By Nicole Kobie
There haven’t been many CDs this year that I’ve actually listened to more than once. The M:i2 soundtrack, however, features great artists at the top of their respective games and genres, all on one fresh, energetic disc. The CD’s gem, a "Have a Cigar" cover by the Foo Fighters and Brian May, is complemented by… Continue reading MI:2 Soundtrack
By Rhia Perkins
Reviewing the Brown Eyed Susans’ Afraid of Heights is defining the indefinable. This album has everything: Beatles-worthy harmonies, crunchy guitars, foot-tapping beats, soulful keyboards, baffling 20-something angst-filled lyrics, strange samples and sound effects, and infectious melodies. It’s hard to say exactly what this album sounds like, as the Susans seem to have borrowed from the… Continue reading Afraid of Heights
By Mike Carron
It’s been over a decade since groups like De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest brought hip hop to the forefront of the music scene. Black Eyed Peas are here to show that it still isn’t dead. This year has seen a crossover of hip hop music with groups like Jurassic 5 thrilling the… Continue reading Bridging the Gap
By Fred Vokey
If a Beverly Hills 90210 episode were set at the Calgary Stampede (maybe Luke insists on plugging the DVD release of his seminal 8 Seconds) and they go to a bar for the inevitable romantic conflict montage, John Ford would be the band playing. Basically, it’s radio-friendly, alt. country music played by a band whose… Continue reading Self-Titled
By Jason Carnew
If you enjoy the electronica scene and you don’t know about Junior Vasquez, then you should. He has been around since time began and is gracing Twilo’s first CD release. The first of two CD’s is an amazing cross-genre mix of just about everything. The album starts with Samba/Italian house beats and moves with great… Continue reading What Is My Name
By Ken Clarke
Tony Levin has a reputation for being one of the hottest bass players in the business, and deservedly so. Having been a long-time member of King Crimson and Peter Gabriel’s band, he’s also recorded with the California Guitar Trio and John Lennon, to name a few of the diverse artists who have sought out his… Continue reading Waters of Eden
By Paul Margach
Poor Valentina Tereshkova. Despite being the first woman in space, she remains even more obscure than Laika, the first canine to orbit the Earth. Vostok 6 deftly combines folk music with ’70s synth-pop in order to tell her extraordinary tale. The dark overtones of Pink Floyd’s Meddle and David Bowie’s Low resonate and the chill… Continue reading Vostok 6
Some may hear Paul Simon’s You’re the One and be disappointed by its slightly languid manner. But those truly devoted to Simon will not compare this album with his past ventures, such as the 10-year-old The Rhythm of the Saints. The fact is, it’s still Simon, just older and at a different stage in his… Continue reading You’re The One
By Mike Carron
Sorry girls and boys of clubland, this CD won’t make you juicy or beaty. Like so many other club hit albums that have come before it, Juicy Beats is unable to transfer the energy of the dance floor to the home stereo. After five tracks, the mix becomes monotonous and repetitive. Juicy Beats is a… Continue reading Juicy Beats Volume 3
Derived from a Rage Against the Machine-type mold, Downshift shouts out over grinding and distorted electric guitars. Above the simple bass lines, the lyrics bounce off each chord and fly in the opposite direction. The use of simplicity and repetition only results in a lack of variation in their six songs. Downshift is made up… Continue reading Semi-Automatic