Studio Soundtrack features five songs selected by a student at Waterloo Architecture. This edition comes from grad student Dave Holborn, who has lived and worked through co-op terms and beyond in the amazing city of Saint John, New Brunswick.
This week’s Studio Soundtrack brings you some music from Canada’s East Coast. And, no, not the traditional or celtic-inspired folk that typically comes to mind, no offence to Stompin’ Tom (RIP).
From greasy dive bars and house parties, to independent music festivals, the east coast boasts a vast selection of relatively unheard-of artists. Punk, indy, electronic, and everything in between, there’s a great local scene of humble and talented musicians with some of the most dedicated fans I’ve seen. Going to shows is like watching a bunch of friends hang out to jam; everyone trades instruments, people jump on stage to join in, and everyone is likely in at least 5 other bands. It’s not much in the grand scheme of things, but the people there make it count. The following is just a small selection to tap into the obscure and unacknowledged musical talent that lies to the east of us.
1. Plumtree – Scott Pilgrim
Starting with a classic, Plumtree is a now defunct all-female indie rock/power pop band. This song was actually the inspiration for the titular character in Bryan Lee O’Malley’s graphic novel series of the same name.
2. Language-Arts – Fight or Flight
Language-Arts is an upbeat indy band whose latest album, Able Island, is an homage to their home province and Sable Island (the one with more horses than people).
3. Shotgun Jimmie – King of Kreuzberg
Only sort-of from the East Coast, Manitoba-born Jimmie eventually relocated to Sackville, New Brunswick, where he was involved with the foundations of Sappyfest – an independent music festival that takes over the small New Brunswick town every year. He’s been a local favourite ever since.
4. Nap Eyes – Mixer
Relax with another group from Halifax: poetic alt-rock band Nap Eyes records all their music straight to tape in live takes and no overdubs, which helps enforce that unpolished and small town vibe.
5. Cousins – Jules
Ending with a bang, a sort of greasy surfer rock. These guys have played many of my friends’ backyards and basements in exchange for a place to crash while touring through, always fun.
Samuel Ganton is a graduate student at the University of Waterloo School of Architecture. His thesis research focuses on designing a thunderstorm observatory on a lake in Venezuela.
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