All posts by Heidi-Lyn O'Connor

One Album to Another: Sloan Albums Ranked

When it comes to the Top 100 Canadian Albums of all Time, there are a few things that critics can agree on. There are legends you can count on finding every time, like Leonard Cohen, Neil Young, The Tragically Hip, Rush — and Sloan. Made up of Jay Ferguson, Chris Murphy, Patrick Pentland, and Andrew Scott, this four-piece rock band, originally from Halifax, Sloan has historically delivered a sound that has eschewed contemporary tastes for the sound of ‘60s Brit-rock and ‘70s garage rock, but with four songwriters, each with distinctly different styles, it’s difficult to put them into one box.

Each member has amassed his fair share of songwriting credits and, while performing, the band will often reinforce that democratic nature by trading off instruments to accommodate the performance of each other’s songs. Their successful and unique take on band democracy has served them so well that they’ll soon be celebrating 30 years as icons of Canadian music, having created countless radio hits and equally amazing deep cuts.

So how well do you know the work of these beloved rockers? If you haven’t yet delved into their diverse catalogue, allow this guide to help you decide where to start as well as suggest some deep cuts you may have missed! Continue reading One Album to Another: Sloan Albums Ranked

AREA 506: Locals Win Over the Crowd at Saint John’s 2019 Music Festival

Saint John hosted yet another year of their music festival AREA 506 during the New Brunswick Day long weekend in August. Each year the festival has continued to pull in big names (often cherry-picking from Osheaga all for the benefit of the port city) and it has progressively been getting more and more impressive. This year they welcomed City and Colour, Interpol, Joel Plaskett Emergency, Matthew Good and The Rural Alberta Advantage to the stage, just to name a few. Continue reading AREA 506: Locals Win Over the Crowd at Saint John’s 2019 Music Festival

Our Favourite Murals From Festival Inspire 2019

Festival Inspire continued strong this summer by bringing in artists from all over the world to paint Dieppe and Moncton for its fifth year. The week long event saw many visitors who enjoyed watching the progression of the pieces from start to finish. In addition to the murals giving local buildings a facelift, this year several large, but far more portable, paintings were also included in the festival which will be auctioned off later, and a new hotel will soon be revealing some very special pieces that were completed before its opening.

We picked our favourite pieces from this year’s Festival Inspire. If you haven’t already been out to see all the murals around Moncton, let this be your guided tour to the ones we liked best. Continue reading Our Favourite Murals From Festival Inspire 2019

Cirque du Soleil Break the Ice With “Crystal” and a Whole New Style

Cirque du Soleil certainly need no introduction, but their new show “Crystal” is breaking new ground and offering audiences an all new type of circus experience by introducing the element of ice. Tackling the fusion of aerial acrobatics and ice skating for the first time, the performance promises to stun with, dare we say it, death-defying feats. Continue reading Cirque du Soleil Break the Ice With “Crystal” and a Whole New Style