Halifax Pop Explosion 2012 Program Guide by Jonny Stevens

150 banDs, 18 venues, 5 Days, 1 WristbanD

PROGRAM GUIDE

the facts

CONTeNTS the facts 4 Team HPX 5 introductions 6 greetings from the ViPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 8 Sponsors conferences and events 10 HPX digital Conference 17 HPX music Conference 23 Zine Fair 23 Halifax record Fair p43 Music showcases 24 Tuesday 28 Wednesday 42 Thursday 50 Friday 60 Saturday help desk 35 Wristbands, Tickets, Passes 36 Schedule 38 Venues and Sites 69 Things to do 70 index

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the facts

Team HPX 2012 p 39

E X E C U T I V E D I R E C TO R

JONNY STEVENS TA L E N T D I R E C T O R

STEVE LUTWICK O P E R AT I O N S M A N A G E R

JOSH WHITE A R T D I R E C TO R

MARNIE GILLIS

E V E N T C O O R D I N AT O R

ASHLEY MORAN PRODUCTION C O O R D I N AT O R

HPX DIGITAL SHAWN PUCKNELL L E A D C U R AT O R

JASON COHANIM

MEGHAN WARBY

SHOWCASE C O O R D I N AT O R

JEFF MACARTHUR

JACQUELINE POOLE

USER EXPERIENCE & K E Y N O T E C U R AT O R

T E C H N I C A L D I R E C TO R

C U R AT O R

DANNY THOMAS ANDREW NEVILLE

VOLUNTEER TEAM LEADS

CONTENT C O O R D I N AT O R

SAM FORSYTH

TA L E N T C O O R D I N AT O R

H O S P I TA L I T Y

ANDREW PICKUP

RAYELLE MATTHEWS

CONFERENCE C O O R D I N AT O R

SIGNAGE AND SPONSOR

MARY BUDGELL

MARY BETH WALDRAM

M A R K E T I N G D I R E C TO R

V E N U E A N D S TA G E

DARREN JOHNSON R E G I S T R AT I O N A N D B I L L E T I N G C O O R D I N ATO R

KEVIN HALL LOADER AND TECH

SAM BOLTON

ASHLEY LEBLANC VOLUNTEER C O O R D I N AT O R

JEREMY MACNEIL CO P Y E D I TO R

TARA THORNE Z I N E FA I R C O O R D I N AT O R

B OX O F F I C E

DANA BEELER M E R C H A N D CO N F E R E N C E

JASON MULLEN T R A N S P O R TAT I O N

HEATHER GILLIS DOOR

JAKE FELDMAN

BOARD OF DIRECTORS KRIS MCCANN CHAIR

JEREMY LUTES

TARA THORNE CHRIS TOMS

VICE-CHAIR

STEPHANIE PURCELL

JOSH HOGAN

CRAIG MERCER

TREASURER

BRIAN AWAD

TREVOR MURPHY

L E G A L A DV I S O R

S E C R E TA R Y

the facts

INTRODUCTIONS FROm THe HPX GaNG eXeCUTIVe DIReCTOR’S WeLCOme

Twenty years is a milestone for any independent music festival, and as the Halifax Pop Explosion celebrates its 20th festival I personally take some time to reflect on my life in music over the last 20 years: from discovering my musical taste to playing all-ages shows in my first band to going on tour and getting to play my first Halifax Pop Explosion. There have been many people along the way who I have had the pleasure of connecting with through music. People who took the time to connect back and help a young kid out with a gig, an odd job, sound advice or just a soft place to land when times grew difficult. This is the story of the Halifax scene and a story that many of us could tell about those cornerstones who kept things together and pushed us all to be better. The list of names that are written in stone in my mind are names like Richard Lafortune, Waye Mason, Greg Clark, Mike Campbell and Condon MacLeod—but each of you have your own list of names that you’ll get around to thanking one day. It is in this spirit that the Halifax Pop Explosion announces the Scene-Builder Award—an honour bestowed by the Board of Directors annually to those cornerstones who helped build our scene into what it is today and have or continue to give tirelessly. As we take time to reminisce we remain firmly dedicated to the future, and 2012 marks the start of something new with the launch of our HPX Digital Conference, which brings together the greatest technology minds in our region and beyond for three days of sessions, talks and networking. The HPX Music Conference will run over two days which has been a favourite of bands and delegates alike for seven years running. Oh yeah, did I mention we have 160 of the best bands in the world descending on Halifax for a five-day marathon of concerts and performances? Grab a wristband or pass, lace up some comfortable shoes, book your time off, plan out your night and get out to see some amazing music, meet new friends and experience history with the 20th Anniversary Halifax Pop Explosion! Jonny Stevens Executive Director, Halifax Pop Explosion Association

CHaIR’S WeLCOme

On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Halifax Pop Explosion Association, welcome to Halifax Pop Explosion 2012, our 20th anniversary! This year marks a significant anniversary. In celebration of this, we’ve tried to provide something of a retrospective, a tip of the hat to where our festival began and to the bands that played during our formative years. These are the people and the music that helped shape the wonderful and vibrant music scene that we still enjoy in Halifax. While it’s important to acknowledge and appreciate where we came from, it’s equally important to remember why we’re here: to bring you bands that you already know and love, and to look to the future, by presenting your new favourites—and let’s be honest, it’s pretty fun to tell your friends that you saw a now huge band in a small venue during the Halifax Pop Explosion. The past few years at Halifax Pop Explosion have seen lots of change, and this year is no different as we see the departure of our friend, former executive director, and former chairman of the board, Waye Mason, who leaves us to start a career in politics. So from all of us at Halifax Pop Explosion, thank you so much for your years of service, we wouldn’t have this festival without you, and we all wish you continued success on your new path. Of course, a huge thanks to our staff, Jonny, Steve, Josh, Ashley, Jason, Jacqueline, Andrew, and everyone else whose hard work and dedication never fail to inspire me. Thanks to the bands and artists who bring their A game year after year and make this festival what it is. Thanks to the sponsors and government who allow us to deliver such a breadth of programming. Thank you to our volunteers for caring so much for this event—your passion for this festival and for music truly shows in what you do. Finally, thank you to our fans—your enthusiasm for this event year after year is why we do what we do. Kris McCann Chairman of the Board, Halifax Pop Explosion Association

TH AN K YO U To the bands who entertain us, the music fans who show up early, the bars for keeping it live, the labels for taking chances, the sponsors who keep the machine running, the volunteers who have a smile on their faces, the staff for sacrificing their personal lives in the name of other peoples experience, the board for being so visionary and most importantly—you, for taking the time to read this when you could be distracted by any number of things in your life, and for supporting independent live music. Special thanks to Devin, Andreanne, Bill and Shelley, Christine, Duncan and Alison and all the other partners for your continued support—without you we wouldn’t be able to do many of the things we do each year. Thanks to the Nova Scotia Department of Communities, Culture and Heritage, Halifax Regional Municipality, FACTOR, SOCAN Foundation, SOCAN and the Canadian Radio Starmaker Fund for allowing us to truly support local and Canadian talent and give them the push they so greatly deserve. Thanks to those who came before: Waye, Peter, Greg, Shelley, Angie, Vincent, Marc, Colin, Sarah, Melissa, Ben, Chris and Alex. Thank you for your hard work through the past 20 years. We do this for you, the music fan, the art fan, the fan of all things great and exciting in Halifax.

Program guide HPX 2012 Program guide HPX 2011 5

the facts

GReeTINGS FROm THe VIPS GReeTINGS FROm THe maYOR

On behalf of Halifax Regional Council, it is my pleasure to extend a warm welcome to one and all participating in The 2012 Halifax Pop Explosion Festival and Conference, happening at venues throughout Halifax Regional Municipality, October 16th – 20th. HPX 2012, an internationally acclaimed five-day music, culture and media festival, will showcase the best in new and innovative talent along with unique exhibitions of art, media, and pop culture from across the country and around the world. One of Canada’s most important musical events, the Festival promises to deliver an awesome experience with an eclectic mix of music that’s guaranteed to captivate and delight music fans from far and wide. Please join me in thanking everyone involved in creating this incredible five-day fusion of music, media and culture, especially the organizers, sponsors, partners and volunteers. The time, effort and caring invested in making The Halifax Pop Explosion Festival and Conference a success is awesome! Enjoy the excitement as you share in the celebration of the milestone 20th Anniversary of this international festival. Congratulations and best wishes for another successful season! Respectfully, I remain Peter Kelly Mayor

VICE’s music channel with daily news, video, and reviews that aren’t boring FIDLAR

Thermal, California

youtube.com/noisey fb.com/noisey @noiseymusic

CHANNEL

PRemIeR’S meSSaGe

On behalf of the Province of Nova Scotia, I am pleased to welcome you to the Halifax Pop Explosion 2012 Music Festival and Conference, the 20th anniversary of one of Canada’s best music events. For two decades Halifax has been a destination for the hottest musical acts and thousands of visitors who know the festival is not to be missed. In 2012, dozens of top notch artists are ready to deliver a musical experience that can be found nowhere else. Congratulations to the performers, organizers and volunteers who have put together a stellar line up for the 20th edition of the Halifax Pop Explosion. This year’s festival adds something new with HPX Digital, a companion event for 300 delegates that showcases our region as a hub for online and digital content development. Once again, Nova Scotia will be in the spotlight as a leader in seizing opportunities to grow the value of the creative economy. Enjoy the festival and conference and be sure to visit Nova Scotia again soon! Sincerely, Darrell Dexter, Q.C., M.L.A. Premier

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SPONSORS THaNK YOU FOR YOUR GeNeROUS SUPPORT

champions

contributors

supporters

hPX digital partners

industry

media partners Government & agency Partners

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HPX 2012 Program guide

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conferences and events

HPX DIGITaL CONFeReNCe OCTOBeR 17-19, 2012 10am - 5Pm atLantIca hoteL 1980 roBIe street

For the most up to date list of speakers, sessions and full schedule visit hpxDigitaL.coM or download the hpx MobiLe app for iphone or android.

WeB – mOBILe – GamING – STaRTUPS – DeSIGN – maRKeTING HPX Digital is an interactive event for digital creators and industry enthusiasts. Organized in partnership with the leading design and technology event producers FITC (Future, Innovation, Technology and Creativity). Through an exciting panel of speakers and an interactive Digital Lounge, HPX Digital will deliver on trends such as: gaming, mobile, web, marketing, start-ups and design. Register today to avoid disappointment as it is limited to 300 attendees total. See our box office page (p35) for full box office details. More information is available at www.hpxdigital.com or by following @hpxdigital on Twitter.

HPX DIGITaL ReGISTRaTION $350 (PLUS TaX & TICKeT Fee) BeFORe OCT 16 $425 (PLUS TaX & TICKeT Fee) WaLK UP

INCLUDES: • All HPX Digital sessions, workshops, keynotes and parties Oct 17-19 • HPX Digital Lounge • Guaranteed NO COVER at ALL HPX shows (Subject to venue capacity. Does not include Rebecca Cohn) • Zine Fair and Record Fair Access • Insider festival communications and special oﬀers For group sales of 5 or more please contact digital@halifaxpopexplosion.com to take advantage of a group discount.

HPX DIGITaL KeYNOTe SPeaKeRS

aLeXIS OHaNIaN CO-FOuNDER OF REDDIT AND STARTuP INVESTOR

amBeR maC SOCIAL STRATEGIST AND TECHNOLOGY HOST

@aLeXISOHaNIaN

@amBeRmaC

Alexis Ohanian is a startup founder and investor in Brooklyn, NY. After graduating from UVA in 2005, Alexis and his co-founder Steve Huffman started reddit, which has become one of the most popular social news websites online. After leaving his full-time position at reddit, Alexis focused on his social enterprise Breadpig. Described as a “Newman’s Own for nerds,” Breadpig publishes books featuring some of the most popular webcomics in the world (like XKCD and Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal), and produces other geeky novelties like Awesomesauce and LOLmagnetz. In 2010, Alexis helped launch Hipmunk, the most agony-free way to search for a flight or hotel. He ran the marketing/PR/community for Hipmunk’s first year before moving to an advisory role and joining the fight against SOPA and PIPA. These days, Alexis is an investor with over 50 tech startups in his portfolio, he sits on the board of reddit inc., is Y Combinator’s ambassador to the east, co-founder of the non-profit IHAS, and he’s writing a book called Without Your Permission, set to launch in 2013. Along the way, Alexis spoke at TED, spent three months living in Yerevan, Armenia as a Kiva Fellow, and was named one of Forbes’ 30 Under 30.

Amber Mac is a technology host, journalist, and strategist, with experience both online and oﬄine. She writes a regular column for The Globe and Mail, Yahoo! Tech, American Express Open Forum, among other outlets. She has worked as a technology TV host with tech guru Leo Laporte on G4TechTV, hosting/producing more than 500 episodes of a popular how-to call in show. She has hosted a live TV show called Webnation on Toronto’s number one news station and is now firmly entrenched in the mobile world hosting App Central on BNN. In the online space, she has spearheaded two successful podcasts: net@night on the popular San Francisco TWiT.tv network and commandN.tv. Both shows have been featured in Wired magazine and have won a number of podcast awards (and are still in production, reaching approximately 100,000 viewers and listeners a week). She maintains a popular blog [here] and speaks at keynotes across North America about how to use social media to build community and customer loyalty online. In June 2010, Amber launched her first book about how to use social media to grow your business. Power Friending was published by Portfolio/Penguin in New York (Globe and Mail bestseller.). Amber currently manages a production and new media company called MGImedia. Her clients include world-renowned speaker Tony Robbins, Rogers, Discovery Channel, Microsoft, Canada Goose, American Dental Association, among others.

HPX 2012 Program guide

conferences and events

SPeaKeRS aND PaNeLS atLantIca hoteL 1980 roBIe street aLeXIS OHaNIaN KeYNOTe INTeRNeT FTW

Music, Culture, Media, and Cats will never be the same. And that’s awesome news. SPEAKER: Alexis Ohanian

amBeR maC KeYNOTe SOCIaL meDIa FOR eNTRePReNeURS - amBeR maC’S 7 STePS TO SUCCeSS In this talk, Amber will share how her entrepreneurial roots took her from a one-room schoolhouse in the remote countryside on Prince Edward Island; to Razorfish in the heart of Silicon Valley in the late 1990s; to launching her own business (MGImedia.ca) where she was recently crowned one of Canada’s top social media expert on how to build a brand. SPEAKER: Amber Mac

2012: THe YeaR OF THe PeOPLe

It’s time for the ultimate face-off: People vs. Brands. We’ll dissect six of the biggest trends in our industry, including storytelling, transmedia, entrepreneurialism, curation, influence and cause marketing. We’ll look at best-in-class examples from both brands and people. Currently relevant trends include storytelling, content curation, entrepreneurialism, transmedia, influence and cause marketing. Each round’s winner will be determined by audience votes, so come prepared to participate. After determining who comes out on top, we’ll look at what we can learn from the winner and how to apply key learnings to brand communications and marketing strategies. This presentation will not be theoretical, but instead will be focused on providing practical applications and solutions. SPEAKER: Rosie Siman

BaCK TO THe GOOD OLD TaNGIBLe WORLD

It’s time to move away from the safe margins of our screens and experience the sensations of the good old tangible real world. As the boundaries between the real world and what we used to call digital are blurring, we have the unmissable opportunity to innovate, combining creativity

and technology to define new emotional experiences and new ways for people to interact with each other. Join Riccardo for an overview of B-Reel’s approach to experimental technology, storytelling and the tangibleness of interactive experiences. SPEAKER: Riccardo Giraldi

BUILDING mOBILe aPPS THaT DON’T SUCK: DeSIGNING FOR mOBILe

Over the past three to four years, mobile apps have moved from a niche market for a select few developers and designers to a massive new economy across multiple platforms. Gone are the days where a mobile application is seen as an afterthought; it’s simply not enough for a mobile platform to be “good at email.” While this is true and there are apps that cover almost every imaginable task, it’s arguable that the majority of those apps are poorly designed and could use significant improvement to their user experience. In this session, we’ll show you what you as a mobile app developer/designer should be thinking about when building your app, regardless of the mobile platform you are targeting. We will go through a great number of topics including how to standardize the look and feel of your app to the platform, creating an effective and appealing user interface, implementing your idea for the mobile form factor and more. SPEAKER: Atley Hunter

BUSINeSS PLaN FOR SUCCeSS (PaNeL)

Whether you’re just-starting a start-up or looking to re-energize your long-established establishment, getting a business plan in order can lure potential investors, secure new customers and guide you down a more profitable, creative and fulfilling career path. How can a strategic, realistic and ambitious business plan help you with business modeling, fundraising, product development and sales? Just ask our expert panel! You’ll learn from their interesting experiences, brutally honest advice and bright insights into the future. MODERATOR: TOON NAGTEGAAL SPEAKERS: DAVID CROW, SAuL COLT, CHRIS KEEVIL

CReaTIVe CODING ROUNDUP

Whether you’re an experienced designer or developer, the chance to expand your toolset with one of the many creative coding frameworks is an invaluable opportunity—and today it’s easier than ever. But it can also be extremely perplexing: Where to start when there are so many options? Which tool is right for the job? Which is most expandable? Which is best for you to grow with? This talk will cover the field of creative coding frameworks, from Processing to Flash to openFrameworks to the various Javascript libraries, exploring the capabilities and limitations of each, but especially the culture behind them, and the road ahead. SPEAKER: Jesse Scott

DeSIGN ReNeGaDe

In order to reach our goals in the upsidedown world of graphic design, you need to be a rogue. A misfit. A renegade. James White from the Signalnoise Studio has based his career on doing things outside of the ordinary, turning his back on boardrooms and creative briefs in order to chase his design dreams with vengeance and rock ’n’ roll. He will be telling his story while discussing personal projects built from love and ambition in his small home office in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. These led to him working with respected people all over the world, from his favourite metal band to film juggernaut Kevin Smith. James will talk about chasing your creative path, building your personal body of work, the value of supporting friends, and never forgetting the artist inside. Being “different” isn’t enough anymore. You need to be a renegade! SPEAKER: James White

DYNamIC INSTaBILITY: ReBOOTING HOW YOU WORK

The explosion in mobile has made responsive design a necessity for any forward looking organization, but it’s not just about the code. How can we help clients understand the new challenges, costs and realities of responsive projects? It demands a new way of working based on some not-so-new concepts. Agile development in its simplest form provides the ideas you need to take your work to the next level and avoid the odyssey of

SOCIAL/NETWORKING WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 17-FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19 HPX DIGITaL LOUNGe aTLaNTICa HOTeL, 1980 ROBIe STReeT, 9am-5Pm presenteD by the hub haLifax

From software to hardware, video to virtual, the HPX Digital Lounge will allow attendees to experience some of the best in games, gadgets, and other technology to come out of the Atlantic and beyond in a comfortable shared workspace environment presented by the Hub Halifax. The HPX Digital Lounge is at the centre of conference activity, serving as the hub for meeting other attendees, catch up on work related emails as well as a chance to play some great games and experience some interactive tech and otherwise hang out and enjoy yourself with some very cool people.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 17 DigitaL nova scotia anD thirD WeDnesDay present

HPX DIGITaL OPeNING PaRTY THe maRQUee CLUB, 2037 GOTTINGeN STReeT, 8Pm $25 OR HPX DIGITaL PaSS

Welcome to HPX Digital, the first event of its kind in Atlantic Canada, bringing together the best minds from the world of web, mobile, gaming, startups, design and marketing for three days of sessions, keynotes, networking and showcases. The opening night of HPX Digital strategically lands on the Third Wednesday of October, a night already well known in the Halifax tech/media/marketing community for networking and invigorating discussion so we are elated to hold our opening party in conjunction with Third Wednesday. Come on down to the historic Marquee Club for this party before hitting the nightclubs to see some great music. Musical entertainment, refreshments and invigorating discussion will abound. continued on pg13

Program guide HPX 2012 11

conferences and events

HPX DIGITaL CONFeReNCe OCTOBeR 17-19, 2012 10am - 5Pm atLantIca hoteL 1980 roBIe street

SPeaKeRS aND PaNeLS pain that awaits waterfall practitioners. In this session we’ll see why responsive projects need this, practical ways to do it and what’s gonna happen when you don’t. Death to Excel! SPEAKER: Kurt Krumme

eVOLUTION OF THe WeB (PaNeL)

Over the past 20 years, expectations of the Web have progressed from something akin to a slow-loading brochure into something commonly regarded as the central platform for audience interaction. Successful companies understand that a refined and integrated web presence can be an essential source of organizational value. Join our panel as we examine trends in user experience, design, and content, as well as sharing examples of exceptional sites and the latest development processes that are pointing the way forward for the Web. MODERATOR: TBA PANELISTS: Kathryn Tector, Stacey Mulcahy , Jeff MacArthur, John Atkins

GamING: OPeN FOR aLL?

A 14-year-old from Kuwait built Doodle Destroy in three days using Game Salad then watched it to on to generate over 900,000 downloads in the iPhone App Store and a feature piece on CNN. With tools like Game Salad, Unity and Construct 2, making games has never been easier. Finding people that have skills you’re lacking so you produce a higher quality product is no longer restricted to just your friends (such as OpenGameArt). Once you have your masterpiece, then your choices are open too. Steam, the Apple App Stores, Google Play, Facebook or just put them on the web. It’s hardware too: Ouya and Oculus are examples of projects that are using the crowd funding site Kickstarter to get to market. What do these projects mean for an industry dominated by the big established players? Let’s discuss what makes this a good time to try your hand at writing games

or bringing your gaming hardware to market and what’s out there to help you gain the skills you need. SPEAKER: Chris Pink

GeTTING YOUR FeeT WeT WITH ReSPONSIVe WeB DeSIGN

Packing a serious buzzword alert, this session will cover what responsive design is—and isn’t. From design and development considerations, to frameworks, tools and mindsets, this session is aimed towards those searching for a better understand of responsive design. SPEAKER: Stacey Mulcahy

HOW TO GIVe eVeRYTHING aWaY This is a discussion about sharing. Sharing code and ideas, and collaborating on artwork. Sharing personal information, and learning about the difference between what’s public and private. It’s about what you do when your girlfriend asks you to stop posting everything you type directly to Twitter. It’s about what you do when the Secret Service confiscates your laptop as you’re trying to learn about human computer interaction. It’s about responding to thousands of emails from people you’ve never met, who have questions you could never imagine. This is a discussion about the future of creativity. SPEAKER: Kyle McDonald

HOW TO STaRT a STaRTUP Everyday more and more web startups are getting founded by entrepreneurs tenured and new. However, most abandon basic business pillars when building a venture in the digital economy. Not every startup requires the same advice, but there a similar threads that apply to almost every company attempting to build a new digital product. We will be discussing the five things every startup must have to succeed. SPEAKER: David Crow

LIKe THIS LOLLIPOP

Getting people to like your creations

on Facebook is what everyone aims for, but it’s easier said than done. Clients ask to embed Like buttons all over the app thinking that’s how to generate interest, rather than actually building something people want to talk about. They also ask for something new that no one else has ever technically done before, and ignore the story development. In my experience, it’s best to start with a story and a theme and then build into that. We’ll explore how to merge creativity with new technology in a compelling, well-presented manner, as opposed to doing it just because. I’ll also walk through the experiences we encountered in creating Take This Lollipop and what its success means to the future of socially connected experiences. We’re at the beginning of a new era in online entertainment and it’s going to continue to evolve. There are a lot of possibilities in this new frontier so we’ll explore some ideas in creating new experiences like Lollipop. SPEAKER: Jason Nickel

maKING a maSHUP: PINBaLL meeTS RPG WITH ROLLeRS OF THe ReaLm

Rollers of the Realm combines the frantic physics of classic arcade pinball with the epic adventure of fantasy roleplaying games. How did this whimsical videogame for PC and iPad evolve from concept to a fully-financed production built with your tax dollars? Join Tony Walsh, founder and CEO of game-maker Phantom Compass, as he explains how Rollers of the Realm was conceived, produced, and is now in the works. Learn how his four-person team incorporated dozens of triple-A game developers, how the team gets paid, how the project won a funding decision from the Canadian Media Fund and how Phantom Compass works with distributed staff members. Take away practical tips on game financing, legal, studio operation and growth, team-building, successful planning and execution. SPEAKER: Tony Walsh

SOCIAL/NETWORKING continued from pg11

THuRSDAY, OCTOBER 18 HPX DIGITaL mIXeR THe aTLaNTICa HOTeL, 1980 ROBIe STReeT, 5Pm DeLeGaTeS ONLY

Join us in the Digital Lounge for cocktails and networking after a day of inspiring sessions. Have you gotten your blind self-portrait done yet or checked out the apps and games on showcase in the Digital Lounge? Now is the perfect time to experience this unique space while meeting new people.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19 HPX DIGITaL CLOSING PaRTY THe PaCIFICO NIGHTCLUB, 1505 BaRRINGTON STReeT, 8Pm $25 OR HPX DIGITaL PaSS

We’ve reached the end of what we hope was an awesome week spent with inspiring speakers and attendees and want to go out with a bang. Join us at the Pacifico Nightclub for a few hours of musical entertainment and refreshment designed to get you primed for our Friday night festival program, which includes some of the most exciting music in 18 venues throughout the downtown core.

Program guide HPX 2012 13

Conferences and events

HPX DIGITAL CONFERENCE OCTOBER 17-19, 2012 10AM - 5PM ATLANTICA HOTEL 1980 ROBIE STREET

speakers AND Panels MAKING GAMES FOR FUN, NOT PROFIT

I have loved programming game since I was a little kid and always dreamed I would end up being a professional game design/developer. But I ended up doing agency and enterprise development for my day job. For me, games are one of the most challenging programing systems to build, and I use games to teach/push me to be a better developer. Whenever I learn a new language, I always start by making a game first and, and when it came to my day job, I use everything I learned from games to help me be a better app developer. Game development teaches you how to simplify complex systems, optimization and advanced graphic techniques, all of which can be applied to any type of development, especially enterprise. In this talk I will go over how I got started making games, the reality of selfpublishing and new markets/platforms to try and sell your games on. I’ll also share source code from the HTML5 games I am currently working on. If you are remotely interested in making games for fun, especially HTML5 games, then you won’t want to miss this session! SPEAKER: Jesse Freeman

MOBILE STUFF WE’D LIKE TO BUILD AND USE MORE OF (PANEL)

This discussion examines how technology, design and content applies to mobile going forward. We’ll identify mobile trends as they relate to publishing, advertising and content distribution. Focusing on technology forward-looking but not far-removed from today’s state, such as casual local social networks, cross-screen environments, less disruptive monetization (if we can make more money, we can do more stuff!). Also discussing notable apps: Highlight (local social network), MLB At Bat (in-app purchase), Draw Something (social mobile gaming) and Instagram. Does building awesome product suffice in gaining user adoption? MODERATOR: TBD PANELISTS: TBD 14

NFC: THINKING CREATIVELY BEYOND MOBILE PAYMENTS

Quit waiting for Google Wallet to come to Canada, or for the next rumoured iPhone with built-in mobile payment to ship—near field communication (NFC) is already here and this technology can be used for much more than waving your phone at the cash register. In this session, discover some unexpected ways that NFC can be utilized on Android phones and other NFC-enabled devices that go beyond the checkout line. SPEAKER: Pearl Chen

PHYSICAL INTERFACES AND WARM FEELINGS

When making physical installations it’s important to ask the question, “What should this feel like?” Every decision made over the course of an installation project directly affects how people will react to it. Putting thought into the emotional impact of an interface is a key part of our process. It starts with a feeling, and along the way we use cardboard, fur, bike tires, treadmills, sugar cubes, and ping-pong balls to make those emotions happen. We’ll show technology that you can swim through, jump on and ride through the forest with. Interactivity goes far beyond buttons and swipey menus, and we’d love to show you how. SPEAKERS: Zander Bromijoin, Charlie Whitney

PROJECT BUTTERFLY: ESCAPING THE NET

What effect can learning about how sociable people interact in the real world have on the online space? We set out on a multi-city project, both online and in the real world, actively immersing ourselves in a variety of communities so that we could truly understand the elements that contribute to interaction and involvement. We entered real-life communities ranging from coastal skateparks to suburban supermalls, making observations and conducting “speed-friending” experiments. We infiltrated college fraternities,

HPX 2012 program guide

entrepreneur hotspots and senior citizen get-togethers, all the time chronicling sociable behaviours and the way that they developed. We contrasted this with an exploration of online hyperconnectors—people who were extremely active on social media, those with literally thousands of friends on Facebook/Twitter, those who self identified as being highly influential. By learning how we naturally interact with each other and by building a framework of how highly sociable people work in each sphere, we’re able to use this knowledge to help build online social communities that act more naturally. This immersive qualitative work seamlessly merged social psychology, digital anthropology with cutting edge ethnography and is a collaboration between Toronto’s The Palmerston Group and Seattle’s Cole + Weber United. SPEAKER: Daniel Berkal

PROXIMITY IS VIRTUE: WHY LOCATION-BASED MARKETING ISN’T REALLY ABOUT LOCATION PRESENTED BY: TIME+SPACE MEDIA

Mobile technologies allow a whole new way of thinking about customers, providing the means to identify the precursors to purchasing, which in turn requires new ways to think about marketing. Mobile devices leave behind a digital exhaust, which lets people—and their favoured brands—track, modify and optimize their behaviour together, which may be what new marketing looks like. How to think about mobile: a medium which operates exclusively in different kinds of NOW. SPEAKER: Faris Yakob

SILICON HILLS: HOW AUSTIN’S MUSIC SCENE DRIVES TECH While Austin, Texas is known for music—its motto is The Live Music Capital of the World—it’s also a major high-tech hub. With companies like 3M, AMD, Apple, AT&T, Dell, Evernote, Facebook,

Google, HP, IBM, Intel, Nvidia, and PayPal putting down roots, Austin’s earned an equally important reputation as The Silicon Hills. What is it about this American capital that draws so many large and small companies? Could it be the cultural hub that Austin methodically built? Join Don Pitts, the Music Programs Manager for the City of Austin, as he outlines how his hometown built a cultural and tech hub on a musical foundation. He’ll describe how the city encouraged the creative economy to thrive, new jobs to be generated and how this mid-sized American City in the heart of Texas became a global force. SPEAKER: Don Pitts

STARTUP MARKETING: TECHCRUNCH IS NOT A MARKETING PLAN

Awhile back there was a viral video about two people talking over a water cooler and how his startup was going to get huge any day because it was going to appear on Mashable as well as Techcrunch and that’s all you need to hit it big. This was funny because people thought it was true. Most startups fail because they don’t gain traction and people go about marketing them the wrong way. In this talk by the very handsome Saul Colt he will explain what the goals and steps you need to be successful in the very different world of tech startups. SPEAKER: Saul Colt

STRATEGIES FOR PITCHING NEW CLIENTS

Whether it’s a cold call (ugh!), networking, or word of mouth, the pitch is crucial in establishing your relationship with prospective clients. Attendees will learn how to use social media, branding, research, and charisma to land the kinds of clients they’ve always wanted to. We’ll look at examples of what some studios use and hear examples from the presenter on how he landed clients like Dave Matthews Band, IFC, Greenpeace, Oxfam, and more. Attend this presentation and you’ll be full of confidence the next time

Conferences and events

HPX DIGITAL CONFERENCE OCTOBER 17-19, 2012 10AM - 5PM ATLANTICA HOTEL 1980 ROBIE STREET

speakers AND Panels you are approaching a new client! SPEAKER: Daniel Schutzsmith

THE CROWDFUNDING MANIFESTO: THE NEW PATH TO CREATIVE Musicians, artists and entrepreneurs are connected more deeply to their audience and network than ever before. Modern social networking makes reaching out simple and virtually free, while the costs of creative production and distribution have decreased. A new revolution is emerging on this grassroots level of creativity: crowdfunding. By leveraging one’s network and audience for funds, this manifesto combines the emotional power of traditional patronage with the massive reach of digital communication. SPEAKER: Brian Meece

THE SECRETS OF CREATION PANEL

Get inside the heads of HPXDigital’s most interesting minds and extract the secrets that make them make things. Find out how they break through the barriers of procrastination, distraction, and worst of all, self-doubt. What routines do they employ to make their work a priority? Discover their techniques for staying focused, and for capturing, cataloging, and reviewing their ideas. What makes them unique and original creators? Find out their secrets here, and make sure some of them rub off on you. MODERATOR: Riccardo Giraldi  PANELISTS: James White , Zander Brimijoin Kyle McDonald

THE USER EXPERIENCE OF EVERYTHING

Successful organizations are realizing the need to become increasingly customer-focused in order to succeed in an immensely competitive marketplace. The incredible connectedness available through today’s technology is a doubleedged sword—on one hand providing extraordinary opportunities to more deeply understand customer desires, while on the other hand providing customers with the means to amplify their dissatisfaction

on an unprecedented scale. From product conception and refinement through to marketing, purchase, and support, Jeff MacArthur will discuss the considerations involved in evaluating and improving the user experience for products and services both online and off for the benefit of your company and your customers. SPEAKER: Jeff MacArthur

TURNING SLACKTIVISM INTO ONLINE ACTIVISM

In this presentation, Boyd Neil, a former political activist and trade unionist, looks at the fallacy that social web advocacy and activism channels energy away from making real-world social and political change. Using experience as a political and union organizer in the 70s and early 80s, Boyd demonstrates that slacktivism online is a failure not of the social web but of poor organizing. SPEAKER: Boyd Neil

WHAT MAKES AN IDEA STICK?

Do you ever wonder why certain campaigns take off and others die a slow death? There is a lot more behind the latest viral campaign than meets the eye. This presentation will take a look into the steps that are taken to, dare I say, guarantee success (at least in the client’s eye) in a day and age where trying to get someone’s attention seems impossible. SPEAKER: Mavis Huntley

directory ATLEY HUNTER MOBILE DEVELOPER (TORONTO) @atleyhunter

FARIS YAKOB INNOVATIVE STRATEGIST, MDC PARTNERS (NYC) @faris

BILL WILSON FOUNDER, MINDSEA (HALIFAX) @wdrwilson

JAMES WHITE DESIGNER, SIGNALNOISE (DARTMOUTH) @Signalnoise

BOYD NEIL NATIONAL PRACTICE LEADER, SOCIAL MEDIA AND DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS, H+K STRATEGIES (TORONTO) @boydneil

JASON NICKEL CREATIVE STORYTELLER (HALIFAX) @TakeThsLollipop

BRIAN MEECE CO-FOUNDER & CEO, ROCKETHUB (NYC) @rockethub CHARLIE WHITNEY ARTIST/CODER/PARTNER, RED PAPER HEART (NYC) @sharkbox CHRIS KEEVIL PRESIDENT & CEO, COLOUR (HALIFAX) @keevil CHRIS PINK STUDIO HEAD, FRONTIER DEVELOPMENTS (HALIFAX) @thereallost COLIN NICKERSON TECHNICAL DIRECTOR, FOURTH MONKEY MEDIA (LUNENBURG) DANIEL BERKAL WORLD-FAMOUS ETHNOGRAPHER, THE PALMERSTON GROUP (TORONTO) @danielberkal DANIEL SCHUTZSMITH CREATIVE DIRECTOR, MARK & PHIL (NYC) @Schutzsmith DAVID CROW PRODUCT DEVELOPER AND MARKETER (TORONTO) @Davidcrow DON PITTS MUSIC PROGRAM MANAGER, CITY OF AUSTIN, TX (AUSTIN)

JEFF MACARTHUR DIGITAL ENGAGER, MGI MEDIA (HALIFAX) @jeffmacarthur JEFF STOCKHAUSEN KNOWLEDGE STIMULATION AND WEALTH CREATOR (HALIFAX) @ainigmati JESSE FREEMAN TECHNICAL ARCHITECT AND TECHNOLOGY EVANGELIST, ROUNDARCH (NYC) @jessefreeman

MAVIS HUNTLEY ADVERTISING PRODUCTION INTEGRATION (TORONTO) @mavylala PATRICK KEEFE VICE PRESIDENT OF INVESTMENT, INNOVACORP (HALIFAX) @keefepatrick PEARL CHEN WEB DEVELOPER, CFC MEDIA LAB/THE HUNGRY VEG (TORONTO) @androidsNsheep PHIL GIROUX DIRECTOR OF MOBILE, LIXAR (OTTAWA) @philgiroux RICCARDO GIRALDI CREATIVE DIRECTOR, B-REEL (LONDON/NYC) @giraz ROB O’QUINN SOFTWARE ENGINEER, HB STUDIOS (LUNENBURG)

JESSE SCOTT CREATIVE CODER, GRAFFITI RESEARCH LAB (VANCOUVER) @jesse_c_scott

ROSIE SIMAN SOCIAL STRATEGIST AND CULTURAL CURATOR, 360i (NYC) @rosiesiman

JOHN ARNOLD LEAD BIT FLIPPER, HANDELABRA (HALIFAX)

SAUL COLT HEAD OF MAGIC, FRESHBOOKS (TORONTO) @saulcolt

JOHN ATKINS DIRECTOR OF CREATIVE & MEDIA PLANNING, JOHN ATKINS (HALIFAX) JONATHAN BURNS VICE-PRESIDENT OF SALES—AD DISPATCH (HALIFAX) KATHRYN TECTOR TEAM LEADER—USER AND RESEARCH STRATEGY, T4G (HALIFAX) @siftec KURT KRUMME USER EXPERIENCE CONSULTANT (TORONTO) @burtbrumme KYLE MCDONALD MEDIA ARTIST (NYC) @kcimc

STACEY MULCAHY SENIOR DEVELOPER, BIG SPACESHIP (NYC) @Bitchwhocodes TONY WALSH INTERACTIVE CREATIVE LEADER, PHANTOM COMPASS (TORONTO) @tonywalsh TOON NAGTEGAAL VENTURE CAPITALIST/ CONSULTANT (NOVA SCOTIA) ZANDER BRIMIJOIN ARTIST/PARTNER, RED PAPER HEART (NYC) @redpaperheart

program guide HPX 2012 15

HPX 2012 program guide

Conferences and events

HPX Music Conference Thursday Oct 18-Saturday Oct 20 ATLANTICA HOTEL 1980 ROBIE STREET The Halifax Pop Explosion has spent the last twenty years inspiring and entertaining our audience. The seventh annual edition of our music conference is no different! Take a peek at the inner workings of the Polaris Music Prize or discover the history of the Pop Explosion from the people who built it. Listen in on an intimate artist interview or dig deeper into the creative process of songwriting. With timely topics, constructive panels, and featured speakers Martin Atkins and Damian Abraham, the HPX Music Conference is sure to have something for everyone.

Martin Atkins Saturday, October 20, 1pm, Guild Hall

Damian Abraham Saturday, October 20, 3pm, Guild Hall

The Socio-Economic Background to the Punk Rock Revloution

Above Average: The Best Seven Inches You’ll Get This Year

Martin Atkins takes us on a journey to the UK and examines the social circumstances that lead to the development of the punk rock scene. Atkins is definitely a leading authority on the topic—not just because he was in a band with Johnny Rotten for five years —but because he grew up in the north of England and mutated from a trippy hair band to punk rock pill head in a couple of years. This is the UK version of punk and the climate that surrounded it—miners’ strikes, the IRA, and some unexpected lessons from the first time he gave this lecture at USC in California.

Damian Abraham, of the self-described (and HPX alum) pretentious punk band Fucked Up, is here to share his incredible collection of seven-inch records through a decade-by- decade dissemination. Hear songs from well-known musical influences as well as long-forgotten scene builders that not only shaped Damian’s musical identity, but may have helped forge the shape of music to come.

Martin Atkins

Martin Atkins is the definition of entrepreneurial activity in cultural arts endeavors, his 30+ years in the music business spans across genres and borders and industries. He was a member of Public Image Ltd and Killing Joke. He founded industrial supergroup Pigface, The Damage Manual, and Murder Inc., and has contributed to Nine Inch Nails and Ministry. He is the owner of Invisible Records and Mattress Factory Recording Studios (est. 1988). He is the author of Tour:Smart, a syndicated blogger, and teaches at Madison Media Institute. Martin is a producer, drummer, documentary filmmaker, DJ, and father of four. Whatever the future of music is, you can pretty much bet that he’ll be in the middle of it.

Damian Abraham

Damian is a record collector and overweight father of two from Toronto. He also finds time to provide vocals for the critically acclaimed and Polaris-winning pretentious punk band Fucked Up and hosting the horribly underrated alternative music video program The Wedge. These pursuits have made him the homeliest ever cover star of magazines world wide including Spin, NME and Starweek. They have also landed him on Fox News, George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight, BBC Radio 1, The New York Times, tours with the Foo Fighters and the Arcade Fire, and many other unlikely places. Damian has also managed to find a little work as a graphic artist. All of this, however, pales in comparison with that fact that he owns a Negative Approach test press with the rejected mix.

program guide HPX 2012 17

conferences and events

HPX mUSIC CONFeReNCe THURSDaY OCT 18-SaTURDaY OCT 20 atLantIca hoteL 1980 roBIe street

SPeaKeRS aND PaNeLS THuRSDAY, OCTOBER 18 RDIO PReSeNTS POLaRIS ReCORD SaLON: BeHIND THe POLaRIS CURTaIN 5PM, THE CARLETON MuSIC BAR & GRILL, 1685 ARGYLE STREET

Have you ever wondered how Polaris arrives at its Long List, Short List and winner? Well, hold onto your knickers as the Polaris Record Salon, presented by Rdio, hits Halifax for the first time at Halifax Pop Explosion. Join Polaris founder Steve Jordan as he moderates a panel discussion with some of our esteemed Halifax jury members who’ll look back at the newly crowned 2012 winner and look forward to Polaris 2013. Expect great music, great discussion and great prizes including a chance to win a one-month subscription to Rdio. HOST: Steve Jordan (Polaris Music Prize)

THe INDUSTRY mIXeR - a NeTWORKING eVeNT SPONSOReD BY mmF CaNaDa aND SOCaN 5PM, SEASONS RESTAuRANT, ATLANTICA HOTEL, 1980 ROBIE

Open to all HPX delegates, artists and media, this industry mixer is the perfect way to “break the ice”, make new friends and potential business contacts before the music conference begins! This networking opportunity gives artists, managers and the industry at large the chance to make connections, build relationships, discuss deal opportunities and issues.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19 meSS WITH TeXaS: HOW TO DO SXSW RIGHT 11AM, CuNARD ROOM

You’ve been accepted to play South By Southwest! You won the battle, but can you win the war? Getting to Austin and making a splash at South By requires a LOT of hard work. This discussion will help you navigate the long road to Texas. SPEAKERS: Brad First (SXSW), Jason Burns (Sonic Entertain18

ment Group), Scott Long (Music Nova Scotia)

FOUNDING FaTHeRS…aND mOTHeRS! 12PM, CuNARD ROOM

Come experience 20 years of Halifax Pop Explosion history in one hour! Hear incredible stories about the early struggles, the best shows, the mysterious missing year, and the current successes of the festival straight from the source. They were there, man. They were there. MODERATOR: Allison Outhit SPEAKERS: Peter Rowan, Angie Fenwick Gibb, Waye Mason, Shelley MacPhail

PLeaSe ReFeR TO maNaGemeNT: a Q&a WITH mUSIC maNaGeRS 2PM, CuNARD ROOM

Participate in a discussion period for artists and managers, addressing the issues the face in today’s ever-changing industry. In this workshop, a panel of active and experienced managers are set to answer YOUR questions, so come prepared to ask and learn! MODERATOR: Tim Hardy (SOCAN) SPEAKERS: Craig Hill (2+2 Management), Jeffrey Remedios (Arts & Crafts), Jason Murray (Black Box Music), Sheri Jones (Jones & Co. Management)

THe CReaTIVe PROCeSS: FROm INCePTION TO ReaLIZaTION 2PM, CAMPAIGN ROOM

Legenary jazz drummer Jerry Granelli delves into the creative process of songwriting. These skills are the underbelly of technical ability and without them one’s technical ability amounts to little musically. The objective is to arrive at the point where you hear what to play rather than having to think about what to play. SPEAKER: Jerry Granelli

aRTIST INTeRVIeW: OF mONTReaL 2PM, COMMONS ROOM

Join well-known music personality Alan Cross as he sits down with Kevin Barnes, founding member of the genre-bending

HPX 2012 Program guide

band of Montreal to discuss music and showmanship, and maybe get the true account of the band’s namesake. HOST: Alan Cross (A Journal of Musical Things) Guest: Kevin Barnes (of Montreal)

DROP THe BeaT: emeRGING eDm aND WHaT IT meaNS FOR THe mUSIC INDUSTRY 3PM, CuNARD ROOM All over the world, Electronic Dance Music artists are smashing sales records and headlining major music festivals. Suffice to say, the genre and its culture has broken into the mainstream, with little, if any, signs of slowing down. This discussion will examine the rapid rise of EDM and its effect on the music industry as a whole, from both a creative and industry perspective. MODERATOR: Scott Honsberger SPEAKERS: Craig Hill (2+2 Management), James McBean (The New HFX), Rob Daily (Daily unsigned)

meeT THe maNaGeRS: a mUSIC maNaGeRS FORUm ROUNDTaBLe 3PM, CAMPAIGN ROOM (PRE-REGISTRATION REQuIRED)

Following the managers’ Q&A session, this roundtable will give you the chance to sit down with some of the best in the business to explore some more in-depth issues surrounding music management. Great for artists, managers and students alike. This event limited to 30 attendees. Please email josh@ halifaxpopexplosion.com to register.

BaND:SmaRT WITH maRTIN aTKINS 4PM, CuNARD ROOM After his book Tour:Smart taught everyone the ins and outs of life on the road, Martin returns with lessons from his new book, Band:Smart. There are numerous obstacles to success in the music industry...your band should NOT be one of them. Smarten up with Band:Smart. SPEAKER: Martin Atkins

>> F LaS HBaCK: 2 009 Dan Mangan packs out

The Company House hours ahead of time. In 2011, he plays St. Matt’s. This year: the Rebecca Cohn.

CHANGE IS GOOD

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Proud supporter of Canadian artists, whatever their style.

SiriusXM is proud to lend its support to all musicians and invites you to discover new talent at the Halifax Pop Explosion Festival. We hope you enjoy the show!

conferences and events

HPX mUSIC CONFeReNCe THURSDaY OCT 18-SaTURDaY OCT 20 atLantIca hoteL 1980 roBIe street

SPeaKeRS aND PaNeLS SATuRDAY, OCTOBER 20 THe INTRICaTe DaNCe OF CROWDFUNDING aND GRaNTS 10AM, GuILD EAST

Did you know that if you got a little bit of money from a bunch of different sources, it would add up to one big vault of cash?! Okay, so maybe the vault isn’t THAT big, but this discussion of WILL help you learn the best way to leverage your funding to achieve your goals. SPEAKERS: Martin Atkins (Band:Smart), Duncan McKie (FACTOR), Mickey Quase (Nova Scotia Culture Division), Laura Simpson (Music Nova Scotia)

WHO NeeDS THe mIDDLemaN? SOCIaL meDIa STRaTeGY WITH aLaN CROSS 10AM, GuILD WEST

Here’s a word to remember: disintermediation. It means “cutting out the middleman,” which is exactly what social media has done for artists and their fans. This is a good thing—mostly. But it also comes with its challenges, difficulties, and perils. Alan will show how things used to be, how they are now and where they could be headed. SPEAKER: Alan Cross

maJOR mISCONCePTIONS OF THe UNSIGNeD aRTIST WITH ROB DaILY 11AM, GuILD EAST

Rob Daily brings one of his most divisive blog posts to life with his “Major misconceptions of the unsigned artist.” After his 16 misconceptions hit the Internet, Rob was both supported and criticized. Which side will you be on? SPEAKER: Rob Daily

thursDay the carLeton 5PM

Women in rock: Why are we still talking about this? Is it because women playing music is still so notable that we must point it out at every turn? Is it because women playing music is actually a different thing from men playing music? Is it because it’s a marketing tool? And if it’s that, why is there such a dearth of women playing festivals—because there aren’t enough, or somebody’s not paying attention—and how do we change that? Is it about changing the conversation, or the programmers, or a larger mindset? MODERATOR: Tara Thorne (The Coast, Dance Movie) SPEAKERS: Heather Gibson (JazzEast), Allison Outhit (FACTOR)

seasons restaurant

Rdio presents Polaris Record Salon: Behind the Polaris Curtain

5PM

THIS PaNeL SHOULDN’T eXIST 11AM, GuILD WEST

MMF Canada and SOCAN present The Industry Mixer

friDay

cunarD rooM

11AM

Mess with Texas: How to do SXSW right

caMpaign rooM

coMMons rooM

12PM

Founding Fathers…and Mothers!

2PM

Please Refer to Management: A Q&A with Music Managers

The Creative Process: From Inception to Realization

Artist Interview: of Montreal

3PM

Drop The Beat: Emerging EDM and what it means...

Meet the Managers: A Music Managers Forum Roundtable (Pre-Registration Required)

4PM

Band:Smart w/ Martin Atkins

saturDay guiLD east

guiLD West

10AM

The Intricate Dance of Crowdfunding and Grants

Who Needs the Middleman? Social Media Strategy

11AM

Major Misconceptions of the unsigned Artist

This Panel Shouldn’t Exist

guiLD haLL

1PM

Martin Atkins (Featured Speaker)

2PM

Artist Interview: 20th Anniversary Edition

3PM

Damian Abraham (Featured Speaker)

HPX 2012 Program guide

>> F LaS HBaCK: 2 011 ruraL aLberta aDvantage climbs into the

sold-out pews of St. Matt’s for a performance of “Good Night”

conferences and events

HPX mUSIC CONFeReNCe THURSDaY OCT 18SaTURDaY OCT 20

atLantIca hoteL 1980 roBIe street

SPeaKeRS aND PaNeLS aRTIST INTeRVIeW: 20TH aNNIVeRSaRY eDITION 2PM, GuILD HALL

Come hang out and hear about the explosion of music that lead Halifax to be dubbed “Seattle East.” Mike Campbell leads our 20th Anniversary talk with members of seminal Halifax bands The Super Friendz, Cool Blue Halo, Hip Club Groove, and The Stratejackets in advance of their performance Saturday night. HOST: Mike Campbell SPEAKERS: Cory Bowles (Hip Club Groove), Charles Austin (The Super Friendz), Paul Boudreau (Cool Blue Halo), Scott MacCulloch (The Stratejakets)

Hear songs from well-known musical influences as well as long-forgotten scene builders that not only shaped Damian’s musical identity, but may have helped forge the shape of music to come. SPEAKER: Damian Abraham

THe SOCIO-eCONOmIC BaCKGROUND TO THe PUNK ROCK ReVLOUTION 1PM, GuILD HALL

aBOVe aVeRaGe: THe BeST SeVeN INCHeS YOU’LL GeT THIS YeaR 3PM, GuILD HALL

Damian Abraham, of the self-described (and HPX alum) pretentious punk band Fucked Up, is here to share his incredible collection of seven-inch records through a decade-by- decade dissemination.

>> F LaS HBaCK: 2 009 JapanDroiDs play the

Paragon hot on the heels of their debut *Post-Nothing*, are sick as dogs and have to cut their set short.

moksha yoga halifax

C a l m m i n d . Fi t b o d y. I n s p i r e d l i f e .

proud supporters of HPX 2012!

Conferences and events

ZINE FAIR

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20 ST. DAVID’S CHURCH HALL 1537 BRUNSWICK STREET FREE, NOON-5PM

Brought to you by Anchor Archive Zine Library.

The 11th year of the Zine Explosion! This event is an awesome showcase of all kinds of do-it-yourself projects and plans. This year has more vendors than ever—with folks coming from all over Canada and of course, lots of locals! Expect to see zines, small press books, comics, chapbooks, records, CDs, cas-

settes, magazines, posters, postcards, t-shirts, buttons, and other handmade bits and pieces. There will be a huge and eclectic variety of things for sale and trade, and it’s free admission to just browse. Want a table or more info? Email Zach at zineexplosion@gmail.com

HALIFAX RECORD FAIR

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20 HALIFAX FORUM, MARITIME HALL

2901 WINDSOR

STREET $5/FREE WITH HPX WRISTBAND/PASS, 10AM-4PM Brought to you by the Halifax Record Fair.

Do you love records? We love records and are pleased to partner with the Halifax Record Fair to bring you the fourth record fair on the final day of Halifax Pop Explosion. Get out of bed

early enough to score first kick at the vinyl pickings. Want a table or more info? Visit halifaxrecordfair.ca or email beal@halifaxrecordfair.ca.

FIX COUNCIL GROW SUSTAINABLY SPEND SMARTER On october 20th, vote Mason for council District 7 Peninsula South Downtown

wayemason.ca authorized by Waye Mason

Music showcases

TUeSDAY ocToBer 16

The seahoRse TaVeRN 1665 aRGYLe sTReeT, wRisTBaND/Passes/iNViTe oNLY, 6PM opeNING pArTY/recepTIoN HALIFAX POP EXPLOSION ASSOCIATION PRESENTS:

Come one come all! Join us at the 20th Anniversary Halifax Pop Explosion kick off party at the legendary Seahorse Tavern and celebrate the start of the next 20 years of HPX history.

DJ JAMeS reID (HALIFAx, NS) SoUNDcLoUD.coM/JAMeSDreID

A young playa from around the (Halifax) way doin’ disc-jockey thangs. Whether playing dirty-south rap classics, electronic dance jams, or jazz fusion, James Reid will have the audience goin’ ham! You know the business.

ReFLecTioNs caBaReT 5184 sacKViLLe sTReeT, $20, 9:30PM Please provide 2 pieces of iD—1 gov’t, 1 other VICE MAGAZINE PRESENTS

KING TUFF (LoS ANGeLeS, cA) myspace.com/kingtuff

King Tuff sits, centre stage between Magic Jake and Kenny, his trademark guitar, Jazijoo, on his lap while the rhythm section diligently loops the groove under Tuff ’s frenetic fingering.

LoNG WeeKeNDS (HALIFAx, NS) looongweekends.com

Three Halifax friends band together over a shared interest in punk and garage rock records. They release a series of online singles, EPs and a 7-inch in the space of a year.

croSSS

ASTrAL GUNK

(ToroNTo, oN) crosss.bandcamp.com

(SAcKVILLe, NB) astralgunk.bandcamp.com

With guitars that reverberate in your chest cavity, Crosss plods through sprawling psych melodies with the weight of a woolly mammoth. Crosss makes dauntless music for malnourished ears.

Drawing inspiration from punk, postpunk, garage-rock, pop and psych-rock, the result is as much an amalgamation of influences as it is the product of drinking beer and avoiding responsibilities.

>> FLA SHB ACK : 1994 Rich Terfry aka Stinkin’ Rich calls his alter-ego “THE BUCK 65TH” in the program guide

HPX 2012

PROGRAM GUIDE

Music showcases

TUeSDAY ocToBer 16 ReFLecTioNs caBaReT 5184 sacKViLLe sTReeT, $20, 7PM (Please provide 2 pieces of iD—1 gov’t, 1 other)

eUGeNe MIrMAN

cHerYL HANN

MerV HArTLeN

FLAG oN THe pLAY (HoST)

(BrooKLYN, NY) eugenemirman.com

(HALIFAx, NS) picnicface.com

(HALIFAx, NS)

(DArTMoUTH, NS) youtube.com/user/ﬂagontheplay911

Eugene Mirman is a comedian and hero who lives in Brooklyn, NY. He is a regular on Flight of the Conchords, Adult Swim’s Delocated, voices Gene on Fox’s hit animated series Bob’s Burgers, had his own special on Comedy Central, and curates the annual Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival.

Cheryl Hann gained notoriety as a member of the sketch troupe Picnicface. While she loves working with the group, her solo act is where she shines. Hann combines stand-up comedy with performance art in an act she describes as “a crystal cave at sunset with a pegasus flying overhead. The pegasus has a boner. ;)”

A somewhat important cog in the Canadian comedy scene, Merv has performed in a slew of clubs from Halifax to Toronto. He has also appeared on Tom Green’s House Tonight, performed a one man show for the 2012 Atlantic Fringe Festival and led the house band for Good Morning Tonight.

Get ready for a bucket full of the truth water because here come the truth fairies Hugh Stewart and Paul Doucette! They host Flag on the Play, the world’s primary source for what’s really happening in the NFL. This dynamic, chaotic comedy duo brings the facts behind the wizards, demons, big businesses and illuminati that run the NFL.

The seahoRse TaVeRN 1665 aRGYLe sTReeT, $15, 9:30PM SLED ISLAND PRESENTS

THe DUDeS

cAMp rADIo

GLorY GLorY

(cALGArY, AB) thedudesmusic.ca

(oTTAWA, oN) campradio.org

(HALIFAx, NS) ggmu.org

The Dudes, a Calgary-based band, infuse an emotional blend of Al Green and Flaming Lips—soul music and early 1990s distortion. Dan Vacon has the ability to draw audiences in through his distinct vocal style—a mixture of strong pop melody, sly double entendres, and pure soul.

Power pop music with garageland guitars and Sebadoh’d bass lines filling out songs that will keep you humming all day. The lyrics are as hooky as the REM-style harmonies driving super catchy melodies. Bottom line: Camp Radio is high-energy and simple rock and roll!

Glory Glory plays dark, danceable indie-pop, and have been performing, recording and touring since 2006. Their self-recorded, self-produced 2010 debut album ZOMBIES!!! garnered airplay, critical acclaim and two Nova Scotia Music Award nominations.

MIeSHA AND THe SpANx (cALGArY, AB) facebook.com/mandthespanks

Calgary’s Miesha & The Spanx are purveyors of the most rough ‘n’ tumble, energy driven garage-rock possible. Sassy vocals, dirty riffs, pounding drums- this two-piece is overpowering and infectious. Charming hearts and kicking ass four years and counting.

PROGRAM GUIDE

HPX 2012

Music showcases

Tuesday October 16 GUSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; PUB 2605 AGRICOLA STREET, $10, 10PM

HUMANS

JAGUAR KNIGHT

CATHOLIC GAYDAR

PINEO

(Vancouver, BC) dashumans.com

(Gaspereau Forks, NB) jaguarknight.ca

(Halifax, NS) soundcloud.com/catholicgaydar/

(Halifax, NS) soundcloud.com/mitchell_pineo

The name Humans is far from accidental. While the duo uses electronic components in their performance, they compliment their sound with live vocals and instruments, creating an atmosphere that transcends the divide between performer and audience often felt in electronic music.

I spent ten years playing dance parties all across Canada under the name A\V with a trunkload of drum machines and broken synthesizers. Then I moved to Asia and my brain was invaded by an ancient feline robot.

Catholic Gaydar builds pop songs from scraps of sound found on the way to the club, resulting in an ecstatic blend of queer synth-pop and starry eyed torch songs. Expect a melody attack of guitar, drum machine and a deep commitment to fun and beauty.

Mitchell Pineo, known simply as PINEO, is an electronic music producer/DJ based out of Halifax, Nova Scotia. Producing an array of electronic styles, PINEOs live shows extend from the irresistible grooves to the soaring melodies.

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5262 Sackville St. Halifax, NS 902-425-2140

101 Portland St. Dartmouth, NS 902-444-2140

68 York St. Fredericton, NB 506-450-3759

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Music showcases

Tuesday October 16 THE CARLETON MUSIC BAR & GRILL 1685 ARGYLE STREET, $15, 9:30PM

AL TUCK (Hunter River, PE) altuck.bandcamp.com

Bring up Al Tuck’s name to any Canadian music insider, and you’d better find yourself a comfortable chair. Feist suspects that he might just be a living legend. Jason Collett called him the greatest songwriter of his generation. He is an awesome encyclopedia of popular music, a roving troubadour and after almost 20 years in the business is one of Canada’s true hidden musical treasures.

SECRET GUEST

We’ll be bringing you super-secret plays from HPX headliners in our more intimate venues. Stay tuned to our social media channels for details... or just show up, you won’t be let down!

GIANNA LAUREN (Halifax, NS) giannalauren.ca

Gianna Lauren is a project of atmosphere, warm guitar tones and voice. She is a performer of the graceful kind. Melodies breathe as if they pulse, sharing space with many layers of warming instrumentation and vocals. Ambient pop-rock keeps company with softer, more poignant material.

Music showcases

WeDNeSDAY ocToBer 17

ReFLecTioNs caBaReT 5184 sacKViLLe sTReeT, $20, 9:30PM (Please provide 2 pieces of iD—1 gov’t, 1 other) THE COAST PRESENTS

BorN rUFFIANS

SecreT GUeST

(MIDLAND, oN) bornrufﬁans.com

Starting every show in a huddle, some occult energy is summoned, deemed good, and exploded into a set of writhing, jagged pop songs as beautiful and dangerous as shards of broken glass. You’d swear they were on the warpath, untill a pure rock and roll howl and sharp guitar hooks bring you back to the indie universe.

We’ll be bringing you super-secret plays from HPX headliners in our more intimate venues. Stay tuned to our social media channels for details... or just show up, you won’t be let down!

THe eLWINS

WrITerS’ STrIKe

(ToroNTo, oN) thelwins.com

(HALIFAx, NS) writersstrike.ca

Indie-pop outfit The Elwins have been garnering a healthy amount of attention of late thanks to their bouncy brand of ’60s-tinged rock music and quirky, creative nature. Whether the sweet sounds are coming from a stereo or sweat-covered stage, it’s one you’ll want to get into sooner rather than later.

Writers’ Strike are an indie-rock band who believe in Bruce Springsteen anthems and Beach Boys’ harmonies. Armed with thundering drums and blazing synths, they pack their songs to the edges with hooks. Their incendiary live show has won over audiences from Halifax to Toronto.

ReFLecTioNs caBaReT 5184 sacKViLLe sTReeT, $20, 7PM (Please provide 2 pieces of iD—1 gov’t, 1 other)

eUGeNe MIrMAN

STeVe MAcKIe

ANDIe BULMAN

ANDreW BUSH (HoST)

(BrooKLYN, NY) eugenemirman.com

(HALIFAx, NS)

This Toronto-born but Halifax-based comic provides a wild and unpredictable ride that varies from topics such as politics and the environment to observations of his bizarre existence. He attacks thug life culture, yet has had his own brushes with the law—come see him before he goes to jail.

Instead of adopting the usual joke/ punchline routine, Andie Bulman has created a style that revolves around the fast-paced succession of humourous stories. Talking about heavy subjects in a light/fun way while touching on themes like nostalgia, regrets, childhood, and the death of literature.

(HALIFAx, NS) picnicface.com

HPX 2012

PROGRAM GUIDE

Andrew Bush is a Halifax-based writer/ actor/director. His credits include head writer for the Emmy Award-winning show Street Cents as well as writing credits for This Hour Has 22 Minutes, and Canadian Idol. Andrew is also part of the award-winning sketch troupe Picnicface. He’s co-written and directed their sketch show on the Comedy Network.

Music showcases

WeDNeSDAY ocToBer 17 sT. MaTThew’s uNiTeD chuRch 1479 BaRRiNGToN sTReeT, $25, 7:30PM

ATLAS SoUND

ADo

roBerT LoVeLeSS

(ATHeNS, GA) myspace.com/atlassound

(HALIFAx, NS) adoband.bandcamp.com

(HALIFAx, NS) robertloveless.bandcamp.com

Atlas Sound is the solo moniker of Deerhunter frontman/provocateur Bradford Cox, so named since 1994, when a sixth-grade Bradford made recordings on a karaoke cassette machine bearing the words “Atlas Sound.” Cox’s work represents a feral and prolific musical voice. With its scorched beauty, stream of consciousness, and wonderfully cohesive pop narrative, This is another outlet for Cox’s relentless creativity.

Twisted pop wet with chocolate bar crunch. Nathan, Kathleen, and Noah plow through tunes for goons. Unassuming characters playing less assuming songs. Dartmouth, Truro and Halifax. Basements, smoke, coffee, and candy.

Found sounds in the wood works. The place where they originate. Phenomena of nature. Deep about alchemy. Singing “I put a spell on you.” Surf beaten. A doomed lad sitting down upon the earth telling sad stories.

Music showcases

WeDNeSDAY ocToBer 17 The seahoRse TaVeRN 1665 aRGYLe sTReeT, $15, 9:30PM

FAILUre epIcS

We’re DooMeD

KUATo

THe WIDeS

(KINGSToN, oN) failureepics.wordpress.com

(HALIFAx, NS) weredoomed.bandcamp.com

(HALIFAx, NS) kuatoband.com

(HALIFAx, NS) thewides.bandcamp.com

Failure Epics is a progressive rock project inspired by the incredible world around us; and by the horrible things we see fit to do to it.

A groovy yet heavy assault on progressive rock, the four-piece Halifax-based band draws inspiration from the impending apocalypse and the human condition. With heavy riffs, syncopated rhythms, dynamic vocals, and a general disregard for the genre barriers between rock, pop and metal, We’re Doomed will melt your face.

Weaving together intricate movements, emotive melodies and subtle timbres of eerie aggression, Kuato crafts each song of its repertoire into a post-rock instrumental opus.

Surrounded by storming rhythm, razorsharp guitars, eager vocals, and an aura of unrestrained power, The Wides’ purpose is to strangle the sound out of every nook and stomp it into every cranny.

Exclaim! Presents

The heliO sequence with JOhn samuel

(Wintersleep)

Thursday

OcTOber 18

St. Matthews Church

Music showcases

WeDNeSDAY ocToBer 17 Gus’ PuB 2605 aGRicoLa sTReeT, $10, 10PM POP MONTREAL PRESENTS

THe BLIND SHAKe

poNcTUATIoN

SLAM DUNK

BLooDHoUSe

(MINNeApoLIS, MN) theblindshake.com

(MoNTreAL, Qc) ponctuationponctuation. bandcamp.com

(VIcTorIA, Bc) slamdunkband.com

(HALIFAx, NS) bloodhouse.bandcamp.com

Slam Dunk is from Victoria, BC. A nice group of people in a band. Most of them are reliable, work day jobs. Two of them are in what seem to be long-term relationships while the other three not so much. One of them appears to be seeing someone right now actually, but we haven’t asked. New album coming out November 13. Good for feelin’ good.

Lazy, spiteful, and critically uptight. Your favourite band Bloodhouse plays heavy pop music that makes up for all the bullshit your friends and family put you through. Yip, you have bad friends, change your friends.

The Blind Shake is a detuned, garagestomp, punk trio from Minneapolis. Two brothers, Mike and Jim Blaha, front the band and play baritone and regular guitar respectively, while longtime chum Dave Roper plays drums.

PONCTUATION is a band of brothers struck by garage music, inspired by the ’60s feverishness, who deliver their unique psychedelic freakouts as if there was no tomorrow. Since lo-fi doesn’t scare them one bit, the prolific duo released a debut EP on tape (yes) during summer 2011.

Congrats on your

live105.ca

Music showcases

Wednesday October 17 THE COMPANY HOUSE 2202 GOTTINGEN STREET, $10, 8PM

MARK DAVIS

PAT LEPOIDEVIN

PAPER BEAT SCISSORS

TERRA LIGHTFOOT

(Edmonton, AB) markdavismusic.ca

(Sackville, NB) patlepoidevin.com

(Halifax, NS) paperbeatscissors.com

(Waterdown, ON) myspace.com/terralightfoot

Mark Davis’ Eliminate the Toxins is Herohill’s 2011 Polaris choice. “Davis’ songs are innovative, energetic and challenges everything you know about folkies, augmented with fuzzed-out guitar, surging riffs and even fragmented dub. Eliminate the Toxins is the one record every Canadian music fan should hear.”

Pat LePoidevin has been honing his sound in Sackville, NB for several years and is known for his ability to incorporate a wide assortment of instrumentation into his dynamic live shows. Using a loop station, LePoidevin creates an orchestra of folk music with guitars, ukuleles, percussion, and deep melodic vocals.

This partially British cat will blow your ears off/in. In a gentle and strange and sad way. Voice will float, sometimes stab. Guitar will support beneath, like one of those old train trestle bridges.

Her voice is hauntingly beautiful, following melodies that soar over incendiary chords. With roots based in math-rock bands and an addiction to blues pioneers like Robert Johnson, her music fuses calculated riffs and rhythms with graceful melodies and a voice that leaves you breathless.

Music showcases

WeDNeSDAY ocToBer 17 The caRLeToN Music BaR & GRiLL 1685 aRGYLe sTReeT, $15, 9:30PM rIA MAe (HALIFAx, NS) riamae.com

Ria Mae creates slick pop songs with universal themes of longing, love lost, and hearts found. Her debut full-length album, Under Your Skin, was produced by Asif Illyas (MIR) and won the 2012 East Coast Music Award for Pop Recording of the Year.

>> FLA SHB ACK : 1994 Headliners include STEREOLAB, SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE, THE SPINANES and BLONDE REDHEAD

QUIeT pArADe (HALIFAx, NS) quietparade.com

Mixing elements of pop-rock songwriting with unabashed lyrics, Quiet Paradeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bleeding-heart alt-folk music channels bands such as Low, Hayden and Sun Kil Moon as well as the influence of artists/producers such as Elliott Smith and Phil Spector alike.

WeDNeSDAY coNTINUeD oN pAGe 40 >>

Music showcases

WeDNeSDAY ocToBer 17 MichaeL’s BaR aND GRiLL 6100 YouNG sTReeT, $15, 9PM << WeDNeSDAY coNTINUeD FroM pAGe 33

D.o.A

THe HeMINGWAYS

WorD oN THe STreeT

THe I DoN’T GIVe A rIpS

(BUrNABY, Bc) http://www.myspace.com/doapunk

(HALIFAx, NS) thehemingways.bandcamp.com

(HALIFAx, NS) wordonthestreet.bandcamp.com

(HALIFAx, NS) theidontgivearips.tumblr.com/

Canada’s legendary Punk Kings approach a momentous milestone. For nearly 25 years D.O.A. has been slashing away at philosophical enemies. They’ve travelled the globe almost continuously since they formed in 1978. Come join in the power and non-compromise that is D.O.A.

Several years ago, four aging beer-gutted debutantes joined forces in Halifax, Nova Scotia to form The Hemingways. Sounding like a burning Wal-Mart apparently paid off as there was a desire to put out records and comment on the stupid, insane shit that goes on in the world.

Fast and loud, Word On The Street strives to give the best performance while breaking themselves with their own music. Taking cues from late eighties New York hardcore bands, they incorporate a stripped down and raw guitar sound with guttural vocals and stop-on-a-dime-andstart-again elements in their songs.

“I said cool” - R.Smackhead. Words to live by. It’s punk music. 15 minutes of fame.

Music showcases

WeDNeSDAY ocToBer 17 cKDu LoBBY 6136 uNiVeRsiTY aVeNue room 420, FRee, 5:30PM

>> FLA SHB ACK : BRIA N JON ESTOWN MAS SAC RE No-show headliners BRIAN JONESTOWN MASthe 2004 SACRE (‘98) are the (volatile) subjects of documentary DIG!

LoNG WeeKeNDS

FreAK HeAT WAVeS

(HALIFAx, NS) looongweekends.com

(VIcTorIA, Bc) freakheatwaves.bandcamp.com

Three Halifax friends band together over a shared interest in punk and garage rock records. They release a series of online singles, EPs and a 7-inch in the space of a year before following the train tracks out of Castle Rock to search for Ray Brower’s dead body.

From its conception Freak Heat Waves has derived much of its aesthetic from highly admired facets of New York ’70s punk/new wave and UK post-punk bands. The three-piece group generates a sharp yet discreet sound comprising of moments both sparse and dense.

SOCAN_HPX Ad2012_pressready.pdf

8/28/12

4:15 PM

Do you create music? Join SOCAN and get paid when your music is played! SOCAN members get paid royalties when their music is performed on the radio, on TV, at concerts, in film, bars, and much more. Visit socan.ca or call 1.866.307.6226 to learn more about becoming a SOCAN member so you can start getting paid!

www.socan.ca/getpaid getpaid@socan.ca @SOCANmusic SOCANmusic

HELP DESK

of Montreal is playing the Olympic Community Hall on Friday.

WRISTBANDS, TICKETS, PASSES OH MY! COME AND GET ’EM. Most advance tickets are available from ticketpro.ca WHERE TO BUY WRISTBANDS, PASSES AND INDIVIDUAL SHOW TICKETS Festival wristbands, passes and individual show tickets are available for purchase online at ticketpro.ca, by phone at 1-888-

311-9090 or in person at any Ticketpro point of sale. Visit halifaxpopexplosion. com for full schedule, ticket links and to plan your festival experience. Grab a Wristband and you won’t have to pay to get into any HPX Venue,

score a Priority Pass and you’ll get to skip the lineup and breeze right in, scoop a VIP Pass and you’ll be guaranteed entry into all shows even if they are sold out.

FEATURE

FESTIVAL PRIORITY WRISTBAND PASS $65* $150*

VIP PASS $275*

HPX DIGITAL $350**

5-Day Access to all HPX Venues Zine Fair Access Record Fair Access HPX Opening Party Insider Festival Offers Skip the Lineup Access HPX Music Conference Guaranteed Access to all venues 20th Anniversary Poster Dan Mangan w/ Symphony NS HPX Digital Conference HPX Digital Opening Party HPX Digital Closing Party

x x x x x

x x x x x x x x x x

x x x x x

x x x x x x x

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TICKETPRO BOX OFFICE Festival wristbands and passes must be picked up at the Ticketpro Box Office located in the Atlantica Hotel (1980 Robie Street). Wristbands, passes, tickets and merch can be purchased here for the duration of the festival.

HOURS OF OPERATION October 16-20 9am-8pm Late night desk (pickup only): Open to 10pm in the Atlantica Hotel lobby

POP UP REGISTRATION Based on your feedback we’re opening a Pop Up box office downtown Halifax where you can get your festival wristbands, buy festival merch and get informed on all things HPX. Check out our website in early October for details on where this Pop Up will be located.

*Plus tax and ticket fee ** Walk up ($425) Student ($225)

HPX MUSIC CONFERENCE PASS ($50 + TAX & TICKET FEE)

Includes: HPX Music Conference (October 19-20) Zine and Record Fairs

INDIVIDUAL SHOW TICKETS ($10-$32)

Individual show tickets can be purchased through ticketpro.ca, by phone 35

HPX 2011

at 1-888-311-9090 or in person at any Ticketpro point of sale and range from $10 to $32. If you plan on seeing more than one show your best bang for your buck is a festival wristband as it gives you access to all venues over the 5-days. Dan Mangan with Symphony Nova Scotia tickets are available through the Dalhousie Arts Centre Box Office:

PROGRAM GUIDE

artscentre.dal.ca or 1-800-874-1669

RUSH/CASH TICKET POLICY NEW FOR 2012

All fans who have purchased 5-day festival wristbands and passes will be given priority access to high demand venues up until 20 minutes before the show begins at which point we will begin accepting walk up ticket

purchases for any remaining seats. The goal is to grant our wristband/passes better access to high demand venues like St. Matthews Church.

WRISTBANDS AND PASSES ON SALE NOW! PROGRAM GUIDE

HPX 2012

HELP DESK

SCHEDULE

NBD. PULL IT OUT AND PUT IT IN YOUR POCKET Lineup and Prices are subject to change. Issued Sept 12. Check the halifaxpopexplosion.com for the most up-to-date info.

OLYMPIC COMMUNITY HALL

TUES OCT 16

THE MARQUEE CLUB

REFLECTIONS CABARET

DIGITAL NOVA SCOTIA AND $25 THIRD WEDNESDAY PRESENT Freshtables 8-11PM

VICE MAG PRESENTS King Tuff Long Weekends Crosss Astral Gunk

$20 1:00 12:00 11:00 10:00

THE COAST PRESENTS Born Ruffians Secret Guests The Elwins Writers’ Strike

$20 1:00 12:00 11:00 10:00

Eugene Mirman Cheryl Hann Merv Hartlen Flag On The Play (Host)

$20 8:00 7:30 7:15 7:00

Eugene Mirman Steve Mackie Andie Bulman Andrew Bush (Host)

$20 8:00 7:30 7:15 7:00

ST. MATTHEW’S UNITED CHURCH

THE SEAHORSE TAVERN

WED OCT 17

$25 Atlas Sound 9:00 Ado 8:15 Robert Loveless 7:30

HPX OPENING PARTY Free DJ James Reid 6:00 SLED ISLAND SHOWCASE The Dudes Camp Radio Glory Glory Miesha and the Spanx

$15 12:30 11:30 10:30 9:30

Failure Epics We’re Doomed Kuato The Wides

$15 12:30 11:30 10:30 9:30

THE NEW PALACE

GUS’ PUB

HUMANS Jaguar Knight Catholic Gaydar PINEO

HPX 2012

$10 POP MONTREAL PRESENTS 1:00 The Blind Shake 12:00 Ponctuation 11:00 Slam Dunk 10:00 Bloodhouse

PROGRAM GUIDE

$10 1:00 12:00 11:00 10:00

THURS OCT 18 MOLSON M PRESENTS $32 Wintersleep 11:00 Elliott BROOD 9:45 Rain Over St. Ambrose 8:45 Kestrels 8:00

RDIO PRESENTS Purity Ring Southern Shores Organ Magic Club Stoic JAGERMEISTER PRESENTS El-P Ambition Ain’t No Love Weirdo Click Ryan Hemsworth

$25 1:00 12:00 11:00 10:00 $20 11:00 10:00 9:00 8:00 featuring

EXCLAIM! PRESENTS $25 The Helio Sequence 9:00 Jon Samuel 8:00

FRI OCT 19 LIXAR PRESENTS $32 of Montreal 11:00 Sheer Agony 10:00 The Bicycles 9:00 Hymm 8:00

SAT OCT 20 MOLSON M PRESENTS $25 Black Lips 11:00 Cold Warps 10:00 Monomyth 9:00 The Group Sound 8:00

LIXAR PRESENTS Deer Tick Parlovr The Belle Comedians Billie Dre and the Poor Boys

$25 12:30 11:30 10:30 9:30

20TH ANNIVERSARY The Super Friendz Cool Blue Halo Hip Club Groove The Stratejakets

$25 12:30 11:30 10:30 9:30

CONVERSE PRESENTS Ceremony Bad Vibrations Castle Wolfenstein Yellowteeth

$15 11:00 10:00 9:00 8:00

SIRIUS XM PRESENTS The Pack A.D. Shooting Guns Like a Motorcycle Ambersand

$20 11:00 10:00 9:00 8:00

TICKETPRO PRESENTS $25 Yamantaka // Sonic Titan 9:00 Instruments 8:00

JAC PRESENTS The Spring Standards North Lakes Long Distance Runners Wind Up Radio Sessions

$15 12:30 11:30 10:30 9:30

CANADIAN BLAST SHOWCASE Hilotrons Extra Happy Ghost!!! Technical Kidman Bredrins

$15 12:30 11:30 10:30 9:30

FRESHTABLES PRESENTS P80/Doc Brown FRESHTABLES Adventure Club dVbbs Bit Funk MattyBoh

$20 2:30 1:30 12:30 11:30 10:45 10:00

THE NEW HFX PRESENTS DJ Craze Skratch Bastid DJ IV Nick Bike DJ James Reid DJ T-Woo

$20 2:30 1:30 12:30 11:30 10:30 9:30

The Nymphets Sonic Avenues Fat Stupids Stop Motion Massacre

$10 1:00 12:00 11:00 10:00

PIGEON ROW SHOWCASE Lantern Mike O’Neill Jon Mckiel Old & Weird

$15 1:00 12:00 11:00 10:00

PORTER AIR PRESENTS $25 Cold Specks 9:00 Julie Doiron 8:00 HUNTER’S ALEHOUSE PRESENTS Mardeen English Words Hands and Teeth Seamus Erskine

$15 12:30 11:30 10:30 9:30

$20 Zola Jesus 10:00 Tasseomancy 9:00 This Sound Will Save You 8:00

Secret Guests COUSINS Stalwart Sons Scribbler

$15 1:00 12:00 11:00 10:00

HELP DESK

>> LOOKING FOR MORE? Check the following pages to learn more about other fabulous events happening at HPX: HPX DIGITAL CONFERENCE | PAGE 10

RECORD FAIR | PAGE 23

ZINE FAIR | PAGE 23

>> HXP HQ ATLANTICA HOTEL 1980 ROBIE STREET

Also make sure you come visit us at The Halifax Pop Explosion HQ in the Atlantica Hotel. It will be the hub of the festival with the Ticketpro box office, where wristbands, passes, tickets and merch can be purchased for the duration of the festival.

THE COMPANY HOUSE

THE CARLETON

TUES OCT 16

OPENING PARTY Al Tuck Secret Guests Gianna Lauren

$15 11:30 10:30 9:30

WED OCT 17 $10 Mark Davis 11:00 Pat LePoidevin 10:00 Paper Beat Scissors 9:00 Terra Lightfoot 8:00

Ria Mae 10:30 Quiet Parade 9:30

THURS OCT 18 FRI OCT 19 SAT OCT 20 $10 IDOW SHOWCASE $15 AUDIO BLOOD & SPINCOUNT SHOWCASE $15 Tasseomancy 11:00 The Burning Hell 11:00 Mo Kenney 12:00 Demetra 10:00 Catriona Sturton 10:00 Willie Stratton 11:00 Doom Squad 9:00 Amos the Transparent 9:00 Gabrielle Papillon and the Mighty Oak 10:00 Sea Glasses 8:00 Nick Everett & Everybody 8:00 Revelstoke 9:00 Folly and the Hunter 8:00 $15 Heather Green 10:30 Slow Down, Molasses 9:30 POLARIS SALON FREE 5PM - 7PM

THE PAVILION

Cauldron Black Moor Dumpster Mummy Metalheart

THE REBECCA COHN AUDITORIUM MICHAEL’S BAR & GRILL

D.O.A. The Hemingways Word on the Street the i don’t give a rips

$15 12:00 11:00 10:00 9:00

FREE Long Weekends 6:30 Freak Heat Waves 5:30

D5R SHOWCASE Cauldron Dance Laury Dance Black Moor Death Valley Driver Diemonds

$15 1:00 12:00 11:00 10:15 9:30

ROCKABILLY RIOT Ginger St. James Big John Bates Buddy McNeil & the Magic... The Green Reflectors Helena Darling

WEIRD CANADA SHOWCASE Each Other Freak Heat Waves TORSO Heaven For Real

$10 11:00 10:00 9:00 8:00

JAZZ FEST SHOWCASE Jerry Granelli Hey Mother Death PANOS Special Costello

FREE Southern Shores 6:30 This Sound Will Save You 5:30

ROCKOPOLIS SEASONS RESTAURANT

CONVERSE PRESENTS Bane Ceremony Code Orange Kids Secret Guests Barlow

$15 8:45 7:45 7:00 6:15 5:30

Career Suicide Napalm Raid OUTTACONTROLLER Vixens

$15 1:00 12:00 11:00 10:00

Irreverand James & the Critical... Canailles Young River Owen Dacombe Steel

$15 11:30 10:30 9:30 8:30

SYMPHONY NOVA SCOTIA PRESENTS Dan Mangan 7:30

THE BUS STOP THEATRE

CKDU LOBBY

$10 9:00 8:00 7:00 6:00

$15 1:00 12:00 11:00 10:00 featuring $15 11:00 10:00 9:00 8:00

FREE OUTTACONTROLLER 6:30 Sonic Avenues 5:30 JAGERMEISTER LOUNGE 10PM-2AM

JAGERMEISTER LOUNGE 10PM-2AM

Music Managers Forum Mixer (5-7pm)

PROGRAM GUIDE

HPX 2012

HELP DESK

VENUES AND SITES Where to go now that you know what to do CKDU LOBBY ALL AGES 494.6479 CKDU.CA 6136 UNIVERSITY AVE ROOM 420 GUS’ PUB 19+ 423.7786 2605 AGRICOLA STREET

REBECCA COHN AUDITORIUM ALL AGES 494.3820 ARTSCENTRE.DAL.CA 6101 UNIVERSITY AVENUE

REFLECTIONS CABARET 19+ 422.2957 REFLECTIONSCABARET. COM 5184 SACKVILLE STREET

OLYMPIC COMMUNITY HALL ALL AGES/19+ 422.7373 SAINTANTONIOS.CA/HALL 2304 HUNTER STREET

ST. DAVID’S CHURCH HALL ALL AGES 477.7568 1537 BRUNSWICK STREET

ST. MATTHEW’S UNITED CHURCH ALL AGES

THE COMPANY HOUSE 19+ 404.3050 THECOMPANYHOUSE.CA 2202 GOTTINGEN STREET

THE MARQUEE CLUB 19+

ROCKOPOLIS STUDIOS 19+

454.6600 MICHAELSHALIFAX.CA 6100 YOUNG STREET

421.2304 ROCKOPOLISHALIFAX. COM 2304 HUNTER STREET

423.9209 STMATTS.NS.CA 1479 BARRINGTON STREET

THE PAVILION ALL AGES

THE BUS STOP THEATRE ALL AGES/19+ 1.888.639.1169 THEBUSSTOPTHEATRE.ORG 2203 GOTTINGEN STREET

THE CARLETON MUSIC BAR & GRILL 19+ 422.6335 THECARLETON.CA 1685 ARGYLE STREET

237.5587 HALIFAXPAVILION.COM 5816 COGSWELL STREET

THE NEW PALACE 19+ 420.0015 THENEWPALACE.COM 1721 BRUNSWICK STREET

2037 GOTTINGEN STREET

MICHAEL’S BAR AND GRILL 19+

PACIFICO NIGHTCLUB 19+ 422.3633 PACIFICO.CA 1505 BARRINGTON STREET THE SEAHORSE TAVERN 19+ -423-7200 THEECONOMYSHOESHOPGROUP.CA/SEAHORSETAVERN 1667 ARGYLE STREET

THE ATLANTICA HOTEL ALL AGES 423.1161 ATLANTICAHALIFAX.COM 1980 ROBIE STREET

MAP

Impress your friends with your knowledge of the city GUS’ PUB MICHAEL’S BAR AND GRILL THE COMPANY HOUSE THE BUS STOP THEATRE

OLYMPIC COMMUNITY HALL

ROCKOPOLIS STUDIOS

THE CARLETON

THE PAVILION THE MARQUEE CLUB

REFLECTIONS CABARET

ATLANTICA HOTEL

THE SEAHORSE

THE PALACE

PACIFICO NIGHTCLUB

ST. DAVID’S HALL ST. MATTHEW’S UNITED CHURCH REBECCA COHN AUDITORIUM CKDU LOBBY

HPX 2012

PROGRAM GUIDE

Fly in style with Porter.

TORONTO • QUÉBEC CITY • SAULT STE. MARIE • HALIFAX • MONCTON • MONTRÉAL OTTAWA • ST. JOHN’S • SUDBURY • THUNDER BAY • WINDSOR • TIMMINS • CHICAGO • BOSTON NEW YORK • MYRTLE BEACH • MONT TREMBLANT • WASHINGTON DC

Music showcases

Thursday ocTober 18

oLYMPic coMMuNiTY haLL 2304 huNTeR sTReeT, $32, 8PM MOLSON M PRESENTS

wINTersLeeP

eLLIoTT brood

raIN oVer sT. aMbrose

KesTreLs

(haLIFaX, Ns) wintersleep.com

(ToroNTo, oN) elliottbrood.com

(yarMouTh, Ns) onesheet.com/rainoverstambrose

(haLIFaX, Ns) kestrels.ca

Ten years ago, the members of Wintersleep began working on songs in a small apartment in Halifax, NS. The songs they created were strange, full of rural ghosts and forgotten landscapes. A decade later, Wintersleep—who can now be referred to as “Juno Award winners” in promotional documents such as this—have brought their sound to audiences across many territories and continents.

Since forming in late 2002, their sounds have been labeled “death country,” “blackgrass” and even “urban hillbilly,” none of which truly capture the essence or energy of the band. With Elliott BROOD, the storytelling is paramount. The band presents tales from the dustier sides of life in dimly lit rooms with half empty bottles.

Out of the foggy banks of Nova Scotia emerges a band that combines powerful melodies with good old-fashioned rock ‘n’ roll. Their knack for churning out high-energy pop-rock anthems earned the band the title of Best New Band in Halifax in The Coast’s Best of Music poll.

Kestrels have not created a wall of sound, but rather a wall of noise. Drums crash, bass swells and guitars howl while notes bend in cacophony. Through it all, melodies shine and you are left with the distinct impression that noise and melody can co-exist.

The MaRQuee cLuB 2037 GoTTiNGeN sTReeT, $25, 10PM RDIO PRESENTS

PurITy rING

souTherN shores

orGaN MaGIc

cLub sToIc

(haLIFaX, Ns/MoNTreaL, Qc) purityringsongs.com

(haLIFaX, Ns) southernshoresmusic.wordpress.com

(haLIFaX, Ns)

(haLIFaX, Ns) soundcloud.com/club-stoic

Purity Ring makes lullabies for the club, drawing equally from airy ’90s R&B, lush dream-pop, and the powerful immediacy of the very best modern indie-pop... beautifully alien.

Southern Shores’ debut Atlantic is an EP of pure pop bliss and wanderlust, gravitating towards tropical coastlines and losing yourself to idyllic settings. Beneath the bright, balmy surface of Atlantic is a series of songs with simple, resonant melodies.

HPX 2012 Program guide

A nod, a glance, a downward look, the sweet air of your cigarette, police sirens, a palm tree growing out of a mouth, unholy black clouds, red candle light, how I died the first time.

The music is psychedelia that’s been dressed up, dressed down, twisted, broken and glued back together again so that it can provide audio satisfaction whenever you need a dose of really great stoner jams, and listening to Black Mountain for the 20th time in a row just won’t do.

Music showcases

Thursday ocTober 18 ReFLecTioNs caBaReT 5184 sacKViLLe sTReeT, $20, 8PM (Please provide 2 pieces of iD—1 gov’t, 1 other) JAGERMEISTER PRESENTS

aMbITIoN (haLIFaX, Ns) kream.bandcamp.com

Combine raw talent, determination, and a love for hip-hop, and you’ve got Ambition. Having already put out a mixtape, and a full length LP, Just for Kicks; this Halifax native already has the local industry buzzing.

aIN’T No LoVe eL-P

ryaN heMsworTh

(brooKLyN, Ny) facebook.com/therealelp

(haLIFaX, Ns) ryanhemsworth.bandcamp.com

As a lyricist, El-P is a hyper-verbose spitfire full of paranoia and contradictions. Production-wise, his electro-aggro beats are forward-leaning in a way that conjures images of gunmetal gray machines, and the political ideology of 1984.

Nova Scotian producer Ryan Hemsworth is both a product of his time and one of the rising stars quickly attracting attention with an onslaught of singles, remixes, and mixes. His influences are as vast as the artists who have requested his Midas touch, from Brodinski to Kreayshawn.

(MoNTreaL, Qc) aintnolove.com

Fresh oﬀ showcases at SXSW, NXNE, Pop MTL, and M For MTL festivals, this electronic hip-hop quartet born in Toronto but cultivated in Montreal is making the music they want to hear.

weIrdo cLIcK (haLIFaX, Ns) weirdoclick.tumblr.com

Dysfunctional family. Heavily based upon mood creating music and celebrating hardcore rap. Very multicultural. Definitely 16+ content and come fucked up.

sT. MaTThew’s uNiTeD chuRch 1479 BaRRiNGToN sTReeT, $25, 8PM EXCLAIM! PRESENTS

>> F LaS HBaCK: 1 995

The heLIo seQueNce

JoN saMueL

(PorTLaNd, or) facebook.com/HelioSequence

(haLIFaX, Ns) hiddenpony.ca

Tape and analogue delays, spring and plate reverbs, tube pre-amps, ribbon microphones, and analogue synths...add this to their new improvised lyrical style and Brian Eno-esque ambient production it all serves as a testament to the beauty, blessing, and excitement of a fresh start.

Samuel reportedly builds pop songs using only a few chords, and this provides “the best foundation on which to build with scrappy instrumentation and playful vocal harmonies”

Headliners include ELLIOTT SMITH, PANSY DIVISION and HAYDEN

Program guide HPX 2012 43

Music showcases

Thursday october 18 THE SEAHORSE TAVERN 1665 ARGYLE STREET, $15, 9:30PM JAC PRESENTS

THE SPRING STANDARDS

NORTH LAKES

LONG DISTANCE RUNNERS

WIND UP RADIO SESSIONS

(Austin, TX) thespringstandards.com

(Charlottetown, PE) northlakesmusic.bandcamp.com

(St. John’s, NL) thelongdistancerunners.com

(Montreal, QC) windupradiosessions.com

An energetic force of three-part harmony circling over a rock ‘n’ roll sound with an old country aftertaste. They explode on stage with spirit, spontaneity, and a style all their own. “They willingly embrace dissonance, and their execution is impeccable, from their tight, CSN-worthy vocal harmonies to their wickedly intense percussive power.”

North Lakes are a five-piece rock ’n’ roll band from Charlottetown, PEI. Their first LP Cobra was named Best Alternative Recording of the Year by Music PEI in 2011. North Lakes have recently completed recording their second album, Grand Prix, which they will be promoting over the course of the next year.

On their latest nationally acclaimed full-length album, TRACKS, we find Newfoundland’s Long Distance Runners further exploring their stoner rock, folk and bluesy roots. Again, clever wordplay, catchy melodies and sweet harmonies draw the listener into a compelling listening experience.

Wind Up Radio Sessions are a finely woven fabric that write and perform folk-rock songs with charming arrangements and intimate lyrics. The group are now releasing their second LP Bird Eyes. Tumble to dry.

LOOK FOR US IN OCTOBER

@THEFOODWOLF FACEBOOK.COM/THEFOODWOLF

Music showcases

Thursday ocTober 18 The New PaLace 1721 BRuNswicK sTReeT, $20, 10PM FRESHTABLES PRESENTS

adVeNTure cLub (MoNTreaL, Qc) soundcloud.com/ AdventureClubDubstep

Full time dubsteppers, part-time lumberjacks.

dVbbs

FreshTabLes

(ToroNTo, oN) dvbbs.com

(haLIFaX, Ns) soundcloud.com/freshtables

dVbbs is an electro/house duo from Toronto, Canada. Alex and Chris write and produce bangers that are sure to keep the party going. Their unique style allowed them to quickly build a loyal fanbase, which in turn allowed them to release their EP Initio this March.

Remember the good old days of dubstep, moombahton and electro...oh wait, those days are now. With DJ Olympics, a radio show and award-winning online music mag Triple Bypass under his belt, Freshtables will make you move like you didn’t know you could.

bIT FuNK

P-80

doc browN

MaTTyboh

(brooKLyN, Ny) bitfunk.com

(haLIFaX, Ns) soundcloud.com/p80music

(haLIFaX, Ns) soundcloud.com/Tristan-k

(haLIFaX, Ns) soundcloud.com/matty-boh

Brooklyn’s Bit Funk is an indie-dance mainstay and Hype Machine chart topper, with songs featured everywhere from Treasure Fingers’ DJ crate to the soundtrack for CW’s Vampire Diaries. Appearing on major labels from Defected to Hed Kandi, his signature synthdrenched disco sound has ignited dance floors from LA’s Avalon to exclusive showcases at SXSW.

Halifax bass music producer and DJ, signed to Code of Arms Records (NYC) and Freak2Freak Records (FL). His energetic sets provide a fresh yet familiar angle to electronic music and are nothing short of ground shaking.

Resident DJ with Full Circle Events, Halifield, and Modul8 not to mention being co-founder/host of Bass Bias Radio, Doc Brown has had the privilege to play with acts like A-Skillz, Mt Eden Dubstep, Joe Nice, and Myagi just to name a few.

MattyBoh is now becoming one of Halifax’s biggest party rockers to hit the DJ scene. With his release of his first original track “M.D.M.A,” MattyBoh has been getting local and international recognition with some of the biggest electronic music blogs.

>> F LaS HBaCK: 200 1 Headliners include PEACHES, THE WEAKERTHANS, N CLASSIFIED and The Band’s GARTH HUDSO

Program guide HPX 2012 45

Music showcases

Thursday october 18 GUS’ PUB 2605 AGRICOLA STREET, $10, 10PM

THE NYMPHETS

SONIC AVENUES

FAT STUPIDS

STOP MOTION MASSACRE

(Montreal, QC) thenymphets.com

(Montreal, QC) sonicavenues.com

(Halifax, NS) fatstupids.bandcamp.com

(Halifax, NS) stopmotionmassacre.bandcamp.com

The Nymphets started in Montreal, and have, more recently, been based in New York, Stockholm and Halifax. They are family and play punk music. They have played shows throughout North America and Europe.

After obliterating eardrums from stages across North America and Europe in support of their blistering, triple-sold-out 2009 self-titled debut album, these four Montreal punk-poppers returned in 2012 with a crushing follow-up for revered Portland-based punk label DIRTNAP RECORDS, and conquered Europe for the second time in as many years!

Mostly fat and stupid as a fox, this three-chord pop-punk trio from Halifax 1-2-3-4s its way through its set with buzzsaw guitars, dual lead vocals and a bone crushing back beat. Quit your job, drop out of school and come join us; we’re with the Fat Stupids.

Stop Motion Massacre are inspired equally by the Minneapolis underground scene of the ’80s and the physical and emotional wreckage that follows an allnight drinking binge. They can bash out relentless pre-post-hardcore or ringlead an improv circus, but consider themselves a pop group first.

THE COMPANY HOUSE 2202 GOTTINGEN STREET, $10, 8PM

TASSEOMANCY

DEMETRA

DOOM SQUAD

SEA GLASSES

(Toronto, ON) tasseomancymusic.com

(Winnipeg, MB) headinthesand.ca/demetra

(Toronto, ON) doomsquad.bandcamp.com

(Halifax, NS) seaglasses.bandcamp.com

Tasseomancy is a continuation of what was a bare-bones neo-folk duo. Formerly known as Ghost Bees, Canadian twins Sari and Romy Lightman have found a heavier, more ambient sound, ripe with dreamy, dissonant vocals, influenced by eastern song, drone music, phonography and myth.

With her silken voice revealing a wild soul of the world, Demetra’s songs speak to broad landscapes, icy tundra, and the solitude of the wild. They are manifested in bone-chilling melodies, haunting arrangements and the warm blanket of lush reverb.

Their music utilizes an eclectic mix of instruments and loops that bridge Western popular music traditions like garage-rock and psychedelia with spiritually infused indigenous approaches to music like trance, repetition, breathing and chants.

Sea Glasses is Garrett Mombourquette and Brant Hunter—previously known as Aux. Out, hidden behind a thick fog of tape hiss. Banquet Ltd. writes, “dreampop with short interludes of crystallized ambiance.” A lush composition of swirling colour, replete with live percussion, and electronic soundscapes.

HPX 2012 program guide

Music showcases

Thursday ocTober 18 The caRLeToN Music BaR & GRiLL 1685 aRGYLe sTReeT, $15, 9:30PM

heaTher GreeN (haLIFaX, Ns) heathergreen.ca

Heather Green initially commands the stage with an endearing bashfulness that quickly disappears when the first notes are sung. Shifting from cordial conversation to witty wisecracks, her live performance is as multi-faceted as her music.

sLow dowN, MoLasses (sasKaTooN, sK) slowdownmolasses.bandcamp.com

An indie rock collective from Saskatoon with a cast of seven (sometimes more) members with a unique wall-of-sound. Songs that began as sparse, arrangements have developed into full-fledged, lush indie-folk anthems filled with strings, horns and layers of feedback drenched guitars and sweet vocal harmonies.

9 NIGHTS… OR ALL YEAR MORE THAN A FESTIVAL — JAZZEAST IS A COMMUNIT Y

JAZZEAST T H E H O M E O F J A Z Z I N AT L A N T I C C A N A D A JOIN US! NEW! More JazzEast Jazzeast.com membership types have 902-492-2225 been added giving you a more custom experience.

Musicians, music fans, families, couples, and supporters now have a better way to take part.

T D H A L I F A X J A Z Z F E S T I V A L J U LY 5 –13 , 2 013

Music showcases

Thursday ocTober 18 MichaeL’s BaR aND GRiLL 6100 YouNG sTReeT, $15, 9:30PM D5R PRESENTS

bLacK Moor (darTMouTh, Ns) black-moor.com

Black Moor plays pure, unapologetic heavy metal—think bullet belts, air guitar solos, denim and leather. The boys bring a sense of fun and an explosive live show to the stage.

deaTh VaLLey drIVer cauLdroN

daNce Laury daNce

(ToroNTo, oN) cauldronmetal.com

(Quebec cITy, Qc) dancelaurydance.com

In 2011, CAULDRON’s sophomore studio album Burning Fortune upped the ante for the band. The video for the track “All Or Nothing” made its way onto the Rock Band Network and garnered more then 350,000 views on YouTube/Vevo. Burning Fortune also gained the band a Juno nomination for Best Metal Record.

Dance Laury Dance is here to stay. With their rock ’n’ roll high kicks, fiery stares, electrifying solos and irreverent banter, DLD is rock solid. Their music makes crowds go wild and brings life to the party.

(charLoTTeTowN, Pe) deathvalleydriver.bandcamp.com

Death Valley Driver will leave you with a sore neck and a few bruises. Since forming in 2008, they have become one of the hardest gigging metal bands having played all over the Maritimes.

dIeMoNds (ToroNTo, oN) diemonds.net

Toronto’s hungriest band, clawing their way out of the underground with their saccharine-and-daggers hard rock. Fronted by rock’s most dangerous deity Priya Panda, the band shines on stage, commanding an audience all night long.

The Bus sToP TheaTRe 2203 GoTTiNGeN sTReeT, $10, 8PM WEIRD CANADA PRESENTS

each oTher

FreaK heaT waVes

Torso

heaVeN For reaL

(MoNTreaL, Qc) eachotherssongs.bandcamp.com

(VIcTorIa, bc) freakheatwaves.bandcamp.com

(haLIFaX, Ns) torso.bandcamp.com

(haLIFaX, Ns)

Rich in guitar with shimmer while some texture psychedelic and pop harmonies, songs of either drum. To amplify it further, sheath unique addition to it becoming clear outline more a moment feel have also to the strength of the core is.

TORSO has been recording and performing power electronics noise for the past eight years using custom-built electronic instrumentation to evoke hallucinatory industrial soundscapes.

HPX 2012 Program guide

Baby jazz music. Kind of like handstand practice by the tall hotel—except with songs instead of grass stains.

Music showcases

Thursday ocTober 18 cKDu LoBBY 6136 uNiVeRsiTY aVeNue room 420, FRee, 5:30PM

souTherN shores (haLIFaX, Ns) southernshoresmusic.wordpress.com

Southern Shoresâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; debut Atlantic is an EP of pure pop bliss and wanderlust, gravitating towards tropical coastlines and losing yourself to idyllic settings. Beneath the bright, balmy surface of Atlantic is a series of songs with simple, resonant melodies.

ThIs souNd wILL saVe you (haLIFaX, Ns) facebook.com/thissoundwillsaveyou

This Sound Will Save You blends unexpected electronic arrangements with epic pop adventures. Their live show is a musical fruit smoothie bursting with unique vocals, analog synthesizers and computer based loops drenched in catchy melodies and dance inspiring rhythms.

>> F LaS HBaCK: 2 002 CAT POWER headlines the

Marquee, pulls a Cat Power

MUSIC SHOWCASES

FRIDAY

OCTOBER 19 OLYMPIC COMMUNITY HALL 2304 HUNTER STREET $32 8:00PM LIXAR PRESENTS

SHEER AGONY (MONTREAL,QC) sheeragony.bandcamp.com

Sheer Agony began as a recording project between the guitar-playing half of Play Guitar, Jackson MacIntosh and Christian Simmons. Along with Markus Lake on bass, they play eccentric guitar pop in the vein of the Soft Boys, the dB’s, Sell Out-era Who, Todd Rundgren, and the Homosexuals.

THE BICYCLES (TORONTO, ON) thebicycles.bandcamp.com

For over a decade The Bicycles have been purveyors of perfect, compact pop. Their 2 albums, “The Good, The Bad and The Cuddly” (2006) and “Oh No, It’s Love (2008)” combine classic songwriting and musicianship with scrappy DIY energy. After a lengthy hiatus, the group now return with their 3rd album.

OF MONTREAL (ATHENS, GA) ofmontreal.net

hope chest handjobs at dorm room fargos, 68 straight/gay days of glacial life, theosis and hydromancy using a sword’s blade (preferably dong fang) and pronouncing a few latin phrases in the gothic manner “advocat infame vatem dici”

HYMM (HALIFAX, NS) hymm.bandcamp.com

Like a kick in the POP ROCKs with an oversized novelty COWBOY boot. Blah blah blah blasphemy.

ROCKOPOLIS STUDIOS 2304 HUNTER STREET, WRISTBAND/PASS ONLY, 10PM JAGERMEISTER LOUNGE

Come down to the Jagermeister Lounge for two nights of exclusive parties. Open only to bands, delegates and wristband and passholders, the Jagermeister Lounge will have performances and a party vibe. Open to 19+ only.

HPX 2012

PROGRAM GUIDE

>> FLA SHB ACK : 200 5 Headliners include JAPANTHER, HAWKSLEY WORKMAN, K’NAAN and TED LEO

MUSIC SHOWCASES

FRIDAY OCTOBER 19 THE MARQUEE CLUB 2037 GOTTINGEN STREET $25 9:30pm LIXAR PRESENTS

DEER TICK

PARLOVR

THE BELLE COMEDIANS

(PROVIDENCE, RI) deertickmusic.com

(MONTREAL, QC) parlovr.com

(FREDERICTON, NB) thebellecomedians.bandcamp.com

BILLIE DRE AND THE POOR BOYS

The songs are there. The delivery is in your face. There’s no studio magic. There’s no hiding the fact that Deer Tick is just five regular dudes making music that is raw, loud, heartfelt, and completely uninterested in whatever the hell the rest of the music industry is up to.

Parlovr (pretend the V is a U when you say it). Over the last few years, these three Montrealers have been bringing their manic melee of indie pop to the musically-curious masses. It’s quirky, it’s catchy, and while it’s full of familiar throwbacks to ‘60s pop, ‘80s post-punk, and ‘90s garage, it’s also refreshing.

The kind of band that takes the stage like they are climbing into your ear and hanging out for while. It’s a comfortable and interesting sensation. Their music aims for impact; songs build and flow, taking you by the hand and sharing with you a story you want to hear.

(HALIFAX, NS) billiedre.bandcamp.com

Billie Dre and the Poor Boys started in late 2010 as a recording project between former Childern of Eve guitarist William Dray and former Grass drummer Dylan Ryan. Finding common ground in old country and rock and roll records the pair soon started to find a sound. Corey Henderson soon became the perfect fit to play bass and the Poor Boys were born.

REFLECTIONS CABARET 5184 SACKVILLE STREET $15 8:00PM (Please provide 2 pieces of ID—1 gov’t, 1 other) CONVERSE PRESENTS

CEREMONY

BAD VIBRATIONS

CASTLE WOLFENSTEIN

YELLOWTEETH

(ROHNERT PARK, CA) ceremonyhc.com

(HALIFAX, NS) badvibrations.bandcamp.com

(HALIFAX, NS) castlewolfenstein.bandcamp.com

(SACKVILLE, NB) yellow-teeth.bandcamp.com

Ceremony are a punk band from Rohnert Park, California, just outside of San Francisco. Their three albums on the Deathwish and Bridge 9 labels are widely seen as the most compelling, unusual and progressive hardcore of the last five years.

Delivering sweet mayhem to friends and strangers since 2009.

Castle Wolfenstein are a five piece blackened hardcore punk/metal band from Halifax, Nova Scotia. Forming in the winter of 2009, Castle Wolfenstein has since released a demo (“Demo I”), a split CD with Oceans Apart, and are soon to release their first full length record, Enter Castle Wolfenstein, in Spring of 2012.

Yellowteeth was formed out of frustration and the boredom of a small town summer. Four friends gave birth to a band that threatens to tear itself apart at any second. Shredding guitar, gain, crunch and hooks. Yellowteeth wants to peel your skin off one layer at a time.

PROGRAM GUIDE

HPX 2012

MUSIC SHOWCASES

FRIDAY OCTOBER 19 ST. MATTHEW’S UNITED CHURCH 1479 BARRINGTON STREET $25 8:00PM TICKETPRO PRESENTS

YAMANTAKA//SONIC TITAN (MONTREAL, TORONTO)

Through reference to a variety of cultural forms the band shatters the comfort with which colonialist cultures have appropriated the image and art of Asian and First Nations peoples to assemble a unique hybrid form. This is Noh-Wave, and it simultaneously recalls pop and J-pop, British prog and Japanese psychedelia, punk rock and Iroquois social songs, black metal and Chinese Opera, noise music and Noh theatre.

INSTRUMENTS (HALIFAX, NS) instrumentslab.com

Minimalist ambient particle rock; by nerds, for nerds since 1993.

>> FLA SHB ACK : 200 3 Headliners include RON SEXSMITH, LES SAVY FAV, DEATH SCENE (Feist version) ABOVE (pre-1979) and BROKEN SOCIAL

FROM

THE SEAHORSE TAVERN 1665 ARGYLE STREET $15 9:30PM CANADIAN BLAST PRESENTS

HILOTRONS

EXTRA HAPPY GHOST!!!

TECHNICAL KIDMAN

BREDRINS

(OTTAWA, ON) hilotrons.ca

(CALGARY, AB)

(MONTREAL, QC) technicalkidman.bandcamp.com

(HALIFAX, NS) bredrins.bandcamp.com

“These guys are like Spiritualized if Spiritualized were more fun, less cerebral and more into the ritualistic dance circles.” Dan Seligman [Pop Montreal]

One half surf-pop and one half angular guitar, Bredrins are singing you love songs from the underground. Originally from Halifax, this husband-wife duo recently packed up their belongings and moved to Northern Ontario. Now they sing about the ocean.

HILOTRONS are the pride of Ottawa, cranking out a string of power pop hits since 2003. The 5-piece band is peerless in their ability to walk onto the stage in any town or city, face an audience of strangers, and by the 3rd song have them in a sweat, eating out of their hands.

HPX 2012

myspace.com/extrahappyghost extra happy ghost!!! used to say, “happiness is not found at the end of a rainbow, it lays in a sensory deprivation chamber with ‘red headed stranger’ playing on repeat”. it turns out, that requires sound now they say nothing.

PROGRAM GUIDE

MUSIC SHOWCASES

FRIDAY OCTOBER 19 GUS’ PUB 2605 AGRICOLA STREET $15 10:00PM PIGEON ROW PRESENTS

LANTERN

MIKE O’NEILL

JON MCKIEL

OLD & WEIRD

(PHILADELPHIA, PA) lantern.bandcamp.com

(HALIFAX, NS) mikeoneillmusic.com

(PETITE RIVIÈRE BRIDGE, NS) jonmckiel.com

(HALIFAX, NS) oldandweird.bandcamp.com

After a couple of killer cassettes on Night-People and backing everyone’s favorite crooner Dirty Beaches, Lantern steps over to Bathetic with their new cassette Dream Mine. Not for the faint of heart, this slab is hot ‘n’ raw, wild ‘n’ nasty. Voodoo drips off the tape as it unwinds.

Concise pop music written for bass by Mike O’Neill. Great drumming by Mike Clattenburg. Chiming guitar with Charles Austin. Smart-organ comping by Laura Peek. Tight vocal harmonies. No mistakes.

On the edge of a golden river there is a small house filled with dark songs. Jon McKiel makes music that rides that elusive line between feathery folk and a total sludgefest.

Old & Weird are four friends from Halifax. Pretty much one person says “I was doing this,” and the other person says “cool.” They include one to a million ideas per song.

MUSIC SHOWCASES

FRIDAY OCTOBER 19 THE NEW PALACE 1721 BRUNSWICK STREET $20 9:30PM THE NEW HFX PRESENTS

>> FLA SHB ACK : 200 6 Toronto’s FUCKED UP headlines Stage Nine and The Pavilion two years before The Chemistry of Common Life blows them up worldwide

DJ CRAZE

SKRATCH BASTID

(MIAMI, FL) djcraze.com

(HALIFAX, NS) skratchbastid.com

“My mom always taught me I could do anything I put my mind to. So when she asked what I wanted to do with my turntables, I told her, ‘Be the best DJ in the world,’” And that he proved 3 times at the DMC World Championships, an unprecedented record.

From his humble beginnings a decade ago as a teenager in Halifax- the illest redhead on turntables has since gone viral. Increasingly recognized for his comfort and versatility in different styles – hip hop, funk, disco, club, rock, and just about every other genre that will make you dance.

DJ IV

NICK BIKE

(HALIFAX, NS) theivleague.ca

(CHARLOTTETOWN, PE) djnickbike.com

Halifax’s Award Winning DJ IV started his early career as a Battle DJ & has since progressed his style into a Party-Rockin’, Remixing Turntablist who is the OFFICIAL DJ for local legends Classified & Universal Soul.

Nick Bike is an open-format DJ and producer. He has had the opportunity to play across the country with some of Canada’s finest DJ talent, all while obtaining his BBA at UPEI. Continuously pumping out mixtapes and various productions, he prides himself on constant learning, dedication, and hard work.

HPX 2012

PROGRAM GUIDE

DJ JAMES REID

DJ T-WOO

(HALIFAX, NS) twitter.com/JamesDReid

(HALIFAX, NS) @djtwoo

Straight out of Halifax, this young playa has been making crowds “get buck” for a minute. Whether he’s playing dirty-south rap classics, or indie rock hits, you know the party will be poppin’ off !

Based out of Halifax, NS, T-Woo has been playing all over the east coast for over 5 years. More than comfortable jumping between genres, Woo is one of the most versatile hard working djs in Atlantic Canada. He has the knowledge and experience to rock any party, big or small.

MUSIC SHOWCASES

FRIDAY OCTOBER 19 THE COMPANY HOUSE 2202 GOTTINGEN STREET $15 8:00PM IN THE DEAD OF WINTER PRESENTS

THE BURNING HELL

CATRIONA STURTON

AMOS THE TRANSPARENT

(ST. JOHN’S, NL) wearetheburninghell.com

(OTTAWA, ON) catrionasturton.com

(OTTAWA, ON) amostthetransparent.com

The Burning Hell is the alter-ego of ukulele player and all-purpose nerd Mathias Kom, now happily based in St. John’s, Newfoundland. The essence of The Burning Hell is music to dance to while laughing about death and smiling out of the side of your mouth.

Catriona Sturton plays deep, raw instrumental blues, and sings light, sweet songs. She learned to file harmonica reeds in a Halifax alley, studied in New Orleans and Mississippi, and apprenticed with master teachers of shamisen (Japan) and ngoni (Mali). Her guitar playing has been mistaken for Ali Farka Toure’s.

Although they claim to be transparent Amos are anything but. They live between the light and the dark, sometimes in the shadows, occasionally in the dark, more often in the light. Their songs take them there. Quantum shifts between heavy and light, soft and hard, loud and quiet.

NICK EVERETT & EVERYBODY (HALIFAX, NS) nickeverett.bandcamp.com

Nick Everett is folk/found-sound songwriter from Halifax. Everybody is an always changing lineup of sounds from spate-rock rhythm to Anglican choral. Nick Everett & Everybody unite their disparate imaginations and offer them up with focused energy and heart.

MUSIC SHOWCASES

FRIDAY OCTOBER 19 THE PAVILION

5816 COGSWELL STREET $10 6:00pm

CAULDRON

BLACK MOOR

DUMPSTER MUMMY

METALHEART

(TORONTO, ON) cauldronmetal.com

(DARTMOUTH, NS) black-moor.com

(DARTMOUTH, NS) facebook.com/dumpstermummy

(HALIFAX, NS) facebook.com/MetalHeartOfficial

In 2011, CAULDRON’s sophomore studio album Burning Fortune upped the ante for the band. The video track ‘All Or Nothing’ made its way onto the Rock Band Network and garnered more then 350,000 views on YouTube/Vevo. Burning Fortune also gained the band a JUNO nomination for Best Metal Record.

Black Moor plays pure, unapologetic heavy metal; think bullet belts, air guitar solos, denim and leather. Never taking themselves too seriously, the boys bring a sense of fun and an explosive live show to the stage which has made them one of the premiere metal acts on the Canadian East Coast.

Intensity in physical form, Not just musically, but visually. With a wide variety of influences, Dumpster Mummy offers an original twist to traditional heavy music. Providing a relentless live performance, full of energy and aggression.

Replete with heavy riffs, thematic lyrics, classically influenced instrumentation and explosive double bass drum grooves decorated by intense guitar and keyboard solos, Metalheart is a fusion of Progressive Metal, Power Metal, Neoclassical Metal, Thrash Metal and 80’s Hard Rock.

THE REBECCA COHN AUDITORIUM 6101 UNIVERSITY AVE $29-54 7:30pm SYMPHONY NOVA SCOTIA PRESENTS

DAN MANGAN (VANCOUVER, BC) danmanganmusic.com

Vancouver’s Dan Mangan is one of independent music’s fastest rising stars. With his epic arrangements, earnest lyrics, and ambitious folk-rock sound, he’s sold out concerts across the country and earned countless award nods – including four 2012 Juno nominations and a spot on the 2010 Polaris Prize shortlist. London’s Sunday Times recently called Dan Mangan “one of the most thought-provoking writers of his generation” – just one of many glowing reviews from outlets like the BBC, the National Post, Q, Exclaim!, and the Guardian. Now, experience Dan’s rich, textured music combined live with Symphony Nova Scotia in his first-ever orchestral appearance.

HPX 2012

PROGRAM GUIDE

>> FLA SHB ACK : 200 7 It’s HPX’S 15TH ANNIVERSARY. All but three headliners are Canadian. Two of those are Japanese.

MUSIC SHOWCASES

FRIDAY OCTOBER 19 MICHAEL’S BAR AND GRILL 6100 YOUNG STREET $15 10:00pm ROCKABILLY RIOT PRESENTS

GINGER ST. JAMES

BIG JOHN BATES

(TORONTO, ON) gingerstjames.com

(VANCOUVER, BC) bigjohnbates.com

“Ginger St. James cleverly mixes vaudeville, cabaret, rock and roll and tease like a bartender fixing a million dollar drink.”

Fuelled by fire and keeping whiskey within close reach, Bates & his razorsharp Gretsch chiseled out a career with a caravan of misfits, playing hundreds of shows every year across North America & Europe. Big John Bates has what Pavement might describe as miles of style.

BUDDY MCNEIL AND THE MAGIC MIRRORS (MONTREAL, QC) buddymcneilandthemagicmirrors. bandcamp.com

A 50s journey revisited by the musicians of the band - four well-known faces of the Montreal indie scene - which gives a happy mix of 60s rock’n’roll garage, 50s high school pop dance, country and South-West cotton blues... Wam Bam!

THE GREEN REFLECTORS (BRIDGEWATER, NS) thegreenreflectors.bandcamp.com

A two piece instrumental rock band based in Bridgewater, NS. Think tube amps and vintage vinyl records, 60’s flavour rock n’ roll influenced by such artists as Link Wray, The Ventures and The Beatles. Their music includes a few tribute songs and some catchy original numbers.

.ca LIGHTS. SOUNDS. THE NEW HOTNESS.

MUSIC SHOWCASES

FRIDAY OCTOBER 19 THE BUS STOP THEATRE 2203 GOTTINGEN STREET $15 8:00pm JAZZ FEST PRESENTS

JERRY GRANELLI

HEY MOTHER DEATH

PANOS

SPECIAL COSTELLO

(HALIFAX, NS) jerrygranelli.com

(HALIFAX, NS/PARIS, FR) heymotherdeath.com

(HALIFAX, NS)

(DARTMOUTH, NS) specialcostello.bandcamp.com

Jazz Times magazine calls Granelli “one of those uncategorizable veteran percussionists who’s done it all.” A Canadian citizen since 1999, Granelli burns with an intensity fuelled by a passion for “the pursuit of the spirit of spontaneity which drives the player.” A veteran of the San Francisco jazz scene, Granelli’s recent flourish of recordings has documented remarkable collaborations between the generations.

Hey Mother Death are partners Laurence Strelka (Paris) and Denma Peisinger (Halifax). Ethereal French and English poetry, wild avant-guitar exploration, minimalist organs, deconstructed rhythm. The duo create a mesmerizing, dark and dramatic moodscape. An unclassifiable and surprising late night vibe. The free jazz score of a forgotten avant-gard French film

PANOS is Panos Giannoulis’ (Their Majesties, Jerry Granelli) songs played on guitar, bass, drums, sax, violin and red-light district church bells.

Their shows glisten with theatrical bravura as they take the stage in face paint and outlandish costumes. The music being bass and drums exclusively is stripped down, yes, but still commands your attention and sings to you as if you were the only girl/boy in the world.

CKDU LOBBY 6136 UNIVERSITY AVENUE room 420, FREE 5:30pm

>> FLA SHB ACK : 200 8

OUTTACONTROLLER

SONIC AVENUES

(HALIFAX, NS) outtacontroller.bandcamp.com

(MONTREAL, QC) sonicavenues.com

Wielding buzz saw guitars, power-punk riffs, and fuzzed-out garage vocals OUTTACONTROLLER comes crashing out of the gates of North End Halifax with frantic, gritty pop songs about girls, gumption, and graveyards.

HPX 2012

PROGRAM GUIDE

JAY REATARD headlines

The Marquee Club, doesn’t punch anyone on stage

MUSIC SHOWCASES

SATURDAY OCTOBER 20

OLYMPIC COMMUNITY HALL 2304 HUNTER STREET, $25, 8PM MOLSON M PRESENTS

COLD WARPS (HALIFAX, NS/OTTAWA, ON) coldwarps.bandcamp.com

Brilliant AM radio power-pop poured through fuzz and played faster and louder. Simple songs, lo-fi production, sparse solos and raw-sugar harmonies. The fixed link between Halifax and Ottawa, Cold Warps are garage/power-pop at its whatever-est.

MONOMYTH (HALIFAX, NS) mmyth.bandcamp.com

Will be wonderful.

THE GROUP SOUND BLACK LIPS (ATLANTA, GA) black-lips.com

It is this question, the question of belief, nay, the question of faith, that is the crux of the matter. It is this question that was asked of the Black Lips. And the Black Lips have answered it. They have answered it in their songs and in their actions. They have answered it for every shit-assed, burned-out brat that staggers out of the suburbs.

(MONTREAL, QC) thegroupsound.bandcamp.com

Drawing influence from ‘60s garage, surf, doo-wop, and late ‘50s rock and roll, The Group Sound makes music that is familiar yet contemporary. With reverbsoaked guitar riffs, boy-girl vocals and instantly catchy melodies the band has adapted old sounds to their own context.

ROCKOPOLIS STUDIOS 2304 HUNTER STREET, WRISTBAND/PASS ONLY, 10PM JAGERMEISTER LOUNGE

HPX 2012

PROGRAM GUIDE

>> FLA SHB ACK : 200 8 Tel Aviv’s garage-rock juggernaut MONOTNOIX takes its Gus’ Pub show into Agricola Street. Cops watch but don’t do anything

MUSIC SHOWCASES

SATURDAY OCTOBER 20 THE MARQUEE CLUB 2037 GOTTINGEN STREET, $25, 9:30PM 20TH ANNIVERSARY SHOW

THE SUPER FRIENDZ (HALIFAX, NS) thesuperfriendz.bandcamp.com

No strangers to the Halifax Pop Explosion, The Super Friendz have been rocking faces off since the beginning. Critically acclaimed, Juno-nominated and time-tested…

COOL BLUE HALO

HIP CLUB GROOVE

STRATEJAKETS

(HALIFAX, NS) youtube.com/watch?v=JrSkImq97Nw

(TRURO, NS) facebook.com/pages/ Hip-Club-Groove

(HALIFAX, NS)

Cool Blue Halo was a well-loved veteran band of the Halifax music scene who came together and found peace of mind in a unanimous love for pure, classic pop. They left the alternative stereotype behind to deliver well-crafted, infectious tunes. Broken up since 1998, they are returning for a 20th anniversary party not to be missed.

M88Kenzie, Cheklove, and Big Moves—cocky, witty, skilled, sharp, and completely awesome. Hip Club Groove were known as trailblazers for east coast hip-hop, their live shows scorched the country and rarely ended.

The Stratejakets are looking forward to sharing a sampling of their long musical history together with some eager ears at this year’s HPX.

REFLECTIONS CABARET 5184 SACKVILLE STREET, $20, 8PM(Please provide 2 pieces of ID—1 gov’t, 1 other) SIRIUS XM PRESENTS

THE PACK A.D.

SHOOTING GUNS

LIKE A MOTORCYCLE

AMBERSAND

(VANCOUVER, BC) thepackad.com

(SASKATOON, SK) shootingguns.ca

(HALIFAX, NS) likeamotorcycle.bandcamp.com

(SURREY, UK) ambersandofficial.co.uk

A dense cloud of fuzz bomb riffs, tribal rhythms, and hard (legal) drugs. An epically fierce explosion of blues, punk, and garage rock that dwarfs all those before it. Neither mythological beast nor unrepentant dipstick stands a chance of surviving the aural onslaught of The Pack A.D..

Recently recognized on the Polaris Music Prize Long List, Shooting Guns haunts the foggy moor between Sabbath-styled doom riffery and heavy pulse-riding kraut-rock. Their spectacle is rapidly attracting a cult of barbarian metal-heads, indie hipsters, Neanderthals, nerds, and the well-dressed ladies who scare them.

Aggressive, yet melodic guitar playing chasing the heels of dance/rhythmic and galloping drum beats clutching firmly to bass lines that relentlessly strut around the stage. Vocals that reflect, haunt and flip you off all at once. Sweaty and loud.

We are a four-piece alternative core band from London and sunny Surrey in the UK. We have created a blend of British indie with an inlay of Californian influenced music. A sum-up line would be: “American influenced, unmistakably English.”

PROGRAM GUIDE

HPX 2012

MUSIC SHOWCASES

SATURDAY OCTOBER 20 ST. MATTHEW’S UNITED CHURCH, 1479 BARRINGTON STREET, $25, 8PM PORTER AIRLINES PRESENTS

JULIE DOIRON (SACKVILLE, NB) http://www.juliedoiron.com/

COLD SPECKS (TORONTO, ON) coldspecks.com

Describing her sound as “doom soul,” Cold Specks’ music is steeped in the musical traditions of the deep South. With a voice that evokes the “spirit feel” of Mahalia Jackson and the visceral tones of Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Cold Specks’ sparse arrangements and chain gang rhythms stop you dead.

More than any other songwriter, you can tell exactly what’s going on in her life. Direct and painfully honest, she lays it all out in her lyrics.In the past, listeners have shared in the heartbreak of loneliness, the break-up of a band, the grind of raising young kids, and the dark fears anyone can slip into during a relationship. While the direct approach is still very present, this time she’s almost the happiest woman in town.

>> FLA SHB ACK : 200 8 Headliners include GIRL TALK, MATES OF STATe, CRYSTAL ANTLERS and CADENCE WEAPON. HANNAH GEORGAS

plays The Toothy Moose at 9:30

THE SEAHORSE TAVERN 1665 ARGYLE STREET, $15, 9:30PM HUNTER’S ALEHOUSE PRESENTS

MARDEEN

ENGLISH WORDS

HANDS AND TEETH

SEAMUS ERSKINE

(HALIFAX, NS) myspace.com/mardeen

(CHARLOTTETOWN, PEI) englishwordsband.com

(TORONTO , ON) handsandteeth.com

(HALIFAX, NS) seamuserskine.bandcamp.com

Mardeen stepped away from performing and writing for a bit. After getting some inspiration from one record in particular, they felt that urge to get back in the saddle. They wrote a bunch of songs and recorded them live. They’re releasing the record when it gets hot out.

This five-piece has created a collage of new wave and ‘80s alternative, with bursts of neo-psychedelia and even a hint of Britpop, forming a singular vision of original and infectious electro-rock. For over a year now the band has been working hometown crowds in Charlottetown, PEI, into a frenzy.

Toronto’s Hands and Teeth are a collective indie rock explosion that lies somewhere between quiet/delicate and loud/abrasive rock and roll. Duelling female and male vocals lead the pack while catchy-as-heck melodies steal the show.

Seamus Erskine’s sets consist of precise rock and roll and free-form skronk punctuated by absurdist humour and interaction with the audience.

HPX 2012

PROGRAM GUIDE

MUSIC SHOWCASES

SATURDAY OCTOBER 20 THE NEW PALACE 1721 BRUNSWICK STREET, $20, 8:00PM

ZOLA JESUS

TASSEOMANCY

(LOS ANGELES, CA) zolajesus.com

(TORONTO, ON) tasseomancymusic.com

Nika Roza Danilova has gone from being an outsider experimental teenage noise-maker to a full-fledged internationally celebrated electronic pop musician. Despite her age (young), her geography (mid-western, desolate), her accelerated scholastic requirements and her diminutive physical size (4”11, 90lbs) she has emerged as a figurehead—a self-produced, self-designed, self-taught independent woman.

Tasseomancy is a continuation of what was a bare bones neo-folk duo. Formerly known as Ghost Bees, Canadian twins Sari and Romy Lightman have found a heavier, more ambient sound, ripe with dreamy, dissonant vocals, influenced by eastern song, drone music, phonography and myth.

We’ve come a long Way and We don’t mean the flight

Since starting out on the edge of the country in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, JAC has gained international recognition for our work. We’ve flirted with the Webbys, pitched to the city of New York, and helped the province move into the future. At JAC, we don’t just find solutions for our clients, we create them. Come meet us at the Seahorse on Thursday, October 18th.

709 754 0555 jac.co

THIS SOUND WILL SAVE YOU (HALIFAX, NS) facebook.com/thissoundwillsaveyou

MUSIC SHOWCASES

SATURDAY OCTOBER 20 GUS’ PUB 2605 AGRICOLA STREET, $15, 10PM

SECRET GUEST

We’ll be bringing you super-secret plays from HPX headliners in our more intimate venues. Stay tuned to our social media channels for details... or just show up, you won’t be let down!

COUSINS

STALWART SONS

SCRIBBLER

(HALIFAX, NS) http://cousinscousins.bandcamp. com/

(CALGARY, AB) http://stalwartsons.bandcamp.com/

(HALIFAX, NS) http://scribblerband.bandcamp.com/

Imagine if the melodic aggression of Rites of Spring were raised listening to B.T.O. With classic rock-informed riffs, shredded vocal cords yet packaged with a pop sensibility with catchy, bouncing bass lines, and some of the most cathartic & sincere songs ever hoarsely sung by unabashed Albertans.

Scribbler is percolated tapes, anything worth repeating gets rehearsed. Scribbler shows rely on spontaneity and experimentation; the performances are painfully loud and hauntingly calm. Scribbler has a rich, prolific past and plans a concentrated future. Scribbler is Neo Grunge Twee with fuzzy clean washed out warmth & waves of feelings.

COUSINS is a tidy little band from Halifax. I’ve come prepared for the long night. I’d rather use my heart and mind, fighting for a love that’s kind.

THE COMPANY HOUSE, 2202 GOTTINGEN STREET, $15, 8PM AUDIOBLOOD/SPINCOUNT PRESENT

GABRIELLE PAPILLON AND THE MIGHTY OAK (MONTREAL, QC) gabriellepapillon.com

“Gabrielle Papillon has a hook that clasps a handle on the heart—she simply breathes vocals.” “She’s a new kind of folk performer, almost a hybrid, a bit of an indie-rock kid as well.”

REVELSTOKE MO KENNEY

WILLIE STRATTON

(WAVERLEY, NS) mokenney.com

(BEDFORD, NS) williestratton.bandcamp.com

Mo Kenney is 21 years old and resides in Waverley, Nova Scotia. Mo writes songs on a Hensel parlour guitar and enjoys singing them for people when the opportunities arise. A few of the songs are happy. Most are not.

Willie Stratton is a howling, seething cyclone of god-fearing folk music. Lashing together three-part harmonies, thundering war drums, and a whole lot of soul, Willie Stratton is slightly less likely to make you feel OK than they are to kill your boredom absolutely stone cold dead.

HPX 2012

PROGRAM GUIDE

(TORONTO, ON) revelstokemusic.ca

Revelstoke is folk music played in an underwater city trapped in the ’40s using alien technology. Mini-symphonies built using a banjo, mandolin, violin bowed guitar with gentle poetic lyrics looped through a pedal. Abstract and dreamy.

FOLLY AND THE HUNTER (MONTREAL, QC) follyandthehunter.com

Catchy melodies, multiple harmonies and a subtly crafted mix of acoustic instruments blend to create warm and full compositions. Folly and the Hunter bases its sound in the American folk tradition and pulls inspiration from contemporary indie and post-rock trends.

MUSIC SHOWCASES

SATURDAY OCTOBER 20 THE PAVILION 5816 COGSWELL STREET, $15, 5:30PM CONVERSE PRESENTS

CODE ORANGE KIDS (PITTSBURGH, PA) codeorangekids.bandcamp.com

They’re from Pittsburgh, they’re all teenagers, they play hardcore and we’d be damned if you can find anything that will leave you feeling the same after one of their notorious shows.

SECRET GUEST BANE

CEREMONY

(WORCESTER, MA) facebook.com/banecentral

(ROHNERT PARK, CA) ceremonyhc.com

Founded on beliefs that are in short supply within the current underground music scene, Bane has established themselves as one of the most influential and relevant bands in hardcore today. Since their inception, they’ve become one of the scene’s hardest-working bands touring the world over.

Ceremony is a punk band from Rohnert Park, California, just outside of San Francisco. Its three albums on the Deathwish and Bridge 9 labels are widely seen as the most compelling, unusual and progressive hardcore of the last five years.

NEW THIS OCTOBER

NOMEANSNO: GOING NOWHERE

MARK BLACK | $12.95 | ISBN 978-1-9267432-7-1 ALSO NEW THIS FALL: HOW TO GET ALONG WITH WOMEN | ELISABETH DE MARIAFFI

invisiblepublishing.com

We’ll be bringing you super-secret plays from HPX headliners in our more intimate venues. Stay tuned to our social media channels for details... or just show up, you won’t be let down!

BARLOW (HALIFAX, NS) barlowband.`bandcamp.com

Barlow are a thrash/hardcore band with rock and roll styling to match. Slow and brooding, the intensity rolls out as they grind your bones to bake their bread.

MUSIC SHOWCASES

SATURDAY OCTOBER 20 MICHAEL’S BAR AND GRILL 6100 YOUNG STREET, $15, 10PM

CAREER SUICIDE

NAPALM RAID

OUTTACONTROLLER

VIXENS

(TORONTO, ON) careersuicide.net

(DARTMOUTH, NS) napalmraid.blogspot.com

(HALIFAX, NS) outtacontroller.bandcamp.com

(HALIFAX, NS) http://vixens.bandcamp.com/

Career Suicide is a hardcore punk band from Toronto, Canada. Effectively formed in 2001, the band’s first live performance took place in January 2002, with first recorded output soon to follow. The band has gone on to record several full-length albums and singles on various international labels.

“They fucking sounded like a bomb going off, with massive waves of noise being showered across the room in all directions, making you either wanna start slamming around in glorious ignorance to the people around you or to fucking stand there stunned by what the band was playing.”

Wielding buzz saw guitars, power-punk riffs, and fuzzed-out garage vocals OUTTACONTROLLER comes crashing out of the gates of north end Halifax with frantic, gritty pop songs about girls, gumption, and graveyards.

VIXENS: All woman, all hardcore punk, always fast and noisy. Four best buds just givin’ it all we’ve got. Smoke volcanic dope.

THE BUS STOP THEATRE 2203 GOTTINGEN STREET, $15, 8:30PM

IRREVEREND JAMES AND THE CRITICAL MASS CHOIR (MONTREAL, QC) irreverendjames.com

A secular, rabble-rousing, barn-burning, queer-positive, feminist, subversive gospel music band. The spirit of old-time gospel music fit with a modern script. Through this uniquely uplifting form of expression and barn-burning live performances, the joyful and spiritually rewarding experience of the religious mass, they reach atheists and theists alike.

HPX 2012

CANAILLES

YOUNG RIVER

OWEN DACOMBE STEEL

(MONTREAL, QC) canailles.bandcamp.com

(TIMBERLEA, NS) youngriverband.com

(HALIFAX, NS) owensteel.bandcamp.com

Canailles’ love story took a whole new level after a couple of months, and they started writing their own songs in French Quebecois joual, crafting a sound that would be all their own, a crazy mix of cajun, zydeco, country, blues, bluegrass, ragtime and rock garage.

Young River writes modern-day nocturnes about the fine lines between secrets and announcements, lust and love, and good and evil. Their debut album is a lyrical expression of the things we keep to ourselves, combined with sweltering guitar solos over dues-paying rock and roll rhythms.

From a one-man band with a 12-string tuned to C, a kick drum, and homemade microphones, to on-the-spot improvised ensembles with players from the crowd. It’s built to pay homage to the past, yet retain a perfectly original sound.

PROGRAM GUIDE

Canadaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Music Store

CIMA presents

at Halifax PoP ExPlosion 2012

ore

Saturday, OctOber 20

s In -St

The SeahorSe Tavern

TECHNICAL KIDMAN

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Sales

Ren tal s

BREDRINS

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9:30 PM

10:30 PM

EXTRA HAPPY GHOST!!!

HILOTRONS

11:30 PM

12:30 AM

canadianblast.com |

@canadianblast |

facebook.com/canadianblast | cimamusic.ca

Canadian Blast is an initiative of the Canadian Independent Music Association (CIMA)

Happy 20th Birthda y HPX!

6065 Cunard Street, Halifax, 902.496.6900 1717 Bedford Highway, Bedford, 902.496.6960 124 Main Street, Dartmouth, 902.496.6996

MUSIC/CULTURE/MEDIA

THE PICKS LIST!

THE PLACES TO GO, CHOSEN BY THE PEOPLE YOU TRUST... BEST BREAKFAST SPOT It’s a landslide tie for MARY’S PLACE CAFE (2752 Robie Street or 5982 Spring Garden) and COASTAL CAFE (2731 Robie Street)! Second place goes to THE ARDMORE TEA ROOM (6499 Quinpool Road). Ask Ashley (HPX Event Coordinator) to take you to JENNY’S PLACE (6211 Lady Hammond Road).

CAFES, COFFEE, CAFFEINE JAVA BLEND (6027 North Street) is the

north end favourite, where most HPXers hang out.

JUST US (5896 Spring Garden Road) and SECOND CUP (5425 Spring Garden Road) have the Spring Garden Road market covered from end to end.

And TWO IF BY SEA can bring you from one side of the harbour to the other with a location in Historic Properties (1869 Upper Water Street) and in Dartmouth (66 Ochterloney Street).

GREAT PLACE TO GO FOR A CHEAP LUNCH Check out Seamus Erskine (p62) and Kris McCann’s favourite CARIBBEAN TWIST near the Hydrostone Market (3081 Gottingen Street) or their downtown location in The Discovery Centre (1593 Barrington Street). Ashley Moran (HPX Event Coordinator) challenges them with PASSAGE TO THE CARIBBEAN (5467 Cornwallis Street). Take the ferry to Jeremy Lutes’ (HPX Vice Chair) favourite JOHN’S LUNCH (352 Pleasant Street) in Dartmouth, or get a gourmet burger in a music hot spot with Trevor Murphy (HPX Board member) at the ACE BURGER COMPANY (2605 Agricola Street) inside Gus’ Pub. If you’re looking for something fresh

from the North End try SMITH’S BAKERY (2525 Agricola Street) as recommended by Jonny Stevens (HPX Executive Director) and kxd clvr (Weirdo Click, p43).

CHECK THIS OUT FOR YOUR LATE-NIGHT TAKE-OUT FIX Pizza rules the late night scene in Halifax, be it from MEZZA LEBANESE KITCHEN, formerly Venus Pizza (1558 Barrington Street), TONY’S (2390 Robie Street), RANDY’S (2380 Agricola Street), JESSY’S (1146 Barrington Street), SALVATORE’S (5541 Young Street) or X-TREME (5970 Spring Garden Road). If you’re not feeling pizza check out

SMOKE’S POUTINERIE (5234 Blowers Street) or BURRITO JAX (5215 Blowers Street).

FAVOURITE AFTERNOON OUTDOOR HANGOUT SPOTS The HALIFAX COMMON, bring Frisbees (Tristan Brown of Doc Brown, p45), colouring books (Jacqueline Poole, HPX Showcase Coordinator) or check out the tennis courts (Seamus Erskine, p62)

CITADEL HILL, with a cupcake from Susie’s

Shortbreads (Marnie Gillis, HPX Art Director).

Have a drink on the PATIOS ON ARGYLE STREET, with Josh White, Kris McCann and Jeremy MacNeil (HPX Staff and Board Members).

THE BEST PLACE IN THE CITY YOU WOULDN’T FIND OTHERWISE If you’re looking to shop, Josh (HPX Operations Manager) and Kriz (Camp Radio, p25) suggest DRESSED IN TIME (5670 Spring Garden Road); Marnie (HPX

WHO YOU SHOULD FOLLOW FOR THE BEST OF HALIFAX TWEETS

Art Director) and Gavin Mclean (Glory, Glory p25) want you to find new shoes at FRENCHY’S (6054 Almon Street) and Tara Thorne (HPX Board Member) will take you to the darkside to VALUE VILLAGE (375 Pleasant Street).

Looking for people to follow? Get a handle on these! @stephaniejohns @stilldrunkenest @WayeMason @thedingler @markmarklittle @liveactionfloyd @ilovelocalhfx @HfxIsBurning @hfxhappyhour @DiscoveryCntr @andrewneville @hughstewart @flagontheplay911 @ajcrowley @100_deep

If you’re looking to explore, Jason (HPX Production Coordinator) wants you to learn some of Halifax’s military history in YORK REDOUBT (off Route 253, Purcells Cove Road) and POINT PLEASANT PARK (5718 Point Pleasant Drive). Levon Campbell (Hymm, p50) suggests TEA LAKE (Pottery Lane) or if you’re willing to take a day trip Darren Johnson (HPX Marketing Director) says to try HIRTLE’S BEACH (Lunenburg).

AWESOME SHOPS TO BUY AWESOME STUFF Hey, we’re a music festival, so it’s not surprising that we like to buy music and instruments right? Check out OBSOLETE RECORDS (2454 Agricola Street), TAZ RECORDS (1593 Market Street), LONG & MCQUADE (6065 Cunard Street), CD HEAVEN (118 Wyse Road), GIG STREET MUSIC (6029 Cunard) and HALIFAX FOLKLORE CENTRE (1528 Brunswick Street) to get your fix. For souvenirs, toys, and more go find Marnie (HPX Art Director) and Jeremy (HPX Volunteer Coordinator) at BISCUIT (1661 Argyle Street), Jacqueline (HPX Showcase Coordinator) at CARBONSTOCK (1235 Barrington Street), Josh Hogan (HPX Board Member) at FASHIONABLY DEAD (13-5239 Blowers Street), Derrick Hiltz (Stop Motion Massacre, p46) at PLAN B (2180 Gottingen Street), Darren Johnson (HPX Marketing Director) at STRANGE ADVENTURES (5262 Sackville Street) and Stephanie Purcell (HPX Board Member) at THE SEAPORT MARKET (1209 Marginal Road).

And for festival updates and insider secrets, pay attention to these twits: @halifaxpopx - OFFICIAL FESTIVAL TWITTER @jonnystevens - EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR @hpxjosh - OPERATIONS MANAGER @smashleymoran - EVENT COORDINATOR

VERIFIED VEGETARIAN AND VEGAN-FRIENDLY Halifax has a wide range of restaurants that cater to vegans and vegetarians, THE HEARTWOOD (6250 Quinpool Road) being the Halifax staple. Ledrew (The Wides, p30) suggests LIU’S FORMOSA GIFT & TEA HOUSE (278 Wyse Road) and Garrett Momborquette (Sea Glasses, p46) loves THE PAPER CHASE (5228 Blowers Street). Kim and Michelle (Like A Motorcycle, p61) recommend THE WOODEN MONKEY (1707 Grafton Street) along with Kris McCann (HPX Board Member), Jeremy MacNeil (HPX Volunteer Coordinator) and Tristan Brown (Doc Brown, p45) for a nice night out.

PROGRAM GUIDE

HPX 2012

MUSIC/CULTURE/MEDIA

INDEX OF BANDS

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