The Spill Magazine Online



CD Reviews A-E \| F-J \| K-O \| P-T \| U-Z Reviews K-O K ----------------------------------------------------------- K. Page and Sleepwalker’s Parade - Green City K-OS - Atlantis: Hymns for Disco Kara Keith - EP KAREN DALTON - In My Own Time Keller Williams - Dream Kevin Phillips and the it men - Big Chop Suey Khan - Who Never Rests Kick in the Eye - Red Army Overdrive Kim Barlow - Champ Kimya Dawson - Remember That I Love You King Sunshine - Second Movement Kingsway and the Counterrevolutionaries - Brand New Golden Oldies Koffin Kats - Straying from the Pack Kollage - At This Time The Kooks - Inside In Inside Out Kool Cas - Backpack Korn - Untitled Kudu - Death of the Party L ----------------------------------------------------------- Laibach - Volk Laura Barrett - Earth Sciences Laurent Garnier - Restrospective 94.06 Lee Scratch Perry - Panic In Babylon The Legendary Pink Dots Les Savy Fav - After the Balls Drop Leviride - Night of the Drive-by Liam Singer - Our Secret Lies Beneath The Creek LIARS - Liars LIARS - Liars The Liars - Drum’s Not Dead Lily Frost - Cine-Magique Lindstrom - It’s A Feedelity Affair The Lions Rampant Lisa Gerrard - The Best of Lisa Gerrard Live - Songs From The Black Mountain Los Campesinos! - Sticking Fingers into Sockets Lovedrug - Everything Starts Where it Ends LoveLikeFire - An Ocean In The Air The Low Frequency in Stereo - The Last Temptation of… Luca - Sick of Love Luke Doucet - Blood’s Too Rich LUZ ATOMICA - self titled Lycaon Pictus - Personal Disaster M ----------------------------------------------------------- M83 - Digital Shades (vol. 1) M83 - Digital Shades Vol. 1 (2) M83 - Saturdays = Youth Machete Avenue - First Cuts The Magnetic Fields - Distortion Man Man - Rabbit Habits Mando Diao - Ode to Ochracy Manteca - Onward! Maps - We Can Create The Marble Index - Watch Your Candles, Watch Your Knives Martha Berner - This Side of Yesterday Maserati - Inventions for the New Season Massive Attack - Collected Matisyahu - Youth Matthew Dear - Asa Breed Mayday Parade - Tales Told by Dead Friends MC Lars - The Graduate Measles and Mumps Rubella - Fantastic Success Mecca Normal - The Observer Men Woman and Children - Self-titled Michael Brennan - Cautious Man Mick Harvey - Two of Diamonds Microwaves - Contagion Heuristic Michael T. Fournier - Double Nickels on the Dime Million Dollar Marxists - Zero Culture Minus Story - No Rest For Ghosts Minus Story - My Ion Truss Miracle Fortress - Five Roses Miracle Fortress - Five Roses #2 Mitch Easter - Dynamico Mlle Caro & Frank Garcia - Pain Disappears Mocean Worker - Cinco de Mowo!I The Mohawk Lodge - Wildfires Mon Electric Bijou - Bullets in the Penguin Morcheeba - Dive Deep Morningwood - Self-titled Morrisey - Ringleader of the Tormentors Moses Mayes - Second Ring The Motherlode - Self-titled mr. Gnome - Deliver This Creature Muffler Crunch - Ol' Sparky's Revenge Muscles - Guns Babes Lemonade MV & EE with The Bummer Road - Mother of Thousands N ----------------------------------------------------------- Naked Eyes - Fumbling With The Covers Nathan Lawr and the Minotaurs - A Sea of Tiny Lights The National Parcs - Timbervision The Nein - Luxury New Model Army - BD3 EP New Skin - New Skin New Young Pony Club - Fantastic Playroom Nick Cave and Warren Ellis - The Proposition – Original Soundtrack Nightwish - Highest Hopes Nizlopi - Half These Songs Are About You... Nobody Like You: Inside the Turbulent Life, Times, and Music of Green Day North of Summer - Broken Telephone Northern State - Can I Keep This Pen? O ----------------------------------------------------------- Octoberman - Run From Safety Oh Susanna - Short Stories Ok Go - Oh No The Old Soul - Self-titled The Old Haunts - Fuel on Fire One Night Band - Way Back Home Orange - Escape from L.A. Our Mercury - From Below Ox - American Low Fi ___________________________________________________ K. Page and Sleepwalker’s Parade Green City RealPolitik Rekords This is an album I’d love to listen to with some friend while having a drink. This is the first time I’ve heard of this band but after listening to it I was completely hooked. Right from the beginning, Green City creates one of those nice, smooth, classy atmospheres that make you feel extravagant. To me, K. Page and Sleepwalker’s Parade can be compared to a fusion of Imogen Heap, Bjork, and Canada’s own Leslie Feist. Tracks that really jump out are “The More Loving One”, “Naked and Naïve” (which is prog-like), and “Sleepwalker”. Most of the songs have wonderfully crafted lyrics that are both meaningful and dreamlike. This album is well composed, from K. Page’s vocals to the smooth instrumentals. If there is any more room for these kinds of bands in the industry, I really hope this one becomes the next big thing. I see a lot of potential in these guys with their first album. This is a whole new mood. Check them online at www.sleepwalkersparade.com. -Sean Chin back to top K-OS Atlantis: Hymns for Disco Virgin / EMI Everyone wants to be the first person to discover a new artist before they make it big. Then you can say “I knew them when…” But, there are those people that consider an artist a sellout once they reach that next level of fame, and stop listening to them. Whitby’s K-OS is the perfect example. For years he had a huge following as a T.O. underground hip-hop artist, but now that he is getting radio-play and media coverage a lot of those former fans have turned their backs. The question then becomes: Were they ever in it for the music, or was it always about the exclusivity? Those that have given up on K-OS are missing out on some of his best material on his new record Atlantis. Following up on the incredible success of his sophomore album Joyful Rebellion, K-OS has started to really grow as an artist. As well as being lyrically more introspective than his previous 2 albums, he experiments with different genres more than ever before on his third outing. From the electro beats on “Sunday Morning” to the rock riffs on “The Equalizer” and “Born to Run” to ballads “The Rain” and “Highway 7”, K-OS is obviously comfortable trying new things. That said he also knows his bread and butter. The jazzy beats on “Flypaper” clearly come from the same place as Joyful Rebellion’s “Crabbucket”, and “CatDiesel” has the same feel as his breakout hit “B-Boy Stance”. The first time I listened to this record I wasn’t so sure about it. But after a few more spins it has really grown on me. Although it’s hard to measure up to the quality of his first two releases, this is a solid record for anyone who is a fan of conscious hip-hop and quality music. www.k-osmusic.com -Matthew Gorman back to top Kara Keith EP Saved By Radio Kara Keith, formerly the frontwoman of Falconhawk, is a singer/songwriter/ keyboardist from Calgary who is clearly aiming to fit in with the indie-pop crowd on her new EP, and perhaps a little too much so. Her attempt is at an every-indie-rusty-throated-female-singer sound, but her unexceptional voice just leaves this record lacking in originality. This is apparent, also, in the melodies and lyrics, which are catchy but quite cliched and not in an "it's ok, it's pop" way. The rusty-throat-piano combo doesn't nearly pull off the Amy Millan-Regina Spektor thing she's going for. Instead, this EP feels a bit like a school Christmas pageant with its chorusy-piano feel: it's cute, but not commendable. http://www.myspace.com/karacopsout - Aurora Prelevic back to top KAREN DALTON In My Own Time Light in the Attic Records This is the second and final album that Karen Dalton released and for many, the one she will be remembered by. Released in 1971, it has taken until now to receive the top notch digital treatment that Light in the Attic Records has delivered. Up to this point you may have had to pay around 70 dollars on eBay to get your hands on this obscure gem of an album. It has been said that Karen is one of the great blues singers of our time. It has also been said that her voice was an instrument itself, similar in sound to a muted trumpet. Quite recently while speaking about this, somebody else compared her to an old vacuum that takes a couple of seconds to start after you’ve pushed the ‘on’ button. It’s this final comparison that struck me, and just about summed up my favourite thing about her singing style. Each word is forced out, and she gets as much feeling into those words as she can. On notes that are slightly outside of her range she isn’t afraid to let her voice crack to get there, or to hold the note a little bit longer. The amount of feeling she puts into these songs is literally breathtaking, and it results in her sometimes being off time, or behind by a beat. It is this off time style of singing that separates her from so many of her peers. Dalton can also sing in a more traditional manner, as she does on the bluesy track ‘Take Me,’ which justifies all the comparisons to Billie Holiday. Much of the album however has her singing in a very warbly way, similar to newer artists like Joanna Newsom or Devendra Banhart who are clear descendants of her sound. Unlike these new artists though, there are no frills in the production, instead Dalton relies upon her pure and earthy voice. While Karen Dalton did not write any of the material on this album, when she sings it the ownership seems to be transferred to her. Even the song, “When a Man Loves a Woman,” which has been played so often as to warrant comedic status, sounds as genuine and true as when Percy Sledge first sang it. It took me about eight listens before I could hear Dalton’s version without expecting it to follow the same patterns as the original. Eventually however, any other version of these songs sounds like a cover of her material, but with less substance. In the opening track she almost warrants tears of understanding just by singing the phrase, “There’s something on my mind,” and there are many more similar moments on ‘In My Own Time.’ It can take some effort getting to the point where one becomes truly fond of this album, or of Dalton’s voice for that matter. This is folksy blues music with such intense honesty that it could be embarrassing for some people’s ears. While initially her style may sound unnatural, with subsequent rotations the listener will realize Dalton is authentic, and at this point the album becomes wonderfully rewarding. back to top Keller Williams Dream Sci Fidelity Records I turn off the lights, close my tired eyes and slip into a Dream starring Keller Williams—one man band with hippy appeal. He has been referred to as: singer/songwriter, percussionist, 10-string guitarist (two strings removed from a twelve stringed guitar), and trombone dabbler known for his diverse skills, but not necessarily for his strong musicianship. With punk infused opener, “Play This”, I can’t decide if I will be led into a nightmare, but corny lyrics indicate a potential bumpy road. “Grind your teeth/Dye your hair/Pierce your ass I don’t care” are delivered without aggressive conviction when really the only thing to save those words is a sex driven, raw killer voice. Then follows songs, “Celebrate Your Youth” and “Cadillac”, and again follows more corniness in monotone vocals. What does make this 16-track album unique, in a schizophrenic way, is the switching of genres from song to song. “Sing for my dinner” sounds like a country jingle, “Ninja of Love” a reggae groove, “Lil’ Sexy Blues” a little twangy and “Cookies” very acoustic grass. But I am now left to wonder if Williams knows who he is. Unsurprisingly “Cookies” is my only dessert of choice on this album, as there are no lyrics, only pretty, melodic guitar plucking. Dream worthy. But just like most great dreams, they are fleeting. Williams is known for his live improvisational presence and has toured with The String Cheese Incident and Dave Matthews. He takes to the stage with his looped sounds of digital recording to render possible his one-man-does-it-all performance. The alarm rings and I don’t press snooze; overall I would not want to slip back into this place, but I do appreciate the guitar riffs. Dare to dream. www.kellerwilliams.net cAthy Lee back to top Kevin Phillips and the it men Big Chop Suey* Speak Music When I first heard of a blues band called ‘The It Men’ it seemed a little bit odd. I would think this would be the last thing a true blues band would call themselves. ‘The Downtrodden Men’ or the ‘Melancholy Men’ would seem more appropriate. Once I read that the group was formed at Mississauga’s ‘It Lounge’ it made a lot more sense. Not that this made me any more optimistic about the album. I struggle to think of anything good that has ever come out of Mississauga, not to mention music. Luckily Big Chop Suey’s old-school blues sounds as if it could just have easily come out of the New Orleans or Chicago blues scenes. There isn’t that much originality to this record, but I don’t think that’s what the blues are really about. The blues are about skilled musical craftsmanship and universal timeless themes, which this record has in droves. With a good mix of mellow piano driven tracks like “Gravy Train” & “Couch Potato” and funkier upbeat organ driven tracks like “New Shoes” & “Kick Ass”, the self proclaimed ‘local super-group’ has put together a quality record that both the blues enthusiast and the novice blues fan can appreciate. If you are either of those of those types of blues fan, you can check out the CD Release Party at Lula Lounge on Tuesday October 3^rd. www.kevinphillipsandtheitmen.com -Matthew Gorman back to top Khan Who Never Rests Tomlab Khan is cited as “A torch singer from the depths of hell. A hot-blooded man with contradiction in his soul.” Is that enough to make you walk away? He’s got a little bit of Damon Albarn, and a little bit of Michael Hutchence in him, and the whole thing has a little bit of glam flavour. Most prominent though is the mid eighties INXS feel, only it comes closer to parody than tribute. Khan sounds like he was one of the rejected contestants on the show that gave INXS a new vocalist. He sounds like he might have gotten knocked out pretty early actually. This album is very difficult to take seriously, and one hopes that it is not meant to be. On the first track “Excommunication” Khan sings the title lyric in the same manner that Adam Sandler’s Cajun Man might: “Ex-communica-shawn.” Later on he drops the Sandler feel and takes on a more rocking sound, but when it comes to the lyrics they are just laugh-out-loud hilarious! On, “Strip Down”, he woos some lucky partner by singing the following lyric in a staccato fashion: “All stripped down/To your big toe.” This gets repeated, over, and over, and over, and it gets funnier each time! And what’s with the James Bond Theme thrown into, “You Like to Party?”; I really don’t know what to make of this. If it’s a joke, it’s neither funny nor ironic enough to warrant a full listen, and if it’s not a joke, then it’s exactly the kind of thing that makes you feel guilty just listening to it. I can’t help feeling just a little embarrassed for the fella. His vocals do come close to Mike Patton’s “pop” territory on a few songs. This causes the listener to feel like they are enjoying themselves. You might catch yourself bobbing your head for a second, but you will shortly realize you hate Khan. I guess it comes down to that old Spinal Tap quote: “It’s such a fine line between stupid and clever.” Listen to it once for a ‘so bad it’s good laugh’ and then discard it. www.tomlab.com Daniel Demois back to top Kick in the Eye Red Army Overdrive Aftersound At times this single is so sugary it can be nauseating, in a way that I can only liken to children’s music. Imagine if you will, any kids television program theme, with the same chorus sung over and over again. Kick in the Eye claim that the three song set was inspired by the writing of Naomi Klein and ‘reflects their views on modern society.’ The three track single was released for National Day of Action and the only tie in to this theme is the final song “Gerald Charlie Stomp” which is inspired by Vancouver based Aboriginal musician Gerald Charlie, but the song has zero political comment. It’s about a dance party where Gerald Charlie is playing, and I’m not sure how the mere mention of his name is meant to bring about political awareness. Even if it did, Marian Lochrie’s bubblegum vocals would still drive you to madness. I really find it difficult to see any political motivation to this music, and instead can only recognize the standard relationship drama that has fueled so much derivative pop music. This is straight up pop rock; a modern copycat of fifties boy/girl bands, with predictable instrumentation, vocals, and little emotion. Sorry. www.kickintheeyemusic.com -Daniel Demois back to top Kim Barlow Champ Jericho Beach Music Who says the Canadian music scene has to be centred ’round Montreal and Toronto? With Champ, Yukon-based singer/songwriter Kim Barlow has bucked trends and intuition, releasing an inspired album of mellow, Joni Mitchell-eque ballads that competes with the best of them. And I always though the Yukon was boring. As Barlow makes clear, however, there’s more to the territory than snow and ice, and her sound is surprisingly warm, folkish, comparable to the likes of Beth Orton. Easy rhythms on acoustic guitar, banjo, glockenspiel and various other roots instruments characterize the album and compliment Barlow’s child-like vocals. Stand out tracks include the opener, “Pony Camp”, and “Jake the Sailor” - James Sandham back to top Kimya Dawson Remember That I Love You K Records Listening to this album, Dawson’s fifth, and having no prior listening exposure, I mistake it for a CD meant for children, what with all the tinkling bells and quaint 4/4 time signatures that bumble along with the guitar. Except, that on tracks like “my mom”, “underground”, and well, all of them, Dawson pairs the down-to-earth folk music, spins it into a punchy rock session that quickly turns her sound into Polka Dot Door gone wrong; or right, depending on who is listening. And I think I have struck lyrical gold when I hear her magnificently well-put track, “underground” that is beyond tongue-in-cheek. She gives her family and friends instructions “…tattooed on my ass/that say don’t ever put this body in a casket/burn it and put the ashes in a basket/I don’t ever want to be underground.” As far as I’m concerned, I am with Kimya on that one. The only good place to be underground is on the indie rock scene. www.kimyadawson.com www.myspace.com/kimyadawson - Jess Shulist back to top King Sunshine Second Movement Independent A burst of energy kicks off King Sunshine’s sophomore album Second Movement. The catchy guitar riffs and strong backing from the horns and percussions sections on “At the Party” gets the groove started and introduces new lead singer Maya Chilton’s impressive pipes. Toronto’s King Sunshine describe themselves as a House Orchestra, but with this new record they have solidified themselves as leaders in Canada’s Acid Jazz (or Nu-Jazz) scene. They seamlessly fuse elements of jazz, house, dance, disco and funk into their own concoction of dance inciting music that has been keeping clubs across eastern Canada bumping for years. Special mention needs to be made of “That Rag”, the 1920’s inspired track that conjures thoughts of smoky swing clubs and is a perfect companion piece to the crowd favorite “Bourbon Town” (which is the only song on the album repeated from their self-titled debut). If you like to dance to funky homegrown grooves don’t miss this new offering, and make sure to check them out next time they come to your town. www.kingshunshine.com -Matthew Gorman back to top Kingsway and the Counterrevolutionaries Brand New Golden Oldies DDG Records Kingsway has teamed up with fellow Vancouver rockers the Counterrevolutionaries to create in Brand New Golden Oldies one hell of an album. Its raw, authentic folk rock sound is reminiscent of Ox or Catfish Haven, and is, as the DDG Records website rightly points out, “great-sounding music for you to talk over whilst sipping your beer.” Mellow, lackadaisical, and soulful, there’s really not a bad track on the disc. Country-infused guitar work by Jojo Darling, RC Joseph, and Adam Nation fuse with lazy harmonica and drifting, ethereal vocals. Trumpeting by Shaun Brodie adds some mariachi-inspired flavour to “Car Roof Style” and other tracks. Altogether: very pleasant. Expect it on your college radio station soon, or hear it now at www.myspace.com/kingswaymusic. - James Sandham back to top Koffin Kats Straying From the Pack Psychobilly U.S./Hairball 8 Some people think psychobilly is ridiculous, with its sky-high pompadours and the almost comically dark lyrics that combine paradoxically with the upbeat, toe-tapping slap of the upright bass. Not helping matters, most psychobilly fans tend to dress like it’s Halloween in the 1950s every day of the year, and are dead serious about it. For those who like psychobilly, this brief but hard-rocking album should be a hit. In total, the eight tracks clock in at only a little over sixteen minutes, but in those minutes the Koffin Kats transport the listener on a whirlwind journey of a hellish, gory, tattooed dreamscape. Vocalist and electrified upright bassist Vic Victor hauntingly sings of dead girlfriends, houses of horrors, and working as a hired killer with the smoothness of a lounge singer who’s been sharpened by a few days’ worth of amphetamines. Standouts include the disturbing yet fun “Splatterhouse,” and “Graveyard Tree III” which details a relationship between the narrator and a corpse (and makes you wonder what transpired in the first two instalments of the song). The album begins and ends with a wailing singalong that nicely bookends this too-short parade of the enthusiastically undead. www.thekoffinkats.com Jennifer Fabro back to top Kollage “At This Time” Timely Manor Art Blakey’s legacy is one of superb talent. His excited sympathy as an accompanist had him playing at an early age with the exceptional Mary Lou Williams and later with the untouchable Miles Davis and Thelonius Monk. His hungry energy as a band leader saw his own band, The Jazz Messengers, through 3 decades of artful music. His commitment to inspiring promising young musicians made The Jazz Messengers a first footing ground for some of the biggest names in jazz spanning three generations: Freddie Hubbard, Wayne Shorter, Wynton Marsalis, Terence Blanchard and John Hicks are only a few examples. Who better than Archie Alleyne, who has also backed legendary names like Billie Holiday, Chet Baker and Nina Simone, who is also passionate about continuing the careers of gifted young musicians through the “Archie Alleyne Scholarship and Bursary Fund” and who - a master of time and rhythm is his own right - inspires an inviting yet urgent sound from his fellow players presented with such ease that that you might briefly think that you could do it too, to lead a tribute to Blakey. At This Time, a live recording of this tribute by Alleyne and his band Kollage – Canada’s quintessential hard bop band - is a phenomenal testament to the players on the disc. The simple, tight arrangements provide plenty of space to play in and all of it is explored with precision and zeal. The resulting texture is like honey in tea: burning, hot, sweet solos in a perfect warm blend. - Sarafina DiFelice back to top The Kooks Inside In Inside Outk Virgin Records From the beaches of Brighton to the bedrooms of North America, UK foursome the Kooks have gone global with their debut LP after being snapped up by Virgin following an incendiary four-song set at the Brighton Free Butt. Maddeningly young (guitarist Hugh Harris has only just turned 17, while lead vocalist Luke Pritchard is barely 20), the Kooks are fresh, ambitious, and unwilling to be pigeonholed with one particular genre. Their sound fuses influences from the first British invasion – the Kinks, the Beatles – with contemporary British and North American rock Ã la Strokes, Hot Hot Heat, Supergrass and beyond. The result is an upbeat album of catchy tunes that run the gamut from lazy acoustic strummers such as their standout opening track “Seaside,” to stand-up hand-clappers like “She Moves in her own Way” and garage funk numbers like “Matchbox.” Eclectic and inventive, the Kooks are a fresh reminder of why the British invasion happened in the first place. www.thekooks.co.uk -James Sandham back to top Korn Untitled Virgin This new album opens up with Mr. Bungle-esque circus fare that does show promise, and it’s tough not to get excited that Korn may be entering some interesting new era. After trying the rap rock of another Patton project (Faith No More) they are now taking a stab at his Bungle work. And you know what? It’s not that bad at first. Lyrically, the whole thing is still a little bit heavy handed, for example, “God is gonna take me out!” is the kind of lyric that will make younger audiences thrash around and older audiences unimpressed. And it’s pretty damn amusing when Davis wails out, “It’s EVO-LUTION!” There has been quite a lot of growth musically, with piano being used to good effect on Track 2, which also has a pretty funky low-fi bassline reminiscent of Joy Division. The problem is that they don’t do enough with this. Eventually they fall into the old sound they became popular for, but with more pop flourish and harmony, inspired by any number of 80’s new wave/industrial bands. It’s a step in the right direction, but they’ve got to completely abandon their old sound if Korn wants to continue to have any kind of pull. The quiet/loud/quiet/loud formula is so predictable to anyone who knows the band. Take the growl back a bit, and scale down the screaming guitar a touch. Give us something new and we just might listen. Special note: Terry Bozzio is a guest drummer on several tracks! www.korn.com -Daniel Demois back to top Kool Cas Appearances by DeeBee, POISON, Tone Xclusive backpack Coldswordz Productions / too cold records Vintage hip hop. Backed by heavy percussions, ominous strings, and unique samples probably found deep inside dusty milk crates, Kool Cas brings forth the truth essence of emceeing. With an old school boom bap style that mixes consciousness, street experience, and a very reflective nature, listeners are exposed to a sound probably not heard in over a decade. "Bringing it back to like 88' as Kool Cas proclaims. Yet the music is fresh and their sound is unique. Listeners will be able to relate with Kool Cas' down to earth content and warm up to his humble nature and approach on the mic, atypical to the egotistical emcees heard most often nowadays. Standout tracks include "Mr. Work" and "Musica or You" , though I must say this is one of the true rarities in music where you can listen from start to finish without skipping any tracks. Appropriately entitled, backpack, this album is ideal for underground heads and hip hop purists. www.coldswordz.com LJ back to top Kudu Death of the Party Nublu Records This bizarrely cool, and fantastically named album heralds the next wave of post-punk dance music, perhaps doing for jungle what M.I.A. did for dancehall. The duo called Kudu produces a darkly sexy sound that blends jungle, jazz, pop, post-punk, and electronica. Singer Sylvia Gordon is at times sultry, others screechy, and at yet others operatic, and her vocals beautifully complement the skilful layering of sounds orchestrated by Deantoni “D” Parks, the other half of the group. Throughout the disc, the pulsating beat drives the listener to movement, which testifies to the power of their live shows. Their hip, distinct sound is infectious, especially on tracks like the goofy “King Kong (Attack of the Egomaniac)”, the sensuous “Playing House”, and the excellent and strange retooling of “Black Betty”. Despite the playful variety of well-executed tracks on the disc, partway through the hour-plus recording, Kudu does get a bit tiresome. Even so, this arty little collaboration by two New York scenesters is a fun and innovative sonic landscape. Though this band’s sound may be a little too of-the-moment to guarantee any long-term resonance, this fresh, genre-bending disc deserves its moment in the spotlight. Jennifer Fabro back to top Laibach Volk Mute Records Laibach are a strange band. I was first introduced to them by my brother. He’d picked up a couple of their earlier albums – primarily, I think, because of Laibach’s then pseudo-Nazi inspired style of attire. I think this appealed to him because he was into Ian Curtis at the time, but despite the sartorial similarities, Laibach proved musically to be a rather far cry from Joy Division’s post-punk electro twitch. Which isn’t to say our discovery of Laibach was a disappointment. On the contrary, they turned out to be an intriguing concept group, very political, and always provocative. Their latest album, Volk, set for release on Mute Records for February of 2007, maintains this reputation. Based around the national anthems of 13 countries, plus the “NSK” anthem (NSK is Laibach’s “global state,” a sort of virtual artists’ community without borders, as I understand it), Volk is a controversial and uneasy reinterpretation of the themes of patriotism and nationhood. The sound hovers somewhere between Einstruzende Neubauten, Bjork, and Rammstein – in other words, a fusion of electro-pop and experimental industrial – plus national anthems. The celebratory or empowering sound that comes from the anthems is subtly undermined and perverted, however, by Laibach’s eerie musicianship, transforming the anthems into sinister commentaries on war, nationalism, and “peoplehood” – a rough translation of what the album’s title means (Volk has connotations of ethnic and racial exclusivity). In any case, it’s provocative listening for this day and age. - James Sandham back to top Lee Scratch Perry Panic in Babylon Narnack Records Super Producer Lee Scratch (sans quotations) Perry is crazy – or at least so the majority of his press claims. With mythical tales of recording studios burning down, Mr. Perry’s output as a Producer has seemed flawless. His “musical” offerings on the other hand are a bit more suspect. Panic In Babylon, his latest offering, provides 13 tracks of variations on the tried and true dub genre. Trust me, you are familiar with it. Something is always up in Babylon – it is burning, there are fires, there are lions guarding it. Perhaps the surprises for me on the album are “I Am A Psychiatrist” and “Pussy Man” which includes the catchy rhyme I am Dr. Tree/I am Dr. Tree/I am Dr. Tree/I am Dr.Key. What is even more surprising or puzzling to me is that Super Producer Lee Scratch Perry has not produced this album. Those duties were left to P. Brunkow and the unfortunately named Dj StarTrek. Gone are the lush textures of Perry’s older work – where are the voice filters? Why does this album produce so much treble? Why would anyone use a keyboard sound that annoying for the all important downbeats? Fortunately, this is a 2 Cd set with the second Cd containing remixes by Dave Sitek of TV on the Radio and DJ Spooky. Both of their reworkings capture Perry’s original spirit with all of the sonic tricks that a Perry production used to be so well known for. -Jordan Somers back to top Earth Sciences* Laura Barrett Paper Bag Records As a member of Henri Fabergé and the Adorables and the Hidden Cameras, Barrett is used to being a member of an ensemble cast but she really makes a name for herself on this solo release. Relying heavily on the kalimba, an African thumb piano, and mixed with witty folk lyrics, the “music box” feel of the album evokes a mystical yet charming sound. Thrown in for good measure is her cover of Weird Al Yankovic’s “Smells Like Nirvana.” Barrett’s unique interpretation makes it feel like it’s one of her own. The remix of “Stop Giving Your Children Standardized Tests” by Joshua Van Tassel (Stop Die Resuscitate) is an interesting tune to hear as it combines Barrett’s original with electronic beats and other effects. Overall, Barrett’s quirky sound makes the album an enjoyable release and a pleasure to listen to. http://paperbagrecords.com/bands/laura-barrett - Jon Brazeau back to top Laurent Garnier Restrospective 94.06 F Communications / Mute Records Ok so I have to admit I have a bias against – actually it’s more like a weakness for French house music. So when I was asked to review Laurent Garnier’s album Retrospective 94.06, I jumped at the chance. The French music producer and DJ has been in the business for quite some time now and this album reflects his progression from techno master to jazz enthusiast. Garnier manages to get a range of musical tastes on the record, from high energy to deep house to some mellow reggae beats. The double disc includes some unreleased tracks such as “Flashback” and a couple of live recordings such as “Acid Eiffel” and “Man With The Red Face.” The first disc manages to group together a really good mix of Garnier’s history and evolution as a DJ and producer. The club classic “Crispy Bacon” and his live version of “Man With The Red Face” with Bugge Wesseltoft are a good juxtaposition of his early club/DJ days and his later soulful mixer collaborations. The second disc plays around with the idea of sound a little more and introduces some organic musings that are perfect for a chill afternoon at a coffeehouse. The opening track “Acid Eiffel” oscillates between the up tempo, electronic beat of dance music to the gentle sounds of live instruments. His remix of DJ Marky’s “Butterfly” showcases his engineering talent while “Astral Dreams” has club kids everywhere shouting for joy. With all the hats Garnier has to wear – remixer, producer, DJ – it’s a wonder he had the time to decide which tracks would make the final cut. Despite having a hard time choosing the tracks, Garnier has chosen a diverse blend of music that gives a versatile look at his past while giving listeners a peak at his gifted future. www.laurentgarnier.com -Antoinette Mercurio back to top The Legendary Pink Dots Your Children Placate You From Premature Graves Massive Music / ROIR I didn't really think too much of a new TLPDs release. I'd heard them over the years without ever paying attention to their vast catalogue and expansive twenty-some year history. So like this years instant experts on Daniel Johnston, tropicalia, or girl groups I learned all I needed to know from five minutes of googling . My assumption that the UK band that formed in 1980 was more or less industrial in the same vein as Cabaret Voltaire or Nurse With Wound was quickly assured, and a few (indubitably legal) downloads proved as much. But Your Children Placate... is far removed from this brand of dark gothic dance music (thank sweet mercifull Jesus). TLPDs newest album has seen the group slow their music down even further than their previous few releases, to the point that it almost sounds somewhere between a British gothic Lambchop. Hopefully this melodic, sparse brand of goth inflected pop will find its place touring beside some more contemporary indie artists it resembles, like Patrick Wolf or even the Flaming Lips, all who owe some of their darker sound to these forefathers of this quiet, menacing alt pop. Your Children Placate... thankfully reminds us of a time in industrial music before Trent Reznor's sound had become the only litmus test, where white noise and tape manipulation were primary instruments and when UK industrial music was heavely influenced by Jamaican dub. Even in 2006 TLPDs aren't afraid to dust off these influences, the results of which still sound fresh compared to today's sonic wastebin. On the down side, it does take a few songs for Your Children Placate... to hit its mark, and the album does run a little bit long (it could have done without all the spoken word parts, as even one of the mumbling interludes is too many). There are also a few instances where synth instruments shouldn't have masquaraded as real instruments, the result sounding like They Might Be Giants has crashed some goth party. Despite these shortcommings, TLPDs have released a worthwhile purchase for those yearning for the darker, quieter, and more sentimental side of the eighties, or those fans of the modern alt/indie scene who for whatever reason are unfamiliar with TLPD. Because you should be. Trust me. I Googled them. I'm an expert. www.brainwashed.com/lpd/ -Christopher Langer back to top After the Balls Drop Les Savy Fav French Kiss Records Recorded live at New York's Bowery Ballroom during the early hours of New Year's Day, Les Savy Fav roll through a late night, high energy affair on After the Balls Drop. The album features ten Les Savy Fav originals, mostly from their 2007 album Let's Stay Friends, followed by five covers ranging from the influences they wear on their sleeves (the Misfits, Nirvana and the Pixies) to classic rock staples (Creedence Clearwater Revival and Love). Mixing an aggressive, bass-heavy sound with frontman Tim Harrington's howling vocals, the album effectively captures the band in their rawest moments. Nothing is left out here, even Harrington's witty exchanges with the audience during song breaks remain. While these bits are confusing to a listen to and not see, it is a reminder the band is capable of simultaneously rocking out and having fun, making the album feel like a true front-row experience. http://www.lessavyfav.com/ - Jon Brazeau back to top Leviride Night of the Drive-by Addictive Records Sometime recently it got a little uncool to do balls-out, all-emotions-bared rock and roll. Everyone got all coy and ironic instead. It was like being straightforward and exposed was so nineties or something. But whatever: coy irony is for the insecure. Leviride is a band secure in what they’re doing and they’ve said to hell with coy irony, producing instead that elusive rock and roll good, a balls-out, all-emotions-bared album in the spirit of rock and roll’s classic heyday. Which isn’t to say this is a throwback album or anything. It’s got some new and modern stylings to it. But songs like “As I Lay Me Down to Sleep” and “Your Remains,” the album’s first two tracks, anchor it firmly in the tradition of Bruce Springsteen and Meatloaf. It’s a little theatrical at times, but always raw and without pretence, and you can’t help but want to rock out. Seriously. Watch for these bad boys around their hometown of Toronto and perhaps even farther afield; the buzz around Leviride is building. Check ‘em online at www.myspace.com/leviride. - James Sandham back to top Liam Singer Our Secret Lies Beneath The Creek Tell-All Records Multi-instrumentalist, Liam Singer, offers up a beautiful and tragic record filled with violins, piano, vibraphone and a curious thing called a Theremin. Produced by engineer, Scott Solter, over the course of 8 days, Singer's recent creations have been compared to soulful songwriters such as Elliott Smith and Sujan Stevens as opposed to his usual toned-down piano recitals of yore. And were it not for his simple philosophical murmurings, this album would fall flat in its overarching attempt to break away from previous musical styling. Singer is a natural instrumentalist, clearly demonstrated on "frozen lake/dog heaven", but the three operatic interludes, dubbed "Travelogues" and sung by Mae Beatty should have been scrapped. They're too much for an album that shoots out in so many directions already but if you get bored easily and need some inspiration, have at it. www.tellallrecords.com/singer.shtml -Jessica Shulist back to top Liars Liars Mute The fourth and latest release from eclectic California rockers Liars, their self-titled album takes the band once again in a new direction, branching off from the electro-experimentalism of their last release to explore the scuzzy, fuzzy lo-fi garage rock sound. Tracks like “Houseclouds” and “Sailing to Byzantium” are prime examples of the album’s overall sound, droning away - in the best way possible - and taking the listener into a tranced-out, hazy fog of stripped down guitar and reverberating feedback. And while tracks like “Leather Prowler” can be a little grating with its degenerating tornado of noise, it’s all part of the freaked out trip to which this album provides the soundtrack. Check more at www.myspace.com/liarsliarsliars. - James Sandham back to top LIARS Liars Mute Records Both geographically and musically, the Liars have been all over the place since their initial days in the Strokes-era scene of New York City. Their sense of adventure has taken them to studios around Europe and produced two interesting albums to follow their 2001 acclaimed debut, They Threw Us All In A Trench And Put A Monument On Top. Besides the tendency towards wordiness, the Liars also have a fondness for the concept album and, in fact, that's probably the only formula their previous albums follow. It's an interesting move: devoting entire albums to themes like the 16^th century witch trials (They Were Wrong, So We Drowned, 2004). The band throws a different sort of curveball with their fourth release, simply titled, Liars. The obvious title is an indication of the band's intention on this record, which was to drop their dramatic concepts, ditch the allegories and get back to simple, more conventional song structures. It sounds like a pretty easy feat given the complicated levels of musicianship that the band had been operating on previously, so it's actually sort of hilarious that they fail miserably. The songs are unorganized instances of self-indulgence that are difficult to follow and, even worse, mainly boring. Liars is a very mixed bag, ranging from a plainly awful mix of distorted loops and reverb on "Leather Prowler" that drags on for almost four and a half minutes, to the exquisitely melodic album closer "Protection" that sounds like a more accessible version the band's earlier work. It's their inability to work within a predictable course that makes the Liars interesting, and the attempt to walk a straighter line here just never takes off. Hopefully, they'll get a little more lost again on their next album and get back on track. Video for Single, "Plaster Casts of Everything": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-r8HWri41s -Dara Kartz back to top The Liars Drum’s Not Dead Mute Records The Liars have left New York for Berlin and, likewise, their sound too has left the familiar for the foreign, tripping lackadaisical into the land of musical experimentation. Droning, thumping, numbing noise comprises the majority of this album, and while it isn’t something you’d likely put on with dinner, it certainly holds its own strange appeal. Much of the attraction of this album is it thematic integrity, structured around the Liars’ two imaginary characters, Drum and Mount Heart Attack. These two are the subject of most tracks on the disc and, like Ying and Yang, represent two opposite states, the calm and the frantic respectively. Drum’s Not Dead is structured as a kind of dialogue or dance between Drum and Mount Heart Attack, weaving together progressive, structured, entrancing rhythms with erratic, chaotic, droning synthstrumentals. It is a game of contrasts with a variety of parallels to contemporary life, but beyond this the deeper message, if there is one, remains vague. Whether this album should be seen as an isolated piece of artistic indulgence or a definitive change of direction for the Liars is yet to be seen. Bands like Radiohead have pulled off such a transformation while retaining fans – but will the Liars be so lucky? That’s up to you. www.liarsliarsliars.com -James Sandham back to top Lily Frost Cine-Magique* Aporia Records Inc. Cine-Magique, the fourth solo album from Toronto chanteuse Lily Frost, is true to its apt title. There is a certain something about the mix of dreamy harps that inspire visions of the grandiose studio pictures of the 1950’s, the Montreal jazz style bossa nova rhythm of the flamenco guitar and the vocals that are both pared down and playful that give this album a decidedly French, filmic and fanciful sound. In fact, Frost and her producer/husband Jose Contreras channel the sounds of a great number of artists for this latest album, covering a wide variety of styles and times. Listen closely and you’ll hear snippets of Astrud Gilberto, The Shirelles, Galaxie 500, PJ Harvey and Tori Amos, but each so fleetingly that it’s impossible to draw concrete comparisons. With this album the pair really seems to have taken an all encompassing look at their own musical influences and turned them into something uniquely their own. Their choices are surprising in all the right places and gel together to create music that is all at once raw and delicate and, at times, quite strikingly beautiful. I can picture this disc on a Starbucks counter, resting between the after-coffee cinna-mints and $3 vanilla caramels (despite the down to earth/back to the earth vibe her music gives off which leads you to believe she might think that the prices are outrageous). This album seems as though it was made for coffee drinking patrons on a lazy Sunday afternoon. That or possibly as a way to wrap up a Saturday night when the cranberry juice runs out and there are no more cosmos to go around at your martini party. - Sarafina DiFelice back to top Lindstrom It’s A Feedelity Affair Feedelity Records Oh, the Scandinavians. Bless their hearts. Bless their little crossed-out ø's, their cool climates and fair features. And bless their multi-punned album titles, and their slick, sweaty electro house. Lindstrom's It's a Feedelity Affair grinds its way through eleven larger (and sexier) than life tracks of funk-laden electronic instrumentals with the occasional songstress or buzzing guitar, its author’s clever yet subtle composition and pop sensibilities steering the record in a refreshing direction, pushing this release up alongside 2006's stronger electronic offerings. IAFA tends to dig deep into its 1980s electronics bag. “Arp She Said” is so wonderfully realized and genuine in its love of the decade of shoulder padding and moussed hair that it wouldn't have sounded out of place on the Beverly Hills Cop soundtrack. “Further Into the Future” is also a standout throwback track, and overall the wealth of danceable funk on IAFA will no doubt push it onto dance sets and play lists the world over. Where the album occasionally missteps is where it dabbles in the lounge sounds that were so popular a half-decade ago. “Music (In My Mind)” sounds too much like the Thievery Corporation’s loungery of five years passed, while “Cane It For the Original Whities” also exists in a space that is too far past to be relevant, but too recent to truly pack much retro thump. However, other than this minor complaint, IAFA is a very strong entry into the world of dance music from a truly talented producer and label head. Get your tight pants ready... www.feedelity.com -Christopher Langer back to top The Lions Rampant Independent I was under the impression that the garage rock phenomenon, which occurred in the earlier parts of the decade, were firmly in our past, but the Kentucky band, The Lions Rampant, and would have us believe otherwise. It took a few minutes to realize the clever pun that is their name (The Lyin’s Rampant), which led me to believe that perhaps they’re playing music for sheer enjoyment and humour, regardless of how noisy or lo-fi they are on record. I hope that amusement is one of their prime motivations, as it seems these guys really want to sound a little rough and unpolished. They pull it off with a certain degree of charm and an undeniable sense of nostalgia. Alas, most people were enjoying this particular variety of nostalgia six or seven years ago. These guys are full of energy and I could imagine them rocking the hell out of a house party, with their derivative brand of garage rock, but for something that’s supposed current, it’s really a bit old and tired. http://www.myspace.com/thelionsrampant -Jesse Kline back to top Lisa Gerrard The Best of Lisa Gerrard 4AD Records Lisa Gerrard has been around for quite some time and there isn’t much she hasn’t done. Probably best known as the lead vocalist for Dead Can Dance, Lisa has also sold best- selling soundtracks and scored major films such as Gladiator, Heat and Black Hawk Down, to name a few. Thankfully, 4AD has compiled a best of with fifteen tracks chosen by Lisa herself. The journey begins with her more subtle, yet fluid songs. We get to experience the strength of Ariadne, the ever-meditative Host of Seraphim and the eclectically wild Cantara. She manages to create a mood for any situation. This disc is a must have for any world music lover and for anyone who loves musical inspiration. In other words, by allowing the sounds to encompass you, not only will you find some form of mood, but also experience a state of transcendence without even knowing it. Find further information on this amazing vocalist at: www.lisagerrard.com or www.4ad.com/lisagerrard -Rayna Slobodian back to top Live Songs From The Black Mountain Epic/Red Ink In 1956 (or was it 1955) English Actor Charles Laughton directed the notorious noir classic Night of the Hunter. It was the first movie he directed and it was his last. Not many can forget Robert Mitchum’s performance as a deranged preacher/child killer with LOVE and HATE tattooed on his fists. Sometime in the early 90’s (or was it mid 90’s) Live released Throwing Copper which contained their hit Lightening Crashes – that perennial frosh week classic that gave you enough time to try and ball the cute co-ed next to you before the crowd erupted into a middle class mosh. The moral of this somewhat tragic tale...hit it and quit it. Alas, Live has not quit it. In fact, due to that guy on American Idol, Live want you to believe they are in the spring of the love as the track “Get Ready” yearns. You know what is here – the slick “rock” production, the musical theatrics, the angst morphing into love. My question is: When did Live turn into Creed? Or perhaps a better question: Why do I know these bands? If only I could find the words to describe the photo on the CD insert to you. If only I had that time and courage. Nickelback; take a good look at what the future holds. www.friendsoflive.com -Jordan Somers back to top Los Campesinos! Sticking Fingers into Sockets Arts&Crafts With this EP from Los Campesinos, Arts&Crafts take a major step. Much of the labels output boasts complex production and technically great music that requires some attention to appreciate. This is fine. With this EP though, we get something else. I mean no disrespect to the band, but this is first and foremost a great deal of fun. It may not be as demanding as a Broken Social Scene album, but it does have immediate appeal. The single, “We Throw Parties, You Through Knives”, has already made a splash in the UK and could possibly be a break-out song here as well. The scope of some of the music, and the size of the group (6 members) may prompt quotes like “A fun version of the Arcade Fire,” and that would not be too far off, but Los Campesinos have listed their influences as Pavement, Bright Eyes, The Cure, The Silver Jews, and songs in the realm of riot grrrl. All of these elements combine to form a supremely satisfying party EP. The second single by these folks, “You! Me! Dancing!” builds like a standard Pavement track but quickly grows into something with bells ringing and “whoo whooing” that will get you moving. If this EP is any indication for what to expect on the album they plan to release in 2008 (after their school time finishes) then Los Campesinos! will probably be one of Arts&Crafts most important signings to date. This EP comes with two nifty animated music videos featuring humans and aliens doing battle, then rebuilding, then doing battle, and so on. www.loscampesinos.com -Daniel Demois back to top Lovedrug Everything Starts Where it Ends The Militia Group “Wake up, you’re alive/We’re on your side,” calls out Lovedrug singer Michael Shepard, on the title-track of the Canton, Ohio band’s latest release Everything Starts where it Ends. And for a few moments you feel like the band is on your side. With a versatile, genre bending track list, the album plays like a collection of musicians trying to find their own voice and sound. In this case the listener is treated to a chocolate box of songs each with an endearing quality. From deep stadium-worthy indie rock to moody ballads and even a Jan and Dean worthy surf riff “Pushing the Shine” the album covers a lot of ground. At first listen Muse comes to mind but after a few spins, elements of early I Mother Earth and Jimmy Eat World appear. Of course in every box of chocolate are a few duds. Some tracks tend to get dull after one or two listens. But the beauty of living in the digital world is having options to choose which tracks to listen to. With gritty guitar licks and atmospheric string accompaniment on some tracks, the album is just different enough the what’s out there to make it interesting. After a few listens the album is sure to grow on anyone who is looking to diversify their collection. www.spillmagazine.com - Andrew Seale back to top LoveLikeFire An Ocean In The Air Black Ludella San Franciscan foursome LoveLikeFire have just released their second EP An Ocean in The Air, producing poppy-post punk sounds. Led by singer/ guitarist/ keyboardist Ann Yu’s sweet-though-strangely-powerful voice, the band comes out with an enjoyable indie rock record. The melodramatic lyrics are belted out to a background of drum-pumping build-up in this uncomplicated endeavour. It is not a dramatic blow-you-out-of-the-water new record, but it’s reliably good. They kind of sound like someone plopped Emily Haines in the middle of a Yeah Yeah Yeahs record—just the right leveling of sweet, edgy, and rockin’ though not remarkably original. http://www.lovelikefire.com/ - Aurora Prelevic back to top The Low Frequency in Stereo The Last Temptation of… Gigantic Music Hailing all the way from Haugesund, Norway, The Last Temptation of… is The Low Frequency in Stereo’s fifth and latest album, and continues to advance the lo-fi, psychedelic sound fans across Europe – and now, increasingly, in North America too – have been loving since the band’s droney debut in 2001. A lot of this album has a 60s throw-back sound characterized by jangling, echoing guitars and steady, spaced-out beats from TLFINS’s ubiquitous Wurlitzer organ. It’s poppy and fuzzy, like the Byrds and Jefferson Airplane in some blissed-out Norwegian jam session. Most of the tracks are pretty killer, but particular standouts include “The Challenger” and “Bahamas”. Check ‘em online at www.thelowfrequencyinstereo.com. - James Sandham back to top Luca Luca - Sick of Love Funzalo Records As the CD cover proclaims, “Luca is a man, Luca is a band.” Furthermore Luca is “sick of love.” Well I’m bloody sick of Luca, and I’ve only had this CD for a week. Although, perhaps it was the promotional material that came with it – a heightened sense of self-importance is something I’ve found never complements music. But ego stroking and promotional tricks aside, in the end, no matter how many other projects Luca has worked on, no matter how many hip groups he’s associated with, it’s not going to make his current release any better - which is not, however, to say Sick of Love is terrible. There are some tracks that stand out. The catchy “Rosalie,” apparently drawing on Spirit of the West for influence, is one such example. But other tracks are less gripping, hovering in sound and style somewhere (incongruently) between Blink 182 and Matt Good. But generally, while this album does contain some good songs – the strangely named “Loosin’ Ground” being another such example – it seems over-produced. The sound lacks authenticity. In other words, this album is formulaic. It sounds too close on too many occasions to other successful acts, often incongruously mixed (the above Blink 182/Matt Good sound being one such example). But it’s radio-friendly, if nothing else. www.nickluca.com -James Sandham back to top Luke Doucet Blood’s Too Rich Six Shooter Records Straight out of our own backyard, Canadian bred musician, Luke Doucet is back with another album, Blood’s Too Rich. The 2008 Six Shooter Records album includes a cover of the 1983 Cure song “The Lovecats.” As soon as I started listening to the album I was curious as to how this cover might go, one of two ways: simply put either good or bad. It’s hard to match the magical voice of Robert Smith but Doucet has his own beautiful tone that can capture a room full of people’s attention. “The Day Rick Danko Died,” is also a great track. It’s an enjoyable but sad tune about him and a stranger bonding over Rick Danko, the day he passed away. His folk’y, bluesy, rocking ways have definitely got him far and will continue to do so with this new album. He has been connected with artists and bands such as Blue Rodeo, Holly McNarland, Sarah McLachlan, Melissa McClelland, Oh Susanna, and many more. If you dig some the music as listed above then I’ll leave the rest up to you to check out www.myspace.com/lukedoucet, www.lukedoucet.com, or www.sixshooterrecords.com to listen to more songs and information on Doucet and his upcoming shows. He will be rocking around Canada this month until the first of March, so keep your eyes peeled for dates around your area. -Danielle Cowie back to top LUZ ATOMICA self titled Independent From the depths of a sound crafted in the mid to late 60's psychedelic era emerges one of the coolest sounding bands that have come out of Toronto. After paying their dues for over 2 years on the Toronto music scene, Luz Atomica have stood the cut throat test of staying relevant and important and have finally released their debut self titled album. An interesting combo of Alice Cooper, Pink Floyd and Danzig come to mind when listening to this disc; Luz Atomica definitely takes you on a journey with sonic landscapes from bluesy rockers like One eyed Jack and Steal Baby! to tripped out ballads like Elastic Time and Perfect Glow. This is a perfect driving album for anyone embarking on a long windy road trip. One might wonder, what the hell these guys are striving for in a market that seems only interested in hip-hop,bubbelgum pop punk and Nickleback, well let me tell you that it's certainly like a breath of fresh air when you hear something so pure and uninterrupted. Luz Atomica love what they do and it shows all over this album, they are not a band of try hards attempting to fit into any trendy scene, they're just doing what they love, and as a result they now have an amazing debut CD to their name which I am sure will be turning some heads in the near future. Check them out at: www.myspace.com/luzatomica LUZ ATOMICA CD RELEASE: With Daddy Ashes; and Emmett Friedmann & the Winnebagos of Death January 31 2008 at the Cameron House (408 Queen St. W Toronto, Ontario) $5 at the Door www.myspace.com/luzatomica -Andre Skinner back to top Lycaon Pictus Personal Disaster Avant-God When I first heard this CD I was going to write something like “the reason New York is still so cool 30 years after its indie music heyday is because it keeps producing bands like Lycaon Pictus,” but that sounded too much like the only standard of music to compare to is our parents’, and plus after I listened to the CD a couple times I realized it’s not that great after all. Which isn’t to say I hasn’t got some killer tracks: the opening cut, “Death Disco,” is catchy as hell, and likewise with the second, “I Give you a Rose.” Both of these tracks have got an infectious beat, rad little glitchy tweaks and distortions, and catchy vocals shouted out like Wolf Parade or Shy Child. I was pretty sure I’d found a really good album after listening to those two. But after that, unfortunately, the album starts to loose steam. The simplistic, minimalist beats starts to get repetitive, the sound begins to sound stubbornly stripped down, and the lyrics drift off into lazy rhyming couplets and odes to drugs. It’s not unbearable, but after the strength of the opening numbers it was kind of disappointing. Check Lycaon Pictus at www.lycaonpictus.net. - James Sandham back to top M83 Digital Shades (vol. 1) Gooom/EMI Former shoegazer rocker and French electronic artist Anthony Gonzales is back with his most ambient work yet. Anyone familiar with their previous work should be prepared for a considerable shift in style. Gone are the drums and distinguished chorus/verse structures. Immensely soothing cascading waves of electronic sound wash out of the speakers for much of this elongated mostly instrumental ambient piece. Digital Shades (vol. 1) as the name implies, is intended to be the first in a series of several explorative works intended as a divergence from previous M83 material. As the album progresses, it slowly shifts in mood, often dark, while at other times bright and cheerful – complete with the sound of birds chirping. This album is best listened to after a long day of work, or when at rest or reading – it’s really only conducive to inactivity, but when the time is right, that’s a good thing. -Jesse Kline back to top M83 Digital Shades Vol. 1 Mute M83’s Digital Shades Vol. 1 isn’t so much an album as a sea of sounds into which you descend. It slowly washes over you until, eventually, you’re submerged. For that reason, its opening track, “Waves, Waves, Waves” is so aptly named: it’s a hint of what to expect on the rest of the album, an unending series of sonic waves that break and swell as they drift in toward shore. Yes, this is ambient music at its most ambient indeed. But while this can grow repetitive and perhaps even boring at times, energy is clearly not the point of this album. This is a slow building series of sounds capes, each one unique and individually crafted. It’s not for everyone, but it’s soft and experimental and, at times, almost embarrassing in its emotional honesty. That’s another way of saying that it can be powerful. www.ilovem83.com - James Sandham back to top Saturdays = Youth M83 Mute Records M83 return with their fifth studio album, one which is more conventional than their previous releases. Balancing ambient electronics with pop, the album weaves them together, creating a sound reminiscent of the 1980s synth pop era. The dated feel doesn’t hinder the release though. “Graveyard Girl” is a rather upbeat swirl, despite the name, combining a danceable drum beat with a light guitar riff topped off with breathy vocals from band leader Anthony Gonzalez. “Couleurs” has an infectious dance beat which is complemented nicely with synths. The album still maintains the band’s old roots, prominently featured on the eleven-minute closing track, “Midnight Souls Still Remain,” which features the bare minimum of repetitive synths, which will bore pop fans looking for something upbeat and catchy. While the album doesn’t add much to the retro genre, it’s still a rather enjoyable release. http://www.ilovem83.com/ -Jon Brazeau back to top Machete Avenue First Cuts Underground Operations Machete Avenue cut you with their first words. Their knives digging into bleeding regrets that never really scabbed. If you want to call on those sad, sad memories of when you never kissed that cute boy or girl and all the opportunities you let fade away, revel with fuzzy-voiced Chad Michael S. (also on guitar) and Scotty Avenue on keys. Frankly, I was not expecting these boys to be Cyndi Lauper fans. Track four brings a new forlorn hope to the hit "Time After Time." The guitar playing and vocals bring to mind twinges of harder rock bands that delved into a quieter sound, when metal and rock were covering charts. Though not as brash, the sometimes sweet and always soft acoustic gives a great balance to the vocals. Not surprisingly, First Cuts brings to mind the similar approach of, Alexisonfire's Dallas Green's side project, the secluded and quieter City and Colour and fits well as the opener for the cross-Canada March tour, ending in Vancouver. - Heather Rayment back to top The Magnetic Fields Distortion Nonesuch Stephen Merrit’s The Magnetic Fields have always done a fine job of avoiding simple categorization. It is very difficult to pigeonhole this group, as they bounce from sixties garage rock to surf, to pure pop and gentle crooning. Despite the various musical styles, the group has been able to make concise albums, in which all genres blend together, creating a wonderfully flowing jukebox mix. On Distortion, their approach does seem a little bit more formulaic than usual. Often opting for a slow/fast/slow/fast approach to the sequencing. That said though, the high points (“Three Way” “Old Friends”) easily match the greatest moments on their magnum opus 69 Love Songs. Unfortunately, there aren’t really enough of these moments to maintain interest. While all of these songs on their own would be great for an iPod playlist, this album as a whole just gets tiring. It seems The Magnetic Fields, instead of expanding on their sound, have gotten a little too comfortable, resulting in an album that ultimately comes off as uninspired. www.myspace.com/themagneticfields -Daniel Demoi back to top Rabbit Habits Man Man ANTI- Self-proclaimed “torchbearers of the unusual” Man Man release their much anticipated third full length album in five years on April 8^th. Rabbit Habits provides the Man Man-requisite number of curious instruments in bizarre orchestration with circus-like songs that whirl you around and around until you aren’t quite sure what’s happened, or if it’s good. You feel dizzy, kinda funny inside. Lead singer Honus Honus’ voice is still booming in your head, his piano leading your mind on an epic unending waltz and as you’re slowing the spin to a halt you stumble out and stand, stunned, wondering: what now? These guys are famous (or infamous) for their exuberant live performances, in which they tirelessly perform non-stop—taking no breaks at all. Ever. No wonder the album is a dumbfounding experience. They are definitely avant-garde in their strangeness but not inaccessible in an overly pretentious way. They’re spontaneously combustible and love taking us along for the ride. http://www.wearemanman.com/ - Aurora Prelevic back to top Mando Diao Ode to Ochracy Mute Records Swedish shoegazer quintet Mando Diao are a hard living bunch of rockers, and Ode to Ochracy, their third LP (and umpteenth release since their debut EP in 2002), is an album in the name of all that: the drugs, the music, the anomie, and the lost loves of a band on the road. Consistently upbeat and energetic, there’s an undefined familiarity about many of the songs, as if you’ve heard them somewhere before, such as the Simon and Garfunkle-inspired riffs of “Welcome Home, Luc Robitaille”, that makes the album immediately appealing. Stand out tracks include the aforementioned “Welcome Home…” and “the Swedish country music,” to quote vocalist Gustaf Noren, of “Good Morning, Herr Horst,” a pounding, rollicking bar song with chorus that begs to be shouted by anyone present. Solid, self-directed indie rock. The CD also contains enhanced features such as videos for “Long Before Rock ‘n’ Roll,” “Good Morning, Herr Horst,” and “TV and Me.” Check them online at www.mando-dioa.com. - James Sandham back to top Manteca Onward! M Music / Fusion 3 Almost 30 years in the biz and Manteca are still going strong. Their ninth studio album Onward! comes after a lengthy hiatus and it sounds as though the band haven’t missed a beat. Their jazz sound has grown and matured with the times, leaving behind the depressing drone of yester year and embracing a more upbeat, light and airy approach to jazz. The opening track “Dissfunktion” certainly brings the funk while the follow-up song “The Other One” introduces each one of the band members and their entire intricate world beat musings. The cheesy “P2” begins with a tinge of Latin flavour but it quickly changes to a classic jazz riff full of melody, rhythm and harmony. Even when Manteca are campy, they’re still good! The docile and calm “Pentamento” offers a clear and successful break in the syncopated and multi-instrumental album. Overall, Onward! is a smooth record to check out even for the non-jazz fan. It’s a clean, solid disc full of dense beats, delicate flutes and commanding sax and trumpet blows. www.manteca-music.com www.myspace.com/mantecamusic -Antoinette Mercurio back to top Maps We Can Create Mute Records Northhampton, UK wunderkind James Chapman may have spliced this album together with little more than his bedroom 16 track recorder, but the end result is nothing short of masterful. Somewhere between the hooky electro sensibilities of the Chemical Brothers and the psychedelic abandon of bands like the Byrds, Maps has crafted an emotionally-charged album of epic-sized sound and soaring instrumental samples that fuse seamlessly in this powerful North American debut. Imagine the B-sides of the Chem. Bros.’ Dig Your Own Hole but pushed even further with breathy, rushing vocals and you’ve got a rough idea of how this sounds: warm, resonant beats so heavy with energy you can practically wrap yourself in them. If music were food, this album would be thick molten chocolate. You get the idea. Picture that. But for your ears. www.mapsmusic.com - James Sandham back to top The Marble Index Watch Your Candles, Watch Your Knives Maple Music Hamilton trio The Marble Index have produced in Watch Your Candles a solid follow-up to their self-titled debut. The album’s 12 tracks are a rollicking 42 minutes of music careening variously between the sound of classic greats such as the Clash and the Who, and modern masters like Sublime, the Strokes, and the Foo Fighters, with vocalist Brad Germain doing a great Joe Strummer on several of the tracks. Catchy roll and roll anthems or jerky, punk-infused reggae comprise most of the songs, managing to avoid the banalities of the genre with excellent hooks and bass lines that shake you along with them. While blatantly true to the groups that inspire them at times, the Index nonetheless exude an authenticity and credulity in these songs that raises this from being just a another great album to a resonant and meaningful piece of musicianship. Having recently completed a variety of shows across the UK and Canada, and travelling this summer through Europe, the Index seem to have touched nerve, and Watch Your Candles is a prime example of why. www.themarbleindex.com - James Sandham back to top Martha Berner This Side of Yesterday Machine Records I must say, I did give this one a lot of thought, a lot of listening time and yet I still found myself with my hands tied. Because I like folk rock so much I really wanted to find things about this singer that I liked, things that spoke of her potential. Yes, she does have an enormous amount of potential; she just needs to find her groove within the music scene. I found that she sounded a lot like Shawn Colvin and Natalie Merchant, as well as very similar to the whole Lilith Fair crowd. Berner’s first three songs on the cd, not including the second track that I skipped, lull the listener into a hazy and yet soothing trance, all the way to the ninth track, “Adore Me” where she digs herself out of the typecast hole that the previous eight songs had put her in. On this upbeat, often alt-country infused album, there are glimpses of what Berner’s music can aspire to once she finds place among the music and takes a more unsavory path on the way to achieving greatness. -Jessica Shulist back to top Maserati Inventions for the New Season Temporary Residence Before we get into it, let’s get the facts straight: Fact – Maserati is a band from Athens, Georgia. Fact – Maserati create instrumental post rock with a southern flair. Fact – Maserati is a hipster’s version of Pink Floyd. Inventions for the New Season, Maserati’s latest release is an eclectic collection of guitar- driven, instrumental pieces. I’m always perplexed by instrumental music with more of a rock feel because it feels a little empty. Sometimes the lack of vocals makes the music hard to connect to. But Maserati has made a noble effort and kept me entertained for at least the first few tracks. The band’s music is solid and well produced – all members play off each other showing a well-established chemistry. The album fits perfectly in the hole between Trans Am and Tortoise. – Andrew Seale back to top Massive Attack Collected Virgin Records Influential, British trip-hop originators Massive Attack are back with a best of CD, that pulls together 14 tracks including a new single, from their versatile career. Hearing all the songs on one collection, you can hear the shift in musical direction that happens with any band that’s been around for a long time (a big reason why original member Andrew “Mushroom” Vowles left the band), but it doesn’t seem to have hurt their popularity. Ever since their hugely successful debut Blue Lines back in 1991, they’ve become known for acquiring quite a guest list of artists such as Bjork, Madonna, Mos Def, one-time member Tricky and Sinead O’Connor, to compliment their eclectic mix of reggae, rap, dance and experimental beats. The standout track “Unfinished Sympathy” is one of three songs from that disc that makes its way here. O’Connor lends her soft, breathy vocals to “What your Soul Sings” from their last album, 100th Window. Although not as well received as 1998’s Mezzanine (arguably their best), the disc still snagged a spot in the top ten, even in all its edgy, darker glory. Check out Elizabeth Fraser of Cocteau Twins on “Teardrop, ” one of my personal favourites next to 1994’s Protection,” from the sensuous album of the same name. Tracey Thorn of Everything But The Girl was the guest vocalist. Mezzanine marked a turning point for the band, not just musically, but personally as well. Grant “Daddy G” Marshall, the other original member, opted for some time off to spend time with his family, and wasn’t available for recording of 100thWindow. That leaves Robert Del Naja (known as 3-D); the only one left of the original three and handles the vocals on two songs: the post-Depeche Mode-ish “Future Proof,” and “Butterfly Caught.” If the new single “Live with me” is any indication of what we can expect from the new disc due out early next year, then this will probably be another exciting chapter in the story of Massive Attack. www.massiveattack.com - Charmaine Merchant back to top Matisyahu Youth J-Dub Records At first sight, Matisyahu is startling to the eyes. The extremely tall and lanky young man commands the attention of all those watching, wearing the Hasidic Jewish garb of a long black cloak, black fedora and long beard. For those that don’t know, Hasidism is a form of Orthodox Judaism that focuses on spirituality rather than the academic studies of the Talmud and Old Testament. The music that he creates is almost as startling as his appearance. A combination of reggae and rap that ranges in sound from the Bob Marley inspired acoustic guitar backed “What I’m Fighting For” to the Hip-Hop sounding production of ‘Indestructible’, ‘Jerusalem’ and ‘Time of Your Song’ to the rocking first radio single and title track ‘Youth’. Matisyahu (aka Matthew Miller) first burst onto the scene last year with the release of the high-energy Live at Stubbs which went on to hit number 30 on the billboard chart and sell more than 20,000 units. The spoils of that success, along with sold-out concerts across the country, was the chance to have prolific artist/producer Bill Laswell produce the majority of this (his first) major studio recording. The result, although arguably not as energetic as the live album, is a solid record front to back whose production by far eclipses his previous studio recording, 2004’s independently released Shake off the Dust…Arise, by leaps and bounds. In a world where over the last several years artists like Shaggy and Sean Paul have dominated the reggae charts, Matisyahu is a breath of fresh air reminiscent of classic Reggae artists like The Wailers. And although many of his songs make reference to Judaism, he mainly sings about spirituality and the struggles of life that people of any religion can appreciate. www.matismusic.com www.hasidicraggae.com -Matthew Gorman back to top Matthew Dear Asa Breed Ghostly International The latest effort Asa Breed from Texan-born Matthew Dear is a thrilling electro beat box with Leonard Cohen-esque vocals. Dear’s deep, monotone voice blends well with his hollow dance beats – evident in the first two tracks “Fleece On Brain” and “Neighborhoods.” “Deserter” is a bit of a ‘80s-inspired melody – something reminiscent of a John Hughes film – but it works well with Dear’s modern synth sound. His drone voice minimizes the happy-go-lucky dance feel of electronica music but Dear’s hoarse timbre and clever beats make an old genre sound like new again. Basically, Asa Breed is a different kind of electronica record. Dear creates a mature album where electronica, synth beats aren’t watered down with Euro-trash dance sequences. Instead, uniquely picked drums and instruments are put together to spawn an adult dance record void of any juvenile club bangers. www.matthewdear.com www.myspace.com/matthewdear -Antoinette Mercurio back to top Mayday Parade Tales Told by Dead Friends Self-produced Mayday Parade do easy-to-consume punk-pop that you’ll probably think you’ve heard somewhere else before you realize no, it’s just that they sound like every other commercially successful punk-pop outfit. But what makes these guys kind of cool is that their sound isn’t the result of some label pushing them in that direction; it’s all-self crafted, self-produced, and these six guys from Tallahassee, FL, have actually sold more than 10 000 EPs – on their own and without label support – in addition to the more than one million downloads taken from their myspace site (www.myspace.com/maydayparade). And to be honest, some of their tracks are pretty catchy – pretty standard issue, but catchy, so props to them for their accomplishments. “One Man Drinking Games” is one of the best and most powerful songs on the album. The kids’ll be all over it. - James Sandham back to top MC Lars The Graduate Horris Records As my brother remarked upon hearing this album, “it kind of sounds like the New Kids on meth.” That’s pretty accurate. It’s an album of poppy, inoffensive, and often humourous rap-lite songs. Subjects include “The Roommate from Hell” and “Internet Relationships (Are Not Real Relationships).” Yes, as MC Lars himself proclaims, it’s an album for the iGeneration, the pre-college clique who are still young enough to earnestly think downloading music is politically subversive, yet old enough to have an obtuse sense that they will one day soon be the next leaders of the world. Both of these themes feature strongly in MC Lars’ opening track, “Download this Song.” Incorporating musical samples from Iggy Pop’s “The Passenger” and vocal styles apparently drawn from Blink 182 - it is a humorously sincere “f-you” to the major record labels. Other targets of the Brooklyn-based Lars are “Generic Crunk Rap” and “Singing Emo.” So he may not be Jay-Z, but his music is nonetheless fresh, original, and defiantly self-directed. Pretty fly for a white guy. www.mclars.com -James Sandham back to top Measles and Mumps Rubella Fantastic Success Double Cube Records I'm a sucker for a really good dominant bass line. Oh, how "Algorithm of Desire" leads me to my pleasure, covered in thick heavy, danceable, rock and breathing heavily into trippy vocals. "Libra Science" hypnotically drives. "Hollow Bodies" opens with a hit a tennis ball against the pavement rhythm, leading into a wonderful musical confusion solo. "Mythstery of Zygo" relays a soundscape that is in most of the album and is also hypnotic and spacey. "Nice Hollow Bodies" brings back the driving rhythm with the drums taking the lead to finish out Fantastic Success. Formed in D.C., based in N.Y.C., Measles Mumps Rubella wre born in a basement in 2000. Playing live shows, MMR also began recording with Ian Mackaye and Don Zientara. MMR lost original vocalist and added solo artist and friend Chuck Bettis to the mix of Robert Austin, Ryan Hicks and Mark Ropelewski. Bettis, also adding trumpet to their bass, drums and guitar mix. Currently touring this year, MMR made a stop at the SXSW music extravaganza in March and more recently at the Over The Top Festival which happend here in early May. www.measlesmumpsrubella.com www.myspace.com/measlesmumpsrubella -Heather Rayment back to top Mecca Normal The Observer Kill Rock Stars Multi-instrumentalist Jean Smith surprised me. From her sullen portrait on the cover to the portion of "Attraction is Ephemeral" lyrics in the liner notes, I was expecting to need to hold her hand through the trip of The Observer. Not to say she doesn't need someone there. Bringing out different instruments to lead, thus bringing different flavours to songs, this arrangement works well on track seven "His Own Madness." Layering two vocals on top and across one another, Smith is accompanied on guitar by David Lester. Especially interested in guiding a romantic path by exchanging web messages and meetings with sometimes strange strangers. After reading "Attraction is Ephemeral," I wonder where the attraction is after an incident such as this. Tending towards stream of consciousness writing and accidents along the way, Smith keeps her journal musings close and pain even closer. Dr. Phil is the hand she needs to hold, from the money saved from oranges and underwear, it's a wise investment in tomorrow. www.mecca_normal.tripod.com www.killrockstars.com back to top Men Woman and Children Men Woman and Children Reprise Records Sister, are you ready to hit the dance floor and shout out loud with your best boy? Men Women & Children all get up sing along and shake it in a masterfully fun way with this N.Y. based band. Backed up by Canadian Chantal Kreviazuk on "Monkey Monkee Men", these boys keep the mood up and moving. M.W.&C. share the same artwork artist, Sean McCabe, with Interpol. Stand out track, "Messy", shows Men, Women & Children's ability to keep their sense of humour tongue in cheek and playful while keeping the discoball spinning. www.menwomenandchildren.com www.wider-than-pictures.com Heather Rayment back to top Michael Brennan Cautious Man Red Rows Music Michael Brennan is a father, math teacher, and former Maritimer. Since moving to Toronto to join alt-country outfit the Wayward Angels, he has also become a musician. And with the release of Cautious Man, Brennan adds the title of soloist to his list of accomplishments. Cautious Man is Brennan’s debut solo LP. Like his previous work, the sound focuses around his strong, resonant voice and suburban, work-a-day lyrics. However, whereas Brennan has thus far been known for his country stylings, Cautious Man showcases several tunes that would sound more at home on a Roxy Music album. Indeed, Brennan’s voice bears remarkable similarity to that of Bryan Ferry, and his first two tracks – “How I Missed Ya” and “Gentle with this Heart of Mine” – remarkable similarity to Ferry’s “Avalon.” At other times the album is more reminisce of Nick Lowe – deep, vibrant vocals hanging somewhere between a snarl and a croon, backed by upbeat, country infused pop rhythms. Solid listening for the adult contemporary set, and a sure bet for Ferry fans who still appreciate a ho-down. www.michaelbrennan.ca -James Sandham back to top Mick Harvey Two of Diamonds Mute Records Mick Harvey, of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds fame, returns with his latest solo LP, Two of Diamonds, the follow-up to 2005’s One Man Treasure. The album is darkly haunting, a solid collection of jilted pop-rock and acoustic ballads often anchored by a bluesy, organ-driven undercurrent. While the album contains several original tracks, the majority is comprised of Harvey’s take on the music of others. He puts his own spin on a variety of older tunes, including Bill Withers’ I Don't Want You On My Mind, PJ Harvey’s Slow-Motion Movie Star, Emmylou Harris’ Here I Am, and Brook Benton's A Walk On The Wild Side, among others. Overall the album in beautifully arranged, the simple rhythms and guitar work the perfect background for Harvey’s desperate, searching vocals. Think John Cale meets Elliott Murphy. www.mickharvey.com - James Sandham back to top Microwaves Contagion Heuristic Crucial Blast On Contagion Heuristic Pittsburgh’s Microwaves use repetitive squealing, skronky guitars and dissonance to call for the Apocalypse in the tradition of bands like Voivod and At the Drive-In, or more contemporary bands like Hella or Athletic Automaton. Avant-noise-metal, post-punk-no-wave, whatever you want to call it, these guys are loud, mechanically and mathematically inclined. Microwaves make a game out of testing their listeners’ tolerance for rhythmic, yet tedious noise. Vocals are mumbling, quiet and spontaneously evocative of Erase Errata, but unyielding, ruthlessly cyclical at times to the point of oppressive. On “Mk” men chant, “We will bury you!” over and over again, until you believe them. With experimental and at times oustanding musicianship, combined with buzzy and drone-like production, Microwaves are a difficult force to contend with, and you will probably lose. www.myspace.com/microwaves -Kate Robertson back to top Double Nickels on the Dime By Michael T. Fournier Continuum 33 1/3 Michael Fournier is not only a professor of punk rock, but clearly also a fan. He talks throughout the book about how he purchased Double Nickels on the Dime on cassette when he was young, back in an age when underground music like this wasn’t easily accessible online. He mentions how he used to listen to the first half over and over again while driving around the city. By spending time discussing his musical tastes at the time he first heard the album, and describing his own experiences listening to it, the reader has no issue believing that they are in well-read hands. Wisely, Fournier does not assume that the reader knows as much about The Minutemen as he does. This means that along with all of the digging he’s done to uncover new facts about the album’s creation, he also includes the popular stories that have help mythologize the record. He goes through the state of punk at the time, and how Husker Du inspired the double LP punk album concept, and also goes into detail on the topic of the cover and title. He does not assume that the reader knows what ‘double nickels on the dime’ means, or how difficult it was to get that perfect cover shot featuring Mike Watt driving 55mph on Interstate 10. Fournier’s primary focus for this book stems from one small but crucial fact about how the album was sequenced. When it was time to put the humongous thing together, the group decided that each member would dedicate a side to their own favourites from the recording sessions, with a fourth side for leftovers. The Minutemen held a draft, where each would pick one song, and then each would pick their second song, until they had enough songs to each fill a side. Fournier believes that each side therefore has its own distinct feel and personality. He calls D. Boons the most welcoming, Watt’s the most literary, and George’s the most challenging. The final side, ‘Side Chaff,’ is really all over the map, complete with weird stuff, covers and a mixed bag that makes it 100% punk rock. He then goes on to break down each side, song by song. The bulk of the book is spent on a brief analysis of each track. This is more interesting for the stories behind the political songs, or why a certain song was replaced with a live version. In some instances (maybe the songs I don’t like as much), the format grows a little tedious. There are after all over 40 tracks on the album (the number varies on cd vs. vinyl.) Now this does have benefits as Fournier sees it, because he suggests that reading through the book in any order doesn’t really matter. There are certainly little facts scattered throughout, but he notes that ‘you can skip to your favourite songs first, or read it in order.’ While not the most creative set up it is kind of comforting to know that by skipping a song you dislike you will still be in the game. Having Mike Watt as an interviewee certainly helps to make the book more endearing, with his explanations of the groups ‘econo’ (no frills, just the right amount) style of playing/living, or his explanations of how Joyce influenced his own songs. Fournier does speculate on the meaning of many tracks, and at times it does seem like a little bit of reaching was done, but all the same, it is interesting to read this one man’s approach to an album that does not receive a whole lot of critical thinking. He focuses on the music that is present on the album, and does not delve to deeply into obvious sentimentality or politics. While it’s not wholly satisfying, the book does serve as a good starting point for the listener to give the album a second look and pick and choose their own interpretations. http://33third.blogspot.com -Daniel Demois back to top Million Dollar Marxists Zero Culture Stumble Records With a name like Million Dollar Marxists, you can tell what kind of music these Ottawa punk boys are going to be playing: angry amateur hardcore stuff with a bit of political edge. It’s pretty predictable. But it’s not bad. Good tracks include “Praise the Mutilated World” – it’s got those good “whoa-oah-oah” choruses à la Misfits; they’re always good in a punk song, get the crowd singing along and whatnot – and their current single, “X Streets,” which is a bit more mainstream sounding than the rest of the EP, but still a solid, quick little punk number. So while it may not be the most innovative CD to come out lately, when was the last time the punk world was truly revolutionized, musically speaking? We can’t fault these boys for that. Plus the CD’s got cool art work. Definitely worth while for the punk set. Listen at www.myspace.come/milliondollarmarxists. - James Sandham back to top Minus Story No Rest For Ghosts Jagjaguwar At times playful or sombre, amateur or experimental, Minus Story succeeds in creating interesting music and a unique sound. The album as a whole is thematic in both lyrical content and instrumentation. Certain musical themes popping up in different songs, along with similar background sounds, make for an interesting listen. No Rest For Ghosts, the bands fifth album and second released with Jagjaguwar records, begins very strongly as the musical form compliments the lyrical content, creating harmony between sound and meaning. Unfortunately towards the later majority of the album that standard is not maintained. Whether deliberately so, or they just got lucky with the first few songs is hard to say. The voice of the lead singer is a surprising treat, although it feels abrasive at first. The vocals and the manner in which they were recorded give the whole album an organic feel, as if each song were live. Although the No Rest For Ghosts sound and production scream amateur, Minus Story demonstrates a knowledge of The Song as something un-formulaic. Apart from some duller and repetitious vocal melodies, and the fact that tracks #7 and #8 appear in the wrong order on the CD, the album is a very enjoyable listen. I found the singing held my attention with its raw artistic nature, and the lyrics to be deceptively simple. As a bonus the art design for the album is clever also. There is a lot going on in No Rest For Ghosts and is certainly well worth picking up if you enjoy something truly artistic and original. Jusin Stoller back to top Minus Story My Ion Truss Jagjaguwar Minus story plus a sci-fi world equals, My Ion Truss. This 10 track album pieces together an invasion of epic proportions with song titles “Battle of our Lives”, “Beast at my side”, and “The Way Beyond”. Though I suspect strong metaphors are at play, lyrics in “Aaron” can get pretty out there. Miles high/The satellites make the sea cry/My ship to (rest? or rust?) The album’s art also confirms this otherworldly construction in its displays; Mermaids sitting on top of clouds releasing unidentifiable objects attached with parachutes; A ship chilling in the bay; A dog sitting contently on the roof of a building. My Ion Truss is the fifth album for this American sextuplet band and would fall on indie terrain. Lead vocalist, Jordan Geiger has this wavering, delicate, half tonal voice that either whimpers in “Mama Mama” or proves most melodically strong in the opening of “Parachutes”. His strength lies not by an intensity or presence of his voice, but in communicating anguished emotion and vulnerability. The instrumental chemistry is magical and primes the ears for a stimulating voyage of true success. They overcome the most common obstacles—to produce songs that sound refreshingly different than the other, and to maintain novelty throughout songs with effective transitions and by adding many sonic dimensions. Pretty piano sequences in slower tempoed songs “Pretty in the light” and “Miles and Miles” sound sophisticated sadness, while liquid electricity wails from the guitar in rock driven “Aaron”. The drumbeats set the right mood to match the lyrical content and change frequently enough to ensure that listener interest never tires. Be invaded by music that more plus, than minus. www.minus-story.com cAthy back to top Miracle Fortress Five Roses* Secret City Records Miracle Fortress is the latest creative concept to flow from the mind of young Montreal musical wonderkind Graham Van Pelt. At a mere twenty-three years of age, he is not only a member of Montreal’s indie darlings Think About Life and a co-founder of dynamic Montreal art space Friendship Cove, but is now also a solo artist - and a signed one at that, having created Five Roses in collaboration with Secret City Records. The disc is of the soundscape variety, with soaring walls of instrumentation crashing over Van Pelt’s soft, Belle and Sebastian-esque vocals. The sound is comparable at times to Brian Eno, but with a more contemporary indie pop undercurrent. At other times, however, the influences veer into all genres, from ’60s psychedelia to surf tunes and electro experimentation. It’s pretty listening in any case, and puts the lie to recent reports of Canada’s stagnating innovation: Van Pelt is a one-man cultural-economic powerhouse. www.myspace.com/miraclefortress - James Sandham back to top Miracle Fortress Five Roses Secret City Records Before even hearing a song on this record, it is evident that Five Roses is an album that will have an inspirational feel to it. The cover art features a whole lot of pastel coloured flowers, which is dangerous territory. There have been a few bands in recent years that combine lavish production with a very childlike simplicity that has an uplifting feel to it. This is in the same area as Sufjan Stevens, The Polyphonic Spree, and at times The Beach Boys. It’s quite tempting at first, and this album by Miracle Fortress definitely has you hooked for the first half. Somewhere during the ride though the creative element jumps out the window, and the music becomes contrived and dull. It feels like such a huge shift that I immediately second guessed myself for enjoying the earlier tracks. The earlier tracks are really good too! Wonderful slow building melodies seem to be a dime a dozen and the listener wishes they could be on a road trip, driving through unknown towns on a journey off self exploration. That’s the movie that these songs could provide the soundtrack to. By the sixth song though the pureness and fresh feeling is gone. It’s like on this song, the group was meant to change the sound of the album and take it another direction. It could be a problem with sequencing. It may have nothing at all to do with the later tracks just that by the album’s half point there should have been a sound shift. If this had been an EP then, I would have said “Top Drawer effort!” but as it stands it falls flat. The vocals begin to sound whinier and the dense production loses its charm. In short, it stops sounding like that ‘existential road trip’ movie, and closer to the ‘single mom finding love movie.’ Now a lot of people like that movie. It’s fine for a Sunday afternoon, or to take your mind off of the daily grind, but it’s not exactly a rewarding experience now is it? www.myspace.com/miraclefortress Daniel Demois back to top Mitch Easter Dynamico Electric Devil Records This is Mitch Easter’s first release in… 18 years! And it explains a lot. “This is so 90s,” I thought when I first put the album on. “Who is this? REM? The Lemonheads?” No, it is Mitch Easter, sloughing his way back onto the scene through his own label, Electric Devil Records. Having worked with REM and several other of the big bands from back in the day, Easter does bring a certain amount of cred with him - but that’s all beside the point as far as the music goes, because while upbeat and catchy, it is anything but permanent, the tracks forgotten as soon as you’ve heard them. Unless you’re a huge 90s fan. In that case, get this album. Or it could have been a good gift for Fathers Day. Expect lot of squealing, indulgent electric guitar bits and some nasal-tinged vocals that get tired fast. Only Iggy has the longevity Easter yearns for. www.mitcheaster.com - James Sandham back to top Mlle Caro & Frank Garcia Pain Disappears Mlle Caro and Frank Garcia have made something to sooth the masses with Pain Disappears. Using a wash of synthesizer, they create a world of loops with an indefinable quality of freshness within a standard house beat cycle. One can tab out the same beat for their whole song, however, they subtly stretch the brain from the confines of the perpetually stagnant pop beats of the past ten years, using fun and funk. Their songs are set up so that one might assume what is next and Caro and Garcia choose small differences that are enough to make one question but not stop listening. The beginning of many of the songs on Pain Disappears sound typical; however, the build-up used gives unexpected texture to what could have been bland beats. There is a subtle beauty to their music like the small orgasms of the voice perfected by early soul singers. Caro and Garcia are having fun while reaching for something outside their box and this playfulness is absolutely their redeeming factor. - Gideon Greenbaum-Shinder back to top Mocean Worker Cinco de Mowo!I Mowo!, Inc. The latest from New York City-based beat master Mocean Worker (pronounced “motion worker”), Cinqo de Mowo! is a beat heavy jazz mash-up that’ll shatter world, blow your mind, and make you “Shake ya Boogie” - the title of the album’s first single (you can check the vid on his website, www.moceanworker.com). The album draws heavy from old school jazz sounds, re-works them with funk and hip-hop beats, and somehow manages to improve on all three genres in the process. As accomplished as it is, however, maybe this is nothing less than what should be expected: Morcean Worker, aka Adam Dorn, is after all the son of RnB and jazz producer Joel Dorn - so maybe the skill’s all in the family. Either way, this is a new take on an old sound MoWo is clearly comfortable with. Easily comparable to groups like Bullfrog or Kid Koala without all the drunken trumpet scratches, the album’s solidly catchy. www.morceanworker.com James Sandham back to top The Mohawk Lodge Wildfires White Whale Records The second release from crunchy west coast group Mohawk Lodge, Wildfires takes the band away from campfire ditties of their debut album and into the realm of tried and true road-weary indie rock. It’s got a sound somewhere between Pearl Jam (in the vocals) and Catfish Haven, Ox, and fellow west coaters Kingsway. In other words, it’s pretty solid Canadiana rock music. It’s the kind of stuff that you expect to hear in a dusty dive bar located somewhere just off the Trans-Canada Highway, or drifting from a beat up pickup as its driver pulls into Lake Louise looking for work. The standout track would be “Everybody’s on Fire”. www.mohawklodge.ca - James Sandham back to top Mon Electric Bijou Bullets in the Penguin Roast Records French names, they all have French names these days. Mon Electric Bijou has an excuse – they are from Montreal and if the name did not give it away, the industrial aesthetic of the CD’s cover would have. Starting as a one man project in 2002, Mon Electric Bijou gained members probably right around the time touring began. So from wunderkind Martin Saz, Mon Electric Bijou added Jason Sanchez, Martin Robillard and Christian Aubin. For its silly title, Bullets in the Penguin begins with one heavy instrumental piece, The Large Glass (Les Grands Eiseaux) or as I call it around the house, Neil Young’s Deadman meets Ennio Morricone. This is St. Urban Bagel Western music at its best. It begins innocently enough with some strummed acoustic guitar chords and ends (literally) with the type of hushed panting you would expect from the A Fistfull of Dollars soundtrack. It is the two instrumental bookends of the CD that truly show the songwriting chops that Mon Electric Bijou possess. The Gods of Shea ends the CD dramatically with what sounds like a triple reduced sample of a Bill Ward drum solo over guitar and moaning –and isn’t that really what we all need a little more of in our lives? www.monelectricbijou.com Jordan Somers back to top Morcheeba Dive Deep Ultra Records A quiet yet awakening new release from British band Morcheeba, Dive Deep is just what we needed after a lull since the Antidote in 2005. This time around brothers Paul and Ross Godfry decided to recruit a range of guest vocalists and used Myspace as an aid, which proved fruitful in their search. This list includes both established and new artists; Judie Tzuke, Thomas Dybdahl, Cool Calm Pete and Manda. Some stand-out tracks include “Riverbed” which shows off the range of vocalist Dybahl and “One Love Karma” featuring Cool Calm Pete using a human beat box through a flute creating a new sound with some good old-fashioned technology. “Au-Dela”, which is sung in French, is in no way tacky or cheap French electro trash sounding, but rather elegant and stylish. Dive Deep reminds one of the trip hoppy, dancy, soulful sound that captures what Morcheeba represented when they first came out in the 90’s. It is both lush and lively and plays to Morcheeba’s strengths but with more depth and soul, making the title Dive Deep so fitting. - Daria Essop_Lafontaine back to top Morningwood Morningwood Capitol Records They tell you not to do it: don’t judge a book (or, by inference, a CD) by its cover. Never one for conventional wisdom, I decided to buck tradition; I took one look at Morningwood’s debut album and guessed “high school pop-punk.” Judgement cast. The first track, “Nu Rock,” seemed to confirm my suspicions. But after that, all preconceptions were blown to hell. I can now say with confidence that I have no intuition. At all. The buzz from New York, Morningwood’s hometown before moving to London to record, is justified. Combining the sounds, most prominently among others, of The Donnas, Bikinikill, and The Sounds, Morningwood deliver a party album that fuses the hard edge of New York punk with the campy quirk of New York disco. Front woman and singer Chantal Claret’s vocals carry this album. With a voice comparable to Brody Dalle on some tracks and Deborah Harry on others, Claret belts out both candy pop poems (“Ride the Lights”) and rock anthems (“Everybody Rules”). But let’s be clear: this is no “let’s cover all demographics” gimmick; holding together these diverse sounds is a continuity and peculiarity that gives Morningwood its particular appeal. They’ve got a cool website too www.morningwoodrocks.com James Sandham back to top Morrissey Ringleader of the Tormentors Attack/EMI Morrissey's comeback album of a couple of years ago, You are the Quarry, was rightly met with good reviews. The Moz had accumulated quite a few songs to choose from after being away from the studio for seven years, living a reclusive existence in Los Angeles and hanging out with Nancy Sinatra. When he unleashed Quarry onto an unsuspecting public, it was jam-packed with great songs, world-class production, and attitude. Tormentors, however, is a huge letdown for those expecting more of the same quality. It's even more of a disappointment due to the huge build-up of the album. String arrangements by the genius Ennio Morricone (the theme from The Good, The Bad and The Ugly still sticks in my head after all these years), production by the legendary Tony Visconti (of Bowie album fame), and the Moz himself riding the waves of his resurgence! One could think that an album like this would be nothing if not remarkable. Yes, one could think this, but one would be wrong. Tormentors is the weakest Morrissey album to date and that is saying something considering the Moz's stylistically confused output of the mid to late nineties. Out of the 12 songs on the disc, not a one leaves an impression either musically or lyrically. The Moz disregards melody and settles for monotonous bore. Clever lyricism has been replaced by cheeky drivel like 'If your God bestows protection upon you and the USA doesn't bomb you, I believe I will see you somewhere safe.' All of this is dressed up with violins and a children's choir which only serves to annoy. Oh well, a legend can't shine forever. Maybe this would be a good time for a Smiths reunion. www.true-to-you.net Michael Cool back to top Moses Mayes Second Ring Dublum Records When I think “Manitoba”, “funk” isn’t exactly the first thing that comes to my mind. I think more “bisons” – but maybe that’s just because of their licence plates. In any case, Moses Mayes has shattered my whole Manitoba paradigm. Who knew friendly Manitoba harboured such soulful sounds? Second Ring, Moses Mayes fourth release following his 2006 Rock is so Hard EP, shows that while the Godfather of the genre may be dead, his legacy is alive and well. Fusing funk, disco, acid jazz and old school hip-hop, Moses Mayes steps up and takes funk in a fun, contemporary direction. Vocals by Sherry St.Germain and Ariane Jean bring some soul-disco flavour to tracks like “Full Moon”, while and PHATT al rocks mean verses on the mic. Other tracks like “Space and Time (Elevation)” take it down a notch for a mellow, spaced-out house jam. Good variety, good tunes, good times. See for yourself at www.myspace.com/mosesmayes. - James Sandham back to top The Motherlode Self-Titled Self-produced Evoking the raw edge of hard-core pioneers Minor Threat, but without the puritanical straight-edge ideology, Toronto?s the Motherlode have crashed onto the scene with their self-titled debut EP. Ragged, volatile, and self-produced in true DIY punk style, the album is a sonic Molotov cocktail ready to burn up the speakers. Featuring sizzling bass lines by Thor Thunders and Casey Lyon?s driving guitar work, the album is a blazing-fast 22 minutes torn straight from Toronto?s underground punk circuit. And while the instrumentalization is undoubtedly tight and innovative, setting the Motherlode apart through drummer Mike Maxfield?s subtle incorporation of rockabilly rhythms, what truly defines and distinguishes this EP are the vocal contortions of frontman Greg LeGros. Throughout the album LeGros demonstrates a range of vocal control and ability uncommon to most punk outfits. Whether roaring into a chorus with enough ferocity to humble even the most vicious screamo group, or stuttering along in style somewhere between the Sex Pistols and Talking Heads, LeGros brings a versatility to the album superseded only by its intensity. Coupled with his bandmates? instrumental skills and the Motherlode?s infectious psychobilly stomp, this establishes their EP as a solid debut and a sure sign of good things to come. www.myspace.com/themotherlode James Sandham back to top mr. Gnome Deliver This Creature El Marko With a back-and-forth, soft and aggressive sound, mr. Gnome face an ambitious task by putting it all together on their first full-length album. The Cleveland-based duo of Nicole Barille and Sam Meister are capable of sounding like Cat Power one second and Death from Above 1979 the next. Barille’s vocals are a real treat as she seamlessly switches from soft whispers to full screams sometimes within the same song. However, the constant jumps between loud and quiet and the repetitive guitar riffs grow rather tiresome. “Silhouette” and “Tied” stand out from the pack by remaining in the quiet territory, with both tracks led by Barille’s breathy vocals. While pleasing at times, the album can be challenging to enjoy as a full experience. http://www.mrgnome.com/ -Jon Brazeau back to top Muffler Crunch Ol' Sparky's Revenge Last Drag Like the bastard acid child of Danzig and a righteously pissed Chrissy Hynde, minimalist grind act Muffler Crunch peel the soggy tarp back on the suburban mire of rock from the gates of Hull. Do not be mislead by the hellbilly vibe of the beaten acoustic on the cover of this tortured slab of metal, plastic, and silkscreened post-party detritus. The hangover is real. On their Last Drag debut, Ol Sparky's Revenge, Drummer Angie Neatby growls: ‘been suckin' on woodsmoke and gold coloured paint / and all the vapours and angels that 2am brings’ – “Third Eye Blues”. Luc Lavigne hammers and tortures Ol' Sparky until you can hear its pine top rattle with feedback. Between tracks like “Stealing the Sculpture”, a stomping ode to trashing the National Gallery and its small pretensions, and “Marchin' Back to Sugar Mountain” - distorted gutter-eye view of innocence lost - Muffler Crunch don't leave us with much to believe in other than the pitted overpass of experience, but, sure, I buy that. www.myspace.com/mufflercrunch Todd Howe back to top Muscles Guns Babes Lemonade Modular Records “Peace love ecstasy/ peace love ecstasy/ peace love ecstasy/ unity respect!” Guns Babes Lemonade explodes open from the first track forward, and this ridiculously fun Aussie dance crew’s got you on board right away. It’s no surprise they’ve landed the much-coveted spot supporting The Chemical Brothers on their Aussie dates: Muscles is unabashed, uncomplicated good times dance beats. Their hilarious lyrics variously proclaim street parties, backyard parties and parties all over the place—just what you’re likely to be feelin’ listening to this record. Hit after hit, Muscles has got you dancing with yourself, or with a crowd of people on a Friday night—whichever, no matter, it’s all the same to them. “Ice Cream” is the definite dance floor hit: hey DJs, soon enough, the room will surely fill with smiling, sweaty, dancing people chanting “Ice Cream is gonna save the day!” along with the chorus. So for some pure positivity in your life, let Muscles get you going for good…it won’t stop. www.myspcae.com/musclesmusic Aurora Prelevic back to top MV & EE with The Bummer Road Mother of Thousands Time - Lag Records An album with a trailer, a dog and the requisite Ma and Pa pose may generate the expectation among listeners that this is a Neil Young tribute or an experimental project for a bunch of Earth Firsters. Whatever the case, this record is filled with haunting guitar licks that sound very much like the guitar gods of yore, also known as classic rock. Think of this as a smaller version of Broken Social Scene brought to you by our neighbors south of the border. A fusion of synthesized beats and good old folk-rock meld nature with technology, old and new, not to mention the traditional aspects of music with the more modern enhancements. On the double album, Mother of Thousands, Matt Valentine (MV) and Erika Elder (EE) join The Bummer Road for a far out collection of mind-boggling songs that run from 40 seconds, "My Love For You Has Turned To Life" to a lengthy and repetitive 24 minutes "Death Don't Have No Mercy". If anything, MV & EE's songs give us a deeper understanding of life and death, life is short and fleeting while death is sublimely haunting, constant and often repetitive. www.time-lagrecords.com - Jessica Shulist back to top Naked Eyes Fumbling With The Covers Fontana/Oglio Naked Eyes, best known for their chart topping early 80's synth pop classic, "Always Something There To Remind Me ", have been exhumed for, "Fumbling With The Covers", an acoustic covers album. This obvious cash grab is a rather disappointing, "Music and Lyrics" kind of moment. While many 80's acts have continued strong through to 2007 with or without commercial success (U2 being widely successful, The Cure moderately so, Simple Minds not at all), the revival of Naked Eyes is a reminder that some 80's success stories were simply flash in the pan flavour of the month acts with little depth and potential. The Beatles, Bob Dylan and Cat Stevens covers on this acoustic collection are at best mediocre yet spirited efforts - at worst embarrassing, amounting to a clumsy return to the scene. Even the acoustic "Always Something There..." sounds sad and amateur without the synthesizers - perhaps appropriate as a slow dance song at a singles cougar bar. www.oglio.com/nakedpress - Michael Cool back to top Nathan Lawr and the Minotaurs A Sea of Tiny Lights Minotaur Music Nathan Lawr, you and your Minotaurs have given us new reason to examine musicians of the folk-troubador variety once again. Not since the days of Elliot Murphy has it been quite this good. The now-Sudbury-based Nathan Lawr has a sound comparable to the aforementioned and also Royal Wood, and while his lyrics might be a bit strange at times - hear “Footsteps”, for example - the music is just so good and honest and genuine: it’s like a big bowl of aural oatmeal. Drifting melodies anchored by solid rhythms and Lawr’s weary but subtly mischievous vocals define this album, along with the obligatory bar-room piano and acoustic guitar. It’s got a bit of country (“Swimming Like a Needle in the Haystack of the Sea”, “Make Yourself”), a lot of weight, and something else that’s hard to put your finger on but is completely infectious nonetheless. It might be pathos. www.nathanlawr.com - James Sandham back to top The National Parcs Timbervision Independent Just when you think Montreal’s total creative potential has been entirely invested in the city’s indie rock scene, a band like the National Parcs come along and tear that assumption apart. Fusing hip-hop with soul, pop and the an assortment of found noise samples (primarily, it seems, the sounds of logs being kicked over and stones being thrown), the band follows in the tradition of other such genre-benders as Gnarls Barkley and K-OS. And while their sound can grow repetitive - many of the songs follow a somewhat similar structure - this is forgivable given the strength of such tunes as “Awestruck” and “Powerline”. Plus the album comes with great packaging and a quirky little DVD of low budget music videos for each of the songs, and who can’t help but be won over by that? See for yourself at www.thenationalparcs.com. - James Sandham back to top The Nein Luxury Sonic Unyon Though at times their patchwork approach comes off as fragmented, Northern Carolina quartet the Nein have produced a record that far betters their previous outing, The Wrath of Circuits. Luxur’s tracks range from the dirty alt-rock (such as the opener, “Burnt Construction”, with its marked sparsely electronic bleeps, the campfire rhythm section, and a little punk rock sneer) to the almost danceable (as is the case with “Decollage”). When the Nein successfully balance their electronic side against their indie rock side (“Achilles Last Tape Solo” and “Get Up” notably) they show that they are capable of some remarkably skewed pop songs. However, the Nein and Luxury are not above criticism. They vocalist on occasion sounds far more MTV angst than indie sneer, and a few of Luxury's tracks fail in their attempt to sound deeply serious, coming off as rather cliché or confusedly tacked together like some sort of bleary-eyed Franken-single. However, despite Luxury’s shortcomings, the Nein have successfully gained themselves a bigger dot on the indie rock radar (or clocked some serious mileage on the indie credometer, if you prefer,) with an album that could be better but isn't half bad. www.sonicunyon.com/thenein/ www.myspace.com/thenein - Christopher Langer back to top New Model Army BD3 EP Devil Doll Records Over their 27 years, Yorkshire politico-post-punkers New Model Army have been preaching to their cult of followers on a steady basis. BD3, the new EP from Justin Sullivan and his band of leftist troubadours, revisits much of NMA’s usual sonic and lyrical territory, striking out at neo-cons with angry metal-folk (“Do you keep one bullet left for yourself / For when it’s all over and done?”), dour dub, and classical string sections on the five new songs. Featuring three well-captured live tracks, the EP is unlikely to score them any new signatures to their movement, but die-hard fans will definitely find something to enjoy here. See for yourself at www.devildollrecords.com. - John Tracey back to top New Skin New Skin Cleopatra Records It's about time there was a new hard rock queen. New Skin bites in hard, doesn't let go and thank god for that. Heavy on the guitars and vocals, this is my new skin. Three songs grace this preview of their upcoming album produced by alt rock luminary Dave Allen. Vocalist Jen pulls off the pretty in the lovely "Red Roses." Alas, my heartbeat will have to slow until September when this U.K. band's album will be unleashed. Touring soon in the U.S., let's hope they make their way north. www.new-skin.co.uk www.myspace.com/newskinmusic www.cleopatrarecords.com Heather Rayment back to top New Young Pony Club Fantastic Playroom Modular Recordings The NYPC seem to be all about the relaxed mode of travel. Taking two years to release a full length album, with only teasers along the way to reveal their ultimate intentions, what is finally delivered is a delightfully fun indie-dance rock record with mid-tempo beats and catchy hooks that have an all around relaxing posture to them. Nothing extraordinary but that's not always a bad thing. The NYPC lure you in with their smart and playful lyrics and laid-back attitude providing an overall enjoyable listening experience with the occasional compulsion to get up and dance. But, and there is always a "but" in these reviews, there was a concern of an almost borderline sense of repetitiveness in the songs as one progressed through the album. Nothing drastic that reflects too negatively on the album, but enough to make one wonder whether enough time was spent making the album versus fanning the flames of hype. Nevertheless, if this is your scene, this album is a suitable piece for the collection. The NYPC have still managed to put together an album to enjoy with just enough momentum to keep you grooving all night without the customary wear. Think of it as great dancey background music for your next gathering. -Belal Khallad back to top Nick Cave and Warren Ellis The Proposition – Original Soundtrack Mute Nick Cave is an alternative icon. Just about anything he releases is met with enthusiasm or at the very least a nod of approval. The Proposition, an independent film, an Australian western no less, is regarded highly by critics but went totally unrecognized by the industry – a fitting artery to carry the dark blood that is Cave’s music. Much like the film, the music is dark, extremely moody (bordering on suicidal) and deep, but as a soundtrack it fails. Lisa Gerrard’s Whalerider and U2’s Million Dollar Hotel are proof positive that it is possible to create a soundtrack that can be enjoyed outside the context of the film. The Proposition does not fall into this category. The tracks no doubt work perfectly on the big screen as you watch a conflicted Australian cowboy, dressed in black, walking through some desolate town with a smoking pistol, but are difficult to digest outside of that context. www.nickcaveandthebadseeds.com Michael Cool back to top Nightwish Highest Hopes: The Best of Nightwish Century Media Wait, what? Nightwish finally has a best of out? You mean I can get all of the Nightwish favorites that I hold so dear? Score! Ahem. Seriously though... Though this retrospective may find audiences in Quebecois goth clubs, it is doubtful that many others in North America will appreciate Nightwish’s sanitized and operatic cheese metal. A far cry from the virtuosity of Maiden, from the angst-ridden goth rock of fellow Finns HIM, and lacking the elaborate theatrics and Rob Zombie grit of last years Eurovision winners (also Finns) Lordi, Nightwish sounds a lot more like a hard rock version of T.A.T.U than any band from the litany of metal tours that trekked across North America this summer. On the other hand, Highest Hopes was the #1 album in Finland for 2005, and the band has managed to push over four million albums out across Europe. However, their Euro success doesn’t explain why the synth chorus is so easily confused with singer Tarja’s banshee scream, it just adds fuel to my argument that the Finns and Germans are definitely on a different musical astral plain than us Canucks and Yanks, and not to cast judgment, but if Nightwish are considered metal, then their taste in metal sucks. Highest hopes indeed... www.nightwish.com Christopher Langer back to top Nizlopi Half These Songs Are About You... FDM Records Hippies...meet your new god. Not that this statement is as epic as it could be, with the Birkenstock-wearing pantheon counting Ben Harper, Jack Johnson, J5 amongst many, many others. So I guess what we have here is a sort of be speckled, dorky Hermes or something. Nizlopi fits in with that sort of early 2000 hip-hop soul that briefly sought wide stream approval before settling for the West Coast College set (or maybe I was just in college at the time). In any case, Niz dawg is at his worst when he is getting his Jack Johnson on, throwing his ‘mellow wickedness’ all up in your hacky-sack playing, grass-sitting face (“Long Distance”). But where ol’ Nizzy succeeds is where he stops trying to sound like an indie Counting Crows or Ozomatli and instead channels a bit of Micheal Franti (“Sing Around It”), or even better, where he eschews the obvious sound for more of a Blk Sonshine or low budget Culture Club vibe, as he does on “Call it Up.” Here, Nizlopi is pleasant and lovable. Elsewhere, he could really just take this Berkley-loving lovey-dovey love fest and haul it back to Mississauga...wait, he’s not even from Victoria? This guy needs to move west. Does Adam Durowitz (or whatever his name was) get royalties for every release like this? He should. Then we could use the funds to send him and every member of Friends he dated to Pluto (yes, even David Schwimmer). www.nizlopi.com - Christopher Langer back to top One Night Band Way Back Home Stomp Records One Night Band is a ska/reggae/rocksteady sextet from Montreal. Reggae bass, drums and guitar are unified by the mandatory ska band organ, horns and sometimes even harmonica. The production and playing on the album sound more like authentic Jamaican music rather than the punk ska that has been popularized in the last while. Some of the songs even have a Big Band Jazz feel with a reggae spin to it. Lead singer Alex Giguère has a raspy and cool voice which is very accessible but non-Jamaican sounding. Female singer, Jacinthe Michaud also takes the lead on a couple of tracks with her sexy vocals including a ska flavoured cover of Motown classic, Rescue Me. The songs are fun and upbeat and I can only imagine how much dancing goes on at one of their shows. There are a couple French language songs included in the CD. Other than those tracks, the CD brought me right back to several Jamaican vacations I have taken. I miss Jamaica! But at least I can summon the memories just by listening to One Night Band. http://www.myspace.com/theonenightband -Liz Lulu back to top Orange Escape from L.A. Hellcat Records Orange are an LA-based quartet who do some pretty catchy punk stuff and, despite the limitations of their genre, have still managed to carve out a fairly distinct sound for themselves. There’s an element of classic British punk mixed into lead singer Joe Dexter’s vocals, reminiscent of bands like Blitz or the Sex Pistols but without sounding like an outright imitation. Their songs are quick, upbeat, often light-hearted, and consistently characterized by hooky guitar-driven choruses. The only drawback would be that their lyrics can be pretty adolescent at times - following the tired themes of losing girlfriends, not coming home at the end of the night, and not caring what other people think. Lyrically, it’s pretty well-trodden territory. But whatever. Someone still needs to sing to the kids. www.hell-cat.com/artists/artist/183 - James Sandham back to top Our Mercury From Below Smallman Record For a band that is in their early 20 it’s strange to think that Our Mercury are veterans to the Canada’s punk rock scene. They’ve traveled thousands of miles on tour and have released multiple albums and the band’s average age is only 23. Currently on Winnipeg’s Smallman Records Our Mercury’s latest release From Below is a rich blend of catchy punk rock that would appeal to a wide range of listeners. My favorite tune is track 2 “Bad Magic” it showcases Ben Stevenson’s great vocals and guitar playing over a medium tempo rock classic. For such a young band you can tell that they have years of good chemistry and great songwriting talents between them. This new release showcases tight musicianship, awesome production, hard work and a serious dedication to there mission as Canadian rockers. -Andre Skinner back to top Nobody Like You: Inside the Turbulent Life, Times, and Music of Green Day By Marc Spitz Hyperion You like Green Day. Get over yourself. Punk is dead. ABBA's cool again. Everybody gets older. This should be a concept beyond debating, lest your religion is on the 'time is a snake nibbling its own tail' tip. As we age, each of us pick-up all sorts of neurotic detritus along the way. Maybe this means having to come to grips with the fact that eventually, yes, you will have to get a haircut and a real job. Maybe it means that your vegan beliefs with your IRA membership have to become friends. Hell, I'm writing this on a Blackberry on the subway between Besarion and Sheppard/Yonge Stations. Inevitably, we will all have to ask where our youthful morals (and hairlines) have gone, and eventually come to grips with the fact that we will likely apathetically sink back into the status quo from which we came. We may all hope that we will cheat this fate, but the fact is that we’re already half way there. Certainly the author of Nobody Likes You: The Turbulent Life, Times, and Music of Green Day, one Marc Spitz, is. Spitz heatedly rejects the 80s punk ethos at an outdated world view, only to spend almost two-hundred pages attempting to protect the punk rock credibility of his favorite band, Green Day. Spitz seems to think pointing out that those who accused Green Day of 'selling out' as those middle-class minions who are privileged enough to be dogmatic will somehow negate the criticism. After all, Green Day were four working class lads who had to sell out- hey, Fugazi did it, right? Nope. There are plenty of “real” punk, if you accept Spitz and his generation’s ideal of the punk, who have hair growing out of their ears (to quote Henry Rollins) but have yet to trade their ideals for a cash-in. Though he cites Courtney Love as a defender of the 'sellout' side, Spitz seems caught in this 80s guilt complex, both hailing Green Day's courage for signing to a major label while chastising the major labels themselves for existing in the first place. Is selling-out is good, why isn’t the body that allows it? Spitz goes so far as to criticize a band whose rise mirrored Green Day, the Offspring, for their burnout after their (pretty fly for a white guy) years. However, it seems odd that in Spitz’s mind the Offspring are sellouts for cracking the top 40 in an environment where rock was replaced by poseur white rap rock and apathetic politics, whereas Green Day's cashing-in a few short years later in an environment of political fatigue and paranoia is some how more legitimate. Marc Spitz's inner battle while he attempts to sell his paradox is actually the most interesting subtext in any music literature that I've read in some time, which if good, because, let's face it, do we really want to read an entire volume dedicated to Green Day's 'too legit to quit-edness?' Also more interesting in “Nobody Likes You...” than Green Day themselves is Spitz’s description of the very brief Gilman Street punk scene, where Green Day worshipped bands like Operation Ivy, and where they polished their punk pop sensibilities to the chagrin of many scenster purists. To writ- (Visit Gilman Street during the day, and you’ll hear loud, circling gulls by the vast trash collection yard. There will be garbage stink and salt water vapor blowing over the hot pavement as you walk towards Eighth Street. But you may also notice that each telephone pole is littered with staple gun scars... Spitz’s ability to make the scene sound as if it contends with CBGB’s greatest home may be a little melodramatic, but it makes for an entertaining read. Along with the working class credibility, Spitz attempts to connect Green Day to other working class bands, most frequently with the Beatles. Billie Joe Bob is considered in the book to be a "Paul McCartney" type, one of over a dozen comparisons, a claim that just comes across as an overly-emphatic super fan's boasting. Just because I could compare Babyface to Lee Hazlewood, it doesn’t make it true, and it certainly doesn’t mean that it makes an intriguing argument. The Beatles were a movement in and of themselves, synonymous with a generation of change and bigger than rock in that sense. Spitz's sentiment might mirror this in that he claims that Green Day is bigger than punk, but what does that make them? Alternative rock, it seems. After all, with punk as a sub genre of rock Spitz can’t really claim that a pop-punk convert has altogether transcended music altogether. This evidence all leads to Spitz’s claim that Green Day's raison d'etre is the admittedly ambitious American Idiot. Though American Idiot really isn’t a bad album, and it did help to reinvigorate Green Day’s career and helped them grow from bratty punk too bonifide alternative angst demigods, it didn’t necessarily push them into the rock pantheon. Also, Spitz mentions the Dixie Chicks’ notorious Bush-bash, which cost them almost their entire modern country audience and forced them to reinvent themselves, as if Green Day’s critical views on America as given in their music or public persona were equal to the Dixie Chicks. For a “punk” band such sentiments are far from gutsy, as they’re pretty much expected, and definitely accepted. All this really leads the reader too is the idea that the Dixie Chicks, for whom which “selling-out” has never been an issue and who have maintained an immense amount of artistic control over their careers, may be more punk rock these days than Green Day are. However the most important question to ask is, so what? Does this make Green Day anything more than a successful arena rock band? Nope. Is Billie Joe Bob really and truly worth the cult of personality that Spitz would give him? Nuh-uh. So it probably isn’t worth reading almost one hundred pages on Billie Joe’s childhood, even if it’s intriguingly telling of a rock generation’s guilt complex. On the other hand, the Beavis and Butthead Generation, this writer included, will have to take what we can get as long-lasting heroes as we drift from cred-obsessed indie punks too the working joe set. So in that sense, who cares whether Billie Joe, Mike, and Tre are real punks or just bloated commercial rock doomed to appear on Rock Star IV: Green Day? This writer certainly doesn’t, and neither the Gen X-er nor the teenybopper with purple hair will either. Well, maybe the teenybopper... www.hyperionbooks.com www.greenday.com Christopher Langer back to top North of Summer Broken Telephone Self-produced Sometimes an album takes you completely by surprise. North of Summer’s Broken Telephone, their second release and debut LP, is one such album. Self-produced by a bunch of Toronto kids and recorded independently at a youth media organization in Sutton West, ON, it is, at its very least, a feat of considerable accomplishment; at its best it is utterly mind-blowing. Soaring melodies and tripping, half-sung vocals, all anchored by jangling piano rhythms, make for easy Arcade Fire comparisons, but this powerful collection of music is also diverse, and its influences expand to include the White Stripes, the Violent Femmes, Spoon, and traditional blues, among others. But even with the incorporation of such variety, Broken Telephone still maintains a beautiful coherency, allowing the band’s own unique style to shine through. Some of the best tracks include “Big Ol Rock”, “Confidence”, “Kindness”, “Affection”, “Winter”… in fact, I could go on to include the whole album. Look for North of Summer on tour at small clubs, including February 17^th at the Avant Garde Bar in Ottaw and February 28 at the Boat in Toronto. Better yet, check them right now, online at www.northofsummer.com. - James Sandham back to top Northern State Can I Keep This Pen? Ipecac Records Ipecac Records labeled band, Northern State, is out with their latest album titled “Can I Keep This Pen?” This all female rap group consists of three gorgeous ladies by the names of Julie “Hesta Prynn” Potash, Correne “Spero” Spero, and Robyn “Sprout” Goodmark who hail from New York and have been together for the past seven years. The album is not something I would expect to come out of Ipecac Records but then again, there is a wide range of genres on the label. I ended up liking this CD. It’s not something I would normally get excited to listen to but they have stellar voices and a decent sound. The track I seemed to be digging most was “Better Already,” which is about their friendship. ‘Cold War’ is a great track as well; it’s fast, it’s catchy, and it’s definitely groove-able. However, enough with my opinion check it out for yourself and go to www.myspace.com/northernstate and to read more information on these three women go to www.northernstate.com. -Danielle Cowie back to top Octoberman Run From Safety White Whale Records Marc Morisette is the Octoberman, and he’s on a bit of a journey it would seem. The opening track is a terrific suite of music that sets the tone for the whole album. It features the sad crooner, the prophetic rocker, and the weary wanderer. Morisette shares a vocal style similar to Conner Oberst, but has not yet reached a similar level of lyrical honesty. There are certainly flashes of brilliance that show great promise. The chorus of track 2 cries “I’m broken/like ambitions/left undone/dust on my shelf/and I’m hoping/this indecision/will help you think for yourself” It’s a genuine moment that is close to being overdone, but the song ends just in time. “Run From Safety” starts with a wonderful Harvest-era harmonica sound that will fool you into thinking you’re listening to a Neil Young album until Morisette’s voice chimes in, singing about paradoxes and broken promises. “We’re all living in sin/but we couldn’t care less,” and other observations all come together near the end when the true backbone of the song comes out and he sings “won’t you please come home?” It is sometimes the case that singer/songwriter’s pad their lyrics with too much music, or too many instruments, but in this case the big guitar and horn music is necessary, and helps keep the sound alive when Morisettes’ lyrics don’t quite deliver. It loses a bit of steam halfway, but there are still a few highlights left before the album comes to a close. www.octoberman.ca -Daniel Demois back to top Oh Susanna Short Stories Outside Music Another Canadian country songstress with another bland forgettable album; maybe Oh Susanna could use that in her press package? It’s not that she lacks talent, one listen to her pure and smooth voice would wipe that notion from the mind, but rather, there is nothing new on this record and no indication that there will ever be anything new out of Oh Susanna. The album consists of a selection of slow and brooding country tunes that are as plain and boring as the fields of wheat pictured on the album cover. There is no shortage of female country singers in the world and therefore to stand apart from the pack there must be some sort of glint in your eye. Be it interesting poetic lyrics, or an odd or interesting vocal tone or delivery; you’ve got to stand out. Oh Susanna has the talent to be a sort of softer Kathleen Edwards but unless she gets some edge or a new direction she’ll be relegated to the country/western bin in the section for artists no one has ever heard of. Sorry to be so harsh Susanna…you seem like such a nice, sweet, girl. www.ohsusannamusic.com - Sam Stilson back to top Ok Go Oh No Capitol Records It’s been a good couple months since Ok Go’s “Here it Goes Again” video showed up on YouTube. It was the one in which there were all on treadmills doing a big amateur choreographed dance number, remember that one? In any case, this is the album from which it was taken. And as it turns out, “Here it Goes Again” is pretty representative of what you’ll find on the rest of this LP, both musically and visually, because not only does this double disk contain thirteen new tracks, it also includes a DVD of Ok Go’s macabre collection of music videos and concert footage, including, of course, the “Here it Goes Again” video from which this band received its second wind. Musically speaking, Ok Go offer a pretty consistent stream of pseudo-geeky pop-rock with plenty of call and response choruses and a slight ’60s pop influence. It’s all very catchy and danceable, inoffensive, and generally happy music. Certainly not deep, but always entertaining and uplifting. Check ’em on YouTube if you haven’t already, or visit their site at www.okgo.net. - James Sandham back to top The Old Soul Self-titled Hand of God Records The Old Soul do an eclectic type of music incorporating gospel, rock, mariachi, pop, soul... and pretty much anything else that catches the fancy of founder Luca Maoloni. The result is upbeat, joyful, entertaining, nonsensical – and a bloody good time. Somewhere between Magical Mystery Tour-era Beatles, the Flaming Lips, and Harlem Shakes, Maoloni defies genres and takes his music in a direction that may make sense to him alone, but can be enjoyed by anyone. He sings about vegetables. He introduces a pulsing synth over a soulful trumpet solo. And he creates a wonderful, dancing stew of sounds and influences. If someone hadn’t given me this album, I’d buy it. Twice. You can never have too much joy. - James Sandham back to top The Old Haunts Fuel on Fire Kill Rockstars The Old Haunts are the "swamp" rock trio from Olympia, WA. This is the band's second album and many people are expecting great things from them, after the combination of some exciting and energetic live shows. Their acclaimed debut album, FallowFfield (2005), earned them a loyal fan base. The band have a huge range of influences and this really comes out in their music. They list many different genres as inspiration, from reggae to early rock n' roll, Psychedelic rock to hardcore with blues, punk and glam visited along the way. It could be seen as a brave or stupid thing to do, to try and squeeze all those genres together, but somehow they manage to get most in there. This is quite a task but at times it does feel like they've tried to squeeze too many things in. The opener "Civil Savage" sounds akin to such bands as Queens of the Stone Age at their most mellow,and psychedlic with Jack White singing, with very raw sounding vocals, that are very suited to the music. Although it is very full-on music with the range of influences, it is also musically stripped down. There is no un-necessary noise or filler, which could be hard to pull-off with only three members. Track three "Culture of prey" starts off almost like a punk rock version of a Johnny Cash tune with the guitar riff, again showcasing the range of Influences this band has. Other highlites include "Wasted day", which reminded me of an old eastern European gypsy song, or something similar, which makes for pretty good listening for a band from Washington USA. This is a good album, with lots of variety on it, but it does take quite a few listens to grasp the music and appreciate it due to the amount of genre crossings in its songs. Definitely worth a listen though, if only to say that you like a band that play "psychedelic-glam-blues" though. -Adrian Huggins back to top Ox American Lo Fi Self-produced Canadian indie darlings Ox have finally returned with their second LP, set for release October 17, and the band does not disappoint. Gritty, authentic road tunes like the opening track, “Miss Idaho,” or “El Camino Pt. 2,” set this album apart and immediately grabs the listener. Soulful, passionate – at times a little lonely, too; these guys are multi-dimensional – the album takes the listener along on the journey Ox has been travelling since the release of their first disc in 2003. Country blends with a kind of Hayden-meets-Arlo Guthrie folk sound for a simultaneously powerful yet low-key album documenting the travails of everyday living. Other standout tracks include “1913.” Ox tour Canada through October and November. Find out more at www.oxmusic.ws. - James Sandham back to top	Website News Live Reviews Want to be kept informed on all of Spill Magazine's biggest news and updates? Click Here!