Rock Opera reigns again. In stores now is the culmination of a trilogy that will go down in rock history as a must own collection. The Dear Hunter released Act III: Life And Death, the third installment of their rock opera June 23, 2009 on Triple Crown Records. For all you Pink Floyd…
Category: REVIEWS
CD and DVD reviews
The Rural Alberta Advantage, Hometowns
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The words “Rural” and “Advantage” are rarely grouped together in the same sentence when speaking within the scope of indepedent music. Bands which form outside of a major metropolis are often faced with a dilemma: stay local and comfortable and risk irrelvance or make the move to the New Yorks and the St.Paul’s alike but…
Bruce Peninsula, A Mountain Is A Mouth
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Gather around the campfire, take a few swigs from the bottle of ambiguous alcohol, start banging worn-down pots and sing loudly, regardless of your vocal training. Never mind the strange resonance lurking in the darkness and forget about what you think you saw. If this sounds like your kind of night, then the debut LP…
The Most Serene Republic, …And The Ever Expanding Universe
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The Most Serene Republic are what happens when a bunch of young, earnest musicians get together in a room and pay attention to detail. They run the gamut of instrumentation and harmonies, producing a layered ebb and flow complemented by Adrian Jewett’s rambling vocals. What’s particularily striking about “…And The Ever Expanding Universe” is how…
Pill Hill Radio, Self Titled
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Pill Hill Radio rocks out with pop-heavy hooks and a rootsy-type sound. The group’s self-titled album is full of hearty goodness while adding a catchy punch to their step. The band is made up of: John Rafferty on acoustic guitar, vocals & harmonicas, Mike Giugliano on drums, Tommy Casatelli on bass and Eric…
Shakyfoot, Down on the Rain
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Shakyfoot is one hell of a jam band–no joke! From the moment I pushed play, the energy was high and the sound was electric. Heavy-hittin’ rock grooves mixed with progressive blues makes up the core of Shakyfoot’s Down on the Rain. This band is made up of three members: Jason Scolnick on…
Ben Cooley Hall, Owning Up To A Life
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Mellow tunes for the 21st Century = Owning Up To A Life. Ben Cooley Hall brings you this decade’s version of Woodstock, but with his own unique style. The peace & love vibe is definitely evident on the record, but Hall mixes that vibe up with some of his very own rock, alternative,…
Valerie Nicole, From The Heart
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From the moment I pushed play on the CD player, I could tell one thing right away: this girl can sing! I could also tell something else and that is that Valerie Nicole definitely sings from the heart. This record is full of love, pain and everything else in between. Valerie Nicole handles…
PepperDome, Let’s Try The Other Side
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PepperDome and this new record is the sole idea of one man known as John Tokarczyk. This musician of many faces works out all the vocals, bass lines, guitar and drums for Let’s Try The Other Side. PepperDome mixes a strange blend of hard rock, alternative, progressive and new-wave that sounds like nothing…
Buckfast Superbee, Turn of The Radio Age
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As read verbatim from their CD booklet, Buckfast Superbee is made up of four members: Timothy Joseph on vocals, guitars, organ, noises and leverage—Derek Dutt on guitars, noises, harmonies and catalyst—Kevin Stram on bass, fuzz and connectivity—and William Driskill on drums, percussion, piano, noises and savagery. These four men are a creative bunch…
John O’Mara, Five Year Mission
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Five Year Mission is John O’Mara’s debut solo album and hopefully the mission will be complete after five years. The title actually comes from Star Trek and pertains to the amount of time O’Mara gives his musical journey. The backbone of the new album rests on O’Mara’s shoulders for being the best at…
The Deep Dark Woods, Winter Hours
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Light a few candles, not because you’re haphazardly attempting seduction, but because you’re reveling in a moment or two alone. Nick Drake seems too ominous and Leonard Cohen will only you how alone you are. Occupying that shaky yet gratifying middle ground is Deep Dark Woods and their third LP, “Winter Hours.” The alt-country outfit…
CHICKENFOOT, CHICKENFOOT
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Super group, haven’t had one since Velvet Revolver. Here’s a kick ass good one. It occurred to me that the band that each member came from, each had a power player. This group of power guys fit the slot correctly to deliver the punch that the previous bands had. Sammy Hagar, Chad…
Sipo, Year of The White Rose
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Freddie Sipo wrote, produced, mixed and engineered all songs on Year of The White Rose. Sipo also took care of the mastering and artwork for the new album. Not to mention, Sipo also handled the vocals & guitars along with some percussion parts. All I have to say before even hearing the…
The Music of Faye Miravite, La Brezza
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Originally from the Philippines but residing in Florence, Italy for the last 20 years, Faye Miravite brings you multi-cultural jazz. On the record, you will hear an array of talented artists contribute their time to make up the recording of La Brezza. Musicians from three different continents helped make Miravite’s compositions come to…
Gala, Tough Love
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Italian-born singer/songwriter, Gala, brings her version of Tough Love to you. Gala Rizzatto is now based in Brooklyn and offers up a mixture of world music, rock, pop, dance and even hip-hop elements. The record is highly eclectic in taste with a bite of the Big Apple and Gala in each song. The…
RANDOM STABBINGS & ARTLESS CRITIQUE, JULY 2009
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UFO, The Visitor (SPV Records) In this installment of SPV Records’s continuing missionary expedition to find survivors of the shredder and power-metal eras and throw them some studio time, we find UFO alive and well to a degree. The hate-fights between current singer Phil Mogg and ex-guitarist/band-drunkard Michael Schenker long consigned to the gossip…
Beware Fashionable Women, Beware Fashionable Women
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One could believe that Beware Fashionable Women derived their moniker from their new surroundings in L.A. However, it is more likely testament to a quirky sense of humor that oozes from the self-titled debut. Diverging from the light-hearted lyrical fare however, is a staunch commitment to musicality and the myriad of genres at BFW have…
The Dirty Sample, Beauty & Poison
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Hand’Solo is a Toronto based independent record label that is often underrated, but it’s catalogue constantly leaves you with your mouth agape. Representing artists from Canada, the U.S., the U.K. and Japan, “Beauty & Poison” features the crème of the crop of hip-hop today. Write off whatever you thought rap was,…
Iras, Samael Angel
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Born in Africa and now living in Southern France, Iras is a true renaissance man. Tired of playing politics with music business, he’s releasing his entire discography (currently “Samael Angel”) through creative commons on June 25th. His music weaves a story that is captivating and has a depth hardly ever reached in music…
Rachel Taylor Brown, Susan Storm’s Ugly Sister and Other Saints and Superheroes
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Portland’s Rachel Taylor Brown has created an oddity of an album on her fourth release. Expertly entwining geekish novelty with theological/existential ponderings, Brown’s Susan Storm’s Ugly Sister and Other Saints and Superheroes explores and experiments with strange hybrids of both style and substance. The album careens unpredictably from the minimalist folk-industrialism of the title…
Lloyd Dobler Effect, Lloyd Dobler Effect
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With a name like Lloyd Dobler Effect, how can you go wrong? Back it up with some peppy indie-rock anthems, maybe a slow song or two and some clever referential humor occasionally nestled in the lyrics. Perfect, right? Well, I’ve got bad news for you. There’s not so much as a mention of kick boxing…
Wunderbugg, Transgradulate
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Transgradulate is a made up term that roughly means “to graduate into a new phase of life with joy”. The meaning definitely stacks up to the new record as these three musicians combine many different musical elements. The overall sound is quite different yet very fresh. The band is made up of Whidden…
Gilson, Lampiao
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Whether you’re looking to entertain your guests for a dinner party or have a romantic evening with your significant other, Gilson Schachnik has you covered with Lampiao. Gilson brings you the vibrant sounds from Brazil along with heavy doses of jazz, pop and even some funk. Gilson provides elements from traditional Brazilian music…
Gian Tornatore, Fall
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Soft, smooth and sophisticated, saxophonist and composer Gian Tornatore’s third album, “Fall,” is a delight to listen to. The album, a follow-up to Tornatore’s 2003 debut, “Sink or Swim,” and his 2005 sophomore album, “Blackout,” has a short track listing of only eight songs, however, the quality of each song compensates for the quantity.…
Foster McGinty, Peach Red
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This band is made up of Foster McGinty on guitar & vocals, voices and sound effects, Trifon Dimitrov on electric bass, David Butler on drums & percussion and Doran Danoff on organ & wurlitzer. This record can be characterized as creative rock ‘n’ roll in the sense that classic rock meets a new age…
White Rabbits, It’s Frightening
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It’s Frightening is the second album from the six-piece indie rock band White Rabbits and is a strong follow up to their first effort, Fort Nightly. Here they have the added benefit of working with one of indie rock’s prolific trendsetters, Britt Daniel, from the band Spoon. Daniel’s produced the album and his influence is…
Six Red Carpets, Nightmares + Lullabies
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Whisking off to dreamland with the Six Red Carpets’ release, “Nightmares + Lullabies,” brings you to a mystifying, and nearly sublime state. The Milan, Italy alternative rock group, who notes Radiohead and Muse amongst their influences, has combined an eclectic blend of catchy rhythms, smooth guitar riffs and shadowy lyrics that convey deep messages.…
Los Angeles Jazz Collective, Sampler Vol. 1
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A compilation of upbeat and smooth jazz embodies the Los Angeles Jazz Collective’s “Sampler Vol. 1,” which was released earlier this year. The LAJC, which has been meeting for nearly two years now, is an assembly of various jazz musicians who aim to “build a stronger jazz community” in the Los Angeles area. Thirteen…
The Sue Menhart Band, Gypsy Soul
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This record is so quick and punchy; seems it’s over before it’s even begun! Not necessarily a bad approach for The Sue Menhart Band as they show a quick pace can actually work sometimes. The end result is just a fun/rockin’ EP that can relate to many people as well as offer a…
Diana Krall, Live in Rio DVD
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It’s not everyday when one comes across a music DVD that is enjoyable from start to finish. That’s the feeling you get from watching and listening to jazz vocalist Diana Krall’s recent DVD release, “Live in Rio.” A sultry mix of bossa nova, jazz and samba, Krall, who for nearly two decades has smashed…
Groove Kings, Blood Red
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Howard Forman jammin’ away on guitar and Irene Marc belting out the vocals make up the heart and soul of Groove Kings. These two musicians seem to have a special connection when it comes to creating a musical groove. The combo between Forman’s precision on guitar stacked with Marc’s passion at the mic…
Ronda Matson, Truth Be Told
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The CD right away has a real earthy/true-to-heart feel with Ronda Matson smiling away and flowers shown on the back cover. With the background color of a plain-jane light, brown while showing Matson in a natural state of happiness gives off a vibe of eco-friendly trueness. This is ideally what Ronda M. represents,…
Jesus H Christ and the Four Hornsmen of the Apocalypse, Happier Than You
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“Happier Than You” brings music out of it’s usual passive attitude. With its earworm worthy infectious pop hooks, and lyrics that are mixed with brilliant spot-on social observations that are often poignant, and heart-felt. With a voice like Sarah Silverman and music reminiscent of They Might Be Giants,…
Lorraine Leckie and Her Demons, Four Cold Angels
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A native of Whitby, Ontario, Canada, Lorraine Leckie is a former world-renowned make-up artist who quit her day job and went on to make music. Since she was young, the music of Hank Williams and Canadian hero Neil Young have played a pivotal role in her life. Bound with her poems influenced by Jean Nicolas…
Chris McLeod, Television Dreams
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Chris McLeod is a man with an acoustic guitar and a broken heart. His album Television Dreams is a love letter to the one who got away. It’s very simple and honest, with McLeod playing acoustic guitar chords and singing words that could either be from a letter or a diary. The first track, “Final…
Estrella Cristina, This Is Life
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Get your pop rocks on with a slight alternative twist on Estrella Cristina’s newest release, This Is Life. Having ties and roots to Panama, Trinidad and the U.S., Cristina brings a diverse vibe along with a deep love for music itself. Being named after a star in Spanish, Estrella, could it be that…
Mastodon, Crack The Skye
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The fourth album, Crack The Skye, from heavy metal rockers Mastodon takes you on an epic journey through space and time. The subject matter of their lyrics has always involved a mix of science fiction and myth. The layered and textured guitar chords create a fittingly grandiose soundscape to add emphasis and drama to their…
Passion Pit, Manners
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It is clear from the beginning of Passion Pit’s debut full-length album Manners that lead singer and keyboardist Michael Angelakos is the sentimental type. Not surprisingly it was sentimentality that inspired Angelakos to craft the first Passion Pit EP Chunk of Change — that album was a Valentine’s gift for his then girlfriend. Now on…
Years, Years
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Curators of alarmingly aware films take note: your next soundtrack is waiting for you with open arms. Years, (Ohad Benchetrit of Do Make Say Think) have crafted one of the most pensive and poignant instrumental records to be heard in, well, years. The self-titled debut mixes delicate finger-picking with rousing melodies in an attempt to…
