Seven and a half weeks spent in a van driving across the continent, and back. One band member trying to write her Master’s thesis in the backseat. Kanye’s album The Life Of Pablo blasting on repeat. United States border patrollers insistently asking if they’re a faith-based rock band. A dreamy house show in Victoria. Jumping […]
record releases
Posted inArts + Music
Universal Soul’s return
On an evening in 2002, Tracey Williams (AKA Tacktishion) had his nap interrupted. His girlfriend woke him up, asking “Don’t you have a show tonight?” Williams rushed down to Hell’s Kitchen, now the Seahorse Tavern, on Gottingen Street, making it just in time to bust a rhyme with his group Universal Soul. He entered through […]
Posted inArts + Music
“It’s a good homecoming.”
T. Thomason just released an EP, quit his job and moved home to Halifax for the summer. A few other things have changed since we last heard from him, but quite frankly, Halifax hasn’t yet been formally introduced. Known as Molly Thomason in a soon-to-be-forgotten past life, the 21-year-old from Antigonish has given birth to […]
Posted inArts + Music
The pop life of Ria Mae, from shy radio listener to hit singer
“Do you like this song?” Ria Mae turns up the radio in her car. She repeats the pattern at least a half-dozen times through the next couple hours: Breaking off from what she’s saying, asking that question, turning it up, stating a fact about the song, then respectfully returning it to just-audible. “I’ve always been […]
Posted inArts + Music
Erin Costelo talks about “the hardest album I’ve ever made”
“The whole process was exhausting,” says Erin Costelo. “Everything was on my shoulders, so I had a lot of pressure. It was the hardest record I’ve ever made, because it felt like so many decisions and so much work.” Insert every aphorism, saying and inspirational meme about the payoff of hard work right here, because […]
Posted inArts + Music
Taking centre stage after a decade in the background
“The older I get and the more I play, the more I realize the magic of it all,” says violinist Donald MacLennan, on his passion for swing-based gypsy jazz music. For the last decade, the Antigonish resident has been fiddling with all manner of folk artists—including Ben Caplan, Jennah Barry and Michael Dalton—and with quartets […]
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The music world is waking up to Halifax’s Nap Eyes
Nigel Chapman is a shy man. Onstage, with his band Nap Eyes, he’s reserved. He looks down at his guitar and sings with his eyes closed. He’ll nervously adjust his glasses or push his blond hair aside. He’s gracious for the attention and he thanks the audience and his bandmates repeatedly. In between songs, when […]
Posted inArts + Music
Word Nerd
Wordburglar Album Release Friday, August 14, 10pm Gus’ Pub and Grill, 2605 Agricola Street $10 “Sometimes I’ll just think of a line, or I’ll hear a word and love it so I’ll want to rhyme that word,” says comic-book writer and nerdcore rapper Sean Jordan Volpe, also known as Wordburglar. “You never know when an […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Tuesday’s 3 must-know Halifax things
1 A hot take on hot dogs is slated for the corner of Agricola and Charles Streets thanks to T-DOGS, a New York-style hot dog cart serving up handmade sausages courtesy of Tony Rinaldo, his best bud Patrick Lowe and his brother Sam. Local ingredients, family recipes and chef-inspired creative twists are coming for us […]
Posted inArts + Music
Happy birthday Urban Surf Kings!
This Saturday marks 19 years for Halifax’s preeminent surf band, the Urban Surf Kings (AKA USK). Together Rev Hank, Crash Flagg and Inky, members of Canada’s longest running instrumental surf band, have released 11 albums and won over fans worldwide. UK’s Raucous Records calls them “one of the best surf instrumental bands on the planet.” […]
Posted inArts + Music
The WAYO’s Wanderings home
Seen from one angle, The WAYO is a four-piece band that met at college—an oft-heard narrative. Gray Rowan, bass and keyboards, explains: “We all went to King’s College, we all did the first-year program there. The funny thing is we all played in different bands first year. We actually played in a battle of the […]
Posted inArts + Music
The Motorleague just wants you to acknowledge them
The Motorleague is motoring into Halifax to play a show at Gus’ Pub on June 12, in honour of today’s release date of their newest album Acknowledge, Acknowledge. After three years, the band’s excited to finally be putting out a follow-up to their 2009 debut album Black Noise. “Our last one was very much the […]