Reviews

On the eve of its North American tour, Long Long Long dropped this feast of a tape (also available at longlonglong.bandcamp.com). The song structures herein are entirely novel and yet they pull the listener along with the familiar anticipation of a pop song. Complete with reticulating guitar lines, curious religious references, some found sounds and […]

The internet has been abuzz over Purity Ring ever since the electro-pop duo—consisting of GOBBLE GOBBLE’s Corin Roddick and Halifax’s Megan James— unleashed its frenetic first single in mp3 form. Ungirthed swims through spooky synths and spasmodic snare-heavy beats to become even more playful as James’ sprightly singing dives in, glittering and gleaming. The recent […]

The Beastie Boys have been grown-ass men for quite some time now, which is why it should come as no surprise that their latest, Hot Sauce Committee Part Two, is basically a dad-rock album. That’s because Hot Sauce Committee is essentially made for people who grew up listening to the organic funk of 1992’s Check […]

Always the same, always different. Whether as Smog or under his birth name, Bill Callahan has been churning out quality music for over two decades. An artist of such integrity and so many dimensions, everyone seems to have a different favourite record. On Apocalypse, Callahan continues to dig deeper into his own peculiar Americana, sounding […]

Hip-hop albums are big, of course, on guests and cameos. With an institution like Snoop Dogg, it’s getting to be like the freakin’ Bob Hope Christmas Special. Willie Nelson strums and trades verses on “Superman,” about learning your limitations. A clip from Snoop’s interview with Larry King turns up on “Gangbang Rookie.” R. Kelly, Kanye […]

Their most rockin’ release since 1997’s The Colour and the Shape, the Foos’ latest record is refreshingly ambitious. Boasting a nice mix of heavy face-melters and classic Foo Fighters pop-rock, Wasting Light is consistent throughout. The album’s opener, “Bridge Burning,”
and track four, “White Limo,” are two of the best and heaviest tunes. Many who have […]

Wiz Khalifa is riding high on a wave of hype thanks in part to his Pittsburgh Steelers theme song “Black and Yellow” and his recent Rolling Stone cover. Rolling Papers is the hotly anticipated third studio effort to be released by the young MC, but unfortunately the album doesn’t support the hype. The disc as a whole […]

Tomboy is yet another piece of otherworldly pop mastery from Noah Lennox. Much like its predecessor, Person Pitch, Tomboy manages to turn bizarre sonics and surprising song structures into truly compelling, earnest music. There are so many lush synthesizers, rich vocal harmonies and cunning drum loops, it’s hard to imagine the task of organizing and […]

Sweden continues to to hit well above its weight in the area of pop music that can stop you in your tracks. On her sophomore effort, Li sings words that live up to the gothic echo, organ and rhythm settings of Björn Yttling from Peter, Björn and John. Mystery and longing like the Shangri-Las resonate […]

Oakland’s bubblegum bad boy took up with a bunch of sassy ladies (The Punkettes) and created a perfect collection of classic ’60s girl group gems—if classic ’60s girl groups had been fronted by a libidinous young man. Too Young to be in Love is a slight departure from 2010’s Gay Singles, in that his new […]

Pebble sees Lemuria’s songwriting territory expanding far beyond the sonic landscape displayed on the band’s earlier releases—songwriters Alex Kerns and Sheena Ozzella effortlessly add shifting time signatures and intricate song structures into their repertoire while retaining their trademark vocal harmonies. Lyrical brevity has long been a strength of this band, and Pebble doesn’t change what […]

Hugs are awesome. I appreciate that some people just aren’t into them, but to me they’re a triumph of human social evolution—flexible in application, intimate without crossing boundaries, a welcome reminder of the physicality that connects us as humans. Temporary Resident, the debut from Winnipeg duo Imaginary Cities, isn’t so dissimilar in its triumphs. Sometimes […]