Congratulations on surviving 2018. I think we can all safely recognize that, now more than ever, we need music in our lives. We need it to tell our stories, and deliver important messages, and just keep us buoyant. Thankfully, music is both plentiful and readily available. There’s a lot to sort through though, and for that we’ve turned to some experts for the 2018 edition of The East’s Annual Musicians Peer Review.
Mike T. Kerr – Working On It
I first heard Mike T. Kerr’s Working On It was in a Bedford basement on the very first day of 2018, the unofficial Year of the Story Song. On a record decorated with Mike’s preposterous talent as a guitar virtuoso, this song stands out because it sits down and takes it time, with phrases that don’t quite fit, like a stubborn spring in a tight spot. Mike’s seasoned voice hearkens back to a time when the chrome was still shining, before the rust and dust of details became too much for a simple man to fix. Mike himself may be working on it, but he’s come a heck of a long way already. (Terra Spencer)
Mike T. Kerr: WEB | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM
Nicotine Heart Throb – Basement
Just barely making the 2018 cut, Nicotine Heart Throb’s first, and so wildly anticipated, recordings capped off a not-so-perfect year with a crunchy, angsty and guttural feeling which is what makes this band both fun to watch and play with.
The three piece’s track Basement (recorded by Kyle Mcdons,) shows off Sam Wareham’s signature ‘I don’t give a fuck’ phase-y bass tone that has defined the band’s sound live this year. Jordan Hayward’s smooth and heavy-hitting drumming carries every bit of Wareham’s almost impossible sounding vocals and relatable lyrics while Jeff Boutilier’s minimal and powerful playing doesn’t waver and brings a tiny bit of light to a lyrically dark track.
“Two needles in your arm that’s lame shit. Like the money that you’ve wasted on stabbing bone,” screams Wareham.
Basement is a far from a romanticized ode to Moncton’s former Claude’s House, a venue that took a piece of everyone with it when it shut down this year. Basement carries out a feeling of loss that I can relate to and one that one that only Wareham could scream for a solid two minutes straight.
And the band ensures no happy ending to the song, which is exactly how some of those nights ended for many.
“Back at it at the basement, fucked, my whole set up cause I’m wasted. I’m lyin’ on the pavement with a bloody nose…”
“…And now this job that ain’t shit gives me money for rent and I hate it…”
It’s a song that stands out live and on this recording because it’s relatable, unapologetic and makes me wish more bands were as real as Nicotine. Looking forward to 2019 for these three. (Dylan Hackett, Klackers)
Nicotine Heartthrob: FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | BANDCAMP
Aquakultre ft. Chudi Harris – Like Woah
“It’s just so much!” When I exclaimed that aloud alone in my room after the 3rd or 4th straight listen I had stumbled over my words. I love Aquakulture. I think Chudi Harris is a brilliant artist. So, with that in mind “Like Woah” isn’t “too much.” It’s so much of everything l love about hip hop. And it’s starts with that perfectly matched collaboration between artists that elevate each other’s performance. No melody is wasted with harmonies and vocal punches weaving in and out of a silky instrumental. It’s perfect ear candy.
With so many dark and heavy trap jams dominating your playlist “Like Woah” should be kept on your hip like a weapon. Deployed to bring a chill and sexy vibe to a dance floor or to provide a sweet exhale on your solitary hip hop journey. (Jon Samuel, Wintersleep)
Aquakultre: FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER
Russell Louder – Cost of Living
Equally at home on a dance floor as it is on your night drive playlist, ‘Cost Of Living’ features production that is a true example of the old adage ‘less is more’. Beginning with a slinky synth bass rhythm, the song quickly finds its groove with the introduction of reverberated claps and a solid kick drum pulse. All of this leaves plenty of room for Russell’s emotional and atmospheric vocal delivery, reflections of a past love shining as bright as the counter melody we are introduced to midway through this accomplished three-minute example.
Assuredly one of Atlantic Canada’s most under-rated electronic artists, Russell may have found their voice on ‘Cost Of Living’. Do yourself a favour and be sure to add Russell Louder to your musical radar. Here is hoping we are privy to many more creations from them in 2019.” (Josh Pitre, Little Cities)
Russell Louder: WEB | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM
Sleepless Nights – Pink Popcorn
I have really been enjoying the new Sleepless Nights tunes, they have a production vibe that totally speaks to me. On their track “Pink Popcorn,” they managed to pull off writing something that I noticed but couldn’t quite articulate – the awfulness of a lot of pop/rock lyrics Not awful as in “not catchy” but awful in “wow I think you’d get ‘canceled’ and then twitter would sip some tea if you wrote that song now”. The angular synths and great dance rock beat propel this tune too so that A.A. cashes the check that his lyrics write. Love it! (Matt Steele, Matt Steele & The Corvette Sunset)
Sleepless Nights: FACEBOOK | WEB | TWITTER
Thomas Stajcer – How Long Can I Wait?
Thomas Stajcer’s “How Long Can I Wait?” is great because you can feel the emotion and it’s written amazingly. I am a lyric lady and love a good line. Thomas is also one of the best humans out there on top of that. (Roxy Mercier, Roxy & The Underground Soul Sound)
Thomas Stajcer: WEB | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM
Chiller – Monophobic
2018 was a year of incredible music in our hometown of Dartmouth/Halifax (Hello Diamondtown! Hello Washing Machine! Etc.) but when all was said and done it was Moncton’s Chiller that we found ourselves playing the most. Jangly minor chords collide with punk velocity/ferocity in a 23-minute album that delivers a short sharp shock as much as a sugar rush to the bloodstream. More in 2019 please! (Kristina Parlee and Ron Bates, Smaller Hearts)
Sheik – Alone In The Dark
I obsess over new music. Literally obsess. I don’t look back as much as I thought I would when I was 16. Granted it’s been a lot harder to maintain upload speeds since my children have been born. It just means I am always behind and playing catch up. I am fine with that.
Enter Sheik. I slept on this band for a few months. “Alone In The Dark” came out in February. I am obsessed. I love their recordings; they are reminiscent of early shoegazey Smashing Pumpkins – articulate but powerful and hypnotic. Sheik also recalls vintage Slow Dive or contemporaries Hammock.
The band compromises Colin Ferris, Lorne Kirkpatrick & Kortni Nicols. Kortni is one of my favourite east coast musicians (she also plays in Lionsault). Kortni had my back when In-Flight Safety pulled out of that Truro Festival this past summer. That meant the world to me. She is also heading up an online community called “Women Of East Coast Music.” I am a proud friend. I will be stalking Colin’s musical output. You better believe. Let me also just say the production on these recordings is spectacular. Tip of the hat to Adam Dincorn in Saint John.
I am routinely inspired by the new local musicians and records. So much talent so little time. And, never trust an old dude when they say ‘they just don’t make music like they used to”. They are wrong (and annoying).
Sheik, to me, is quintessential east coast music: isolated, restrained and gorgeous. (John Mullane, In-Flight Safety)
Ryan MacGrath – Scorpion
I love this new song Scorpion by Ryan MacGrath, fellow East Coast artist. It reminds me of the time I heard him perform it live in Bern Switzerland, and he told a hilarious story about how the song came about, involving a scorpion. It’s not my story to tell here however. I suggest catching Ryan perform LIVE next time he plays in Canada. He can’t be here right now, he is busy living and working in Europe. I have been a long time fan of his voice and songwriting, and I can hardly wait for him to release his new album in 2019. (Christina Martin)
Ryan MacGrath: WEB | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM
Janowskii – Did
My favourite track of 2018? “Did” from Janowskii’s self titled album. Some seriously bad ass heavy heavy blues. We got to join them on a leg of their fall tour and man they are a treat to watch. (Nic Leblanc, Tampa)
Janowskii: WEB | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM
Gillian Head – Gamma Ray
I am a huge lover of instrumental music. I find the absence of words and supremacy of melody comforting. This track from Tidal, Cape Breton fiddler Gillian Head’s 2018 sophomore album, is not your typical Celtic number, but more of a dramatic, quasi-classical contemporary opus that could easily find it’s way on to a film soundtrack. “Gamma Ray”, composed by pianist Jason Roach, features Don Calabrese on double bass, Colin Grant on second-fiddle creating a symphonic, harmonic build, and of course Gillian and Jason, who is also known for his work with the band Coig. Give it a listen, Gamma Ray just might be the soundtrack to this moment in your life… (Mary Beth Carty)
Gillian Head: WEB | FACEBOOK | TWITTER
The Stanfields – Blow Winds Blow
This is the bonus track on their latest album, Limboland. The Stans are typically known for being a super loud party band, and while they can certainly pull that off when they want, there’s a lyrical and storytelling element to their songs that can sometimes get lost in that barrage of sound. A track like this really showcases Jon Landry’s poetic side, and brings to mind folk greats like Stan Rogers or even Gordon Lightfoot. It’s the last track on the album and sums up the themes of what I think the record is really all about. (Mike Ryan, The Town Heroes)
The Stanfields: WEB | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM
Tom Easley Quartet – The Dreaming
I can’t believe I’m choosing an East Coast jazz album as my favourite of 2018! Nothing against jazz, but I am surprised how much I keep going back and listening to this record. I’ve seen Tom Easley play bass so many times in different contexts, but when I heard the first notes of The Starting Point vs The Steep Decline, I knew I was in for something special.
In fact, the first two minutes of the first track “The Dreaming” don’t sound like jazz at all. It’s a beautiful soundscape with Tom bowing a melody on his bass while guitarists Kevin Brunkhorst and Geordie Hayley fill in the harmonic space with beautiful sounds on their guitars. It’s not until we hear drummer (and fellow “Muddle man”) Mark Adam hit the first cymbal note and Tom begin his bass ostinato that we start to approach the world of more familiar jazz. And what’s so cool about this record is that it constantly surprises me while still somehow projecting a consistent sound throughout. It’s a sound you can get lost in and just soak up, but that also impresses music nerds like me with its imaginative ideas and solid playing. (Jeff Hennessy, The Muddle)
The Easley Quartet: WEB | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM
Tampa – Belated Love
I had the pleasure of seeing Tampa in one of my favourite East Coast venues- Baba’s Lounge. My friend Ryan told me they were going to quickly become one of my favourites. Ryan was correct.
It’s tough to pick one song from Belated Love, but I’ll go with the title track. It starts off with a fantastic little tape warble that launches right into the chorus. Always appreciate a song that starts with the refrain. The bass and drum production on this album are impossibly good, and this song is no exception. The guitar has a fantastic reverbed out jangly tone that sits in a great spot in the mix. Vocally, the verses have a great conversational flow mixed with some well-placed falsetto phrases that keep things interesting. The double time chorus features a Beatles-esque “woo” that counters the melody perfectly. The album, as a whole, takes me back to drinking Moosehead in a shed in rural New Brunswick, and I couldn’t be happier about that. (Keith Whipple, The Backstays)
Tampa: FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | BANDCAMP
Quake Matthews – Grandma’s Cooking
The first time I heard Quake was 2015’s Rap Music – and honestly it was the first time I gave Halifax hip hop a chance outside Classified – and it blew me away. He was just speaking his truth, and it felt real because of it. That’s why my pick is Grandma’s Cooking from Quake’s 2018 release Drinking Games EP. It’s a feel good jam, pretty self-explanatory, everyone loves their Grandma’s cooking, but Quake pulls through a hangover for the ages to reveal the true strength of a good meal is bringing family together. I’ll drink to that. (Thomas Stajcer)