Halifax Rocks

Halifax may have been founded on folk, but since the '70s the city has established itself as the live 'n' kicking capital of our far eastern empire of rock, and boasts an underground as rich and eclectic as any in the world. Hats off to April Wine, who rocked hard out of suburban Waverley with fizzers like "Sign of the Gypsy Queen," paving the way for '90s power pop heroes Sloan ("Money City Maniacs") and post-millennial indie groundbreakers Wintersleep ("Weighty Ghost"). The honey of Ghost Bees is exceptionally sweet, as you'll discover in Next Steps.

Never mind the (invariably superb) quality of the Halifax scene — check out the sheer diversity, as we showcase the city's impressive range, from the scratch mastery of Sixtoo (Vaughn Robert Squire) as he mashes up a haunting skank on "Jackals and Vipers In Envy of Man (Part 9)" and the alternative hip-hop of Buck 65 (a.k.a. Richard Terfry) on "Way Back When," to the gorgeous, gothic indie folk of Ghost Bees, who sink their teeth into "Vampire of the West Coast." Leftfield rock gets a Halifax-ian twist, in Deep Cuts.

Here, alongside the Halifax old guard — in the shape of Dutch Mason, a.k.a. the Prime Minister of the Blues ("No Mo Do Yakomo") — we've included a couple of outstanding acts whose influence on the indie scene should not be understated. The Jimmy Swift Band, formed from the remnants of PF Station, is known for its crowd-pleasing jam skills but gets straight to the point with the hammer-fuzz of "Daisy," while North of America's "Every Mirror We Broke Was a Black Cat" is a stroke of discordant genius.

Welcome to the weird and wonderful North Atlantic coast — a Nova Scotian melting pot of great bands, best enjoyed with beers and a bellyful of signature Halifax donairs. Even though the city never quite turned out to be the "next Seattle", as the hype-mongers hoped it would in the mid-'90s, Halifax has always rocked heartily on its own inventive, eclectic, and deliciously salty terms. In various guises, the Halifax Pop Explosion festival has been showcasing the city's finest for the best part of two decades, but here — in the digital ether — we bring you the rock of Halifax in all its glory, from trailblazers April Wine to global superstar Sarah McLachlan, plus a hot stew of indie/alt groundbreakers including Thrush Hermit and the Trews. Halifaxion guaranteed.