Truro’s INSTRUMENTS makes a rare appearance on Thursday, November 5 at The Paragon Theatre (with The Lodge and Dreamsploitation). Described as a “reclusive post-rock trio,” the group is set on making each show special. “We are really intent on doing things on our own terms,” says J LaPointe. “In a lot of cases that means […]
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Rose Cousins is golden
Rose Cousins is glowing. Sipping on a coffee one wet Halifax morning, her bright eyes—despite the early hour—and warm smile tell the story of her last three years as a full-time musician, even before she opens her mouth to speak. “Since I’ve released my last CD I almost feel like the three years has been […]
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Cuff the Duke stay in the ring
When it comes to writing song lyrics, Wayne Petti likes to keep things at a distance. “I don’t often get too personal in music,” the Cuff the Duke singer admits over the phone from Toronto. “Usually I try to write stuff we all can relate to.” A perfunctory appraisal of the Cuff the Duke catalogue […]
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Friends of note
Halifax pianist Dinuk Wijeratne is welcoming an old friend and artistic ally, clarinetist Kinan Azmeh, to town. Sri Lankan-born and Dubai-raised Wijeratne and Syrian Azmeh met at Juilliard’s International House. “It was this international residence in the heart of New York. It was a huge mansion-looking building,” says Wijeratne, with “people from about 100 different […]
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Singled out: Top Ten Halifax Singles
Sloan & Eric’s Trip (Murderecords, Sappy, Cinnamon Toast, Cargo), CT 010, 1994. Two of the region’s best bands, before they reached legendary status, team up to cover each other’s songs to benefit CKDU. Tracks: Sloan, “Stove+Smother”/Eric’s Trip, “Laying Blame” Super Friendz, By Request (Murderecords), Mur 012, 1994. Try as they might, the band could not […]
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More (White)Cowbell!
Last October, White Cowbell Oklahoma covered Halifax in pumpkin guts sprayed from a whirring chainsaw. This year, they’re back to serenade you with songs from their third album, Bombardero, and celebrate a whopping 10 years as a band. Only time will tell if Tuesday’s show with Iron Giant at the Seahorse will be as wild […]
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Rah Rah on the road
When I reach Marshall Burns, he informs me that he’s currently in a 16-person van, barrelling down a highway somewhere in northern Ontario. It’s indicative of the exciting new changes for the Regina guitarist and his band, Rah Rah, who are in the midst of its very first coast-to-coast tour in support of a very […]
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Going Upstream Jazz
A call reaches Dave Moore on his cell, in the rain. “I’m going to walk and talk with you at the same time,” he says. Walking and talking: it’s a kind of multitasking taken for granted in this connected, roaming age. Like many musicians in Halifax, Moore is involved in multiple projects. He plays in […]
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Ghettosocks’ tasty Treat
Halifax-based MC Ghettosocks went from updating his Facebook profile and Twitter account with his “treat of the day,” to basing the concept of his new album, aptly titled Treat of the Day, around the idea. “I was kind of compelled to do this treat-of-the-day thing,” says Ghettosocks, AKA Darren Pyper. “For albums I get on […]
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Wright on the Mark
She calls herself a terrible hostess, but you know wherever Carolyn Mark goes, the party follows, especially when she brings along a few friends, including the man of your dreams, Luther Wright. Several years ago, Mark, who just released Let’s Just Stay Here, a collection of duets with NQ Arbuckle, was hosting her Victoria-based open […]
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Grassmarket’s family way
While most Halifax musicians are heading out at 9:30pm on Saturday, Penelope Jackson and Dan MacCormack are getting ready for bed. They know their two-year-old son Clem has a 4am wake-up call in store for them. With that schedule, it’s no wonder it’s taken a year-and-a-half working with bandmate David Bradshaw for Grassmarket to release […]
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Acres and Acres are miles away
Acres and Acres do simple in the most complicated way. Its debut album, All Nations, balances studio acoustic and lap steel guitars with the rich sounds of about a dozen musicians performing at Robie Street’s All Nations Christian Reformed Church. “It’s funny because we wanted to make it simple and easy,” says Dave Scholten. “We […]
