DATAROCK MEDIA CONSUMPTION PYRAMID YAP RECORDS DATAROCK formed in 2000 in Bergen, Norway and their debut album was released in 2003 (Datarock Datarock). Media Consumption Pyramid is their sixth studio album and their first since 2018’s Face The [...]
LUCIA STAVROS BURN YOU UP INDEPENDENT Lucia Stavros is not just your run of the mill singer songwriter, she is a composer and a vocalist, but also a multi-instrumentalist, with harp as her main instrument. If that is an indication of what you [...]
NATALIE PRICE NATALIE PRICE INDEPENDENT What can you fit within the Americana genre these days? Well, almost anything and everything, which probably inspired Texas singer-songwriter Natalie Price to label her latest self-titled, full-length [...]
SIERRA PILOT PHANTOM PAINS INDEPENDENT Sierra Pilot makes its entry into their native Canada’s alternative rock scene with this impressive, ballsy debut, Phantom Pains. Indeed, after the opening barrage by the trio of “Alive”, “Adrenaline”, and [...]
THE WYTCHES OUR GUEST CAN’T BE NAMED ALCOPOP! RECORDS The Wytches formed in 2011 and they released their debut album, Annabel Dream Reader in 2014. Our Guest Can’t Be Named is their fourth studio album, and their first since 2020’s Three Mile [...]
JENNY OWEN YOUNGS AVALANCHE YEP ROC RECORDS There might not have been an album for a decade from Jenny Owen Youngs until Avalanche, her latest, but that doesn’t mean that she was standing still. In those ten years, she’s toured the world, [...]
THE MATINEE CHANGE OF SCENE INDEPENDENT After 15 years on the scene, sticking to your guns by remaining within a genre (in this case roots, Americana/Canadian), you might expect an artist or a band to show the signs of getting tired, or being [...]
CLARENCE WHITE THE LOST MASTERS: 1963-1973 LIBERATION HALL It was just over 50 years ago that the world was robbed of an incredibly talented artist, Clarence White. He was best known for his time with The Byrds (1969 – 1973) and The [...]
STEPHEN SANCHEZ ANGEL FACE MERCURY RECORDS/REPUBLIC RECORDS/UNIVERSAL MUSIC Stephen Sanchez is a new artist who released his debut EP, What Was, Not Now, in 2021. it caught the attention of many radio programmers and record labels. Republic [...]
Fur Trade Dark Celebration Light Organ Records Fur Trade has brushed-off the pixie dust and re-emerged with Dark Celebration, their sophomore album to their grooving 2013 debut Don’t Get Heavy. Curators Steve Bays (Mounties, Hot Hot Heat) and [...]
Arkells Laundry Pile Virgin Music/Universal Music Laundry Pile is the latest record from the beloved Canadian band Arkells. It is quite different compared to the majority of their discography. Arkells are known for their energetic, groovy, [...]
PENELOPE ANTENA JAMES AND JUNE YOUNGBLOODS & PARAPENTE MUSIC If the excellence of James And June, the new album by Penelope Antena, comes as a bit of a shock to the uninitiated, it shouldn’t be. First of all, Antena is the [...]
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 [...]