As a musician, it's hard to define Klarka Weinwurm. She's one of the staples of the East Coast scene, routinely supporting Jon Mckiel and Shotgun Jimmie, but you'd be forgiven if you hadn't heard her songs. The soft spoken Weinwurm doesn't have a Web site and unless you cornered her in a dark alley, I'm not sure you could even buy her latest EP. Thankfully, that will all change soon. Klarka is set to release her debut LP, Continental Drift on Saved By Vinyl this Spring and the songs show a huge, but [...]
Well this bit of news has plenty of people in Halifax excited, so why not share it: Jon Epworth has a new album coming out at the end of the month. Failure Epics will be released in digital form on the 28th and on vinyl in March via Diminished Fifth Records . The Epworth and D5R match seems an odd pairing at first, based on the label's current heavy duty metal catalog, but the conceptual Failure Epics was "inspired by King Crimson and Yes as well as more modern metal acts like Meshuggah, [...]
If you're only going to download one mixtape today, please make it this one: KREAM2: The Purple Kicks from the Freshco & Miz of Halifax, Ambition & Uncle Fester. Of course I'm being facetious there, the internet is your mixtape-containing oyster, so by all means, harvest away, but please make sure KREAM 2 is included. I loved the original incarnation of Kicks Rule Everything Around Me, so I was looking forward to the 2nd edition, but somehow I missed it's original release in December and I'm [...]
First live show of the year I shall attend is for these find fellas. Halifax shoegazers Kestrels coming to town for the first time Saturday night @ Le Cagibi. They've got a fine debut album in 2009's "Primary Colours" and early last year with a 73 titled "The Solipsist" and last month with a free single titled [...]
I now pretty much nothing about Work Drugs , other than the assumption that mine would be more enjoyable if I had some. Same goes for Wintercoats - I know not of the musical variety, but am familiar with utilizing one to keep the cold at bay. But I know this: Southern Shores are awesome . And because this is an incontrovertible fact proven by sweaty dance science, I feel compelled to post any new SS material. As you might have already deciphered from that convoluted opener, Southern Shores [...]
Winter. You may not like it, but you cannot escape it. Unless you live somewhere where they don't have winter, then kudos, you have escaped winter! For the rest of us though, it's best to find some way to enjoy these frigid months. Outdoor activities are fine and dandy, goodness knows our new skating oval here in Halifax has been a huge hit by all accounts, but if you're looking for something indoors, intimate and musical, then the 2012 edition of the In The Dead of Winter festival is a must. As has become [...]
Joel Plaskett has done the impossible. Not only has he carved out a successfull career for himself here in Halifax (yes, technically Dartmouth, I know this), something the rest of us find challenging at the best of times, but he's done it in the most fickle of industries, an uphill battle of a business that many talented people struggle to get a foothill in no matter which of our country's bigger cities they happen to reside in. Considering his accomplishments to date, one would certainly forgive Joel if he decided to rest on [...]
Rich Aucoin knows how to put on a great show. His show this past Friday night at The Drake Hotel to celebrate his latest release, We're All Dying to Live, was a multi-media spectacle, with 3 giant screens broadcasting edited viral videos, movie clips and pop-up lyrics. Blasts of confetti were shot out to the audience throughout the night. I had heard before that Rich Aucoin's shows are crazy and now I know why. He is energetic and very personable, but more importantly this guy knows how to work a crowd. Playing a sold-out show at the [...]
Considering the overall vibe of Halifax isn't at an all-time high currently (vacant storefronts, more venue closures, more people moving away, faltering economy, endless boondoggles from our municipal "leadership"), it's nice to have a reminder that there are still plenty of creative people here in the city doing good things. Your Samples Our Obsession , a recently released digital compilation, is one such example of these good things. Curated by your friends at Pigeon Row , YSOO is 16 songs from bands that are currently active in our beloved underdog of a city's music scene. [...]
Sure, the headline sounds like the creepiest, sexual predator Craigslist ad possible, but Halifax/Moncton pop punkers Weekend Dads are making some ear pleasing noise these days and we are more than happy to help them get the word out. Their debut 73 is out on It's Alive Records and the four-songs will warm the heart of any classic pop-punk loving fan. How good is this 73? Well, the easiest way to explain it is to say that I used to listen to nothing but bands like Screeching Weasel, Face [...]
When we last heard from Halifax's Long Weekends , they were giving away a four-song EP that filtered their fun loving, hard driving garage hooks through a swampy filter with fantastic results. Since then, the trio has stormed the stages of Sappyfest and started to deliver on the hooky potential that slid through the ooze of Warmer Weather. Don't Reach Out - the band's contribution to the excellent Noyes 73 subscription series - is a whole new ball game. Attitude and hi-jinx have given way [...]
East coast troubadour Ben Caplan is heading westward for a series of Ontario tour dates throughout the first quarter of 2012. Rotating through Ontario markets, Caplan will bring with him his powerful stage presence and innate ability to make the most rigid of show-goers sway and dance with excitement to his soul-inspired tunes. Caplan will play shows in Toronto, Guelph, New York City, and Hamilton before heading to South by Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas in March. On January 19th, Caplan will support the eclectic Paris duo Herman Dune at the Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto. Take this opportunity to [...]
Halifax's Pigeon Row has picked through the hordes of music that came out of that city in 2011 to bring you the free compilation Your Samples Our Obsessions . The 16 tracks have been culled from the countless internet spots (Bandcamp, Soundcloud, etc) that bands used to get their music out there. The result is a collection of songs from a scene bubbling just underneath the surface. Grab the download for free here . Here's what you'll find on the compilation: [...]
Siamese Twist are a 5 piece female fronted alternative/indie band from Halifax West Yorkshire, UK. This song appeared on the bands latest EP 'Adored' released in April this year. The EP is available from all good download stores, including Amazon And if you head over to their Facebook page, you can download three more free tracks. Download Turn the Light on [...]
Enough with all the Christmas songs! Is what I imagine some of you out there are likely saying by now. I myself am not mad at the Christmas songs really, I mean, I like to think of myself as a moderately festive person, but sure, I could see how people could feel bombarded by the holiday tunes at this point. So if you're one of those grinches (ha!) people who needs a break, I have a little something the complete opposite of Christmas Carols for you today. Audrey and the Agents [...]
Do we all treasure the great Mike O'Neil? I think we should. Therefore, let's all buy his new album Wild Lines when it comes out next year, ok? The first single, This Is Who I Am, is awesome and might well convince you to buy his album regardless of my blathering. Mike O'Neill - This Is Who I Am by thezuniormusiclabel WEB:: mikeoneillmusic.com
Originally, I wasn't going to do anything with the debut LP from Halifax's electro-pop star, Rich Aucoin . And when I say anything, I mean the record was on my desk for weeks and I hadn't even pulled off the plastic wrap. It's not that Rich isn't talented, genuine or creative; the effort he puts into his tours, performances and general musical existence is second to none and the decadent results have charmed fans all over the world. No, the problem was I didn't think his new songs would move me at all. [...]
New music from Old Man Luedecke is always welcome news in these parts. The banjo picker has charmed audiences all over the world, won a Juno award and even with all his success, Chris has never lost the humility that makes him such an inviting performer. Sure, he has "hits" like "Quit My Job" and "Big Group Breakfast" that fans happily singalong to, but the emotion and personal admissions that accompany his claw hammering should be celebrated and treasured from coast to coast. Anyone's that's ever sat down in a small bar [...]
Hopefully you read the Ack's post on Ox's new record Tuco , not least because it's a great record, but also because the Ack's intro was a great bit of self-affirmation regarding the aims of this here site. The second big point he mentioned, "championing a band" struck a chord with me, because it's something I haven't been doing much of lately. This is mainly due to my work busy-ness over the last couple months, but also because as the site's "rap guy", I just don't cover a ton of bands in depth. [...]
Darn good finger snappin' pop rock or shoe gazing folk oddities from Rebekah Higgs.
Herohill
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The Owl Mag
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Webcast: The Kills’ 10th anniversary concert
