Norah JonesFeels Like Home(EMI)Norah Jones has tried to squelch the hype as best she could with the release of Feels Like Home, but it is still running overtime. With good reason: Her sophomore release embraces fans of the multi-platinum Come Away With Me and onlookers alike as if they were old friends, treating them to […]
Trevor Savory
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Pearl Jam
Pearl JamPearl Jam(J)After tearing the roof off of the Metro Center last September, Pearl Jam headed back into the studio to complete work on its self-titled eighth album. During the considerable downtime between studio releases, Pearl Jam continued to satisfy fans with a b-sides compilation, a greatest hits package and an acoustic live album (not […]
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Gwen Stefani
Gwen StefaniThe Sweet Escape(Interscope)One gets the distinct impression Stefani’s sophomore solo effort is more a response to releases from Fergie and Paris than an album that is close to her heart. She claims this is a far more personal album than the severely overplayed and vapid Love. Angel. Music. Baby. But the depth of The […]
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The Hives – Tussels in Brussels
The Hives – Tussels in Brussels (Universal)The Hives stormed the North American music scene with reckless abandon in the 2000, and audiences weren’t quite sure what to make of this band of Swedes who seduced the British market with their aggressively stylish brand of rock. Radically different in both presentation and performance from anything else […]
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Neko Case
Neko CaseThe Tigers Have Spoken(Mint)The pairing of Neko Case with her pals The Sadies is pure genius. While The Tigers Have Spoken only whets our appetites for a new disc from Ms. Case (tentatively scheduled for the spring of ’05), it certainly satisfies. This 12-track compilation of live tracks was culled from seven shows in […]
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Alien Ant Farm
Published September 11, 2003. Alien Ant Farm Truant (Universal) Unless you were living under a rock in 2001, you heard Alien Ant Farm’s cover of Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal.” That unlikely hit managed to overshadow everything the SoCal band had accomplished up to that point. But AAF has returned with the aptly titled follow-up Truant. […]
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Alexisonfire
AlexisonfireCrisis(Vagrant)Screamo isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. But if you can manage to get past George Petit’s screaming and sink your teeth into the instrumentation and/or Dallas “City and Colour” Green’s vocals, it’s easy to see why Alexisonfire is so beloved. Though previous release Watch Out helped to raise the band’s mainstream profile, they are not […]
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Dolores O’Riordan
Dolores O’RiordanAre You Listening?(Sanctuary)It’s like visiting an old friend you haven’t seen in years. Dolores O’Riordan, frontwoman of the Cranberries, hasn’t been heard from since the release of 2002’s Bury the Hatchet. Fans of the band will feel right at home with O’Riordan’s familiar Irish brogue, falling sonically someplace between Björk and Tori Amos. While […]
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Mos Def
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. […]
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Social Code
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 […]
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Sass Jordan
Published August 28, 2003. Sass Jordan Best of Sass (DKD) Sitting around with friends listening to The Best of Sass, one remarked, “This isn’t Melissa Etheridge?” Without CanCon regulations or Canadian Idol putting her back into the public eye, would there even be a need for a career retrospective from Ms. Jordan? Just because radio […]
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Matt Mays
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 […]
