Two of Halifax’s Best Bands to Listen to Quietly, as voted by readers of The Coast two years running, are teaming up for a very special night at St. George’s Round Church. The union of acoustic mainstay Quiet Parade and folk ensemble Acres and Acres is a heavenly one. “We searched for the most inspiring […]
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Kings of the Nihil
The songs are very philosophical, apocalyptic, thoughtful, cerebral,” says Brett Campaigne, vocalist of Halifax heavy metal band River Nihil. For the last two years, River Nihil has been crafting songs for its debut five-track album, and you can pick one up at Gus’ Pub on Friday. With Christian Oulette (guitar), brothers Dan Dorran (guitar) and […]
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On the road
Winnipeg folk poet Jenny Berkel pulls no punches with her newest video for “Like a Rope.” She is trying to break your heart. Animated by Karsten Wall, the video features a beautiful and sad interpretation of Berkel’s heart-rending lyrics. Just try not to mist up. “When I wrote this song, a number of my dearest […]
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Night Out to remember
Let’s just break it down for a minute: If you like hip-hop and/or rap music, you have no reason to miss Weirdo Click, Jay Mayne, Alfie and Cam Smith at The Company House on Tuesday. That’s what it is. Presented by the NSCC and Fresh Goods Apparel, Night Out showcases some of the best rap […]
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Geoff Berner’s Festival circuit
Any attempt to describe Vancouver-based singer-songwriter Geoff Berner invariably ends up sounding like it was composed using a fridge-magnet poetry set made up of discarded Canada Council grant applications. Political Klezmer-punk troubadour? Jewish-Canadian firebrand poet? Incendiary accordion-toting folkie? Oh dear. This October, the task became even more difficult, with the release of Festival Man, Berner’s […]
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Whale of a time
It doesn’t matter to the Vancouver five-piece what you think of when you hear the title of its new album Hawaiii (add an extra “I”), but only that you do think, period. “It’s an evocative word and we felt the songs were fairly evocative,” says Tyler Bancroft, half of the songwriting team. “We wanted a […]
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Buzz Feed
“There’s no better way to have a great show where you feel comfortable than going to Sydney fucking Cape Breton,” says Jason Burns. “It’s way less intimidating than London or New York or Los Angeles.” Burns, drummer for Down with the Butterfly and Mardeen who now manages Rich Aucoin and Hey Rosetta, has attended many […]
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Insurrection is for the fans
Crowd-funding, especially popular in the last few years, is the best way for fans to show support because investing in a forthcoming project really puts your money where your mouth is. To finance Insurrection’s third studio album, Prototype, the Quebec-based death metal quintet turned to its fans, which ended up being a huge success for […]
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Night group
Have you ever thought to yourself, “Who else is up right now? Where’s the party?” ReelLifeFam, the brainchild of Trevor Walter and Courtney (C-Note) Simmonds, hopes to answer those questions with the launch of the Midnight 6 Society. “Midnight 6 Society is basically a movement, our whole case we’re pushing with that is owning the […]
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Dancing dead
I don’t tend to go for sexy-noun Halloween costumes, but with Port City Events teaming up with dance-party impresarios Heavy Petting for The Zombie Hop, it might be time to break out the glitter-bra. Why should Halloween revellers should come out to the Company House this Friday? “To see me try to dance in six-inch […]
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Season of the Witches’ Ball
Like so many of Halifax’s beloved traditions, CKDU’s Witches’ Ball started out as a house party, a place for folks to dress up, dance and have a good time. Though not originally associated with the radio station at all, the Halloween party has been a CKDU fundraiser since 1997, and has grown leaps and bounds […]
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The Plan, boss, The Plan!
Yet again, Halifax Pop Explosion has spurred a much-anticipated reunion of a seminal local band. This year, The Plan, a post-hardcore group featuring members of North of America, Equation of State and Cold Warps, will end a 12-year period of inactivity by performing at the festival. The band’s original lifespan was a scant and feverish […]