THE NATIONAL LAUGH TRACK 4AD You wait four years for a new album from The National, and two come along at once. Hot on the heels of the excellent First Two Pages Of Frankenstein, Laugh Track is a surprise release from the Brooklyn-based gloom [...]
THE KINGS THE LONGEST STORY EVERY TOLD DIZZY/WARNER The Kings formed in the late 1970s in Vancouver, although many of the members were from Oakville and Toronto. They released their debut album, The Kings Are Here in 1980 and they had an [...]
FAT MIKE GETS STRUNG OUT FAT WRECK CHORDS Amidst NOFX’s final tour, Fat Mike has contributed something a bit unexpected to his impressive discography. Fat Mike Gets Strung Out is a completely instrumental reimagining of NOFX songs. The [...]
STEVE HACKETT FOXTROT AT FIFTY + HACKETT HIGHLIGHTS: LIVE IN BRIGHTON INSIDE OUT MUSIC/SONY MUSIC Steve Hackett continues to explore his career with this live recording from his 2022 tour in which he performed solo material, Genesis songs, and [...]
Willie Nelson Bluegrass Legacy Recordings Willie Nelson, the legendary country music artist who has captivated audiences for over 75 years, has finally made his foray into the bluegrass world with his latest album, aptly titled Bluegrass. [...]
HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS SPORTS (40th ANNIVERSARY REISSUE) CAPITOL/UME As hard as it is to believe now, at one time Huey Lewis & The News struggled to achieve chart success. Despite being a tight, hard-working band, mainstream success [...]
CHARLIE KAPLAN COUNTRY LIFE IN AMERICA INDEPENDENT Don’t let the title of the latest Charlie Kaplan album fool you – Country Life in America. Well, ok, maybe just a little bit. You see, don’t expect that twangy Nashville sound [...]
HALEY BLAIS WISECRACK ARTS & CRAFTS Going for a theme or a concept in your music can be a double-edged sword for many artists, particularly singer-songwriters. Even though it is done in songs (chapters, if you will) the theme has to be [...]
SARAH JANE SCOUTEN TURNED TO GOLD LIGHT ORGAN RECORDS You just don’t get nominated for 4 Canadian Folk Music Awards, a Western Canadian Music Award and an International Folk Music Award for being simply good. You also don’t get to [...]
Danko Jones Electric Sounds Sonic Unyon Canadian rockers Danko Jones are back at it again with their latest album, Electric Sounds. Unfortunately, the album does not live up to their older stuff. There are worse rock records out there, but I was [...]
K.Flay Mono Giant Music Diverging from K.Flay’s previous albums, Mono offers a compelling narrative. It offers an engaging and enjoyable listening experience. K.Flay has boldly ventured into an uncharted territory with this release, [...]
D.A. STERN DON’T TAKE YOUR HEARTACHE OUT ON THE WORLD SYMPHONIC/MISRA The art of good and/or excellent pop rock has not been lost in modern music, and New Jersey to Los Angeles singer songwriter D. A. Stern is here to prove it with his [...]
JOHN MAYALL & THE BLUESBREAKERS LIVE IN 1967 – VOLUME THREE FORTY BELOW RECORDS While John Mayall may not get the recognition that he deserves towards popularising American blues in 1960s and ‘70s London, everyone he worked with has [...]
MUSTARD PLUG WHERE DID ALL MY FRIENDS GO? BAD TIME RECORDS At a time when ska goliaths like the Mighty Mighty Bosstones and Reel Big Fish have disappeared into the ether, it’s a welcome shot in the arm for the ska scene that Mustard Plug return [...]
EVERCLEAR LIVE AT THE WHISKY A GO GO SUNSET BOULEVARD RECORDS Be fierce and fearless in the Year of the Tiger. Everclear’s Live at the Whisky A Go Go is electric, a testament to the enduring relevance of ‘90s alternative rock, raw and [...]
JALEN NGONDA COME AROUND AND LOVE ME DAPTONE RECORDS Every once in a while, an album comes across a reviewer’s desk that heralds the arrival of a significant new talent into the music scene. Come Around and Love Me is one such album, taking the [...]
OOMPH! RICHTER UND HENKER NAPALM RECORDS Oomph! The exact feeling that only industrial metal can deliver! This genre of music is not for the faint of heart. It is loud, aggressive, and energetic. A spectrum of industrial and heavy metal [...]
The Chemical Brothers For That Beautiful Feeling EMI Records A tremendous synthesis of psychedelic electronica, The Chemical Brothers don’t miss a beat with the release of their 10th studio album, For That Beautiful Feeling. Pumping out hits [...]
GRAHAM PARKER & THE GOLDTOPS LAST CHANCE TO LEARN THE TWIST BIG STIR RECORDS Last Chance To Learn The Twist is the first album of new songs from Graham Parker since 2018’s Cloud Symbols and it is nice to have him back. Once again, he is [...]
Deeper Careful! Sub Pop Records Strap in team – Careful! the third album from Deeper, will take you on a hypnotic musical journey that consumes you till the end. With mesmerising guitar riffs, synthetic beats, and haunting vocals, a captivating [...]
PATRICK KRIEF SKYLINES INDICA Patrick Krief, formerly known simply as Krief, delivers on a more personal level than past releases, a solid LP in the form of Skylines, the artist’s seventh solo release. The former guitar lead and contributor of [...]
DBA (DOWNES BRAIDE ASSOCIATION) CELESTIAL SONGS CHERRY RED Celestial Songs is the fifth studio release for Downes Braide Association (DBA). DBA is Geoff Downes of Yes, The Buggles, and Asia, and Chris Braide who has written songs for and worked [...]
BBQ Pope Sad Reprise EP Independent Toronto garage punk band, BBQ Pope, has returned with their first release since their 2019 double single, “Visions/Kinda Funny”. Clocking in at just over ten minutes, Sad Reprise EP consists of four songs, [...]
Birthh Moonlanded Carosello Records Some artists go all out on their presence on social media. That rare minority, that includes Brooklyn-based, Italian singer songwriter Alice Bisi who works as Birthh, essentially don’t care. She has a [...]
