And at Christmas, one brother, the older, shall give the younger a Fender Squire bass guitar and unto him he will speak: “Here you go, we have a gig in three weeks.” That’s how 26-year-old Rhys Bevan-John, bassist in Ceti Alpha, recalls being invited to join the band of his 30-year-old brother—and singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist—Nick. Though he’d […]
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Long time coming
Four hundred pieces of music. It’s the amount of work Trobiz, AKA Tremayne Howe, has developed since he got serious about his music six years ago. It’s also music he created without releasing an album of his own. After an extended period of honing his craft, the R&B/hip-hop artist is finally launching his long-awaited debut […]
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Disclikes
Kevin Federline. Fergie. Hedley. Paris Hilton. The Pussycat Dolls. All names you won’t find in our annual round-up of the best music of the year. >> Show me the list <<
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Love of the game
Lukas Pearse’s hands were bound. Worse yet, a sheet had been draped over him, covering both him and his double bass. Nearby stood a woman, also hand-bound. Duct tape sealed her lips beneath a baggy hood pulled over her head. Not long ago, this discombobulating scene confronted a hip crowd comprised of visual artists, NSCAD […]
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Hylo country
It’s getting harder and harder to write a story on Canadian music without at least mentioning Paul Aucoin’s name. The Halifax-born producer/musician has left his stamp on a growing number of bands through his production work. He plays in The Old Soul, The Fembots and is a contributing member of Cuff The Duke. Now, with […]
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The evolution of Tanya Davis
A year ago, 26-year-old Tanya Davis had no friends to hang out with. She had just moved to Halifax from PEI to pursue a career as a poet/writer/musician, but had no connections and no album to peddle. She spent her afternoons at Steve-O-Renos writing and thinking, and her nights at live shows hoping to connect […]
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Bow down
To describe Owen Pallett is to delve into an exploration of imagination, artistic ability and terminal dissatisfaction. After scoring a video game, three movies and an opera by the age of 21, the artist familiar to music aficionados as one man voice/violinist Final Fantasy released the latest in what he refers to as “a perpetual […]
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That new car sound
The Apex BeatWay cooler than John and Taupin The Apex Beat has big ambitions and they’re making sure they hone the skills and develop the knowledge to see their plans through. The plan is this: Take the time in studio to craft the sound, a rich, orchestral and musical border-crossing sound that harkens back to […]
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Hikin’ trail
It’s official. Classified is the biggest artist in east coast hip-hop. Hell, he might be one of the biggest acts on the east coast, period—up there with Matt Mays, Buck 65 and Joel Plaskett. In terms of reach and exposure, the 28-year-old man also known as Luke Boyd is now one of the most visible […]
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Pitching Awoo
The guitar plays softly as a group of people, flashlights in hand, clear through the tall brush. The Toronto skyline juts out from behind the water. Glockenspiels and synthesizers join in as Joel Gibb leads the pack into a forest, where they’re joined by a band of musicians wearing wolf masks—one of the few welcome […]
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Appetite for GN’R
Sure, only Axl is left from the Guns N’ Roses glory days, but who isn’t stoked about the band’s November 20 Halifax show? We’re getting ready by collecting your GN’R memories, stories and pics for a special GN’R gallery. Did you see that Halifax show back in the ’90s when GN’R opened for Iron Maiden? […]