The Best Music of 2020

It’s time for The East’s very scientific and democratically sorted list of The Best Music of 2020. As you can imagine, it was quite the year and whatever challenges we faced, we did our best to face them together.

Everything, this is, except for this list. You would not believe the amount of bloodshed we endured to arrive at this moment, the number of bloodied noses, bruised egos and fatally demoralized interns.

Please know, dear reader, that we do this for you, without complaint, as our honour-bound duty. Please, enjoy. Continue reading The Best Music of 2020

Sleepless Nights’ ‘Every Word Is a Trap’ Will Capture Your Mind and Heart, Along With Everything Else

Art has remained one of the brightest spots in a year where such spots may as well have been urban myths. Whether it was forward-facing optimism, the safety of our distant memories, or something new entirely, the art of the world remains the MVP of humanity’s hearts. Fronting this charge are those pieces that manage to combine all three into something truly beautiful; enter Sleepless Nights’s Every Word Is A Trap, an era-fluid, masterfully-crafted collection of glam rock, new wave, and an x-factor that could only come from the one and only AA Wallace. Continue reading Sleepless Nights’ ‘Every Word Is a Trap’ Will Capture Your Mind and Heart, Along With Everything Else

Neptune Theatre Announces Patricia Cerra as First Artistic Director Intern

This year has been one of fundamental change for regional theatre cornerstone Neptune Theatre, having them pivot their approach to content with their new digital platform, Neptune At Home. Looking towards the future of the theatre and Atlantic Canadian theatre at large, Neptune has announced, alongside Prime Mover Theatre Company, that award-winning multidisciplinary artist, director and educator Patricia Cerra will be the first Artistic Director Intern for the company’s newly revamped RBC Chrysallis Project. Continue reading Neptune Theatre Announces Patricia Cerra as First Artistic Director Intern

The 2020 Christmas Playlist

Christmas is a time for frantically packing in as much festive joy as humanly possible. It’s a lot, and we too are subject to the demands of the season. Sometimes you need to put all your gifts in one sleigh, put your feet up and start guzzling nog before the season ends.

For us, this is that moment. We’ve collected up all the holiday music we’ve been sent this year in one convenient place, all for your listening pleasure. Or, if you prefer, you can skip right to the playlist on Spotify. Continue reading The 2020 Christmas Playlist

The Future of Music is DIY: A Conversation with Alex MacNeil and Andy MacInnis

“When you’re making rock records, you don’t need to overthink production…we can make great rock ‘n’ roll records in this garage.”

As I’m sitting in a small, cramped back room of a house nestled deep in Halifax’s north end I’m flanked on my right side by an old washer and dryer. To the left, a pile of jackets and a stack of skateboards. A half-eaten open-face sandwich sits on the coffee table in front of me.

You wouldn’t guess that this space is the new laboratory of two prominent Halifax rock acts. Continue reading The Future of Music is DIY: A Conversation with Alex MacNeil and Andy MacInnis