Trevor Savory

RooneyCalling the World(Geffen)Rooney’s 2003 eponymous debut made a splash in the pop-rock pool thanks in part to the great guilty pleasure that was The OC. The band’s sophomore release may be an uphill battle, as they took four years to prep the disc and unleash it upon the world. While not a horrible atrocity, it […]

Kanye WestLate Registration (Roc-a-fella)College Dropout was an album that set hip-hop on its head. It stood out from everything else inundating the market at the time (G-Unnnit!). It was hip-hop with a conscience, and the follow-up, Late Registration, is no different in that regard. Where most artists wouldn’t dare tamper with success, West boldly changes […]

KasabianS/T(Sony)There is a buzz swirling around Kasabian right now, from their album’s striking cover art to their electronica-meets-progressive alt-rock. Unfortunately for Kasabian, there isn’t the same sort of following for electronica in North America as there is across the pond. Unfortunately for the listener, Kasabian’s snorer of a debut fails to capture much attention—it hardly […]

Junior JackTrust It(Noise/PIAS)By the time Junior Jack’s album hits track four, you’re going to be hooked. He’s not a household name, but Trust It is making waves on the electronic dance scene. Junior Jack’s ability to let the beat slowly build (in either volume or clarity) really adds to the pulsating tracks he lays down. […]

Matt CostaSongs We Sing(Brushfire)It wasn’t until a broken leg cut Matt Costa’s skateboarding career short that he decided to seriously pick up a guitar. In the 18 months after his accident, Costa set in motion the events that would lead to the release of a couple indie EPs and now his full-length debut, Songs We […]

EminemEncore(Shady/ Aftermath)Even with a release date that was bumped up in an effort to circumvent internet piracy, Eminem’s fifth studio release spread across the web like wildfire. Then came the theory that it was a planned leak, an album so bad that people would rush to pick up the “real” Encore. But it’s the same […]

GodsmackThe Other Side(Republic/Universal)In an ironic twist, Godsmack—whose name was rumoured to have come from an Alice In Chains song (“God Smack”)—follow in AIC’s footsteps by releasing an entirely acoustic album similar to the 1994 AIC EP Jar Of Flies. Where Jar of Flies was entirely new material, here Godsmack has included just three new tracks […]

AFIDecemberUnderground (Columbia)After toiling away in the California punk underground for years (and five studio releases), 2003 was the year AFI broke into the mainstream with its smash Sing the Sorrow, which showcased its burgeoning genre of gothic new-wave punk. It might seem odd to release an album entitled DecemberUnder-ground in early summer, but don’t let […]

Hunter ValentineThe Impatient Romantic(True North)There are albums that have you reaching for the stop button before track three has finished, and there are albums that weld themselves into your portable music device. The debut LP from Hunter Valentine is one of the latter. Kiyomi’s sultry vocals smoulder while Laura’s forceful drum assault and Adrienne’s bassline […]

EminemCurtain Call (Shady/Interscope/Aftermath)It was the sociopath satirist Slim Shady who introduced Eminem to the world of hip-hop. The imagery in his lyrics was so comically exaggerated we knew he was simply pushing buttons, but fans ate it up. Shady helped Eminem/Marshall Mathers line his pockets with gold, but with the release of his greatest hits […]