Reviews

Tom Wilson/Bob LanoisThe Shack Recordings Volume 1(Shack)From the opening shimmer of acoustic guitar and deep, moody cello on “That’s How I Walk,” you are absolutely transfixed and moved by this album. Spare and simple, it’s songs in their most basic and beautiful form: stories set to music. “Fennell Square” is a great example for its […]

Buried InsideChronoclast(Relapse)Using the genre “drone metal” to describe a band might sound negative, but in the case of Buried Inside’s latest album, Chronoclast, it isn’t. Buried Inside has written and performed an album comparable to genre-leading bands such as Isis and Pelican, but has remained unique in the process. Buried Inside has distinct metal and […]

Bob MouldBody of Song(Yep Roc)Two years ago Bob Mould declared his loud guitar days over. After Modulate, he was only going to DJ or play solo acoustic shows. Well, best throw that out the window. Body of Song is a full band effort (featuring Brendan Canty of Fugazi on drums and ex-Sugar bassist David Barbe) […]

WeezerMake Believe (dgc)Make Believe is something of an anomaly in the world of Weezer: it appears that Rivers Cuomo might have actually enjoyed the time spent in the studio this go-round. It’s somewhat of an event when Weezer drops a new record — the highly enigmatic and reclusive Mr. Cuomo, Weezer’s frontman and primary songwriter, […]

ShakiraOral Fixation Volume 2(Epic)Perhaps the most classically beautiful woman to sing this well since Lena Horne, the Colombian siren Shakira presents the Anglo sequel to Fijacion Oral, with just a couple of songs in common. Latin flourishes are held in check to the extent that it’s a relief when they are embraced on “Animal World.” […]

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 […]

CaribouThe Milk of Human Kindness(Domino)Just so you know, Caribou is Manitoba’s new name. It seems that the very lame frontman for punk band The Dictators, Handsome Dick Manitoba, sued Dan Snaith (formerly Manitoba) for trademark infringement. This is Snaith’s first full-length recording under the new alias and it does not disappoint; sweet beats, tweets, twinkles, […]

Bloc PartySilent Alarm (Vice/Dim Mak)Bloc Party isn’t as much about its influences as its execution. While the band has been accused of drawing influence from just about every British group that has ever written in a minor key, it’s ultimately the songwriting that makes them worthwhile. Matching aggressive melodies, manic drumming and geometrical guitar work, […]

Greg KeelorSeven Songs for Jim(Warner)This is not Greg Keelor’s admission of love to Jim Cuddy—it is far a more intimate album than that. This album deals with Keelor’s grief over the loss of his father, especially hard when you’ve developed a bond as adults. Tender and heartfelt, Keelor has poured any remaining emotion into these […]

John LegendGet Lifted(Columbia)Most modern R&B comes off like an artistically dead genre. The purveyors of the style emphasise vocal runs and dance routines, leaving songwriting and musicianship to those poor people who call themselves “artists.” But every once in a while, someone like John Legend comes along. The disc is an impressive collection of neo-soul […]

The DonnasGold Medal(Atlantic)Indie darlings the Donnas (none of whom are actually named Donna) have released their most accessible album to date in the form of Gold Medal. Longtime followers of the band might be hesitant to embrace the new poppier sound (think more Veruca Salt, less L7) and see this album as a sellout. But […]

VariousRussian Christmas (BBC Music magazine)If you want something beyond the umpteenth version of “Rudolph,” the best source of holiday music can be found at the newsstand. Every year the classical music monthly BBC Music puts together seasonal offerings of a divergent kind. This year the focus is Russia, with a version of Tchaikovsky’s First Symphony […]