Tag: Spun

By Peter Hemminger

The best thing about Modest Mouse is that no matter how far out they go, there’s a certain earthiness that pervades the music and ties it down to reality. On Sharpen Your Teeth, Modest Mouse frontman Isaac Brock’s first “solo” album, this tie is strained if not altogether broken. Abandoning the Pixies influence that made… Continue reading Ugly Casanova, Sharpen Your Teeth

By Falice Chin

Falice Chin What could possibly be worse than the movie Josie and the Pussycats? A band that sounds exactly like them!This four-piece band calls this a Teaser EP, but it’s more like a lollipop for some young "punk" chick. It’s almost unbelievable that The Weekend opened for such amazing acts as Green Day and The… Continue reading The Weekend, Teaser EP

Seafood’s sophomore album, When Do We Start Fighting… shows off a band on the road to self-discovery.It is an oddly schizophrenic album, switching from the Starsailor-style Brit-rock of "Western Battle" to the folky vocal harmonies of "What May Be the Oldest" to the desperate shouts of "get up soldier" in "Cloaking." But somehow, the band… Continue reading Seafood, When do we start fighting…

By Preet Bhogal

If you’re looking for the sequel to The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, you ain’t gonna get it.The release of MTV Unplugged 2.0 was relatively low-key, fitting for this double CD of all new acoustic material. The songs are about Hill’s own experiences, covering issues from the trappings of fame to spiritual awakening. Many of the… Continue reading Lauryn Hill, MTV Unplugged 2.0

By Myke Atkinson

After a six year hiatus, DJ Shadow is back with his most intricate and layered masterpiece to date.The Private Press contains 14 tracks ranging from spacey samples on top of head bobbing breakbeats to ambient spoken word. Definitely his most adventurous record yet, this disc is nowhere near as accessible as 1996’s critically acclaimed Endtroducing…..… Continue reading DJ Shadow, The Private Press

By Myke Atkinson

My faith in punk was restored today.Edmonton’s Choke recently released their fourth album, There’s a Story to This Moral, on Smallman Records. The disc beautifully captures the essence that drives their live performances and sends their fans into a moshing frenzy. Singers Jack Jaggard and Clay Shea work the vocals back and forth, allowing the… Continue reading Choke, Theres a story to this moral

By Dave Heaton

With summer finally rolling in, dreams of road trips, campfires and hanging out by the lake are probably well entrenched into many of our heads. This change in season also brings about a change in the sound of The Get Up Kids on their latest album.On A Wire has seemingly shifted slightly to the left,… Continue reading The Get Up Kids, On A Wire

By Falice Chin

This year, NOFX’s frontman Fat Mike finally decided to clean up his room. The reward for such a dreadful chore is a collection of b-sides and many other forgotten goods brought together on their latest release, 45 or 46 Songs That Weren’t Good Enough to Go on Our Other Records.This double CD features ’90s punk… Continue reading NOFX, 45 or46 songs that werent good enough to go on our other records

By Kirstin Morrell

From famed porn director to soulful musical philosopher, Society 1’s frontman Matt Zane is full of contradictions. His second album, Words as Carriers, is largely spoken art, touching on such dark themes as loss of innocence and the futility of existence.Understandably, sexual awakening and desires are a large part of this album, but some moments… Continue reading Matt Zane, Words as Carriers

By Tom Makarov

Much in the vein of Linkin’ Park and Project Wyze, Trik Turner’s self-titled release seems as though it was pushed through the studio to capitalize on the popularity of nü-metal bands. Unfortunately, it came off lacklustre and empty.The dual vocals are very familiar and the lyrics are hit-and-miss in terms of their complexity. Lacking the… Continue reading Trik Turner, Self-titled