Chuck Teed

Shawn ColvinThese Four Walls(Nonesuch)Colvin’s first disc of original material since 2001’s “Whole New You” is the most consistent release of her 17-year recording career. A faultless songwriter and storyteller, Colvin masterfully weaves tales of life, love and loss over a warm, inviting musical backdrop. There are no breakout hits—most remember Colvin for her lone top-10 […]

Nathan WileyHigh Low (Sonic)Nathan Wiley continues his progression from little-known PEI musician to Canadian songwriting staple on High Low, the follow-up to his acclaimed debut Bottom Dollar. Kicking in with the wonderfully melancholy title track and running through a veritable feast of songs—“Bride On Fire,” “Brag- gers” and “Sure That I Am Seen”—High Low shows […]

Jessica RhayeShort Stories(Independent)Six years is a long time to go between albums, but New Brunswick’s Jessica Rhaye made the most of her musical sabbatical. Short Stories is a marked improvement over Rhaye’s self-titled debut, with a poise and polish that holds its own against the folk-pop heavyweights on the radio today. Producer Ed Woodsworth pulls […]

The OrganizersPainting Bricklin Blue (Fort Rock)The sound quality is a little rough and the performances imperfect, but underneath Painting Bricklin Blue’s grit lies a clever, ambitious retro rock debut. The Organizers rule the roost when it comes to writing psychedelic-laced mod tracks—”Madame Enough,” “Is This A Love” and “Blue Armistice” are smartly written with memorable […]

Shawn ColvinThese Four Walls(Nonesuch)Colvin masterfully weaves tales of life, love and loss on These Four Walls, the most consistent release of her illustrious recording career. PerfeChuck Teeding the folk-pop sound that made her a household name in the mid-’90s, Colvin’s sixth studio effort shines with spotless songwriting and superb musicianship.Chuck Teedcategories: Best of the year […]

Bush SpeakThe Curious Wit & Wisdom of George W. Bush (Shout Factory)George W. Bush’s mangled English is nothing new to most, so this collection of quotes set to patriotic American music is not exactly enlightening. But listening to nearly 10 minutes of butchered Bush quotes does raise two important questions: How was this man—obviously over […]

The EndElementary(Relapse/Distort)Departing from the mathcore sound that made The End a household name in metal circles, Elementary showcases the band at its creative peak. The Mississauga-based quintet flirts with many styles on the album, yet manages to maintain a cohesive feel. Most impressive is vocalist Aaron Wolf, who shows an incredible range for someone better […]

Guns N’ RosesGreatest Hits (Geffen)No wonder Axl Rose tried to block the release of Greatest Hits. First of all, it’s missing the vital singles “Night Train” and “Estranged.” Secondly, over a third of the songs featured are covers (“Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door, “Since I Don’t Have You”). And most importantly, many of Guns N’ Roses […]

Tanya DavisMake a List(independent)The best local release in recent memory, Make a List’s charm lies in Davis’ brilliant lyrical delivery. A mix of fragile melodies and solid spoken word, Davis effortlessly draws the listener into each song, where they are rewarded with tasteful musicianship and inspired poetry.Chuck Teedcategories: Local artist,Canadian artist,Best of the year (2006)

HaydenElk Lake Serenade(Hardwood/Universal)Elk Lake Serenade is a more difficult listen than Skyscraper National Park, but that doesn’t mean there’s fewer great moments. In fact, once the confusion from the constant mood changes passes, a handful of tracks stand out as surefire classics. “Home By Saturday” features fabulous guitar and vocal interplay. A straight drum beat […]

MastodonBlood Mountain(Warner)Mastodon’s fourth album isn’t the band’s best (that award goes to Leviathan), but it’s still better than most heavy albums released in the last year. Vocalists Brent Hinds and Troy Sanders channel the spirit of classic Black Sabbath this time around, while the band dishes out some of the best riffage this side of […]