We're Doomed

By Mark WilsonAs always, our Music/Video section has been packed to the brim. But if you fear you might have missed something, come have a look at just some of the recent highlights.

First off, Toronto rapper Drake has unveiled "Where Were You." The track features former Diddy Dirty Money songstress Dawn Richard and is actually a remake of Colin Munroe's "Whatever Became of You," with new verses by Drake and Richard.

Also, with Prince heading off on another live residency, this time in Chicago, we have a radio rip of his new song "RNR Affair," which originally debuted on Chicago's iHeart Radio.

Hailing from Halifax, We're Doomed mix together post-hardcore and progressive rock to bring you their six-song EP How to Destroy Something Beautiful. Although it's not officially out until October 2, you can stream it on Exclaim.ca right now.

Next, following up her critically acclaimed Honeymoon Punch, Jenn Grant is planning on similar success with her next record The Beautiful Wild which is available for stream along with the video for her new song "In the Belly of a Dragon."

As for videos, Toronto band July Talk are giving us a sneak peak of their debut album with their new video for the song "Paper Girl." Lastly, Lil B surprises everyone with the video to the title track for his first-ever rock record California Boy, which is up for your viewing pleasure.

You can enjoy these picks, as well as many more streams, downloads and videos, at our Music/Video section.
- Exclaim.ca

By Nicole VilleneuveSometimes it's easy to use a band's youth as way to excuse their uninhibited missteps or as a pat on the back for their yet unperfected efforts. But in the case of We're Doomed, bringing it up is generally out of surprise ? not because they don't sound their age, because they do, but because it's rare to hear a young band have such a tight grasp on so many aspects of their music. From the ambitious and well-calculated arrangements to the skilled and often joyous performances, and the textured, big-picture production (all of which helped them win a spot on Warped Tour this past summer), We're Doomed hit the ground running on Like A Machine. The Halifax, NS quartet nail the sort of progressive post-hardcore-laced rock that the Mars Volta stick with, swirling in and out of some psych here and there as well. If the youth card is going to be played, it'd be for their penchant for riffing, a lot, but the complexity and maturity of a track like "The Rise of the Mammoth Lord," with the addition of violin, bring the band's strength and depth back into focus.
(Independent) - Exclaim.ca

The Guest Bedroom — Hunter

Avec un nom comme celui-là, The Guest Bedroom donne l’impression d’être un groupe folk ou jazz. La proposition de la formation torontoise est à l’opposé de nos attentes, avec un rock éclaté aux impulsions progressives. Hunter, un maxi de quatre chansons, est un amalgame d’orgues ténébreux et de dance-punk urgent, accompagnée par une interprétation nerveuse. Avec sa théâtralité, Fine Lines requiert une écoute attentive.

Page Bandcamp : http://theguestbedroom.bandcamp.com/album/hunter

Gang Signs — Homonyme

Gang Signs, trio électro originaire de Vancouver, lançait à la fin août un EP homonyme de huit pièces. Ni tout à fait dansant ou ambiant et vaporeux, le groupe préfère le New Wave aérien et les constructions allongées. Ce mini-album propose un électro cendré, mais accessible grâce à l’efficacité de Prequel et Runnin. À écouter d’un trait, pour les nombreuses qualités atmosphériques de Gang Signs.

Page Bandcamp : http://gangxsigns.bandcamp.com/

We’re Doomed — How To Destroy Something Beautiful

Sur leur deuxième EP, le trio haligonien We’re Doomed peaufine son approche du rock progressif. How To Destroy Something Beautiful offre une bonne dose de structures math rock, d’inspirations post-hardcore et de solos de guitare aux allures métal. Le réalisateur Jon Epworth soutire le meilleur de We’re Doomed, sans compromettre la viabilité des six pièces.

Page Bandcamp : http://weredoomed.bandcamp.com/album/how-to-destroy-something-beautiful - 500KHZ

The month of October has been a veritable blessing for fans of Indie Canuck-Rock, yielding a bounty of New Albums distinguishable for such a concentration of quality amidst a range of artistic offerings. Included are highly anticipated releases from a couple of my favorite bands, the impressively prolific alt-Country/Rock troubadours Cuff The Duke, whose 3rd LP in 3 years (all produced by Greg Keelor of Blue Rodeo) is probably their finest (favorite song: Open Your Mind), and Vancouver’s alt-Rock phantoms LADYHAWK who have been conspicuously absent for 4 years, many believing they had broken up. Their 4th release since 2006 is titled “No Can Do” and is vintage-sounding alternative rock, like a modern incarnation of early R.E.M. for a new generation.

There is also a stellar debut by highly touted Scream/Punk/Noise trio METZ from Toronto, whose chainsaw fury and penetratingly loud sonic attack induce flashbacks of The Sex Pistols, Refused, and At The Drive In. They’ve got a leg up being on the prominent Sub Pop Label, and with the critical acclaim already garnered appear to be riding a career wave many artists would kill for. I’d kill to see these guys playing on the same bill with Fucked Up.

On an entirely different part of the spectrum is Vancouver-based, Juno-nominated, fiery pop-songstress Hannah Georgas. Her new self-titled release is her 3rd since 2008, and one that’s eliciting a great deal of fanfare, deservedly so as this latest batch of songs reveals a new and more poignant artist. You can watch her perform songs from the new album in a special music session captured by the CBC featuring her alongside Graham Walsh from Holy Fuck, Ryan Guldemond and Ali Siadat from Mother Mother, Ted Gowan from Tegan and Sara, and Andrew Braun from Rococode.

A pleasant and unexpected surprise for me is “How To Destroy Something Beautiful” from newcomers We’re Doomed, a Halifax trio whose First Full-Length effort proves them suitably adept at penning and executing some amazingly intricate, tightly-woven, Prog-Rock. It’s possible these guys have been influenced just a smidgen by Canadian prog-masters RUSH, with songs that contort and shapeshift gracefully, rendered as calculated mayhem through the machinery of musical precision, underscoring some finely tuned songcraft signalling there’s much more in store for We’re Doomed.

Finally, rounding out Rokline’s list of ROKTOBER favorites is the eight member ensemble from Regina known as RAH RAH. Since hearing their song “Tentacles” in 2009 I’ve been intrigued by this group whose sound is something I’ve dubbed Prairie-Rock, although it strongly bears a similar sounding infusion of alt-Orchestral Rock associated with Maritimer bands Hey Rosetta and Loon Choir. Their New Album The Poet’s Dead is one that is completely satisfying, infectious, and one of my favorite albums of the year. - Rokline

Touting themselves as a "groovy but heavy assault on progressive rock," Halifax band We're Doomed is releasing their second EP How To Destroy Something Beautiful on October 2. After a long hiatus from recording after their first EP, Like A Machine, in July 2011, and one Warped Tour into their career, We're Doomed is treating us to a set of six heavy, melodic, polished tracks.

Featuring Simon Outhit on guitar, Scott Tiller on drums and Mike Andrews on bass, the EP is available now to stream at exclaim.ca. Produced by Jon Epworth and mixed by Matt Bayles, Outhit says the toughest part of making the album were the time constraints. "We only really had six days to record everything from drums to vocals with Jon so it was pretty down to the wire," he says.

Always heavy on the percussion, this EP feels a little more accessible than their last, alternating between soft harmonic bridges and jarring guitar riffs paired with lots of sing-screaming. "With this release we tried to be more mindful of the actual construction of the songs as a whole, rather then strewing riffs together," says Outhit. "Although I guess we're still pretty guilty of that this time around."

We're Doomed is playing two shows this week to celebrate the release of the new album. Between an all-ages show at the Pavilion and a later show at Michael's (with Glory Glory, Old Blood and more, 10pm, $8), you could catch them twice in one day. If September 29 doesn't work for you, We're Doomed is touring all over the Maritimes until November, including the Pop Explosion.

What's next for We're Doomed? "Writing for a full-length, and touring," says Outhit. With its band members still in their early 20s and chock-full of talent, We're Doomed's future is looking promising. - The Coast

Landing in my inbox at the start of a few weeks of illness, the kind of fast paced, pop laden chaos that We're Doomed managed to squeeze into this 25-minute EP would have either had me out of bed in a fit of energy or simply made a sick man cry and bury his head under the duvet.

This is assuming I'd bothered to listen to it instead of watching reruns of Man v Food and necking codeine tablets like Skittles which is what actually happened.

Their list of influences in the 'For fans of' section of the promo material (a Godsend for the short of time reviewer) certainly look interesting and suitably diverse, ranging from Mastodon to Circa Survive. A better reference at times which the band omit from their bio is Biffy Clyro, possibly as at a few moments of these tracks the similarity is a little too close for comfort. It's early, experimental Biffy and it's confined to a few moments so it sidesteps too much criticism but it's definitely there.

Listening to the ever shifting and evolving songs delivered at a fair clip and the clean 90's American punk sounding vocals, Fall of Troy seems like a more apt benchmark overall, at least in terms of concept if not necessarily execution.

That said, it seems a little unfair to compare them to any one band given the sheer amount going on in their songs. There's a very well executed blend of heavy riffing, unashamedly rawk guitar work and poppy melodies, all in the same song and in a lot of cases all within the space of a minute. The prettier, quiet moments are uniformly excellent and a welcome break from the comparatively full on approach of the rest of the music, but there's not enough of them and they're over too soon. A little more restraint as shown in the opening of White and Blue or the closing minute of A Price to Pay and less of a rush to impress with the bands technical skill and they'd be all the better for it.

As with most music which goes through so many movements and crams so much into each song, How To Destroy Something Beautiful is likely going to take longer than I have to set aside for the reviews I have to fully sink in and unravel. Having said that, it's an energetic and entertaining listen, and while it's slightly over-reliant on the heavier, more challenging aspects the band show themselves to be capable of, it's a record I'll be revisiting over the weeks. If you like the bands referenced above, then you're going to enjoy this and I strongly recommend you give it a listen. - Ninehertz

It’s always the greatest that go unnoticed, and We’re Doomed is definitely the diamond in the rough. I myself have slipped away, for a while, from the rock genre; it just hasn’t particularly been “my thing,” but the progressive rock phenomenon known as “How to Destroy Something Beautiful” sucks me right back in. We’re Doomed is a band that people don’t particularly know all too well, but hopefully after this will fall in love with just as I have. This band is going one-on-one with all of the other progressive bands across the world, across all genres, and they’re definitely coming out on top. These Halifax boys are a rising star, blasting into the scene! After you read this, definitely check this album out, ya’ hear? Alright, well, without further ado, here’s my review of We’re Doomed’s “How to Destroy Something Beautiful”:

With sweet hooks and great rhythm, We’re Doomed are a force to be reckoned with. “How to Destroy Something Beautiful” explores many different areas of the rock genre, not so simply keeping themselves pinned down to simply one sound. At one point, you could be listening to the most melodious rock song you’ve heard, then be thrown for a loop and run into a heavy barrage of metal, then be astounded by the technical ability of these boys. Not knowing who they were, surprisingly, I didn’t know expect or how to begin delving into “How to Destroy Something Beautiful,” but these boys have created something so divine, so tasteful, they could compete with the likes of At the Drive-In, a well respected progressive post-hardcore band. No doubt about it, We’re Doomed is a talented assortment of men that, if not halted, will make their way to glory. I swear, not a single thing is wrong with this band; excellent and tasteful bass lines, masterful guitar work and outstanding vocals. “How to Destroy Something Beautiful” is a masterpiece, and should be seen as such.

Stand-Out Track:

“How to Destroy Something Beautiful”: I’m sure it’s some sort of cheesy cliché to say the track that stands out the most is the title track, but whatever – it deserves it. This is, quite possibly, the most progressive and well written song I’ve heard from any sort of band deeming themselves as “progressive.” The guitar work in this song is so masterful, so mind-meltingly brilliant that I could barely handle it, and the flow of this song is simply genius. Not many bands can throw together such guitar work with a song and make it actually sound “good,” make it sound as if it truly does go together, but We’re Doomed have accomplished that with this song. And, at other points, when the music dims and all is quiet, this song becomes something beautiful; the ambiance of this song is just so breathtaking, so… So amazing.

Closing:

I sincerely hope that We’re Doomed doesn’t become one of those bands that just gives up, or just breaks-up because they aren’t “famous” or something silly like that. These boys have something great on their hands; their musical genius completely blows me away and sends chills through my body. I’ll make this short and sweet – this album is beyond great, and makes many other wannabe “rockers” out their look like complete morons with all of their little leather jackets and bags of gimmicks they use to get little girls to like them. We’re Doomed places what they have in front of you – their music, their talent, their integrity – and lets you make your own decision. Keep strong, guys; keep doing what you’re doing and great things are in your future! “How to Destroy Something Beautiful” released on October second of twenty-twelve, and is available through the bands bandcamp, easily reachable through their Facebook. Grab this album, and enjoy the ride.

Rating: 5/5 - New Transcendence

'How To Destroy Something Beautiful' is the newest proper EP from Halifax's surging prog-hardcore band We're Doomed (they look to have dropped the !, from the album cover and press release). Six epic tracks encompass the full range of the band's sounds, from classic rock scrambled to the heaviest of 90's breakdowns and guitar chugs, to the searing guitar solos of 70's prog rock.

The title track showcases the mad guitar skills with head spinning riffs and screeching harmonics, sprinkled liberally between palm muted chords before breaking down into soft interludes. It's a roller coaster track dynamically and harmonically. While the bass and drums don't miss their chances to add skillful flavor to the tracks, the guitars and vocals take front and centre position, sometimes burying the bass tracks and taking a bit of meat out of the toms and kick drum.

The most frequently noted critique of this album might be the vocals; while they aren't bad in any sense, the aren't in the same style a lot of listeners might attach to this type of music. Heavily mixed on top of the music, they definitely take the music into the more accessible category, which is not necessarily a bad thing – Producer Jon Epworth may be adding his influence here. There are some heavier vocals featured, like the verse of “On Living Forever,” and it definitely adds to song.

Thematically the band plays on a lot of oft heard musical motifs, like suicide, longing, loss, isolation, and the band does a good job of mating the lyrical themes with the intensity of the riffs for the most part. You might hear the word 'mature' thrown around a lot in relation to this band, who are all still in their 20's, and it's not unwarranted; with exposure on the Warp Tour and plenty of notice by local media and industry there's no doubt that the band exhibits talent beyond their years. This album reinforces that and is easily placed among the ranks of their most influential peers like the Mars Volta or The Fall of Troy.

The album releases proper on October 2nd, 2012 and you'll be able to snag a digital copy only (no bulky records or leaving the comfort of your living room) from the bands website or their bandcamp: weredoomed.bandcamp.com. Highly recommended for all music fans, and they'll be playing all through the Maritimes through November, topping off with a showcase at Nova Scotia Music Week.

- Dan Nightingale
9/20/2012 - Noisography

By Gregory Adams

Halifax three-piece We're Doomed mixed post-hardcore with prog and melodic rock on their 2011 EP Like a Machine, and the group are getting set to do it again with their impending follow-up, the similarly bite-sized How to Destroy Something Beautiful. The six-song set arrives October 2, but you can preview the mini-release in full now courtesy of Exclaim!

The band enlisted Matt Bayles to mix the EP at his Red Room Studio in Seattle, with Jon Epworth producing, and according to a press release, it features "heavy riffs, syncopated rhythms, dynamic vocals, and a general disregard for the genre barriers between rock, pop and metal."

You can check out the juxtaposition between twinkling rock anthems like "White and Blue" and the mathy, fretboard-annihilating runs and sung-screamed lyrics that fuel the title track for further proof.

Along with the new EP, We're Doomed will also be playing several East Coast dates. You can see the complete schedule below.

Tour dates:

9/28 Saint John, NB - Gothic Arches *
9/29 Halifax, NS - The Pavilion (all ages EP release show)
9/29 Halifax, NS - Michael's Bar and Grill (19+ EP release show)
10/14 Halifax, NS - Live 105 HPX Preview (Private Showcase)
10/17 Halifax, NS - The Seahorse (Halifax Pop Explosion)
10/26 Moncton, NB - The Manhattan ^
10/27 Charlottetown, PEI - Baba's Lounge $
11/8 Liverpool, NS - Alley 9 (Nova Scotia Music Week Showcase)

* with December Fall Out
^ with Jessie Brown
$ with Death Valley Driver, Iron Giant - Exclaim.ca

We're Doomed Band page from the 2011 Vans Warped Tour - Vans Warped Tour

While I spent most of this rainy spring sitting on the couch, eating chips, the hot young
prog-rawkers in We’re Doomed have recorded an EP, filmed a music video, played a whackload of shows and are now gearing up to hit the road as part of the Canadian leg
of the Vans Warped Tour. (You may recall that they won the annual Battle to Warped
Tour competition this past February.)

After a farewell show this Friday at the Seahorse with Glory Glory, the Stogies and Levels, the foursome will leap in their newly-purchased van along with their Diminished Fifth Records dad Josh Hogan and
newly-minted roadie Kevin Hall. They’ll be playing four dates (July 14 — 18) in Toronto, Missisauga, Montreal and Fredericton. Drummer Scott Tiller says the band has been too busy to spend any time freaking out about sharing a stage with bands like Against Me!, Less Than Jake, Yelawolf and others. “I’m literally just packing a bag full of clothes,
my camera, my phone, some money I guess,” he says. “Oh, and sunscreen — I burn really
easily. And I’ll probably bring my skateboard.” Tiller said the band is most excited about rubbing elbows with Foxy Shazam, August Runs Red and Paramore. “(Guitarist) Nick Jones really wants to meet Hayley Williams,” he says. “I won’t try to predict what he’ll say. I don’t want to embarrass him in the Coast.” Cute. Keep an eye out also for the boys’ debut EP, Like A Machine, available on iTunes July 12. You can download a free track, “The Show Must Go On,” at weredoomed.bandcamp.com. Happy trails. - The Coast

The 2011 Music Nova Scotia Music and Industry Award nominees were announced today. Carmen Townsend and Jenn Grant have racked up five nominations each, including Entertainer of the Year and Female Artist of the Year. (We're also quite pleased to see that Grant's ridiculously sweet video for "Getcha Good" - featuring Maynard St and the hilarious faces of Aaron Mackenzie Fraser - was nominated for best video.) Additionally, you can start voting for the Entertainer of the Year award online here (voting closes September 29.) A complete list of nominees is below. The awards will be given out on Sunday November 6. Nova Scotia Music Week runs from November 3 - 6 in Yarmouth.


Alternative Recording of the Year
Presented by Aberdeen Paving

Armada Drive — Armada Drive
Kuato — Winter EP
Laura Peek — Key
Ryan MacGrath — Cooper Hatch Paris
We're Doomed — Like A Machine

Blues Recording of the Year

Scott Macmillan and Brian Doyle — Live Off the Floor
Jenny MacDonald — Bye, Bye Mr. Bluesman
Dan Doiron — Even My Guitar is in Love With You
The Hupman Brothers Band — Loveseat Volume 1
The Hupman Brothers Band — Loveseat Volume 2

Country and Bluegrass Recording of the Year
Presented by Nova Scotia Country Music Hall of Fame

Aselin Debison — Homeward Bound
The Modern Grass Quartet — The Modern Grass Quartet
Norma MacDonald — Morning You Wake
Jimmy Rankin — Forget about the world
Ryan Cook — Peaks & Valleys

Digital Artist of the Year
Presented by Lixar

Jenny MacDonald
Christina Martin
Ghettochild
Keith Mullins
Three Sheet

DJ of the Year

DJ IV
DJ Y-Rush
Petey Punch
Uncle Fester
R$ $mooth
DJ T-Woo

Electronic Recording of the Year

Snug — Time Travel
Minus World — Minus World
Ruth Minnikin and Her Bandwagon — Depend On This
Scientists of Sound — Wealth and Hellness
Mat Trouble — Revenge of the Nerd

Bell Aliant Entertainer of the Year — PUBLIC VOTE
Presented by Bell Aliant

Jenn Grant
Carmen Townsend
David Myles
Jimmy Rankin
Three Sheet

Female Artist Recording of the Year
Presented by Delta Hotels

Jenn Grant — Honeymoon Punch
Carmen Townsend — Waitin’ and Seein’
Norma MacDonald — Morning You Wake
Laura Peek — Key
Molly Thomason — Beauty Queen
Kim Wempe — Painting With Tides


Folk Recording of the Year

Norma MacDonald — Morning You Wake
David Myles — Live at the Carleton
Zac Crouse — You Plan to do Nothing
Molly Thomason — Beauty Queen
Kim Wempe — Painting With Tides
Christina Martin — I Can Too

Francophone Recording of the Year

Luc Tardif - Et sans aucune raison apparent
Timmy Saulnier - L'Homme que Je Voudrais Étre
Élise Comeau — Élise
Bête 5 - Bête 5
Unisson — Unisson

Group Recording of the Year
Presented by Rudder's Seafood Restaurant & Brew Pub

Shelter With Thieves — Someday is Never Soon Enough
Something Good — Business As Usual
Three Sheet — Sheet Music
Gloryhound — Electric Dusk
Slowcoaster — The Darkest Of Discos

Hip Hop Recording of the Year
Presented by Coastal Financial Credit Union

Quake — The Myth
Ambition — Just for Kicks
J-Bru — The Jason LP
Ghettochild — In The Making
Something Good — Business As Usual

Loud Recording of the Year
Presented by Yarmouth Metal

Armada Drive — Armada Drive
Stone Mary — Hellbound Gypsy Train
Orchid's Curse — Voices: The Tales of Broken Men
Shelter With Thieves — Someday Is Never Soon Enough
We're Doomed — Like A Machine

Male Artist Recording of the Year
Presented by Delta Hotels

David Myles — Live at the Carleton
Jimmy Rankin — Forget about the world
J-Bru — The Jason LP
Dave Gunning — A Tribute to John Allan Cameron
Ryan Cook — Peaks & Valleys
JRDN — IAMJRDN

Music Video of the Year
Presented by NSCC Burridge Campus and NSCC School of Applied Arts New Media

Jenn Grant — Getcha Good — Director: Andrew Stretch
The Stanfields — Ship To Shore — Director: Aram Kouyoumdjian
Ghettochild Feat. Chad Hatcher — On the Move — Director: The Hansen-MacDonald Brothers
J-Bru — Movin' On Up — Director: Marc André Debruyne
Gypsophilia — Agricola and Sarah — Director: Sydney Smith and Jason Levangie


Musician of the Year
Presented by Minor Music

Scott Macmillan
Jordi Comstock
Kev Corbett
Keith Mullins
Kevin Fox
Adam Fine

New Artist Recording of the Year
Presented by Grant Thornton LLP

Quake — The Myth
Carmen Townsend — Waitin' and Seein'
Cassie and Maggie MacDonald — Fresh Heirs
Zac Crouse — You Plan to do Nothing
We're Doomed — Like A Machine
Scientists of Sound — Wealth and Hellness

Recording of the Year
Presented by Krista Keough Creative Communications

Jenn Grant — Honeymoon Punch
Carmen Townsend — Waitin' and Seein'
David Myles — Live at the Carleton
Jimmy Rankin — Forget about the world
Slowcoaster — The Darkest Of Discos
Ryan Cook — Peaks & Valleys


Rock Recording of the Year
Presented by Graves Electrical Ltd.

Stone Mary — Hellbound Gypsy Train
Carmen Townsend — Waitin' and Seein'
Slowcoaster - The Coast

The 2011 Music Nova Scotia Music and Industry Award nominees were announced today. Carmen Townsend and Jenn Grant have racked up five nominations each, including Entertainer of the Year and Female Artist of the Year. (We're also quite pleased to see that Grant's ridiculously sweet video for "Getcha Good" - featuring Maynard St and the hilarious faces of Aaron Mackenzie Fraser - was nominated for best video.) Additionally, you can start voting for the Entertainer of the Year award online here (voting closes September 29.) A complete list of nominees is below. The awards will be given out on Sunday November 6. Nova Scotia Music Week runs from November 3 - 6 in Yarmouth.


Alternative Recording of the Year
Presented by Aberdeen Paving

Armada Drive — Armada Drive
Kuato — Winter EP
Laura Peek — Key
Ryan MacGrath — Cooper Hatch Paris
We're Doomed — Like A Machine

Blues Recording of the Year

Scott Macmillan and Brian Doyle — Live Off the Floor
Jenny MacDonald — Bye, Bye Mr. Bluesman
Dan Doiron — Even My Guitar is in Love With You
The Hupman Brothers Band — Loveseat Volume 1
The Hupman Brothers Band — Loveseat Volume 2

Country and Bluegrass Recording of the Year
Presented by Nova Scotia Country Music Hall of Fame

Aselin Debison — Homeward Bound
The Modern Grass Quartet — The Modern Grass Quartet
Norma MacDonald — Morning You Wake
Jimmy Rankin — Forget about the world
Ryan Cook — Peaks & Valleys

Digital Artist of the Year
Presented by Lixar

Jenny MacDonald
Christina Martin
Ghettochild
Keith Mullins
Three Sheet

DJ of the Year

DJ IV
DJ Y-Rush
Petey Punch
Uncle Fester
R$ $mooth
DJ T-Woo

Electronic Recording of the Year

Snug — Time Travel
Minus World — Minus World
Ruth Minnikin and Her Bandwagon — Depend On This
Scientists of Sound — Wealth and Hellness
Mat Trouble — Revenge of the Nerd

Bell Aliant Entertainer of the Year — PUBLIC VOTE
Presented by Bell Aliant

Jenn Grant
Carmen Townsend
David Myles
Jimmy Rankin
Three Sheet

Female Artist Recording of the Year
Presented by Delta Hotels

Jenn Grant — Honeymoon Punch
Carmen Townsend — Waitin’ and Seein’
Norma MacDonald — Morning You Wake
Laura Peek — Key
Molly Thomason — Beauty Queen
Kim Wempe — Painting With Tides


Folk Recording of the Year

Norma MacDonald — Morning You Wake
David Myles — Live at the Carleton
Zac Crouse — You Plan to do Nothing
Molly Thomason — Beauty Queen
Kim Wempe — Painting With Tides
Christina Martin — I Can Too

Francophone Recording of the Year

Luc Tardif - Et sans aucune raison apparent
Timmy Saulnier - L'Homme que Je Voudrais Étre
Élise Comeau — Élise
Bête 5 - Bête 5
Unisson — Unisson

Group Recording of the Year
Presented by Rudder's Seafood Restaurant & Brew Pub

Shelter With Thieves — Someday is Never Soon Enough
Something Good — Business As Usual
Three Sheet — Sheet Music
Gloryhound — Electric Dusk
Slowcoaster — The Darkest Of Discos

Hip Hop Recording of the Year
Presented by Coastal Financial Credit Union

Quake — The Myth
Ambition — Just for Kicks
J-Bru — The Jason LP
Ghettochild — In The Making
Something Good — Business As Usual

Loud Recording of the Year
Presented by Yarmouth Metal

Armada Drive — Armada Drive
Stone Mary — Hellbound Gypsy Train
Orchid's Curse — Voices: The Tales of Broken Men
Shelter With Thieves — Someday Is Never Soon Enough
We're Doomed — Like A Machine

Male Artist Recording of the Year
Presented by Delta Hotels

David Myles — Live at the Carleton
Jimmy Rankin — Forget about the world
J-Bru — The Jason LP
Dave Gunning — A Tribute to John Allan Cameron
Ryan Cook — Peaks & Valleys
JRDN — IAMJRDN

Music Video of the Year
Presented by NSCC Burridge Campus and NSCC School of Applied Arts New Media

Jenn Grant — Getcha Good — Director: Andrew Stretch
The Stanfields — Ship To Shore — Director: Aram Kouyoumdjian
Ghettochild Feat. Chad Hatcher — On the Move — Director: The Hansen-MacDonald Brothers
J-Bru — Movin' On Up — Director: Marc André Debruyne
Gypsophilia — Agricola and Sarah — Director: Sydney Smith and Jason Levangie


Musician of the Year
Presented by Minor Music

Scott Macmillan
Jordi Comstock
Kev Corbett
Keith Mullins
Kevin Fox
Adam Fine

New Artist Recording of the Year
Presented by Grant Thornton LLP

Quake — The Myth
Carmen Townsend — Waitin' and Seein'
Cassie and Maggie MacDonald — Fresh Heirs
Zac Crouse — You Plan to do Nothing
We're Doomed — Like A Machine
Scientists of Sound — Wealth and Hellness

Recording of the Year
Presented by Krista Keough Creative Communications

Jenn Grant — Honeymoon Punch
Carmen Townsend — Waitin' and Seein'
David Myles — Live at the Carleton
Jimmy Rankin — Forget about the world
Slowcoaster — The Darkest Of Discos
Ryan Cook — Peaks & Valleys


Rock Recording of the Year
Presented by Graves Electrical Ltd.

Stone Mary — Hellbound Gypsy Train
Carmen Townsend — Waitin' and Seein'
Slowcoaster - The Coast

LiveMusicTO chats with Scott from Halifax, NS band We're Doomed who are currently on the Vans Warped Tour and will by playing our July 14th, 2011 showcase here.

1) For those who want to get to know your band a little more, tell us where did the name come from?
Let's start off sometime around May of 2010. We had just started to jam as a 4 piece and began to realize that we we're all really digging the direction we were taking things. Everyone was really pumped up, we were jamming at least 3 times a week, writing like mad men until June rolled around. It was at this point it seemed everything went wrong and one day it all just happened. It started with my appendix deciding to blow up so that put me out for a good couple weeks. Mike and Simon were in a band called In This Style and at the time the boys were going their separate ways and they were busy gearing up to play their last couple of shows. And to cap it all off Nick hit the road on tour with his band Black Moor for over a month. We were sending Facebook message after Facebook message back and forth trying to come up with a time that would work for all of us but it just didn't seem like it was going to happen. I think I eventually wrote back and said something along the lines of "boys, we're doomed..".

At this point we had been jamming for about 4 months together and couldn't come up with a name to save our lives, so many ideas were tossed around and nothing seemed like it was ever going to stick. It wasn't until late one night at about 2am when it came to me I guess. I was messing around on my Iphone, laying in bed, thinking about things as I always do and I had a total lightbulb moment. Why not call ourselves We're Doomed? It seemed appropriate at the time to say the least. I ended up googling the name to see if anyone had it yet, which no one did and I went on myspace and created an account. I guess that leaves us where we are now.

2) How did you meet and long have you been performing in the current line up?
Myself and Simon met years ago at this Rock Camp kinda deal in Halifax called "Summer Rock". I moved home from Toronto in December 2009 and we had been talking and decided we wanted to start jamming and get a new band on the go. It's funny because the whole thing we have going now was established originally to be a pop/punk sorta deal. Simon introduced me to Mike, who in turn introduced me to Nick a couple months later and it's gone uphill from there. I guess it's safe to say we've been jamming as the original 4 piece lineup for about a solid year now.

3) What have been some of your biggest accomplishments so far?
There's been a few things that have happened to us in the past few months, including releasing our first EP, buying a massive 15 passenger tour van, etc but I think the biggest accomplishment has to be the fact that we won a battle of the bands which awarded us the opportunity to play on the Vans Warped Tour. Given we've only been playing shows since the beginning of the year, we're pretty excited about how things have come about so far, and we're really looking forward to the future.

4) What is your favourite song to perform live and why?
I think our favorite song to play live has to be The Rise Of The Mammoth Lord simply because it’s our newest song, and as a group we’ve really started to hammer out some pretty serious, structured material, plus it’s got a pretty gnarly breakdown!

5) How would you describe your fans?
It’s kind of a tough question for us to answer.. Lately, we have more so been focusing on hitting the bar scene here in Halifax. Since we’re a relatively heavy band, I guess you could say that most of our fans are people over the age of 19 who enjoy a high energy performance.

6) What are you most looking forward to in the last half of 2011?
First and foremost, writing and working on our first full length. We’ve also got a couple showcasing opportunities at the Halifax Pop Explosion as well as Nova Scotia Music Week which are two incredible music festivals that happen out east every fall.

7) If there was one band in the world you could share the stage with tomorrow, who would you choose and why?
It’s gotta be a toss up between Every Time I Die or Blink 182 because we all love those bands, and it’s safe to say I can speak for everyone when I say that. That pretty much sums it up for all of us haha.

8) Where is your favourite spot in Toronto/Halifax to hangout?
Favourite spot to hang out in Toronto has DEFINITELY gotta be at Hard Luck Bar, especially on the 14th of July because there’s so many incredible bands playing.... ;)

9) What has been the craziest fan moment to date?
Honestly, nothing too out of the ordinary has happened to us yet, but it was pretty cool to see a bunch of our fans at our EP release last week singing the words to Mammoth Lord, which is a song we’ve literally played live twice before, and hadn’t released anything to do with it previously.

10) When might peop - livemusicTO

We're Doomed is a 4-piece out of Halifax, the one in Canada not the drab northern town five miles down the road from me here in sunny West Yorkshire. In their blurb they state that they "will melt your face faster than a zombie outbreak would overrun civilization"…

No, me neither.

This is their debut EP and it starts brightly with the anthemic, and incredibly melodic opener "Impending Doom". Vocals are emo, and shouty in places. Haven't seen emo-prog as a sub genre yet, but it'll come, mark my words. It's very proficient for a debut, and there's enough going on to appeal to fans of metal as well as alt/prog. And stun guitars, in the vein of one Mr E Bloom esquire, make an appearance. Always a highlight for me, stun guitars.

It's pitched at fans of Everytime I Die, The Mars Volta and As Cities Burn.

"To the Church" is a balls out rocker, with a great guitar solo, and a bit of shouting at the end, and despite their tender years the band show an impressive ear for a hook, and a riff.

"Like We Said" slows things down a tad, languid, bluesy guitar over a frenetic drum beat, before it gets emo-y and anthemic again. Bet this one sounds awesome live. In this, and the next track "The Show Must Go On" I got more than a flavour of classic 80s guitar band Big Country. Which is a very good thing.

"The Rise of the Mammoth" ends the EP – some great time changes on offer, and a lot of musical ideas and for my money it's the strongest track, with a string/synth close out.

So it's got some 'shouty' vocals which, purely from a personal point of view, doesn't float my boat but otherwise this is a really strong debut EP from a young Canadian band. It's a well-produced, powerful sounding debut that will appeal I'm sure to prog-metal and metal fans alike. - Sea of Tranquility

Show Overview: NINJASPY @ The Seahorse - September 16th 2011 - Noisography

Album Review: We're Doomed - "Like A Machine" - Noisography

Show Overview: Scion Presents: We're Doomed EP Release & Tour Kick-off! - Noisography

We’re Doomed are only “doomed” to succeed! - VisiOntheNet

We’re Doomed’s Mike Andrews and Nick Jones talk about their new EP, the formation of the band and more in this in-depth interview! - VisiONtheNet

New to Halifax, but definitely not new to the stage, We’re Doomed lit up the night! Catchy, upbeat and well thought of. Every verse was perfectly planned, every chorus made me more excited than the last. I caught the band’s vocalist James Kelly limbering up before the performance and he certainly made an impression on the audience, running around the stage, through the crowd and swinging his mic like a Mace. His vocals were fantastic… that is until Gus’ legendary shitty PA kicked in. The guys looked like they we’re having the time of their lives. I wanted to jump with the band and rock out with them. We’re Doomed is a high energy rock performance designed to make you sweaty, energetic and wanting more! - VisiONtheNet

First to slay the stage was We’re Doomed. We’re doomed are a progressive rock band from Halifax. I hadn’t heard of these guys before the show and was very impressed with their set. We’re Doomed played extremely well. There didn’t seem to be a single note out of place through the entire set and they got the crowd moving a little. Throughout their set the vocalist was hanging from the ceiling of the venue, an accurate representation of how the band performed overall. My hat is off to these guys, they were one hell of an opening act. - VisiONtheNet

We’re Doomed are a riff-y new prog rock ensemble featuring Simon Outhit and Nick Jones on guitar, Scott Tiller on drums, Mike Andrews on bass, and brand-new vocalist James Kelly. Despite their rather shocking youth (their age range is 19-22) these earnest and forthright young men have all logged hours in other bands, including In This Style and Black Moor, while Tiller and Andrews are currently studying music at NSCC. Their level of experience is pretty evident by their onstage assurance, and that’s why I wanted to talk to them — their style is bold. Even if prog isn’t your thing (and admittedly, it’s not always my thing) it’s fairly hard to ignore those guitar lines that spiral towards the ceiling, grounded by staccato riffs and periodic screams.
When the boys played at the first round of Battle to Warped II last week at the Seahorse, it was only their fifth show. “There were so many great bands,” says Tiller. “I was chewing my fingernails.” They came away the winners and will be competing during the finals on February 8.
“Really we just like making loud noises,” says Tiller. “Making a mess of things.”

Watch this space for a chat with the winners of Round 2 of Battle to Warped II, Audrey and the Agents. The finals for this fine event are happening on February 8 at the Seahorse.

- Alison Lang - The Coast

After four weeks of intense band on band battles, only one finalist could take home the grand prize for Music Nova Scotia and Halifax Pop Explosion’s Battle to Warped Tour II.

On Tuesday, February 8, We’re Doomed, Audrey and the Agents, No Flyers Please, and Ghettochild took the Seahorse stage for the final round of the battle where Vans Warped Tour 2011 Operations Manager and guest judge Damon Atkinson and hundreds of screaming fans witnessed We’re Doomed crowned as this year’s Battle to Warped Tour winner.

We’re Doomed have won three dates on the world’s largest touring festival, The Vans Warped Tour, as well as a showcase at Halifax Pop Explosion 2011, a showcase at Molson Canadian Nova Scotia Music Week 2011, a two month digital PR campaign from Red Tentacle, and digital music delivery service for up to 50 radio stations from Spincount.


Thanks to the number of studios that sponsored the event, each preliminary round winner was awarded studio time from Codapop, The Shed, or Rockopolis Rehearsal Studio, and We’re Doomed were awarded and additional 8 hours of studio time from The Shed for bringing out the most fans out of all 15 bands.

Music Nova Scotia and Halifax Pop Explosion are proud to partner with The Coast, Rockopolis Rehearsal Studio, SpinCount, Red Tentacle, The Shed, Echo Chamber, and Codapop for Battle to Warped Tour II.

For further information, please visit http://musicnovascotia.ca/Events/warped/ or contact:

Lindsay-Bea Davis
Communications and Membership Coordinator
Music Nova Scotia
(902) 423-6271 ext #2
(902) 423-8841 Fax
1-888-343-6426 Toll Free
302-5516 Spring Garden Road
Halifax, Nova Scotia B3J 1G6
lindsaybea@musicnovascotia.ca
http://www.musicnovascotia.ca - Music Nova Scotia(musicnovascotia.ca)

It's been a year in the making but We're Doomed is ready to reveal themselves. The Halifax-bred progressive rockers came together when drummer Scott Tiller moved back from Toronto and began building what he calls an "all-star lineup" of musician friends. The band played their first show before Christmas at Tupperware Remix Party's CD release at The Pavilion, which wrangled in about 100 listeners. This, however, will be their first bar show. "Obviously if you're going to play your first show a year after you've put it together, we were kind of aiming for perfection," says Tiller. We're Doomed is working on a six month plan that includes putting together an EP, and getting all you music lovers a little more familiar with their faces.

Thursday January 6, Gus' Pub, 2605 Agricola Street, 10pm, $5

- Allison Saunders - The Coast