By Heath McLeod
Excluding the occasional forays into soulful-funk, Rusted Root has a multiculturalfolk-rock sound on their latest disc, Welcome To My Party. Using African percussion, folk drums from northeastern India (khol), and a never-ending barrage of tambourines, congas, bongos, harmonicas and cow bells, the Pittsburgh natives show they’re a giftedbunch. Incorporating his strange brand of lyricism with… Continue reading Rusted Root, Welcome to My Party
Custom’s Fast shows some promise-for about a minute. Then the album degenerates into mindless, violent lyrics. Duane Lavold, the man behind Custom, follows the advice “if you scream and swear enough, no one will realize you have no talent.” A variety of elements, from electronic bleeps and whistles to full out rap, confuse the listener… Continue reading Custom, Fast
By Dave Heaton
Being the socially pre-fabricated guy I am, it would be a flat-out lie to say I appreciate music before the so-called alternative era. So when I heard that Elvis Costello put out a new album, my lack of enthusiasm was more than apparent.However, When I Was Cruel ended up in my stereo and I was… Continue reading Elvis Costello, When I was Cruel
By Eric Fung
Hot beats and live instruments aren’t normally mentioned in the same breath, but the combination works on N.E.R.D.’s debut album In Search Of…The disc features hip-hop tracks tinged with pop, rock and blues. For better or worse, it lacks the beats the duo became famous for as killer producers, The Neptunes. The product is a… Continue reading N.E.R.D., In Search of…
By Ken Clarke
After gaining the world’s attention with 1990’s Gula Gula, Norway native Mari Boine has earned international acclaim through her uniquely expressive voice and musical style.Now 12 years later, various commissioned remixers have given their personal treatment to the track of their choice from Boine’s back catalogue in Remixed.The remixers on the disc include Jah Wobble,… Continue reading A lot of people wrote spun, and then there was one
By Вen Li
Passion combines a jazz-like theme with some upbeat Caribbean guitar styling for its easy listening feel. Individual tracks set themselves apart with distinct acoustic flavours, and the entire CD bears Hmura’s unique touch without being repetitive-quite an accomplishment for a debut album.While his guitar is proficient, Hmura’s original compositions would benefit from something more organic… Continue reading hmura
By Natalie Sit
There must be something about the UK that creates a melancholy influence over its music exports. Like Coldplay, Radiohead and Travis, Starsailor also paints a grey portrait of life with Love is Here. However, Starsailor creates a richer musical tapestry by using the piano. Its music is driven not by guitars but by piano and… Continue reading Starsailor
By Chris Tihor
Acid Jazz veteran Marc Moulin combines an interesting blend of electonic and jazz rock to produce his latest effort, Top Secret. This is one of those albums you have to be in the right mood to enjoy. At worst, Top Secret can provide good background music if you’re looking for something to kill the silence.… Continue reading marc moulin
By James Keller
The prospect of an entire album of Fab Four covers will make any Beatles fan raise an eyebrow. Hearing that Eddie Vedder is on the bill covering "You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away" might make them want to just let it be.However, as a well-versed Beatles fan, one shouldn’t discredit the Fab Four-driven I… Continue reading soundtrack
Diana Krall is one of Canada’s hottest new exports and it’s not hard to see why. The Look of Love is a fabulous follow-up to her Grammy Award-winning album When I Look in Your Eyes, highlighting the smooth, smoky voice her fans have come to adore. A collection of 10 ballads and bossa nova tunes… Continue reading Diana krall