#Nova Scotia Music

[theadamantium]

Canadian folk rock singer-songwriter, Joel Plaskett, joins us on this episode of The Adamantium Podcast. We discuss his newest album, One Real Reveal, it’s themes, simplified process, the spoken words element, and the artwork created by his wife, Rebecca Kraatz. We also discuss his band Joel Plaskett Emergency, his 44-song album released during the pandemic, his father, Bill Plaskett’s influence on his career, touring with The Tragically Hip, and opening for Sir Paul McCartney in his hometown of Halifax.

[mywifeleftme]

274: Nap Eyes // Whine of the Mystic

Whine of the Mystic Nap Eyes 2014, Plastic Factory (Bandcamp)

Can’t speak to the sound on the original 2014 pressing of this guy from Plastic Factory Records, but the 2015 Paradise of Bachelors/You’ve Changed edition sounds pretty revelatory to me—kudos to the folks at the plant, and to Mike Wright and Peter Woodford for the mixing and mastering. Talk about Nap Eyes tends to quickly descend into the Nigel Chapman show—the vocalist’s laconic cadences and ambling lyricism offer plenty of grist for a critic to chew on, but here on the LP the rhythm section is mixed loud and way up front so that the insistent throb of Josh Salter’s bass becomes as difficult to ignore as the pounding of your own pulse in your ears when you’ve run too hard. Whine of the Mystic was recorded at Drones Club in Montreal back in 2013, which is basically just a none-too-large loft apartment in my current neighbourhood where they do raves sometimes, and the record sounds just like listening to the boys play while wearing good custom-fitted ear plugs. That rawness does a band who can flirt with a nutritious beigeness a lot of good—the guitars singe and flare, the amps sizzle, and the feeling of this band as a slack psych live force comes through.

I’ve been a huge fan of Nap Eyes since I caught them in Ottawa back in 2014, and people generally dig them when I recommend the record (with the exception of my pal Meghan, who despises them with the grumpy exhaustion that comes of seeing a band you don’t like constantly opening for bands you do). As such, Whine of the Mystic has been with me through a lot—the best songs (like “Dark Creedence,” and the last four) make a shimmering soundtrack to existential hangovers; walking toward some workaday Calvary in the rain; handrolling cigarettes badly; pining for girls if only to keep in practice; not getting a master’s; being 27 as hell for many years. It’s full of little touches that still delight me, like when they kinda morph into the Proclaimers for a bridge on “The Night of the First Show,” or the way the raincloud pacing of “Dreaming Solo” finally cracks open into the most amiable outro jam imaginable.

Giving your record a punny name is a risky choice, and as a phrase Whine of the Mystic skirts the edge of dorkiness. But in the end, I come down on it as an apt synopsis of the album’s charms. Chapman’s plaints linger on the humdrum, yet they paint the experience as intoxicating, Halifax as the backdrop for an ancient mystery cycle that repeats itself wherever life’s taking place. It brings to mind an exchange from Louis Malle’s The Fire Within, a superficially dull but emotionally feverish movie I haven’t thought of in ten years. The main character, a suicidal alcoholic who feels drained by what he perceives as the world’s absence of meaning, talks to an old friend, who has settled into a steady life as an academic and a husband. I don’t remember much of what they talk about, besides this:

Alain Leroy: Dubourg, what will you do tonight? Dubourg: Tonight, I'll write a few pages on my Egyptians, then make love to Fanny. I fall into her silence as into a well. At the bottom is a great sun that warms the earth.

All life is quotidian, but the primal and transcendent lies within that quotidian life, if you can truly immerse yourself within your own. Good luck.

274/365

[thepermanentrainpress]

THE PR PRESS PREMIERE: REENY SMITH - “AMBER LIGHTS

In doing so, it’s very illustrative; captivating in how her message is delivered. Smith, who is also credited on keys and production, collaborated with her brother Wallace Smith Jr. (drums and bass) on the new single. “I [wanted] to mix old school soul elements with [a] modern RnB melody,” she shared. The live instrumentation employed feels organic, like a ‘live off the floor’ performance. 

Her gospel roots shine with the background vocal accompaniment and affirming of beliefs, lyrically. A seasoned musician with her musical upbringing, Smith’s voice is exquisite – playing both the softer-spoken guarded optimist, and the upfront ‘I can’t say that I feel the same way’ partner clear in their mindset. 

She commands focus with a single “listen,” adding personality while expressing regret over any disappointment and hurt caused. However, the power belongs to Smith in the way she carries herself with integrity and awareness. “Amber Lights” has a distinct pulse in its warning attempt, and the Halifax artist continues to be a vibrant force.

Written by: Chloe Hoy Photo credit to: Meaghan Downey

[quotidianish]

More antics of the blu mercs! Didn’t expect such a warm reception to these silly little headcanons at first, and I’m working up the motivation to finish the rest of the team (failing)

some sillies..

[justwaterflow]

Ferry ride from Halifax to Alderney Landing, May 7, 20h20.

[tepkunset]

Neon Dreams [LINK]

The Rankin Family [LINK]

Rita MacNeil [LINK]

Matt Mays [LINK]

The Cottars [LINK]

Joel Plaskett [LINK]

April Wine [LINK]

Jody Upshaw [LINK]

The Trews [LINK]

The Stanfields [LINK]

[mistwalker-official]

⛓️ TOUR JOURNAL: DAY 3 - HALIFAX ⛓️

- On day three we met up with the Anti-Criss boys at the local Tim Horton’s before hitting the highway for a short three hour drive to Halifax.

- We arrived at Gus’ Pub way ahead of schedule, slammed some whiskey in the parking lot, and then headed out in the town.

- Took a brief stop into the local milsurp where I got myself some much needed new combat boots and then perused the weird oddities at the vintage shop next door to Gus’.

- Went down to Real Fake Meats for lunch where I got myself their much lauded and vaunted VEGAN DONAIR. Worth every cent if you ask me.

- Went back up to Gus’ and ripped the place apart alongside locals Hushmetal and Nightfall, who absolutely crushed it.

[popsicks-art-world]

3rd music video I did for my friends band “ Franky Moonlight “ song is called “She gets !

[gentlepassionsmusic]

Back in the studio next week to do three new tracks. Well, one of them was written decades ago but still deserves to be included in a future EP.

[rabbitcruiser]

Bagpipe Appreciation Day

Today we celebrate the bagpipes! The instruments have long been associated with the Scottish Highlands, although they have come from many different places, and there are many variations of them. They have also been used in many different contexts.

The main components of the bagpipe are the bag, chanter, and drones. The bag is usually made of animal skin or rubberized cloth. It is inflated either by having air breathed into it through a blowpipe or by using a bellows. Air can then be fed throughout the instrument to make the sound, by placing arm pressure on the bag. The bag allows sound to be continuous while giving players the chance to take breaths, as well as for several tones to be played at the same time.

The chanter, or melody pipe, has finger holes that let a player make notes to form melodies. The other pipes, called drones, may have single or double reeds. They play single, constant notes that accompany the melody. They are tuned with the chanter by lengthening or shortening their extendable joints. The pipes are in wooden sockets, or stocks, which are tied into the bag.

Initially, folk instruments, bagpipes have remained as such, but also have been used in battle, at parades, funerals, weddings, and royal occasions. They were probably first used by pastoral sheep and goat herders, who played them to pass time while watching their flocks. They made them with easy-to-come-by materials such as skin, bones, and reeds. These instruments would quickly decay, so there is no physical evidence of them.

Bagpipes may have been used for centuries before any record of them was made. Most believe they were invented in the Middle East, and that the sheep and goat herders that used them were in Mesopotamia. There is some indication that they were used in ancient Egypt. A Hittite wall carving from around 1000 BCE shows a form of a bagpipe, and they are mentioned in the Bible in the book of Daniel. A bagpiper is also possibly depicted on an Alexandrian terracotta figure from around 100 BCE.

From the Middle East, bagpipes likely traveled to Greece, where they were known as "askaulos," meaning "wineskin pipe." They are mentioned in one of Aristophanes's plays from about the fourth century BCE and appear in other Latin and Greek references from around 100 CE. After the Romans invaded Greece, the bagpipe was adopted throughout the Empire just as other Greek culture was. They were mainly used by plebeians, but even Nero was known to play one. They were also used by the Roman infantry, while the Roman cavalry used the trumpet.

The British Isles became the most popular home for bagpipes. Invading Romans may have brought them there, or they may have later arrived by trade. They were mentioned in English author Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales in the 1380s. Some think they were imported to the British Isle of Scotland from the Romans, while others believe they came from England, Ireland, or developed in Scotland on their own.

Original Scotland pipes probably had one drone, with a second drone likely added in the mid to late sixteenth century, and a third drone likely added in the early eighteenth century. Scottish Highlands bagpipes had two tenor drones and one bass drone. It was there that bagpipes became more popular than anywhere else in Scotland or the world. In the Highlands, players were influenced by Celtic legends as well as by the wild nature of their surroundings. The players held an honored position in their clans. There are references to Scottish Highland bagpipe players by the fifteenth century, who played at weddings and festivals and even replaced organists at church. During the mid-sixteenth century, at a time when bagpipe music was descendent through most of Europe, it was ascendant in the Highlands. The MacCrimmon family did much to nurture its growth. A classical musical form that used the bagpipes sprang up there; it was called piobaireachd and predated the piano and its classical music by about a century.

Originally pastoral and festive, the military began using the bagpipe in the eighteenth century and accompanied it with drums. Battlefields were loud, so instruments were used to communicate. Bagpipers from clans—who were often at war with each other—would inspire soldiers before battle, and played during battles to signal movements, attacks, and retreats. When the Scottish uprising of 1745 failed, military training was banned. Thus, the bagpipe could no longer be used in this context anymore, although it was not banned for other uses.

In the Scottish Lowlands, pipers held important positions in communities. There were town pipers, and those who played dance music and songs at weddings, feasts, and fairs. The soft sounding Scottish Lowland bagpipe was played from about 1750 to 1850; it had a bellows, and three drones in one stock.

When England and Scotland united in the early eighteenth century, bagpipes were brought all over the world to British colonies, to places such as Africa and Ceylon. In many places, there already were indigenous bagpipe type instruments, which had been used for folk music and military purposes. Some examples are the tulum of Turkey, pilai of Finland, zampogna of Italy, mashak of India, mizwad of Tunisia, tsampouna of Greece, volynka of Russia, gaita of Macedonia, and the Bedouin habban.

There are many variations of the bagpipe popular today, such as the cornemuse of central France, the aforementioned zampogna of Italy, and the Irish union pipe. The most popular is probably Scotland's Great Highland bagpipe. Today we celebrate all types of bagpipes, and their importance to culture and in bringing us music!

How to Observe Bagpipe Appreciation Day

Playing the bagpipe is probably the best way to celebrate the day. Perhaps you already have one and know how to play it, or maybe you still need to get one and learn. Listening to artists who feature a bagpipe is a great way to celebrate the day, as is listening to bagpipe versions of popular rock songs. You could also read a book on the history of bagpipes, or a book on Highland bagpipes. If you feel like seeing some bagpipes firsthand, you could visit the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix, Arizona, or plan a trip to the Morpeth Chantry Bagpipe Museum, or the International Bagpipe Museum.

Source

[canadachronicles]

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My favorite tiny queer Canadians!

Source: CBC Music's Instagram Page

[techtalkbyjames]

🎶👍😀Tartan Day in North America is Celebrated on Saturday April 6th 2024. It was founded in Nova Scotia, Canada, as an annual celebration of Scottish culture and heritage, and has grown more popular every year. In the US, it was declared 'Tartan Day' by the US Senate in 1998 to celebrate the outstanding achievements and contributions made by Scottish Americans to the United States. Alexander Graham Bell was Scottish in Heritage and inventor of the telephone. https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/canada/tartan-day

[newleasemusic]

Song of the Day: Wonder - Classified 

Song of the Day: Wonder - Classified 

Canadian rapper and producer CLASSIFIED‘ single ‘Wonder,’ which features fellow Canadian native singer-songwriter Ian Janes, paints a picture of an individual grappling with personal loss, societal challenges, substance use, and questions about identity and existence. It’s a profound reflection on life, questioning the ‘whys’ and ‘hows’ of reality and trying to find meaning amidst…

[vadellgabriel]

A Ghost's Pumpkin... Spice?

I made this jazz-hop cover of "Pumpkin Hill", aka "A Ghost's Pumpkin Soup" on a whim last month, and decided to release it for Halloween weekend. No vocals on it, just jazzy hip hop vibes. Grab it on your favourite music platform, and let me know what y'all think.

Single artwork was provided by the homie Newtaboot.