Recorded at The Tragically Hip’s Bathouse studio, The Arkells’ sophomore effort, Michigan Left, may be one of the bigger surprises of last year. It not only bucks the sophomore jinx, but it is also the band’s major label debut. This is an album that is immediately accessible and far jauntier effort than the debut Jackson […]
Trevor Savory
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Trevor Savory’s Top 11 Albums of 2011
Childish Gambino, Camp (Glassnote) Hands down this is one of the best debut albums in hip-hop, period. Honest and unpretentious, Camp simply hones the raw intensity of Gambino’s EP without losing a thing. Childish Gambino, EP (Independent) Five free ferocious tracks from an Emmy-winner was all it took to put the hip-hop scene on notice, […]
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Best music of 2011
Alison Lang Coast writer since 2007 Bad Vibrations, Black Train (Brotherhood) Bad Vibrations has what businesspeople would call a “consistency of vision.” With Black Train, these straight shooters will take you on a ride that is continually ghostly, tenebrous and spaced-out—brain food for headbangers. Bike Rodeo, Oh Bla Duh (Independent) Some bands out there raise […]
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Top 11 of 2011
Settle in and read our critics’ picks of the year. Learn about yourself and our writers in the process. Possibly a two coffee read and at least one of those coffees should have whiskey in it. MUSIC BOOKS DVDS VIDEO GAMES THE LOT OF IT
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Coldplay
Coldplay is a band that manages to draw the ire of its critics no matter what direction it heads in. Chris Martin and company have always been saddled by the idea that Coldplay is merely following in the footsteps of U2, and while Mylo Xyloto won’t do much to dissuade that notion, it is a wholly […]
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Mike Trask
Bearly’s mainstay Mike Trask opted to step away from his usual partners in crime, Mudhill, to record his solo debut Jamboree. He opted to strip away everything to create an album with DIY appeal. While this is a passion project (see the handmade packaging), one has to wonder if this would be better served as […]
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Joseph Arthur
The Graduation Ceremony marks the return of Joseph Arthur the solo artist, as this is his first solo effort in roughly five years. While this is not an album that is going to start a party anytime soon, this is certainly a superb effort as far as singer-songwriter fare goes. Joseph Arthur is hardly a household […]
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k-os
In the age of Auto-Tune, it’s uncommon to see a rapper shun their electronic facade, let alone take to the stage with a full complement of musicians, but Kevin “k-os” Brereton is far from a typical MC. He’s a hip-hop artist who shines while commanding the microphone, but his collabs with Billy Talent’s Ben Kowalewicz on […]
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Foster The People
It may have been the fact that the lead single “Pumped up Kicks” had the same sound and feel of fellow indie-rockers Peter Bjorn and John’s “Young Folks”—that will leave some feeling cheated. Torches is an album that could be considered to be a bait-and-switch of sorts: those looking for another indie rock record that […]
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We’re Doomed
Fresh off of a stint on the Vans Warped Tour, progressive rockers We’re Doomed have unleashed their debut EP Like a Machine. The EP is an aural onslaught of technical guitar wizardry and an unrelenting percussive backbone. Over the course of the five tracks, they blend into each other without being clearly defined, this may be due […]
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Vaccines
The Vaccines stormed North American shores with a press kit touting these Brit lads as the next big thing in rock. The album launches with a catchy opening blast of punk-rock (clocking in at 1:22): “Wrecking Ball” evokes a young Ramones. This is a decent album from a band that wears its influences proudly on its […]
