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 Band of Skulls
Sweet Sour
[PIAS] UK
It will be one hundred years in April since a ship set to sail from Southampton towards its grim fate. When the last bit of Titanic sank never to be seen again into the depths of the ocean, it drowned in the ice-cold water not only lives, but hopes and dreams. In 2008 the Southampton band, Band of Skulls, felt the wind in their sails, and this time destiny was merciful. Their fame spread not only on the island, but reached the destination that Titanic never did, America. After numerous tours, many album’s sold, and a track included in the Twilight soundtrack, Band of Skulls are about to cleave the sound waves once more with a new album, Sweet Sour.
Dark, colourful, electrifying and tense, Sweet Sour is steps ahead of its predecessor. Although we can still hear the ghost of Jack White slinking into Russell Marsden’s vocals, in this album Band of Skulls sound more and more like themselves. “Lay Your Head Down” is an enchanting love song, the sad peaceful melody luring the heart to wander in unexpected corners and bringing out memories of unrequited love you thought forgotten. With all the sugarized Indie bands today, it’s a nice change to hear guitar strings being pulled harder to draw out gentle sounds. “You’re Not Pretty But You Got It Going On” brings together new and old, classic and Alternative Rock, and somehow reminds me of Chris Rea’s deep croaky voice. Throughout the album you get to hear the influence of Led Zeppelin through magnetizing guitar solos, all done, again, under the vigilant oversight of the producer Ian Davenport.
Sweet Sour hides some interesting treasures in its songs. And with the rumour going round that guitar music is dying, if not yet dead, Band of Skulls prove that it might not be as doomed as we think.
BandOfSkulls.com
– Ivelina Dulkova
 Lambchop
Mr. M
Merge Records
Warning: This album begins with the beautiful placement of the F-word. Anyone who has followed Lambchops’ extensive near-two-decade career you would not expect anything less of them. Hailed as forbearers in the Alt-country genre, Lambchop combine sincere lyricism and an eclectic mix of influences as their 11th album, Mr. M, feels as comforting, familiar and real as a family memory.
For an album so self aware and comfortable with its identity as it is easy to listen to, Mr. M is incredibly diverse. The gorgeous instrumental tracks, “Gar” and “Betty’s Overture,” play on the band’s ability to create contrasting dynamics within the confines of one consistent sound. The album is comprised of beautiful vocabulary associated with such revered artists as Hank Williams and Curtis Mayfield, but includes elements of classic Country, Folk, Jazz-undertones and Spanish balladry. On standout track “Kind Of” there’s an incredible longing and beauty when lead singer Kurt Wagner’s soulful baritone tells the love story of a couples’ tragic relationship. Each song flows so easily into the next that instead of a single picture, a landscape is created.
What makes Mr. M such a tantalizing listen is its ability to generate such an honest and complete atmosphere. Digging deeper into the album, it tackles issues of despair with humor, while touching on topics so universal that you can easily see yourself in each song. Each song of love, loss and realization feel less like observing the life of a stranger, and more like speaking to an old friend after decades apart.
MergeRecords.com
– Melissa Vincent
 Terry Malts
Killing Time
Slumberland Records
There is a certain satisfaction that comes with writing a piece of music that sounds like it could have been written by your favourite Rock Star. Unfortunately, personal satisfaction doesn't necessarily qualify as a legitimate consideration when rating an artist's music. Terry Malts recreates a Punk Rock sound from the genre's dawn in the trio's album, Killing Time, and disregards the evolution that has taken place in the realm of Punk.
Fundamentally, music is not intended to please everybody. What little flavour a newly discovered tune would possess if it was crafted with all the ingredients of its predecessors, and was in no way unique because it was favoured equally by entire populations. Killing Time no doubt appeals to a minority – a group of hardcore Punk Rock enthusiasts that take pleasure in listening to the pioneers of the genre. With the exception of the questionable volume of the guitar, Terry Malts vicariously explodes every track with iconic chord progressions, distortions and vocal style. It follows that certain predictions about the song can be made prior to listening to the entire song. You will be greatly disappointed to expect any sort of progression or profound lyrics. In most of their tracks, particularly “I Do,” ignorance of the song's title is nearly impossible. Even an array of established moods fails to suffice. Instead, expect to be an observer of a band that enjoys the cliché. If you are the type of listener that also enjoys the gritty basics of early era Punk, then satisfaction is definite.
Myspace.com/TerryMalts
– Adam Feliciani
 Gangrene
Vodka & Ayahuasca
Decon
The Alchemist and Oh No create another project under their collaborative entity, Gangrene, offering up an album comprised of a sharp, gritty, dark and twisted sound in rhymes and production.
Listening to this album, after about three songs in, the realization kind of hits you that lyrically, these guys are just going at it full force – completely unraveling their train of thoughts on every track, bringing it back to that simplicity of Hip-Hop and Rap where beats were heavy and words were unrelenting.
This aspect lyrical sharpness is present from open to close, whether from Alchemist and Oh No themselves, or from any of the guest emcees that are sprinkled throughout the project (Kool G Rap, Prodigy, Evidence, Roc C, Montage One or Roc Marciano – who offers up my personal favourite delivery with “Drink Up”).
The songs on Vodka and Ayahuasca are filled with rhyme over rhyme, a bar after bar lyrical attack, simply put: no flash or show. Just straight content with everyone holding their own – an aspect to be truly appreciated without a doubt.
DeconRecords.com
– Xolisa R. Jerome
 Skrillex
Bangarang
Warner Music/Big Beat Records
The genre of "Dubstep" – if we are going to label this – deserves more respect or separation. Maybe we need to create yet another sub-genre? Lord knows there’s dozens popping off on a daily basis.
Sonny John Moore’s Bangarang is definitely a well-produced and technically sound studio EP. The man is certainly talented, carries a respectable resume and works the buttons like a pro. However, this EP lacks any serious depth or substance. Anthem based tracks are all fine and well, but they can easily become one-dimensional. Bangarang possesses no deep substantial meaning beyond that of a backdrop of sound for a big club or festival setting. Evident early on the disc, this music isn't reinventing the wheel, nor is it pushing the Dubstep movement forward in any way. Granted, Dubstep has expanded tremendously and producers/DJ’s will naturally put there own spin or signature when creating mixes or beats. However the true Dubstep sound/feel remains the foundation. It's extremely difficult to get past the barrage of noise that ensues throughout this disc. The screeching racket leaves one feeling like they had accidentally touched the wrong button on their computer and everything just went all to hell. Constant synthed out vocals, loud ratty high frequency samples, and cheesy Hip-Hop loops trap this EP in the North American-styled stereotype of the genre – some refer to this type of sound as “Brostep” or “Scrubstep,” not that it matters. Mild highlights on Bangarang shine dimly with “Kyoto” (featuring Sirah) and “Summit” (featuring Ellie Goulding).
Regardless – love him or hate him, Skrillex seems to have cast a spell on North American audiences. Bangarang was nominated for five (yes, it’s true… five) Grammy awards, proving that his organized noise is able to grab the attention of listeners who have elevated him in the spotlight of today’s mainstream hype.
Skrillex.com
wearebigbeat.com
– S.G.
 The Big Sleep
Nature Experiments
Frenchkiss Records
“What did it matter where you lay once you were dead? In a dirty sump or in a marble tower on top of a high hill? You were dead, you were sleeping the big sleep, you were not bothered by things like that. Oil and water were the same as wind and air to you.”
– Raymond Chandler, 1939
That was written in Chandler’s very first book about the adventures of detective Philip Marlowe, The Big Sleep. Who would know that 73 years later a band with the same name would make an album that, if unable to wake you up from eternal sleep, will definitely raise you from the deepest one.
The Big Sleep is a two piece band from Brooklyn, New York; and two good musicians are all it takes to make music that will satisfy your deepest darkest desires. After a break of four years, Sonya Balchandani and Danny Barria come back with new strengths. It serves right to say that it’s always quiet before the storm and Nature Experiments blows us away as if a force of nature. The album takes you on a journey full of unexpected turns. The pace changes with every song as the alternation of Balchandani’s gentle vocals, and the angry rough voice of Barria give Nature Experiments a taste of bitter-sweet beauty. “1001” and “Wood On the Water,” two peaceful ballads, draw the sadness out of you and drown it, leaving calmness and peace in its place. “Ace” and “Ladders” vary between Alternative Rock, Indie and Shoegaze. Psychedelic synth sounds and electronic guitar riffs, spiced with contagious drum beats, make the album impossible to resist. It’s a piece of work that will reach your heart and obsess your mind.
Addictive and acidic, contagious and enchanting; for all those of you struggling to find can’t miss albums this year that will quench your thirst for good music, here’s your solution – Nature Experiments.
TheBigSleep.net
– Ivelina Dulkova
 Saltillo
Monocyte
Artoffact Records
Saltillo’s latest offering, Monocyte, was conceived as a soundtrack to the comic of the same name (distributed by IDW). The difficulty with soundtracks, of course, is that as they are intended to subtly set the mood for the art they go with, they can fall a bit flat when taken on their own. The album Monocyte is no exception.
There are certainly some pretty little moments on Monocyte with its blend of acoustic elements like strings, piano, and ethereal female vocals, and harsher electronic loops and distortion, but it never seems to come together into a greater whole. It alternates between aimless drifting and yawning repetitiveness. It certainly sets a dark and somber mood, but never makes the leap to being all that interesting to listen to on its own.
If you’re reading the comic, however, that mood-setting fits and your attention is somewhat drawn away from the album’s shortcomings. So far only the first two issues of Monocyte have been released, and the comic’s brooding and expressionistic art style does certainly jive well with the album. The art is beautiful and intriguing, though character and plot development haven’t come together enough so far in the story for it to be really engaging. I found myself caring more about the art on a visceral level as its own entity than about any of the characters.
Unfortunately, despite the beauty of individual components, the comic also matches the rambling nature of the album. It does seem that the story probably makes much more sense after all four issues have been read and the components that seem like random tangents now will make sense in retrospect, making it too premature to comment further on it. I would argue if that’s the case it might have been better to put Monocyte out as one complete graphic novel instead of in installments.
For both the album and the comic so far, I found the project doesn’t live up to its own potential. That’s not to say there isn’t an audience for it: both Saltillo and Monocyte have rabid fans, but neither one managed to catch my fancy.
Myspace.com/Saltillo
– Pyra Draculea
 Ask the Oracle
Ask the Oracle
Label: Resonant Music
For those who enjoy the typical structure of musical composition, Ask the Oracle’s self-titled album will leave you feeling like you are in a pure state of chaos. There do not seem to be any limitations when it comes to this experimental Jazz group. However, even to define Ask the Oracle’s music as simply “experimental” does not fully encompass the various influences that can be heard throughout their compositions. Ranging from horns and bass lines to the Korean-styled reed instrument the Hojok, and onto less traditional sounds, it can be concluded that the sky is the limit for this group when thinking of musical possibilities. A perfect example of this is the song “Dance With a Jinn,” a composition full of Middle Eastern influence combined with a variety of different sounds, sometimes fighting against each other, other times working together to create a sound unlike anything you’ve ever heard before.
While Ask the Oracle showcases their ability to take varying sounds and make them work side by side, they are also able to seduce listeners through this same technique. Through their song “Ass Gamlan,” a piece that is both sultry and patient, listeners have time to take in the intricate ascending and descending horn melodies that seem to hold flawless improvisation. “Surfing to Canada,” the final song on the album, includes a great bass line, an interesting theme and a wave of sounds that continue to grow until the song’s inevitable conclusion.
Ask the Oracle, a Toronto-based band, brought together by Andy Haas (an original member of Martha and the Muffins) is not just an experimental Jazz group, but rather a group that takes a little bit of influence from here and there and puts all of these aspects into something unprecedented. From New Orleans, to Indonesian Bell Music, to India, and Korea it is safe to say that Ask the Oracle find their inspiration from across the globe and tries to depict this throughout their music, showing that we are all capable of being chaotic, seductive and incredibly complicated.
– Bethany Geddes
 Malajube
La Caverne
Dare to Care Records
French wine, French attire and the French language are all things that make grown women turn into giggly school girls and grown men feel like their mustachios are incompetent lip-warmers. Although Malajube, a francophone Montreal-based Indie-band sing their latest album, La Caverne, completely in French, you will not have any difficulty finding your inner groove. This fresh, fun and upbeat album takes the best of the Indie scene and adds in Pop influence to meld into something that will get in your head and stay there for a couple hours, days or quite possibly weeks.
La Caverne, an album full of rocking guitars, electronic meeps-and-beeps, and smoothly delivered vocal performances, will get your feet tapping without your realizing that you gave them permission to do so. Songs such as “Sangsues” bring a haunted-house like quality to the music, a sound that although eerie, will make you so curious that you won't be able to move till the song is over. And then there is “Le Blizzard” an all things on the table Dance song that promises to leave you feeling infinitely more suave after taking a listen. With the right amount of quirk and coolness La Caverne is a well-executed album that manages to create emotions in the listener without that individual even being fluent in French. Just listen to “Mon Oil,” a sensual and charming song that shows the beauty of the French language and fully bestows upon the listener the meaning of “romance language.” Intense guitar work teamed with arching melodic lines, Malajube proves that while they are fully capable of rocking out, they are also fully rehearsed in creating a sultry and tender sound.
Do not be fooled, when listening to this album I had no idea as to the literal meaning behind the lyrics (I bombed French classes in my youth), but despite my own linguistic downfalls, I was able to enjoy this album immensely. It was amazing to listen to how Malajube executed this entire album, portraying all aspects of life through music, from the beautiful and the fun, to the downright eerie. La Caverne is an album that truly shows the power of music and its ability to transcend the boundaries of language, just listen while those French lyrics reach into your soul, your body, your very being – you won't look back, I promise you.
Malajube.com
– Bethany Geddes
 Amoral
Beneath
Imperial Cassette
There’s nothing bad to say about Amoral’s fifth release, Beneath, as all aspects of greatness are attained here. The production is incredible, songwriting is in top form, and all performances are honestly untouchable. I remember reviewing their first full-length album, Wound Creation, back in 2004 and having the following to say, “This Helsinki combo will be good on their next CD and great two CD’s from now if they keep up what they’re doing.” And sure enough the Amoral has done just that and more – they now have the full package.
Ever since recruiting the vocal talents of female singer Ari Koivunen, the band is now a force to be reckoned with. Amoral took care of everything they needed to in order to step up to the major league level on this release. Standout tracks include “Wrapped in Barbed Wire” and “Won’t Go Home,” both complex tracks that show the band’s diversity, tight musicianship and dynamic songwriting. Beneath's sound can draw comparisons to Opeth, Lacuna Coil and Arch Enemy with its clean production, tight playing and complex writing along with impeccable vocals. Beneath is Amoral’s best album to date, featuring the perfect recipe to keep the listener locked in from the opening track to the last note.
– Andre Skinner
 Grimes
Visions
4AD/Arbutus
Dominating nearly every Indie music blog, scheduled to play highly anticipated shows at this year's SXSW music festival, and basically emerging as the darling of the underground Electronic music scene, I present to you, Grimes. Through accessing several facets of music such as Witchhouse, Hip-Hop and even Operatic elements, Grimes has created a sound uniquely and deliberately her own. Visions, the most recent album by Claire Boucher, who performs under the moniker Grimes, showcases her success as an artist who has created this year's strangest and most tantalizing Pop album.
Boucher wraps the sugar-coated sweetness of K-Pop and eerie darkness of European Electronica into an album that sounds like a computerized, experimental dream. Grimes knows her way around a synthesizer and her diverse knowledge of Electronic music is apparent on every track. While retaining the cohesiveness of airy looping melodies layered upon one another, each song is distinct. From the robotic vocals of “Eight” that weaves it way into glitchy textures and heavy drumbeats, to the transparent force of “Colour of Moonlight,” each song is a creation that sounds like nothing else. Video game influenced “Circumambient” is Dance music from space, while present on each track is Grimes’ almost child-like, undecipherable falsetto. For some artists, this can become a hindrance if the music is not strong enough, but Grimes uses her voice as an instrument as her vocals act as an extension to her beautifully, haunting music.
Visions showcases Grimes’ complete musical range and sees her perfecting her singular brand of deranged Pop music. In a recent interview with British music magazine NME, Boucher named her most underrated album as the often overlooked Aquarium by “Aqua” because of its undeniable universal appeal. While this may seem as an unusual choice for any artist so deeply rooted in the Indie music scene, everything about Visions represents an almost renegade approach to modern music. The overlapping electronic layers, noteworthy samples and mesmerizing vocals shouldn't fit together – but Grimes blends them so brilliantly that the album emerges as complex, yet never forced. With Visions, Grimes has pieced together a phenomenal piece of work securing her place as one of the most exciting Electronic artists to emerge this year.
Myspace.com/Boucherville
– Melissa Vincent
 The Library Is On Fire
Works On A Paper
Fill in the Blank Records
The Library Is On Fire began with a manifesto and chance meeting with Television guitarist, Tom Verlaine. Works On A Paper, the fifth release by the Ohio band, sees them drawing influences from early ‘90s Indie Rock reflective of the music on many college radios at the time such as Dinosaur Jr. and Yo La Tengo. Going in a different musical direction than previous outputs, Works On A Paper showcases lead singer Steve Fives’ thoughtful lyricism and early Alternative roots.
With literary references to influential artists such as Rothko and Jean-Michel Basquiat (who both have songs named after them) and a value on creating meaningful music, The Library Is On Fire aim high on their latest release. However, while each song is its own specific gem (such as the Country tinged “They Don't Know You (Like I Know You),” the classic Garage Rock of “Burn It Down” or the quirky Indie sweetness of “Stranded On Monster Island”) the album lacks a certain cohesiveness. While trying to pack so many varying genres into one body of work, there is a lack to an overall theme and fluidity. Instead of honing one of the many avenues they could have taken with the album, they jump too rapidly from idea to idea. That being said, several songs would stand out on any album and special attention needs to be paid to the absolutely beautiful acoustic song “Jewels In Yr Eyes” which is Five's heartbreaking dream of a loved one's self-revival.
Throughout the album, it is noted that The Library Is On Fire have grown from previous releases to formulate a clear identity, however the aura of the band is stretched too thin. Ultimately, Works On A Paper makes for an interesting listen that easily mixes classic Indie Rock with romantic, melodic undertones but does not surpass any of their previous boundaries. For a band that clearly has so much artistry in their music, unfortunately by trying to incorporate as many influences as possible into one place, the album falls a little flat.
TheLibraryIsOnFire.com
– Melissa Vincent
 Celldweller
The Complete Cellout Vol. 01
FIXT
Celldweller is an Electrostep Rock artist from Detroit, Michigan. The Character known as “Celldweller” was created by multi-instrumentalist Klayton who fronted notable bands Circle Of Dust, Argyle Park and Chris Angel's Angeldust.
Before reviewing this Album, I had never heard of Celldweller. Researching the artist while listening to the album, I discovered rich Electronic and Rock history. Being eccentric in both character and performance, Celldweller has put together a serious Album. Actually... two words came to mind while previewing it: Bad Ass!
This genre-snapping album satisfies a wide audience. Even your classic metal enthusiast can find a couple of tracks to get their “Rock” on. The Dub Step aspects of the album are clean, hard, current and minus any mainstream cheese. There are lots of very cool glitchy and choppy effects to keep the flow grooving.
The vocals on this melody driven album are well written, well performed and extremely well recorded. From beginning to end there's movement and purpose throughout each selection. “Own Little World” and “The Best It’s Gonna Get” show a softer side to Celldweller; almost ballads in comparison. “Louder than Words” and “Birthright” are equally meaningful, but much, much harder and are not for the faint of heart.
Overall, The Complete Cellout Vol.1 is an outstanding and very well-balanced release. Lots of Dance floor crushers mixed with tracks that will easily compliment your iTunes play list. My favorite track of the bunch is “Frozen,” it’s currently on repeat.
Fixtonline.com
– George Loukas
 The Black Keys
El Camino
Nonesuch Records
A year ago, when The Black Keys stalemated Vampire Weekend in a sell-out-off on The Colbert Report, it became clear to anyone who hadn’t already realized that this “alternative” act was quite the commercial hit (literally so, as their music has been featured in countless TV advertisements). With this, there’s no surprise the band got Danger Mouse, who produced “Tighten Up,” easily the song most responsible for their huge mainstream breakthrough, to co-produce and co-write the entirety of El Camino. The Black Keys haven’t completely lost their defining bluesy Rock fingerprint on the new album, yet their new sound does manifest itself with a more spectacular and heavier Rock feel. The latest single, “Gold on the Ceiling,” is a good example of this, with its shuffling groove, heavy hook and epic post-chorus riff. It is sure to weigh down the airwaves.
At 38 minutes, El Camino hits hard. From the catchy first track, “Lonely Boy,” to the bluesy denouement, “Mind Eraser,” there is a near-constant barrage of upbeat soundwaves being emitted. The only exception to this is “Little Black Submarines,” a slow acoustic, Folk tune with a catchy (but eventually tired) melody – yet even this song can’t help but turn into the most intense eardrum-wrecker on the album. All in all, El Camino is a hard-driving heavy Rock ‘n’ Roll album that is sure to satisfy. If the duo hadn’t left behind some of their traditionally soulful sound, it would have even neared perfection.
– RJ Vandrish
 The Explorers Club
Grand Hotel
Rock Ridge Music
After a trio of three-song EP’s, featuring two album tracks each, everyone should know exactly what to expect from The Explorers Club’s second full length, Grand Hotel. What you’d expect is harmony-laden breezy ‘70s-inspired Pop, and you’d be dead on.
Overt references drip from both the performances and production, dropping names like Burt Bacharach, The Carpenters, and later-era Carl-lead Beach Boys. From the vinyl worn cover art, to the Spector-esque production, they are obviously references the band relish and have no problems hanging their velour smoking jackets on.
The songs that appeared on the EPs toggle between the strongest (“Run Run Run,” “Anticipatin”) and the most forgettable (“Summer Days, Summer Nights”). So although you’ll know what you’re in for, you won’t have already heard all the best songs on the album, which is a fear with such an extensive build up.
The best part of the non-EP tracks is that a few suggest more breadth, like the Country shuffle of “Bluebird” or The Who inspired mod rock of “I’ve Been Waiting.” Less interesting is the instrumental title track, which sounds like a theme song for a beaded doorway that leads nowhere, complete with sitar solo.
I wish this album was actually made for a vinyl pressing, because within these 15 tracks there’s a pretty strong ten-song record. But the expansive atmospherics and instrumental interludes frequently blunt the impact of the better songs. The album reveals The Explorers Club as a band capable of great performances with no shortage of ideas. What would make them a true force would be the ability to distill the best ideas rather than diluting the punch bowl with the detours. Yes, you’ll fill fewer glasses, but the guests will be more impressed.
Rockridgemusic.com/ExplorersClub
– Jeff Vasey
 Young Magic
Melt
Carpark Records
A motion should be created that the next National Geographic documentary about the most beautiful places on Earth be scored by Young Magic. Few bands are able to claim members from Indonesia and Australia and include travelling across several continents as their favourite pastimes. Young Magic use this privilege to create an album as diverse as the experiences that influenced it. Recorded in ten different countries, Melt, the striking debut by the three-piece band recreates a vast spectrum of musical and cultural influences and channels it into an expansive, celestial body of work.
Young Magic can draw significant associations with other experimental artists such as Prince Rama, Panda Bear and label mates Beach House. However, what makes Melt stand out is their wide palate of influences: from West African rhythms, elements of British Drum n' Bass, Trip Hop to ‘60s Psychedelia. When strung together over the course of the album, Melt makes for a compelling listen which continues to reveal layers upon layers of intricate Pop. Wonderful echoed vocals are present on several songs with the delicate ethereal delivery of singer Melati Melay and clipped, detached tone of Issac Emmanuel. Standout track “Sanctuary” reveals itself as gorgeous nostalgic beach Pop supplemented by chiming bells, tribal drumming and beautiful distorted synths. On “Night In The Ocean,” the slow-burning ambient track takes an intriguing turn when drawling rap adds another dimension to the song which ends in a cascading guitar solo.
Atmospheric at its core, Melt, by Young Magic builds its own orbit by selecting the most influential sounds from around the world and compiling them into an album of effervescence and beauty. Each song plays like a photograph of memories and as a whole the album acts as a graphic collection of a life not nearly completed. In a recent interview, band member Andrew de Freitas described the song “Night In The Ocean” as “not knowing danger because you feel too alive.” Consequently, by interpreting the album as a whole, this becomes a reoccurring theme weaved throughout the lyrics, while musicality is the imminent innocence of lost nostalgia.
CarparkRecords.com
– Melissa Vincent
 Command V
Lost On Me
Mush Records
Setting the record straight here, this album is pretty bad throughout. If it weren't for the less than superb singer, and the poor lyrics, Lost On Me may have stood half a chance at best to sound like a legitimate Industrial/Electronic album. But the singing truly kills any chance of this release being taken seriously. I'm not sure what the band was setting out to accomplish here – I'm sure that releasing a full-length album was on their bucket list, and good for them for following through, however, if Command V thought that this album would turn heads or launch some sort of career, I hate to report that there's a lot of work that needs to be done before the try to release another album. The only track that may be worth a listen is “Brown Dove;” it's danceable, fun, dark and had cool beats. Serious vocal coaching and a good record producer would have saved this record. However, sadly, this album fell short in all departments and there's not much good to say here.
CommandVmusic.net
– Andre Skinner
 I:Scintilla
Swimmers: Remixed
Alfa Matrix Records
As a thank you to their fans, Chicago Industrial/Dance outfit I:Scintilla have released Swimmers: Remixed as a free mini-EP.
There are just three remixes of last July’s single, “Swimmers Can Drown,” on the EP, but each one packs a punch of dance floor-filling high energy goodness.
The Synthetic Dream Foundation takes a polished Pop-dance take on “Swimmers Can Drown [The Synthetic Dream Foundation Mix],” which reflects a bit more of the bubbly side to I:Scintilla. DJ Taiki prefers to go ever so slightly more sinister on “Swimmers Can Drown [Diabolic Art Mix by DJ Taiki],” with similar pumped club beats, but more echoing vocal treatments and dissonance giving a slightly creepy feel. Rounding out the trio, Kant Kino takes a glitched-out angle with grinding beats and cut-up spacey vocals before breaking into an ever-so-slightly darker dance vibe on “Swimmers Can Drown [Kant Kino Mix].”
Nothing too radical or out in left field, but sometimes all you want in a remix EP is three great club stomping takes on the single, and Swimmers: Remixed certainly delivers that.
iScintilla.com
– Pyra Draculea
 Cotton Mather
Kontiki (Deluxe Edition)
Star Apple Kingdom
We’ve arrived at a time when many ‘90s albums are being reissued in deluxe editions for differing reasons. Some were overlooked upon release – Refused’s The Shape of Punk To Come (1998), Weezer’s Pinkerton (1996) – some were originally poorly mastered, (Lowest of the Low’s 1991 album, Shakespeare My Butt), and some are just a celebratory victory lap or cash grab like Nirvana’s Nevermind (1991). But the Kontiki (Deluxe Edition) is perhaps the first album where the best reason for a reissue is to strip away much of the ‘90s style production from some songs that would otherwise seem timeless.
Cotton Mather came a little late to the ‘90s Power-pop table, after most of the attention had been gobbled by Matthew Sweet, Teenage Fanclub and Redd Kross. Their Kontiki (1997) album still contains some very good songs. However, the post-Nirvana school of mastering leaves the original record sounding very firmly placed in the late ‘90s.
The good news is that the second disc is the real star of this package. As with all bonus discs, it’s a mix of demo versions, non-album tracks, early versions of songs from other releases, and live recordings. Stripped of the production garnishes, songs like “Homefront Cameo,” “Church of Wilson,” and “Camp Hill Rail Operator” are easily better than the album versions. The alternate versions, much like the first two Big Star albums, seem almost timeless in the unadorned presentation. The only exception to this is “Spin My Wheels,” where an acoustic version was put on the album, and the second disc features the “proper” studio recording.
If you missed the original release of Kontiki, this is a much better way of approaching it. And if, like me, you thought the original was good, but not worth the critical gush (especially from the British press), this look behind the studio curtain reveals a band much better than the original album suggested.
Starapplekingdom.com/cm-news
– Jeff Vasey
 Field Music
Plumb
Memphis Industries
Life is too fast, folks are busy, too busy even for a 140 character twee…
Field Music, two brothers from Sunderland, U.K., get it and deliver just enough to get you in, get you off and get you out. David and Peter Brewis demonstrate an unerring ear for a hook but don't leave it hanging around too long. And you thought David Bowie had ADD!
Plumb is the fourth album for the Mackems. Consider it as smashing an entire store's worth of art
house vinyl from Air to Zappa, then nimbly reassembling the shards with honey as glue. The album is never jarring in its genre-hopping, veering from Final Fantasy flying violins, to the deja vu harmonies of CSN, to the overload of ideas that can be Wings, before sliding deftly into Rufus Wainwright Broadway hijinx. In some cases Plumb spends mere moments on a melodic line, more of a hint, really, before a bubbling bassline carries the crew into T-Rex territory. Field Music stretch out the Anglo-angularity of XTC and the Kinks beyond anything that can be tagged This Is Pop. It is more Music For Airports if you are racing for your connection. Field Music ends the recording off with “(I Keep Thinking About) A New Thing.” So they do, so they do.
Guiltriddenpop.com
Memphis-industries.com
– Will McGuirk
 Heartless Bastards
Arrow
Partisan Records
It's really quite a shame that shag carpet is seen as faux pas rather than ultra-chic, especially because the album Arrow by Heartless Bastards is born to be played on vinyl – with wood panelling around you and orange shag carpet underneath you. From the story telling qualities of “Parted Ways” to the full out rocking moments of “Got to Have Rock and Roll,” the Heartless Bastards have created an album that gives a shout out to days past.
Erika Wennerstrom – a dynamic musician and lead vocalist for the Heartless Bastards – showcases her unique and haunting vocal chords throughout Arrow. On display is her ability to seduce the listener into an unexpected journey of passion, pride, realization and acceptance. Joined by bassist Jesse Ebagh, drummer Dave Colvin, and the latest edition, guitarist Mark Nathan, Heartless Bastards' Arrow proves to be a thoughtful album that displays a perfect balance of rocking riffs, mellow guitar strumming and calculated cymbal hits. Combined with Wennerstrom's lower range vocals and heartfelt cries the entire album takes on an epic quality, telling a story through meaningful and truth telling lyrics.
Arrow, which was produced by Jim Eno (known to some as the drummer from the Indie band Spoon) is the fourth album to be released since the Heartless Bastards were formed in 2003. However, Arrow will also act as the band’s debut album since signing with the Partisan Records label.
Arrow, due to be released on Valentine's day, is not a corny “Love Me Tender” album to be played during a romantic dinner, but that being said – it is just as worthy of your love.
TheHeartlessBastards.com
– Bethany Geddes
 Van Halen
A Different Kind of Truth
I'm a little lost for words here. I was bracing myself for a complete flop of an album seeing as David Lee Roth took a 27 year hiatus between albums. However, the band has picked up right where they left off in 1984. They simply kicked the shit out of this album. Roth, now 56, can still dish out incredible energy on record with a little more effort than his former years. As for the band, well, the music is incredible and they can still throw down heavy rocker's just like back in the “Hot For Teacher’ days. “She's The Woman,” “China Town” and “As Is” are prime examples that this band is still capable of writing and performing at an enviable level.
Eddie Van Halen is in top form playing as good as he's ever played, throwing down white hot solos on most songs. Make note of Eddie's son, Wolfgang, who plays bass and backup vocals – this kid clearly takes after dad with ripping bass licks and runs all over the album, not to mention great vocal parts. The Hard Rock drum throne still belongs to Alex Van Halen as he drives the backbeat like never before and is in tight with the rest of the band members on every note. Most impressive is that the band shows no sings of the Sammy Hagar days. In those days VH came out with a completely different and more mature sound that lost allot of fans, myself included. “A Different Kind of Truth” gets right back to the crazy party band styles of the late ‘70s early ‘80s and does so with conviction. My only criticism is the tune “Stay Frosty,” basically a carbon copy of 1977's song “Ice Cream Man,” which doesn’t come across as all that necessary. Van Halen could have been more creative here or dropped it all together. Overall, the AMAZING factor far outweighs the bad with David Lee Roth's official return to form in 2012.
– Andre Skinner
 The Twilight Sad
No One Can Ever Know
Fat Cat
The Twilight Sad might as well be known as “The Scottish Band.” From the first words sung by James Graham on “Cold Days From the Birdhouse” (“Another hotel with woollen plans…”) from their debut album, Fourteen Autumns, Fifteen Winters (2007), listeners were hooked by the heavy accent and repressed melancholy all wrapped in Andy MacFarlane’s dense, wall of shoegazey guitar. By God, they were Scottish and we were all feckin’ hooked.
Fast forward two years to the release of Forget the Night Ahead, Sad’s eagerly anticipated follow-up, a “noisier and bigger” affair that, while certainly not alienating fans, left them curious about the band’s ultimate direction. Could their “wall of sound” actually get denser? Their newest release answers those questions right in the title of the LP: No One Can Ever Know. A cursory listen reveals obvious influences of industrial, synth and even krautrock, and recalls perhaps a darker, more honest version of The Editors or Interpol that passes as something more than just an emulation of the Joy Division angst. They’ve also scaled back the shoegaze to a bare minimum. The scattershot combination of sound – synthesizers, vintage drum machines and clipped guitar riffs – results in the band’s most complex and rewarding effort to date. The album lacks the individual greatness of an epic song like “Cold Days From the Birdhouse,” but where it lacks a Twitter-worthy single, No One rewards repeat study with layers of sonic experimentation and depth of field.
Throughout the record, and notably on the tracks “Kill It In the Morning” and “Sick,” Graham’s vocals escalate from cautious, enunciated crooning to furious, emotion-driven carelessness until we are unable to make out the lyrics, Scottish accent or not. And though we can’t decipher the words, we ride the emotional journey right along with him, daring to feel the pain we can’t know. Graham is notoriously tight-lipped about the meaning of his lyrics and the graphic, often creepily disturbing imagery used in the band’s artwork, but that doesn’t lessen our proximity to the music. We can only listen and speculate and nod in appreciation. This nameless, faceless pain belongs to everyone. Likewise, it’s nearly as impossible to put a handle on this record. Everyone will experience it differently. No One Can Ever Know is dark, elusive, polarizing and brilliant… and I can’t wait to see where The Twilight Sad will take us next.
TheTwilightSad.com
– James David Patrick
 Islands
A Sleep & Forgetting
ANTI-
Upon the release of their first album, 2006’s Return to the Sea, Montreal’s Islands carved out a cozy niche called Canadian Avant-pop. Population: 1. The album featured members of Arcade Fire and Wolf Parade. This is to say that, if nothing else, they rolled with some serious Indie heavies. The trademarked brand of Islands’ quirk contained the following ingredients in varying quantities: Doo Wop, Calypso, Synth, Dancehall, Nicholas Thorburn’s waffling croon, bizzarro lyrics, and lauded live performances which sometimes ended with a parade out into the surrounding streets. Their follow-up records brought the Islands’ “sound” towards the center and back again, trading some of their more identifiable quirk for re-imagined Pop music of all varieties. The bloated and frantic mixed bag of tricks called Arm’s Way (2008) treaded on nearly every Pop genre of the last 40 years. The solid Vapours (2009) refocused and dabbled in Synth and Electronic music but couldn’t manage to recapture the magic of Return to the Sea. The weirdness and eccentricities remained, but could the Islands regain the je ne sais quoi that fostered their initial Avant-pop acclaim?
“Open up your door for me and let me in,” is the first lyric of “In a Dream (It Seemed Real),” the opening track on Islands’ latest, A Sleep & Forgetting. Thorburn’s familiar voice has taken on an air of unfamiliarity, a subdued consistent timbre that holds course throughout the track and much of the album. And, indeed, even the most ardent Islands’ fans might not have recognized subdued Thorburn without introductions. This down-tempo treatment persists; the Islands wield their collection of pilfered Pop, Calypso, Motown, Doo Wop and Synth as a respite from the monotony of their latest sonic fad. Writers have a voice. Musicians have a sound. And the Islands can’t help but dive into the kitchen sink. Some might even suggest they’ve touched upon a “beautiful” sound – a notion that may have seemed impossible five years ago. “This is Not a Song” embraces a sparse composition driven by piano that recalls, perhaps, a somber Okkervil River without a climax. “Never Go Solo” defibs the piano and ups the tempo. But even as the album reaches a cacophonous crescendo on “Hallways” and “Can’t Feel My Face,” it is clear that the band has become shackled by a larger concept that succeeds as often as it slips into inoffensive mediocrity.
Return to the Sea has officially become the anomaly; the only consistency in the Islands’ output is inconsistency. A Sleep & Forgetting feels like a transition album for a band that got lost on its way to greatness. Even the highs (most notably “This is Not a Song” and “Hallways”) deny the Islands their most basic desire – to lead a parade down the middle of Main St. followed by a dozen of their favorite musical genres.
IslandsAreForever.com
Anti.com
– James David Patrick
 Sunparlour Players
Us Little Devils
Anti Records
The Sunparlour Players’ third full length album, Us Little Devils, is like an afternoon shopping with my wife. The band has found a few sounds and styles that mix well, and look good on them. Unfortunately they persist in going back to the racks to experiment, leaving you stuck in the pity chair wishing they’d just leave well enough alone.
What does look good on them, is a mix of Folk, Bluegrass and Country-tinged Rock, sparse but swelling, with home-cooked arrangements. Songs like “One For You And One For Me,” “Green Thumb,” and “Once Before” all hit that sweet spot. The vocals are warm with a growl very reminiscent of Caleb Followill, and the banjo provides a nice counterweight.
Unfortunately the band tries to mix in some Synth-pop on the opener “Runner,” that look as awkward as the hats at a Royal Wedding. “Red Blood Red of Home” attempts to sound like Hank III covering Tom Waits, and fits the band like a monstrous David Byrne suit. More successful is “Don’t Be Afraid Of The Spark,” where bouncing piano and glockenspiel coax a lazy Soul rhythm along with Motown-style harmonies.
The total result ends up being like an afternoon spent trying to find some very nice outfits. When she wears them you’ll be glad you spent the time, but you’ll still cringe at the memory of a couple of the crazier things you can’t believe she wasted your time trying on.
Sunparlour Players Official Site
– Jeff Vasey
 Common
The Dreamer/The Believer
Think Common Music
Eight albums after 1992’s ‘Can I Borrow A Dollar?’ debut release, where the Chicago-native completely flipped the script with his No I.D co-produced record featuring a young, wild emcee with an intelligent flow – yet classic Hip-Hop arrogance, Common Sense returns with his latest album, also produced (this time entirely) by No I.D, The Dreamer/The Believer.
Next to the Roots' Undun and Drake's Take Care, Common’s The Dreamer/The Believer has been a huge hype for Hip-Hop heads around causing us to erase, redo and rearrange our top-ten albums of 2011 over and over again. You can find the record within many listeners’ top-three spots, without a doubt.
Listening to the album, you’re faced with the same intelligent rhyme style of Common along with enough classic lines to quote for the rest of 2012; but everything seems larger, more vast and heighted and yet, a lot more cocky.
You hear the music reach in songs like, “Cloth,” “Blue Skies,” “The Believer,” “Windows,” and my personal favourite, “The Dreamer,” and on the contrast, hear the mood become gritty, hear Comm’s bravado spark in tracks like “Ghetto Dreams,” “Raw” and more obviously in, “Sweet.”
Either way he chooses to go about it, Common offers a solid project and an even more solid collaboration with No I.D, who creatively captures the words of this album through his production.
ThinkCommon.com/home
– Xolisa R. Jerome
 Lucky Ones
Heartbreak, Hangovers and Punk Rock
Stumble Records
St. Catharine’s Ontario Punk rockers, Lucky Ones, lay down the essentials the way it should be done on their second album, Heartbreak, Hangovers and Punk Rock. The band has a perfect mix of old and new school Punk and they play their tunes with absolute conviction. The songs are short, sweet, well written and all come together perfectly with a crisp and clean production thanks to Steve Rizun who helmed the producing duties. Heartbreak, Hangovers and Punk Rock is loaded with catchy tunes that will stay bouncing around in your head for days after you give this album a good listen. Standout songs include “Take Back,” a kick in the sack track that'll thrash your speakers with rippin' fast drums and awesome guitar riffs. “Bring Back the Punk Rock” is another awesome track that is exactly what the title insinuates, the lyrics slam all style of shitty music and deliver lines such as "Take back the rappers, bring back the punk rockers and moshers." “I.O.B.D.” is another great tune that’ll blast your ears into next week with its straight-ahead old-school Punk style. I am thoroughly impressed start to finish.
– Andre Skinner
 Toxic Coma
Satan Rising
Metropolis Records
Toxic Coma is a side project of Velvet Acid Christ’s Brian Erickson. Less structured than Velvet Acid Christ, Toxic Coma takes on a fun and Psychedelic vibe firmly in the tongue-in-cheek vein of Electric Hellfire Club and early My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult. Cut in with all the Industrial dance club grooves are assorted goofy samples about Satanic panic, drugs, sex, and violence.
The new album, Satan Rising, continues in their usual absurdist path. I could have sworn one of the samples says, "Diabolical day-trading motherfuckers!" Maybe I heard that wrong, but it added an extra layer of hilarity to “Maybe I Kill Babbies,” and considering the randomized silliness of many of the samples, it’s entirely plausible.
Some of the standout tracks are “Satanic Pate,” an all-around goofy bit of Satanic kitsch Disco with some killer grooves. “Get Your Shit Wired” is a pretty good club dance track for those who might prefer a little less evil in their earworms.
Toxic Coma isn’t really treading new ground here, or even doing anything all that new with the old ground, but Satan Rising is good ol' fashioned Granma-baiting and fun to boogie to.
Toxic Coma Official Site
– Pyra Draculea
 The Spits
The Spits
Dirtnap Records
The Spits latest self-titled release is straight ahead kick-you-in-the-ass Punk Rock just like mom used to make. This stuff sounds like it's straight out of 1979, back when Punk was Punk. The Spits clearly don't overthink the audio production as they stay true to their Punk roots and deliver a dirty low-fi recording, which is just how it's supposed to be. This is their fifth full-length record, and it's tough to pick favourite tracks. All the songs flow really well from start to finish and each track is as solid as the next. The singer likes to play with vocal effects giving the record an almost Industrial-punk feel at times. This album would be an amazing soundtrack for any skate video or cop-chase newsreel. The Spits kiss no ass to get rich or famous, let's just call it a sign that Punk’s integrity is still intact.
TheSpits.com
– Andre Skinner
 Veronica Falls
Veronica Falls
Bella Union/Slumberland
A nostalgic summer is the image that comes to mind when listening to Veronica Falls’ self-titled album. Formed in 2009, the UK band showcases haunting harmonies, prophetic lyrics and a perfect alignment of male and female vocals. Their vintage influences are undeniable as their ability to ride a musical sound wave from one emotion to another. Veronica Falls is the only band capable of singing “Ohhh la la” without sounding like a cliché Pop ballad.
There are several elements of this album that are worth taking note of. From “The Fountain,” where the harmonies displayed give an eerie sense of perfection that leave you in a self-reflective state, to “Wedding Day,” an ironic and shameless track that defies your expectations and leaves you with music that is blatantly honest. And then there is “Misery,” a song that pays a slight homage to the 1950's style of chordal singing (a good example to go by would be the Chordettes "Lollipop"). However, this self-titled album also embodies the art of surprise - just when listeners think "Misery" has played its last note, Veronica Falls resurrects the notes in a Chordal style that is worthy of monks – and you can bet it will take your breath away. Add in fun, fast paced guitars, a good beat throughout the rest of the album and the result is a musical compilation that takes note of our musical history and pushes the boundaries towards our musical future.
Veronica Falls have created a work of art, and like all that is created through passion, they have created an album that transcends the limits of time. Just listen to the record and you'll feel a sense of travelling back to the past, while oddly having your feet firmly planted in the present – it is a strange feeling, but not an unpleasant one.
VeronicaFalls.com
– Bethany Geddes
 Royal Baths
Better Luck Next Life
Kanine Records
Royal Baths are the type of band you get the impression would fit in very well at Andy Warhol’s factory circa 1967. Better Luck Next Life, the second album by the band, they follow up 2010’s Litanies, is a sultry sophomore album that expertly channels the damaged Psych Rock they have perfected. Hailing from Brooklyn, New York they combine ‘90s Garage Rock and the ethos of Psychedelia’s grimiest songs into the perfect mix of past and present.
Behind the impressive musicality which inferences influences such as The Velvet Underground, each song is a well developed output that keeps the listener engaged with stylistic and thematic changes throughout. With group melodies that snarl at the listener, the direct candid songwriting prove that they seem to acquire as much knowledge as people twice their age and use their awareness in the best possible way. The seven-minute freak out, “Burned,” confidently weaves its way through incredible thundering riffs supplemented with the appealing whine of lead singer Jeremy Cox. Repeating the line, “Don’t let the man push you around,” which seems as appropriate for Occupy Wall Street as it does for the Kent State shootings, until the band ascend into a crushing guitar solo while yelping at the sheer madness of it all.
Better Luck Next Life by Royal Baths is an album for the new generation of youth with an old soul. It is sunny music for the rainy day kids and recreates sounds from a distant era that seems to have been forgotten. Unfortunately for the band, they’re trapped in the wrong decade – but fortunately for us, we have front row seats to the rebirth of timeless Rock.
Kaninerecords.com/royal-baths
– Melissa Vincent
 Hospitality
Hospitality
Merge Records
Many years later (about three years to be a little more exact), Hospitality have released their self-titled debut LP. It’s a charming album of catchy tunes with delightful harmonies and quirky beats. Spending the past few years in New York after the release of their EP in 2008, Hospitality is ready to come out of the Big Apple. But those years in their hometown Brooklyn and touring New York have not been a waste, for it was a big source of inspiration for this LP.
It seems the time in Hospitality’s hometown had allowed singer/guitarist Amber Papini to reflect on her life experiences so far. Surely, the catchy first single, “Friends of Friends,” is perhaps the thinking of a twenty-something dealing with a breakup while living in New York. “Betty Wang” is a short and sweet song with soaring melodies with a pinch of Punk in the lyrics: “I don’t care, I don’t care!” The track being about maintaining some individuality within the professional world. And then there is pleasant balance within the album with tracks “Julie” and “Liberal Arts,” both are dreamy Pop tracks that showcase the more quiet feelings that deal with college living.
Amber Papini’s lyrics are not only relatable, but the wave of feelings that are expressed throughout the album echo the waves of feelings of those people in their twenties and thirties still figuring things out. It’s a reflection of this generation: the attractive melancholy sound of bedroom Pop with lyrics that reflect Hospitality’s idiosyncrasy.
myspace.com/hospitalitylives
– Raquel M. Dreesen
 K’naan
More Beautiful than Silence EP
Universal
After the release of the ever-popular “Wavin’ Flag” (and its many alternate mixes), the most relevant question regarding K’naan is whether he can make a hit like that again. He’s been putting out records since 2005, but this Somali-Canadian artist may yet be a one-hit wonder. Listening to More Beautiful than Silence, the probability of this outcome is a resounding maybe. And it seems K’naan is aware of this too, as he makes a special reference to his biggest single in the song “Better.” The lyrics to this tune detail his successes, failures and why he’s “only getting better.” Meanwhile, the music itself, soaking in the same positive, world Pop vibes of “Wavin’ Flag,” isn’t that astounding. Any Pop/Hip-Hop artist could have written this song (though this artist does get points for juggling between his rapping flow and infectious singing). If K’naan hadn’t brought on Nelly Furtado and Nas to contribute, this EP would seem like little more than a compilation of songs gathered from the cutting room floor. Only the soulful title track, which rises well above the quality of the EP’s other four songs, stands out as a highly creative tune. All in all, this release is simply a playlist of typical, expected pop songs with just a tinge of K’naan originality. It’s perfect for radio. That said, this EP shows there’s a lot more work to be done if he wants to be remembered for more than “Wavin’ Flag.”
KnaanMusic.ning.com
– RJ Vandrish
 John K. Samson
Provincial
Anti Records
It’s pretty difficult to write a review of a John K. Samson album and be completely objective. His band, The Weakerthans, have put together a catalog of albums that’s raised the bar on literacy, sensitivity, and patriotism, yet still remained universal enough to attract an international following. The album, Provincial, is very Winnipeg specific, and winter focused, and I’m writing this at the end of the warmest January in my lifetime, (this morning’s temperature was +6 Celsius). It’s a recipe that makes me question every word before I’ve even typed it.
For fans, the good news is that all of his strengths are on display. The vivid imagery, the clever wordplay, the wistful melodies, and the heartbreaking candor are all well represented. But in this case the solo album is not a vehicle for a musical departure; it’s more about surveying the perimeter of familiar grounds. The instrumentation occasionally ventures outside of The Weakerthans’ neighborhood, but never far enough to miss a call for dinner when the streetlights ignite. There is some experimenting with textures, using harmonies, strings and horns, but the instruments rarely steal your attention from the lyrics. Notable exceptions are the J. Mascis-style lead on “Cruise Night,” and the violin on “Letter In Icelandic From Ninette San,” which steals the show. Mostly however, this is the Post-punk Woody Guthrie style songwriter album you’d expect from Samson’s pedigree.
Ultimately, Provincial is the musical equivalent of some homemade chicken soup. Familiar enough to comfort you, leaving you neither disappointed nor greatly impressed. But at the same time you know as the years pass, or when winter once again decides to drift beyond the tops of your boots, you’ll find yourself gaining greater appreciation for the warmth and honesty it provides.
Anti.com/artists/view/75/John_K_Samson
– Jeff Vasey
 The Internet
Purple Naked Ladies
Odd Future
Odd Future has fostered a polarizing community of followers comprised of hardcore devotees, doubters and haters. Outside the collective, no one but Tyler has managed to sustain any buzz as a solo artist, but if anything, his latest release only served to increase the divide. When it was reported that Syd the Kyd, the only female member of OFWGKTA (Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All) and essential beat-maker, was teaming with fellow Odd Futurer Matt Martians to release an album that dabbled in beats, Neo-soul and Funk, it seemed that this might be the Odd Future collective’s opportunity to finally bridge the doubters and haters with some accessibility devoid of misogyny, rampant disrespect, homophobia or any of the other nagging barriers into OFWGKTA brand.
The album opens straightaway with “Violet Nude Woman,” a confounding combination of experimental Jazz, cacophony and drunken synth. The album gains momentum once Syd jumps on the Neo-soul train and channels some of Erykah Badu’s Baduism-era magic. The girl’s got swagger but lacks Badu’s charisma and timing. The glock(enspiel)-rocking beats on “She Dgaf” get buried behind distracting, repetitive “fuck”-filled refrains. “Cocaine” nearly keeps the train on the rails as it careens through the album’s midpoint and approaches a vibe that nearly assembles Purple Naked Ladies’ disjointed components into something greater. But Syd can never shake the tendency to rely upon clutter to fill dead air. Even “Fastlane,” the album’s best track, suffers from an affliction of too much ‘stuff.’ Beats and noise. Vocals and noise. Synth and clutter. All this clutter and disharmony fails to produce a coherently functional or experimental experience. While the latter half of the record settles into a groove (of sorts), it’s impossible to shake the nagging feeling that PNL feels like a first draft, an unfinished collection of tracks that needed more time to gestate. For a moment in “Fastlane” – at the 2:30 mark specifically – the song devolves into a simple, perfect combination of beats and hushed, confident vocals that offers a taste of what The Internet could have been, if only Syd had exercised a little more restraint.
PNL won’t necessarily appeal to anyone other than Odd Future completists, but that’s more of an indictment of the OFWGKTA culture rather than a reflection of Syd’s potential as a solo artist. There’s value to be found in this record, it’s just buried behind a wall of stigma and sonic clutter.
OddFuture.com
– James David Patrick
 Ben Arp
Luminous
Ben Arp Music
Best known for his work with the industrial label Crunch Pod and his Aggrotech project C/A/T, Ben Arp has opted to show off a little bit of his softer side in his newest solo EP, Luminous. Luminous picks up some of the same minimalist and exploratory threads from his last solo work, 2010 in 3 Pieces, but takes things in a more introspective direction.
Throughout the EP Arp shows a lot of delicacy and simplicity in his arrangements, playing with decays and sustains and letting things develop in an organic fashion.
The EP’s opener, “Less Traveled for a Reason,” features subdued break beats and sparse synth lines forming a slow groove. There are some hints of Jungle or Drum ‘n’ Bass influences, but just a hint to spice things up as we hear different little spurts decay and ring out.
“Overwhelming Urge to Vanish” continues the tonal exploration with a slightly darker mood than the last piece, but with some contrasting audio sparkle, playing with the tension between them. Similar vibes and sparse arrangements fill out the EP, giving the listener all sorts of little chills down the spine as the different textures collide.
Luminous is a very cool collection of mellow Electronica tracks, and I’m looking forward to hearing the full-length album Arp has planned for later this year.
BenArp.com
– Pyra Draculea
 A Place to Bury Strangers
Onwards to the Wall
Dead Oceans
While some like vanilla, others chocolate – A Place to Bury Strangers now brings a new flavour to the Rock genre that will make you abandon your past favourite and move on to something better.
Through the vibrant and sonic sound quality of the vocals, the rocking guitar and the up-tempo and ever booming drum beat – A Place to Bury Strangers' Onwards to the Wall EP brings the required amount of Rock to make fans feel the music through the floor, while also making them feel like they are listening to something completely fresh. This five song EP starts off in your toes, curls up in your spine and isn't finished until you are full out thrashing – it's the kind of music that would make the calm composed Grecian statue turn into the Tasmanian Devil.
The New York-based band has often been said to create a "wall of sound" and throughout Onwards to the Wall this technique is quite apparent. This is not unappealing; rather the sonic wall overloads the senses and leaves you in a satisfying Rock coma. Using unique sounds, such as the kazoo in the intro to “Nothing Will Surprise Me,” combined with musical slides and pulls, A Place to Bury Strangers gives heritage to Rock, while at the same time shows off the band’s own edge and their new approach to rocking out. You'd have to be crazy to take a Grecian Statue over this body-rocking, eardrum-blowing EP. Kudos, A Place to Bury Strangers, kudos.
Aplacetoburystrangers.com
– Bethany Geddes
 Dr. Dog
Be the Void
Anti- Records
With Simon and Garfunkel like harmonies, unique musical sounds, and a rather smart and witty commentary about life, love and everything in between, Dr. Dog’s Be the Void has been filling the musical void in my life. This album has succeeded in inducing a groove-like state in my kitchen while also allowing moments of quiet, calming entrancement.
Be the Void – a twelve song album – blends chaotic sounds with the more traditional qualities of a Classic Rock band to create something that is both musically unique and extremely appealing – Psychedelic Rock for the 21st century. From the piano influence of "Do the Trick" to the amazingly quirky and fun "Over Here, Over There," Dr. Dog succeeds in creating an album that challenges the typical sounds that play through the masses’ headphones. Instead the band introduces a stimulating and musically appealing compilation of sounds that work together to create something enticing.
Strongly influenced from the 1960's era of Rock, Dr. Dog’s Be the Void brings listeners to a different state of mind and lets them ponder – the lyrics are not daunting nor demanding, they simply let you take them in with enjoyment. Be the Void is Dr. Dog’s sixth full-length album and is their first since adding their newest member, Dimitri Manos.
I started listening to this album three days ago – I haven't stopped – and I don't intend to.
DrDogMusic.com
– Bethany Geddes
 Sharon Van Etten
Tramp
Jagjaguwar
Finding fans and friends in Justin Vernon of Bon Iver (Vernon has performed with Van Etten in the past), Zach Condon of Beirut, and Aaron Dessner of The National, Sharon Van Etten has recruited an all-star cast for her new album, Tramp. A mix of heartfelt Folk and Alt-rock tracks, Tramp is a musical heavyweight and will be sure to help Van Etten’s rise to fame – Yeah, I’m calling it.
For those of you who know Van Etten by name only, don’t worry, I used to be one of you. Her debut record, Because I Was In Love (2009), was highly regarded, filled with sparse and passionate acoustic tracks. In a bit of a contrast, her third album, Tramp, keeps the passion alive but weaves the musical stylings in and out between full-band numbers and quiet, simple tracks. Songs like the intricate “Serpents” and the more folky “Leonard” reflect this fuller sound.
Van Etten’s sultry, quiet, and slurred voice catches you off-guard on first listen, but it’s when you dive deeper into her work that you understand that the lush vocal performance of Van Etten adds so much personality to these already personal and emotional songs.
Tramp is produced by Aaron Dessner (The National), who also lends his voice to the record. One of the album’s highlights, “We Are Fine,” features talented musical guest Zach Condon (Beirut). This is the sweetest of Tramp’s 12 songs, beginning with the quiet strums of a ukulele and growing into a beautiful and rich Folk song.
With rare missteps throughout the record, Sharon Van Etten shouldn’t have to worry about what Tramp will do to her reputation. She’ll be just fine.
SharonVanEtten.com
– Laura Stanley
 Blondes
Business/Pleasure – Lover/Hater
MEROK/RVNG INTL
With Blonde's latest release you will find a rather bland set of chilled out Electronica tunes that barely get a passing grade. The music does not come across all that evolved from the early ‘90s sound of Electro bands/artists like Orb, Autechre or Massive Attack (not to discount their talents in any way). Things start getting interesting on disc two, Lover/Hater. In this set of remixes the first five cuts are amazing; notably "Hater (SFV Acid's Encino Oaks Remix)" and "Pleasure (Andy Stott Remix)" both are great tracks deeply layered with interesting beats and unexpected twists along the way. Unfortunately after track five things get stagnant once again with weak arrangements that shouldn’t have made the final cut. I'd love to love this double release, but nothing really stands out as progressive or original. Most of this material sound like it’s been done before. The band should consider digging deeper musically than strictly depending on sample programs to define who they are as a musical act.
– Andre Skinner
 Errors
Have Some Faith In Magic
Rock Action Records
The Scottish quartet that is Errors has returned with a well-thought-out album of dreamy, Electro-pop. Errors have defined their sound, moving from the Post-rock genre into experimental Dance-punk. Have Some Faith In Magic features vocals for the first time for Errors, but the vocals are treated as another instrument, so there are no coherent lyrics. And the track titles indicate earthy undertones: “Tusk,” “Earthscore,” “Cloud Chamber,” while others may remind you of the ancient world; “Magna Encarta,” “Pleasure Palaces.”
“Tusk” is a dramatic opening for the album – it will take you back to the ‘80s with heavy synthesizers and shoegazing guitars. “Magna Encarta,” the first single off the album flows in well, with dreamy keys and a charming melancholy gloom. There is some definite Memory Tapes influence with the track “Blank Media;” the familiar melody will take you back once again to the ‘80s, but the vocals add a modern touch. “Canon” has got a spy theme to it, while “Earthscore” uniquely blends jungle beats with Electronica.
Have Some Faith In Magic is a retro album – you cannot help think of bleached jeans, elaborate leather jackets and neon-coloured scarves. But it’s obvious that Errors is not just reminiscing; Have Faith In Magic is truly an exploration of sound, music, and our technological world.
Havesomefaithinmagic.com
– Raquel M. Dreesen
 Anthony Green
Beautiful Things
Photo Finish Records
Anthony Green is an honest man – a loving father and husband, and a successful singer-songwriter who has overcome many hardships in his life. All of these characteristics are evident upon one’s first listen of Green’s second solo album, Beautiful Things. Green touches upon personal events through his songwriting, such as his marriage, the birth of his son, and overcoming his problems with medications, making Beautiful Things a positive and sincere tribute to growing up.
Although this album doesn’t resemble anything Green’s previously done with Saosin or Circa Survive, it is not too different stylistically from his first solo album, Avalon (2008). Joining Green once again for the recording of Beautiful Things is his backing band, and close friends, Good Old War. Also featured is Circa Survive bandmate, Colin Frangicetto (“How It Goes”), Canadian musician, LIGHTS, (“Just To Feel Alive”), Ida Marie (“Can’t Be Satisfied”), and Maps and Atlases’ guitarist, Dave Davison, adds in some guitar licks (“Get Yours While You Can”).
Like Avalon, Beautiful Things provides tracks that sound more Folk-like, while others take on a heavier sound, such as “Can’t Have It All At Once” and “If I Don’t Sing,” that have the full band plugged in, giving off light distortion that resembles the nature of the song. “Do It Right” is a major contrast to the opener as it is sung in acapella with lyrics that give off a positive aura. And that really is just it – Beautiful Things just has positivity surrounding it through the soft acoustic guitar chords, vocal melodies, and choice of auxiliary instruments such as the tambourine. The tracks “Love You No Matter What” and “James’ Song,” both dedicated to Green’s one-year-old son, explore the theme of parenthood and joy. However, life has its ups and downs. Green diverts from the rest of the album’s positive feel, describing his struggles in “When I’m On Pills.” The album ends off with the track “Lullaby,” which actually sounds like a lullaby, where Green sings: “Beautiful things are coming to you.”
Green takes inspiration from anything and everywhere, making life his muse. The honesty and sincerity he shows through his personal lyrics have the capability of reaching the hearts of all listeners, making Beautiful Things, very beautiful indeed.
– Emily Rivas
 Lazerbeak
Lava Bangers
Doomtree Records
To the average Joe, the closest one comes to being as cool as a Hip-Hop artist is by turning up the beats, cranking the windows way down in a ‘pretend’ pumped up car, while rolling down Main St. The new instrumental Hip-Hop album, Lava Bangers, by Lazerbeak is not only deserving of cruising glory – but should be high on the list of any Hip-Hop connoisseur.
Lava Bangers, which consists of 20 tracks produced and mixed by DJ Plain Ole Bill combines the best qualities of instrumental music with the endless confidence of Hip-Hop beats. Specifically, the track “Smash Hit” effectively creates a complex, layered symphony of sounds, melodies and dynamics which leaves the listener in a pure state of Hip-Hop satisfaction. Lazerbeak exhibits an astounding sense of timing, never allowing the listener to grow tired or disinterested, but rather continually chasing the next high until the song reaches its conclusion.
Lazerbeak’s Lava Bangers speaks to the ultra-Hip-Hopper we wish we were and is an album that should be heard by anyone who enjoys a good beat.
Doomtree.net/Lazerbeak
– Bethany Geddes
 Porcelain Raft
Strange Weekend
Secretly Canadian Records
In the midst of the all the business and action of the city, Mauro Remiddi , finds himself recording Strange Weekend in a New York basement, bringing ambient sounds and haunting vocals that you can get lost in. The Rome-born, London-based former member of Sunny Day Sets Fire releases his debut LP under the name Porcelain Raft.
After the previous releases of a couple of his EPs (Fountain’s Head, Strange Weekend) we finally get the full view, rather than a glimpse, of what Porcelain Raft is all about. The album has a certain aesthetic to it: soft, drifting melodies, ambient synths and Remiddi’s voice that seems to perfectly blend into every sound that backs him up as he sings. Home studio recordings are always risky, and it seems that it might not have been the best idea for Strange Weekend. On tracks such as “Is It Too Deep For You” and “Put Me To Sleep,” Remiddi’s vocals tend to be over-powered by the rhythm in the background. Although his voice matches the mood he wants to set with the synth, the two blend too well, losing the prominence that the vocals should carry. However, the closing tracks on Strange Weekend, “Picture” and “The Way In,” are more upbeat as acoustic guitar riffs accompany Remiddi’s vocals, giving the album a completely different sound and feel.
Perhaps the isolation endured in the New York apartment gave Remiddi the need to create something extremely transcendent, but it resulted in an LP that seems too mechanized and too forgettable for a debut.
PorcelainRaft.com
– Emily Rivas
 Classified
Joint Effort Mixtape
Half Life Records
Classified is one of Canada’s most prominent East-Coast Hip-Hop artists, hailing from Nova Scotia and lending his unique take to the scene by way of interesting beats, lyrics and a larger-than-life personality. Recently he kicked off the start of the 2012 year by making a new music video, announcing a tour, and releasing the Joint Effort Mixtape, a collaboration-heavy compilation of some of Classified’s earlier work featuring guests like B.o.B., Joe Budden, Choclair, Moka Only and more.
This collection of tracks is less like a new album release and more like a collection of Classified’s favourite collaborations. With songs off his recent album, Handshakes and Middle Fingers (2011), such as “Unusual,” featuring Joe Budden, and “That Ain’t Classy” with Trash from The Liks, to cuts from his 2006 album Hitch Hikin’ Music like “Beatin’ It” featuring JRDN.
Though diehard fans may not feel the need to pick up an album comprised solely of work from past albums, it serves as a reminder of how far Classified has come, and how far he’s likely to go.
ClassifiedOfficial.com
– Alyson Shane
 Walter Rose
Cast Your Stone
Lyrics that tell of life’s heartaches are a dime a dozen in Country music – or any genre for that matter – but their delivery doesn’t always feel authentic. One listen to Walter Rose’s debut album, Cast Your Stone, and you know he isn’t one of those clichés singing about achy-breaky-hearts – he’s the real deal. And if you don’t believe me, just ask Lucinda Williams. The Alt-country queen of raw emotion herself sings on this record, and her band – including former Son Volt member Eric Heywood – play on the album as well.
Although Rose describes Williams et al as his “dream band,” the road to recording this album wasn’t quite as sweet. Brain surgeries in his youth left him seizure-prone and blind in one eye. Then, in adulthood, his longtime girlfriend died in a motorcycle accident. The pain is almost palpable throughout the album, especially on the track “Driving South,” featuring Lucinda Williams. Both Rose and Williams sound like they are hanging on by a thread, and are trying desperately to prop each other up.
On “Wrecking Ball” Rose sounds like he has hit his bottom, confessing that he is “Tearing myself down/ Been wasting my days caught behind the bars/ I was never the man to save me from myself.” Rose’s voice is musky, yet drips like honey at the tail end of his lyrics, much like Alt-country peer, Jimmy Lafave.
With Heywood’s steel guitar and the rich, dense layering of guitar sounds throughout the album, anguish never sounded so good.
Cast Your Stone could be a soundtrack to life’s low points, but it also offers us a glimpse of what comes after the proverbial phoenix has risen up from the ashes – and it’s a sweet relief.
WalterRoseMusic.com
– Andrea Pare.
 Actual Water
The Paisley Orchard
Unfamiliar Records
If four years is what it takes to finish an album and release it, then so be it. The Paisley Orchard is worth the wait. Music today is no longer the art of the rebellious teen spirit, as it was in the ‘60s; it’s no longer looked down on and thought as inappropriate. Today music is part of who we are. Actual Water’s new old album (written in 2010) comes to us as a breath of fresh air when compared with all the mainstream shit that the market is flooded with.
The Paisley Orchard is a cheerful and hearty album that takes us on a trip back to the ‘60s when our long-haired parents fought for love, peace and freedom – both intellectual and spiritual. “La Violence Sur Les Champs-Elysees” brings most of the ‘60s sound to the album. I don’t know what is more impressive, the vivid melody varied with tambourine and keyboard sounds, or the fact that somewhere in the middle of the song Anthony stops to cough; a wanted effect which neither annoys nor stands as fake, but on the contrary brings to the originality of the piece and makes a swift transition to the next song, “The Paisley Orchard.” Tracks are merged; every song blending with the next one to create the illusion of a single track that alters slowly and subtly until album’s end. Though sometimes you might think that the singer is about to start overdoing the howling, he seems to be able to avoid crossing the line, and manages to flavor the songs nicely. When you make music that looks to the past, you can easily start sounding pretentious, but Actual Water has used their unique perspective to produce a very intriguing album.
The Paisley Orchard takes you on a surreal trip, which I can only compare with the first chapter of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas; you know, the part with the bats. The songs are rich with sounds and colour, created with lots of imagination. You can find yourself passing through Psychedelia and early Electronic music, Indie and Pop, and you won’t stay bored for a second.
ActualWater.bandcamp.com
– Ivelina Dulkova
 El Rego
El Rego
Daptone Records
It was only until recently that El Rego was released, a self-titled compilation from an artist long forgotten (though to many of us, simply unknown). El Rego, a Beninese musician who played in the ‘60s and ‘70s, is introduced to us through this collection of songs handpicked by Daptone Records. Combining Afro-funk, Afro-latin and traditional West African rhythms – with just a bit of Blues for good measure – this album is a great first impression to anyone unfamiliar to El Rego, or even to West African music itself.
This compilation is heavy on the groove, regardless of the style he’s channelling. You can hear the James Brown influence (listen for the “Ow!” screams amidst the funky hooks) and you can recognize a little Fela Kuti, but there is so much more to discover. You can start on a high note with “Cholera,” an ironically fun tune with rapid rhythms made to get you dancing. You can inch your way in with “Ke Amon-Gbetchea,” a bluesy, down-tempo song that is refreshingly simple compared to other tracks saturated with intricacies and nuances. But it doesn’t really matter where you begin, because you’re going to need a few listens to take it all in.
El Rego is raw, soulful, typically explosive, but with moments of serenity – the kind of diverse soundscape an album needs to win its audience. It is a highly recommended listen for any music fan, especially for those yearning to branch out and enjoy West African sounds.
– RJ Vandrish
 Evan Voytas
Feel Me
Dovecoat Records
Feel Me is the third EP release from Evan Voytas, and it’s an uneven affair. Voytas’ sound is an update of ‘70s Soul and R&B, filtered through the oversized glasses of a disenfranchised club veteran.
Sonically, there are many elements to both engage and distract you. The warm fuzz of a vintage electric piano, ‘60s style bass drums, bouncing Funk guitar riffs and doubled falsetto are all meticulously assembled. And when it works, like on “You Don’t Even Know Where It’s At,” it warms your heart and shakes your ass in perfect proportion.
When Feel Me doesn’t work, it’s either because the melodic elements seem obviously pinched, or because the arrangement is overloaded with diminishing returns. The most glaring example is the leadoff track, “When We Could All Float Away,” which features a claustrophobic chorus whose melody bares a striking resemblance to Taio Cruz’s “Dynamite.”
Overall, the EP shows some signs of great promise, but lacks consistency, and features some lazily obvious melodies. It makes me think Voytas could be a powerhouse in the producer’s chair, but hasn’t hit his stride creatively yet.
Dovecoterecords.com
– Jeff Vasey
 Dirty Projectors + Björk
Mount Wittenburg Orca
Domino Recording Inc.
Listening to Dirty Projectors’ album Mount Wittenburg Orca (featuring Björk as co-collaborator) definitely classifies as one of the most interesting experiences of my life. If it turns out that the band wanted to evoke an almost dumbfounded-mixed-with-intrigued response from their listeners, then they’ve certainly achieved that. Suffice it to say, I’m having a hard time trying to express how I feel about Mount Wittenburg Orca.
On the whole, the album sounds spontaneous, fractured, strange, awry, occasionally a little corny, and at other moments, very pretty. Much of what the album relies on are the vocals, both in the harmonies and the melodies, giving each song its colour, tone and mood. While everything else, whether it be bass or percussion, merely serve to prop up the vocals. The record’s salient quality is the ambitious vocal work. Although at times the vocals can induce ear-wincing, it’s hard not to appreciate the effort these guys put into the vocals. The band experiments with different styles, tones, dynamics and effects to diversify the vocals, so much so that listening to the album from start to finish is like walking from one end of a circus tent to the other and experiencing all the varying sights and sounds, whether they are fun or disconcerting. And Mount Wittenburg Orca does feature a wide range of qualities. For example, the vocals on “Ocean” reminded me of a certain unpleasant memory of being in a condensed space with a few crying babies. On the other hand, the song “All We Are” sounds like the type of lofty music that would accompany a dream sequence of frolicking through a vast empty field. Mount Wittenburg Orca undoubtedly has some moments that can alienate its listeners; but it also has really ambitious vocal experimentation that many music-lovers will appreciate.
Mountwittenburgorca.com
– Joe F
 Expensive Looks
Dark Matters
Group Tightener
Like the ever-expanding universe, Alex Feld (aka Expensive Looks) knows music and creativity have no boundaries. His debut LP, Dark Matters, encompasses nine tracks of experimental Electro-house, though it’s difficult to describe the album in so few genres. Dark Matters blends the many influences of this Chicago-born self-taught DJ, including Chicago House, Disco, Motown, and ‘90s dance.
The first track feels like a perfect introductory piece; “Your Dreams Our Week” features looped Electro beats graciously interrupted by marching synthesized beats as Feld’s creativity pours out like waves. Each track moves elegantly into the other. “Nothing More” may remind you a bit of MGMT with Feld’s vocals shouting from a distance and the dreamy keys. “Trancewave,” with its danceable beats and high-pitched vocals, echoes Memory Tapes’ Seek Magic (2009). Psychedelic ‘80s elements are featured in “Moving Visions,” reminiscent of New Order.
Describing this album is one thing, but experiencing it is another. Dark Matters takes you on a trip through space, and for Feld being a “space nut,” he accomplishes this beautifully. It is an intriguing and experimental Electro-house album, and regardless of the ‘dark’ title, it’s rather exhilarating. From the psychedelic House, to almost soulful Electronica, you’ll find links between genres you’ve never thought of, all while experiencing waves of euphoria as you float through the dark matter between the stars.
Soundcloud.com/ExpensiveLooks
– Raquel M. Dreesen
 Skinny Puppy
Handover
Synthetic Symphony/SPV
Handover is the third release since cEvin Key and Nivek Ogre reformed industrial icons Skinny Puppy in 2000. The three years it took to make the album were plagued with hurdles, including the insolvency and turmoil with their label, SPV. Along the way, both worked on their various side projects, including three releases in 2009 from Key’s Download, PlatEAU, and the Tear Garden.
To my ears, Handover has so much in common with those 2009 releases that I suspect it was made from their outtakes with Ogre brought in after the fact. “Gambatte” in particular feels Frankensteined from bits of Download tacked onto Ogre’s verses while “Icktums” and “Point” sound like PlatEAU. On half of the tracks the vocals are so buried and so disjointed from the music that it feels like you’re listening to Key’s projects in one room while your roommate listens to Ogre down the hall.
With all that said, Handover is not without its charms. In its best moments, there’s a dreaminess and even a delicacy mixed with the noise, such as on the airy opener “Ovirt” or the more experimental textures of “NoiseX.”
Overall, Handover is a mixed bag. cEvin and Ogre are capable of much more. I’m already starting to hear rumors and rumblings about the next Skinny Puppy album, let’s hope it sees the boys back to form now that they seem to have gotten over all those hurdles.
Skinnypuppy.com
– Pyra Draculea
 Guided By Voices
Let’s Go Eat The Factory
Guided by Voices Inc./ Fire Records
You may have missed the charming Indie Rock with the absurd lyrics and psychedelic feelings of Guided By Voices from long ago, but they are back and fans will not be disappointed. January first marked the release of their first album, Let’s Go Eat The Factory, since their disbandment in 2004, and another album is scheduled for release May of this year.
The reunion consists of their “classic” lineup (1993-1996): Robert Pollard, Mitch Mitchell, Greg Demos, Kevin Fennel and Tobin Sprout; all of whom reunited last year for Matador Records’ 21st anniversary concert, which led to a national reunion tour. Core band member and songwriter Robert Pollard seems to contain a never-ending flow of creativity. After the disbandment, Pollard embarked on 13 solo projects, and wrote most of the tracks for this album, with six tracks written by Tobin Sprout.
Recorded in their garages and living rooms, Let’s Go Eat The Factory retains that psychedelic guitar-driven rock that Guided By Voices are known for. The majority of the tracks are short, each lasting until the two-minute mark. With most of the tracks, fans will not be disappointed. Top cuts include “Laundry and Lasers,” “Spiderfighter,” and “The Unsinkable Fat Dominos.” Fans looking for tracks like “I Am A Scientist” from Bee Thousand (1994), with the delightful, smile-inducing lyrics, will find the same with “Doughnut For The Snowman” and “Hang Mr. Kite.” However, there are a few fallbacks: “The Big Hat and Toy Show,” “Either Nelson,” and a few others sound like sloppy, experimental jamming sessions and are best to be skipped over.
It has been some 15 years since this Guided By Voices lineup has been together, but Let’s Go Eat the Factory is proof that their charismatic, Garage meets Classic Rock sound has not faltered, not even one little bit.
GBV.com
– Raquel M. Dreesen
 VNV Nation
Automatic
Metropolis Records/Anachron Sounds
For their eighth studio album, Automatic, EBM outfit VNV Nation took a relaxed approach to things, emphasizing the more melodic aspects of the band’s signature sound. The band has said Automatic is probably their favorite release ever – but what band doesn’t say that of their newest release?
If you’d agree depends on whether you prefer VNV Nation’s more aggressive club tracks, or their more melodic Pop songs. If you prefer the softer side that they’ve previously shown in tracks like “Illusion” from 2007’s Judgement, you will adore Automatic, particularly the poppy “Space & Time.”
If you prefer those club stompers, you might be a little disappointed that there’s only one of those here, but that one track, “Control,” is killer with all the hooks and thumping beats and wicked synths you expect from VNV Nation. It would have been nice to have a couple more to balance the album out, though.
The main quibble is that some songs run too long, repeating choruses too many times. In particular, “Resolution” is lovely but you’ll find yourself looking at iTunes around the 4:30 mark thinking, “Huh, it’s not done yet?” when there’s still another 1:40 of nothing new to go.
All in all, Automatic is a pretty solid album, and I’m looking forward to hearing what the remixers can do with this new material.
VNVnation.com
– Pyra Draculea
 Pop Will Eat Itself
Chaos and Mayhem
Metropolis Records/Cooking Vinyl
“Pop will eat itself” is a quote from a NME article, by David Quantick, which over the years became something more than a statement – it became the name of a Punk band.
PWEI, who proved to be quite influential, are kind of marking time with their new album, New Noise Designed By A Sadist. However, they are not very convincingly standing up for their name, which suggests that Pop music seems to be existing in a vicious circle, recycling old ideas. In recent years it seems as if the likelihood that ‘punk will eat itself’ is becoming more and more probable. With their new album, the band, which now possesses only one of the original members, Graham Crabb, has tried to run away from the contemporary Punk music sound that has flooded the market.
If the album, as a whole, is far from the perfect comeback, the single “Chaos & Mayhem” shines bright among all the other songs on the album. It has a catchy, vital melody and easy to remember lyrics, though it sounds more like a nice, neat Alt-punk song than the ‘chaos and mayhem’ that we’re used to hearing from Sex Pistols or the Clash – but it is addictive and satisfies my basic listening yearnings.
Two boys from Yorkshire, known as Asbo Kids, obviously really like PWEI’s single as they made two remixed versions of it. The remixes can be described as a male vs. female version of the song. One keeps the original Graham Crabb’s vocals, while the second one is a co-operation with Snovonne. The later turned out to be a successful attempt to reinvent the Punk song into an eclectic mixture of Electronic and Punk sound combined with gothic Metal vocals. Snovonne brings to the mix obscure and gentle female touch that successfully manages to keep the essential and yet give a new, fresh perspective to “Chaos & Mayhem.”
This single release is a proof that with a little desire for originality you can mix styles and genres and create something good.
PWEIofficial.com
– Ivelina Dulkova
 The Everybody
Marooned / Demon Oar
Dyspepsidisc
This is technically catchy. Technically, in that The Everybody’s musical technique is notably developed, what with its syncopated rhythms and experimental nature, yet welcoming and captivating. And so, there’s little surprise this band was founded by Joey Santiago and David Lovering, two members of the legendarily Alternative group, The Pixies.
The group’s song, “Marooned,” is experimental without shedding its accessibility. It’s somewhat dark, heavy, though certainly groovy – the kind of tune you’d want to plug into and simply absorb.
Completing this split 7” vinyl, Stationary Odyssey modifies “Marooned” and presents listeners with “Demon Oar,” a track with a similar mood, but radically different structure. Some parts are just disassembled, repositioned sections of “Marooned,” others are new sections played by the band. The remix is similar, yet a different creature altogether. Listening to the two uninterrupted, it’s difficult not to imagine them as the same song, yet the converse is true when listened in isolation. Stepping back for a moment, it’s clear it’s a pun, as “Demon Oar” is both a musical and literal anagram of “Marooned.” It’s not terribly clever, but the music goes down so well.
– RJ Vandrish
 Psy’Aviah
Introspection/Extrospection
Alfa Matrix
Do not let the name fool you – this album has nothing to do with exploring emotional depths and feelings… at least not when it comes to music.
Belgian Electronic band Psy’Aviah has released a new album, Introspection/Extrospection, meant to continue their experimental philosophy of sound that mixes different genres and styles. The band’s journey began in Antwerp, Belgium in 2003, and here they are today, eight years later.
It’s very difficult to write about music that makes you feel… well, nothing really. The lyric “No emotions” is sung in the track “Human Garbage,” and if this is what the band aimed at in this song, I should say they achieved their goal.
“OK,” on the other hand, is a song that clearly stands out. With a very gentle piano accompaniment that perfectly completes the voice of Emélie, “OK” is the light in the tunnel that makes listening through Introspection/Extrospection worthwhile. Most of the songs on the album have dark lyrics carrying loneliness and a pained heart, but the music doesn’t manage to support the message. A pleasant change to the record is “Deep Dark Desire,” featuring model and artist, Kari Berg. “On My Own” is also of interest to Electronic Dance fans.
Unfortunately, if you’re not that into Electronica, you won’t find anything here to grab and hold your attention. Introspection/Extrospection is stuck in the past. I’m strongly reminded of my childhood when I loved to ride the Ferris wheel while early ‘90s Electronica poured out from speakers down onto the fair; a happy memory you would say, but to me, the ‘90s were not the golden age of music.
Psyaviah.com
– Ivelina Dulkova
 The Barmitzvah Brothers
Growing Branches
Label Fantastic!
Reading the inside jacket of The Barmitzvah Brothers’ new album, Growing Branches, was enough to pique my interest and get me excited about this album. It talks about how the imminent birth of singer Jenny Mitchell’s baby inspired her to ‘do something special,’ and thus the band got together after a ten-year hiatus and recorded Growing Branches. As the title suggests, the album’s primary themes revolve around family and birth, and the band explore these themes in a way that adheres to their reputation for capturing a personal experience of everyday life. For Mitchell, the everyday involves watching her family grow, dreaming about the future of her kids, and feeling for kicks in her stomach. The band supports the cutesy lyrics with poppy, dream-like music that suits the lyrics really well, making the songs sound like an Indie take on the blithe music heard on children’s television programs.
Although I grew tired of the songs as the album progressed, and almost passed it off as being too juvenile, I was still able to appreciate the album’s finest quality which is in capturing the honest emotions that was clearly being felt by the band, particularly Jenny Mitchell, while writing the songs for Growing Branches. When listening to tracks like “Theoretical Love Song Part 2,” “Lovely Lines,” and “All the Things You’ll Need,” the excitement and expectations of an imminent birth are expressed beautifully. Being able to express the everyday emotions almost effortlessly is what makes The Barmitzvah Brothers’ Growing Branches a fun album that is worth checking out.
myspace.com/thebarmitzvahbrothers
– Joe F
 Eddy Current Suppression Ring
So Many Things
Goner Records
When it comes to sloppy playing, shitty production and GREAT songwriting Eddy Current is a genius. His latest release, So Many Things, delivers a host of amazing tunes clearly pumped out in a speedy fashion during the recording process. These tracks are as raw as they could possibly sound. However the writing is rather intricate with many parts and changes, giving each track depth and character. It sounds as though the band simply stepped up and recorded all the tracks live, something that’s evident when you hear the vocals and guitar solos which clearly did not get any overdub attention. Eddy Current wouldn't have it any other way. And personally, I think it's perfect.
Think of early versions of The Stooges, Kinks and The Reatards; this would paint a perfect picture of what you’re in for with So Many Things. The messy playing hits a peak when the band does a hilarious version of The Go-Go’s “We Got the Beat,” re-tooled with the words “They got the beat.” It couldn't possibly be sloppier, which is what makes it hilarious and equally amazing. It's a must listen, and all songs will rock you into next week. Therefore I will leave you to pick your own favourite.
ecsr.com.au
– Andre Skinner
 Still Corners
Creatures of An Hour
Sub Pop Records
Sub Pop Records' Still Corners release their debut full-length project, Creatures of An Hour. This record maintains an airy-atmospheric sound that listeners have probably come to familiarize themselves with – but on this record, the songs take a change in tone.
Paying close attention to two of my personal favourites, “Circular” uses dark synths, fuzzy-psychedelic undertones and a foggy graveyard setting, while “Endless Summer” is dreamlike with a forever-floating sound. A sound which lead singer Tessa Murray gracefully (and at times indistinguishably) contrasts/accompanies with her feathery soprano vocals. You'll find the songs on this album tend to be a bit darker, draped with mystery and hauntingly eerie inflections.
Sounds like an old classic Horror movie right?
Well that's exactly the vibe you get throughout Creatures of An Hour, and despite not being big on Horror movies myself, the album's a good listen. It's simple and creative; the songs give off imaginative visuals that keep listeners attuned from beginning to end.
Subpop.com/artists/Still_Corners
– Xolisa R. Jerome
 Skold
Tonight EP
Metropolis Records
My reaction when I first played “Tonight” was: ‘Wow, what am I listening to?’ This is when Tim Skold won me over. From Shotgun Messiah, through KMFDM to Marilyn Manson, Tim Skold finally comes back to his solo career after 15 years. The album is called Anomie, and it’s a return that fans of Metal, Glam and Rock should not miss. We can all hear sounds of Marilyn Manson Skold’s songs, not surprising since he has worked with Manson for seven years – time can’t pass without trace and without influence.
If you’re not a Metal fan do not let the cover halt you from listening to the single “Tonight.” It’s a powerful song, mixing Metal and Electronic sounds that has enthralled six different DJs, inspiring them to make their own remixes. Topping the list, my ultimate number one remix, is the Sum Revolution remix. Sum Revolution succeeds in grasping the tension and the dark side of the song, immersing the listener in the tune and capturing the subtle desperation that the lyrics bring.
The Album Version is definitely an interesting medley of the havoc that the lyrics carry combined with vigorous beats. The quick rhythm brings to the song some kind of verve that won’t let you stop dancing till it squeezes all the energy that’s left in you. The aim is to reveal with sound what words can’t, completing the message.
And the worst remix? Hard as I try, I can’t choose a winner between the iVardensphere cut, the Pull Out Kings remix, or the Rotersand rework. From a cockamamie Dubstep remix, which only made me want to press ‘next’, to a Club-dance track that urged me to take off my earphones, all I could hear was an amiss notion of the real song which has been tarnished because of someone’s lack of comprehension. So, do not waste your time.
With his new single, “Tonight,” Tim Skold wins the combat of proving that he still has a lot to show the world and his spring of creativeness has not yet dried.
Skold.com
– Ivelina Dulkova
 Chocolate Robots
PiZzA fAcE
Independent
Close your eyes and sway. Simplistic and raw voices encumber summer youth. Even in the sullen songs, Chocolate Robots seem to have created a truly feel good album. With slightly cheesy (no pun intended) track names, their debut album PiZzA fAcE still rocks out the cool vibes. The Ontario-grown threesome lucked out by being able to work with the brilliant Fab Morettin from The Strokes, Thom Monahan (Vetiver), and Mark Lawson (Arcade Fire). Using all the small touches from such successful musicians, Chocolate Robots were able to capture the perfect aspects from all the named bands as well as their own budding talent.
Although there seems to be an overall theme of quirky love songs, each song has its own voice and the album is able to vocalize their range. Tracks like “Impossible Princess” and “xxcross the linexx” both have a more upbeat tempo and have been infused with youth and hype, while tracks like “Feeling Funny” and “Ratical Powers” take a darker approach and incorporate more of a rocky soulful feeling.
Chocolate Robots have really harnessed the reins of both incredibly happy, catchy music and the idea of the real passion that is put into music. They are able to utilize the sweet and sour voice of their vocalist, simplistic yet intriguing mixing abilities as well as the help from fellow musicians to create something to really rave about.
– Alexis MacNeil
 Charlotte Gainsbourg
Stage Whisper
Because Music
Charlotte Gainsbourg’s Stage Whisper, her third album (or fourth, depending if you include Charlotte Forever from her adolescence) is a continuation of her second album, IRM (2010). The first part of this 18-track album features seven unheard sessions from IRM, and the second part contains live tracks from her European tour last summer.
The “b-sides” from the Beck-produced IRM retains that Indie Dream-pop spookiness. The first track, “Terrible Angels,” is grungy Disco-pop that elegantly contrasts Charlotte’s soft vocals; this theme continues with “Paradisco,” which is more of a Dance track filled with bass beats and synthesizers. Beck’s influence is extremely evident in “All The Rain,” with the catchy beat and general strangeness of the track. “Out of Touch” is one of my favourite tracks, reminiscent of the Beatles with the groovy singing guitar and the good feelings it provokes. Gainsbourg excels with “Memoir,” an acoustic track that showcases the deep emotions her voice portrays and her dark lyrics.
The second disc contains the live performances of tracks from both of her previous studio albums: IRM and 5:55 (2006). Her cover of Bob Dylan’s “Just Like Heaven” is questionable, for not all would appreciate her whispering interpretation. If anything, the live tracks gives fans a chance to hear Gainsbourg live if they missed out before. It also proves that she can really sing (unlike many actors-turned-singers who must not be named). She has now also proved that she has inherited the diverse musical capabilities of her father, and perhaps has fully stepped out of his shadow. It will be interesting to see what she produces next, perhaps without Beck.
CharlotteGainsbourg.com
– Raquel M. Dreesen
 Real Estate
Days
Domino Records
Days is the second full-length album from Real Estate; a ten-track Jangle Pop album that is clearer and brighter than their self-titled debut (2009), but the flowing melodies still remain. The title of the album accurately represents the feelings that are evokes: feelings and images of a simple suburban life, where the humblest ideas and things are all you need. You hear this in the chorus of “Green Aisles”: “Our careless lifestyle, it was not so unwise…”
The first track, “Easy,” sounds so familiar, it’s as if you been hearing that song for years already. “It’s Real” is one of the best tracks on the album with its incredibly catchy tempo, and you will find yourself right away singing along to the oohs and ahhs. “Kinder Blumen” is a purely instrumental track and will encourage your mind to float over the waves of the ocean with the cycling guitar melodies, while “Out of Tune” and “Younger than Yesterday” show Country elements reminiscent of Neil Young.
The familiarity and subtly of each track is what makes Days special. Real Estate’s charismatic Surf-rock will remind you of the Beach Boys and other California bands of the ‘60s, but you don’t need to be on a beach to listen to this album, for it will perk you right up and brace you for the cold winters ahead. Tracks flow seamlessly into each other, resulting in a lovely and emotional album album that needs to be heard.
Myspace.com/Realestate
– Raquel M. Dreesen
 Yuck
Yuck
Fat Possum Records LLC
If you haven’t checked out Yuck’s debut album that came out in February, now is your chance to get the deluxe version which includes a second disc with six additional tracks of their nostalgic ‘90s Grunge Rock.
This debut is an incredibly mature album for such a young band. The youngest member, Ilana Blumberg, is still in high school in London, while the rest of the band are in their twenties. Their Indie-grunge sounds familiar, reminding us of Sonic Youth, Pavement and Elliot Smith. With tracks “Get Away,” “The Wall,” and “Holing Out,” there are some seriously distorted guitar riffs and blood-pumping bass. “Suck” and “Rose Gives a Lilly” take it down a notch with more melancholy melodies and lyrics that brings us back to those wonderful sulky days of Elliot Smith. “Suicide Policeman” demonstrates what Yuck can do for this type of music, featuring a more groovy tune with jazzy drums and tambourine. The second disc is introduced by an awesome track, “The Base of a Dream is Empty,” which may remind you of the more recent Silversun Pickups with the gentle whispers over the heavily distorted guitars and the catchy drums.
This debut will bring back a lot of memories from the ‘90s, but it’s incredibly refreshing to hear real Grunge from such a young band. I look forward to what they come out with in the future, and would recommend listening to this album carefully; it may be one of the best of the year.
Yuckband.blogspot.com
– Raquel M. Dreesen
 Shael Riley and The Double Ice Backfire
Songs From The Pit
Another Hellogoodbye band? I don’t think so. Shael Riley and The Double Ice Backfire are a trio from New York categorized under the genre NES-rock. With Shael Riley on vocals and NES sound-chip, Ty Guenley on guitar and bass, and Ricky Henry on drums, the group brings about their latest album, Songs From The Pit. However, Shael Riley and the Double Ice Backfire sound nothing like Riley’s sideband, The Grammar Club. If you have ever heard the little eight-bit sounds in the background of a Super Nintendo game, that’s kind of what this album sounds like; just add vocals, drums and a few guitar riffs here and there.
Songs From The Pit features many fellow Nerdcore and Chiptune artists, such as Benjamin Bear, Billy The Fridge, I Fight Dragons, and Mega Ran – all of whom perform on a track or have contributed to the album by writing a song. Although the record consists of well-composed chiptunes, the lyrics throughout the whole album really weigh it down. It is comprehendible that the band is trying to convey a certain image, but the sarcastic tone narrating a less than ordinary life throughout the album gets kind of old. Tracks such as “Hipster Hoax” obviously convey that sarcastic tone which some may find entertaining, while others may not. Instrumentally, the vocal melody and power chords on this track make for a good Pop-rock sound, almost like something you would expect from Cobra Starship. Riley’s vocals have a lot of potential, however, the angle taken with the lyrics makes you not take the songs so seriously. Highlighted tracks from Songs From The Pit include the opener “How To Fire A Gun” featuring a good balance of both sound-chip and instruments, and “Area Dolls Guy” featuring a rap verse from fellow sound-chip artist, Mega Ran.
The eight-bit sounds from Songs From The Pit are quite enjoyable, but as a whole, I would suggest listening to Riley’s side band, The Grammar Club. On the other hand, if you really like that Chiptune sound, I’d go with Mega Ran.
ShaelRiley.bandcamp.com
– Emily Rivas
 Boca Chica
Get Out of Sin City
Boca Chica
Boca Chica, founded by Hallie Pritts, has mainly been a collective band – their members often change, and with it, new elements continue to influence the band’s Country sound. With an intermingling of Indie Rock and classic Country, Boca Chica aren’t afraid to be adventurous. Their fourth album, Get Out of Sin City, consists mainly of Country-folk music that will make you want to sit down and drink a couple pints. The heavy bass will get your heart beating and Pritts’ clear Country voice will get your soul singing. The tracks are catchy and will get you swaying. Even if you aren’t the Country type you still may find a track that suits your taste. “Afternoon Tea” has tempered Country guitar strums and a toe-tapping drum beat, while “Unsavoury Dealings” is more romantic. Pritts’ storytelling style of songwriting never falters with the darker tracks like “Gun In Your Hand,” “Long Range Gun,” and “Marlene.” Fans of the Decemberists and Neko Case will appreciate this compelling and exploratory Country album.
BocaChicaMusic.com
– Raquel M. Dreesen
 The Explorers Club
The New Yorker Suite
Rock Ridge Music
The New Yorker Suite is the last of three suites, leading up to the release of The Explorers Club’s second full-length, Grand Hotel, and thankfully it shows a more upbeat side of the band.
Where the first two releases (The Californian Suite and The Carolinian Suite) were both fully reclined in temperament, this third sampler actually gets up to dance. While the production, arrangement, and writing are still meticulous in their adoration of smooth ‘70s Pop, (think Burt Bacharach or The Carpenters), the performances are much more playful. The cover of “Hitchin’ A Ride,” (Vanity Fair, not Green Day for you youngsters), is easily the best in the series of covers, but the standout here is “Anticipatin’.” With some sinewy guitar flourishes, barroom piano, and bunny-hop chorus, this is the loosest and best we’ve heard from the band yet.
The only disappointment with the release is the fact that “Run Run Run” will be the first single off of the album. While the song is decent enough, it lacks the charm of “Anticipatin’” or The Carolinian Suite’s “Sweet Delights.” Like the other EP’s, this will be a free download on Amazon, so if you’re in the mood for some lighter post-eggnog fare, it’s definitely worth a try.
Explorersclubmusic.com
– Jeff Vasey
 JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound
Want More
Bloodshot Records
Few contemporary bands appeal to a musical genre that's glory is long past lived. JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound are one of these few who diligently disregard the recipe of Pop culture success and instead travel down a path of passion at the lack of conformity to please a minority of dormant listeners. Motown is relived. You either walk down the Rock and Soul hall of fame to the audio soundtrack of Want More while identifying possible influential icons when you open up the book labelled, The History of the Motown Love Ballad, or renovate to make room for one more. Songs like “To Love Someone (That Don't Love you)” follow the formula of lyrics that universally relate to every listener mixed with the very reactive ‘head bobbing’ to solidify a tune worth revisiting with a distinguished subjective purpose. JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound extend the life of Motown and life is exactly what this album is. The band emits a high energy pulse that is felt throughout every song – one that does not compliment static activities at all. We are reminded that humans are by nature musically sensitive. To resist physically participating in the beat is a difficult task.
The band by no means attempts to reinvent the wheel, but instead stays true to the recipe of Rock and Soul with lyrics that objectively appeal to any listener. Though, to state that there is no innovation here is false. The music is the similar but the era is not. Subsequently, music is less censored and artists have become more honest and open with their less socially accepted habits. Want More delivers more in terms of subject matter with the reoccurring theme particularly present in the song “I got high.”
Want More is destined to please a selective group of listeners. Their success is only limited by their ability to broadcast their sound and the ratio of recipients that are fluent in Rock and Soul music. Want More is a testament to a band that excels in their niche.
Bloodshotrecords.com
– Adam Feliciani
 Martha Berner
Fool’s Fantasy
Independent
Martha Berner's new LP Fool's Fantasy is airtight. But airtight like seafood at the Chinese supermarket I frequent. It might taste good once you cook it up, but it doesn't smack you in the face and shout ‘Hey man! I'm delicious!’ Fool's Fantasy has terrific studio musicians and a singer who sounds like she's feeling it. But for all the instruments and the playful chugging of the guitar on “Brave,” the beginning Acapella bit of “Cry,” this album isn't able to reach that point where you get excited about connecting with something. However, the record improves as you move along. The first four tracks are a little stale. Maybe the songs just aren't as well written as the second half of the record, but they share an issue with the rest of the album that I think may be interesting to talk about.
Fool’s Fantasy is reasonably well written. But I have a hunch Berner ran into the dangerous situation of being a musician with a budget. Nowadays, technology being what it is, musicians can start recording their music right from the get-go. This leads to plenty of shitty recordings that should never have been released. But it also leads to some great raw tracks, often going unappreciated because of sound quality and radio play standards. It's a shame. But a lot of great records have been made by bands or artists scraping five hundred dish-washing-dollars together for a couple hours in the studio.
So why is this record not living up to my hopes? Because, I believe, Berner got excited at the prospects of a big budget and made the mistake of letting production take the driver’s seat. The songs tend to play second fiddle to sound quality and production.
“Wolves” is a good song; I was really excited about it until the imminent death knell of a pop-drum-fill-pumping-up-any-tune-whether-it-needs-it-or-not slid in there like a 17yearold kid in the backdoor of a bar on Saturday. But the band held back a lot more than on the previous songs. Which may be why Wolves stands out to me so much. The band could have killed it. But they didn't.
I say the first four songs are nothing special. There's some misses later on in the record as well (though I may just be saying that because she took my dream band name Martha Berner and the Significant Others minus the Martha in my case), but overall it gets better, winding down at the end for something pretty nice – namely the track “People are Crazy.” If there's any song that heavy production didn't take away from, it might be this one.
– Anthony Damiao
 Encephalon
The Transhuman Condition
Artoffact Records/Dependent Records
You might call it a combination of Club beats and Industrial music, Encephalon refers to their music as “Synthetic Anthems for the Permanently Numb.” The trio from Ottawa, Matt Gifford (vocals, synths, production, media), Alis Alias (vocals, synth, multimedia), and Sam Maner (production, synths), have an innovative, Club-friendly style that continues to make an impact in the Electro-Industrial scene. After their self-released album, Drowner (2009), The Transhuman Condition is Encephalon’s first full-length album on Dependent Records. Encephalon has also previously released a plethora of remixes and also had a couple of their tracks featured on movie soundtracks such as “The Claw” in Necromentia (2009), and “Rise” in The Gene Generation (2007).
The Transhuman Condition carries a good balance of danceable beats while unleashing violent vocals of rage. The smash Club hit, and opener to the album, “Rise,” begins automatically with an infectious beat that is suddenly disrupted by Gifford’s rough-styled vocals. The follow-up track, “The Transhuman Condition” takes on more of an Industrial sound. Vocal harmonies between Gifford and Alias even each other out, as Alias adds a softer vocal tone in tracks such as “The Transhuman Condition” and “Garden.” However, Gifford shows off a softer style of vocals in “Drop Dead” and “The Killing Horizon” where he really displays his skill as a vocalist. “The Killing Horizon” also combines acoustic music with Electronica by starting off with a soft acoustic guitar riff at the beginning that is softly carried out through the song along with synth beats. This track has strong dynamics that are effective in creating a theatrical feel. Similarly, “A Lifetime of Puppetry” is a track that starts with a soft piano intro and hypes up later. More Club-like beats can be found in “Face First.”
Encephalon has an effective way of combing Electronica and Industrial music to share their own approach in creating Club anthems that all audiences may find appealing.
Encephalon.ca
– Emily Rivas
 Gringo Star
Count Yer Lucky Stars
Gigantic Music
The oddly-named Gringo Star have returned with their second album, Count Yer Lucky Stars, a distinctive and fun Rock ‘n’ Roll album. It is comprised of a blend of Classic Rock, 1950-60’s Pop and Garage influenced Punk. All of the group members rotate playing instruments, which brings more diversity to their collective sound. At times, tracks are reminiscent of the Pixies, with songs like “Shadow” with its unexpected yelps and cries, and “You Want It” featuring cool guitar melodies and the unique vocals of Nick Furgiuele. You will find the ‘50s and ‘60s Pop influences in tracks like “Got It” and “Jessica” with their catchy and harmonious choruses. “Count Yer Lucky Stars” is one of the best tracks on the album with its upbeat drums, handclapping and rockin’ guitar riffs.
The band consists of four “Gringos”: founding brothers Nick and Pete Furgiuele, Pete DeLorenzo and Christopher Kaufman; and they all contribute to the songwriting in addition to playing all the instruments. Produced by Ben Allen (Animal Collective, Gnarls Barkley, and Deerhunter), this album is brimming with explosive talent, it’s sure to rock “yer” socks off.
Gringostar.net
– Raquel M. Dreesen
 Carter Tanton
Freeclouds
Western Vinyl
As an alumnus of the defunct lo-fi outfit Tulsa, and a collaborator with gothic songstress Marissa Nadler and with the Lower Dens, Carter Tanton is certainly no musical slouch. That being said, his latest work, Freeclouds, is his first solo release in over half a decade, dovetailing his 2005 album, Birds and Rain and the 2007 album I was Submerged by his former band Tulsa, who split in 2009, after legal/label issues forced them apart.
Though Freeclouds has been accused of being inconsistent, and fairly so, it somehow manages to stick together in an earnest Alt-Country infused, Indie-pop patchwork. Tanton’s voice is really what holds it all together with a strong yet delicate fabric that channels the late bluegrass great, Gram Parsons.
The tracks skip around from jangly, Pop-y numbers, as in “Murderous Joy” and “Horrorscope,” to slower jams that inspire shoegazing, like “Saturday” and “In Knots,” which has a slight Electronic flavor and a depressive bent. Somewhere in between these extremes is the track “Fake Pretend” which features fuzzy guitars and the willowy voice of Tanton’s musical colleague, Nadler.
A few tracks (and the the album’s title itself) drop reference to David Bowie’s song “Wild Eyed Boy from Freecloud.” Tanton has confessed that this reference is in part due to his own search for the ‘wild eyed boy’ within himself. Soul searching is never easy, and this album isn’t either, but it is well worth the repeated listens that it takes to go on this journey with him.
Westernvinyl.com
– Andrea Pareare
 Rituals
7” EP
Unfamiliar Records
The highly anticipated debut EP from Toronto’s own Post-punk band has me wishing for the old times when it actually mattered if the lead singer could sing. While the point of this Rock-rooted turned Electro-pop EP seems blatantly clear, it feels a little lack luster. The Rituals definitely have shown off their mixing skills with influences from nature and what sounds like a really rocking acid trip. The key track, “Time Machine” may even be categorized as hair raising, however, once the random spurts of singing (if that actually is what they’re doing) is added, the song as a whole becomes overwhelming and falls flat.
Every track brings a picture of strobe lights, drugs, and confused teenagers. Which some may say is a good thing; but when the EP sits on the fence between catchy badass tunes and annoyingly try hard, you have to wonder why you’re listening to it in the first place. Their song, “Endless Mess” sort of says it all, clean up your act with sharper vocals and less Electronic elements and then just maybe you’ll be cool.
Unfamiliarrecords.com
– Alexis MacNeil
 Selfish Boy
Temporary Love
Red Basement Records
Red Basement Records proudly hit the Electronic music landscape late this year. The label's premier release is Temporary Love from Chicago-based artist Selfish Boy. The sad truth is that this album will struggle and fail to win you over upon a first listen. Washing through the first couple of tracks it’s easy to get lost in a sea of modest, interesting synths and lackluster vocals. Stronger vocalists with the same amount of Electronic talent are coming off more successful than what Dmitry Pavlovsky offers through Temporary Love’s introductory numbers. Selfish Boy would have been better off beginning the album with something more dazzling than the chosen first track, “The Haunted Star” – this applies both musically and vocally. The lyrical intent on the follow-up “Emotions” is clear enough, but somehow the execution of 'serious' words bouncing off of bubbly Electronica makes this second track almost comical by nature.
However, at the point where "Once Upon A Time" rolls along and beyond, Selfish Boy manages to finally win us over. Bubbly riffs, cleverly contrived Electronica and a vocal presence that far supersedes the previous tracks prevail from here on in. He now takes on a style that reminisces of Caribou or the like. Echoing his voice off of nicely rounded retro-synths Pavlovsky embellishes a song structure that now entertains as Electronica of this nature should. The addition of some creatively contrived guitar-work and an oddly quick-worded ‘Be careful what you wish for!’ grind away on “Avenger.” Whispered vocals on “Critical” haunt at the back-end of the album nicely, leaving off with a minimally executed static background that possesses a large degree of appeal. Finishing off is “Decades,” a song which suits as a fitting finale to the collection with an interesting ‘concluding’ presence within.
Given the chance this album has great potential; it just needs some of the awkward edges to be rounded off. Bypassing the introductory tracks allows you to get to the meat of Selfish Boy, and if you continue on past this point your ears will be rewarded. The bottom-line for this Red Basement Records flagship release is this: you might not love it at first, but give it a chance and you will find some gems in the rough that were well worth your efforts. A good choice for Red Basement’s debut album, Selfish Boy’s Temporary Love amicably sets the bar for an onslaught of electronica that is sure to follow from this newborn label.
sb.digitaldima.com
redbasementrecords.com
– Stephen Lussier
 Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa
Mac + Devin Go To High School
Atlantic Recording Corporation/WEA International Inc.
Apparently we’ve got a new Cheech and Chong on the scene: Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa. Well, at least that’s who these two want to be – the next generation’s cannabis-loving goofs. This soundtrack is inspired by Snoop and Wiz’s movie by the same title, Mac + Devin Go To High School (this is said to come out early 2012, straight to DVD), that features Wiz Khalifa and Snoop Dogg as high school students. And they actually refer to each other’s characters throughout the album. Wiz Khalifa is Devin, the high school’s valedictorian, and Snoop Dogg is Mac, a kid (Snoop is actually 40 years old) with street smarts but doesn’t apply his skills academically. Together, they smoke up and goof off, trying to be like their own Cheech and Chong.
The album is about smoking marijuana and… smoking marijuana. I’m surprised they were able to stretch this topic out on 12 tracks (the deluxe version of the album has an additional two tracks!), especially if these two smoke as much weed as they claim. But in fact, both Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa don’t sound very high on this album – they both sound quite sober. Snoop Dogg actually sounds like he is trying a little bit with his verses (do I have to remind you of Katy Perry’s “California Girls”? He clearly did that just for the money). Snoop always has good flow; he never really has to try with that. But when you really listen to the content, it’s just about smoking weed all the time: “If it’s good, it’s gunna get you high… We don’t even smoke that shit for fun!” There is the odd note about skipping class, being an “OG,” and living a relaxed lifestyle, but it always goes back to the weed.
For a 21st century Hip-Hop album, it isn’t terrible. It’s pretty easy listening, as most of the tracks sound Pop-y. Highlighting the album is “Get Lifted,” featuring some soulful female vocals. Most of the tracks have got a good beat that might make you groove, but you will get tired of the content. If there is anything high school kids will learn from this, it’s to smoke weed everyday. At least Snoop Dogg is consistent with his philosophy.
macanddevingotohighschool.com
– Raquel M. Dreesen
 Lakutis
I’m in the Forest
Greedhead
As a pal of Das Racist and occasional rapper with the group, it would seem fitting that Lakutis, aka Aleksey Weintraub, would serve up a DR-inspired taste on his first EP, I’m in the Forest – especially since DR’s Heems and Kool A.D are on the tracks, and help to produce some of them as well. Lakutis does evoke their weirdo Hip-Hop sound to a certain extent. The dirty, stream of consciousness lyrics that he spews echo DR’s style, but they don’t flow as naturally. And unlike the Brooklyn-based trio, Lakutis doesn’t say a whole lot in between the random pop-culture references and metaphors about his penis. His rapping sounds like he just says whatever half-baked idea pops into his head. It can be funny at times, if juvenile, but it isn’t a recipe for something long lasting. That being said, Lakutis has charming NYC-accented pipes, and the beats on his album are clean and crisp. The tracks – especially “Death Shark” and “I’m Better than Everybody,” featuring Kool A.D from DR – are booty-shaking numbers that would get people going at a club or show. Unfortunately, this EP is not really worth listening to once a night of dancing and debauchery have come to a close.
Mishkanyc.bandcamp.com
– Andrea Pareare
 The Mark Inside
Nothing to Admit
Metalbox Recordings/Sony
I’ve been listening to Nothing to Admit for over a week now, and I forced myself to hold off that long before writing a review, but for only the best reasons. Upon first and second listens, my immediate reaction was that this was the best record I’d heard all year. After repeated listens, the shine has dulled only slightly.
The band is best at dynamic Rock narratives, sounding sometimes like the Strokes covering obscure Doors’ songs. While that does convey the sound, this band is better than that, reminding me mostly of The Constantines at their creative peak, (Shine a Light, Tournament of Hearts). The performances are dynamic and authentic, with the band inflicting emotions from rage to resignation without ever sounding like they’re trying.
There are a few Pop songs (“Can’t Take It With You,” “Lady Killer”), that are reminiscent of ‘90s Teenage Fanclub or Sloan, and equally as well done. It isn’t all a perfect drive though. The album does catch the shoulder on the seventh and eighth songs, (“Storms,” “Lime Green Monkeys”), which seem to cover ground that the band worked better on earlier songs, but even there the performances are strong enough to keep you from the skip button.
After living with Nothing to Admit for about ten days, I’m not sure it’s the best album I heard this year, but I’m certain it’s in the running.
Themarkinside.ca
– Jeff Vasey
 U.S. Girls
Island Song 7”
Calico Corporation
Turn it on, and you will be exposed to an ecstasy induced daze. U.S. Girls have taken basic beats with enchanting whispers and mixed it with Slim Twig’s mastermind. The 7” does the one woman band justice by creating a dreamlike scene where the listener cannot help but be drawn in. Although the single, “Island Song,” can seem repetitive at times, the ease of rhythm keeps it entertaining. As for the B-side, “High School Poetry” was produced by Onakabazien and really does seem like literary work. Meg Remy’s soft and almost spooky voice forces you to listen really hard – which maybe isn’t a bad thing. This collaboration was not a disappointment; with two risk taking musical talents such as U.S. Girls and Slim Twig combining Soul with Electronic trances, it comes with no surprise. However, if you’re looking for a warm and heartfelt ballad, keep looking.
Calicocorp.bandcamp.com
– Alexis MacNeil
 The Break Up
Synthesis
Metropolis Records
At some point of my life I used to think that Electronic music was dead. Back in time, at the dawn of the Electronic sound, the music had a purpose – to give freedom of expression to artists. But today, it has become so mainstream that it seems as if it only carries an empty beat for your feet to follow. I recently realized in what false belief I was living in.
The Break Up are a Seattle based Electro-pop band that will leave you enamoured from the first play of their dark electrifying tunes. They describe their songs as ‘retro electro’, which is exactly how they sound, but mastered and enriched. It is said that when a person dies his body gets lighter by 21 grams; this part that leaves is sometimes called the soul. Some believe it is a quantity of energy which can take different shapes and can never get lost in nature. Shane Allen Hall and Severina Sol seem to have found a way to reach that energy and double it in their album Synthesis.
The only way to understand what makes The Break Up such an interesting band is hidden in the music; you need to listen to fully get it. When hearing “Heartstrings” I imagine myself in a pine-tree forest, in the middle of a chase – that chase when you’re in love and don’t know whether you’re going to be loved back. The forest represents a dark place where you’re left only with your insecurities. Although the album is centered on the break-up experience, it doesn’t make you feel down, and it doesn’t leave you in desperation or depression. Exactly the opposite, songs like “Trapeze” fill you up with optimism and desire to rock the night out in stead of giving in to heartache, agony and pain.
All you need to do is press play.
Wearethebreakup.com
– Ivelina Dulkova
 Scott Weiland
The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
Softdrive Records
Commercialism and consumerism can easily bring out the Grinch in even the most ardent Christmas enthusiast. It seems as though nobody’s immune to picking the pockets of their fans with some sappy yuletide wishes. Bono once informed everyone that “There won’t be snow in Africa this Christmas,” Bob Dylan had a disaster of a Christmas album in 2009 (Christmas in the Heart), and Michael Buble is currently robbing your parents of their hard-earned money with his cleverly titled album, Christmas. So it’s easy to be skeptical of a recovered junky releasing seasonal wishes through song. But like a diamond in a pile of coal comes former-Stone Temple Pilots frontman, Scott Weiland. Here we have nine freshly minted renditions of classic Christmas cuts (and for good measure a Weiland original, “Merry Christmas and Many More”).
The album kicks off inconspicuously enough with some simple lounge versions of “The Christmas Song” and “I’ll Be Home For Christmas.” These tracks are the equivalent of getting into your stocking before being allowed to attack the real presents under the tree – which is Weiland harnessing his inner Bing Crosby with “White Christmas.” It hits smooth and eggnog-soaked, conjuring images of the singer sitting at his desk writing Christmas cards. From there we get a little Spanish spice added to “Silent Night.” And if you’re the kind of person who wonders why Hawaii (“Mele Kalikmaka”) and the Caribbean (“Feliz Navidad”) are amongst the few Worldly Christmas tunes, then you’ll be glad to hear that “O Holy Night” also gets some special treatment with the addition of a Reggae beat. These tracks are exactly the album needs – they’re fun and just a little silly, full of kitsch, but leave all sense of pretention at the door.
Musically, this is classic Christmas – festive and joyous. And then Weiland steps in doing his best impersonation of a drunken-Sinatra. This may sound out of place for the rocker, but let’s not forget that this isn’t the first time that Weiland has unleashed the croon. When not impersonating Layne Staley for S.T.P.’s debut, Core (1992), Weiland swaggers and drawls like Mel Torme with Grunge guitars at his back. And then of course there’s the infamous ‘hidden track’ from ‘94’s Purple, which turns out to be nothing more than an audition for this release.
The Most Wonderful Time of the Year likely won’t reach classic Christmas album status. But once you’ve run out of Sinatra and Bing records, and before Phil Spector’s Christmas Album (1963) begins to lose a little lustre, give Scott Weiland a spin. And don’t forget to have yourself a very merry Christmas.
ScottWeiland.com
– Joe Veroni
 Spectrals
Bad Penny
Slumberland Records/Wichita
On listening to the first track, “Get A Grip,” I was sent back in time to the 1950’, to a beach (or perhaps you imagine a poolside) in California. The Spectrals’ debut LP, Bad Penny, is a return of ‘50s-‘60s Doo-Wop, with a touch of the more modern Indie and Punk. The guitar twangs that remind you of the Beach Boys are definitely refreshing for the current music scene, but Louis Jones, the solo artist behind the Spectrals, could have taken a bigger risk with this album.
The album is about young love – the talented Jones is only 21 years old, and Bad Penny is a reflection of ups and downs of his relationship with his high school love. His voice is charismatic, as he has that Yorkshire accent, and his groovy guitar is inviting. The songwriting is witty, and despite the more somber lyrics, most of the tracks sound uplifting. “Get A Grip” provides the most memorable Beach Boys-esque sound and is easily the best track on the album. The rest of the tracks pale in comparison. Most of the cuts, like “You Don’t Have to Tell Me” and “Confetti,” sound almost too familiar to the first track with the Surf-rock melodies and slow Jazz beat. “Big Baby” and “You Can’t Live on Love Alone” are really the only songs that feature more Rock ‘n’ Roll. “Doing Time” is just awkwardly paced and throws you off for the rest of the album.
The too-familiar melodies of most of the tracks are the biggest downside of this album. Jones is clearly brilliant, and I hope he will experiment more with his sound with his future albums. Overall, this is a good record, but perhaps the reminder of hot weather, sandy beaches and surfing came at the wrong time (for Canadians), because this album is perfect for daydreaming on the beach.
spectrals.co.uk
– Raquel M. Dreesen
 Salem
I’m Still In the Night IAMSOUND
Salem is not a band for the faint of heart. Witchhouse oddities, and an aesthetic infused with equal parts goth and haunting Pop, their eclectic blend of heavy Electronica, pounding bass sections and elements of R&B and Rap have distinctively set them apart from any other musical group. Without belonging to any one particular genre, they have simply created their own.
On their newest EP, I’m Still the Night, the band retains the essence of what makes them so compelling, though a certain stylistic shift can be noted. The weight, menace and celebration that was prevalent in last year’s release, King Night, has been replaced with a revelation of all the things they secretly feared. There’s a certain sadness and beauty to the seven-minute highlight, “Better Off Alone,” which creates an intense slow burning atmosphere with gritty synthesizers swimming over a steady drum beat and unintelligible mumbling. Their most recent release showcases the Electronic diversity of Salem; however it’s less frantic and more grounded than the band’s previous releases.
As a whole, I’m Still In the Night sees the band forming a cohesive musical output. This is a band who have experimented with a kaleidoscope platelet of emotions and sounds, and have now taken their music to a subtler place. Still sounding like they returned from another universe, the band has familiarized themselves with Earth and have tentatively decided to use it to their advantage.
Salemband.com
– Melissa Vincent
 Thomas Dolby
Map of the Floating City
Lost Toy People
I’ve never been a big fan of the whole ‘80s synth-sound. For me the word ‘music’ gathers in itself a different connotation: dark guitar riffs, drum beats, alluring lead singers with croaky voices, and the smell of beer and cigarettes.
Thomas Dolby’s Map of the Floating City is neither a Rock album, nor has anything to do with the ‘80s Pop sound that he is famous for. The division of the album in three parts is a quite interesting experience. Amerikana, Urbanoia and Oceana reflect three separate periods of Dolby’s life and you can hear that in every song, which sounds completely different from the previous one. It’s an album that has it all. From Country to Folk, Oriental rhythms to Balkan sounds; it’s like a bouquet, a colourful mixture of different cultures. This is an album full of surprises. When listening for the first time and until the last song you keep wondering what’s going to come next. Here I put an end to everything good that I can say about this record.
“Nothing New Under the Sun” is actually nothing new under the sun. It’s a little bit shocking when you hear for the first time a song that gathers in itself a bad interpretation of Goran Bregovic, a cheesy Bollywood movie theme song and a Pop hit from the ‘80s. Yes, this is all in the same song. “Spice Train” took me on a journey through all my worst nightmares, when it comes to ‘how-not-to-do’ music.
If you listen to this album a sufficient number of times, you can actually find a couple of decent songs that are worth listening to, like “Road to Reno” and “17 Hills.” Songs, that you can easily add to your Sunday track list. The bottom point is that,you could give Map of the Floating City a try if you want to, but if you’re not eager to buy the record, you won’t miss anything much.
Thomasdolby.com
– Ivelina Dulkova
 Slim Twig
There’s A Secret to Your Pleasure
Calico Corporation
The ever-talented Slim Twig magicman has done it again with his release of an eerily catchy single. The two sided 7” takes the brooding yet homey feel of Johnny Cash and adds a healthy dash of psychedelic vibes. If Slim Twig’s hometown of Toronto had a modern day speakeasy, this would definitely be its theme song. While There’s a Secret to Your Pleasure picks up on the creepy feel of a Halloween musical, Slim Twig used the B-side (“Pastiche”) to tell a story about the legendary Mael Brothers. Both tracks do however try their hardest to showcase how many intriguing elements of sound and harmony can be used to create a swinging-good single. The self-produced Slim Twig keeps in the right direction with this single, and we’ll all be holding our breath to hear his collaboration with U.S. Girls.
calicocorp.bandcamp.com
– Alexis MacNeil
 Left Spine Down
Caution
Metropolis Records
Caution is the latest release, and second full-length album, by Vancouver-based, Left Spine Down. Produced by Dave “Rave” Ogilvie (Skinny Puppy, Marilyn Manson) this album sounds like a mix of another Ogilvie production, Nine Inch Nails, coupled with The Prodigy.
Lyrically, many of the songs are catchy, such as: “You’re the cancer, I’m the cure” of off the track “X-Ray,” while other lyrics are very basic and beg for more depth and substance beyond just making then rhyme. This can be heard on “From Thirty to Zero” where the lyrics ring out, “I long to let go, just when will it all show, I’ll see you down below.”
This album is a good launching pad for the music LSD have recorded so far, but the record feels like it’s not reaching its full potential or taking the songs as far as they could go. Caution is like a little puppy that with a bit more time and growth will be able to break from the leash – with a stronger bark and bite.
metropolis-records.com
leftspinedown.com
– Nicole Rubacha
 Erasure
Be With You Single/Remixes
Mute
True to the Synthpop and New Wave sounds that Erasure fans are accustomed to, Be With You Single/Remixes, by duo Andy Bell and Vince Clarke, offers a nice variety of music for a remix album. The music has steady beats, as with “Be with You Moto Blanco Club mix,” which as the title suggests is something likely to be heard in the clubs. There are also versions of “Be With You” that are a combination of slower and faster beats, creating a connection within each track by using elements to all the versions, while keeping each cut a fresh remix. You never listen to exactly the same song twice – unless of course you hit repeat. A pleasant surprise is “Be with You – Acoustic Version,” which still maintains the English duo’s trademark sound, though stripped down, exposing the vulnerability of the words and the sadness of being separated from the one you love.
Completely different from the “Be With You” tracks is “I Will Never Let You Down.” This is an exclusive B-side which offers a break from the remixes through a song that brings an alternative perspective on love.
Be With You Single/Remixes is like a buffet of music – there is something here for all Electropop lovers and no one will be left unsatisfied.
mute.com
erasureinfo.com
– Nicole Rubacha
 REM
Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage 1982-2011
Warner Bros. Records
Let’s all take a moment to look back at the ‘90s. Twenty years, has it been that long? It may be about time to start reading the waves cast by that decade. One such ripple was born in the early ‘80s, swelling to enormous proportions in the ‘90s, and now finally breaks upon the rocks, as all good bands must. I refer, of course, to REM. Let’s not forget their 1994 breakthrough, Automatic for the People, which almost beat Nirvana’s Nevermind as the year’s highest grossing record. Looking back from a 2011-perspective, where Grunge is all but buried and Indie is breathing but bedridden with a bad case of stagnation (perhaps beginning to eat itself alive?), maybe in the face of time Automatic for the People turned out to be more influential than Nevermind. Too bold? After all, Kurt Cobain is dead and one of THOSE legends now…
But hey, if Peter Buck (guitarist) is good enough for Colin Meloy (Decemberists), and frontman Michael Stype is good enough for Patti Smith, then god-damn-it they’re good enough for me!
So now comes the retrospective. The greatest hits compilation arrives just in time for Christmas (coincidence? Hardly, and I’m sure box sets will follow). But for now it’s the greatest hits for all the folks who found it superfluous or inconvenient to buy the records before, though they’ll insist they’re “really quite the REM fan” as they shell out 25-odd bucks for a bunch of songs they’ve heard already.
But they’ll be mistaken! Although I’d still suggest just going out and buying an original LP (cheaper and better), the retrospective, entitled Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage 1982-2011, borders on comprehensive. While it’s got all the hit tracks (“Man on the Moon,” “The One I love,” “Everybody Hurts,” etc), it’s also got some of the lesser known successes like “Finest Work Song” and some great tunes from their Alt/Garage days like “Gardening at Night.” This is not REM’s first compilation. It is however the first one to feature tracks from their early cult following days under IRS Records.
Ultimately this release faces the provisos of any greatest hits record: If you like REM, you’ll like this record (it goes further than most compilation efforts, certainly further than their previous one) and if you REALLY like REM, then you don’t need this record. Your money’s better spent on the LPs you don’t have yet. And if you don’t like REM, well… what’s wrong with you? Too hip for REM?? You’re ridiculous. Get outta here!
– Anthony Damiao
 The Black Lips
Arabia Mountain
Vice
The self-proclaimed ‘Flower Punks’ are back with Arabia Mountain, their seventh album, and first since 2009’s 200 Million Thousand. The Black Lips bring a lot more flower than punk to this record, opting for a much cleaner sound than we just heard from 200 Million Thousand – or from anything they’ve ever done, for that matter.
The guitars are cleaned up, and the vocals are where most bands put them – front and center. Long-standing Lips fans might not like the idea of any of this, but Arabia Mountain works. And it works from cover to cover, something that can’t be said of all the band’s records. To blame for all of this? Producer Mark Ronson (Amy Winehouse, Jay-Z). Ronson’s taken this opportunity to give your speakers a bit of a break, and The Black Lips come through loud and clear.
Arabia Mountain opens with “Family Tree,” a track that’s still full of distortion and screaming backups (and are those harmonies and brass we’re hearing? You bet it is). “Bicentennial Man” features a little Surf guitar that could have been lifted right out of a ‘60s Ventures record. There’s even an homage to Spider-Man in the form of “Spidey’s Revenge.” It’s hard to imagine The Black Lips ever becoming radio-friendly – but if they keep up the clean work, it could happen.
Black-lips.com
– Joe Veroni
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