The word “Quirky” often carries negative connotations, but one spin of Entertainment Ordinaire ought to prove otherwise. The debut full length from J.J. Ipsen and the Paper Crown is indeed a diverse listen, full of jangly rhythms and pop-leaning harmonies. But couple that with some fairly left-leaning soft rock hooks and incredibly literate lyrics and…
Category: REVIEWS
CD and DVD reviews
Snailhouse, Sentimental Gentleman
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Continuing in a long line of swampy, Canadian acts whose thinly-veiled brand of optimism is only heard through murky guitars and earnest crooning, Snailhouse make great strides with Sentimental Gentleman. The ten emotionally-laden tracks serve to establish Snailhouse not just as a fitting and hauntingly harmonious soundtrack to your last drink of the evening, but…
Verlee for Ransom, Happy Like Monkey That Climb
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First things first, to say this band is full of youthful exuberance is redundant. With a 20-year old keyboardist and an 11-year old bass player as bookends, their ages speak for themselves. However what their ages belie is the professionalism they bring to album making and the degree of available talent at their disposal (it’s…
Neil Thomas, A Century of Lullabies
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Over the years we’ve seen punk, rock & even alternative rock bands slowly erode into a dumbing down process of overly commercialized, corporate puppet shows. Unfortunately this form of entertainment not only exists in music but is slowly infiltrating TV Stets & Movie Theatres as well. Talking to many music fans out there, the response…
Jay Aura, iParty
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Jay Aura is ready to get the party started with his new EP ‘iParty’. The four-track recording has a dance club atmosphere for a reason and that is because Jay had all the strobes, lasers, girls and drinks in place. Jay Aura didn’t just sing about being in the clubs but actually lived…
Steve Northeast, Another Day
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In true “make it here, make it anywhere” fashion, Aussie singer/songwriter Steve Northeast relocated to New York City in 2002. Honing his craft and pursuing musical stardom in NYC venues, he first gained prominence with the release of his debut album Inside. Recently, Northeast and company released their anticipated follow-up Another Day, a 10-track dynamo…
RANDOM STABBINGS & ARTLESS CRITIQUE, APRIL 2011
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Lumerians, Transmalinnia (Partisan Records) Even the most pointless and unusable departments of music have bands that do enough right that you have to sort of hand it to them. San Fran’s Lumerians are peddlers of drone, which metal band SunnO))) squeezed for every last ounce of cred it could produce several years ago, so…
Jon McKiel, Confidence Lodge
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A good number of singer-songwriters face the pressure of trying to prove their worth through their craft. Very often, these artists go overboard in their efforts to be heard. What listeners are left with is a jumbled effort that only scratches the surface of the songwriter’s true gift. Jon McKiel didn’t make these mistakes. Instead,…
Bobby Runk, Good Company
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No question about it that Bobby Runk is in good company with the rest after hearing his debut album. Runk handles lead vocals, keyboards & synth on the new record and this CD is produced by Steely Dan’s own Gary Katz. Not to mention Bobby has a terrific backing band that helps Mr.…
Kiseleff, A Sound Seal
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Kiseleff is a pop/rock group made up of Al Renwick and Scot Andy. Renwick is the brains behind this operation known as ‘A Sound Seal’ thanks in big part to family inspiration. Al Renwick writes about three of his own Scottish ancestors who immigrated to America back in 1838. This information was…
Twin Tigers, Gray Waves
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There is an atmospheric sweep to Gray Waves, the debut full length from Athens’ Twin Tigers which makes recent tours with The Antlers, Deerhunter, Les Savy Fav and A Place To Bury Strangers understandable. For a debut, Gray Waves, a potent mix of haunting chamber pop and goth-inspired groove is remarkably mature and self-assured. This…
Mike Ian, Puzzle Pieces
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Over the years we’ve seen punk, rock & even alternative rock bands slowly erode into over-commercialized, corporate puppet shows. Talking to many music fans out there, the response is overwhelming. Give me something new, something fresh & fun. Give me band that dishes out good old fashioned Indie Rock with a no holes barred musical…
Doug Ratner, Eye To Eye
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Much too often, fence-straddling, genre-bending albums come across as contrived works with a lack of direction and no noticeable motive in sight. It seems the purposeful incorporation of “this and that” creates more musical confusion than cohesion. That being said, the above does not apply to Doug Ratner’s latest studio release. And while the album’s…
Daniel Masson, Frequencies
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Picture yourself taking a trip around the globe as you listen to Daniel Masson’s new album ‘Frequencies’. You will hear world-fusion and electronic music collide together to make up one hypnotic sound. All 12 tracks on the new disc represent Masson’s travels to Bangladesh, Egypt, Syria, India and Thailand which gives it that…
The Unraveling, Everything is Normal
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Over the years we’ve seen pop slowly evolve into what I like to call synth-pop or power pop. The music is rather synthetic, however clean, highly polished musical tidbits that are melody & catchy, with solid low end beats, & tasteful ear candy. Lady Ga Ga, is by far the reigning queen. But this…
C.S. Yeh, In The Blink of an Eye b/w Condo Stress
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Though already having made “seemingly hundreds of recordings”, In the Blink of an Eye b/w Condo Stress is Brooklyn based C.S. Yeh’s first recordings to demonstrate his abilities at songwriting, and its a shame these two unfortuantely short tracks are all we have to hear. “In the Blink of an Eye” is an undeniably infectious…
Rob Carlton, Seven Thunders
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2011 looks to be a great year for guitarist Rob Carlton as he was recently engaged, has a hot new album out and many exciting shows booked up! Not to mention, Carlton has also signed a new distribution deal with Musik and Film Inc/Full Entertain Music Inc (MAFFEM). And now following up his…
Kelly Pettit, These Days
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Kelly Pettit is a guitarist/singer/songwriter originally from Canada but has spent recent years traveling abroad touring around Japan. Like many new artists Pettit relies primarily on a ballad to rock format & other heart throb skill sets to get his point across. Music will remind you of Train, Plain White T’s, Maroon among others. To…
Red Weather, Every Alleyway
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Over the years we’ve seen punk, hard rock & even alternative rock bands slowly erode into over-commercialized, corporate puppet shows. Talking to many music fans out there, the response is overwhelming. Give me something new, something fresh & fun. Something that doesn’t sound like — well Nikelback. Give me band that dishes out good old…
Dan and Faith, Dreaming of Another Path
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Dan and Faith Senie are a husband & wife duo who have come full circle to create this debut album. 20 years in the making, ‘Dreaming of Another Path’ represents all the hard work that Dan & Faith contributed to this project. One amazing aspect is that although Faith has played piano in…
Tools of Creation, Adventures in Chaos
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Tools of Creations is a rock-nasty trio from Ottawa that offers adrenalin-rushed music. Their debut album is titled ‘Adventures in Chaos and you will get just that. After hearing this record in full you will know that T.O.C. is not messing around one bit! Tools of Creation is made up of: Ben Dimaria…
Fred McKinney, High Water
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Over the years we’ve seen American & Country Music slowly erode itself into over overly polished, popish nothingness. Artist after artist presenting themselves as superstars in the making with nothing more than a pretty face, pushed in front of a microphone with an acoustic guitar by the corporate giants. This is done in the hopes…
BILLY PRESTON, 16-YEAR-OLD SOUL
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Billy Preston traveled a long winding, extremely successful, musical road from Gospel through rock, full of personal and health related bumps. He was THE phenom B3/piano player in demand from the 60’s to present time. His session work encompassed dozens of music legends. In addition to a great solo career (and sporting the…
The Hobliminal Ibloid, Action At A Distance
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Forget what you’ve forgotten about the genre “electronica.” It is a broad and sweeping genre and the label itself rarely tells a listener anything about the nature of an album, save that at least some of the music will be generated “electronically.” On it’s face, electronica is as representative of the mysterious “clicks and clanks”…
ARI HEST, SUNSET OVER HOPE STREET
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Ari is a solo guitarist/writer that relies on the ballad to rock format, and also worked in a side project, The Open Sea with Rosi Golan. On this release, he worked in other instruments like piano and strings to take the lead away from strictly guitar. He had his release of The Break-In…
Eva Aine, My Way To Happiness
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First thing I notice from this young lady is how powerful her voice is. Eva Aine’s singing ability is absolutely superb and ‘My Way To Happiness’ shows off her flawless vocals brilliantly. This woman can SING with the best of them out there and hold her own quite well. Eva Aine is…
Simon Fagan, Outside Looking In
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All I have to say after hearing ‘Outside Looking In’ is that Simon Fagan is one hell of a singer/songwriter. The buck doesn’t stop there though because musically this album also shines. Fagan proved to me and hopefully proves to everyone out there just how a solid record should be made. Simon…
Nothing Sacred, Hollywood Striphounds
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LA Based 4 piece Nothing Sacred releases their debut EP Hollywood Striphounds earlier this year. The music has everything you would expect from a production of this flavor, including music that is explosive, loud & fearless. You’ll find catchy melodies layered everywhere, & of course guitars that bite & solos that will make your head…
Stripper, A Woman Under The Influence
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Right away the name of the band gets your attention not to mention the eye-catching album title. And I’m here to tell you that it doesn’t end there once you dive into the record. Ridiculously original and utterly outrageous are words that can best describe Stripper and their new release. Stripper is…
The Last Act, Still Standing
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Get ready for the hard rock/metal act from Calgary that call themselves The Last Act. These hard-rockin’ Canadians will prove to you that they are no joke. The new record is titled ‘Still Standing’ and this band is standing mighty tall after it is all said and done. The group is made…
Young Galaxy, Shapeshifting
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A band’s previous record can often dictate their upcoming release with pinpointed accuracy. While Young Galaxy’s previous full length, Invisible Republic, contained some synth-laden and at times, symphonic masterpieces, (“Long Live The Fallen World”) the band’s overall aesthetic was most prominent on the equally synth-heavy but much more atmospheric numbers. The band managed to…
Ellen Tipper, The Juggler
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Pianist/singer/songwriter Ellen Tipper releases her latest CD “The Juggler” in 2010. Tipper is an accomplished player & composer from Maine. She has a string of releases to her credit, & had notably worked with many folks over the years. The recordings themselves provide a very folksy, earthy approach putting the piano & Tippers amazing voice…
Jon Wirtz, Sea Level
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Solo pianist Jon Wirtz releases his latest CD “Sea Level” in 2010. Wirtz is an accomplished player & composer from Colorado. He has a string of releases to his credit, & had notably worked with many folks over the years. The recordings themselves provide a very conservative, gentile approach putting the piano front & center.…
Steve Warner & the Rolling Coyotes, Train of Life
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Over the years we’ve seen American & Country Music slowly erode itself into over popish nothingness. Artist after artist presenting themselves as superstars in the making with nothing more than a pretty face, pushed in front of a microphone with an acoustic guitar by the corporate giants in the hopes of making a quick superficial…
Young Livers, Of Misery And Toil
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This is one that will most certainly kick your ass ten times until Sunday. Of Misery And Toil, the second full-length from Young Livers, a fervent and dedicated four-piece that only adds to the already strong reputation that No Idea Records has built for itself. If you get a chance to come up for air…
RANDOM STABBINGS & ARTLESS CRITIQUE, MARCH 2011
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Ben Kono, Crossing (Nineteen Eight Records) Nu-jazz, purportedly Asian influenced owing to multi-instrumentalist Kono’s (Japanese, I believe) heritage, however my immediate overall impression was of a fairly straightforward Western blend. “Castles and Daffodils” opens the record to rambling effect; originally a paean to a downcast Stanley Kunitz poem, the originally effect was scrapped and…
The Rural Alberta Advantage, Departing
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Not long after the intense and equally cerebral and visceral shock of Hometowns, the debut from The Rural Alberta Advantage, wore off many were left wondering: how would the band fare under the weight of expectations from their sophomore release? It was a fair question, considering how immediate Hometowns was. It was a record that…
The Krista Parrish Trio, Playing With Pendulums
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The Krista Parrish Trio is: Krista Parrish on vocals, mandolin & piano, Steven Murphy on bass and Michael Fazekas on drums & percussion. There were also guest musicians on two tracks: “When” & “Easier Said Than Done”. Krista was responsible for writing all the songs with the exception of one, “Eye To Eye”,…
Akron/Family, S/T II: The Cosmic Birth and Journey of Shinju TNT
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It’s impossible to know what to expect from Akron/Family. Their cosmic brand of experimental rock has been delighting fans for close to ten years, and part of their allure is how well they keep those fans on their toes. S/T II: The Cosmic Birth and Journey of Shinju TNT, their latest, only confirms this. The…
SIR IVAN, I am Peaceman
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For an accomplished banker, leaving an established & respected full-time gig to pursue a career in music seems like a no brainier. The transition no doubt would of course be a seamless one given the Financial independence where things like Promotion, Music Videos, Impressive Session players, & of course a Grand Ole’ Production would no…
