Dave Hayden

Bright EyesNoise Floor (Rarities: 1998-2005)(Saddle Creek)Conor Oberst is such a prolific talent and insightful poet, it’s surprising that he doesn’t just put out an exhaustive box-set of all these little masterpieces. But maybe it’s a good thing he has more restraint. Paring tracks down to one essential CD of material keeps fingers off the skip […]

Bob MouldBody of Song(Yep Roc)Two years ago Bob Mould declared his loud guitar days over. After Modulate, he was only going to DJ or play solo acoustic shows. Well, best throw that out the window. Body of Song is a full band effort (featuring Brendan Canty of Fugazi on drums and ex-Sugar bassist David Barbe) […]

Limb TitcombS/T(Sony)Liam Titcomb has makings of being either a big star or a semi-obscure, highly respected musician. It is his choice. He is devilishly good-looking and can lay down a pop hook or two, which means that he could easily pump up the hit machine and be a more talented David Usher. But there also […]

Michael KaeshammerStrut(ALMA)Strut, like its predecessor (2000’s No Strings Attached) showcases Kaeshammer’s love of jazz, blues, ragtime and boogie- woogie. It also furthers his reputation for tackling the serious aspects of the music without forgetting that it should also be fun. Like a cross between Mose Allison and Frank McKenna, he tackles the piano like it’s […]

Belle & SebastianPush Barman to Open Old Wounds(Matador)When Belle & Sebastian first ignited the Glasgow music scene in 1997, the band drew many comparisons to the Smiths — for its preference for lonesome, monochromatic portraits adorning its record covers, for its sophisticated lyrical and musical savvy and for releasing scads of EPs. This latest disc […]

Holly ColeCollection Volume 1 (Alert Music)Holly Cole’s first (overdue) career retrospective is a tasteful, flattering look at her contributions to the Canadian jazz scene. Thankfully, it mainly focuses on her work as a jazz interpreter. There are a few full-blown band tunes from her later works, but the songs from Girls Talk, Don’t Smoke in […]

AtivinNight Mute (Secretly Canadian)Fans of Mogwai, Come and Codeine will find plenty to enjoy in Ativin’s latest. Beyond the obvious comparisons—layered guitars, minor key melo- dies and a slow purposeful momentum—there is also the despair and hopelessness that dominates what they call “an intentional homage to the world of horror literature and film.” Apart from […]

ElefantThe Black Magic Show(Hollywood)Have you seen the video for Elefant’s latest single, “Lolita”? It’s a slick, grainy black ’n’ white sleazefest. Cheap thrills it is, with nano-second glimpses of a supposedly pre-teen female (US law requires nude actresses be older than 18, so she only looks that way) writhing on the floor as the band […]

GrindermanGrinderman Anti-Listener beware: at the end of this disc (and “No Pussy Blues” in particular) it will feel like your chest has exploded. So watch out. It has been a while since Nick Cave has sounded this desperate, this vicious, like his pants were alit with hellfire. Essentially giving the middle finger to aging rockers […]