard. Fuck you for not showing the slightest bit of…
Gonna build something to last
When I’m not with you, the time till I see you again goes by slow. But when I’m with you, time goes by too fast. I love you more than any words could ever express. I appreciate every minute we’re together and I wake up every morning feeling grateful we met. -We’ll Make Time
Down with the Cogswell Interchange
The latest video report from The Coast and PLANifax collab is all about the Cogswell Interchange. It’s some of the most valuable real estate in Halifax, being used for a road to nowhere, yet despite repeated reports urging its destruction and near-universal public hatred, city council is only now talking seriously about getting rid of…
A trio of videos
Locals Kestrels and Cousins and MVMNTS combine sound and vision in such appealing ways. Which video do you like best? Actually scratch that, let’s not play favourites here, that’s not what music is about. Kestrels releases its EP The Moon is Shining Our Way July 1 on Sonic Unyon, but this swirly new video of…
Uh-oh, urine trouble
OK, so what’s with that house on Agricola between Woodill and Harris that REEKS of pee? Is the inside of the house such a cesspool of filth that it emanates onto the street? Or is it the outside of the house? Do, like, 100 people urinate onto the front steps every night? Because that is…
Constant Vigilance
Blinkers are not optional! -Get With It, Halifax
Learn Bike Laws Dummy
To the jackass in the giant SUV turning left onto Ochterloney from Pine Street: You almost hit me as I was turning left onto Pine on my bicycle, then shouted profanities and asked me to perform fellatio on you. Are you upset because I had the right of way, or because you are so lonely…
Pipa
Thank you to all our neighbours in the Tower Road area for their help in finding Pipa, my beautiful African Grey parrot. She was lost for four days until someone finally spotted her in a tree and a day later we coaxed her down by having a picnic under her tree. Parrot and owner are…
NSLC Bedford Sobeys
I was parked in front of you at the NSLC by the Hammonds Plains Road Friday the 13th just after 5pm. You were driving a Civic and I was the girl in the VW Golf! I really wanted to come over and say “hi”!! I hope I run into you again so I can get…
Are you freakin’ kidding me!
Which one of you stole a chunk of my Star Wars collection? Come clean, dipshit! -I want to suck Darth Vader dry
Sociopathic Shithead
Time’s ticking for the sleaziest business owner on Oxford Street. Two cases of fraud are closing in on you and I’ll be testifying for both. I’m not sure what the penalty for two cases of fraud over $5,000 is, but I’m looking forward to finding out. It’s about time someone stood their ground and treated…
To the driven considerates
Thanks for everyone who passes by my safely as I bike within the city, and elsewhere. Yes, the city’s road conditions are quite bad for cars—they’re also quite bad for cyclists too. Thanks to the drivers with bicycle trailers on their trunks, who give plenty of breathing room for us cyclists. Thanks also for the…
Treading Water No More
Cause I’ve got a plan. Maybe it’s hopeless, maybe I’m hopeless. But I’m not giving up, I’m regrouping. If at first you don’t succeed…try something else. -Waiting in the Wings
Thanks for the lemonade
Thanks ever so much to the lovely dude ahead of me in the Young Street coffee drive-thru today—it was the end of a busy workday for me, and it was so sweet of you to pay for my lemonade 🙂 You made my day’s end super nice. I was really craving that sweet cold drink,…
Thanks for ruining lunch
I was looking forward to my microwaveable large butter chicken casserole at work today. Our office lunch room only has so many microwaves and they are always being used at lunch. There’s also a conventional oven that rarely gets used. So I popped my butter chicken in the oven an hour before lunch since it…
Gross
To the guy who ogled the chick walking up the road this afternoon at South Street and Robie: You were working on the house there on the corner. Sick. You actually stepped out in to traffic to keep her behind in view, saying god knows what to her making the “hey come back here” motions…
I’m with the Bandha Bar
Ryan DesRoches knows the importance of a good snack. As a one time competitive cyclist, he was no stranger to the standard energy bar. But after realizing a lot of the ones he was devouring came from countries other than our own, and were made of processed ingredients, he came up with the idea to…
Ladies’ Beer League turns one
Last June, Tracy Phillippi, a marketing coordinator at Garrison Brewing Company, decided to approach a few female craft beer lovers/makers with an idea: to promote women’s involvement and interest in craft brewing. That was the beginning of the Ladies Beer League, and one of its founding members was Pam Crouse, now chairman of the board…
Makenew menswear—all weekend long
Anna Gilkerson’s stunning colour stories are telling a different story this weekend—her shop, Makenew (2468 Agricola Street) has transformed into menswear boutique for the weekend. Through until Sunday, Proper Crooks—a men’s line from NSCAD fashion grad Kate Rothschild—will fill the racks at the sunny north end boutique with everything from linen pants to screen printed…
Crossing The Road
I was parallel parking on Blowers Street in Halifax yesterday, into a metered spot. There were no cars coming or going. I put on my blinker to back up. I go slow when backing up. Then I heard a scream. Some woman decided to cross the road where I was backing up. She was not…
Cross WALK
Crosswalks are just that—places you cross the road safely. Not for jogging, running or riding your bike. I’m glad to see someone got fined for jogging across a crossWALK, as you put yourself in danger and sometimes you can learn from the actions of others. I’m glad the jogger was not seriously hurt, and I’m…
Half a billion to build a convention centre?
Half a billion to build a convention centre? Are you cereal, err serious? Jumpin’ Jebus on a trampoline! -Sass Squelch
Tired of picking up your beer cans
To the person who is drinking the Faxe beer cans, and the Rolling Rock beer cans and the old Milwaukee beer cans, this message goes to you: I am sick and tired of picking up after you. Why can’t you just drink all your stupid little beers at your house from now on? I am…
I love you a lot Robin
I love you big big big bunches Robin and I would never let anybody have your personal information. Do you love me all of the time in the middle of your heart? Please write a love card about me being in the middle of your heart and how much do you care for me? -Erin…
Goodbye roommate from hell
You lied about your dog being housebroken, don’t clean up piss and shit, mooch alcohol whenever I’m drinking on the weekend and actually ate my leftovers meant for work and cooked my chicken without asking. I’d call you a pig but I have more respect for them. How convenient that this weekend I was planning…
Bus Compliments
I was flustered and worried about being late to work, boarded the bus heading north and had my nose stuck in my phone. A very kind bus rider complimented my “fantastic” hair as they departed. I didn’t realize you were speaking to me until you were practically out the door. I’m sure I seemed nonchalant…
We’ll make time
Thank you for finding me and for bringing such brightness into my life. You are a gem in a sea of weirdos and I am honoured to know your love. I can’t wait for all of our future shenanigans. -Your Biggest Fan
Pleasure doing business with you 311
I’ve been chatting up 311 on a regular basis recently and it is always a great experience. Thanks HRM for putting this service in place. And thanks to all the call operators—prompt, friendly, knowledgeable, got all the answers. Never feel like I’m getting the runaround. -Happy Caller
City Hall: Let’s copy Montreal
Boring council operations aside (ie. sewer renewal and road maintenance), there are two notable topics that surfaced this week at City Hall. The first is a proposal to build a mixed residential-commercial complex on the corner of Quinpool Road and Robie Street. There were even murmurs of tying that development to that of the St…
Scott Jones’ attacker sentenced
The man who stabbed Scott Jones on a New Glasgow street last fall was sentenced to 10 years in prison today, minus time served. Jones was left paralyzed from the waist down. Shane Matheson pled guilty in March. “There’s a lot of effort going into awareness,” the profoundly positive Jones told Adria Young ahead of…
Mowing Lawns
Twenty bucks an hour is a very reasonable rate, especially using your own equipment. People call you out to give them an estimate and you give them the price and they say “Oh my… I was expecting 10 or 11 dollars an hour!” You can’t or don’t have time to take care of your own…
The Narcissist
We’ve been seeing each other for a little while. The sex is good but the conversation sucks. It always comes back to you. If I try to tell you something about my day it’s always “That’s great. Hey (insert something about yourself here, which we will then talk about at great length).” Not worth it…
Busybody Bitch
Maybe you should think twice before you post comments in social media about houses in our neighbourhood, and post pictures of the houses on our street and things you don’t like. I’m not sure but isn’t posting pics of houses and making them identifiable some type of privacy breach? I dunno. How stupid can you…
You missed a chance to do a good deed
So, you found my wallet on Pleasant Street. I know because you have already tried to use my credit card at a gas station. You could have just done the right thing and called me. My info was in the wallet. I would have given you a reward. But no, you kept everything, and are…
Nothing and Nowhere
As wrong as it is and as painful as it is to admit this… I am head over heels. You pulled me into your chest and your hand met the small of my back. I rested my face into your neck and I wish it never happened. I felt you, every curve which killed me…
Texting In The Passing Lane
On Monday on the 103 near Chester, you pulled out into the passing lane to pass me and then you didn’t, until the passing lane was coming to an end when you, in your brilliance, decided to finally pass me illegally. And why? Because you, lady, in your pretty blue car, thought texting was more…
Fuck you
No matter how much I love you, it doesn’t weigh out the amount of hatred I have for you. While you’re too busy living your life full of ambition and great things, I feel stuck in this lousy relationship being too scared to leave your self-centered ass to be happy alone. You never stop talking…
My Problem
I should know better than to settle for no love and some of what I need. Dumb girl. -The Voice of Reason
Get a taste of Honeybee Vintage Bridal
“Some people have stamp collecting, I happen to for some reason really love weddings and anything to do with weddings,” says Melanie Peters, founder of Honeybee Vintage Bridal—a boutique that’ll open this August on Gottingen Street (2130 Gottigen, in Glubes Lofts, to be exact). “I was never one of those people who planned my own,…
The Lauras
While jamming a new bossanova-style song at drummer Tri Le’s house around 9:45pm a few weeks ago, The Lauras received their first-ever noise complaint and subsequent (outrageous) fine. “Everyone was straight-goofing and living their life,” recounts Kathleen Prinsen, who was surprised by the use of force. “We’re three little wusses playing a bossanova song.” Led…
902Radio sets the dial
Last February, Nic Stana was, as most of us often are, on the internet. A chance encounter with an ad for an internet radio station got him thinking that he could do something similar, but all-local. And all-hip-hop. “By the end of the night I had a little something running and got really excited that…
Woadie
“I listen to a lot of music, so it’s hard to stick to one specific sound,” says Halifax DJ and producer Woadie (AKA Thomas Ly). Since last spring, the young homie, aged 19, has produced and released over a dozen jams on Soundcloud that range from incredibly chill to incredibly turnt up. “I feel like…
Alfie
“I was always a writer as a kid. I’d write ridiculous short stories in my spare time for fun, and in school English was always my strong subject,” says Alfie AKA Cody Paquette. That love of writing, paired with Paquette’s long time love affair with hip-hop, made writing rap music a no brainer. “My dude…
King’s Girls
“Halifax’s heavier music scene is really, really good but I think we were trying to stray away from the really heavy duty stuff and just play some fast, spazzy, chaotic punk,” says King’s Girls drummer Dylan Chew. “At first I think all of our friends thought the band was a joke, but we’ve been playing…
No Bodies
Garage-country-psych No Bodies didn’t stick to its guns, but that’s not so bad. The band’s founding members, Craig Hamlin (Fat Stupids, Whiskey Kisses) and James O’Toole (Outtacontroller), planned originally to only be a recording project. Thankfully the pair caved, playing their first show at this year’s OBEY Convention. “We currently have Justin Crowe [Pig, The…
22 Jump Street
The 2012 reboot of the non-beloved 1980s cop series (people only remember because Johnny Depp was on it) was one of the year’s biggest and best surprises, the laziest of ideas well-cast, well-written and well-executed. They actually tried. In addition to establishing Clone High’s evil geniuses Phil Lord and Christopher Miller as comic powerhouses (you…
Best Fiends forever
“We live it. We literally eat, sleep and breathe all in the same house. That’s rock and roll.” Keith McFadden plays guitar and sings in Best Fiends, and he’s talking about the intense connection of the band. McFadden and bassist Liz Robinson are dating. Singer and tambourine player Halcyon Averill dates drummer Evan Matthews. They’re…
Letters to the editor, June 12,2014
bikes Cycle thoughts I’ve never heard anyone regret wearing a helmet, but on top of that there are two main reasons I support mandatory helmets (“Brains matter,” Bike Week feature by Erica Butler, June 5). 1. It reduces the risk that taxpayers will have to pay for someone to be kept in a vegetative state…
The 18-year-old virgin
Q I am currently a senior in high school, but come Saturday, I will be a high-school grad! The only thing I’m worried about besides my hopes and dreams, and making it in the real world? My sex life. I’m a virgin. When I go online, I see all my friends and peers having these…
Journeys
“There’s a fine balance to it,” says Journeys’ Lindsay Dobbin of the band’s improvisational approach. “We’re not super-theoretical musicians. Improvising for a group of people who have never met but know music very well—playing music might have a different type of communication. What we have is just lovers of music and our own experience playing…
New Music 2014
Help yourself to these sweet 15 local bands in our 2014 New Music Issue. Read up in print and head to thecoast.ca to check out the tracks online that will be the brightest diamonds in your summer playlists—whether you’re piling into the Jeep on another epic beach mission or sitting in a darkened bathroom in…
Soft Spot
The shoegaze quartet Soft Spot has only been together for a few scant months, with just one piece of recording available for listening at its Bandcamp (softspothfx), but the two minutes of grunge guitars and buried vocals leave the listener wanting more. That wish should be granted in a few more months, the band reports.…
OUTeast mode
A bassline thumps through the walls of Neptune Studio, but back here in this mirrored rehearsal room it’s quiet. The three women who created OUTeast three years ago, and run it still–Andria Wilson (producer), Jenna Dufton (programmer) and Krista Davis (special projects)–sit by a window minutes after announcing the new festival’s lineup. Opening Thursday, June…
Konyon Ca$h
Like many aspiring musicians, Konyon Jallah AKA Konyon Ca$h started out in high school. “We were all hanging out, and always wanted to be famous, that’s how they all start,” says the affable Jallah, of his once-equally aspirational friends. “I was making some songs with them. They all already quit, but I am a committed…
Coburg Coffee’s move to unionize
Aunion vote at Coburg Coffee has tipped into uncertainty. Two pro-union baristas who cast ballots Monday afternoon say they’re confident the count went their way, however, of the 15 votes cast, they’re sure of only six that favour joining the Service Employees International Union. Laura Spaetzel cast her ballot on top of a laundry machine…
Vicious
“We’re going on our cross-Canada Devastation to the Nation tour,” enthuses Jake Gracie, singer of and guitar player for Vicious. “It’s going to end here. We’ve been invited to play Calgary Metalfest, we’re absolutely stoked. The whole tour is booked around that festival.” The metal trio was once a quintet, but has settled into the…
Happy Veal or no deal
The first time I saw the sandwich board outside of Park Victoria promising fresh noodles and homemade dumplings, I thought I was hallucinating Happy Veal Hot Pot into existence. I’d always pictured the bottom floor of Park Vic as nothing more than a Goodlife bumping up against Le Bistro by Liz, so this new restaurant…
Vogue Dots
Inside Tynan Dunfield’s cramped bedroom, a cat walks across an old synthesizer as Dunfield explains how Vogue Dots began. “We just met through a bunch of friends that liked making music,” Dunfield says. Vogue Dots is a collaboration between Dunfield and Babette Hayward. Both share songwriting and production duties and Hayward provides vocals over the duo’s…
Where two raging fires meet together
I’ll admit that I slept through the Park Place Theatre fire. My first waking moments on Sunday morning, June 1, were met with a flood of text messages from Shakespeare By The Sea’s co-artistic director Elizabeth Murphy and actor/technical director Tom Gordon Smith. When Tom isn’t joking you know it’s a serious matter. I leapt…
Belladonna
While Belladonna is relatively new to Halifax’s music scene, the six-piece art-rock outfit has strong ties to each other. “A few of us grew up together,” says Corey Cholock, who plays piano. The band’s first EP was released in December and its four tracks feature layers and layers of instrumentation. Its latest, Live & Beyond… released…
The 18-year-old virgin
Q I am currently a senior in high school, but come Saturday, I will be a high-school grad! The only thing I’m worried about besides my hopes and dreams, and making it in the real world? My sex life. I’m a virgin. When I go online, I see all my friends and peers having these…
Surveillance
“I basically tell everyone we’re ripping off Eric’s Trip,” says Surveillance drummer Tri Le. The noisy rock three-piece formed about a year ago and named themselves after a “24-Hour Surveillance” sign. Coincidentally, “about a week later, the Edward Snowden thing came out,” says guitarist Dave Burns, who felt it was his time “to start a…
Never Human
“There’s not many hardcore bands in the city right now, and the ones that do exist, most of Never Human is already in a bunch of them,” says Cody Googoo, guitarist of the new noise hardcore band. “And each have their own special style or twist or whatever.” Flanked by Dexter Outhit (vocals), Ben Radford…
Measure Up
If Measure Up was a classic TV game show, guitarist and vocalist Alex Babineau says that Halifax straight-edge hardcore punk band would be Hollywood Squares, “but we’d only play as the Xs.” Members of Measure Up had been hoping to put together a straight-edge band for awhile but needed enough people to do it (are…
Free Will Astrology
HAPPY BIRTHDAY GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Your brain absorbs about 11 million pieces of information every second, but is consciously aware of less than .001 percent of all that richness. Or at least that’s usually the case. Having analyzed your astrological omens, I suspect that you might soon jack that figure up as high as…
North by Night Market time
“Night markets are really common all over the world in larger cities,” says the Food Wolf‘s Natalie Chavarie. “This is the start of an idea that’ll express itself into a full blown north end farmers market in two years.” She’s talking about this Friday’s (June 13) North by Night Market—an event that the Food Wolf…
