Leigh Righton Japandroids light my fire. Oh hai. In the afterglow of the Halifax Pop Explosion lineup announcement, we damn near forgot to mention that a band from the festival’s past is coming back to the city next week for a fun, hip pootie party. Japandroids return to Halifax for the first time since their […]
Halifax Pop Explosion
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Full Halifax Pop Explosion Lineup Announced
thee oh sees The entire Halifax Pop Explosion lineup has been announced as of this morning. Major additions include Stars, Thee Oh Sees (ohmygodfuckyes) DD/MM/YYYY and The Meligrove Band. Also, Jennifer Castle, who happens to possess the most ethereal voice I have ever heard. Amazing! The list of local and national showcasing acts has also […]
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Halifax Pop Explosion Initial Lineup
JEFF the brotherhood For those of you who missed the promo video at M Fest, here’s the initial list of artists lined up for this year’s event. Pretty sexy. Stoked for Fucked Up, The Rural Alberta Advantage and JEFF the Brotherhood!! And Braids! And Bonjay! Lots to be excited by. Check the full list below. […]
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Hey Rosetta! added to M-Fest Lineup
The August megaconcert M-Fest has announced its full lineup today. In addition to Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, Broken Social Scene, Diamond Rings and Surfer Blood, the day-long concert will feature Hey Rosetta!, Carmen Townsend, Glory Glory and In-Flight Safety. The concert is taking place Sunday August 7 at Alderney Landing and doors open at 1pm. Tickets are available now through Ticketpro.ca, their outlets, and by phone at 1-888-311-9090. Advanced Tickets are $39.50 (+ $5 ticket service fee) and day of show tickets are $44.50 (+ $5 ticket service fee). Cheap!
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Here’s What a Good Summer Concert Looks Like
broken social scene Halifax Pop Explosion and Live 105 have done the unthinkable: they’re presenting a summer concert with four bands AND I DON’T HATE ANY OF THEM. M-Fest, happening Sunday, August 7 at Alderney Landing, features Broken Social Scene, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, Surfer Blood and Diamond Rings as the first wave of acts (more will be announced Monday April 18.) There’s no Counting Crows. There’s no Tonic, or Kid Rock, or Black Eyed Peas, or any other watery second-run acts “rounding out the bill.” Nope – it’s just four good bands that are at various levels of
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You Can Apply to HPX 2011 Now
Apply here!Fest runs from October 18-22 this year. In a completely unrelated note, my friend Michel was all like “I’m going to listen to DBC, they’re coming to Gus’, you would be an idiot not to go” and I was like “What’s that?” because I don’t know anything. And then, suddenly, the doors of 80’s Montreal thrash metal opened to me of their own volition: Things get real around 1:07. They play Gus’ as part of Hell Freezes Over on Saturday night. I think it’s $10.
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Eeny, meeny, miny, Pop
Three days left. Fifteen venues. A shitton of bands. The sum: too many choices to be made in the next 72 hours. If spontaneity’s your thing, tuck this geographical list of bar-only Halifax Pop Explosion venues (there are nine) in your pocket today, so that when you—or someone you know—-inevitably arrives at the Paragon at […]
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HPX spotlight: The Hold Steady
If The Hold Steady are not America’s greatest rock band—and there’s a case to be made for it—they’re certainly its most deceptively great one. A casual listener may wonder why their five albums of seemingly familiar power chords and piano histrionics have earned such cultish devotion. Sure, the band’s ability to suture the punk/classic rock […]
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HPX spotlight: Radio Radio
Radio Radio shows must produce two by-products, “sweat and smiles,” according to Gabriel Louis Bernard Malenfant, one of three members of the band (along with Alexandre Arthur Bilodeau and Jacques Alphonse Doucet). Much has been made of Radio Radio’s Acadian identity. The three hail from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. The bio on their label […]
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HPX spotlight: Tokyo Police Club
In 2006, Tokyo Police Club’s A Lesson in Crime EP—16 minutes of speedy, punchy indie rock gold—quickly made the Newmarket, Ontario, foursome one of North America’s hottest buzz bands. Four years later, the harsh internet hype cycle having moved on, the band has been able to record and tour its excellent second album, Champ, on […]
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HPX spotlight: Cursed Arrows
It’s a sadly familiar story by now: band forms in Halifax; band gets big in Halifax; band leaves Halifax for the verdant and populous musical pastures of Montreal/Toronto. When any band does the reverse, it’s noteworthy; when the band is Cursed Arrows, it’s an extra bonus. “It just seemed like the right time,” says Ryan […]
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HPX spotlight: Handsome Furs
Much in the way that Dan Boeckner’s singing voice often sounds strained yet kinetic on record, does his voice over the phone. Boeckner and wife Alexei Perry, who play together as Handsome Furs, took time out from a band practice/recording session in Montreal to chat. Perry’s voice, unlike her husband’s, is hardly road-worn; she’s rather […]