I know some of you Haligoons out there are close to surviving what could only be described as the longest week in history, but fortunately we’re in the home stretch as it’s finally Friday. Your pals here at HAFILAX have cobbled together a Friday Night Soundtrack designed to have you coasting through this brief respite and into what is hopefully another sun-soaked weekend. No more jibber jabber, so let’s get at it!

“Juliette” – Hollerado

This is a fantastic blast of Pop-Punk, one of those tracks that can’t but help plaster a big ol’ smile across your mug. It’s just a refreshing fun dose of feel good Canadiana. Oh, and the boys will be in town this September playing The Seahorse Tavern.

“Late Night Sedans” (Live at Studio Q) – Leif Vollebekk

C’mon now, this singer songwriter may not be the blast of 5 Hour Energy that we promised at the top, but just listen and let these warm notes and silky smooth vocals wash over you. If you’re a fan of Ray Lamontagne, Bahamas, or even Amos Lee, you’re going to feel right at home here. This September at the Carleton, Leif is playing a headlining show during the Halifax Urban Folk Festival (HUFF), and personally, this show is not to be missed. Make sure you don’t have regrets over missing this one.

“Hold Your Fire” – The Gay Nineties

This is a bit of a throwback, as Parker Bossley and his crew from the Left Coast put on the best set of 2014’s Halifax Pop Explosion that no one saw. It was a fantastic blast of retro-tinged power-pop, which blew away the small group of us that were there to take it in. It’s a great peppy tune, that will get your afternoon back into a productive groove.

“Baby, I’m Broken” – The Record Company

For those who are familiar with my musical predilections, you know that I’m a sucker for greasy, bluesy rock n’ roll (see The Black Crowes, Big Sugar, The Glorious Sons, and the list goes on). The latest release from this LA-based three-piece is a fantastic slice of greasy blues rawk. This scratches all of my Big Sugar itches, and I need to hear more. This will wake you up out of that afternoon funk.

“Die Young” – Sylvan Esso

This is one of those songs that you hear once, it gets lodged in your head, and you are sent on a mad scramble trying to find your way back to. It would occasionally pop up, and I remember checking out the artist last time I heard the tune, but that was almost a week ago. Check out this great fusion of electro-pop, “Die Young” is a track that deserves your attention.