By Ben Hoffman
Listening to this Bad Boy compilation album it’s depressing to realize how little mainstream rap has progressed from the days when Sean Combs was only a skinny punk in the shadow of hip hop monolith Notorious BIG. MCs still half-heartedly list their material possessions and their varying levels of bling, carelessly tossing them on top… Continue reading Various Artists
By Jesse Keith
First released in 1975, country maverick Terry Allen’s first album, Juarez, is a sordid tale of the blood and booze surrounding two couples in a Californian desert. This re-release maintains Juarez’s hard edge by keeping the sparse production of the original, but also offers two new instrumental tracks. Now call me a redneck, but I… Continue reading Terry Allen
By Evan Turner
Steriogram is proof I simply have no idea about what kinds of music out there today. Schmack! is one of those new mixes of punk and rock where the vocalists rap to hard rock instrumentals. Although I hadn’t heard much of this before I was surprised to find myself enjoying it. I found the vocals… Continue reading Steriogram
Since it’s by far the easiest thing to latch on to we’ll get this out of the way first. Muse singer Matthew Bellamy strikes a near perfect balance between Jeff Buckley and Radiohead’s Thom Yorke. Some small breathing issues aside (something should have been done about the audible gulps between lines on “Time is Running… Continue reading Muse
When a band gets signed to a major label it usually means they have something interesting to bring to the table or they happen to fit in with the current trends of music. Borialis’ new release, What You Thought You Heard, fits neither of those categories. Trying to land somewhere between an off-shoot of Limp… Continue reading Borialis
Dear Ember, Hi. You might not know me but I have a crush on you. I know it’s silly but I have a big weakness for good looking dreadlocked girls with guitars who spout revolutionary politics. I was wondering if maybe you wanted to go see a movie or something. I hear The Corporation is… Continue reading Ember
By Jesse Keith
James Murdoch’s debut album Between The Lines places him in the poppy-singer songwriter category, sort of like a Canadian John Mayer. James Murdoch, John Mayer–both JMs. And the cover for Between The Lines looks surprisingly like Mayer’s Room For Squares, but perhaps I’m reading a little too much between the lines. Murdoch doesn’t do anything… Continue reading James Murdoch
While I have never been a big fan of rap or hip hop, certain artists have always made me turn my head and take interest. The duo of MC Eyedea and DJ Abilities have produced an interesting album combining various styles to hip hop. The musical production for Eyedea’s lyrics and the drum track that… Continue reading Eyedea and Abilities
In the liner notes of Wil’s latest album–and major label debut–the Calgarian boldly states “let it be known that this may not be the best album ever recorded in the history of music… it’s the second.” This statement is obviously tongue-in-cheek, but if Wil has the moxy to make it then he should be prepared… Continue reading Wil
Passing through this world of mundane emotion, we are seldom pushed to feel utterly disgusted, remarkably moved or delightfully enthralled. Yet, in the recesses of our minds, we quietly yearn for the passion, the inspiration, the revulsion that makes us feel alive. We yearn, and a select few answer our desperate pleas, taking risks that… Continue reading Transcending the “fucking middle”