The Halifax Explosion

This playlist was started Dec 23, 2025 and is in progress....In the late 80's and early 1990s, a loose network of bands, venues, and independent labels centered in Halifax, Nova Scotia began drawing national attention. While rarely labeled as a “scene” by its participants at the time, the cluster would later be widely referred to as The Halifax Pop Explosion.

Tracks

Artist	Track	Title	Length
Super Friendz	One Day	Mock Up, Scale Down	03:21
Thrush Hermit	25 All Right	The Great Pacific Ocean (EP) (picture disc)	01:35
Basic English	The Man With the Other Name	Emanations	04:13
Sloan	Junior Panthers	One Chord to Another	02:38
Sloan	I Can Feel It	Twice Removed	03:29
Thrush Hermit	Simple Universal Leader	John Boomer	02:50
Thrush Hermit	From the back of the Film	Clayton Park	02:04
Compilation	Jale - Twisted	Cod Can’t Hear: The Halifax Independant Musical Festival 1992: Live from the Double Dance	03:23
Basic English	Outside the Law	Emanations	03:55
Sloan	Coax Me	Twice Removed	03:26
Jale	Twisted (Frank Mix)	Brave New Waves Session	02:52
Jellyfishbabies	Never Really Knew	ST	02:41
Jale	Long Way Home	Closed (EP)	02:30
Compilation	Leonard Conan - Frightened of...	Trim Crusts if Desired	02:51
Thrush Hermit	Cott	Smart Bomb (EP)	02:11
Thrush Hermit	Before You Leave	Clayton Park	06:08
Thrush Hermit	Puerto Rico	Sweet Homewrecker	03:34
Thrush Hermit	At My Expense	Sweet Homewrecker	02:57
Wankin Family	Local Youths (Gassenhauer)	We Did It For the Kids	02:06
Jale	Over You	So Wound	02:13
Compilation	October Game - Grind	Out of the Fog Too: The Halifax Music Scene 1993	03:41
Compilation	Roland Blinn & The Fishermen - Flamingoes My Love	Out of the Fog: The Halifax Underground 1986	03:14
Jellyfishbabies	Wild Cows	The Unkind Truth About Rome	02:33
Super Friendz	The World's Most Embarassing Moment	Slide Show	05:31
Jale	3 Days	Dreamcake	03:26
Sloan	Same Old Flame	Stood Up b/w Same Old Flame (picture sleeve)	03:38
Compilation	Too Many Daves - Motorcycle Song	Out of the Fog Too: The Halifax Music Scene 1993	04:13
Super Friendz	Stop-Start	Slide Show	03:24
Cleveland Steamer	Burnt Toast	Burnt Toast b/w Matthew (denim sleeve)	02:59
Thrush Hermit	Violent Dreams	Clayton Park	07:07
Compilation	ChucksWagon - Chameleon	Out of the Fog Too: The Halifax Music Scene 1993	04:47
Jale	Ali	So Wound	03:12
Basic English	Have it Your Way	Emanations	03:51
Sloan	I Hate My Generation	Twice Removed	02:26
Jellyfishbabies	Berlin is Just a Dream Away	The Unkind Truth About Rome	03:28
Super Friendz	Star in One	Slide Show	03:54
Basic English	Images of Love	Emanations	04:34
Compilation	The Killer Klamz - The Boviner's Song	Out of the Fog: The Halifax Underground 1986	03:32
Jale	More Or Less (Frank Mix)	Brave New Waves Session	03:16
Thrush Hermit	Every Morning I Reread the Postcard	The Great Pacific Ocean (EP) (picture disc)	01:58
Basic English	The Bottom Step	Emanations	03:57
Super Friendz	Rescue Us from Boredom	Play the Game, Not Games	04:45
Super Friendz	Sorry - The Super Friendz Theme	Play the Game, Not Games	05:00
Thrush Hermit	Headin' South	Clayton Park	05:53
Bubaiskull	Floss Birds	Kitten	02:39
Bubaiskull	Eelmonkey	Insex (EP) (1st press)	03:27
Compilation	Donner Party Reunion - Omniverous Society	Cod Can’t Hear: The Halifax Independant Musical Festival 1992: Live from the Double Dance	03:18
Thrush Hermit	Strange to be Involved	Sweet Homewrecker	02:50
Basic English	Lost in the Shadows	Sweet Panic!	04:16
Compilation	Spike N - Life in Reverse	Cod Can’t Hear: The Halifax Independant Musical Festival 1992: Live from the Double Dance	02:51
Sloan	Stove - Smother	Stove/ Smother (split with Eric's Trip)	04:32
Compilation	Thrush Hermit - Pink is the Colour	Trim Crusts if Desired	03:47
Sloan	The Good in Everyone	One Chord to Another	02:17
Jellyfishbabies	Alba	The Unkind Truth About Rome	03:16
Thrush Hermit	Pink is the Colour	Smart Bomb (EP)	04:24
100 Flowers	Beachcombers Theme	Places We Sit	01:55
100 Flowers	Upside Down	Places We Sit	03:53
Compilation	Karma Wolves - Break the Silence	Out of the Fog: The Halifax Underground 1986	02:15
Bucket Truck	Captain Fantastic	Mr. Hero	02:14
Thrush Hermit	Songs for the Gang	Clayton Park	03:07
Thrush Hermit	All Dressed Up	Smart Bomb (EP)	03:15
Sloan	Take the Bench	One Chord to Another	03:50
Jale	Sign Of Life	So Wound	03:42
Sloan	Before I Do	Twice Removed	07:05
Basic English	I Can't Wait	Emanations	04:13
Jale	Mosquito	So Wound	02:45
Bucket Truck	Dynamo	Mr. Hero	04:13
100 Flowers	The Last Forgetting	Places We Sit	04:12
Compilation	Laura Smith - Clean Up Your Own Backyard	Out of the Fog Too: The Halifax Music Scene 1993	04:08
Sloan	Two Seater	Smeared	03:05
Compilation	Deep Woods - The House	Cod Can’t Hear: The Halifax Independant Musical Festival 1992: Live from the Double Dance	02:56
Sloan	Raspberry	Smeared	04:01
Sloan	I am the Cancer	Smeared	03:41
Jale	Brother (Frank Mix)	Brave New Waves Session	03:44
Compilation	Adrenalin - Forced Consent	Cod Can’t Hear: The Halifax Independant Musical Festival 1992: Live from the Double Dance	04:38
100 Flowers	Mr. Empty Man	Places We Sit	04:14
Bucket Truck	Magically Delicious	Mr. Hero	03:03
Thrush Hermit	Noosed and Haloed Swear Words	Sweet Homewrecker	03:32
Super Friendz	Restricted	Mock Up, Scale Down	03:17
Sloan	People of the Sky	Twice Removed	03:37
Jale	Superstar	So Wound	06:03
Super Friendz	When They Paid Me	Mock Up, Scale Down	03:37
Basic English	Justice	Sweet Panic!	05:05
Sloan	Amped (Previously Unreleased)	Underwhelmed (promo)	03:06
Jellyfishbabies	Famous Blue Raincoat (Leonard Cohen)	Here She Comes Now b/w Famous Blue Raincoat	05:31
Compilation	Quahogs - Back to the Nun	Cod Can’t Hear: The Halifax Independant Musical Festival 1992: Live from the Double Dance	03:39
Super Friendz	Karate Man	Mock Up, Scale Down	03:04
Thrush Hermit	Rosebody	Ammo (EP)	02:47
Jale	Nebulons	Dreamcake	02:53
Sloan	Shame Shame	Twice Removed	03:04
Thrush Hermit	Simple Universal Leader	Marya b/w Simple Universal Leader/ Cott	02:50
100 Flowers	Puzzles	Places We Sit	04:36
Compilation	Cool Blue Halo - Some Other World	Cod Can’t Hear: The Halifax Independant Musical Festival 1992: Live from the Double Dance	03:47
Jellyfishbabies	Here She Comes Now - Homage	Here She Comes Now b/w Famous Blue Raincoat	04:14
Wankin Family	Suck Your Life Away	We Did It For the Kids	01:48
Cleveland Steamer	Matthew	Burnt Toast b/w Matthew (denim sleeve)	03:22
Jellyfishbabies	Diamond Joe	ST	04:18
Super Friendz	Boots	Play the Game, Not Games	03:14
Basic English	Avalanche	Emanations	04:02
Super Friendz	Fireflies	Sticktoitiveness 2	02:50

The Halifax Explosion

Tracks

FEATURED

Sloan - One Chord to Another

FEATURED

Sloan - Stood Up b/w Same Old Flame (picture sleeve)

FEATURED

Sloan - Twice Removed

FEATURED

Sloan - Underwhelmed (promo)

FEATURED

Sloan - Stove/ Smother (split with Eric's Trip)

FEATURED

Sloan - Smeared

FEATURED

Eric's Trip - The Road South

FEATURED

Basic English - Emanations

FEATURED

Basic English - Sweet Panic!

FEATURED

Super Friendz - Compilation Tracks

FEATURED

Super Friendz - Play the Game, Not Games

FEATURED

Super Friendz - Up and Running

FEATURED

Super Friendz - Slide Show

FEATURED

Super Friendz - Mock Up, Scale Down

FEATURED

Super Friendz - Sticktoitiveness 2

FEATURED

Jellyfishbabies - The Unkind Truth About Rome

FEATURED

Jellyfishbabies - Here She Comes Now b/w Famous Blue Raincoat

FEATURED

Jellyfishbabies - ST

FEATURED

Phollop Willing P.A. (Phil Walling) - Orphan Baby b/w Sea Cruise Blues

FEATURED

Compilation - Out of the Fog Too: The Halifax Music Scene 1993

FEATURED

Compilation - Out of the Fog: The Halifax Underground 1986

FEATURED

Compilation - Cod Can’t Hear: The Halifax Independant Musical Festival 1992: Live from the Double Dance

FEATURED

Bubaiskull - Kitten

FEATURED

Bubaiskull - Drive By Suicide (EP)

FEATURED

Bubaiskull - Insex (EP) (1st press)

FEATURED

Jale - Aunt Betty (EP) (1st press)

FEATURED

Jale - Brave New Waves Session

FEATURED

Jale - So Wound

FEATURED

Jale - Closed (EP)

FEATURED

Jale - Closed (EP)

Comments