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 […]
Johnston Farrow
Posted inArts + Music
Tangiers
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. […]
Posted inArts + Music
In-Flight Safety
In-Flight SafetyThe Coast is Clear(Dead Daisy)Our boys from the east coast had a huge year. Awards, videos on heavy rotation, signing to Emm Gryner’s Dead Daisy Records. It couldn’t happen to a bunch of nicer and harder working guys. And the music delivered—with soaring aTrevor MacLarenospherics, plaintive lyrics and sweet-as-honey melodies, In-Flight Safety is no […]
Posted inArts + Music
Boy
Published September 25, 2003. Boy Boy (Bumpstead) The debut from Boy, AKA Stephen Kozmeniuk, is ambitious and grandiose. Although he doesn’t always reach the heights he shoots for, you can’t blame him for trying. Boy is from the Yukon, but sounds like he’s toured as an international rock star. These Blur, Kinks and New York […]
Posted inArts + Music
Billy Idol
Billy IdolDevil’s Playground(Sanctuary)It’s a nice day to start again as Billy Idol returns after a decade of trying to play down his early-’90s Cyberpunk image. Surprisingly, the results aren’t all that bad. That’s mostly because Billy’s sucked it up and brought excellent glamster guitarist Steve Stevens back to the fold. Idol still has his bad- […]
Posted inArts + Music
Snow Patrol
Snow PatrolEyes Open (Polydor) Yes, it’s another of those British bands that make sensitive, epic ballads that pack an emotional punch. Smartly, Snow Patrol doesn’t stray from the formula it followed to stardom on the 2004 hit debut Final Straw. The group wins with vibrant guitar rhythms and pulsating keyboards, and only falters when it […]
Posted inArts + Music
Beta Band
Beta BandHeroes to Zeros (Astralwerks)Kicking off with the anthemic “Assessment,” Heroes to Zeros is the opposite of its title, proving again why the Beta Band is one of the best bands in the world, and one of the most underrated. They inspire a Dave Matthews-like following in their native UK but are way cooler, morphing […]
Posted inArts + Music
We Are Scientists
We Are ScientistsWith Love and Squalor(Virgin)Although some critics complained the Brooklyn trio relied too heavily on the songs-about-girls-and-boozing formula, that’s a small criticism when fewer indie rock records sounded as consistently fun in 2006. Backed by a collection of excellent singles (“The Scene Is Dead,” “Nobody Move, Nobody Gets Hurt” and “It’s a Hit”), We […]
Posted inArts + Music
The Thrills
Published November 20, 2003. The Thrills So Much for the City (Virgin) With song titles such as “Big Sur,” “Hollywood Kids” and “Santa Cruz,” one would think The Thrills are from California; they’re from Dublin, Ireland. Although they live far from Cali’s warm, sandy beaches they do a great job of transporting the listener there. […]
Posted inArts + Music
7-up
While you read, listen to a few tracks by Gypsophilia off their new album Minor Hope. The name is a tip-off. Then take a single good look at the seven-piece called Gypsophilia and you’ll get a sense of what you’re in for. It’s a gang of players, dressed in the best vintage clothing local thrift […]
Posted inArts + Music
Missile possible
It’s probably safe to say that Andrew Sisk, the brainchild behind the folk-inspired electronic project Share, had to leave home to find what he was looking for. A native of Chipman, New Brunswick, Sisk didn’t see a punk band in concert until he left his hometown for Fredericton as a 17-year-old. That experience, along with […]
Posted inArts + Music
Break-up breakdown
What started as a concert for an influential California avant garde electronic band soon became a festival showcasing some of the best hardcore, experimental, punk and metal-influenced music the east coast has to offer—and the local label that releases it. The ironically named Obey Convention festival, hosted by Divorce Records, goes from April 13-15, featuring […]
