Although local hardcore band The Hold makes its home on a label whose name symbolizes breaking up, there’s been a lot of marriage going on lately. The Hold’s KC Spidle—who happens to be a co-founder of the local independent label—and bassist Crystal Thili tied the knot on April 5. Ten days later they had a […]
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Jon Epworth’s second act
Jon Epworth doesn’t want to talk about his alter egos. He’d rather not talk about his various musical incarnations or how he spreads himself perhaps a little too thin. By now, the concept’s boring. This is just his life. Epworth states it simply: “I do a lot of stuff.” But it’s a little hard to […]
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Midnight Massive
Break out the party hats, streamers and birthday cake: From modest beginnings to three-floor parties and jammed clubs, dance music fans will celebrate the 11th anniversary of Massive Productions, a local company that has been bringing top-name DJs to Halifax for over a decade. More than a birthday party, the show at Rain this Friday […]
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Koala’s beats
Kid Koala possesses a short attention span. That’s not a knock—he freely admits he has an overactive mind—but it goes a long way to explain his creative process. Kid Koala (AKA Eric San) is a man who can ingest much more information than the common person and make it into something exciting and original. At […]
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A breath of canned air
“It’s so fuckin’ great out here,” says Ben Mulroney to anyone in earshot near the corner of Argyle and Carmichael in downtown Halifax. It is fuckin’ great out here. It’s Thursday, March 30 at 10 in the morning, and spring-like weather has come early, though only a fool would suggest it will stay. I am […]
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Juno planner
Thursday 30 Halifax on Parade Kick-off concert The Trews, Matt Mays & El Torpedo, Joel Plaskett Emergency, Jimmy Rankin and Garrett Mason treat you to a free concert to kick off Juno weekend. And what a treat it will be! Grand Parade Square, Barrington at George, 5:30-11pm All Ages King Konqueror Punk rock, soul, ’60s […]
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Hurry Heart
If all of the rising indie bands in the world could be poured like flavoured drink into a tray and come out of the freezer as yummy as The Constantines, every slurpy, purple and drippy indie band would sound pretty goddamned sweet. Formed in Guelph in 1999, The Constantines signed to Sub Pop (Nirvana, Wolf […]
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The French third
Montréal’s Torngat are lugging their armloads of instruments into town to create ambient, experimental and instrumental sounds at Gus’ Pub on April 7. “The concept of the album *La Rouge* reflects our live show,” says Mathieu Charbonneau. “The songs are like structured improv; although, we play a lot of other material which is free-change improv […]
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Seeing red
1. Just because it’s always balmy outside the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles does not mean that you can abandon your coat in Halifax. In April. One wee heat lamp located 10 feet away does not a warm writer make, as some coatless journalists in open-toed shoes quickly discovered. I suspect that Saskatoon, the location […]
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Nickelbash
ALBUM OF THE YEARMichael Bublé, It’s Time (143/Reprise)Diana Krall, Christmas Songs (Verve)Kalan Porter, 219 Days (ViK)Nickelback, All The Right Reasons (EMI)Rex Goudie, Under The Lights (SonyBMG) Michael Catano: I raised money for CKDU FM by auctioning off a chance to smash a copy of All the Right Reasons into pieces live on the radio. I […]
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It’s all your fault
The biggest question on your mind through these fevered, Juno-drenched weeks—not, “How did they get Coldplay?” not, “Why is Coldplay here?” not, “Will Gwyneth come?”—has doubtless been, “How the fuck did Diana Krall’s Christmas album get five nominations?” Well see, it’s like this. The nominees in the biggest categories, the ones you will see on […]
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Canadian Music speak
Jesse F. Keeler Death from above 1979/ MSTRKRFT Favourite Canadian song of the year: Metric, “Monster Hospital”Favourite Canadian album of the year: AIDS Wolf, The LovversOn the Junos: I was nominated personally for best design but lost to a really ugly record cover. Oh well. Who will win in the future?: Seripop…and they should keep […]