The annual celebration of Acadian culture, Festival Quinzou (AKA National Acadian Day) has been keeping the fun going since 1881—even if the Canadian government only recognized it as an official holiday in 2003. Tip your hat to the area's rich francophone community by hitting up the annual, free concert held on Aug 13 from 5-7pm at Grand Parade—complete with an Acadian flag-raising and a live kitchen party.
But don’t let the good times stop there! Team Coast has a playlist suggestion to help keep you moving, grooving and vibing all August 15 (the official date) long. Read on for quality tunes:
Boite Aux Lettres by Les Hay Babies
The modish, three-part girl group of your sweetest folk dreams, Moncton’s Les Hay Babies quietly dropped a flawless, returning-to-roots album pre-pandemic last year. If the chaos of COVID means you missed it, now’s the time to catch up on its 12 sun-soaked tracks. Listen on bandcamp now or push play here:
P'tit Belliveau’s ... chante Baptiste
Here’s the thing about the newest album from Baie Sainte-Marie, Nova Scotia’s P’tit Belliveau, released back in March: Your ears haven’t had this much fun since Radio Radio was at its peak. The comparison doesn’t just hold because both acts are Acadian, though. A wacky, ‘80s-indebted aesthetic wafts from both–but where Radio Radio was trying to give Chiac a hip hop makeover, P’tit Belliveau is more interested in playing with the paint palette of alt-country, covering songs of cult crooner/fellow Baie Sainte-Marie legend Baptiste Comeau. The result? An auditory equivalent to a neon sunset, heavy with DIY energy. Listen now on bandcamp or smash the play button, already:
Le succès par le travail by Sluice
The nostalgia-fuelled power-pop of Halifax's Trevor Murphy’s moniker Sluice is the stuff summer drives—windows down, music blasting—are made of. Murphy’s hyper-specific use of time and place (childhood summers spent around rural Yarmouth) draws you in while the Weezer-y sound will keep you there. Check it out on bandcamp or hit play below: