The comforts of habit and routine are a weighty albatross hung from almost every neck. For Mark Andrew Hamilton, front man of the orchestral folk outfit Woodpigeon, that weight became chains. Somehow, a man with a voice that soars freely became sedimentary and stagnate. Hamilton planned his escape. After bribing guards, picking locks and digging(…)
Heeeeeeey ‘Merica, this post is for you! Foremost friend of the hill Joel Plaskett is coming your way next month with a host of shows in your eastern quadrant, and you should go see him. Without hesitation we’ll happily admit to being biased as shit when it comes to our fellow Halifax West alumnus Mr.(…)
Canadian bred. Sick in my head. Yes. Just yes, this all day. Head-slap drums. Victorious horns. Bob James cowbell in the mix. Nasty mic skills. Lyrics. This is the kind of hip hop that still puts me in a trance and gets me nodding my old-ass head at my desk. The Antiheroes debut, This Is(…)
Subtlety is not part of the equation when it comes to Cold Warps sound. The steps are roughly the same each time out; write a two-minute sci-fi joint or a nostalgic heartbreaker, put a poppy riff behind it and make it fuzzier than Gene Wilder’s melon. Oh, and play the song like you have been(…)
Seemingly simple acoustic songs remind us of the past. When done poorly, the results are dated and disposable. Confessions thrown into the wind only to fall to the side of the road like discarded trash. There are only so many chords and so many voices. Only so many beautiful faces that can launch new fleets.(…)
Watching this video first thing this AM was great for a couple reasons, firstly, there’s something about so relaxing and reassuring about Moka’s whole aura that when I watch any one of his more recent videos, I instantly feel better about the state of hip hop. And second, it reminded me of how much I(…)
Snow. Rain. Gale Force Winds. Slush. None of these things are sexy. Now this new video from The Extremities and Kaleb Simmonds, now that is sexy. It’s perfect viewing to take you sexily into your weekend. And you can also forget the Weeknd, this is the kind of Canadian R&B I can get behind. Immaculately(…)
I know nothing about Boxed Wine except that I enjoy their name much than I should and they are from New Jersey (about which they say “It’s not as bad of a place as you think”). In general the notion of boxed wine seems to be one of those jokes I find way funnier than(…)
“But there’s so much good hip hop in Canada, why do people listen to this horseshit?!?!” – Me, whining about people who listen to bad rap music. So yeah, of course no one cares what I think, but it’s not as if I’ve been just saying that without giving you alternatives. Case in point, Pigeon(…)
In most cases, hearing an artist covering an Uncle Tupelo joint is a depressing event. For Ottawa’s Chris Page, the heartfelt nod to the influential band is as much a mantra as a tribute. The cover has existed in some form or another for years; a treat for fans of the seasoned vet as well(…)
