The Meligrove Band, Ruby Coast, The Superfantastics

It feels like The Meligrove Band is from Halifax. The indie gents have often been stylistically compared to this city's music scene, while newest band member Brian O'Reilly is actually from here---and a former member of Their Majesties and Brent Randall & his Pinecones. Drummer Darcy Rego even sports a Thrush Hermit tee in the band's new video, "racingtoshimmeringlights." But hey, they're from Ontario, and after a four-year wait for their just-released album, Shimmering Lights, we'll welcome them like they're our own. Catching up with bass guitarist Mike Small while the band's hanging out in a lobby in Pennsylvania, Small says the journey to Halifax has been fun---but slightly treacherous. "We ran over an elk in North Dakota," Small says. "A bunch of them ran into the road and all we could really do was pick an elk. In that moment it seemed like bus apocalypse was happening." Luckily, none of the guys---with Jason Nunes completing the foursome---were hurt and the bus made it just past Chicago before the front end needed to be fixed. Otherwise, Small says everything's smooth running. Asked about the long wait for this new album, Small credits the loss of the band's rehearsal space, a disintegrated label (V2), searching for a new label and "crazy family stuff." But the band and the album made it, Shimmering Lights' melodical pop is highly addictive and Small says he's excited to get back to Halifax, despite only being here for one short night. "We're probably just going to line up all our friends from town, and do one giant high-five." –Holly Gordon