Reviews

Billy CorganThe Future Embrace(Warner)Billy Corgan is no stranger to the spotlight, as frontman for The Smashing Pumpkins and then later as the outspoken leader of Zwan. Corgan has always managed to push the envelope (ambitious two-disc albums, the Pumpkins’ Machina, Zwan) but The Future Embrace might be the end of all of that. Prior to […]

Al Franken and guestsThe Al Franken Show Party Album(Artemis) Once very commonplace and popular, comedy albums — save for the meteoric rise of Dane Cook’s Retaliation — are a rare breed nowadays. So it’s a welcome sight to see political humourist and now liberal radio host Al Franken release The Al Franken Party Show Album. […]

Ray DaviesThanksgiving Day EP(V2)Four songs plus one alternate mix are a teaser for Davies’ first full post-Kinks album in February. The Yanks’ Thanksgiving is a feast of ideas for Davies, always a lover of traditions and shrewd portrayer of inner lives. On the title cut, the longings of a widower and spinster lead to a […]

Robert Plant and the Strange SensationsMighty Rearranger(Sanctuary)Robert Plant will long be remembered as the charismatic front man of the legendary rock outfit Led Zepplin, but in that mighty shadow Robert Plant, the solo artist, resides. Mighty Rearranger (his second outing with The Strange Sensation, comprised of members of Portishead and Massive Attack) Plant has taken […]

Ben FoldsSongs for Silverman(Epic)Ben Folds has travelled under the proverbial radar for 15 years and a half-dozen records; like the best character actors, he’s never been big enough to be a star or a cult artist. Those who adore him do it with slobbering devotion, the rest sing along to “Brick” when it comes on […]

Daft PunkAfter All(Virgin)Daft Punk have once again spun together an album of electronic sounds from their limited palette. And from thrust-your fist-in-the-air power chords to massive drums, this duo is bananas for all that is great about ’70s cock rock. It is as if two kids from another solar system intercepted the KISS catalogue and […]

The Violet ArchersEnd of Part One (Northern Electric)Tim Vesely remains the unsung hero of Rheostatics. He writes the strongest pop songs in the band’s oeuvre. Vesely side project The Violet Archers allows him to set loose the pop master within, offering memorable melodies in “Co-ordinates,” “Time to Kill” and more, a lovely little acoustic ballad […]

Kim BarlowLucky Burden(Caribou)After living in Quebec, Nova Scotia and Florida, Kim Barlow has made the Yukon more than just her home for years. It’s been her muse—she’s taken to chronicling the natural wonders and human hardships that define its landscape. On Lucky Burden, the setting is Keno City, a town built in 1917 on silver […]

ShivareeBreach EP (Zoe)An American band that’s received most of its love from Europe, Shivaree is a secret worth knowing. Singer Ambrosia Parsley has star quality and, after a stint writing news satire on Air America radio, less hesitancy about sounding political. Brian Eno’s “The Fat Lady of Limbourg” (from 1975), one of the most brilliant […]

Dogs Die in Hot CarsPlease Describe Yourself(V2)Not a bad outing from this mid-’80s sounding, oddball pop-obsessed Scottish outfit. Combining heavy amounts of XTC with some Dexy’s Midnight Runners input, the band is what someone in the know might describe as “fun.” Their lyrics at times become a little hokey in concept, but overall, Please Describe […]

Pat DeighanNight Light(Sandbar)Pat Deighan is the former lead-er of PEI’s Eyes for Telescopes, a band reminiscent of LA’s country-punk outfit X. There was more than just a passing fancy for country coursing through their alt-rock tunes, and here is the proof. With lethargic J. Mascis-like vocals and a style suggesting study in alt.country’s early years, […]