Sean Flinn

Original RecipeNoisette(Vinyl Republik)Food is sensual. So is music, particularly this album. Not in that “let’s get it on” way, but in the manner of involving more than just hearing. Sensory, then, might be the word for electronic duo Original Recipe’s Noisette. Dividing their sonic confections into four parts—antipasti, primi, secondi and contorni—the cross-border partnership of […]

K’NaanThe Dusty Foot Philosopher (SonyBMG)K’Naan, the Dusty Foot Philosopher, spits rhymes with that same pinched, sleeplessly agitated register as late ’90s-era Eminem (think back to “My Name Is…”). This vocal register works for K’Naan’s tales of life on the war-torn Mogadishu streets and finding his way in his adopted homeland of Toronto. Working with producers […]

The Marble IndexWatch Your Candles, Watch Your Knives(Maple)Trios are underrated in rock. Still, working under the radar, trios can work stealthily and suddenly explode into consciousness. Oh, just thinking of a little band called Green Day and American Idiot…. That’s what should happen to The Marble Index. Brad Germain on vocals/guitar, drummer Adam Knickle and […]

The HylozoistsLa Nouvelle Gauche(Boompa)Though The Hylozoists has changed its lineup (Halifax bassist Lukas Pearse no longer works with the band) and it’s toured frequently (including an Atlantic Jazz Festival gig this year) in support of its second album Fin du Monde, this is the better record. The band’s third release, La Nouvelle Gauche is tougher, […]

Royal WoodTall Tales (Sherpa)They’re in a class of their own, these one-man shows. Toronto-based Royal Wood is the latest in a line of guys, like Danny Michel, who do it all themselves. He’s got a voice a little higher on the register than Bryan Ferry and has a similar classed-up cabaret feel of debut-era Hawksley […]

Rose CousinsIf You Were for Me(Farm Pony)This is one from the heart. An honest and thoughtful musical statement, like one side of a deeply involved and very enjoyable conversation. You listen close and hear the songs clearly in your head. That’s a good sign, an indication you’ll be back many more times to consider all […]

AcornGlory Hope MountainPaper BagIf you took Ottawa band The Acorn and Glory Hope Mountain and planted them right here in Halifax soil, you’d have a tall tree to blend in with some of this city’s best artists. A more countrified or folksy Mike O’Neill, Joel Plaskett or Brent Randall, with some of Matt Mays’ dramatic […]

CitiesCities(Yep Roc)Cities hails from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, a place named, briefly, “the next Seattle” in the early to mid-’90s. It never happened for Chapel Hill, but Cities plays as if they’re vying for the crown of the city’s scene, should pop culture media and big business come knocking again. Cities is full of sincere, […]

AbernethyCollege Grove(Spinning Gold)This is one of those left-field records. You stumble upon it and the abstracted landscape catches your eye. So you bring it home and man, the music! Think of the baritone of Neil Osborne (54.40) crossed with hints of David Gahan or Hidden Cameras’ Joel Gibb over some fine strands of chamber-pop. College […]

The High DialsWar of the Wakening Phantoms(rainbow quartz)Montreal’s High Dials return in a big way with their sophomore effort. But this psychedelic pop doesn’t indulge in 14-minute tunes, just 14 tunes period. And that means there’s a lot coming at you, clocking in at just over an hour. It’s hard to pare back the overgrowth […]

Catfish HavenTell Me(Secretly Canadian)Catfish Haven is comprised of three shaggy-haired fellas based in Chicago. (The Windy City’s soul-blues sound comes through explicitly on “Down by Your Fire.”) George Hunter, singer/ acoustic guitarist, took the band name from the trailer he lived in for part of his life in Missouri. Hunter and cohorts—Miguel Castillo, bass, and […]

The ParkasPut Your Head in the Lion’s Mouth(Saved by Radio)Understandably, the Parkas sound a bit tired on this—their third—release. The London, Ontario-based guitar-pop quartet almost broke up two years ago. The 2006 EP and documentary DVD A Life of Crime and the Scars to Prove It offered new music—following 2004’s Now This is Fighting—and a […]