A
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[perversion:] - Collapses
3 Mile Scream - A Prelude to our Demise
21 Tandem Repeats - Never Wanted to be Anyone
33 1/3: Trout Mask Replica - Kevin Courrier
65daysofstatic - One Time For All
The 69 Eyes - Angels
500 Miles to Memphis - Sunshine in a Shot Glass
A Dying Race - Escape Your Fate
AA Sound System - Laissez Faire
Abandoned Souls - Circle of Shadows
Abernethy - College Grove
Adam Franklin - Bolts of Melody
Aereogramme - My Heart has a Wish that you Would not Go
Aerogramme - Seclusion
Aesop Rock - None Shall Pass
The Affair - Yes Yes To You
The Aggrolites - Reggae Hit L.A.
Agoraphobic Nosebleed - PCP Torpedo
Air  - Pocket Symphony
Alan Sparhawk - Solo Guitar
Alan Vega - Station
The Alarm MMVI - Under Attack
All Hail - Every Wealth EP
All That Remains - The Fall of Ideals
Aloha - Light Works
Amanda Martinez - Sola
Amos Lee - Supply and Demand
Amos the Transparent - Everything I’ve Forgotten To Forget
An Albatross - Blessphemy
Anberlin - Cities
Andy Swan - Andy Swan's Ottawa
Ani Difranco - Reprieve
Antibalas - Security
The Apostle of Hustle - National Anthem of Nowhere
The Apparitions - As This Is Futuristic
Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
Army of Anyone - Self-titled
Army of Me - Citizen
Art Brut - Bang Bang Rock & Roll
Artanker Convoy - Cozy Endings
The Atomic Ravens - Afraid of the Machines
Augie March - Moo You Bloody Choir
Awake and Alert - Devil in a Lambskin Suit

B
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Baba Brinkman - Lit-Hop
Baby Elephant  - Turn My Teeth Up!
Bad Brains - Build a Nation
Bad Religion - New Maps of Hell
Band Marino - The Sea & The Beast
Bang! Bang! - Decked Out
Bat For Lashes - Fur and Gold
Bauchklang - Many People
Bauhaus - Go Away White
Belladonnakillz - As If
Belladonnakillz - Perverted & Proud
Ben Harper - Both Sides of the Gun
Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals - Lifeline
Beth Orton - Comfort of Strangers
Bette LaVette - The Scene of the Crime
Better Than Ezra - Before The Robots
Biffy Clyro - Puzzle
Big Boi Presents... - Got Purp? Vol. II
Big Business - Here Come the Waterworks
The Big Lie - Self-titled
The Bird and The Bee - Self-Titled
Bishop Allen - The Broken String
The Blackheart Processions - The Spell
Black Lips - Los Valientes del Mundo Nuevo
Black Mountain - In the Future
The Black Pine - With Us
Black Turtleneck - Musical Chairs
The Blakes - The Blakes
The Blood Lines - The Blood Lines
Blood On The Wall - Liferz
BOB LANOIS - Snake Road
Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
Bonerama - Bringing It Home
Botch - 061502
Brassmunk - Fewturistic
BRAZZAVILLE  - East L.A. Breeze
Broadcast Radio - Broadcast Radio
THE BROKEN WEST  - I Can’t Go On, I’ll Go On
Brookhaven - Transitive Verses
Broomfiller - Enter the Storm
The Brown Hornets - The Brown Hornets
Brunnen - The Beekeeper's Dream
Buck Brothers - Me
Built To Spill - You In Reverse
Bullet for my Valentine - Scream Air Fire
Burial - HDBCD001
Busdriver - Road Kill Overcoat
Bush Tetras - Very Very Happy

C
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Cadence Weapon - Breaking Kayfabe
Cake - B-Sides and Rarities
Calexico - Garden Ruin
Calla - Strength In Numbers
Camera Obscura - Let's Get Out Of This Country
The Cape May - Glass Mountain Roads
Cara Luft - The Light Fantastic
Caribou - Andorra
Carolyn AlRoy - Gorgeous Enormous
Carrie Biell - When Your Feet Hit The Stars
Casper and the Cookies - The Optimist's Club
Cass Eager - Beautiful Day
Cassettes Won’t Listen! - Small-time Machine
The Cat Empire - Two Shoes: Special Edition
Catfish Haven - Please Come Back
Catfish Haven - Tell Me
Cat Power - The Greatest
Cavalier King - The Sun Revolutions
Cedric Gervais - Yoshitoshi Miami
Celebration - Celebration
Ceremonial Snips - Check Your Audio
The Charlatans - Simpatico
Chris Garneau - Music For Tourists
Christy and Emily - Gueen’s Head
Cinemechanica - Martial Arts
Cisco - 770 Valmont St.
Cities - Cities
Cities - Variations
The Cloud Room - Self-titled
Clouds Forming Crowns - Race to the Blackout
The Clutters - Don’t Believe a Word
The Coachwhips - Double Death
The Coast - EP
Coconut Records - Nighttiming
Code Pie - The Most Trusted Name in Yous
The Colour - Between Earth & Sky
The Concretes - In Colour
Corinne Bailey Rae - Self-titled
counterrevolutionaries - afterbirth of the cool (ep)

D
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D. Moebius - <<Nurton>>
Daedelus - Throw A Fit
Daft Punk - Musique Vol.1 1993 - 2005
Damien Jurando - And Now That I'm In Your Shadow
Damien Jurado - Gathered In Song
Dan Mangan - Postcards and Daydreaming
Dance Yourself to Death - Self-titled
Danielson - Ships
Dappled Cities - Granddance
Darling Arms - All the Ghosts
Daughters - Hell Songs
Dave Rave - Anthology Vol.1 Vol.2
David & the Citizens - Self-titled
David Galas - The Cataclysm
David Vandervelde - The Moonstation House Band
Daz Dillinger - So So Gangsta
Dearly Beloved - repo repo repo
Dearly Beloved - You Are the Jaguar
The Dears - Gang Of Losers
DELENDA - From a Second Story Window
Demander - The Unkindness of Ravens
Derek Miller - The Dirty Looks
Destroyer Destroyer - Littered with Arrows
The Detroit Cobras - Tied and True
Destroyer - Destroyer’s Rubies
Destroyer - We’ll Build Them a Golden Bridge
DeVotchKa - A Mad & Faithful Telling
Digitalism - Idealism
Dilated Peoples - 20/20
Dirt Farmer - Dirt Farmer
Dirty Projectors - Rise Again
DJ Icey - Icey Presents Y4K
DJ Wally/DJ Willie Ross - Self Titled
D.O.A. - Bloodied but Unbowed
Does It Offend You, Yeah? - You Have No Idea What You Are Getting Yourself Into
Dog Day - Night Group
Donovan Woods - The Hold Up
Dosh - The Lost Take
Dr. Dog - We All Belong
Dragons of Zynth - Coronation Thieves
The Dreadful Yawns  - Rest
Dream Aria - In The Wake
Dub Trio - Cool Out and Coexist
Dustin Bental - Streets With No Lights
Dustin Cole with the Specialist - Try and Love Me

E
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The Earlies - The Enemy Chorus
Early Day Miner - Offshore
East River Pipe - What Are You On?
Echoes of Eternity - The Forgotten Goddess
Ed Banger Records - Ed Rec Vol. 2
Edie - Realities
Elevator Action - Society, Secret
Elk City -  New Believers
Elvis Perkins - Ash Wednesday
End of Fashion - End of Fashion
Ermine - The Murra
The Essex Green - Cannibal Sea
Evanescence - The Open Door
Every Move A Picture - Heart=Weapon
Everybody Else - Self titled album
Evil Beaver - Models of Virtue
Eux Autres - Hell is Eux Autres
The Expos - Old Friends

___________________________________________________

[perversion:]
Collapses
Independent
Release Date: Oct.31^st, 2006

With a name like [perversion:], one could come up with many interpretations in the realm of music.  Yet, here we have eight in the form of a debut CD entitled Collapses.  These works stem from one local Toronto man, Brad J. Bakelmun, whose influences include Ministry, Skinny Puppy and NIN.  Right from the beginning, we can hear those sounds permeating throughout the opening track “The Great Leap Forward.” There are tastes of White Zombie and KMFDM throughout the album as well.  Industrial beats and static infused with melodic keyboards make for a typical industrial song.  Brad manages to add more elements with heavy riffs and confident vocals.  Beautifully placed songs offer Collapses a great energy in terms of album flow.  Not only do we get moments of catchy melodies, but we also experience a true instrumental marriage.  This one should be in the clubs folks as it’s hard to listen without wanting to move.  Alternately, “Breaking of Tides” slips down into a wave of solitude.  Favorites: “Monster” and “The Virtuous.”

For more [perversion:] check out www.perversion.ca or www.myspace.com/perversionca

-Rayna

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3 Mile Scream
A Prelude to our Demise
Corporate Punishment

Montreal quintet 3 Mile Scream’s brand of thrash metal is so hardcore that when I tried to play their disc on my computer it immediately froze and my CD drive died. I’m not even joking. I had to pry the album out with a screwdriver, and it is now totally scratched and skippy. Fortunately, 3 Mile Scream’s music is so insanely chaotic to begin with that it doesn’t even matter how scratched the CD is; the songs still sound the same whether the CD’s skipping or not. The double bass is a little off, but other than that the difference is fairly indiscernible. That said, their label, Corporate Punishment, is an apt choice, because that’s exactly what 3MS’s music is: Punishment. It’s harder than Slayer and Bodom combined. It’ll tear your heart out and feed it to you. Not for the faint of heart.

www.3milescream.com

- James Sandham

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21 Tandem Repeats
Never Wanted to be Anyone
Canada Lynx Records

Comprised of “2 strata council presidents, a real estate mogul and a young ace musician,” according to their website, 21 Tandem Repeats have been playing their Super Robertson Supper Show, a free show every Wednesday in Vancouver at the famed Railway club from 7:30-8:30pm, for who knows how long. Now, having just issued their second release and with work already begun on the third, the band is “trying to claw their way into the Canadian music scene radar.” Given the strength of Never Wanted…, that shouldn’t be too great a problem. While at times the record does meander into rather loose, experimental territory, generally it is held together fast by folk-infused country rhythms, catchy guitar picking, and an easy-going lyrical sensibility. This is a west-coast take on the Canadian alt-country scene that so far has largely been centred in Quebec. Good time mellow jam tunes.

www.21tr.ca

- James Sandham

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33 1/3: Trout Mask Replica
Kevin Courrier
Conitnuum Publishing Group

While I have always considered myself a fan of Captain Beefheart, I cannot say that I had ever truly enjoyed Trout Mask Replica in its entirety until I read the latest edition of the 33 1/3 series.  I had been inching towards truly understanding the massive album, but reading this book immediately opened the floodgates of my appreciation.  For those of you who may have had difficulty, this book works as a very helpful instruction guide.  Kevin Courrier has done a fantastic job of pointing out the important things to remember when listening to the album, and reminds us that listening to Trout Mask Replica in any traditional sense is a recipe for disaster. 

Before even discussing the music, Courrier comments on how the album immediately differentiates itself through the cover.  A photograph of Don Van Vliet (Beefheart) waving at the camera with an actual fish head held up to his face as a mask.  He states that the subject in the photo is so his comfortable with their weirdness, he can’t help but raise discomfort in the observer.  The cover’s inaccessibility is no match for what is inside though.  The album features eighty minutes of bizarre poetry, wild instrumentals, melodies that come and go in spurts, constantly changing time signatures and an overall sense of disorganization.  This album is in no way acceptable for mass consumption.

The most important thing that Courrier notes about Trout Mask Replica is that it is not a party album at all, (which is obvious after ten seconds) but a truly individual experience.  He uses the analogy of a “desert island disc”:  the one album that you would bring along if stranded on a desert island.  He notes critic Langdon Winner who states that when choosing a “desert island disc” most people pick pop albums by The Beatles or Nirvana.  His confusion with these choices though, is rooted in the fact that these albums are designed for mass mainstream listening in a communal environment.  Winner states that he would bring Trout Mask Replica because it is meant for solo listening, and jests that no one would be around begging him to turn it off.  This is not an album that can be listened to with friends for a good time  and is definitely not a pop album. Comparing Beefheart to Beatles is like comparing calculus to Die Hard: With A Vengeance.  This album must be listened to as if you had never heard any other form of music before.  Courrier instructs, that to focus on one of the melodies a second too long proves disastrous, as it will soon lead to a dead end.

Beyond the act of listening to Trout Mask Replica, Courrier also goes into great detail about how the album came to be.  The first half of the book leads up to the production process, describing how Beefheart strived to be ‘a different fish in the pond’, and the methods and steps taken to find artistic liberation.  He goes over Beefheart’s influences in jazz and blues, and the steps he took on the way to creating Trout Mask Replica. Great detail is paid tribute to the album’s extensive practice sessions, pointing out the very specific notes and sound of each track.  This album is in no way a compilation of random notes and words, and the practice sessions are legendary.  Courrier has amassed many tales about the production and meanings of songs. Some were taped over the phone, children were involved in the recording, and we get a short anecdote on the cover’s creation.  Courrier clearly has a deep fondness for the album, which goes back to a touching story in the books intro.  Even though his comparison of Trout Mask Replica to the moon landing may be a little bit outrageous, he does deliver an educated document of a musician trying to differentiate himself from the other fish.

www.continuumbooks.com

-Daniel Demois

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65daysofstatic
One Time For All
Monotreme Records

We’ve had to wait for it and now One Time For All has finally reached the Americas.  65daysofstatic have their name imprinted overseas in the UK, but are just beginning to make waves on our side with their new sophomore album.  This four piece can be described as Mogwai meeting Tortoise, but still holds a uniqueness that sets them apart.

The opening track “drove through ghosts to get here” starts off with beautiful piano melodies then becomes highly experimental.  The build-ups and waves are prominent throughout One Time For All, all of a sudden you are following a slow melodic groove, then the music hits you with a wall of heavy sound that somehow fits.  Kudos to Drummer Robb Jonez who allows for both space and intense progressive beats that take us to another level. With the basic instruments in place, their sound is organic, yet offers moments during the songs that cannot be deciphered. So whether you are listening while making love or taking in the sounds at a live venue, either way the music will stir an emotional reaction

-Rayna Slobodian

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The 69 Eyes
Angels
Caroline Records

Calling all vampires from Helsinki to Hollywood, Finland’s, The 69 Eyes, have returned from the dead with their ninth release,  Angels. Combining all the elements of sleaze-rock and Goth-punk that died in the eighties, The 69 Eyes are victims of a cruel joke. With big guitar licks and matching fashion-sense the Finnish sleaze rockers seem oblivious to the fact that the music their creating isn’t marketable and definitely involves too much focus on fueling the rock-star archetype.

Although Angels is at a loss for redeeming qualities, the album does successful mimic a now defunct style of music. Angels would make a perfect purchase for that older brother who still sports his leather jacket with Misfit and Skid Row patches and a dyed black “devil lock” haircut, and who won’t move out of his parents basement. Creature of the night beware, The 69 Eyes are coming whether or not anyone’s listening.

– Andrew Seale

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500 Miles to Memphis
Sunshine in a Shot Glass
Deep Elm Records

The album opens with the squealing jig of a fiddle over the swelling bass drum thud of a punk anthem. Welcome to country-punk, a mixture of two genres that is less fusion than simple collision, and seems almost paradoxical in its intent, but nonetheless works surprising well for Cincinnati, OH-based quartet 500 Miles to Memphis. It’s appealing in a novel sort of way. The album has similarities to bands like the Mahones or Rum Runner, except instead of incorporating the working-class folk influences of Olde Guard England, 500 Miles to Memphis have decided instead upon the American Midwest for their source of ethno-inspiration. It’s like what rockabilly might have become if Toby Keith had more influence on the scene.

www.myspace.com/500milestomemphis

- James Sandham

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A Dying Race
Escape Your Fate
Verona Records

Proof that Avril Lavigne’s not the kind of “punk” Napanee, ON, is capable of exporting, A Dying Race rip forth with something a little bit harder but perhaps equally adolescent. Fast and aggressive, with an obligatory dose of screamo vocals, the band does the kind of mass consumable pseudo-hardcore that’s sufficiently raw for the kids to feel rebellious, but tame enough for the parents to let them have it. Think Sum 41 or AFI. And while their energy’s undeniable, lyrically A Dying Race don’t stray far from the canon of teenaged angst. Punk’s supposed to be the soundtrack to revolution; this is more like the soundtrack to being grounded in suburbia. Good tunes for the moody high school set. Don’t forget your studded belt.

www.adyingrace.com

James Sandham

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A Sound System
Laissez Faire
Saved by Radio

Edmonton-based AA Sound System has released a solid sophomore album of roots-folk-rock, more than adequately satisfying the hype built by their debut. Soft, rumbling sounds combine with Ayla Brook’s crooning vocals and lackadaisical acoustic guitar work for a lazy, drifting, and unpretentious sound. Characterized by mellow guitar ballads and a drawling vocal style, it’s a sound that seems like it could have drifted in straight off the prairie itself. And while AA Sound System’s acoustic, guitar-driven rhythms can be said to grow repetitive at times, catchy hooks and choruses more than compensate for such shortcomings. Without descending into full-blown country/roots clichés, this is good music for riding the range or just chewing some straw as the sun sets. Standout tracks include “I Don’t Get You at All” and “Raw Joy.”

http://www.aasoundsystem.com/

James Sandham

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Abandoned Souls
Circle of Shadows
Fiend Records

London, Ontario based Abandoned Souls present us with Circle of Shadows, a pretty decent, deliciously dark debut. This album will appeal to fans of both new and classic rock, as the band have been influenced by such heavyweights as Nine Inch Nails, Tool and Black Sabbath. Even as you listen, you may catch an eerie similarity between lead vocalist John Ransom and Metallica’s James Hetfield.

Influences and similarities aside, these talented guys- Derek DeKort on guitar, James Todd on bass, and completing the foursome, drummer Tom Dobrentey - can rock in their own right. Circle of Shadows, a combination of meaningful lyrics delivered by powerful vocals, against the backdrop of raw guitars, is the result of the collaboration of the band with John’s recording engineer/ producer friend, Jay Ruston.

Although absent are the window-shattering screeches that are usually a given in rock (the harshest that Ransom sounds is on “Sweet Release” and “Severed”), that doesn’t matter because these guys can carry a heavy tune. Just check out the exploding rhythms on “Violets” and “Fiend,” and the fiery “Let Us Prey” (no, it’s not a spelling error). Other highlights are “She Rides” and the emotional “Without You,” a gentle song that will grab hold of your heart.

This fine collection will not disappoint you, so step inside the circle and open your mind to a new experience.

http://www.abandonedsouls.com/

Charmain Merchant

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Abernethy
College Grove
Spinning Gold Records

Like gin to tonic, College Grove’s lounge piano and woozy bass mix deliciously with the astounding vocal talents of Joseph Abernethy, the Noel Coward-meets-Tears for Fears singer, songwriter and front man of Vancouver’s Abernethy. Accompanied by family and friends, his themes and styles vary from cocktail pop to folk to 80s era New Romanticism, but remain unified by a troubled undertone not quite hidden by Abernathy’s aloof veneer. Unsettling bells and foreboding organ pile up like a dark Pet Sounds B-side. Jaunty, weekend-at-the-seaside melodies drop deep down into the lonely and ethereal “Going Home”, in which low serotonin levels and high fear concentrations capture the essence of a cruel morning after a long night. Fans of the primordial forest folk of Ween’s The Mollusk or 70s horror flick The Wicker Man will frolic in the nymphs-at-play soundtrack of “Ancient Lake” and “The Weather”, while Moody Blues enthusiasts will enjoy the narcotic gospel of “Recognize Me” and “Flowers”. A curious, thoroughly enjoyable album unlike anything you’re likely to come by today.

www.spinninggold.ca

- John Tracey

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Adam Franklin
Bolts of Melody
Hi-Speed Soul

Adam Franklin seems best known as the main songwriter for London-based 90s group Swervedriver, who in turn seem best known as innovators of the shoegazer genre and as label mates of the now-well-known My Bloody Valentine. Apart from this, I can’t really understand all the hype about Franklin. His as far as this album goes, the music’s pretty middle-of-the-road, radio friendly stuff. It’s got some cool, spacey, semi-psychedelic guitar work (there’s that shoegazer influence again) on a couple of the tracks - “Morning Rain”, for example - but other than that I’m at a loss. Franklin does a good Elliott Smith cover (“Son of Sam”) on his website, and that kind of desolate white soul seems to be what he aspires to with Bolts of Melody, but the album ultimately fails to lift off in any meaningful way, content to meander instead through drifting vocal harmonies and lilting guitar riffs. Fans of Syd Barrett may have something to look forward to though.

www.toshackhighway.com

-  James Sandham

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Aereogramme
My Heart has a Wish that you Would not Go
Sonic Unyon

Aereogramme’s album title has a lot in common with its sound: drawn-out, romantic, and wistful. Taking a break from the “sludgy, metallic heaviness” that characterized their last release, Seclusion, the Scottish foursome return with something a little softer this time. The sound is closer to the vocals of Coldplay mixed with the orchestral arrangements of the Verve. Simply put, this is emotional, epic-sized ballad rock with a downtrodden, mournful edge to shield it from charges of self-indulgence. Gentle acoustic guitar work and soaring string arrangements anchor this album firmly on the road to the dorms and radio stations of overwhelmed, anomic college kids. Good music with which to drink yourself into a romantic depression, if that’s your bag

www.aereogramme.co.uk

- James Sandham

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Aerogramme
Seclusion
Sonic Unyon

Seclusion is album three from Scottish rockers Aerogramme. Aerogramme formed back in the late 90’s by singer Craig B and Campbell McNeil. They have since built up a loyal fan base in their native UK and across North America. They boast a few of their musicians as their fans, such as Thursday, The Flaming Lips, Idelwild and Isis. They boast another fan, who is very close to my heart, fellow Englishman, the late, great John Peel. Those of you familiar with John Peel should really know that I don’t need to say any more after mentioning the fact that the band have the blessings of Monsieur Peel. As for us UK folk, John Peel is/was and always will be “the Daddy” of good music. But that would be just plain lazy of me wouldn’t it?

The album Seclusion is a “mini” 6-track album, although with most songs running around the four and half minute mark and one song lasting 10 minutes it is hardly a “mini-album”. It is not an easy listen, you do have to be in the mood for much of this album, You’re not going to just pop it on your car stereo while you drive to work. “Inkwell” is the most straightforward song and is my personal favourite. It has an intimate feel to it with Craig B’s vulnerable vocals that draw you straight in to the music, with an almost hypnotising quality to the songs. Although “Inkwell” is the most accessible song on the album it sets up the rest of the album superbly. “Dreams and Bridges” gets across the depth of the music, it veers from the slow and heavy to the dreamy and atmospheric and ends with a good old dose of feedback and general riffing. The ten-minute epic “The Unravelling” really pushes the album further, starting slowly living up to its title, getting faster and more intense, before slowing right down again. It sounds how I imagine Tool would sound if they were British.

“Lightning Strikes The Postman” is a huge sounding song again which pits Craig B’s soft vocals against the heavy guitars that chug along in the background creating a wonderful sound that is the bands own. Aerogramme are definitely a band you should check out if you like albums that you really have to listen to and let it work it’s magic. It is a good slice of progressive style rock, without for a minute slipping into the self-indulgent trail.

Adrian Huggins

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Aesop Rock
None Shall Pass
Definitive Jux

I always thought hip hop was supposed to come from the belly, the gut of a person who looks at things critically and spews out their observations in a deep bravado. So is the nature of Aesop Rock’s None Shall Pass – a 14-track retrospective of his life and the personal changes he’s gone through.

From “Catacomb Kids” to “39 Thieves” Aesop Rock traces his sometimes juvenile viewpoints from childhood to adulthood and raps over a multitude of fantastic hip-hop beats. Not soft or blinging with production, the beats are slow, riveting, grimy and funky all at once, never distracting you from the core of his rhymes and lyrics. Rapping as though he’s sneering at his opponent, Aesop Rock takes his experiences, however serious they may be (“Fumes” deals with drug abuse and its affect on a relationship gone badly) and makes a profound record out of them.

A deep hypnotizing voice full of bravado but void of arrogance, Aesop Rock’s None Shall Pass is another street gem from New York label Definitive Jux and another example of their true indie hip-hop staying power.

www.aesoprock.net

www.myspace.com/aesoprockwins

-Antoinette Mercurio

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The Affair
Yes Yes To You
Absolutely Kosher Records

The Affair is a New York City band fronted by female singer Kali Halloway. Their debut album Yes Yes To You is a driving thirteen-song new wave record that is so damn addictive you hate yourself for loving it.

The Affair by all counts should suck. They are a new wave revivalist five piece that sound like a younger, punkier Pretenders. Their lyrics at times are as lame as their production and presentation and song titles like “jailbait date” and “anything but disco” are deplorable. But just press play and forget all your preconceptions because Yes Yes To You is pretty damn wicked.

Maybe it’s Halloway’s sultry and powerful confidence saturated voice. Or perhaps the rolling, simple yet hypnotizing bass work. Maybe the punchy tempo? Or the scratching punky guitar riffing? Whatever it is that pulls you in, it gets your heart pounding, your hands clapping and your libido racing. One can only imagine the live energy surely mustered by this band.

The only knock on this strangely decent album is that The Affair wear thin before the album closes. Standout tracks, “Dead Letters” and “Honey” both arrive early in a front-end heavyset list that loses its steam by the tenth song. Paring down the total number of tracks would have left listeners wanting more and strengthened an already promising first album. Still Yes Yes to You is one of those albums you may find in your CD player a little more often than you’d expect.

www.theaffairnyc.com

- Sam Stilson

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The Aggrolites
Reggae Hit L.A.
Hellcat Records/Epitaph

The recently released sophomore album Reggae Hit L.A. by Los Angeles-based band The Aggrolites is pretty mellow to say the least. The quintet are a tight reggae unit but on a whole, the album isn’t anything one could jam to or even want to smoke a fatty to either.

The first four songs sound like one big track while cut number five “Reggae Hit L.A.” shakes things up a bit with its big band feel and effervescent background vocals shouting at you. The next song “Lets Pack Our Bags” is chill enough to actually convince you to pack your bags and runaway to a deserted island. “Left Red” remains vocal free, setting up for the rockin’ singing of lead guitarist and vocalist Jesse Wagner on “Free Time.”

Overall Reggae Hit L.A. isn’t bad – actually it’s surprising to think L.A. “the land of fake people” can elicit such a tight and polished reggae band. They’re able to marry rock renderings with reggae beats in a balanced way. But halfway through the record, everything starts to sound the same and before you know it, you’re nodding off to sleep rather than shaking your booty.

www.aggroreggae.com

www.myspace.com/theaggrolites

-Antoinette Mercurio

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Agoraphobic Nosebleed
PCP Torpedo
Hydra Head Records

This album is pure insanity. There’s really no other way to describe it. Hailing from that haven for musical experiment, Massachussetts, and hurtle 100 000 bpm (no exaggeration) at your head. As their website describes the experience, listening to it “is like passing through a hailstorm of runaway steamhammers with only a puny cocktail umbrella for protection.” That about says it all. This is the hardest, most psychotic speedcore I’ve heard. It’s fast and devastating. Given this speed, it’s not surprising that many of the tracks on PCP Torpedo top off at under a minute long. The title track itself is only 11 seconds. These short tunes, comprised mainly of glitch, hyper-distorted guitar and vocals, and spliced audio samples, make up the first disc of this double album. The second disc remixes these mashups even further and features such artists as Hellz Army, Justin Broadrick, and DJ Speedranch, each doing their worst to further freak out our already fried eardrums. By the time I gratefully hit the stop button, after close to an hour of this madness, I had to walk around the room to ensure my faculties were still in tact. From the CD player PCP Torpedo winked back at me like the threat of a schizophrenic episode. I slipped it back in its sleeve and popped on some Miles Davis to clear my head.

- James Sandham

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Air
Pocket Symphony
EMI

Need to get up early tomorrow? Can’t seem to get to sleep?  Pop in this album.  I was playing it on my headphones and almost passed out during the first track.  The album is terribly relaxing. It’s relaxing in the same way that new age whale music is relaxing.   Listening to this reminded me of a time I needed physiotherapy and I was laid down on my stomach while a nice electric current was flowing through my back.  That was so soothing I passed out, and if there was music on in that room, it would’ve sounded like this.   If you can get through the first few songs though, and get used to the album’s tempo, the sound does hang on to you.  The duo has expanded their repertoire, learning Eastern instruments the koto and shamisen for this album. This new territory is quite evident throughout the album but especially on “One Hell of a Party” which features Jarvis Cocker doing his best Bryan Ferry impression. 

Each track is very clean and precise, almost like it was recorded and played underwater.  Air’s Nicolas Godin states that the music was an attempt to “go back to the soundtrack music style” and it would be ideal for a Discovery Channel program on underwater creatures.   Once your heart gets used to beating at the slow pace of the album, it stops prompting sleep and instead proves itself to be nice and soothing.  It ceases to be something for the background and starts being something in which each note stands out.  Each noise suddenly seems specifically and perfectly placed.  An issue of course is that after the album is finished, you will be in a permanent state of relaxation.  And watch out if you have a multidisc player!  The next cd is certain to sound abrasive in comparison and you’ll have to jump up to get it off, thus quickly raising your heart beat and sending you into cardiac arrest. 

www.pocket-symphony.com

Daniel Demois

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Alan Sparhawk
Solo Guitar
12:38 Music/BMI

What is there to say about Alan Sparhawk's audioscapes? As they are (thankfully) labeled obviously, listeners of Solo Guitar (or its alternate title, printed on the CD itself, Alan Sparhawk Does Not Play in the N.H.L.) will get to hear the guitarist of Low take turns coaxing and beating sounds out of his instrument to create sounds that resemble their titles rather well. On "how a freighter comes into the harbour," which is not the best track but the most obvious, Sparhawk spells out the fog horns, then subtly adds other sounds - waves breaking lightly against the bow and so forth.

However, most intriguing here is how Sparhawk allows silence to dominate Solo Guitar, and as his very forceful brush strokes fade into nothing the listener is treated to a more interactive experience. As silence rushes in, on the edge of music and a blank CD, we begin to hear the minute sounds, some there and some not. On "how a freighter comes into the harbour," we begin to hear the gulls, the creaking of maritime wood, the fog, an increasingly ephemeral exercise that continues until we may very well be sitting on the stern of said freighter, smoking a pipe alongside a wordless captain.

Solo Guitar will surely offer an interesting listen, especially for those fans of minimalism stripped down to it's very marrow. Alan Sparhawk may not have created something that the average music consumer will accepts, but he has once again established himself as an artist and a sort of guitar anti-hero, letting echoes reign where arpeggios could have been.

-Christopher Langer www.silbermedia.com/alansparhawk/

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Alan Vega
Station
Blast First

Many moons ago, Alan Vega was a member of the highly influential and respected electronic-punk outfit Suicide.  He hung with early punks like The New York Dolls and Television, and was highly influenced by rock-a-billy.  Suicide disbanded in 1980 and since, Vega has been releasing solo albums fairly regularly.  Now he’s back again with another hours’ worth of crazy shit. 

Station cannot really be categorized in terms of a genre, which is good, but does not make for easy description.  Much of it sounds like an industrial album, with scores of feedback, and heavy drum beats.  At times the feedback feels intolerable but it’s difficult not to keep listening.  What at first seems like droning noise eventually begins to find some direction?  On the third track “Psychopatha” things actually get accessible and Vega urges “Moms and Dads, take you kids to deadland, it’ll make you a man,” and then he cackles and growls.  The beats keep the song going and he keeps chanting his words.  Maybe “accessible” is a stretch, but at this point on the album form and melody become apparent.  It’s like when the 3D image finally pops out of one of those seemingly abstract pictures.

Vega’s vocals are pretty amusing and it seems he’s having a fantastic time.  Sometimes he shouts, sometimes he just talks his poetry, and others he puts on a Lou Reed like croon.  Without his vocals, this music would be strictly for the late night metal dance crowd, and it is pretty hardcore sounding.  However, it is probably a bit too weird for any form of mass consumption.  In fact, I can’t imagine anybody ever listening to it, but I do like it.  It evokes so many different emotions that it’s really difficult to pigeonhole who it’s for.  The bizarre words are for the art crowd, the beats are for the dancers and metalheads, but altogether it somehow works.  This is one of those things that should just be enjoyed, not understood, and not analyzed.  Like much indescribable art, Station will simply fall into the category of ‘avant garde,’ or ‘alternative.’  The album is a little long for straight up listening, but it’s certainly not made for just sitting and listening too.  If it doesn’t drive you crazy, you’ll have a good time.

www.alanvega.com

-Daniel Demois

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All Hail
Every Wealth EP
Unsigned

All Hail’s debut EP isn’t a bad disc to pick up but it’s nothing spectacular either. It’s a good start to an expected bright future but the band has no signature sound to make them stand out from your other typical indie-rock music acts. The lead singer’s voice has a nice throaty, Brit-rock appeal to it but the album has a familiarity about it that makes it difficult to separate All Hail from other rock bands.  Their gritty guitar riffs and rudimentary drum beats make for a successful enough EP that it’s a good place to start in terms of the industry giving them a chance based on this record alone.

The six-track CD carries a bit of a dark impression, kind of similar to The Smiths but it works for them, largely in part because of the singer’s great voice. The track “James” really highlights this 1980s cultish sound, pairing a wicked electric guitar riff with a solid, clean drum-beat.  “Triumphant” picks up the pace and sounds similar to The Bravery. “Notice” goes back to their somber mood and exposes their honest, smart songwriting.  Again The Smiths come to mind but their howling, soft rock voices leave a unique imprint on what would have been an otherwise familiar sounding record. The viola in the background adds a nice Celtic touch as well.

The final track “Every Wealth” is perhaps their best song. I can already hear it on some pretentious teenage TV show soundtrack or some episode of Grey’s Anatomy. It has a soothing viola solo playing in the beginning, joined by an assertive drum beat and succinct piano keys that seem to get the sound just right.  All Hail’s Every Wealth isn’t exactly something I’d bow down to right away but it does have the potential to get them in the door and acquire a bit more indie affluence.

www.myspace.com/allhail

www.allhail.net

-Antoinette Mercurio

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All That Remains
The Fall of Ideals
Prosthetic Records

What started out as a side project for vocalist Phil Labonte and guitarist Oli Herbert, has grown into one of metal’s finest. All That Remains have returned with their latest, The Fall of Ideals, an extremely heavy album that will blow you away with the intensity of its electrifying and creative guitar solos and rolling, thunderous drum score. With the goal in mind of reaching new heights with each ATR record, the band have seemed to achieve this by continuing where they left off from their 2004 release Darkened Heart, which solidified their position on the metal map.

From the arresting first track “This Calling” to the album’s closing, Labonte’s powerfully versatile vocal range showcases stentorious growling, punctuated by slow melodic intervals of clear singing. In no way does this downplay the music, but rather enhances it, especially when backed by the combined talents of guitarists Herbert and Mike Martin. There’s a gorgeous instrumental arrangement on “Six,” while on “Whispers (I hear Your)”, is expressed in the form of a long guttural roar, before delving into bouts of clean, clear singing. Other standout tracks are “Not Alone,” and the ear-splitting harshness, tinged with penetrative screams of “The Air That I Breathe.”

A Hardworking band, ATR have been touring non-stop, and landing high-profile tours and shows along with the likes of GWAR, Lam of God and Slipknot. An amazing disc that fans of hardcore and metal in all its various forms should be glad to have in their collection.

Aloha
Light Works
Polyvinyl Record Co.

Light Works starts off on a terrific note.  Opening track “Body Buzz” delivers a laid back but upbeat rhythm with a multitude of instruments contributing.  The acoustic guitars and piano fills wonderfully compliment the melancholy vocals. However after the first track the group decided to take things down a notch. 

The group seems to feel they are indulging in experimentation, which is a grand thing, except the result is for the most part rather dull.  While “Body Buzz” introduced new elements throughout, most of the songs in this set are content to slowly base the instrumentation around Tony Cavallario’s vocals.  Once and a while the group will pull out something interesting, like the vintage keyboard sounds on “Trick Spring,” which provides a nice riff but is unfortunately played to death during the track.  Things pick up for a moment on “The End”,  a nice little jogging song that will probably get picked up for the next Zach Braff project, but in the context of the album, it’s not enough to carry the slower and less inspired tracks. 

This EP perfectly embodies the two directions Aloha can go in, and hopefully Aloha will elect to pursue the road of rhythm and melody as opposed to dull monotony.

www.myspace.com/aloha

-Daniel Demois

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Amanda Martinez
Sola
Independent

Anyone remotely familiar with Toronto’s Latin Jazz scene will probably already have heard the name Amanda Martinez. Whether from her “Café Latino” radio show on Jazz FM 91.1 (which she produces and hosts), or from one of her seemingly endless appearances at Jazz Festivals across the city, Amanda has been promoting the local Latin Jazz community for years.

Last year Amanda took her first step on to the scene in her own right, releasing Sola, her debut CD. Although the lyrics on the album are primarily in Spanish and Portugese (two languages which I do not speak), Amanda is clearly passionate about the words she is singing. With her sultry smooth voice and music that might just as well have come out of Cuba or Spain, Sola could easily be mistaken for an import rather than a local girl’s coming out party.

While most of the album is slow and soulful, “Guajira Sola” (soon to have a video on rotation on Bravo!) takes it up a notch and presents an upbeat Cuban sounding jazz number that will stick fast in your head if you don’t watch out.  Overall Martinez shows that despite growing up in Canada she is deeply in touch with her Latin roots, and provides a fresh idea of what Canadian independent music can be.

www.amandamartinez.ca

-Matthew Gorman

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Amos Lee
Supply and Demand
Blue Note

Although he didn’t get that much press for it, Amos Lee’s 2005 self-titled debut left me with high hopes for the young Philadelphian’s future.  With his bluesy southern folk-rock sound, well-crafted lyrics, and one of the best love songs in recent memory in “Arms of a Woman” I was eager to hear what direction this obviously gifted singer-songwriter would take with his follow-up.

His new record Supply & Demand continues in the same general direction, although there are some noticeable changes.  There was a smattering of organs and strings on the first record, but it was predominantly guitar based.  On this record Amos seems to have a better grasp of the recording process, and overall the record has a richer sound.  With more piano and much more backup vocals than the first album, Lee has honed his songwriting skill and learned how to use the talented musicians that he has surrounded himself with.

Though it is no “Arms of a Woman”, the new albums’ gem is “Careless”, a beautiful song about love and loss.  It’s hard to define what it is about an artist that makes their music work for you, but whatever it is…Amos Lee works for me.

www.amoslee.com

-Matthew Gorman

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Amos the Transparent
Everything I’ve Forgotten To Forget
Pop Culture Records

Amos the Transparent have succeeded in their task to make Everything I’ve Forgotten To Forget a record that you, well… won’t forget.

Amos is actually comprised mainly of two individuals, songwriter Jonathan Chandler and drummer Christopher Wilson, who seem to compliment each other quite well as evident in the jumpy “All You Bellydancers! Unite! We Are But Sorrowed Men.”

Pulling inspiration from many different genres from folk to indie-pop, Amos seems to strive to make an eclectic, and generally just a unique album. However, while it doesn’t sound like anything you’ve heard before, the melding of various styles doesn’t work all the time.

On most songs on the album, the punchy, multi-instrumental grooves blend well with Chandler’s melodic arrangements and lyrics, but other times it just sounds like they put too many ingredients into a good recipe. Tracks like “She Wasn’t Lying” and “It’s A Beautiful Life” showcase great guitar work that could do better with a mellower sound.

Overall Everything I’ve Forgotten To Forget is still a solid CD and definitely worth a listen for its skillful songwriting and of course a great collaboration on the track “After All That, It’s Come To This,” which features Amy Millan of Stars. These factors are the ones that make this an album you won’t soon forget.

www.amosthetransparent.com

- Joe Chammas

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An Albatross
Blessphemy (of the Peace Beast Feastgiver and the Bear Warp Kumite)
Ace Fu Records

First of all, how could you not sit up and take notice of a band that calls their songs freaky titles like Divine Birthrite (Maiden Voyage of the Grape Ape) or The Ballad of the Electric Coyote) ? Are these guys quirky or what? They also seem to have a fascination (or is it an obsession)? for animals, since more than a few songs pay homage to either a bear,- see also CD title- a horse and a jaguar, among others. An Albatross, known for their circus-like antics on stage, seem like they are a fun bunch of guys. A fun bunch of guys who can rock or growl; lead vocalist Edward B. Geida 3rd, appears with vocals blazing from the first track to the last. After releasing a string of singles, a couple of EPs, one of which was 2003s We Are the Laser Viking, and even releases on vinyl (remember those??) Blessphemy, their first full-length CD, has been unleashed and ready for your listening pleasure (or pain). If you like your music harsh, loud and aggressive, then the album never lets up. More than head-banging, its more like head-splitting music. Lysergically Yours is filled with noisy guitars and jumpy beats, while The Illumination of the Nation is a playful array of experimental chaos. Fellow band mate Philip Reynolds Price puts his expertise with the Farfisa (for those who dont know, its a type of electric organ sound) to give their instrumental intros a unique sound. Check I Behold the Light which also boasts a nice guitar vibe, but just like a shot of Tequila, the disc is over too fast.

http://www.analbatross.com/

-Charmaine Merchant

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Anberlin
Cities
Tooth and Nail Records

Boasting over 200,000 friends on their Myspace profile, Christian pop-punkers Anberlin have returned with their third full length since the band formed in 2002. In a music scene flooded with Fall Out Boy and Taking Back Sunday clones, Anberlin has tossed their album into the teen-allowance fueled industry. What Anberlin provides that differs from their colleagues is perhaps a stronger driving force behind the lyrics (Songs are laced with references to Christianity) and a slightly more mature outlook.

Granted, if the pop-punk music scene wasn’t already flooded with legions of similar sounding bands Anberlin would have a chance at standing out. With solid hooks and rapid changing dynamics, Cities is a strong effort from the Florida natives. Standout tracks include “A Whisper and a Clamor” and the sensitive confessional “Dismantle. Repair.” The nearly nine-minute closer “(*Fin) boasts strong lyrical images “I am the patron saint of lost causes.” Even with heavy reverb on vocalist Stephen Christian’s voice, it is clear he can really singing. His vocal range steps outside of other members of the pop-punk class. Cities wouldn’t make good background music for a summer drive down the coast after a harsh break-up. 

– Andrew Seale

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Andy Swan
Andy Swan's Ottawa
Kelp Records

Pull the brakes! Lets slow this wagon down and have a good listen to Andy Swan's Ottawa.  Toronto's own, Andy Swan, is a man with a very impressive catalogue of songs to his name, he is currently promoting his 3rd solo release which is a bit of a fork in the road to his regular folk sound, as this album is all country. Commissioning the help of various other Kelp label mates, Andy's studio band consisted of members of The Acorn, Rhume and Two Minute Miracle. The carefully selected team really made this album flow with stunning crispness and an honest feel throughout.

Andy pulls at the heartstrings and gets the folks dancing as we discover his twangy version of what he calls "Ottawa".  Fun tracks like "Brian Jones" and "No Shirt No Shoes No Service" make this an easygoing and fun listen. The tracks are perfectly mixed up, picking you up after ballads and taking you back down at perfectly well deserved moments. There is a dandy duet with one of Andy's myspace discoveries Kyla Downden on "Maybe Its Love", giving the album some tasty depth with a nice dash of female love.

Making your way to track 6, "Belt Buckle" is one of the nicest tunes on the cd, it really grows on you, but you have to be patient with it.  It is a really slow gem featuring a humble set up of just Andy and his classical guitar with dripping sad vocals. Another tasty number comes in the form of a Kristofferson type ballad called "You Got the Diamonds (I got the shaft)"; this could easily go down as a country classic.

Keeping in mind that I have heard this disc well over 10 times and I know it wont be getting dusty anytime soon it should be a good  indication for those alt country fans out there to check out Andy Swan's Ottawa.

-Andre Skinner

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Ani Difranco
Reprieve
Righteous Babe Records

When reviewing an album like this, the hardest question is where to start. I’ve been pondering this question for about half an hour now, smoking cigarettes and returning to stare at a computer screen that is, just as I left it, still empty. The dearth of options leaves me but one choice: the beginning. And not just the first track; with an album like this that won’t do – we’ve got to start with the cover, and this cover is psychedelic, deceptively so. Dominant themes include nudists, repeating geometric patterns, rainbows, and flowers, all slapped together in a happy collage. The nudists are smiling, the rainbows bright, and the flowers – yonic? The music, on the other hand, which begins with the track “Spit Tastes Like Metal” and concludes with “Some Sexual Drawings,” is distinctly at odds with this pleasant exterior. I guess it could be compared with Blood Brothers, but more industrial, chaotic, and tortured. Comprised mainly of repeating electrical glitches, static, banging noises, and shrieking, this album is, musically speaking, a journey into pain. Rhythm and structure are unknown concepts. Lyrics – if they exist- are lost in a stew of sado-masochistic aural indulgence. So I think the point, if there is one, lies in the contrast between cover and content, the clash between the colourful, idealistic images of the packaging and the harsh, grating reality of its contents. Is this a case of post-modernism in musical form? Damned if I know. All I can say is that if this is “The Lovvers LP,” it’s one weird relationship.

Set your clock, The Alarm are about to go off and it’s a good thing. Under Attack’s straight up feeling good rock base will get you up and moving, just how you remember these eighties favourites.

Since 1991, vocalist/guitarist Mike Peters has been carrying on The Alarm’s legacy as the sole original member. The following year, Peters started The Gathering, an Alarm music event based in North Wales, successfully bringing in worldwide fans each year.

While bumping into The Cult’s Billy Duffy at a UK festival at the end of the century, Peters and Duffy formed Coloursound. Picking up for Coloursound, The Mission’s Craig Adams and Stiff Little Fingers’s Steve Grantley, bringing in the rhythm section for the new formation and on the current Alarm release, along with Simple Minds’s keyboard player Mark Taylor.

"This is Life (Get Used to It)" grinds at the poor ways we now treat each other in this new world. The punkish, fast "Cease and Desist" is also quick in its three minute message of taking your own control in the war waged times. "Superchannel" picks at our culture’s sheep following, consuming ways. "My Town" sums up The Attack’s message of frustration well in the lyric, “Two wrongs don’t make it right. Two rights don’t make it wrong.” Meanwhile, "Be Still" keeps hope alive while waiting for someone to come along to help save the day. "This Is the Way We Are" ends the LP in the sad disappointment of wasting youth’s blood, admitting to only “This is the way it will be.”

http://www.thealarm.com/

- James Sandham


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Antibalas
Security
Anti Records

Antibalas’ latest release Security has taken their infused rich sound and pushed things to another level. The opening track “Beaten Metal” sounds like something the band cooked up on the streets of Brooklyn with every nationality on board and a bit of the urban background being recorded as well. The second song, the almost 12 minute “Filibuster X” sounds like something out of Krush Groove. I can see the b-boys now, spinning on their flattened pieces of cardboard while a crowd closes in on them. “Filibuster X” really solidifies their eclectic musical skills. Mixing a hip-hop, urban beat with the trumpet, shakers and light drums makes it come together so nicely that you’re just about ready to jump on an airplane and head down to the Caribbean islands to live the good, conga life.

With such a polyrhythmic beat making your feet tap, it’s easy to get lost in the music and forget what the lyrics are actually saying. Beyond the groove is a political band with a voice representing the little man and promoting one love. Perhaps in the same vein as Bob Marley, Antibalas make it a point to voice their convictions and draw listeners into the plight of the common man. “War Hero” is an excellent example of this, as lead vocalist Marcos J. Garcia talks about democracy and the urge to spread it to every corner of the world.

The album on a whole doesn’t have a lot of lyrics but the few they throw in over the trumpet and saxophone metres are telling lyrics – ones that are hard to ignore.

Overall Antibalas should feel pretty secure with their fourth record. They’ve really cultivated their afro-beat specialty sound and mixed in a good range of instruments that everyone can jam to.

www.myspace.com/antibalas

www.antibalas.com

-Antoinette Mercurio

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The Apostle of Hustle
National Anthem of Nowhere
Arts and Crafts

Toronto-based indie rockers Apostle of Hustle channel the vibe of Broken Social Scene but with less emphasis on the ambient soundscape stuff, and with vocals similar to Elliot Murphy. The opening track, “My Sword Hand’s Anger” is probably the catchiest thing I’ve heard in a while; it’s got great hooks and a rhythm that’s upbeat and poppy without being saccharine. The rest of the album is similarly dancey and upbeat, but a little moodier – appropriately so, given the theme of the album, chance connection in the midst of dispossession, anomie and marginalization. “The Naked and Alone” brings a funky kind of dance beat to the mix with Belle and Sebastian-style organ sounds, while “Haul Away” keeps the beat alive before descending into a darker, more tribal rhythm. Overall though, this album definitely deserves critical recognition and the patronage of anyone with a modicum of musical taste. It has diversity without losing coherency, and with each track’s opening chords of you’re gripped by the fantastic realization that this one might actually be even better than the last. It’s a great feeling to get. Find your dose at www.arts-crafts.ca/apostleofhustle, or www.myspace.com/apostleofhustle.

- James Sandham

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The Apparitions
As This Is Futuristic
Machine Records
Roots: Chicago, USA

Nope. This album just doesn’t do it. Its bland to put it lightly and without too much insult. I really wanted to like this album, I like the idea, I enjoy the genre and the attempt that the band makes. It just seems throughout the 10 tracks that they are all suffering from a collective exhaustion that is painful to listen to. They have no problem putting together coherent tracks, and even break out the xylophone on occasion. It just is a very bland and unexciting album with whiney lead vocals, very few individual instrumental solos and little else to speak of. A song entitled “She Burned Out Their Eyes” suggests energy but the band just seems to have none. I spent the entire time waiting for something catchy and substantial but alas, this simply never came to pass. Sorry folks, a big pass on this one.

- Ferren Whittaker

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Arcade Fire
Neon Bible
Merge Records

A triumphant return, a fire re-ignited, the Arcade Fire are back preaching a Neon Bible for the world to hear. In 2004, the Arcade Fire released their debut album Funeral and it became a success as it topped many “Best albums of 2005” charts. Two years later, after countless tour dates, Juno Awards and shows with rock heavyweights such as David Bowie and U2, the Arcade Fire have released their new masterpiece, the Neon Bible.

The Neon Bible is quite different than the sounds and moods of Funeral as it casts a new shadow over their listeners and traps them with dramatic instrumentals and spookier lyrics. But without a doubt, one can distinguish who they are without a problem.

The album as a whole is a like an adventure that sucks you right in. It starts off with a terrible nightmare “Black Mirror” which makes you feel like you are running away from your worst fears, but then you wake up from your dreams and this leads into “Keep the Cars Running”. All of the tracks on Neon Bible are pretty deep and are composed very well. Some of the most outstanding songs include the catchy “Intervention”, the epic “Ocean of Noise”, and the upbeat “The Well and the Lighthouse”. The Arcade Fire also included a mastered version of their popular song “No Cars Go” which features a full orchestra. The Neon bible then finishes off with “My Body is a Cage” which does its job perfectly and concludes the Arcade Fire’s second album.

www.arcadefire.com

- Sean Chin

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Army of Anyone
Self-titled
EMI

Army of Anyone are part of the ever-growing mass of super groups that seem to have proliferated like mice since the granddaddies of the grunge scene hit middle age – at least, they’re supposed to be, anyway. Army of Anyone actually kind of stretches the whole “super group” designation a bit, because basically it’s just the remnants of the Stone Temple Pilots and Filter. On vocals is Filter’s Richard Patrick, and STP’s Robert and Dean DeLeo are on bass and guitar respectively. Session drummer Ray Luzler also helps out. It’s kind of like an inverted Velvet Revolver, in a way, but less glam and with no Slash. In any case, the music is pretty much what you’d expect from a band comprised of Filter and STP: hard, angsty, grunge tunes. Only whereas when these guys were doing this ten years ago it was cool, now it’s pretty lame – our world’s already depressing without grunge music; people just wanna dance sometimes, you know. And anyway, I think Nickleback pretty much dominates the mainstream grunge scene these days; and I don’t know if Army of Anyone knows this, but I hear Chad Kroeger’s kind of touchy guy when it comes to issues of territoriality. They’ve been warned.

- James Sandham

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Army of Me
Citizen
Doghouse Records

Washinton, DC-based trio Army of Me were “one of the top unsigned bands in America” in 2005, according to Alternative Press. Two years later, they’ve had a top 10 song on Sirius Radio and have been picked up by Doghouse Records – not bad, but not great. The same can be said of their music. It’s pretty basic, American mass-consumption indie rock and could, upon first listen, be confused for any generic three-piece rock group on the Top 40 right now. They’ve got a few piano numbers. The usual guitar licks. Call and response choruses about indistinct topics. They’re like Hot Hot Heat but not quite as catchy.

-          James Sandham

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Art Brut
Bang Bang Rock & Roll
Downtown Records

London-based quintet Art Brut have put together one hell of a catchy little package with Bang Band Rock & Roll, their debut LP. Quick, clever, modern and cocky, its energy is infectious. Powered by Eddie Argos’ unapologetically raw vocals (as he states midway through the opening track and first single, “Formed a Band,” “yes, this is my singing voice/it’s not irony/it’s not Rock and Roll/we’re just talking to the kids”, the ragged guitar work of Ian Catskilkin and Jasper Future, the bass of Freddy Feedback, and the drumming of Mikey B., Art Brut charge through 15 songs in just over 40 minutes, and sound like they’re having the time of their life doing it. With a sound comparable to fellow Brit art-rockers the Buck Brothers, Pulp, or Half Man Half Biscuit, they’re the kind of group that can get away with making statements such as “look at us/we formed a band/We’re gonna be the band that writes the song that makes Israel and Palestine get along/and we’re going to play it eight weeks in a row on Top of the Pops” (also from their first single). Bottom line is they’re not to be missed.

http://www.artbrut.org.uk/

-James Sandham

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Artanker Convoy
Cozy Endings
The Social Registry

The cover of this album features a close up of a woman’s ass wearing transparent pink underwear.  It immediately calls to mind the opening shot of Scarlett Johansson from the film Lost in Translation.  Similar to that film, this album has a relaxed and leisurely pace, but still delivers on all accounts.  The cover also of course brings sex to mind, and this album feels like a cool down session after a long hot night.  It takes about six minutes before revealing any kind of beat or structure, and then the chilled out jazz begins.  Quick cymbals and relaxed drums combine with clean electric guitars and quiet but squeaky saxophones.  The cool/worldly feel is enough to make you take slow deep breaths, and transports the listener to a sweltering half empty bar, where the locals just sit and slowly nod their approval.  I’m not a smoker, but listening to this is how I imagine one feels when they finally get that cigarette they’ve been waiting for; a slow deep inhalation, and then casually blowing out the smoke and watching it drift away.  The sound of the keyboards on the album is similar to Kid A era Radiohead, or early Eno, but this electronic feel is still surpassed by the jazzy guitars and percussion.  The keyboards serve as the backbone of “Black Dauphin,” the drums add to that base, and then the guitars and saxophone trade improvising duties.  The entire album has a similar feel, but it never gets boring.  As the group’s Myspace suggests ‘the album is not slow, but laidback.’  Cozy Endings has grooves and bobs that will help cool down those hot summer evenings.  Comes with a bonus DVD!

www.myspace.com/artankerconvoy

-Daniel Demois

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The Atomic Ravens
Af