Trevor Savory

GradyA Cup of Cold(Warner)Big Sugar shredded speakers across this nation of ours with its blend of reggae-infused blues rock until 2004 when leader Gordie Johnson disbanded it. He went to Texas and formed Grady (with Ben Richardson and Billy Maddox) not long after. In 2005 Grady’s debut Y.U. So Shady? was released to minimal fanfare. […]

Gwen StefaniLove. Angel. Music. Baby. (Interscope)Gwen Stefani’s LAMB is inevitably going to disappoint No Doubt fans, but if you go in with an open mind, you might be surprised at what you find. Stefani steps away from the No Doubt shadow and emerges with an album best described as “Bubble Pop Electric” (an aptly titled […]

D12D12 World (Shady)Westside Connection has Ice Cube, G-Unit has 50 Cent and D12 has Eminem. All three have high powered hip-hop ties—so why does D12 come off as more of a novelty act? Maybe it’s because of their singles “Purple Pills” or “My Band,” which by hip-hop standards are light-hearted compared to the gamut of […]

Danko JonesSleep is the Enemy(Bad Taste)To paraphrase Occam’s Razor, the simplest answer to a problem is most likely to be the right one. Not that Sleep is The Enemy is a problem. It is, however, a straight-ahead no-frills rock record, brimming with testosterone-laden confidence. Even as far back as their indie EPs, Danko Jones’ primary […]

Pete YornNightcrawler(Red Ink)It’s aggravating the attention given to “artists” such as Paris Hilton or Kevin Federline while actual artists like Pete Yorn are out there making incredible folk-rock. It’s hard to explain why Yorn has gone largely unnoticed—Nightcrawler will be the best album of 2006 that no one heard.Trevor Savorycategories: Best of the year (2006)

Jon McKielThe Nature of ThingsindieJon McKiel’s latest release The Nature of Things shows just how diverse the Nova Scotia music scene actually is. McKiel invokes hints of Wintersleep, Joel Plaskett and Matt Mays, but ties them together neatly into a beautifully crafted sound that is his own. David Suzuki would be proud.Trevor Savorycategories: Best of […]

Turin BrakesJackInABox(Virgin)For every Coldplay, Radiohead or Oasis, you are doomed to have a Starsailor or two. There will always be that hyped, successful-at-home European band that hits North American shores with an embarrassing thud and such is the case with Mercury Prize-nominated Turin Brakes and its third album, JackInABox. When done well, Britpop can be […]

WintersleepWintersleep(Dependent)While the rest of the country sees our music scene as primarily fiddle-based (save for Mays, Plaskett and The Trews, now in Niagara Falls), Wintersleep is going to be the band that blows this stereotype out of the water. Their second release is poised to take Canada by storm. “Jaws of Life,” “Danse Macabre” and […]

Memphis BleekMADE(Roc-A-Fella)With Jay-Z stepping down, Roc-A-Fella Records has to elevate an artist to become the label’s new marquee name. Who better than Memphis Bleek, handpicked by Jay-Z as Roc-A-Fella’s first signee? MADE is entertaining, but not overly substantial—more raps about the streets, bling, bitches and blunts. The album soars when Memphis is bringing it hard, […]

Thom YorkeThe Eraser(XL)Fans of Radiohead’s more recent work will feel right at home with frontman Thom Yorke’s debut solo disc. Though The Eraser is surprisingly accessible, it’s still a long way from a commercial recording. Technology continues to provide Yorke’s haunting vocals with an intricate tapestry of bleeps and boops, seamlessly interwoven with organic instrumentation […]

Birdman & Lil’WayneLike Father, Like Son(Cash Money/Universal)“Stuntin’ Like My Daddy” was the lead single to be released from Like Father, Like Son. The expectations have never been high for any previous Cash Money releases, which was also the case with this album, but it turned out to be one of the biggest surprises of 2006. […]

SloanA Sides Win: Singles 1992-2005(Sony BMG)A Sides Win: Singles 1992 – 2005 is Sloan’s first foray into the realm of the greatest hits/singles compilation (on what grounds is a single considered to be a greatest hit?). After releasing seven studio albums (from Smeared to Action Pact), one EP (Peppermint) and a double live album (4 […]