infused
      with
      such
      energy,
      that
      it
     
     
      is
      never
      an
      issue.
      And
      if
      you
     
     
      like
      anger
      in
      your
      music,
      you'll
     
     
      find
      a
      lot
      of
      anger
      within
      this
     
     
      album.
      In
      songs
      like
      ‘Sucker
     
     
      Train
      Blues,’
      ‘Big
      Machine,'
     
     
      ‘Illegal
      1
      Song’,
      ‘Head
      Space,’
     
     
      and
      ‘Do
      It
      For
      the
      Kids’
     
     
      Weiland
      sings
      of
      his
      struggle
     
     
      with
      drugs,
      the
      break-up
      of
      his
     
     
      marriage
      and
      the
      betrayal
      of
     
     
      close
      friends..
      While
      his
      lyrics
     
     
      aren't
      always
      polished,
      (in
      ‘Big
     
     
      Machine’
      he
      laments,
      “he's
      a
     
     
      junkie
      piece
      of
      shit,
      because
      he
     
     
      says
      so...
      all
      that
      first-class
     
     
      drug
      shit
      brings
      me
      down,
     
     
      down,
      down")
      Slash
      and
      the
     
     
      rest
      of
      ‘Revolver’
      make
      up
      for
      it
     
     
      with
      great
      guitar
      work
      and
     
     
      backing
      vocals.
      There
      are
      no
     
     
      throw
      away
      tracks
      on
      the
     
     
      album.
      The
      first
      single
      ‘Slither’
     
     
      is
      an
      immediate
      highlight
      with
     
     
      it's
      bass
      heavy
      intro
      that
      erupts
     
     
      into
      a
      full-fledged
      rock
      and
      roll
     
     
      song
      along
      the
      lines
      of
      Stone
     
     
      Temple
      Pilot's
      ‘Big
      Bang
      Baby'
     
     
      and
      Guns
      N'
      Roses
      ‘Night
     
     
      Train.'
      The
      ballad,
      ‘Fall
      to
     
     
      Pieces’
      should
      get
      lots
      of
      air-
     
     
      play,
      as
      it
      definitely
      has
      a
      sing-
     
     
      along
      quality
      to
      it
      and
     
     
      ‘Superhuman’
      and
      ‘Set
      Me
     
     
      Free'
      showcase
      Slash's
      guitar
     
     
      licks
      at
      their
      best.
      While
      many
     
     
      people
      thought
      ‘Contraband’
     
     
      would
      crash
      and
      burn,
      it
      does-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      n't.
      Once
      you
      get
      past
      the”
     
    
   
   
    
     
      inevitable
      "
      comparisons
     
     
      between
      G
      N'R
      and
      STP,
      the
     
     
      album
      stands
      on
      its
      own
      as
      one
     
     
      of
      the
      better
      rock
      records
      of
     
     
      2004.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ARCADE
      PLAN
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ARCADE
      FIRE,
      TWO
      HOURS
      TRAFFIC
      CONFIRMED
      FOR
      HALIFAX
      POP
      EXPLOSION
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Cadre
      A/E
      editor
      engages
      in
      shameless
      self-promotion
     
    
   
   
    
     
          
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Autumn.
      Good
      cardigan
      weather.
     
     
      Bright
      leaves
      light
      the
      horizon
      ablaze
      in
      a
      blast
      of
      reds
     
     
      and
      yellows.
      What’s
      to
      blame
      for
      this
      unruly
      outburst?
     
     
      Some
      say
      the
      decomposition
      of
      chlorophyll
      is
      behind
     
     
      it.
      I
      say
      it’s
      foreshadowing
      —
      for
      fall
      is
      the
      season
      of
     
     
      The
      Halifax
      Pop
      Explosion,
      and
      this
      year,
      even
     
     
      Mother
      Nature
      can’t
      ignore
      that.
     
    

    
     
      Put
      your
      worries
      in
      your
      pocket,
      the
      2004
     
     
      HPX
      band
      lineup
      is
      no
      slouch.
      The
      Hidden
      Cameras,
     
     
      The
      Wrens,
      and
      Controller
      Controller
      are
      all
      among
     
     
      those
      confirmed
      for
      this
      year’s
      festivities.
      UPEI’s
      res-
     
     
      ident
      science
      dorks
      Two
      Hours
      Traffic
      are
      also
      sched-
     
     
      uled
      to
      play
      the
      festival,
      however,
      the
      main
      draw
      of
     
     
      Halifax
      Pop
      Explosion
      2004
      will
      likely
      be
      the
      indie
     
     
      music
      world’s
      newest
      darlings
      of
      hype,
      Montreal’s
     
     
      The
      Arcade
      Fire.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
     
         
     
    
   
   
    
     
      PHOTO:
      ROM
      BOUDRER
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Having
      already
      drawn
      heaps
      of
      critical
     
     
      acclaim
      (including
      a
      9.7
      rating
      from
      Pitchfork
      Media),
     
     
      the
      Arcade
      Fire
      plan
      to
      build
      momentum
      through
      their
     
     
      North
      American
      tour
      supporting
      their
      major
      release
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _
      debut
      LP,
      Funeral.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Much
      of
      the
      Arcade
      Fire’s
      success
      rides
      on
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _
      energy
      of
      their
      live
      performance.
      “The
      band
      definite-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ly
      has
      a
      unique
      physical
      presence,”
      bassist
      Tim
     
     
      Kingsbury
      told
      Exclaim.
      “‘There’s
      the
      tall
      red-headed
     
     
      kid
      with
      the
      wide
      open
      mouth
      beating
      his
      drum
     
     
      [Richard];
      the
      tall
      blonde
      Texan
      who
      is
      scaring
      the
     
     
      hell
      out
      of
      everyone
      in
      the
      room
      [Win];
      the
      shorter
     
    
   
   
    
     
      UPEI
      Cadre
      September
      28,
      2004
      page
      7
     
    
   
   
    
     
      =
      Haitian-French
      girl
      who’s
      dancing
      around
     
     
      and
      being
      really
      intense
      [Régine].”
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Arcade
      Fire’s
      appearance
      at
      the
      Marquee
     
     
      Club
      with
      Vancouver’s
      the
      Organ
      on
      November
      5th
     
     
      may
      be
      the
      banner
      event
      but
      there
      are
      plenty
      more
     
    
   
   
    
     
      worthwhile
      shows
      for
      the
      general
      public’s
      consump-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      tion.
     
    

    
     
      The
      Halifax
      Pop
      Explosion,
      scheduled
      for
     
     
      November
      4th—
      6th,
      boasts
      an
      impressive
      and
      diverse
     
     
      group
      of
      alumni.
      This
      festival
      has
      played
      host
      to
      song-
     
     
      writers
      like
      Hayden,
      Elliott
      Smith,
      and
      Ron
      Sexsmith.
     
     
      The
      list
      of
      bands
      to
      have
      played
      this
      event
      is
      equally
     
     
      notable
      and
      includes
      the
      likes
      of
      Broken
      Social
      Scene,
     
     
      Stereolab,
      and
      Yo
      La
      Tengo.
     
    

    
     
      Though
      the
      official
      website
      boasts
      that
      the
      fes-
     
     
      tival
      “features
      acts
      from
      hip
      hop
      and
      electronica
      to
     
     
      folk
      and
      alt-country
      to
      punk
      and
      hardcore
      and
      every-
     
     
      thing
      in
      between,”
      the
      main
      draws
      of
      this
      music
      con-
     
     
      ference
      haven’t
      ever
      really
      strayed
      too
      far
      from
      the
     
     
      indie-rock
      realm.
      I’m
      certainly
      not
      one
      to
      complain
     
     
      about
      this.
     
    

    
     
      HPX
      has
      expanded
      this
      year
      and
      includes
      a
     
     
      showcase
      for
      independent
      magazines
      and
      record
     
     
      labels,
      which
      in
      hipster-speak
      translates
      to
      the
      “Indie
     
     
      Zine
      and
      Label
      Fair.”
     
    

    
     
      The
      Halifax
      pop
      explosion
      was
      started
      in
      1993
     
     
      and
      has
      served
      to
      introduce
      bands/artists
      like
      Sloan
     
     
      and
      Buck
      65
      to
      an
      international
      audience,
      as
      well
      as
     
     
      providing
      a
      much-needed
      injection
      of
      awesome
      into
     
     
      the
      proverbial
      arm
      of
      the
      Maritimes.
      Check
      www.hal-
     
     
      ifaxpopexplosion.com
      in
      the
      coming
      weeks
      for
      more
     
     
      band
      confirmations
      and
      a
      schedule
      of
      events.