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Ep. #246: Mauno

Mauno is a wonderfully inventive pop band that hails from Halifax, Nova Scotia. Founded by singer/guitarist Nicholas Everett and singer/bassist Eliza Niemi, Mauno have toured the country but have yet to release their second record, which they’re currently working on and will eventually be dispatched by the Idée Fixe label in Toronto. Mauno are playing some shows in the near future, including an appearance at Kazoo! Fest at a boxing gym on Saturday April 9, as well as shows in Montreal and Toronto on April 7 and 10 respectively. Here, Niemi and Everett discuss a traditional East Coast big ass smoothie, strange weather, a German exam that is paralyzing the city of Halifax, Mauno’s upcoming hiatus, Eliza heads to Germany, European studies, Nick of all trades, Nick is from London and Eliza is from Toronto, looking for a boat, Andy Magoffin and the House of Miracles, the Etobicoke School of the Arts, cello and prog-rock, Eliza is very good at music, bass is bass, Mike O’Neill of the Inbreds, Mauno’s discography, the late former Toronto Mayor Rob Ford and the Ford family, Rheostatics, Emily Haines, Cold Specks, Nick’s four high schools, loving Rush, the Embassy in London, learning things from each other, a botched, rain-soaked marriage, Bryn was involved in theatre, the origin of Mauno’s idiosyncratic sound, influences, seeing Weaves in Newfoundland, driving without listening to music, silence, Mauno’s songs and their new record, Mauno’s new four-piece configuration, long distance musical collaboration, Mauno’s upcoming shows in Montreal on April 7, Guelph on April 9, and Toronto on April 10, their barren bandcamp page and weird stuff @grampamauno on instagram, the song “Nothing,” and nothing else.

Related links: mauno.bandcamp.com vishkhanna.com

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News Podcast

Ep. #145: Cousins

Cousins is an excellent two-piece band from Halifax, Nova Scotia featuring Leigh Dotey and Aaron Mangle. They make an impassioned, fun kind of indie-rock and their latest album, The Halls of Wickwire, is rad and out now via Hand Drawn Dracula Records. A few weeks ago at the Halifax Pop Explosion, Aaron took me for a drive and chat while he was running errands. Here, Aaron and I discuss running stopping signs and narrowly missing a limo, Aaron’s 1985 Mercedes Benz station wagon, in the Maritimes the pedestrian is the king of the road, Athens Restaurant, fancy car vacuum, stopping by a Halifax liquor store, Aaron’s house show featuring Joyful Talk, Jon Mckiel, and Freelove Fenner, Boxing Rock Beer from Shelburne Nova Scotia, house comedy shows, Wolfville Nova Scotia, King’s College, 19+ or 30+, security, no hoods, Back to the Future, Reduce Reuse Recycle Responsible, Jay Crocker’s car, the bands Bad Vibrations and Husband and Knife, down at the Khyber, Charles Austin’s Ultramagnetic Studio, there’s Cold Specks, Sarah Mangle, Aaron is a letter carrier for Canada Post, weird mail, oh I meant weed mail, the new Khyber, asbestos, city ruses, meeting people, Aaron Levin from Weird Canada, some background about Cousins and their new album The Halls of Wickwire, Aaron’s late, beloved grandmother and her influence on Cousins, Leigh from Cousins, Ben from PS I Love You, psychic grandmother and the game of Scat, Nicole from Aux and two North of America records, the song “Body,” a murder mystery, specific writing, Cousins is taking a break, yelling at Paul from PS I Love You, the song “Death Man,” and then we were alone.

Related links: cousinscousins.bandcamp.com handdrawndracula.com vishkhanna.com

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Ep. #143: Cold Specks

Cold Specks is Al Spx, a talented and fearless singer, musician, and songwriter who calls Montreal home. Originally from a Toronto suburb called Etobicoke, Spx has garnered international attention for her powerful voice, dark-hued lyrics, and post-punk aesthetic, which is all the more unique given the rather folk-oriented feel of her 2012 debut album, I Predict a Graceful Expulsion. In late August, Arts & Crafts and Mute co-released its follow-up, a decidedly more forceful and sinister record called Neuroplasticity. Beginning November 5 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Cold Specks is on tour across the world for the foreseeable future but we connected for a candid conversation at the Halifax Pop Explosion last month. The discussion covered topics like living in Montreal and visiting Halifax, Loel Campbell and Tim D’Eon of WIntersleep, living in England, the concept of neuroplasticity and how it might apply to Cold Specks, getting bored, trying to perform songs from I Predict a Graceful Expulsion, destruction of melody and subtle aggression, London and Glastonbury, hills and pagans, corporate witchtowns, no socks, sonic goblin, wearing capes and goth people, the trumpet of Ambrose Akinmusire and the voice of Swans’ Michael Gira, growing up in Etobicoke with her Somali parents, Rob and Doug and the Ford family, not quite apolitical, Al’s oud-playing, soul-singing dad ‘Dr. Love,’ the late, popular Somali singer Saado Ali Warsame, Swans, Bill Callahan, the Strokes, Tom Waits, and Nick Cave, the Strokes on Letterman and emerging after 9/11, the Backstreet Boys have come up on two straight episodes now, having a persona, creative pursuits, loving True Detective, Vince Vaughn, Colin Farrell, and Rachel McAdams, Band of Brothers, shooting a cannon at The Nutcracker, meeting Joni Mitchell who is awesome, the art of the interview, yelling at a Q guest host and other bad journalists, why I talk to people, being and not being a diva, touring a lot behind a record that came out kind of quietly, the Hotel2Tango and Howard Bilerman, why Montreal is good, not wanting to interact with anybody, the song “Absisto,” a nervous breakdown, and then the exit plan.

Related links: coldspecks.com halifaxpopexplosion.com vishkhanna.com

coldspecks

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