East of The Dial

This week's childish conversations include Joee trying to make everybody feel better by telling us about viruses that are worse than coronavirus. Joee, Prider & Allie also offer up a pleasant distraction from all the COVID 19 talk with Pop Culture Wars! This week they debate Footloose vs Dirty Dancing, The Office vs Parks & Rec and Bret Hitman Hart vs HBK Shawn Michaels. They also talk about real-life ghost stories, eating lunch by yourself and play "Name That 90's Yeah!"

This week Joee, Prider & Allie talk about the hysteria surrounding COVID-19 and they're own concerns about contracting coronavirus. They also have an in depth conversation about cleaning buttholes and eating ass. While on the topic of buttholes they talk about Harvey Weinstein and famous buttholes like Ryan Adams, Bill Cosby and Hedley.

This week on the show we talk about how people were outraged that J-Lo and Shakira's ass were the stars of the Super Bowl, and play a new game called "Pop Culture Wars".

This week on East of the Dial, things got a little heated between Chris and Allie. It got pretty ugly. We also play another round of "Yo, That's Racist" and explain in intricate detail why flat earthers are stupid.

Your favourite grown-ups having childish conversations are back. This week we talk about pussy pumps, penis pumps and Prider expresses concern over the state of Aaron Carter. Plus a new edition of "Yo, That's Racist!" This time, Joee, Prider & Allie talk about whether or not Mary Poppins in black face and Mr. Schu rapping with the kids on Glee is racist. If you like the show please think about supporting us on Patreon! For just $3 a month you can help us out and get exclusive access to episodes of soundcheckin' just goto http://Patreon.com/EastoftheDial

This week on the show, we talk about Joee's new future career possibility as a closed captioning voice over artist for porn, that stripper who fell off a 2 story stripper pole, and how Vince Neil of Motley Crue supplements his income these days by being a drunken embarrassment.

EPISODE 87: Douchebag On A Plane by The Ginger Mafia

EPISODE 86 - BIRD CANDLES. by The Ginger Mafia

Joee, Prider & Allie talk about Connor McGregor and whether or not he could defeat bear, sex toys at grocery stores and answer some burning questions like: is porn too good? and is it time to forgive Louis CK?

This week we fucked with the guy who fucked with cats... Joee, Prider & Allie have a listen to Luka Magnotta auditioning for a reality show. We play another round of "Yo That's Racist" this time it's Asian Disney edition and we talk about pulling out. Yes, that type of pulling out.

This week on East of the Dial, we have a pretty huge announcement to make: one of us got pregnant. We'll leave you to your imagine as to who it is (it's not Chris). So because of that, we have our own little impromptu discussion of "what to expect when you're expecting". We also talk about Nick Cannon (attempting) to drop bombs on Eminem, and a whole bunch of other random ridiculous shit. Don't forget to stick around until the end of the episode either, because we drop some more major news AND show some to love to a classic Canadian punk band.

This week Joee, Prider & Allason talk about the Peloton ad that has everybody outraged. They also play 2 new games! In "Triggered" Joee drops topics that trigger outrage among the masses. Everything from gun control to vaccine and sparks debate between Allie & Prider when the topic steers to anti-abortion. Then Prider introduces "Yo, That's Racist!" The group listens to some racist sounding clips from the world of Pro Wrestling including Jim Cornette & Kamala.

This week, Joee, Prider & Allie talk about Don Cherry, Jessica Allen, Ron MacLean, dead animals, Joee's shitlist and obnoxious Facebook posts.

EPISODE 80 - Small Talk (About Micropenises) by The Ginger Mafia

EPISODE 79: Bam Margera, Fox News, and Why Friends Isn't Funny by The Ginger Mafia

EPISODE 78: Give It Up For Diva Cups! by The Ginger Mafia

EPISODE 77: The Squad Cast by The Ginger Mafia

EPISODE 76: Is Trudeau A Douche? by The Ginger Mafia

EPISODE 75 - Netflix, Spotify, & other assorted Pimps by The Ginger Mafia

Happy Valentine's Day Bahds by The Ginger Mafia

Uncle, Duke and the Chief, the latest offering from Toronto-by-way-of-Midland, Ontario's Born Ruffians, truly feels like a return to form. It welcomes back original drummer Steve Hamelin (who had taken leave from the band to pursue a degree), and with the original line-up back in play, it seems inevitable that the charm and youthful energy of their debut Red, Yellow and Blue would also surface. Though the Ruffians' palette has expanded greatly since their primary-coloured start, on Uncle, Duke and The Chief — a title charmingly made up of each members' (singer/guitarist Luke Lalonde, bassist Mitch Derosier and Hamelin) father's nicknames — their past peeks through, exuberance and all. Opening tune "Forget Me," reportedly written through tears on the day Bowie died, starts with an acoustic strum as Lalonde begins to sing, handclaps working as initial percussion before Hamelin and Derosier join in. The lyrics, largely dealing with death ("Someday / a white light / will come for you / to comfort you") are certainly some of the Ruffians' darkest (see "waiting on a sun that's never rising" in "Fade to Black"), but there is sweetness still. It's a warm welcome to the album, and immediately seems to boast the familiar boisterousness of the Ruffians of old. The doo-wop-ish "Miss You" follows, with all three Ruffians harmonizing as the song gains momentum and the energy increases. "Side Tracked" is a standout, softening the pace a bit and allowing Derosier to play a delightful scale-skipping bass line. You'll want a hand to hold during the simple and sincere "Love Too Soon" as it swims in a sea of warm bass, gentle tambourine taps, organ swells and just the sweetest addition of whistling that threatens to make it all too much (but doesn't). It certainly feels like a companion to much-loved tune "Little Garcon," but without the foot-stomping shout-along ending. The Ruffians even somehow get away with a millennial whoop, found throughout "Tricky" — thank Lalonde's very fun vocal delivery (asking "When are you gonna come hooooome?" in that exaggerated deep register) and the song's terribly infectious energy for that. It's the pairing of melodies that comfort, and lyrics that threaten to take it away, that really make this album. Where 2015's RUFF spoke of being disheartened and disillusioned in the creative world, Uncle, Duke and the Chief is honest about life — its ups, its downs, its changes and rearrangements, procrastination and stress, and certainly its inevitable end. The simple production, with Lalonde's untamed vocals clear as a bell and Hamelin's homecoming, lets the joy that played a part in the process of making the short and sweet Uncle, Duke and the Chief shine evidently through. (Paper Bag)

Partner is the "mature" effort of two best friends named Josée Caron and Lucy Niles. Partner is genre-defying and terrifying: part musical act, part teenage diary, and 100% queer, Partner is unflinching in its exploration of intimacy, friendship, sexuality, drugs, and the existential predicament of being a lesbian barista in the year 2018.

Dennis Ellsworth is a prolific songwriter. Lately he’s gotten into rhythm of writing, recording and releasing an album a year. In between records, he travels around the planet singing songs characterized by a kind of dark optimism that’s informed by early influences such as Roy Orbison, Neil Diamond and Kris Kristofferson. Ellsworth can’t pinpoint what first prompted him to pursue music, but recalls singing ‘Forever in Blue Jeans’ in front of the mirror while brushing his teeth as a child. Since making the leap from the bathroom to the barroom, Ellsworth has toured Canada extensively, made inroads into the US and built a substantial following in the UK. In all, he’s released six records – all recorded live in a house or studio; two with his side project, Haunted Hearts, as well as Chesterfield Dweller of the Year (2009), the Strange Boat EP (2011), Dusk Dreams (2012) and his latest, Hazy Sunshine, in 2013 as a solo artist. Although he’s refined his sound and approach to writing over the years, some things remain constant. One is an acoustic guitar he rescued from 1970’s era cottage in the Catskills; a guitar on which he’s written almost every song he’s put down on tape and believes has a lot to do with his gift for songwriting. Another is the emphasis he places on collaboration with the musicians he brings together for each album and the importance of allowing their unique voices as players to influence his songs. Produced by Skydiggers guitarist, Josh Finlayson, and recorded over five days and wine filled nights at The Bathhouse, near Kingston, Ontario, Hazy Sunshine is a perfect example of how positively special that collaboration can be. “When I set out to make this album I wanted to isolate myself in the winter in rural Canada, and for that to contribute to the sound of the record, but we went in a different direction,” he says. Although Hazy Sunshine represents a departure from Ellsworth’s past records – Dusk Dreams in particular – never before has the Charlottetown-based singer/songwriter released an album as heavily informed by his belief that, no matter how rough things get, if you lose hope you lose the ability to effect positive change. The result is a seamless blend of modern East Coast folk and rock and roll with shades of classic Americana, roots and country haunting the edges; a set of songs that anyone who’s questioned their place in the world will find their own experiences reflected in. While Hazy Sunshine dwells heavily on the necessity of remaining positive, it’s fuelled by the kind of dark optimism that’s always driven Ellsworth’s songwriting. "I'm hopeful but I'm not a firm believer,” he says, bluntly. There have been times that music has saved him, and times that it’s let him down, but aside from his beautiful and loving wife and their cat Winsloe, music has always been his truest friend and companion. If you need him for anything, just get in touch. If you can’t reach him, he’s probably out for a stroll with his wife, or a friend. Either that or he’s on the road and maybe playing in your town tonight and, if so, you should be at his show.

With a view to kicking the hell out of any audience in their path, Like A Motorcycle quickly began playing shows in the Halifax area. They have spent the better part of the last five years cultivating a sound and reputation that has captured attention from audiences and industry alike. Their music is authentic extension of their personalities, something born of "real life," bassist Carson says. LAM has played as direct support for such acts as Against Me!, Propagandhi, METZ, Headstones, The Vibrators, Japandroids, The Pack A.D. and Danko Jones, to name a few. On the heels of a successful campaign supporting their EP #motorpool, which culminated with a 2014 Nova Scotia Music Award for Best Loud Recording, the band posted up at Sydney NS’s Soundpark Studios in early 2015 to track their follow-up full-length effort, High Hopes. Recorded under the watchful eye of producers Albert Lionais and Jamie Foulds, High Hopes will prove to be a definitive mile-marker in Like A Motorcycle’s unfolding career winning them both an ECMA (East Coast Music Award) for Rising Star Album of the Year as well as a NSMW (Nova Scotia Music Award) for Rock Recording of the Year. The album perfectly underscores the collective will of a close-knit unit who has run through proverbial brick walls together, and is an evolution of the raw, melodic sensibilities that have become the band’s foundation. Having recently teamed up with respected Halifax management company/label GroundSwell Music, High Hopes hit the international stage on September 2, 2016. This partnership will see Like A Motorcycle come-of-age with ventures deeper into North America and Europe in support of High Hopes, discovering new stages to burn down and new asses to kick.

Hillsburn doubled down on their independent ethos for their second record, The Wilder Beyond. Deciding to forego a formal studio setting, they produced the album collectively and recorded it in singer Paul Aarntzen’s Halifax apartment. Aarntzen, also the band’s songwriter, took on the roles of engineer and mixer. Perhaps partly as a result of the new approach, The Wilder Beyond departs sharply from the folk-rooted sound of Hillsburn’s award-winning In The Battle Years debut. The group’s soaring three-part harmonies are intact here, but densely-layered arrangements and more electronic instruments signal a move in the direction of indie rock. Not that the album is easy to pin down stylistically. ‘Strange Clouds,’ the guitar-driven lead track, recalls Florence + The Machine. 'Sun Ought To Shine,’ which features the record’s standout vocal performance, draws on Motown. And 'Time of Life,’ the closing track, could be a Neil Young song. The Wilder Beyond manages to land somewhere in the vast terrain between Aretha Franklin and Suburbs-era Arcade Fire while simultaneously sounding fresh and coherent. All of the band members contribute something unique here. Multi-instrumentalist Jackson Fairfax-Perry plays bass, keys, and saxophone, while scoring the strings and horns for the album’s guest players. Siblings Rosanna and Clayton Burrill complete the three-part vocal battery, and Rosanna puts her classical training to use throughout, layering violins on many of the tracks. Newest member Clare Macdonald brings understated power to the proceedings. Her drumming is complex at times, direct at others, but never demands undue attention. It is plain that, although Aarntzen sparks the process, Hillsburn is a deeply collaborative affair. On the surface, The Wilder Beyond that Aarntzen conjures is a dream-like borderland of parallel pasts and futures, of deaths and rebirths, where ‘roses sprout from stone,’ where you’re king, queen, and no one. But the twin and conflicting human realities of pain and joy form the underlying narrative. In ‘Everywhere,’ which was produced by rapper Classified, the chorus reminds us that ‘the low, it’s everywhere,’ that ‘we’re born to hurt.’ Similarly, ‘Everything Is New’ grapples with themes of loss and loneliness, asking plainly, ‘Why’s it got to be so hard?’ The trick, of course, is to find the glimmers of light in the shadows. As ‘Time of Life’ puts it so beautifully: Seems sometimes you’ve got wolves around ya. You’re terrified by the ghosts that hound ya. Someday soon all the trees will blossom, The floods recede and these fields, you’ll cross ‘em. And exultation, jubilation — they’re stations too, Both times of life. The Wilder Beyond urges us to keep going in the dark moments, to soak up the warmth of the bright ones. It does that without being ostentatious or moralistic, raising a gentle fist of solidarity and recognizing that our struggles are both utterly personal and universal.

Artist Sam Coffey and The Iron Lungs Album SAM COFFEY & THE IRON LUNGS TALK 2 HER TOUGH VOICEMAIL JUDY PRESSURE I: RAGNAROK II: TEENAGE RELEASE III: PHD YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE NICE Published Jul 20, 2017 Genre ROCK Embed It's now possible to embed this First Play on your own blog or website. Click here to learn more. Advertisement By Andrea Gin Editor’s note: lyrics contain profanity. When Toronto power-pop band Sam Coffey & the Iron Lungs started working on their second album, they decided it was time to finally go in and record in a proper studio. Prior to this, the six-piece had been taking a mostly DIY approach to its recordings, which included a stream of singles and the 2014 LP Gates of Hell. For this new self-titled release, the band not only found a studio, but also hired producer Alex Bonenfant (Metz, Crystal Castles) and signed to Dine Alone Records for its release. "Recording in a real studio for the first time with an excellent producer like Alex is a very big part of why this album is any good at all,” Sam Coffey wrote via email. “Some of the songs have been around for a long time, and we recorded this album three different times before we went into the studio with Alex at Dreamhouse. We took our time to get it right." The effort paid off. The songs on this self-titled release are not only well-crafted, but infused with an old-school party-rock spirit that is hard to resist. It’s an effort that certainly makes one thing clear: this is a band that loves its '70s power pop. - CBC Music

This week on East of the Dial, we had the pleasure of talking shit with Brielle Ansems, figuratively and literally.....

This week on the show, Joee and Donovan had the chance to sit down with the world famous food seductress herself, Chef Ilona Daniel. You might have seen Chef Ilona on TV read her columns or about her online or in magazines, and if you're lucky, you've tasted her incredible food. She was nice enough to sit down with us, and talk about her culinary journey, what it is she loves about being a Chef, and how the places and people she's met along the way have inspired and motivated her. Enjoy!

EPISODE 72 - The Father, The Son, and The HOLY SHIT IT'S MATTY! by The Ginger Mafia

This week on East of the Dial, we talk about the infamous "Cheticamp" debacle.

Andre Pettipas and his God damned Giants stopped in to talk about banging Uncle Joey, Much Fact and we hear the absolute worst Santa Claus conversation ever. Plus music from: Alert The Media & Jont & The Infinite Possibility.

Had the chance to catch up with Dennis Ellsworth & Kinley Dowling just before they took off for a string of dates in the UK. They talked about their new collabo-album called "Everyone Needs To Chill Out" and you're gonna hear some of these songs for the first time, right here on East of the Dial.

This week on the show, Prider and Joee have two new tracks from Partner, and Brielle Ansems.

Prider and Joee dust off the mics for the first for real episode since the ECMA's in April. They've got new tunes from Not You, Eric Stephen Martin, and Cameron and a bitchin' track from NFLD's now defunct, Jonny & the Cowabungas.

It's been a wonderful time and the Ginger Mafia reflect on it, whilst they are a little lit in the final East of The Dial #ECMA2017 show.

The wizard, Leith Flemming Smith enters the Ginger Mafia's hotel room for our latest #ECMA2017 episode!

Hey Saint John, we are in you. For the ECMA 2017 weekend. In this special episode we talk about and play the amazingly talented Lisa Leblanc & our boy Jon Matthews stops in to talk ECMA's & tell one amazing story.

Brielle Ansems - Fade by The Ginger Mafia

The Wharf Rats Robbie Carruthers & Dennis Trainor join Joee & Prider in studio to talk about... The world man,

Prider and Joee had the chance to catch up with Mo Kenney to talk about things like songwriting, girls, and drunk food.

This week on East of the Dial, Joee & Matty chat with Dylan Guthro & Carleton Stone, two sweet boys who play in a band called Port Cities.

This week on the show, Joee sits down and has an intimate conversation with one of the longest running husband and wife duos on the Island. Laura and Donovan Morgan....

This week on the show, we had the chance to chat with Joel Plaskett, who's busy getting ready to head out tour promoting his new album called "Solidarity" that he recorded with his father, Bill Plaskett.

This week on the show, we catch up with our old bahds Hillsburn, who are currently on tour promoting their album "In The Battle Years" across Canada.

Is Rock and Roll dead? No. But kinda. We play some music in the genre formally known as rock by band such as: Killmore, Hitman, The Trews & Cousins.

This week on the show, we re-live some of our favorite moments with some past guests, who have since gone on to be nominated for some ECMA's this year....

Big news from the Ginger Mafia..and tunes from one of this year's nominees for Rock Recording of the Year, and Album of the Year at the upcoming East Coast Music Awards.

New games, new rants, and new tunes from Twist, The Town Heroes, Lookalike, and some oldies from Burnt Black and a surprise for Donovan.

I think we broke Donovan....

The Ginger Mafia drops the brand spankin' new Hillsburn single... Plus, they debut a segment; Riffin'! They also talk about throw up and Joee's eyeliner.

EPISODE 52 - The Four Horsemen by The Ginger Mafia