Month: September 2005

By Logan Niehaus

Labelling bands based upon the type of music they play has become all too easy today. Often, these simple, unwarranted labels are more cracks at a band and their style than a proper description of the music itself. In the early stages of their career, Haste the Day were tagged as a metalcore band but… Continue reading Spun: Haste The Day

By Ken Clarke

If it’s new blues music you crave, look no further than Hungry Ghosts, the first, and hopefully not last, collaboration between Canadian acoustic blues guitarists Doug Cox and Sam Hurrie. These two pick and slide their way through an enjoyable montage of original tunes and covers by Duane Allman, Jagger/Richards and more.The album features fine… Continue reading Spun: Doug Cox & Sam Hurrie

By Peter Hemminger

Catch Without Arms, the latest album from Dredg, is brimming with bombast and grandeur, every song a would-be epic drawing as much from U2 as At the Drive-In. Guitars chime and drums pummel, always driving towards the inevitable catharsis. Gavin Hayes uses a poster-boy smooth croon to sing about the pressures of selling out, drinking… Continue reading Spun: Dredg

By Garth Paulson

Arts & Crafts, the Toronto-based indie label, has seen its star rise epically in the last few years with hyped-up and hyperbole-inducing releases from the likes of Broken Social Scene, Feist and Stars. Now with Jason Collett’s Idols of Exile, the label adds another feather to its already impressive cap. Collett, one of the many… Continue reading Spun: Jason Collett

By Emily Senger

Hilary Duff, emulated by many a tween, was almost enjoyable as Lizzie McGuire. The syndicated Disney children’s series was witty and entertaining, and Lizzie’s stubborn quirkiness provided a positive role model for young girls. Alas, if only Hilary Duff had stuck to children’s entertainment instead of making the jump to recording and producing actual records.Most… Continue reading Spun: Hilary Duff

By Josh Markle

Pink Martini’s Harvard trained founder and pianist, Thomas M. Lauderdale, says the group’s long anticipated sophomore release is “like an urban musical travelogue.” However, he is not talking about travelogues in the Bill Bryson sense, but rather in the Quantum Leap sense.Hang on Little Tomato is a musical odyssey through time, surveying pop culture as… Continue reading Spun: Pink Martini

By Janice Tran

A word of caution to potential listeners: you may find the cover art on Slow Nerve Action’s Lovenasium a bit offensive, or at least confusing. If you disregard the picture of the nude woman adorned in a classy top hat, you’ll find some comfort in the 12 tracks of Lovenasium. This release is loaded with… Continue reading Spun: Slow Nerve Action

By Peter Hemminger

Last year’s EP Becs D’Oiseaux set high expectations for Vailhalen’s full length debut, and Pop Violence does not disappoint. From the thundering intro of “Awake in Flight” through the piano refrain and odd chanting of closer “Love’s A Home,” the album maintains a delicate balance. It is artistic without being arty, vintage without being retro… Continue reading Spun: Vailhalen