By James Keller
Slow, mellow beats and well-paced piano underneath Molly Johnson’s smooth, refined voice make Another Day more than just a standard collection of lounge-jazz tracks. With everything you’d expect from a veteran musician–after all, Johnson has lent her voice to the likes of Big Sugar, Tom Cochrane and Jeff Healy–the album gives listeners a wide range… Continue reading Molly Johnson, Another Day
By Falice Chin
Falice Chin What could possibly be worse than the movie Josie and the Pussycats? A band that sounds exactly like them!This four-piece band calls this a Teaser EP, but it’s more like a lollipop for some young "punk" chick. It’s almost unbelievable that The Weekend opened for such amazing acts as Green Day and The… Continue reading The Weekend, Teaser EP
Seafood’s sophomore album, When Do We Start Fighting… shows off a band on the road to self-discovery.It is an oddly schizophrenic album, switching from the Starsailor-style Brit-rock of "Western Battle" to the folky vocal harmonies of "What May Be the Oldest" to the desperate shouts of "get up soldier" in "Cloaking." But somehow, the band… Continue reading Seafood, When do we start fighting…
By Preet Bhogal
If you’re looking for the sequel to The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, you ain’t gonna get it.The release of MTV Unplugged 2.0 was relatively low-key, fitting for this double CD of all new acoustic material. The songs are about Hill’s own experiences, covering issues from the trappings of fame to spiritual awakening. Many of the… Continue reading Lauryn Hill, MTV Unplugged 2.0
After a six year hiatus, DJ Shadow is back with his most intricate and layered masterpiece to date.The Private Press contains 14 tracks ranging from spacey samples on top of head bobbing breakbeats to ambient spoken word. Definitely his most adventurous record yet, this disc is nowhere near as accessible as 1996’s critically acclaimed Endtroducing…..… Continue reading DJ Shadow, The Private Press
My faith in punk was restored today.Edmonton’s Choke recently released their fourth album, There’s a Story to This Moral, on Smallman Records. The disc beautifully captures the essence that drives their live performances and sends their fans into a moshing frenzy. Singers Jack Jaggard and Clay Shea work the vocals back and forth, allowing the… Continue reading Choke, Theres a story to this moral
By Dave Heaton
With summer finally rolling in, dreams of road trips, campfires and hanging out by the lake are probably well entrenched into many of our heads. This change in season also brings about a change in the sound of The Get Up Kids on their latest album.On A Wire has seemingly shifted slightly to the left,… Continue reading The Get Up Kids, On A Wire
By Falice Chin
This year, NOFX’s frontman Fat Mike finally decided to clean up his room. The reward for such a dreadful chore is a collection of b-sides and many other forgotten goods brought together on their latest release, 45 or 46 Songs That Weren’t Good Enough to Go on Our Other Records.This double CD features ’90s punk… Continue reading NOFX, 45 or46 songs that werent good enough to go on our other records
By Falice Chin
After winning the 1998 Mercury Music Prize for “Most Innovative Album of the Year,” this five-piece band continues to amaze the world with their latest disc, In Our Gun. With their distinctively British blend of folk, blues, electronica and rock, Gomez provides an easy-listen, with catchy tunes and smooth percussion. Props to frontman Ben Ottewell… Continue reading Gomez, In Our Gun
By Eric Fung
Pop music has never been so bland. Velvet Empire and their self-titled debut are products of the Canadian reality TV series Popstars, which follows “the creation of a male/female pop super-group.”Average in every respect, Velvet Empire has no chance of attaining popstar status. There is no doubt they sing and dance decently and their image… Continue reading Velvet Empire, Self-titled