Dave Hayden

Various Artists David Shrigley’s Worried NoodlesTom LabThere is something extra-special about an album with innovative packaging. Combine that with great music and you have something to truly behold. Which is exactly what Worried Noodles is. As an artbook—a hardcover booklet featuring 50-plus pages of original Shrigley drawings and handwritten lyrics—it would stand on its own. […]

[image-4]Published February 07, 2008.Doug MasonInvisible Star(indie)You didn’t need to be involved in the Halifax music scene in the mid-’90s to appreciate Invisible Star. But it could help. Doug Mason—band name or alter-ego?—is the creation of Michael Jackson. Along with Cliff Gibb, Mike O’Neill and a few other 
notable Halifax musicians, 
Jackson has turned out a […]

[image-4]Published February 07, 2008.Cat PowerJukebox(Matador)While listening to Jukebox, it’s hard to avoid comparing it to 2000’s The Covers Record. While the obvious is obvious—both showcase Chan Marshall’s unique interpretive abilities via a series of covers from artists that inspire her—the differences are as pronounced as those between Moonpix and The Greatest. Jukebox (as with her […]

Taken By TreesOpen FieldRough TradeCompared with Victoria Bergsman’s work with The Concretes, her first solo record is a strikingly minimalist recording. Save for the lush string arrangements of “Lost and Found,” its songs, like “Sunshine Lady,” with its twee melody over top of a solo ukulele, and “Too Young,” which uses only metalophone, snare drum […]

Ryan BinghamMescalitoLost HighwayIt’s good to see that Lost Highway is continuing to take risks and sign new artists that meet its criteria of combining raw talent with unwavering authenticity. Ryan Bingham, like the label’s other newest signee Mary Gauthier, is not interested in softening the harsh truths of life’s injustices to keep his listener comfortable. […]

Jesse DangerouslyVerba VolantBackburnerIn Latin, verba volant means “words fly away,” and in Jesse D’s latest, that’s exactly what’s happening. This album kills on so many fronts—special props to Timbuktu and Fresh Kils, who lay down some inspired beats. But it’s ultimately Jesse’s talent as a linguist and MC that shines. On what could be one […]

Ryan Adams & the CardinalsJacksonville City NightsLost HighwayFans of Whiskeytown and Ryan Adams’ early albums can start rejoicing. Jacksonville City Nights is Adams in full-on, capital-C Country regalia. You will be able to tell from the opening slide guitar and Adams’ quivering near-falsetto on “A Kiss Before I Go,” or the Willie Nelson-influenced “The End” […]

Alan BenjaminConstellations(independent)South shore trio Alan Benjamin sounds like it’s struggling to find an identity. Is it an indie band with a penchant for big-rock vocal posing? Or closet Puddle of Mudd fans with limited recording devices that lead to a lo-fi aesthetic? If you read the lyrics (references to decay, parasites and isolation) you’d think […]

The Hidden CamerasMississauga Goddamn (Outside)The band’s debut, Smell of our Own, was a charming and intelligent display of shimmering pop brilliance that was shocking in its explicit glorification of homosexual pleasure. Thank-fully little has changed. Joel Gibb’s lyrical pursuits have be-come more playful—“That’s When the Ceremony Starts” and “In the Union of Wine” will tease […]

Cat PowerThe Greatest(Matador)Chan Marshall dropped her tortured waif aesthetic for a ride on the southern soul train this year, and in the process surprised damn near everyone with a new-found confidence that even saw her (of all things) dancing along to “Living Proof” on Letterman. Aptly titled, this album is her finest moment yet eclipsing […]

Al Franken and guestsThe Al Franken Show Party Album(Artemis) Once very commonplace and popular, comedy albums — save for the meteoric rise of Dane Cook’s Retaliation — are a rare breed nowadays. So it’s a welcome sight to see political humourist and now liberal radio host Al Franken release The Al Franken Party Show Album. […]