Dave Hayden

The Artic MonkeysWhatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not(Domino)In the UK, The Arctic Monkeys are the latest “It” band to hit the scene. The band’s rise to instant stardom started a few months back after someone leaked demos. As the demos got around and the ether-buzz grew, the Arctic Monkeys got tagged as […]

Black FrancisBlueFingerCooking vinylChris Thompson has decided to resurrect his Black Francis alter-ego, but anyone expecting BlueFinger to be a full-on throat-wrecking return to Pixies-era spit and fury will be disappointed—most of the material stays within the singer-songwriter territory Thompson’s carved out over the last decade. He starts off right, though, with “Captain Pasty” and “Threshold […]

American Analog SetSet Free (Arts & Crafts) If there is an established band that fits neatly into the Arts & Crafts family, it is American Analog Set. AmAn Set’s early albums featured sprawling, elegant ruminations on musical space and time, with a sound that has been perfectly described as the intersection of Yo La Tengo […]

Sarah McLachlanAfterglow Live(Nettwerk)The most striking thing about this concert is how far Sarah McLachlan has come from a modest, energetic singer songwriter to this Goliath of a music-biz celebrity who puts on a slick set. It’s not too far from Las Vegas top-dollar glitz where every solo, bridge and between song banter is tightly paced. […]

Midnight MoviesMidnight Movies (Emperor Norton)Music fans who sort-of like Evanescence but feel the band’s hooks are too obvious should perhaps give Midnight Movies a first and second look. Beyond the obvious comparisons—female lead vocalist, haunting and sombre music lines—this LA trio trades in the (overdone) sonic knock-out punch for more subtle dynamics that often lure […]

VariousChristmas for Lovers (Verve)Verve has released many Christmas compilations with hardly any repetition. This one, included in the label’s “for Lovers” series, is no exception. Along with heart-warming classics by Mel Torme and Ella Fitzgerald, there are some great, lesser-known recordings from guitarist Kenny Burrell, singer Billy Eckstine and the indisputable king of sax Gerry […]

Four TetRemixes(Domino)The electronica wizard Kieran Hebden (AKA Four Tet) is certainly one of the more adventurous and prolific artists out there. This two-CD retrospective highlights his talents as a producer/remixer and as a composer. The first CD showcases his favourite remixes of the past few years—from artists like Aphex Twin to Madvillan to Beth Orton–demonstrating […]

The Most Serene RepublicUnderwater Cinematogra-pher(Arts & Crafts)Arts & Crafts is quickly becoming a label whereby you can almost guarantee that its latest release will be interesting, if not addictive. Jason Collett’s solo disc is a masterful, more acoustic version of his parent band Broken Social Scene. And now The Most Serene Republic, with its pleasant […]

ElevatorAugust(Blue Fog)Recorded between August 2003 and August 2004, the newest Elevator disc further solidifies this band as the pre-eminent psychedelic rock-out machine on the continent. Opening with the pulsating “Thickwall” and finishing with an equally expansive “Where is the End,” this disc will drop your shrooming ass off in a bad dream and pick you […]

AC NewmanThe Slow Wonder(Blue Curtain)You may not always agree with Spin magazine, but it sure as hell hit the nail on the head when it said that New Porno-grapher AC Newman should release an album every month. He is a brilliant songwriter with stunning arrangements. While that can get him into trouble with overly exaggerated […]