Music

Halifax Pop Explosion 2011: Thursday Best Bets

by Nicole Villeneuve

October 20, 2011

AUX’s BEST BETS:
Thursday, October 20

Wednesday night at the Pop Explosion was quality goods top to bottom; not only did Rich Aucoin’s album release show cement itself in the proverbial history books as an event to remember, but the Thermals played a secret show in the tiny Carleton to a roomful of faithfuls. And that was only two shows! Thee Oh Sees apparently had Reflections in a crowd-surfing frenzy, while the Pains of Being Pure At Heart satisfied ’90s revelers at the Olympic Community Hall. This was all on a Wednesday night. In Halifax. Unreal. Here are a few things you might want to consider as compliments to the rest of your schedule tonight.

Shotgun Jimmie
Shotgun Jimmie is a true national treasure, if you didn’t already know, mining nostalgic thoughts and sounds to make something so personal and universal. His most recent album Transistor Sister is full of the perfect kind of songs to be played for free in the lobby of a university radio station while its still daylight out. If that makes sense to you, we are friends.
(CKDU lobby, 6:15 p.m.)

The Thermals
The Thermals have consistently been working their last album Personal Life and maybe that’s a good word to describe them; consistent. In the best way. They will consistently love what they do and consistently fun and thoughtful and consistently tight and consistently great. There’s a lot to choose from tonight but with this Titus Andronicus/Thermals one-two punch, it’s a pretty solid choice.
(Olympic Community Hall, 12 a.m.)


	Skratch Bastid This is our Halifax pick for the night. Skratch Bastid hosts a big party at the Palace tonight, and those turntables should prove a nice reprise from all the guitars I assume you’ve been taking in. It’s no wonder he’s become a go-to as DJ and producer; dude has been slogging hard for over a decade in Halifax and beyond. Come see why. (The Palace, 10 p.m.)


	Dan Mangan It’s pretty clear we sorta fell in like with Dan Mangan’s new album Oh Fortune, so let’s go see what this thing is like live, hey? In a church, no less. Where all the best shows—folk or dance or pop or punk—happen. (St. Matthew’s United Church, 9:15 p.m.)