“I would say my biggest influences are the Foo Fighters and Jet,” says Brad Long, the lead guitarist and singer of his first rock project, James Bradley Band. “I listen to a lot of different styles, but rock bands like those, The Sheepdogs, The Trews and Sam Roberts Band are definitely my favourites.” A student […]
New Music Issue 2016
Posted inArts + Music
Nightbummerz (New Music 2016)
What does Nightbummerz like about playing loud? “It drowns out the booing,” says Grace Stratton, one-third of the gloomy post-punk band Nightbummerz. With lifelong friends Cameron Evans (guitar/vocals) and Alex Seminick (drums), both of whom Stratton met at a Freak Heat Waves show last year, Nightbummerz released a self-titled debut in April with tracks titled […]
Posted inArts + Music
Latin Drama (New Music 2016)
Are you feelin’ hot, hot, hot? You will once you hear Halifax’s newest six-piece Latin American music ensemble. “We’re four Cubans, one Colombian and one Mexican,” says Marcel Nazabal (flutes, gaita, vocals), boasting the only Latin American band in the city with all originally Latin American members. “We’re bringing 100 percent Latin flavour to Halifax,” […]
Posted inArts + Music
No Problem (New Music 2016)
“Our biggest problem is that I’m too funny, it’s hard for everyone to concentrate,” says Daniel Crowther, songwriter and singer of Halifax four-piece No Problem, which just finished a tour to Ontario, played Flourish Festival and put out a first full-length, The Honestly Hour. “My biggest problem is listening to other people chew,” says Mitchell […]
Posted inArts + Music
Laurenn Marchand (New Music 2016)
“I do write a lot about myself, but I love writing story songs,” says folk songwriter Laurenn Marchand, a graduate of music from St. FX and music therapy at Acadia. “Working as a music therapist outside of performance, I have the opportunity to engage with a lot of older people and I love writing songs […]
Posted inArts + Music
Strongboy (New Music 2016)
“It’s groovy, wacky and noisy in the right places,” says Brett Jarret, vocalist and guitarist of lazy pop indie-rock band Strongboy. Along with Seamus O’Neill, Alex Sheppard and Tyler Popwell, the four best friends from Cape Breton are anything but traditional Island fare, with their modern indie-pop flourishes and jizz-jazzy reverbs. Strongboy is currently working […]
Posted inArts + Music
Willem Paynter (New Music 2016)
After playing bass as a hired gun with almost every gigging jazz musician in the Maritimes, St. FX jazz graduate Willem Paynter released City Grit, his debut record of original music (and one jazz standard), in December. “It can be considered hard-bop, a direct descendent of bebop, but there’s a lot of funk, groove, blues […]
Posted inArts + Music
XXVII (New Music 2016)
Meeting at jazz master Jerry Granelli’s Creative Music Workshop five years ago, saxophonists Nick Dourado (Eddy, Special Costello) and Andrew MacKelvie released six spontaneous tracks on an album titled oo last year. “Everything you hear is improvised, and I think it highlights the connection that Nick and I have,” explains MacKelvie. “We love songs and […]
