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Gayngs are the illegitimate love child of MGMT and TV on the Radio, if both of those bands were big fans of early 90’s soft r&b. This is the kind of music that you probably would have passed on with extreme prejudice ten years ago. Due to the constant rebirth of all things old, no matter how uncool those things once were, there is room for collectives like Gayngs. The album Relayted features up to 23 collaborators including Justin Vernon (Bon Iver), and features everything from cheesy guitar riffs to cheesy saxophone riffs to cheesy lyrics. It works though. You would probably be embarrassed to drive down the street blasting Gayngs from your speakers, so you’ll find yourself turning it down or closing the windows while idling at intersections. Still though, these sappy electronic songs will hold your interest if you submit to it without worrying about how schmaltzy it is. The critic in you will want to turn it off, but somehow Relayted manages to stay in rotation long after first exposure. -Daniel Demois
Quirky, original and oddly enthralling, Charlottetown’s Boxer the Horse’s full-length debut release comes through with enough energy and appeal to certainly delight their already active fan base. Previously releasing a self-titled demo and an EP since materializing from their native PEI, Boxer the Horse dispenses a diverse musical mixture that manages a maturing structure and overall distinctive flow. As such, Would You Please marks the band’s first truly prepared premier, showing heightened production value and an honest musical development that the previous offerings fell short with. The music continues the general Strokes meet Violent Femmes vibe that we’re accustomed to from the band. But with this release those parallels seem to have diminished and a new maturity highlights this new collection. Always poppy and entertaining, Boxer the Horse have now injected a richer creative component to their already addictive brand of dance-rock. Fans will not be disappointed and newcomers to the sound will instantly be won over by the sunny, upbeat pop music element. Frontman Jeremy Gaudet has a vocal style that possesses all of the charm and dignity of a Franz Ferdinand record, but diverges towards the more obscure through his tonal range and unpolished off-key moments. Would You Please is an enjoyably light-hearted listen; but don’t be fooled by the surface sound. There is definitely more that lies beneath from this quickly emerging band from the east coast. More and better music will surely come if this album is any indication of Boxer the Horse’s swift musical progression. http://boxerthehorse.com — Stephen Lussier
The third album from Wolf Parade does not stray enough from either of their previous efforts to gain or lose members of their fan base. Expo ’86 is a title that allegedly refers to the beginnings of the groups friendship in mid-eighties Vancouver, perhaps suggesting that this is the first time they have all been on the same page since then. Much has been said about the group finally finding a comfortable middle ground between the styling of co-leads Dan Boekner and Spencer Krug. The songs are certainly more consistent this time around, but without the two writers playing foil to one another the excitement has lessened a bit. At three albums the group seems to have settled into a sound. Expo ’86 is still a completely satisfying album from start to finish, with more of a mainstream 80’s feel added to many of the songs, making them catchier on the first listen. This album is very good, but while previous albums tended to grow each time you heard them, Expo ’86 delivers maximum potential immediately, perhaps making it slightly less rewarding. http://www.myspace.com/wolfparade -Daniel Demois
Circumventing the whole mainstream pop-rock genre, instrumental musicians Brookhaven release their second full-length album aptly named When the Chorus Walks. Bringing to the frontline an irrefutably post-rock sound, the Oakland-based band gives a breath of fresh air to a genre that can very easily fall towards repetition. Following up their 2005 debut Transitive Verses the band produce a superb live performance aura with this new album. Seemingly effortless with a flow of ambient melody they allow the music to generate its own momentum with songs that combine haunting electric guitar riffs, laid-back violin and incisive percussion. The musical development of the seven songs on the album is gradually progressive, growing just enough to remain interesting and fresh, yet never exploding into a frenzied electric mess. From the opening song and title track (‘reprised’, no less) you get that you are in for the smooth and graceful ride of Brookhaven’s own audio exploration. Waves of music bubble beneath the surface, highlighting each instrument amicably. The gentle rise-and-fall of the instruments reveals Brookhaven’s distinct direction towards more guitar-based compositions. Electric-guitar is the primary element here. It provides the backbone to the many supplementary instruments that fade in and out from track to track. The modest elevation of drums, bass, synth and violin join in lucidly and always with profound harmony. Fans of instrumental electric post-rock or those who take pleasure in listening to relaxing background music on long road-trips will both find something to enjoy when listening to When the Chorus Walks. Brookhaven personifies nicely how an extensively large collective can work together to create something so uncomplicatedly expressive. http://expelrecords.blogspot.com — Stephen Lussier
If you’re into laid-back southern rock or take comfort in the unassuming tone that a lot of today’s folk music scene encompasses, Infinite Arms is sure to appease. Front man Bob Bridwell and his latest assemblage bring to the table their third album under the moniker Band of Horses. With a fervor that supersedes similar alt-country folk bands out there, Band of Horses possesses the unique talent of creating something remarkably distinctive with their music. The band’s third album comes out with humble appeal, trumping their first two records by a long shot. That’s mainly because the preceding recordings relied on highlight singles, while Infinite Arms gives us the whole package. The album is based mainly in folk and country roots but manages to capture a fair amount of rock ‘n’ roll charm. A hybrid of Neil Young meets Sloan gives a better understanding of the musical fusion that they have created on their newest record. The folk element takes you in immediately with “Factory”, baiting you with soft acoustics, orchestral strings and echoing harmonized vocals. The initial track builds itself to a peak where it aptly introduces the first more rock-oriented song “Compliments”, a piece poised for radio play and as such has become the first single off the album. Heightened levels of guitar, piano and drums raise this and the following track “Laredo” to a much more uplifting country-rock tone. The somberness of the next few tracks ground the album again to its folk roots, drifting in and out with lazy guitar melodies washing together with Bridwell’s weary yet entrancing vocals. Country-western music takes over with “Older”, a ballad whose sentimental lyrics and lackadaisical slide-guitar might be best enjoyed on a porch sipping some lemonade on a hot, hot day. The piano and harmonically driven apex track “Neighbor” finishes the album in a predictable manner but nonetheless appeals. An overall excellent collection of music, Infinite Arms is sure to please country fans with an edge or rock fans with a secret desire to ‘country up’ their library. http://www.bandofhorses.com — Stephen Lussier
Named after a park in China that guitarist Michael Timmins became acquainted with while adopting two children, Renmin Park is the first in a series of four albums in the Cowboy Junkies new Nomad Series. For some 25 years Cowboy Junkies have been as much a part of Canadian culture as hockey and beaver tails, so it’s strange to see an album focusing around the Far East – but rest assured: it works. From the incredible found-sounds lifted straight out of the album’s namesake that comprise “Intro” to the simple guitar strings of the title track, Renmin Park is as tight a piece of musicianship as you’ll ever find kicking around the indie music scene. The soft roots country sounds that one expects to find in a Junkies album remains present, as Margo Timmins’ voice continues to be the highpoint of the band. Timmins quietly and elegantly works through the trippy and decidedly un-Junkie grooves of “(You’ve Got to Get) A Good Heart” and “Cicadas”. Though fret not, the divas drifting voice also easily works through the more Junkie-standard slow and methodical ethereal sounds of “I Cannot Sit Sadly By Your Side” and “My Fall”. The Cowboy Junkies have always been consummate professionals and this is one of their most inspired works to date. Hopefully the remaining pieces of the quadrilogy live up to the high standards set by Renmin Park. -Joe Veroni
Dreamy with a wonderfully lazy charm, shoe-gazers Panda Riot have unveiled their newest EP Far & Near to waiting fans. This latest collection holds an assemblage of uncomplicated melodies, captivating lyrics and a brilliantly droning electric backdrop. The Chicago based and self-proclaimed ‘dreampop’ band continue their uniquely unusual musical style first shown on their 2007 debut She Dares All Things. Without any signs of fading from the modern independent music scene Panda Riot’s strength in both songwriting and studio production only seems to have improved over the four-year gap. Rebecca Scott’s soft and alluring vocals combine with straightforward guitar riffs and drum-machine backgrounds, creating a beautiful and perpetually floating barrage of sound. “Julie In Time” sets the pace for the EP, not demanding of the listener anything but to become washed away in a seemingly endless torrent of electric grind. “Motown Glass” continues the flow of musical innocence with a simply elegant and beautifully produced sound that steadily maintains itself. Up-tempo, developing tracks such as “When You Said – When I Said” and “16 Seconds” provide evidence of the band’s ability to transform the simplest of melodies into an increasingly explosive electric repetition of sound – a repetition that never seems to drag on or become remotely mundane. “Parallax” provides arguably the most unique song on the album with an ambient instrumental element that might have been better suited as a closing track on the EP. A closure that “16 Seconds” seems to overshoot. Either way, the six-song collection on Far & Near proves that the shoe-gazing genre is very far from at its end. http://www.pandariot.com/handmade/main.html http://www.myspace.com/pandariot — Stephen Lussier
- Bethany Hansraj
Cannonballs, Cannonballs, the debut album from Winnipeg-based indie-rockers Boats, is a wholly unique creation that immediately sets them apart from anything else on the scene right now. The album opens with "Sunrise on the Muffin District", full of soft melodies and eerily beautiful harmonies. The album then explodes into a bright display of what Boats is really about: quirkiness and eccentricity. In songs like "Drinking the Lake" and "TV Scientist", Boats set beautiful melodies against guitar riffs that can only be described as strange. The majority of the album, however, sees heavy electronic sounds as they emerge from the band's guitars and keyboards, weaving an unusual composition that, somehow, works in an innovative way that is certainly pleasing to the ear. Mat Klachefsky's voice is almost comical, but works with the eclectic mix of rhythms and timbres. With Cannonballs, Cannonballs, Boats does something that most bands today try to do, but can never achieve – they've created an album that sounds unlike anything else you've ever heard and still manages to be both musical and enjoyable.
Anachronisms is the debut album from Ketch Harbour Wolves, a Toronto-based band that has earned a great deal of acclaim over the past few years. The album has made an impact on Canada's indie music scene, but while it is a well-conceived product, it doesn't present anything that hasn't been heard before. The opening song, "Translations", begins with the type of music you would expect from a typical indie rock back from Canada and, unfortunately, the rest of the album follows suit. Each song has the dreamlike quality that many of today’s indie-rockers try to convey but ultimately fail to achieve – and Ketch Harbour Wolves aren't any more successful. Maybe it’s Jonathan Tyrell's soporific voice, or the banal echoing of the keyboards, but the atmosphere that the band is looking for just doesn't work. - Bethany Hansraj
- Bethany Hansraj
Dublin’s Villagers, fronted and largely comprised of singer/songwriter Conor J. O'Brien, release their debut full-length album Becoming A Jackal. Fans had already been exposed to the band back in 2009 with their EP Hollow Kind. It was a previewed glimpse into the musical warmth and creative maturity that O’Brien was capable of and that he eagerly yearned to show the world. Now signed with Domino Records the evolution of the music has become even more elegant and inviting than before. Spiritual and emotional, Becoming A Jackal is beautifully composed, well thought out and brilliantly produced. The album opens with an uncomplicated piano intro combined with mounting strings and a pure and sweet narrative tying the two together. “I Saw The Dead” immediately reveals the complexity and evolutionary standard that has been set with only more extraordinary work to follow. Using obscure and dark poetry combined with a comfortable acoustic backbone, the album consistently delivers music that simply washes over you in a veil of grace and charm. The lyrical style is reminiscent of an early Leonard Cohen or Donovan with its dark and sensitive wordplay. Tracks such as “Home” or “Pieces” bring to mind a similar song-making style akin to Arcade Fire, elevating the strength of both voice and instruments to a fevered pitch. Folk-inspired arrangements mingle together with songs containing an unruly heightened passion that clouds any specific genre or category that might pigeonhole the band’s sound. “To Be Counted Among Men” finishes the album with another appropriately shadowy storyline. This stylish finish encapsulates the same mystery and somberness that the preceding songs had held, providing a soft finality to a tour de force debut. http://www.myspace.com/villagers — Stephen Lussier
Fast and furious… and definitely captivating – this is an ample description of the methodology behind the band and the final impact that their debut album holds. UK artists Male Bonding combine a collection of thirteen energy-filled, grungy, noise-pop/punk tracks together on their newly released disc Nothing Hurts. A mere half-hour long, the musical pace that the band takes is, as a rule, quick as each song ranges around the two-minute mark. Getting it done quickly and capably is the aim of the band – and with this album there is no mistake that Male Bonding are getting to the point and winning us over while doing so. Band-mates Kevin Hendrick, John Arthur Webb and Robin Silas Christian hold strong to their ideology and have made speed the philosophy of their music. Threads of Nirvana, early P.W.E.I, and even Stone Roses appear throughout the album. These threads fuse together to create a sound that, although not truly unique, maintains a polished and winning excellence. Stationed in Dalston, a small town just outside of London, Male Bonding emerges from an abundance of local lo-fi artists. This debut release definitely helps make the band stand out from a sea of artistic peers. Nothing Hurts grants everything from speedy punk-soaked anthems to muddled-down grunge-rock, all of which culminate into a rapid-paced amalgamation of music. Their premier album is easily one where the music came first and the lyrics have become a secondary addition. The majority of the vocals are foggy at best, but memorable instrumental hooks are what overtake this shortcoming. The exaggerated BPM of the music coupled with the limited length of each song make this an easy listen and one that will definitely entertain. http://www.subpop.com/artists/male_bonding — Stephen Lussier
We can feel the angst — in a good way. Actually, this is most likely the only commonality between the musical selections of this soundtrack and the demographics of the film’s viewers. It’s quite difficult to believe that the readers of the Twilight saga have ever heard of Fanfarlo or are die hard fans of The Black Keys. However, shockingly Alexandra Patsavas (Gossip Girl, Grey’s Anatomy) has worked with Eclipse director David Slade to compile an impressive tracklisting of some fantastic artists. Muse contributes the most highly publicized single, “Neutron Star Collision (Love is Forever)”, and their video is featured on the album’s website. Yes, the album has its own website. These people are not new to marketing. In addition to the high energy Muse track is a haunting piano ballad from Sia, a dark and forceful Florence + the Machine contribution, and a lead track from Metric that sounds like the character Bella’s theme song. The Bravery, The Dead Weather, and Vampire Weekend also contribute new material. Twilight fans: please get into this music (if you aren’t already). Twilight haters: don’t hate the soundtrack too. http://www.eclipsesoundtrack.com/ —Chantelle Renee
After a seven-year respite, Sarah McLachlan is back with her eighth studio album, excluding her 2008 “best of” release. The opening track, “Awakenings”, teases the listener with tastes of her older, relatively up-tempo and edgy work (e.g. “Vox”, “Into the Fire”), but only for the first two verses. McLachlan then turns to the arena-(soft)rock sound we have come to expect from the matriarch of Lilith Fair. Her first single, “Loving You Is Easy”, features repetitive perky piano chords more akin to a Chantal Kreviazuk than a Tori Amos or Regina Spektor. From here, the album loses momentum. With few exceptions, McLachlan appears to be catering to her easy listening audience by substituting musical and lyrical depth for accessible melodies. However, such is the formula of selling records and drawing crowds and I predict Ms. McLachlan will be achieving both. Laws of Illusion is uninspired and often listless, but consistent. Easy background music for your Mom’s dinner party. http://www.sarahmclachlan.com/ca/home —Chantelle Renee
Hey! Have you heard of these guys? They have been called the greatest band in the world and the frontman may be better than Elvis (both self-proclaimed). They have also been known for outspoken enmities with rival bands as well as within the band . . . and with the general public. All of this behind them (?), Oasis is now celebrating their more than 15 year career with the release of Time Flies, a 27-track compilation of their greatest hits. With seven consecutive number one albums in the U.K., and all that arrogance, it should come as no surprise the boys couldn’t slim it down to a single disc. From their now noticeably grunge-y “Supersonic” to their most recent release “Falling Down”, there is at very least a hint of nostalgia for everyone — which is true even without “Wonderwall”. Oasis has left an indelible mark on music and pop culture and they won’t let you forget it. —Chantelle Renee
Ohio-based electronic forerunners Devo return after a 20 year hiatus with Something For Everybody. As the title denotes, this album unquestionably has “something for everybody” within its comprehensive 12 track collection. When the band had faded into obscurity they left us with an empty nerdy hole to fill after their last full-length 1990 flop Smooth Noodle Maps. However, their long-awaited comeback Something for Everybody manages to fill this emptiness with reverence and a great deal of progressive success. With their attitude always pointed toward the future Devo has held a place in our hearts over the years with their blend of obscurely complex electronica and electric New Wave rock. The sense of naiveté the music once held has now become fused with modern attitude, providing a more polished and calculated sound on the album. This refined studio sound has allowed for more of the band’s attention to be spent creating memorable riffs, catchy melodies, and a flow throughout that clearly shouts out that this is undoubtedly a “Devo album”. Memorable tracks such as “Please Baby Please” and “Don’t Shoot (I’m a Man)” indisputably reflect Devo’s abilities as creative and innovative songwriters. The majority of the music on this disc follows suit and will present the listener with the challenge of getting such melodies and lyrics out of your head. In today’s somewhat repetitious electronic music scene it’s ironically refreshing to have someone like Devo to come out of the woodwork and show us the entertaining importance that the genre still holds. Distinctive and deliberate, the revitalization of their own sound on Something for Everybody gives us a flourishing creativity that has thankfully shown us that the stagnation of Devo’s music is officially a thing of the past. With a sound both simplistic and captivating, now is the perfect time for Devo to come together and pay proper homage to a signature style that has never been forgotten. —Stephen Lussier
Categorizing Pendulum as a drum & bass artist is somewhat of a misnomer, especially at this particular time in the band’s career. Immersion is the recent full-length release fronted and produced by Australian artist Rob Swire and it’s the most detached that he has ever strayed from the straight D&B sound that he was once renowned for. Once recognized as one of the more prominent drum & bass artists with his 2005 release Hold Your Colour, the music has since then taken drastic directional change and has caused Pendulum to slip into an entirely different category altogether. Immersion is an album that presents identity issues that must be addressed — issues that yet again question his latest genre switch-up. Elements of dubstep, electric rock and heavy house-music overtones now saturate Pendulum’s music to the point where the musical identity has now become blurred beyond any facet of clear distinction. With this, their third full-length studio offering, many of these secondary elements have been strongly incorporated. The resulting sound still holds a lot to offer to existing fans as well as the new fanbase that they appear to be baiting. The mainstream element of electronic/electric rock holding most of Immersion together has caused the music to evolve beyond any single genre restriction. However, this lack of musical structure introduces too much to the listener, creating a confusion of genre-breaking which seems almost displaced at times. Prime examples stand out on Immersion when Pendulum breaks free from their D&B roots with harder, more rock-oriented tracks such as “Comprachicos” or “Self vs Self”; the latter of which actually features a guest appearance by Swedish melodic death metal artist In Flames. With songs such as these and similarly overtly produced pieces, Immersion becomes an unassembled puzzle — an assortment of randomly identified tracks and guest collaborations which make it feel more like the side-project of an accomplished producer than that of an artist’s fully designed album. Content structure aside, the album still contains many highlights which strongly prove Swire’s worth as a talented musician, singer and producer. For this reason alone Immersion holds more than enough water to certainly warrant a scrutinized listen. http://www.myspace.com/pendulum —Stephen Lussier
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Boxer the Horse
Brookhaven
Band of Horses
Cowboy Junkies
Panda Riot 
Boats
Ketch Harbour Wolves
The Blue Van
Villagers
Male Bonding 
Various Artists
Sarah McLachlan
Oasis
Devo 
Pendulum