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Teachers’ strike at NSCC looming

Tim Mitchell
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With the imminent threat of a teacher’s strike at the Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC), one student, Eric Lortie, is concerned for his educational future.

“My feelings towards the strike probably mirror that of most students. We’re all a mix of apprehensive, angry and upset. No one who takes their education seriously thinks it’s a good thing,” says Lortie, a first-year information technology student at NSCC.

There are more than 25,000 NSCC students at 13 campuses across Nova Scotia who would be affected by the strike.

“I have mixed feelings as to how it’s been handled by the administration and staff. I’ve probably been harder and less supporting of the faculty than I should, but that’s because a strike vote is, to my mind, them saying, ‘We are more important than the students.’ Although, from their point of view, they are.”

There are 760 faculty members and 165 support staff at NSCC who could take to the picket lines on Oct. 20 if an agreement can’t be made with the administration at the community college.

The teachers want more money. The school’s administration says they don’t have any for them, but the province might. The province isn’t saying much of anything yet. Meanwhile, students across the province are standing on the sidelines, waiting to see if they can keep going to class.

NSCC and the Nova Scotia Teacher’s Union (NSTU) have been at the bargaining table for 16 months trying to negotiate wages, and teachers have been left without a contract since Aug. 31.They want a 2.9 per cent wage increase for two years, and improved health benefits. It would be the same deal that public school teachers in Nova Scotia received last year.

Negotiations reached a stalemate in June, and as a result, on Sept. 22, more than 90 per cent of union members voted in favour of a strike. They have been in a legal position to strike since Sept. 25. There is, however, still a chance that the strike can be averted. If so, classes can resume as usual after Sept. 20.

Alexis Allen, President of NSTU speaks for the teachers and support staff for the community college. She has given an ultimatum to the administration and the province: agree to binding arbitration, or the strike is on.

“We’re asking that the minister (of education) and the community college agree to binding arbitration, and we call the strike off,” says Allen.

If the college and the department of education agree to enter into binding arbitration with the teacher’s union, it means that an independent third party would settle the dispute, and all three parties would have to live with what was decided.

“It has never been our intent to disrupt the education of 25,000 students and impact the economic viability of the Nova Scotia Community College,” says Allen. “We just want a fair and equitable settlement for our members, however that can be achieved.”

But the administration at NSCC says that there is not enough money in the budget to afford what the faculty is asking for.

“They feel it’s a fairness principle,” says Gina Brown, director of communications and marketing for NSCC. “But we have a finite amount of money in terms of our mandate, so that’s where we are.”

She says the community college administration will consider entering into binding arbitration.

“Our goal is to avoid a strike, it’s as simple as that. So we’re willing to look at all options. We are willing to look at binding arbitration, but there’s one thing that we all have to keep in mind with binding arbitration, is that it will require the consent of three parties. That’s NSTU, NSCC and the government. If an arbitrator is assigned, we all have to accept the outcome of the arbitration. If that’s the case we all have to live with the outcome and that means that the government might have to provide more resources to meet that outcome, whatever it is.”

The community college is looking to the provincial government for funding assistance.

“We have a finite amount of money from the government and that’s what we’ve got to work with. We just don’t have any room there. We have to work within our fiscal means.”

The provincial government is trying to stay out of negotiations, but Nova Scotia Premier Darrell Dexter has stated that they will consider entering into binding arbitration.

“With anytime there’s potential for a strike, we’re concerned,” says Dan Harrison, media spokesperson for the Department of Education. “That’s why we’re encouraging both sides to get together and try to reach an agreement. We have a lot of respect for the collective bargaining process and this is a process that we shouldn’t be subjecting ourselves in.”

The province has a $54 million reserve set aside in the budget for anticipated wage increases of public servants, but Harrison couldn’t say if the government would consider using some of the funds to help teachers.

If the strike does happen, the community college administration says it has a contingency plan for students. Even though classes would be suspended, some resources would still be made available.

“We will keep the campuses open wherever possible, and the things that would be open would be libraries, learning commons, computer labs, cafeterias, book stores, centres for student success, and some classrooms wherever possible. But there would be no classes held, so what we’re going to do is encourage students to keep working away at their work. They won’t have any faculty involved, but they can join study groups and work on assignments and things like that. So we’re going to do everything we can to help maintain some place for them to go if they require that, but it’s not obligatory – it’s a service to them,” says Brown.

It is too soon to tell if the administration would have to refund students’ tuition in the event of a prolonged strike, but all parties involved hope that it won’t have to come to that.

“We would really love to avoid a strike,” says Brown. “I mean we’ve got 25,000 learners that we’re trying to help receive an education so that’s our big focus.”

When it comes right down to it, no wants a strike. Teachers and support staff would be left without students, the community college campuses would be left unproductive and the province could lose a significant portion of its educated workforce. If all parties can meet in the middle and come to an agreement soon, then a strike can be avoided, and students like Eric Lortie can keep going to class.

“This whole ordeal seems unnecessary,” says Lortie. “They’re debating teachers’ salaries as if it were a significant amount of money, when compared to how much this will cost us (the students) in other ways.

Mind the age gap

Kaley Kennedy
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When I was 15, my life was school, work and shows. My friends, the music I listened to, the people I dated – everything about growing up revolved around those three things. I don’t mean to get all sentimental or anything, but going to concerts as a young teen changed my life.

Even though I grew up in a different province, I doubt my experience is much different from other show-goers. Finding a sense of belonging is important for young people, and music – like religion, politics and sports – is one way that people gather together.

“It is really important to support the all ages scene, and make sure we help people in high school and junior high feel like they are a part of the broader music scene,” says Waye Mason, executive director of The Halifax Pop Explosion, who started going to shows in Halifax when he was 15.

Despite the clear benefits of supporting young people who play in bands and attend shows – not only does it do a lot for the culture of the city, it also helps build supportive communities for youth – organizing all ages events continues to be a struggle.

For this year’s Pop Explosion, about 10 of the about 40 shows are open to all ages. In the past, the festival has even included an all-ages pass specifically aimed at under-aged music lovers who were looking for a deal. It’s not available this year.

“We have a lot parents call to ask, ‘is it safe?’ And it is!” Mason says of all-ages shows. “The kind of teens that want to go see a punk band or a hip-hop show often look forward to those types of shows for months in advance.”

Mason says that while booking all ages shows has never been particularly easy in Halifax, its become more difficult since the Alcohol and Gaming Authority took away all ages shows in licensed venues two years ago.

“In Ontario, they are able to do all-ages shows in a bar, so you have a PA and a stage and you can use it twice in a day; once for an all ages show, once later in the bar show,” Mason explains.

Under current liquor laws in Nova Scotia, under-age young people cannot enter most licensed establishments. Even where exceptions exist, they can only be there with a parent or guardian, and have to leave by 9 p.m.

By making it almost impossible for bars to hold events that underage folks can attend, bands looking to play shows that are open to the under 19 crowd have limited options.

That’s not to say that there aren’t spaces to have all-ages shows.

Concert venues like the Rebecca Cohn and the Halifax Forum are good spaces to hold larger events that will attract a bigger crowd, but the costs of these venues have them reserved for more mainstream artists. All ages shows are also commonly held in churches and church halls, an option that while technically open, is often expensive.

The Pavilion, that concrete box you may or may not have noticed in the South Commons, is the city’s only dedicated all-ages venue. It’s standard to see large groups of young people hanging out there on the weekend, and if you’re walking by, it’s hard to miss the sound of punk and metal bands often emanating from the space.

Unfortunately, the city’s concentration on cost recovery makes it difficult for the venue to stay afloat. In 2003, the Pavilion was forced to close because it didn’t have enough power outlets and no visible civic number. As a result of these small infractions, the space was closed for about two years.

In many cities, including this one, house shows have often served as an alternative to bar shows. While not everyone’s got a home that’s suitable for shows, nor are backyard shows an all-season option here in Canada, house shows can provide a cheap and viable alternative option to the available venues.

Sadly, the police are cracking down on noise complaints, leaving house shows a risky option for many. When the cops are shutting down house shows at 5 p.m. that have been discussed with local neighbours, it becomes clear that they’re not interested in letting the house show scene grow.

For me, what’s hardest about the current strategy of ghettoizing all ages shows to a small set of venues makes it more difficult for there to be mixing of people who are of age and folks who aren’t. People under 19 go to all-ages shows, while people who are over 19 go to bar shows.

There are so many ways that the city and the province could improve the conditions for building music scenes that cross the age of 19 divide. The government could provide grants and incentives for small business owners and community centres to hold all ages concerts, or to hold open mic nights, or to provide subsidized practice spaces. It could let all-ages shows happen in bars, and it could extend wet/dry privileges beyond special events and universities.

At the end of the day, these measures could help defray the main challenge when putting on shows: the price. Since organizers can only rely on the cover price at the door to recover costs, tickets for all ages shows are often higher than bar shows, and at 15, your allowance or part-time job probably doesn’t leave you with the cash to regularly afford the $10 to $20 or more ticket price.

Sadly, it seems that the city and province would prefer to focus their health and safety strategy on banning smoking from every public space and having the police stake out the skate park on the Halifax Commons for helmet infractions.

Supporting more projects that strive to build a stronger music community, that bridge the divide between those of us who are of age and our under-age friends, might also lead to healthier, happier young people, who have more support to make it through the growing pains of adolescence.

Going public

Emily Davidson
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These days, the university doesn’t seem like the great public institution it’s cracked up to be. For the most part we, as students, don’t have a say in what we learn or how we learn it. Beyond making choices between course offerings, you have little control over what is taught in the classroom and what research is conducted. Students aren’t involved in setting the curriculum, deciding how their work will be evaluated or determining who will teach at the university.

What is even more troubling is the fact that Dalhousie’s decision-makers are catering to private interests.

While students are shut out of the conversation, the administration and the government are allowing big business to roll on in. Naming rights in exchange for corporate sponsorship of new infrastructure developments and directed comported funding to develop marketable research are just two examples of how big business speaks on our campus.

If we don’t like the conversation, or the powers who control it, students have the power to change it. Collectively, students have more power, not only to pressure the Dal administration to listen to student voices, but also to create the kind of university students want to see.

Students can make change on campus that extends into the broader community by collectively pooling our resources to make our own independent media, research and services. For example, student-supported, levied societies like the Dalhousie Women’s Centre, DalOUT and the Student Accessibility Fund exist to further collective goals of a diverse campus free from discrimination.

The Gazette is an example that is close to home. This fine paper you are reading is funded by students based on the premise that student issues need more attention than is possible in a standard daily, where students are just one of a plethora of special interest groups.

Similarly, the Nova Scotia Public Interest Research Group (NSPIRG) challenges the corporatizing of the university by creating a resource for activities that support social justice over private gain. If you aren’t familiar with the mandate of NSPIRG, the acronym may seem a little oblique. The group is so named because it supports local independent research that is a benefit to the public interest.

Starting in the 1970s, students all across North America formed campus-based PIRGs to research social problems facing young people and their communities and to come up with more sustainable and just solutions. PIRGs use research and education to share some of the power vested in the university with the broader community.

Despite how you feel during midterms and exams, students have lives outside of school. Many students are also workers, parents, and persons with disabilities. Many students are impacted by racism, sexism, homophobia and other forms of oppression. Climbing tuition fees mean many students are struggling to buy groceries. Others turn to the military because it’s the only way they can get an education.

Most PIRGs fulfill their mandate through funding research and other public education projects with money that is pooled together from students at a particular school or in a particular region. In NSPIRG’s case, a $2 levy from each student per term provides the bulk of the money in the organization’s budget.

Fees collected to run various societies at Dal are democratically decided and can be democratically repealed as well. After a levy is secured by a referendum, societies are assured consistent funding. Consistent funding means a society can spend student dollars to uphold the mandate of the organization and provide services to students without having to constantly justify the existence of the society to potential funders.

Paying these fees allows students membership in the organization. And what makes membership fees different than tuition fees? When you are member you have a direct say in how your money is spent.

Structures are in place to ensure students can get involved, access information about the societies and can hold elected executives or board members and staff accountable. These structures are also there so students can direct the work of the organizations and institutions they are members of.

Maybe you think that NSPIRG should take up a new campaign or start a new working group, but you don’t know where to start. Annual general meetings provide a great space to talk about what NSPIRG could do for an upcoming year.

NSPIRG also offers students the option of opting out of the society, a practice that Dalhousie students mandated, when they democratically voted to fund NSPIRG through a levy.

If you’re super set on getting back your $4, come by during our opt-out period. But before you do, take a minute to think about what can happen when we work together. Feedback and concerns are taken seriously by our board and staff and we are happy to discuss any issues and concerns with members.
Dalhousie isn’t an island after all, and while most of us won’t be students forever, we’ll be citizens for life.

The fall opt-out period runs from Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2009 until Monday, Nov. 2, 2009 at the NSPIRG office in room 314 of the Dalhousie Student Union Building.

Emily Davidson is a board member with NSPIRG.

Canadian students should welcome, not ignore their international peers

David Kumagai
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Besides healthcare, the cultural mosaic is perhaps Canada’s most celebrated concept. Universities nationwide, including Dalhousie, embrace this concept in their approach toward international students. But, as many students from abroad realize, entrenched tolerance doesn’t equate to effusive friendliness.

Despite official multiculturalism, or perhaps because of it, international students studying in Canada are often unofficially segregated from Canadian students.

The university does what it can to make the transition easier. The staff, usually working adults – not other likeminded 20-something students – can only do so much to enable a healthy integration into Haligonian culture. They can layout the welcome mat and offer help with red tape; after that, its up to other students. This, friends, is where I think we could use a lesson in some Rush Hour-esque camaraderie.

For Canadian students, it’s an overlooked opportunity and an underappreciated privilege to show international students a good Canadian time. The university won’t, and probably can’t, teach appropriate Dome attire or advertise the next retro night at the Paragon. That’s where your friendly neighbourhood domestic student should be able to offer some advice.

Canadians seem to focus on making international students feel comfortable instead of welcome. We don’t stare, but we don’t greet either. The emphasis on comfort comes at the expense of making international students a more valued part of the institution and a welcomed addition to our social circles.

We herald the fact that international students can study here and retain as many cultural practices as possible as Canada’s defining appeal. How much are both Canadian and international students losing by adopting this so-called “Canadian way” (namely, the encouragement of international students to do their own thing) in a university setting, where the sharing of ideas and experiences is essential to everyone’s learning?

The great thing about most Canadian universities is that you don’t have to go on an exchange to hear perspectives of people fresh from Germany, the Caribbean, China or the Middle East – they are all over campus.

We are too willing to disregard the problems with watching international students come here, find each other and recreate their home experiences in isolation.

Travelling to a foreign country is an awkward and challenging experience, but that’s a large part of the appeal and the benefit. It’s tough, dreadful at times, but it’s character building.

We should help international students embrace the awkwardness of being in a new country. We should support them through it, rather than simply passively relying on the tolerance built on our common support of a near 30-year-old document.

The idea of a cultural mosaic, ingrained in this generation since primary school, makes it easy for Canadian students to stand pat while international students form their own cliques, societies and clubs, then spend the rest of their experiences segregated in many ways from Canadian students.

When I was overseas, people were constantly reaching out to me, inviting me to their homes and eagerly taking my hand in friendship. Many people had upsetting ulterior motives, but a lot of people were just being friendly to an awkward Asian guy out of his element.

They showed me how things were done in their country, scolded me for inappropriate behaviour and encouraged me to enjoy their way of life. They lacked a charter, but nearly compensated in charisma.
Interacting with foreign peers is my favourite part of travelling, and it’s a shame people coming here rarely get the sort of embrace Canadians get in other parts of the world.

Tolerance is no substitute for hospitality.

Indoctrinated with the infallibility of the cultural mosaic, we are over eager to let international students go their own way, do their own thing, on their own. While the ideology is in place to enable international students to recreate their lifestyles, that doesn’t mean we should sit back and neglect genuine engagement with our international peers.

Multiculturalism is an invaluable aspect of the Canadian way, but its value is lost when it leads to isolated communities. Dalhousie seems to be a microcosm of this Canadian paradox, one that can be overcome by an outreached hand.

David Kumagai writes for The Gazette on international student issues. He is a third-year journalism student at the University of King’s College.

How to explode

Laura Dawe
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Let’s explode together! With so many shows in only five days, your Arts Editor and culture vulture artist Nicholas Robins have waded through swampy hangover brains to provide you with some insight to help plan your week. Everyone already knows Girl Talk is not only going to rule, he is also totally sold out. Let’s take a look together at the bands that are worth seeing that you may or may not have already watched feature films about.

Tuesday, Oct. 20 at The Paragon
Crystal Antlers, Red Mass, Dinosaur Bones, A History Of
Ignite the Explosion at a show headlined by a band of dudes with a terribly clichéd hipster band name! Crystal Antlers puts on a wow-the-crowd, high-energy show that defies defining. They are kind of like Man Man with a little less carnival. One of the two percussionists does crazy, standing-up shit with cymbals, a tambourine and hand drums. Live shows sound a lot more surfy hard rock bangin’ than their smoother recordings. Red Mass is actually just a confusing mass of a million writhing Montrealers. Dinosaur Bones are “melodic indie rock.”  A History Of is “math rock.”

Wednesday, Oct. 21 at Coconut Grove
Bruce Peninsula, Valleys, TGTGG, York Redoubt
This show wins the Wednesday award not because I love bands with a million beaming members, not because I love gang-vocals and not because I love squeaky girl voices on top of dreamy guitar landscapes. Because I don’t, really. What I do love, however, is York Redoubt. And I love them a lot. It might be somehow festival-defeating to recommend a local band when there’s all kinds of out-of-towners to experience for the very first time, but I cannot stop listening the song “Guilloteens” and I would pay whatever they’re asking to see it live. And I will pay that much again two days later.

Thursday, Oct. 22
Thursday is the day.  If you want to traverse the city and drop a trillion dollars and have your mind blown mega open with joy and talent and music juice, you could break this night in two just as it will break your mouth. In two. A smiling two.

St. Matthews at 8 p.m.
Herman Dune, Julie Doiron
Family fun! Bring your nephew! Your kid sister! Your grandma! This all-ages show is all-people friendly. The members of Herman Dune are two Parisian brothers who comprise a sweet (as in saccharine) band of international acclaim. Their senses of humor pair well with sentimental song writing. You should look up the video for “I Wish That I Could See You Soon” if you’re having an ennui-filled midterm downer day.
Julie Doiron just keeps putting out better and better records, putting on better and better shows, getting prettier and prettier and inspiring her crowds to drink tea, ride bikes and play their guitars dirty.

The Paragon Theatre, 9 p.m.
Cadence Weapon, Think About Life, Old Folks Home, Jenocide
Think About Life is the band name that Crystal Antlers wishes it were. Everything about these guys is so awesome and legit. You may recognize red haired Graham Van Peltz because you have a crush on him in his other band, Miracle Fortress. Think About Life are blowing up right now. Up and out of Montreal a la Arcade Fire and Wolf Parade. You may never get to see them again at this low price. And, to ice that tall cake with some sweet beats, Greg Napier of Special Noise will be drumming with them. Cadence Weapon has some of the most original rap flow in Canada and is also Edmonton’s current poet laureate. Jenocide is a stone fox electro babe killer.

Friday Oct 23 at the Toothy Moose
Pterodactyl, Surfer Blood, Play Guitar, Tomcat Combat
Pterodactyl are a three-piece art rock band from Brooklyn with a really bright Myspace page. They are like the exciting, stripped-down younger brother of Animal Collective. Surfer Blood are a low-fi four-piece pop-punk band from Florida who, presumably, will try to compete with Pterodactyl for most badass, energetic, live show. Do they sound like the Beach Boys? Who doesn’t these days! Play Guitar, from Montreal, are loud and great and you will probably recognize Christian Simmons from when he used to rule the Halifax indie scene in bands like The Burdocks, the Hold and Radarfame. Their tight licks know how to make a crowd jerk around.

Saturday, Oct. 24
St. David’s Church, 12 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Ninth Annual Halifax Zine Fair
This free event is always so life affirming and fun! Grab a coffee at the market or at Steve-o-Renos and wander through the arts and minds of those you know and don’t yet know. In addition to charming, handcrafted literature, you will have the opportunity to peruse and potentially purchase records, cassettes, magazines, postcards, handmade stamps, probably some cute crafty things, comics and all manner of stuff that’s really nutritious for your brain.
St. Matthew’s Church, 9 p.m.
Jenn Grant, Timber Timbre
Timber Timbre is really into this haunted theme. His music is what the Ghost Bees put on at dinner parties. It’s the type of album that sounds like Halifax, even though the band is from Toronto. A rainy Atlantic Sunday is primed for this Devendra Banharty, somber Randy Newman. He’s good. You should go see him. You already know you love Jenn Grant.

Are you afraid of comparisons to seminal garage rock bands?

Erica Eades
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While en route to a gig in Sault Ste. Marie, front-man Brohan Moore took time to speak by phone with The Gazette about his indie band The Danks, their experiences on the road, and their newly released album, Are You Afraid of The Danks?

Hailing from Charlottetown, Moore has a laidback and friendly personality. He began by apologizing for being so tired.

“Sorry,” he said. “It’s really early right now – it’s like, 12:30 (in the afternoon).”

Granted, his exhaustion seemed justified considering that the band has spent the past week playing shows in British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Ontario.

The previous night had also been less than ideal.

“We had a horrible night in Thunder Bay,” Moore says. “All the hotels around were full, and we ended up staying next to this couple who were fighting all night – so we didn’t get very much sleep. It’s just something to laugh about now though.”

Moore is The Danks’ lead vocalist. His fellow members include Alec O’Hanley (guitar and keyboards), Andrew MacDonald (bass) and Phil MacIsaac (drums).

Reviewers often compare their sound to that of The Strokes, and, according to Moore, this is not entirely coincidental. He says, “They were definitely influential to us. I was in grade ten when (The Strokes’ first album) Is This It came out. I wanted to do what they were doing.”

Writing in Soundproof Magazine, reviewer David Ball calls their sound “edgy Britpop mixed with a not so subtle nod to the champions of NYC’s post-punk revival, The Strokes,” and describes the latest album as “unbelievably catchy power-pop.”

“Andrew McDonald’s chugging bass underscores simplistic arrangements,” Ball writes. “But the snaking melodies and aggressive guitars never bury Brohan Moore’s raspy vocals or his sleepy delivery. The album starts out like a house on fire and never lets up.”

The group is also often compared to fellow Charlottetown-based rockers, Two Hours Traffic. The two bands not only share similar musical styles, they also share two members. O’Hanley and MacDonald are involved with both bands simultaneously, which creates a close association between The Danks and Two Hours Traffic.

However, Moore hopes listeners will recognize that they do have their own unique sound. “I mean, there’s bound to be some similarities,” he says. “I guess we all have similar taste. We’re doing our own thing though. We have a distinct sound and we’re trying to be original.”

That said, Moore cites bands such as The Buzzcocks, The Unicorns, and The Ramones as being highly influential in discovering their personal sound. This gives the band a harder edge than their counterparts Two Hours Traffic.

The band released their first full-length album in June 2009. The title, Are You Afraid of The Danks?, is a direct reference to the popular television show from the early 1990s, Are You Afraid of the Dark?, which the band members grew up watching.

As Moore describes, the witty album name came entirely by fluke and 1990s nostalgia. “Last year for Christmas, Liam Corcoran (of Two Hours Traffic) got me the DVD boxed set of Are You Afraid of the Dark? We were all joking about how we should name our album Are You Afraid of the Danks? – and it just kind of stuck.”

Moore says he writes the core of a number of their songs, while O’Hanley helps with the structure. Everyone else adds their own part. As for what inspires them to write, Moore says, “We aim to make good music in general. I guess our inspiration for this album was just to make an all around good record.”

That and The Midnight Society.

The Danks will be taking the stage at Coconut Grove on Oct. 23, along with Smothered in Hugs, Mardeen and Two Hours Traffic, as part of the Halifax Pop Explosion.

Ohbijou’s orchestration to hit St. Matthew’s Church

Amy Donovan
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Toronto’s Ohbijou sounds kind of like Broken Social Scene, only not broken. Listening to the band’s new album, Beacons, it’s not hard to tell they’ve got it all together. Their sound is smooth and unique, with songs flowing effortlessly into one another to make something that’s relaxing, mellow and anything but atonal.

Casey Mecija, the band’s lead singer, says Beacons is less sparse than Ohbijou’s debut album, the poetically named Swift Feet for Troubling Times – and more mature.

“We tried to really work on feeling the arrangements more and experimenting with different sounds.”

Though Ohbijou’s sound may no longer be sparse, the songs are tastefully sparing both in arrangement and in lyrics – not an easy thing to accomplish when you’ve got a six-piece band. And when the band, fresh off their first European tour, hits Halifax during next week’s Pop Explosion, they’ll have seven players.

Mecija says the Ohbijou members’ main aim is to be creative with their arrangements. They’ve got access to a lot of different instruments and like to make the most of it. It’s probably going to work as an advantage that their Pop Explosion show takes place in the atmospheric safe haven of St. Matthew’s United Church.

Mecija says Halifax can expect “a performance with a lot of musical dynamics and enthusiasm.
“We’re really happy to be there and we’re playing with our best friends, The Acorn, so I think it’ll be a really great show.”

When asked what she is looking forward to in Halifax? Well, for one thing, The Pop Explosion – they’ve never played it before. Otherwise, lobster.

The band has been together for five years, but it all started with Mecija writing songs in her bedroom. She got her sister and her friends involved, but now the songwriting process still starts out the same. The difference is that now, after finishing a piece, she brings it to the band, adding layer upon layer of instruments until “it becomes an entirely different song.”

 

As if releasing a new album and embarking on a tour of Europe wasn’t enough, this spring Mecija also has another musical project up her sleeve, this one in benefit of the Daily Bread Food Bank of Toronto.

Her speech quickens a little bit when she talks about it. You can tell she’s proud – she practically oozes enthusiasm while discussing the subject.

“Myself and our drummer James have this project called Friends in Bellwoods, it’s a compilation that we created of all of our friends in music.”

So far the compilation has raised over $10,000. Mecija wants to get the word out to try to raise as much money as possible.

“This is the second edition of the compilation and it has people like Final Fantasy, Timber Timbre … just a really amazing compilation of friends that we’re inspired by.”

Those friends are also a source of inspiration for Ohbijou’s creative process, though Mecija says it’s hard to say who the group’s musical influences are, since it has so many members.

Wherever it comes from, the music that ends up on Ohibjou’s records sounds almost like their name – reverberating melancholy that meets somewhere between new age indie and old world sophistication.

So where’d the name come from?

It was “sort of like a term of endearment,” says Mecija. “It just was very spontaneous and it came out just like sighing, I guess, and when I thought about it I was like, ‘Wow, that sounds nice.’”

A spoon full of Rich Aucoin

Emma Tietel
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Good things can come from learning the recorder. Take Halifax’s very own Rich Aucoin.

“I was forced to play it in school, as I guess we’re all forced to do, and I really liked it.”

Fortunately though, not too much. The 26-year-old DJ and former Dalhousie student usually mixes up to 30 instruments in his average song, formulating that feel-good electro-pop sound, or “Beach Boys on crack.”

Aucoin’s got a thing for Brian Wilson. And it’s a good thing. After all, what could be more endorphin inspiring than vocals and melodies with Beach Boy greatness backed up by a raging dance beat? Maybe babies and unicorns, but I’d take Aucoin anyday. He’s downright dreamy.

And on Oct. 24, he’ll play The Pop Explosion (for the third time no less), opening for Girl Talk at St. Antonio’s. It’s something he’s really excited about for obvious reasons (he’s been a fan of the main act for quite a while).

Plus, “The bar is right down the street from my house,” he said. “Maybe I’ll have a little after party.”
If you’ve been to a Rich Aucoin show you know he can throw a party. His first album Personal Publication was written in sync to Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (not the Jim Carey one) and his live performances include moving cartoon backdrops and free falling balloons. Like a children’s birthday party with liquor. He admits though, that sometimes his exceptional performances can backfire.
On one of his four cross-Canada tours, Aucoin stopped in Vancouver to perform at a sushi restaurant by day, and what he calls “Vancouver’s Gus’ Pub” by night. The venue is called Hoko’s. All was well until a special segment in Aucoin’s show, in which he ditches his spot on the stage and exits the building through the front door to leave the crowd in suspense before smashingly re-entering through the back door.

“The only problem (was) that Hoko himself was supposed to meet me in the back to open the door.”
So Aucoin ran around the block to Hoko’s back door. No Hoko. Instead he was greeted by “a whole whack of crack heads.”

Aucoin probably won’t be darting out the St. Antonio’s door on Oct. 24, but his interior performance should be excellent and theatrical enough. What’s more, it’s bound to make you smile, because Aucoin has no pretensions about his music. He simply wants you have a good time. Maybe I should have written this article two weeks ago for the mental health issue. Screw drugs, therapy and self help books. Just get yourself some Rich Aucoin.

Jenn Grant me some love

Sagan Pope
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On tour now with her band, Jenn Grant, 29-year-old Halifax based singer-songwriter, is hitting the stage for the Halifax Pop Explosion at St. Matthew’s Church on Saturday, Oct. 24.

Having successful concerts, exploring new cities, and experiencing new things are all Grants’ favourite aspects of being on tour.

“New places, new people but then being able to come home and play,” says Grant. “We’re really excited for the Halifax show.”

Only in Halifax for one day, Grant will head back to the United States for four more shows before performing in Toronto at the end of November. Grant’s tour is a showcase for her new album, Echoes, which was released this spring.

Six Shooter Records, a Toronto based record label company whose slogan, “life’s too short to listen to shitty music,” made it possible for Grant and her band to record Echoes at National Treasures Recording Studio at Pucks Farm in the country-side of Ontario – only a 25 minute drive from Toronto.

Grant describes her time on the farm as being a “pretty organic experience” where she was removed from society for a couple of weeks while writing and recording her newest album.

“Six Shooter wanted to make sure we recorded somewhere that was conducive to being happy and writing,” says Grant. “And having a good time,”

Though her lyrics are unique and she wears her heart on her sleeve, Grant collaborates with her band members Kinley Dowling (violin, viola and vocals), Sean MacGillivray (bass guitar and vocals) and Dave Christensen (bass clarinet and keyboard) to create their soft and sweet but upbeat indie melodies.

“They always put their own touch to songs,” says Grant about recording with her band.

Six Shooter Records discovered Grant and signed her two years ago. However, Grant has been performing professionally since the age of 23. She started playing at venues in Halifax where she found the music scene to be very supportive and a growing community.

“I thought everyone was great,” says Grant about the music scene in Halifax. “And I fell in love with the music scene right from the start.”

Although Grant has only been playing professionally for six years, she started her music career early; she has been playing guitar and singing since the age of eight. Grant’s father played the piano and many of her relatives play music as well. So growing up, Grant was always surrounded by a love for music.

“It’s just something I like to do.”

Built to Spill – There is No Enemy

Matt Ritchie
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The first Built to Spill album in three years will come as quite a surprise to fans of the group. This may be the most clear and concise sounding record of the band’s entire career, and that is actually a good thing.

The Boise, Idaho band built a strong following in the American Indie Rock scene of the 1990s by creating records that sounded equal parts Neil Young and Dinosaur Jr. With their new album, There is No Enemy, the band shows some of their most mature songwriting to date. This album isn’t so much Rust Never Sleeps as it is Harvest and Harvest Moon.

The record starts off with a sonic punch to your sternum. After some synthesizer manipulation, Built to Spill launch into a J Mascis-esque freak-out with “Aisle 13”. Doug Martsch and co. screech through shredding solos and riffs that sound so easy you wish you thought of them first.

The song also features the lyrical prominence of the theme of mental health, a topic the band (and The Gazette) has dealt with before.

“No one can see because no one wants to, see what’s in their mind,” warbles Martsch in his characteristic doubled vocals that are a signature of the band and the Portland, Oregon scene that helped birth them.

After the first song the album takes on an entirely new focus as it switches to country riffs and acoustic songwriting that is becoming the band’s forte as they get older. “Good ol’ Boredom”, “Life’s a Dream” and “Planting Seeds” evoke pastoral textures sonically and lyrically. The closest comparison would be that of The Weakerthans roots rock and Iron and Wine.

For long time fans of Built to Spill, this record will have mixed feelings for a lot of listeners. No track on this album really captures the same kind of sound or feeling from past hits like “Carry the Zero” and “Broken Chairs”. But in the end, that’s alright. With most of the band reaching its early forties, this album gives off a more calmed down vibe.

Sure, you won’t find any 20-minute long forays in Crazy Horse style guitar wizardry, but what this album delivers is the progression of a band that has shaped the indie rock climate for nearly two decades. You can’t fault them for trying something a little different.

Grade: B

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The Dalhousie Gazette is the main student publication at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The paper first began publishing in 1868, making it the oldest continually operating student newspaper in North America followed by The Harvard Crimson and The Columbia Daily Spectator

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