Here we are, doggies. Tonight is the first evening of the Halifax Pop Explosion, five full days of the coolest bands in hip-hop, indie rock, indie pop and regular pop. There’s also a symphony experience, an incredible comedy lineup, songs for the folkier set, an HPX Conference, the Collide Creative Technology Conference and much more. If you haven’t […]
Halifax Pop Explosion
Posted inArts + Music
True rock, harsh and clean
“Rock music is pretty meat and potatoes. That’s all good, but we try to throw a lime wedge or some cilantro in there too,” says Charles Austin, one of the master chefs behind Halifax’s Psychic Fair. Since 2013, Psychic Fair—also with scene veterans Cliff Gibb, Andrew Glencross and Josh Salter—has been spicing up the band’s personal […]
Posted inArts + Music
DJ/producer Ryan Hemsworth—the Q&A
Last May, Halifax-bred Ryan Hemsworth began releasing underground jams by new DJs to his fans as Secret Songs. On Wednesday he’s bringing his faves here for HPX’s Secret Songs Showcase, and it’s gonna be fire. Just 25, Hemsworth is a veritable DJ superstar. He’s played Pitchfork Music Festival and Coachella, remixed some of pop and […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Wednesday’s 10 things to read about
[Image-1] 1 Well this is a bit of monstrous bullshit: a condo development has built a wall over the basketball courts used by neighbouring St. Joseph’s A McKay School. CBC’s Brett Ruskin took some photos and looked into the obnoxious wall, put up by Louis Lawen’s Dexel Developments. Originally, Dexel was to provide a new […]
Posted inArts + Music
2015 Halifax Pop Explosion initial lineup announced
It might not feel like it, but October is a long way off. Even so, you can now spend the rest of your summer dreaming about Halifax Pop Explosion‘s stellar lineup. Some of the acts gracing your fave stages this fall include: Travi$ Scott, Dillinger Escape Plan, Purity Ring, Alvvays, Majical Cloudz, Andy Shauf, The […]
Posted inArts + Music
HPX: Day three, in words
Halifax is making a very typical Halifax impression for all these out-of-towners by insisting on raining constantly for the entire duration of the Halifax Pop Explosion. That said, it hasn’t “dampened” enthusiasm (HAHA GOOD ONE) at all and last night’s shows were a pretty good time. I got to the Olympic Centre early to see […]
Posted inArts + Music
HPX: Day two, in words
I love watching Andy Bush yell. And he yells a lot as the host of Good Morning Tonight, a live talk-show produced by HPX comedy whiz Stephan MacLeod, which features Andy’s “dad” Rollie Bush (Mark Little) desperately trying to derail all of Andy’s attempts at even marginal success. Joined onstage by “Positive” Geordie Miller and […]
Posted inArts + Music
Rich Aucoin: Halifax’s prince
Rich Aucoin w/Windom Earle, Walrus, Kappa Chow Thursday, October 23, 8pm Reflections Cabaret, 5187 Salter Street $20.25/$25 “Imagine an amusement park where you just re-enact iconic movies scenes,” says Rich Aucoin. I laugh and tell him he’s already living that dream and actually he is the amusement park. To understand Aucoin, it’s helpful to know […]
Posted inArts + Music
Cam Smith’s Cannon in front of them
Cam Smith w/Ghostface Killah, Raekwon, BadBadNotGood Thursday, October 23, 7pm Halifax Forum, 2901 Windsor Street $39/$45 It’s been an insane year for Dartmouth’s Cam Smith. By dropping bar-setting videos for “Turbo” and “Mad Crack” in advance of self-produced party album Cannon, he has primed us for his HPX takeover. “Rap is one of the hardest genres […]