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      Julie
      Doiron
      with
      Eric’s
      Trip
      at
      the
      Marquee.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Show:
      Eric’s
      Trip
     
     
      Location:
      The
      Marquee
      -
      Halifax,
      NS
     
     
      Date:
      September
      8,
      2001
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      90s
      seem
      so
      far
      away.
      People
     
     
      already
      wax
      nostalgic
      about
      the
      dif-
     
     
      ferent
      attitude
      people
      had
      in
      that
      era:
     
     
      most
      notably,
      the
      adventurous
      musi-
     
     
      cians
      and
      artists
      that
      paved
      the
      way
     
     
      for
      so
      many
      garage
      and
      alternative
     
     
      acts.
      Eric’s
      Trip
      played
      a
      major
      role
      in
     
     
      influencing
      lo-fi
      recording
      artists.
     
     
      The
      band,
      which
      broke
      up
      in
      1996,
     
     
      made
      Halifax’s
      Marquee
      one
      of
      their
     
     
      final
      stops
      in
      a
      much
      anticipated
     
    
   
   
    
     
      reunion
      tour.
      I
      think
      it
      is
      safe
      to
      say
      _
     
    
   
   
    
     
      that
      Eric’s
      Trip
      is
      the
      ONLY
      good
     
     
      thing
      to
      come
      out
      of
      Moncton.
      And
     
     
      their
      talent
      more
      than
      makes
      up
      for
     
     
      their
      city’s
      lack
      of
      anything
      good.
     
     
      Perhaps
      coming
      from
      such
      an
      isolated
     
     
      city
      is
      what
      contributes
      to
      the
      band’s
     
     
      modest
      stage
      presence.
      I
      was
      near
      the
     
     
      stage
      for
      the
      entire
      show,
      but
      I
      could
     
     
      not
      a
      hear
      a
      single
      word
      of
      mumbled
     
     
      banter
      between
      songs.
      It
      probably
     
     
      didn’t
      help
      that
      whenever
      Juno
      Award
     
     
      winning
      artist
      Julie
      Doiron
      would
     
     
      begin
      to
      say
      something,
      her
      band-
     
     
      mates
      would
      hammer
      away
      intolera-
     
     
      bly
      loud
      distorted
      notes.
      The
      interrup-
     
     
      tions
      had
      nothing
      to
      do
      with
      etiquette:
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Since
      the
      band
      hasn’t
      played
      together
     
     
      in
      five
      years,
      and
      refused
      to
      rehearse
     
     
      or
      do
      soundchecks,
      they
      were
      still
      try-
     
     
      ing
      to
      remember
      some
      of
      the
      songs
      on
     
     
      the
      spot.
      This
      attitude
      adds
      to
      the
     
     
      spontaneity
      and
      excitement
      of
      the
     
     
      show.
      The
      songs
      could
      fall
      apart
      at
     
     
      any
      moment,
      but
      the
      throbbing
      distor-
     
     
      tion
      from
      the
      amplifiers
      and
      the
      audi-
     
     
      ence’s
      love
      of
      their
      music
      held
      every-
     
     
      thing
      together.
      I
      can
      still
      hear
      the
     
     
      buzzing
      sound
      of
      Chris
      Thompson’s
     
     
      guitar
      before
      it
      broke
      after
      the
      second
     
     
      song,
      Julie
      Doiron’s
      bopping
      fuzzy
     
     
      bass
      lines
      and
      her
      buried
      vocals,
      not
     
     
      to
      mention
      the
      waves
      of
      melodic
      fre-
     
     
      quencies
      from
      Rick
      White,
      will
      be
     
     
      ringing
      in
      my
      ear
      for
      weeks
      after
      that
     
     
      night
      in
      Halifax.
      I
      think
      there
      was
      a
     
     
      drummer
      too.
     
    

    
     
      -Stephan
      MAacLEOD
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Album:
      Brace
      4
      Impak
     
     
      Artist:
      Da
      Beat
      Minerz
     
     
      Label:
      Rawkus
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Da
      Beat
      Minerz
      known
      for
      their
      work
     
     
      with
      the
      Boot
      Camp
      Click
      come
     
     
      through
      with
      their
      own
      album.
      Boot
     
     
      Camp
      has
      a
      presence
      here
      with
      Black
     
     
      Moon
      and
      Coco
      Brovas
      appearing
      on
     
    
   
   
    
     
      one
      track
      each,
      but
      for
      the
      most
      part
      |
     
    
   
   
    
     
      they
      expand
      to
      work
      with
      other
      rap
     
     
      artists.
      There
      are
      a
      fair
      number
      of
      rap
     
     
      stars
      present
      and
      accounted
      for,
      as
     
     
      well
      as
      some
      lesser
      known
      performers
     
     
      such
      as
      Apani
      B.
      Fly
      and
      What
      What,
     
     
      whose
      “Shut
      the
      Fuck
      Up”
      is
      easily
     
     
      one
      of
      the
      album’s
      best
      songs.
      Two
     
     
      tight
      songs
      come
      courtesy
      of
      Jayo
     
     
      Felony
      and
      Ras
      Kass
      and
      Naughty
      by
     
     
      Nature.
      The
      one
      track
      that
      stands
      out
     
     
      most
      is
      the
      soulful
      “Open”
      by
      Caron
     
     
      Wheeler
      and
      Pete
      Rock.
      If
      you
      are
      a
     
     
      fan
      of
      the
      Minerz
      past
      work,
      this
      will
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -not
      disappoint.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -Marc
      MACDONALD
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ~
      GPor
      Qué<No?
     
     
      Port
      Citizen
     
     
      Independent
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Port
      Citizen
      combine
      technical
      preci-
     
     
      sion
      with
      catchy
      songwriting
      for
      this
     
     
      impressive
      debut
      of
      the
      band’s
      rock
     
     
      and
      reggae
      flavour.
      The
      vibe
      of
      this
     
     
      album
      conjures
      up
      images
      of
      sum-
     
     
      mertime
      somewhere
      between
      down-
     
     
      town
      Charlottetown
      and
      sunny
      Costa
     
     
      Rica.
      My
      only
      complaint
      about
      the
     
     
      disc
      is
      the
      unnecessary
      use
      of
      effects
     
     
      on
      Brodie
      Read’s
      vocals.
      The
      only
     
     
      song
      that
      does
      not
      resort
      to
      using
     
     
      reverb
      or
      distortion
      on
      his
      voice,
     
     
      “Money
      in
      My
      Pocket,”
      proves
      that
     
     
      microphone
      trickery
      is
      not
      needed.
     
     
      Port
      Citizen
      maintain
      a
      consistently
     
     
      tight
      package
      of
      music
      that
      will
      daz-
     
     
      zle
      you
      with
      their
      efficiency
      and
      keep
     
     
      you
      dancing
      with
      their
      surprisingly
     
     
      funky
      arrangements.
     
    

    
     
      -Stephan
      MacLEOD
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Soundtrack:
      Training
      Day
     
     
      Artist:
      Various
     
     
      Label:
      Priority/Virgin
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Nowadays
      one
      does
      not
      expect
      much
     
     
      from
      movie
      soundtracks,
      as
      many
      are
     
     
      often
      disappointing
      collections
      of
     
     
      uninspiring
      big-name
      collaborations
     
    
   
   
    
     
      and
      leftover
      album
      filler.
      This
      is
      not
     
     
      the
      case
      here.
      There
      are
      some
      sore
     
     
      points
      coming
      from
      C-Murder
      and
     
     
      Trick
      Daddy’s
      “Watch
      the
      Police,”
      a
     
     
      horrible
      cover
      of
      the
      N.W.A.
      classic
     
     
      “Fuck
      the
      Police,”
      as
      well
      as
      the
     
     
      pathetic
      “P-Diddy”
      and
      _
      fam’s
     
     
      “American
      Dream’.
      However
      there
      is
     
     
      also
      some
      real
      highlights.
     
     
      Krumbsnatcha
      and
      M.O.P.,
      Golden
     
     
      State
      featuring
      Xzibit,
      Dr.
      Dre
      and
      DJ
     
     
      Quik,
      and
      Gang
      Starr
      all
      provide
     
     
      some
      strong
      material.
      The
      two
      most
     
     
      outstanding
      tracks
      come
      _
      from
     
     
      Pharaohe
      Monch
      and
      Cypress
      Hill
     
     
      featuring
      Kokane.
      The
      album
      works
     
     
      because
      it
      uses
      subject
      matter
      from
     
     
      the
      movie
      in
      the
      rhymes
      and
      places
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ~
      movie
      samples
      into
      the
      beginning
      of
     
    
   
   
    
     
      some
      songs
      and
      within
      the
      body
      of
     
    

    
     
      others,
      as
      well
      as
      combining
      elements
     
    

    
     
      of
      the
      soundtrack
      with
      film
      score.
     
     
      -Marc
      MACDONALD
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Album:
      Hello
      Bastards
     
     
      Artist:
      Lifetime
     
     
      Label:
      Jade
      Tree
     
    
   
   
    
     
      While
      this
      album
      didn’t
      strike
      me
      at
     
     
      first,
      after
      very
      few
      listens
      it
      has
     
     
      quickly
      become
      one
      of
      the
      most
      over-
     
     
      played
      albums
      in
      my
      collection.
     
     
      Blame
      it
      on
      sentimentality
      perhaps,
     
     
      because
      this
      is
      chock-full
      of
      it
      (come
     
     
      on,
      The
      Outsiders
      samples...““Can
      you
     
     
      see
      the
      sun
      set
      from
      the
      south
      side?”
     
     
      “Yeah,
      real
      good.”
      Come
      on!
      Fuck
     
     
      yeah.).
      Musically,
      this
      sounds
      like
      a
     
     
      cross
      between
      Crimpshrine
      and
      old
     
     
      Saves
      the
      Day,
      insomuch
      that
      it
      con-
     
     
      sists
      of
      catchy,
      slightly
      emo-poppy
     
     
      punk,
      fronted
      by
      some
      gravel-throat-
     
     
      ed
      Jerseyite,
      who
      can’t
      sing
      but
      can
     
     
      be
      forgiven
      for
      trying.
      I’m
      sure
      some
     
     
      people
      will
      be
      irritated
      by
      the
      vocals,
     
     
      and
      they
      should
      probably
      stick
      to
     
     
      Saves
      the
      Day
      for
      this
      type
      of
      music,
     
     
      but
      I
      find
      this
      album
      to
      be
      rather
     
     
      charming
      and
      sincere
      for
      its
      lack
      of
     
     
      polish.
     
    

    
     
      -Jonah
      CAMPBELL
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
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