Trevor Savory

Billy TalentII(Warner)With the amount of time spent recording its sophomore album, aptly titled II, one would think that Billy Talent were going to come up with a new wheel. Unfortunately one of the more hotly anticipated albums of 2006 is burdened by the old adage if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. There is no […]

NasHip-Hop is Dead(Def Jam)Timing has never been the forte of Nas—his first album was released in the debut shadows of Puff Daddy and the Notorious BIG. Even with the anticipation surrounding Nas’ latest, he is again behind another pair of hotly anticipated discs, Jay-Z and Snoop Dogg. But if you hear Hip-Hop is Dead, you’ll […]

Hot Hot Heat Elevator (Sire)Victoria’s Hot Hot Heat has released the hotly anticipated follow-up to 2002’s Make Up the Breakdown, Elevator. What made that debut so fantastic was that it had a slew of tracks so insanely catchy (“Bandages,” “Talk to Me, Dance with Me,” “No, Not Now”) that they’d lodge themselves deep inside your […]

JadakissKiss of Death(Ruff Ryders/Interscope)Innovators (Outkast, Kanye West, Eminem) make hip-hop an interesting genre to invest time into. Then you have the imitators, like Jada, who don’t bring anything new—they simply want to linger in the nostalgia of their idols (Biggie Smalls). The guest list for Kiss of Death is extensive: Snoop, Nate Dogg, Mariah, Kanye […]

John MayerContinuum(Sony)After his massive success with sap singles “Your Body is a Wonderland” and “Daughters,” it would be hard not to see John Mayer as anything more than just another pop artist. But the formation of the John Mayer Trio helped Mayer scratch the creative itch that he felt was being neglected. Upon returning to […]

Shop BoyzRockstar Mentality(Universal)Much like the popcorn films on the screens at your local multiplex, there’s an equal number of brainless filler discs that storm the airwaves during the lull in the summer release schedule. The debut album from the Shop Boyz is every bit a filler disc—it will drop another pair of singles and then […]

Pearl JamRearviewmirror(Epic)Pearl Jam is one of the few bands to emerge from the ’90s unscathed. Even though they haven’t released a new album since ’02 (Riot Act), they’ve delivered a b-sides disc (Lost Dogs), a double live acoustic album (Live at Benroya Hall) and a great single in the form of “Man of the Hour.” […]

NasIllmatic (Sony)Two thousand four marks the 10th anniversary of Nas’s debut album Illmatic. Nas quietly emerged in 1994 alongside Bad Boy records (featuring the debuts of both Notorious BIG and Puff Daddy). While Biggie and Puffy did their thing big, Illmatic became an instant classic, without the same fanfare. Nas is undeniably more talented than […]

Sam RobertsChemical City(Universal)After the monumental success of his debut album We Were Born in a Flame and years of straight touring, Sam Roberts was presented with the daunting task of creating a highly anticipated follow-up. Two years passed. The time off allowed Roberts to recharge in Australia and produce an album that effortlessly transcends the […]

Kanye WestGraduationUniversalReally, what’s left to say that Kayne hasn’t said already? Mr. West has once again proven exactly why he is the future of hip-hop. The much-hyped showdown with 50 Cent left Kanye awaiting the next contender for his throne. Few albums in 2007 were as exciting as this. Trevor Savorycategories: Best of the year […]