Guided by VoicesHalf Smiles of the Decomposed(Matador)Robert Pollard’s rise from teacher to middle-aged alt-god has kept the rock star fantasy alive in us all. Though he will continue his prolific output in other guises, it is sad to see the final pages turn on GBV. Any of the last four albums could’ve served as a […]
Dave Hayden
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Harry Connick Jr.
Harry Connick Jr.Harry for the Holidays(Sony)Connick’s 1993 album When My Heart Finds Christmas was geared for quiet family nights sitting around the tree in front of a roaring fire, but his latest is for those that like their Christ- mas music with a jazzy edge. Maybe he feels the kids are 10 years older—and have […]
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loudQUIETloud: A Film About the Pixies
loudQUIETloud: A Film About the PixiesDirected by: Steven Cantor and Matthew Galkin (MVD Visual)Documenting the unexpected reunion of one of the most influential bands in alternative rock, loudQUIETloud is not just a road-story of the Pixies reunion tour in 2004. It is more about how its individual members struggle with balancing old postures and lingering […]
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The White Stripes
The White Stripes Get Behind Me Satan (V2) After five kick-ass albums, The White Stripes have finally released something less than compelling. It may forever be known as Jack White’s piano and marimba experiment. There are some worthy tunes here (especially the lingering “White Moon” and the minimalist guitar hiccups of “Instinct Blues”) but too […]
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Jess Klein
Jess KleinStrawberry Lover(Ryko)Fans of Jess Klein’s critically acclaimed debut Draw Them Near will find this a suitable follow-up, with confident strides forward as a songwriter. Her voice, straddling the bitter resolve of Lucinda Williams and the sweetness of Tanya Donelly, stands out most beautifully on the slower, starker numbers like “Bombs Are Falling” and the […]
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The Hiss
The HissPanic Movement (Sanctuary)This Atlanta garage rock quartet delivers pretty much exactly what you would expect on this debut, plundering the riches of everything from ’70s rock (Led Zep, Neil Young) to the Stone Roses. Solid tracks like the rawkous “Clever Kicks” or the heroin-languid dirge of “Ghost’s Gold” might find favour with college radio, […]
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Oh Susanna
Published September 11, 2003. Oh Susanna S/T (Nettwerk) While there are moments that really rock with full band backing (“Carrie Lee,” “Cain is Rising”) on this follow-up to Sleepy Little Sailor, fans will still find plenty of the lonesome, wandering moments (“Zoe,” “Billy”) that have forever characterized Suzie Ungerleider’s uniqueness. The album finds the right […]
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Ben Lee
Published December 08, 2005. Ben Lee Awake is the New Sleep (New West) You would think that after Claire Danes left him, Aussie boy-wonder Ben Lee would return with an angst-ridden tearjerker full of songs like “How to Mend a Broken Heart.” But he found Zen Buddhism instead. And his inner peace and acceptance is […]
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Bruce Cockburn
Published January 05, 2006. Bruce Cockburn Speechless (True north) Bruce Cockburn is one of this country’s finest songwriters. And nearly every album from his two-decade-plus career has featured at least one instrumental track. But most of the time, these pieces have taken a backseat to his political activism and devout lyricism. Speechless is a CD […]
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Elliott Smith
Elliott SmithFrom a Basement on the Hill (Anti)Given the tragic ending to Elliott Smith’s troubled life, this “final” album will surely be picked apart and over-analyzed. Songs like “The Last Hour” and “Memory Lane” are horribly telling in hindsight. When he sings “it is raining in my heart,” only the coldest heart could ignore its […]
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David Sylvian
David SylvianBrilliant Trees (Virgin)Brilliant Trees was David Sylvian’s first solo album after he disbanded Japan. While not far removed from previous work, this was the beginning of a fruitful kinship with ex-CAN bassist Holger Czukay and avant-garde composer Ryuichi Sakamoto. Their influences are felt most in “Red Guitar” and “Backwater” where the subtle jazz and […]
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Amy Millan
Amy MillanHoney from the Tombs(Arts & Crafts)Message boards have been abuzz for months in anticipation of Amy Millan’s first solo release. And rightly so—her dreamy, hush-toned voice has been one of the catalysts for the Stars’ (and certain Broken Social Scene tracks) success. But anyone expecting a Stars-style release, in the vein of the debut […]
