Reviews

Willie Stratton and his first-rate band come rollicking out of the quiet hills of Bedford for another smack of folk-rock bliss. Peppered among some sturdy ballads and a few old favourites is a smattering of tracks that points towards a new direction for the group: “Trinkets” and “Forest Tea Part III” are (relatively) subtler in […]

[iamge-1] The duo of Mary Beth Carty and Gabriel Ouelette is back with a slight tweak–he plugged in his guitar. She traded in her accordion, for the most part, for electric bass. Occasionally, as on “Administration,” you may be lured into prog-rock reverie before Celtic lilt and Acadian clatter take over. There’s a passionate critique, […]

With his band, the Hurtin’ Albertans, Lund has landed on a prestigious US label. The foursome recorded a dozen of Lund’s finest songs at Sun Studios in Memphis with some extra rockin’ noise live off the floor. Since Lund began in a punk band, The Smalls, it’s not really a stretch. Lead guitarist Grant Siemens […]

The title song was co-written by five people, so this album has a lot of support and good will behind it. Carleton Stone, Dylan Guthro, Gordie Sampson and Mo Kenney all turn up in various roles. Sampson’s throbbing percussive piano brings to mind Coldplay, perhaps too often. Fresher is the interplay of Guthro’s mandolin and […]

For a six-song, 17-minute disc, quite a range of experience awaits the listener. Back east from Calgary, producer Jay Crocker (Ghostkeeper), guides the Haligonian McKiel past his pop sensibility into the wild side. The fourth track, “Twin Speaks,” wraps itself around some peculiar, memorable upper register plucking before descending into a pit of sonic chaos. […]

The ace violinist-self sampler-arranger has been so busy supporting other acts, most notably Arcade Fire, anticipation has grown keen surrounding this album by the former Final Fantasy. Art-rock hero Brian Eno took note of 2010’s Heartland and volunteered some backup work on this one. With fewer exhilarating string flourishes and more synthesizer, In Conflict could […]

Neon Icon is the amazing second record from RiFF RAFF (AKA Jody Highroller), mixing as many genres as there are colours in the fluorescent rainbow, consistent with his almost-mocking bars about Taco Bell, snowmen, Versace pythons: I mean, what in the sweet hell is this? Short list: a Macho Man with cornrows, a slow Texan […]