Contra
Vampire Weekend
XL Recordings

While it’s highly unlikely that Vampire Weekend will be converting any of their very vocal opponents with this album, Contra is an inventive, crowd-pleasing creation for their current followers. The first few tracks provide a nice sunny bridge from VW’s self-titled debut before they branch into more experimental territory. “California English” proves Auto-Tune undead (to Jay-Z’s chagrin) with disconnected vocal melodies and a turn for the philosophical. However, don’t look for anything terribly insightful. Their predictable dissatisfaction with a superficial and sheltered popular culture echoes most effectively in the docile and pensive “Taxi Cab.” “Cousins” is a relatively aggressive and fast-paced return to the typical VW catchiness which will, for better or worse, conjure up many a singalong. Surprisingly, the album ends on a rather sleepy note with “I Think Ur A Contra.” Although a good flex of vocalist Ezra Koenig’s emotional muscles, the song comes off whiny, producing a disappointing end to an otherwise pleasingly diverse album.

http://www.myspace.com/vampireweekend

— Chantelle Renee

Daniel, Fred and Julie
You’ve Changed Records

Daniel, Fred, and Julie is a collaboration between three talented Canadian musicians. Daniel Romano sings and plays guitar in Attack in Black, Calm Down its Monday’s Fred Squire also played in Shot Gun and Jaybird, and Julie Doiron’s solo career requires little introduction. Their self-titled album features 10 songs, eight of which are well known folk songs in public domain. The album was recorded in Squire’s garage, using only a tape machine and a microphone placed on the ground. The songs aren’t perfectly played but they aren’t meant to be, as the group decided that they wouldn’t overdub or edit any of the tracks. Thus, the album evokes true folk spirit as the three musicians play and sing all together as friends recalling traditional songs. However, one of the album’s two original songs stands out as a highlight. “Runner” is a slow and beautiful original by Romano, about a man who lives his life without attachment. Romano fingers pick the strings on his guitar, and he’s joined by Doiron’s soft echoing vocal accompaniment on the choruses. The collaboration album successfully reforms songs that have been heard many times and debuts new tracks that hold their own in the company of tradition.

http://www.myspace.com/danielfredandjulie

— Jess Harris

All Night Sun Light
Infusion
Omnis Recordings USA

A trio that transcends a fixed genre of music, Infusion brings an evolutionary approach to electronic/modern pop with their third album, All Night Sun Light. The album, written and produced by the band themselves, is indicative of the New Wave/synthpop movement of the 1980s. The vocals featured on the album are reminiscent of Erasure’s Andy Bell and Dave Gahan of Depeche Mode. Stand out songs include the melodic and synth songs like “Two Player Game” and the dance-friendly songs like “All That’s in Your Head.” The most notable song on the album has to be its last, “Try It On.” Not only is the song extremely radio friendly but you’ll find yourself singing the chorus almost immediately after the first listen. “Try It On” wraps up the album perfectly, allowing a wide range of music lovers to enjoy. But don’t be fooled, this sound is far from the modern pop out there today and conjures an appetite for more bands brave enough to delve into the electronic and synthpop sounds of the 80’s without sounding retro.

http://www.myspace.com/infusion

— Laura Ciampa

10 Day Poem for Saskatchewan
The Warped 45s
Pheromone Recordings

10 Day Poem for Saskatchewan is a solid start for The Warped 45s, who seem to have come out of left field and are now really making an impression. Extreme attention to detail is apparent on what looks to be a future classic Canadian alt-country album. Band leaders Dave McEathron and  brother Ryan Wayne McEathron show off their songwriting strengths with outstanding tunes such as “Progress,” “(Bring on That) New Depression,” “Why Oh Why” and “Radio Sky.” These songs conjure up scenes of wheat fields, prairies, weathered barns, lost loves, long roads traveled and late night liquor drenched bar gigs. The Warped 45s strategically choose their instrumentation throughout the album and give us much more than the standard four-piece band; they gratify our ears with great production and cool instrumentation that ranges from jazz trumpet to fiddles and saloon piano. If this band keeps doing what they’re doing, they’ll be around for a long time and likely become household names for fans of great Canadian music.

http://www.myspace.com/thewarped45s

— Andre Skinner

Up From Below
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
Vagrant Records

Imagine you are on the California coast. Just relaxing on the beach, the hot sun being replaced by a refreshing evening breeze. You’re having a really pleasant time. A Volkswagen hippie bus appears out of nowhere and out bounce eight or nine modern hippie types. This might give you a bit of an idea what you are in for with this album. If you are the kind of person who would join the hippies for a sing along, you’ll love it; if not, you’ll probably despise it. Think all the things that Devendra Banhart stands for but subtract his high warbling voice and replace it with more of a group sing along that I’ll lazily refer to as a kind of hippy Arcade Fire sound. Right, so what do we do with this thing that is pretty much against everything we want as serious music listeners? Little asides between band members as they whisper sweet nothings to each other are almost gag inducing. At the same time, it’ll grab even the most apprehensive listener. The first half of the album features harmonies, strings and production layers that will have you singing along if you submit. After the halfway point, which features the playlist ready song “Home,” the album takes a nose-dive. It loses all the energy of the first half, thus leaving the listener wanting or feeling justified in their initial apprehension. At least three or four of these songs would be welcome on any mix, but listening to an entire album from this crew can be quite taxing.

http://www.myspace.com/edwardsharpe

— Daniel Demois

Meat
Hawskley Workman
Isadora

Vibrant. Innovative. A deliciously visceral experience. Whether a long time fan or first-time listener, Hawksley Workman’s Meat is sure to surpass your expectations and knock you on your proverbial ass. Whereas his 2006 and 2008 releases were arguably not much more than radio-friendly sap-rock, Meat showcases Workman in a return to form but edgier, sexier, and more controversial than ever. More layered and musically complex than his usual brand of sexually charged dance-pop, this album is the result of a seasoned songwriter; no word, note, or beat seems forced or manufactured with agenda. Standout tracks include “Chocolate Mouth” (which sounds like a distorted version of “Dear Prudence” meets something from the Hair soundtrack) and the impressive eight-minute acid trip “You Don’t Just Want to Break Me (You Want to Tear Me Apart).” But the #1 reason I’m sold? There isn’t a single throwaway track here (and I haven’t made an assertion like that since Kid A). You get the impression that you’ve got tickets to a show and this is an album in the most straightforward sense, not merely a collection of tracks. Hawksley Workman continues to earn the reputation of an artist who refuses to fit neatly within a genre or take refuge in comfortable surroundings. This is music as it should be — and certain to be one of the best of 2010.

http://www.hawksleyworkman.com/

— Erin Klassen

Hi, I’m Elvis Bossa Nova!
Elvis Bossa Nova!

January 8, 2010 marked the 75th anniversary of The King of Rock ’n’ Roll’s birth. Immortalized as the hunka hunka burning’ love, his presence in pop culture is still enormously felt in the form of constant re-releases of song catalogues and films, impersonators, kitsch, and the overall swagger of his demeanor. Let’s face it: he’s not The King for nothing. Enter Toronto’s Elvis Bossa Nova!, an instrumental quintet which is the furthest thing from your grandma’s tribute band, and before you can say, “Instrumental Elvis? WTF!” you’d be hard-pressed not to be at least intrigued, right? What started as an experiment by blending rock, jazz, country, bluegrass, Latin and classical, these seasoned musicians have been honing their skills as a Sunday night fixture at a popular west-end eatery for the past two years, and have since become one of the tightest ensembles around. Combining guitar, vibraphone (yes!), bass, drums, and percussion, Elvis Bossa Nova! has re-imagined such classics as “Viva Las Vegas,” “Blue Moon,” and “Are You Lonesome Tonight” into limitless,  otherworldly possibilities. Maybe it’s just me, but the eight-track debut (appropriately released on the anniversary of the big 7-5), is almost Barbarella-ish in spirit: the slinkiness of the slide guitar, the vibraphone gliding over the melodies, there is definitely a retro sci-fi moodiness to the intuitive chemistry this band proclaims to have (those who have seen them live will attest to this). But what’s more captivating is that many of the tracks are unrecognizable versions of the originals, save for a chorus or a hint of a reworked line, making you work almost as hard as them to figure out where they’re going. Elvis covers, yes, but this is something you can and should put on for many an occasion.

http://elvisbossanova.com/

— Chloe Vice

Heartland
Owen Pallett
Domino/For Great Justice

On his latest album, Heartland, Owen Pallett (formerly known as Final Fantasy) leaves behind the chamber pop feel present on his previous album, He Poos Clouds. Instead, Pallett introduces a brighter, more delicate style. His new tone, along with the addition of new elements to the music, make for a more approachable album that still manages to retain the distinct sound present on He Poos Clouds.  Tracks like “Lewis Takes Action,” “Flare Gun,” and “Lewis Takes Off His Shirt” are examples of the new direction Pallett takes. Instruments that provide a deeper, more ominous vibe are not as prominent as they were on his previous album. On the contrary, the flute and viola are the focus of this album’s instrumentation and create an upbeat tone with bright flourishes and soaring melodies. Pallett also enlisted the services of long-time collaborator Jeremy Gara (Arcade Fire) to integrate more percussion into the songs, thus providing a variety of new sounds that Pallett’s previous album lacked. The versatility of Gara’s percussion is an important contribution to Heartland and helps break down the barrier between Pallett’s distinctively unique sound and basic pop rock in the song “Tryst with Mephistopheles.” All in all, Heartland shows that Owen Pallett has grown as an artist, and created an upbeat, approachable sophomore album.

http://www.myspace.com/owenpallettmusic

— Joseph Fava

Heart of My Own
Basia Bulat
Secret City Records

Heart of My Own is Basia Bulat’s second album and the follow up to Oh My Darling, which was nominated for the Polaris Prize in 2008. Between you and me, I wasn’t too excited about some of the slower tracks on Bulat’s first album because they seemed overly sparse compared to the roaring energy present in her more upbeat numbers. However, on Heart of My Own’s slow title track, the dark undercurrent from Bulat’s guitar is intriguing enough to support her high, trembling voice. The chorus ushers in banjo and vocal accompaniment to build up momentum and further solidify the track. Album highlight “Gold Rush” features Bulat in all her autoharp-playing glory, accompanied by drums, violin, viola, backup vocals, and even accordion as she cries, “I know I would find them gold, up there on the hills they find me on.” Bulat is at her best when her music supports the full power of her folk-meets-classical voice and most of the tracks on Heart of My Own give her voice the support it deserves.

http://www.myspace.com/basiabulat

— Jess Harris

Yellow Fever
Wild World Records

Formed in 2006, Yellow Fever has been a staple act in their hometown of Austin, TX since their inception, and with two EPs and a 7” released on Hugpatch, it was high time for this trio (that started as a duo) to venture forth and record their boppy 11-track LP. And while no one could possibly blame them for recently signing to the Vivian Girls’ Wild World label, some followers of the band, and in particular locals of the Austin music scene, will pass this full length recording off as a redux of their earlier work — and for the most part, it is. The rest of us, however, have a nice, compact introduction to the musical styling of Jennifer Moore, Isabel Martin, and Adam Jones’ bass/guitar/drum/keyboard mix-up. Martin harmonizes with Moore on the tracks and the effect is a melding of two rich altos that could be like the musical version of loping around in an easy manner — it feels good. Citing Young Marble Giants, Stereolab and early Rough Trade as musical influences, there isn’t anything complicated about their compositions but who really cares? With song titles such as “Cats and Rats,” “Cutest” (which has a familiar summer camp sing-a-long melody) and “Donovan,” they are what they are: lo-fi psych pop with a cuteness factor that is extremely high.

http://www.myspace.com/yellerfever

— Chloe Vice

Joan of Arc Presents: Don’t Mind Control
Various Artists
Polyvinyl Records

To call this a Joan of Arc album would be a misnomer as it’s actually a compilation of 18 songs by 18 different artists (all of whom are connected through Joan of Arc), spanning one hour of a variety of indie rock music for your ears. Being that Joan of Arc falls under the “math rock” spectrum, it’s entirely expected that the music presented would be a little bit out there and less commercial. For starters, you have “Kickstart” by White/Light; the instrumental track sounds like the buzz of an electrical storm. “Gameshow Buzzer” by Ghosts and Vodka follows the Pixies formula (loud-quiet-loud), sans vocals. “Roots Dug into Dunes = Landslides” by Joan of Arc singer Tim Kinsella offers (of course) another instrumental; beginning with a folky acoustic guitar before branching off into distortion territory. Don’t let this review fool you, the majority of the tracks do feature vocals, it’s the non-vocal tracks that tend to stand out for different reasons. “Friday the 13th Part 2” by Vacations is a charming short song and one that’ll make you hit the repeat button. Those familiar with Joan of Arc will find this as a nice branching out point into the Chicago indie art rock scene while others will find it at least something here that they will like.

http://www.joanfrc.com/

— Jon Brazeau

Athens
Underworld vs. The Misterons
!K7 Records

Athens, which is credited to Underworld vs. The Misterons (an alter ego consisting of core members Karl Hyde and Rick Smith, alongside Darren Price and Steven Hall) features 12 varying tracks of musical styles that have been seamlessly brought together. The album is a compilation of musical inspirations, from the sounds to the technical aspects, that Hyde and Smith have grown from and have incorporated into their own masterpieces. With a heavy focus on live musicianship, the album delivers great improvisational playing. There’s the deep- bluesy bass in Alice Coltrane’s “Journey in Satchidananda” and the stumbling snares in Osunlade’s “The Promise.” Mahavishnu Orchestra’s beautiful “You Know, You Know” bears perfect guitar improve along with unique harps and these spontaneous squeals of sound that definitely jolt you from your thoughts — really, with my volume on its highest setting, they scared the hell out of me! Athens also features two masterpieces from Underworld themselves. There’s the techno-dance “Oh,” with its intertwining trumpets and the busy- jazz-spoken word; and “Beebop Hurry” with words by Hyde.

http://www.underworldlive.com

— Xolisa Renee Jerome

Diablos Guapos
Rumble Devils
Stumble

After taking more years off than most bands endure, Rumble Devils are back with their second album, Diablos Guapos. In fact, it’s been so long that we might as well treat this record as a debut. The trio hail from St. Catharines, ON, but their sound is equal parts punk and rockabilly that lend the band a decidedly southern flavour. Diablos Guapos — handsome devils — is 13 songs about boozin’, drivin’ and not least of all womanizin’. “Whiskey” is a methodically pounding headache of a track about one man’s love for double-shots of corn-based liquor. “King and Queen” is the world’s most god-awful ballad but somehow that’s a good thing and you can just see a tavern full of domestic beer bottles held high in cheers to mopey memories. In stark contrast is “Kids These Days,” a punked-up tune about rock ’n’ roll falling out of favour with today’s youth — something that doesn’t sit well with Rumble Devils. And so this trio dedicate themselves to creating anthemic drinkin’ sing-alongs. This is sure to be a raucous concert if you get the chance to see the boys live.

http://www.myspace.com/rumbledevils

— Joe Veroni

Postdata

When brothers Paul and Michael Murphy found themselves with too much time on their hands in 2008, they decided to make their mom possibly the best gift any parent could receive: an album of dreamy acoustic tracks dedicated to their family members. Revisiting the material almost a year later that Paul, the frontman of Halifax’s Wintersleep, wrote and played, and that Michael recorded and mixed, resulted in nine melancholic tracks that are like a musical version of a family photo album. Paul has become known as a masterful lyricist and the deeply personal material is featured beautifully in the pared-down quietness of the instrumentation: an acoustic guitar, banjo, organ, or piano are what mainly accompany Paul’s tenor vocals. Common themes to the tracks are remembering (and forgetting), and the devastation of growing old, which is further exemplified in the repetition of certain lines throughout most of the songs, such as “are you in outer space?” in the song “Eclipse” and “lie down” in the song “The Coroner.” The effect of repeating such burdening lines over and over has a meditative quality to each song, but it also provokes a frustrating resistance to the listener, like momentarily wandering inside the mind that is cloudy with Alzheimer’s, only to witness such devastation full on. Heartbreakingly beautiful, as is the certainty of our mortality, Postdata’s self-titled album documents the generations of a family and celebrates those who are still with us.

http://www.myspace.com/postdiddy

— Chloe Vice

One-Sider
Follow That Bird
Monofonus

Follow That Bird’s “one-sider” promotional album features three tracks, giving listeners a taste of the trio’s infectious rhythms and vocals. “I Want You To Know” opens the album hard- hitting right off the bat with a catchy chorus, tumbling bass line, gritty vocals and on-point percussion, which together, gives the song a great vintage rock ’n’ roll voice. “Where They Rest” displays a slightly lighter side to the band while “In The Trees” offers an all together different sound to Follow That Bird’s lineup. The song is a little deeper with its rich bass line and highlight on the lead guitar; which listeners get to enjoy a great psychedelic-like solo of towards the end of the track. This being but a bite-sized portion of Follow That Bird’s musical collection, this promo album definitely provides a good insight of this trio’s versatility and creativity.

http://www.myspace.com/followthatbiiird

— Xolisa Renee Jerome

Astro Coast
Surfer Blood
Kanine Records

Astro Coast, the debut album from Florida’s Surfer Blood, is quickly becoming one of the year’s most talked about releases (of course, it is only January). Nevertheless, the hype surrounding the album is well warranted. With songs like “Take it Easy” and “Fast Jabroni,” the band combines laid back, too-cool-for-school lo-fi guitar buzz with charming pop sensibilities last appreciated when The Shins changed your life. Despite the band’s lack of surfing, there is an undeniable influence, with Pixies-style surf rock riffs. Lead single “Swim” descends (or ascends) into Dinosaur Jr. territory with swirling guitar distortion layered over a head-bobbing pop tune. “Anchorage” — driven by singer John Paul Pitts’ soft vocals and crunching guitar riffs — feels like a hidden gem buried near the bottom of the album. If you need an album to melt your icy heart after Blue Monday (aka the worst day of the year), then this is it.

http://www.myspace.com/surferblood

— Jon Brazeau

Fall Be Kind
Animal Collective
Domino Records

On their latest EP, Fall be Kind, Animal Collective has taken a step back from the complexity of their last album, Merriweather Post Pavilion, and have written songs that are not as densely layered and instead feature more linear structures. The first track, “Graze,” is the only song that doesn’t have one dominant verse that is repeated throughout the duration of the song. Both “Graze” and the second track “What Would I Want? Sky” incorporate samples from other bands, including The Grateful Dead. These two tracks stand apart from the others not only because they feature samples but also because of their lofty and beautiful upbeat tempos and harmonious lyrics. The subsequent tracks — “Bleed,” “On a Highway” and “Think I Can” — evoke a more sombre mood by decreasing the tempo and privileging one element of the music above the others. In these tracks, the dominant sounds are ambient in nature, with only a few other elements added which are rarely substantial enough to alter the overall flow of the track. By injecting more emotion into their songs, the album diverges from the methods that brought the band success on their previous album and while keeps their various idiosyncrasies intact.

http://www.myspace.com/animalcollective

— Joseph Fava

The Seven Year Itch - Covers Compilation
Paper Bag Records

Named Toronto’s Best Record Label by NOW Magazine, Paper Bag Records releases a 12 cover collection in honor of their seventh anniversary. This Canadian-owned record label is known to release quality international and Canadian music alike from a variety of genres. And speaking of variety, this 12-track collection is the epitome of the word diversity. The collection starts out with a cover of famous ’90s one hit wonder “How Bizarre” by OMC, tackled by CFCF. This heavily-synthesized ’80s sense to the song really lends a distinctive feel as compared to the acoustic guitar and percussion of the original. However, this cover lacks the fun of the original and if you’re waiting for it to pick up, well it doesn’t. A surprising highlight would have to be “Gamma Ray” originally by Beck but done here by Laura Barrett. The song has a dream quality to it and Barrett’s voice borders on a mix of Minnie Riperton’s ’70s hit “Lovin’ You” and Minnie Mouse. Her unique voice is intriguing and begs you to listen, along with the constant beat of what sounds like a children’s toy piano. Next, we have a cover of “I Want You” from none other than Bob Dylan. 8 Rock Plaza Central has to be recognized for covering a Dylan song but their version lacks. A great cover is one that makes you forget you’re listening to a cover, it becomes their own, but this version makes us yearn for Dylan’s off key twang. Seven Year Itch, on a whole is a great listen for those who like “a little bit of everything” and is not to be hidden in a brown Paper Bag.

http://www.myspace.com/paper_bag_records

— Laura Ciampa

It Feels So Good When I Stop
Joe Pernice
Riverhead Books

Joe Pernice has turned an indie rock career into an indie writing career. Pernice, founder of Scud Mountain Boys and the Pernice Brothers, wrote a novella for the 33 1/3 series based around The Smiths’ Meat Is Murder and his followup, It Feels So Good When I Stop, marks his full-length novel debut.

It Feels So Good When I Stop takes place in late 1996 and follows an unnamed narrator who’s left his wife, Jocelyn, after only three days of marriage and is now living in Cape Cod at his former brother-in-law’s house. The narrative deals with his experiences as a no-luck twentysomething screw-up and his run-ins with the folks of Cape Cod. Sprinkled into the mix are flashback chapters that show his old life, seemingly “better days” with Jocelyn and working as a waiter in a restaurant.

Of course, there’s also music; Sub Pop here and Lou Barlow there. It’s not too surprising considering that Pernice has released albums under the Sub Pop label. Nevertheless, it fits perfectly into the post-Nirvana era when Sub Pop was “the” label for indie musicians. Likewise, Pernice currently lives in Toronto and Leafs fans should appreciate the Wendel Clark reference in the book.

Style-wise, Pernice’s male character is a lot like Rob Fleming in Nick Hornby’s High Fidelity: grumpy, miserable and yet we stay attached to him (again, not surprisingly, there’s a quote from Hornby on the back cover). Pernice has an interesting writing style that’ll keep you reading but the plot itself tends to chug along and never reaches a definite conclusion. Even the flashback sequences seem a bit jumbled and random at times. Pernice also reaches to the low brow with several shit-related gags. Although funny at first, they probably belong in another book.

For the most part though, It Feels So Good When I Stop is a hit and Pernice should find himself carving out a literary niche much like he has in the music world.

— Jon Brazeau