NEWS: HPX @ NXNE

Halifax Pop Explosion hosts a stage full of emerging East Coast talent at this year's North By Northeast Music Festival at The Velvet Underground on Saturday, June 18. The show features performances from Cousins, Jon McKiel, Glory Glory, and Dance Movie. Schedule is as follows:

8pm - Dance Movie - dancemovie.bandcamp.com
9pm - Glory Glory - gloryglorymanunited.bandcamp.com
10pm - Jon McKiel - jonmckiel.bandcamp.com
11pm - Cousins - cousinscousins.bandcamp.com

Halifax Pop Explosion (HPX) was founded in 1993. Since then, it has become one the country's premiere showcases for emerging music, art and culture from Halifax, Canada and around the world. Featuring artists such as The Hold Steady, The New Pornographers, Ty Segall, and Sloan, last year's line-up drew record setting attendance all while being covered by media from all over the world. It also introduced the HPX all access wristband, allowing concert goers access to all shows for one low price.

Cousins is a bare bones, playful and dynamic guitar and drum two piece. Formed in the spring of 2009, Cousins features Pat Ryan on guitar and Aaron Mangle on drums and vocals. The songs reflect a playful attitude towards life in a small city and the merging of art practice and rock n' roll.

On his new EP, Confidence Lodge (Youth Club Records), Jon McKiel creates a sound that The National Post refers to as, “surprising beauty powering through heavy sludge.” The album's five songs showcase a new approach and stylistic step forward for McKiel.

Hailed as, "Arguably the most impressive indie pop band to come out of the East Coast since Two Hours Traffic," by The Toronto Star, Glory Glory is made up of Adam Warren (vocals, guitar), Gavin Maclean (bass, vocals) and Ryan Brown (drums, vocals). The band released their acclaimed album, Zombies!!!, on Out Of Sound Records in the summer of 2010.

Dance Movie is an indie-pop outfit forged in the sea-salted winds of Halifax. The band released two EPs in 2010. Last August, "Carjack My Heart" appeared on Degrassi and can be found on the new soundtrack, The Boiling Point. Dance Movie will have its debut LP in the can - produced by the three-headed song hydra of Jenn Grant, Amelia Curran and Matt Charlton - by summer.