Johnston Farrow

Gnarls BarkleySt. Elsewhere(Downtown)Few could escape the charms of Gnarls Barkley this year after the release of “Crazy,” easily the crossover single of the year. The following LP, St. Elsewhere, had it all—the talented soul vocals of Goodie Mob veteran Cee Lo, the indie cred of über-DJ/producer Danger Mouse and trippy videos. Soon, people with a […]

Black Rebel Motorcycle ClubBaby 81(RCA)After the retread of its self-titled second album and the acoustic detour of Howl, BRMC returns to form with Baby 81. Although the band doesn’t move away from the sonic template it’s become known for, this San Francisco psych-rock three-piece proves once again why it is one of the underrated singles […]

Kate MakiThe Sun Will Find Us (Independent) Sudbury native Kate Maki graced Halifax with her presence in 2002, living here for a short time while kick-starting her solo career. A tiny, blonde ball of fire, Maki wears her heart on her sleeve and sweat on her brow during her ferocious live performances. Her first solo […]

MorrisseyRingleader of the Tormentors (Attack/EMI)Over the course of his solo career, Morrissey gained the reputation of an artist incapable of following one good album with another. The god-awful Kill Uncle followed the excellent debut Viva Hate. The widely panned Southpaw Grammar came after the excellent Vauxhall and I. Following the Mozzer’s release of the triumphant […]

The CureS/T (Geffen)After the missteps of Wild Mood Swings and Bloodflowers, Robert Smith and company return with their best disc in over a decade. As usual, there’s plenty of despair but things aren’t all that bad, with Smith drawing from the best eras of The Cure catalogue. “The End of the World” recalls the romanticism […]

Hot ChipThe Warning(DFA)This London, UK, synth group makes some of the most organically danceable pop tunes out there with more feeling in their pinky fingers than anything on Rock Star Supernova. In faChuck Teed, the quintet pokes fun at repetitive dance music on the single “Over and Over” but songs like “And I was a […]

The VinesWinning Days (Capitol)The perpetually stoned Craig Nicholls leads his band of Aussies through more of the same on Winning Days. There are flashes of brilliance here: The opener “Ride With Me” is a gloriously brash call-to-arms. “TV Pro” is the pissed-off child of the Paisley Underground and UK punk, while “Fuck the World” channels […]

TravisThe Boy With No Name(Sony)At one time, with producer Nigel Godrich (OK Computer) on board, Travis was on its way to being the biggest band on the planet. Then its audience grew up (or got younger) and as soon as one could say The Man Who, the Glasgewian nice-guys were out of style. This is […]

Queens of the Stone AgeLullabies to Paralyze (Interscope)Queens of the Stone Age’s last album, Songs for the Deaf (2001), was a coming out party for a never-more deserving band. Alternative rock didn’t get any better, with lead singer/guitarist Josh Homme tearing up fuzzed-out party gems with a revolving who’s-who of music greats, including Gene Ween […]

Graham CoxonLove Travels at Illegal Speeds(EMI) Always the soft-spoken talent to bandmate Damon Albarn’s ego-driven vision, Graham Coxon dissolved the partnership before the sessions for Blur’s underachieving Think Tank album. His role in one of the biggest UK bands of the ’90s became quickly apparent—Think Tank missed the inventive cool of Coxon’s licks, which had […]

TangiersNever Bring You Pleasure (Sonic Unyon)The Toronto duo serves up their second dose of melodious power-pop. Tangiers mixes ’70s glam, ’80s new wave and ’90s indie influences into sparse but upbeat numbers. “Ro Ro Ro-land,” driven by a Fisher Price synth-beat, is minimal pop that captures the innocence and beauty of a twisted nursery rhyme. […]