Trevor Savory

Mos DefThe New Danger (Geffen)Mos Def isn’t your typical hip-hop artist—he transcends the genre barriers with a brand of socially aware hip-hop that’s eluded the mainstream thus far. His style of music incorporates a variety of different genres, which makes The New Danger a disappointing outing—it’s far too disjointed to hold down a steady groove. […]

Social CodeA Year at the Movies (Interscope)Social Code isn’t going to win any awards with their sophomore album A Year At The Movies. It’s an average, melodic, angst-filled record which will appeal to the legions of hoodie-clad kids out there. Think of an emo Puddle of Mudd, or a pop-punk Three Days Grace. Tunes like […]

Matt Mays…When the Angels Make Contact(Sonic/Warner)Mays has established himself as a younger Neil Young-esque roots rocker but …When the Angels Make Contact proves that he’s much more than a one-trick pony. This album showcases an edgy and eclectic rocker—Beck-ish, if you will—spreading his wings and giving his band the night off.Trevor Savorycategories: Local artist,Canadian artist,Best […]

ChamillionaireUltimate VictoryMotownThere is a fine line between making pop culture references and simply dropping names. Unfortunately, Chamillionaire fails to recognize where that line is drawn. Ultimate Victory is overshadowed by the fact that this talented emcee feels the need to recite a laundry list of names throughout the disc. It would be one thing if […]

The TrewsDen of Thieves(SonyBMG/Bumstead)To follow up their recent opening slot for the “secret” Rolling Stones gig in Toronto, the Trews hit with the follow-up to their hugely successful debut House of Ill Fame. Den of Thieves bears a distinctively different feel, as production duties were shared between Gordie “Big Sugar” Johnson and Jack Douglas (Aerosmith, […]

Jennifer LopezRebirth (Sony)The latest release from Mrs. Marc Anthony is the epitome of why people turn to the internet to download hit singles rather than slapping down the necessary cash to purchase the accompanying filler found on most pop recordings. Previous J.Lo releases have contained a handful of catchy dance tunes (most feature a notable […]

Courtney LoveAmerica’s Sweetheart(Virgin)Media-whore prototype Courtney Love has crawled out of the gutter long enough to unleash her egocentrically titled solo debut America’s Sweetheart on the world. Though not the expected train wreck, it is a schizophrenic album, attempting to be everything to every- one. It attempts to regain the glory of Hole while trying to go […]

Gnarls BarkleySt. Elsewhere(Warner)Since his highly controversial mash-up The Grey Album helped spawn an entire sub-genre of hip-hop, DJ Danger Mouse hasn’t stopped moving. First there was his addition to Gorillaz on Demon Days, followed by The Mouse and the Mask and now Gnarls Barkley. Danger Mouse teams with Cee-Lo on this Moby-meets Outkast-outing. The lead […]

Jay-ZKingdom Come(Roc-a-fella)Back in 2003 Jay-Z announced his retirement prior to dropping his alleged swan song The Black Album. There was no heir to the Roca throne, so Hova opted to head back to the game and resume his reign with Kingdom Come. Kingdom Come is a welcome return. Blasting off with the smokin’ “Show Me […]

HinderExtreme Behaviour (Universal)Is it wrong to consult the back of a CD, see a picture of the band and still not know what kind of music you’re about to listen to? This is the case with Hinder and their debut Extreme Behaviour. From the scantily clad groupie on the cover, poring over photos of the […]

Talib KweliThe Beautiful Struggle(Rawkus)Talib Kweli was one half of hip-hop powerhouse Black Star, and due to the success of partner Mos Def, Kweli faces some lofty expectations. The Beautiful Success is his sophomore release and it exceeds any expectation. “I Try” (with Mary J. Blige), the title track and “Black Girl Pain” are standouts on […]