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2004
 Kate Rusby - Underneath the Stars2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 1 September 2009 Folk has become, for some, a four-letter word. Rusby’s sweet, melancholic voice, and her way with harrowing old ballads, could change that. Rusby’s already well established, with four albums and... READMORE |
 The Crystal Method - Legion of Boom2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 1 September 2009 On Tweekend, America’s popular electronic act recruited Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello and Stone Temple Pilots vocalist Scott Weiland to add some rock oomph to the dance mix.... READMORE |
 Air - Walkie Talkie2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 1 September 2009 The French electronic duo has been dubbed “otherworldly” ever since its atmospheric debut album Moon Safari topped critics’ lists in 1998. Its ambient quality also attracted filmmaker Sofia Coppola, who... READMORE |
 Starsailor - Silence is Easy2004 | Administrator | Thursday, 3 September 2009 A cross between Coldplay and Radiohead, Starsailor mixes soaring, feel-good numbers with darker ditties steeped in the Brit-shoegazer tradition. The band’s second CD is a big step forward, thanks to... READMORE |
 Katy Rose - Because I Can2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 The 16-year-old daughter of Kim Bullard, ex-Poco member and keyboardist for Crosby, Stills and Nash, Rose grew up in the rarified world of rock ’n’ roll. “My friends and I... READMORE |
 Teitur - Poetry & Aeroplanes2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 His bio cites James Taylor and Tracy Chapman as childhood influences. But on Teitur’s debut album, the native of Denmark’s Faroe Islands, a small group of islands between Iceland and... READMORE |
 Nerissa & Katryna Nields - This Town is Wrong2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 With their sister-close harmonies, the Nields are America’s answer to Canada’s McGarrigles. Their second album as a duo is a soundtrack to Nerissa’s soon-to-be-published novel of the same name, about... READMORE |
 The Lost Patrol - Songs About Running Away2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 The Lost Patrol is the side project of Dennis Lyxzen, of Swedish punkers (International) Noise Conspiracy, who’s clearly hurting from his breakup with fellow Swede Lisa Miskovsky, a budding pop... READMORE |
 The Evaporators - Ripple Rock2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 Led by Nardwuar the Human Serviette, the Evaporators take their garage rock to absurd lengths. The Vancouver band’s last album featured the frenzied “I Gotta Rash” (“Gimme some ointment, I... READMORE |
 The Special Goodness - Land, Sea, Air2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 Like Dave Grohl, Pat Wilson has stepped out from behind the drums in a famous group (Grohl in Nirvana, Wilson in Weezer) to front his own band. Grohl succeeded with... READMORE |
 The Mountain Goats - We Shall All Be Healed2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 With song titles like “Pigs that Ran Straightaway into the Water, Triumph of,” it’s no surprise that this album is a little left field. But chief Mountain Goat John Darnielle... READMORE |
 Kylie Minogue - Body Language2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 The title could refer to how much has been written about Kylie’s bum, especially in Britain, where the Aussie pop singer’s pert bottom is a national obsession. In fact, it’s... READMORE |
 Norah Jones - Feels like Home2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 The jazziest thing here is “The Prettiest Thing,” a song she co-wrote. And “Don’t Miss You at All,” with her lyrics set to Duke Ellington’s “Melancholia,” also leans naturally toward... READMORE |
 Courtney Love - America’s Sweetheart2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 A kinder Courtney Love? Judging by the cover, a Vargas-style pinup painting of the rock star as a guitar-slinging (fallen?) angel, you might think so. But on her long-awaited solo... READMORE |
 The Von Bondies - Pawn Shoppe Heart2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 Jason Stollsteimer sure knows how to launch his Detroit garage-rock band. Last December, he got punched out in a bar brawl by the White Stripes’ Jack White. The resulting news... READMORE |
 Peter, Paul & Mary - In These Times2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 It takes conviction in these days of George W. Bush to open an album with a medley of union songs. But the biggest challenge faced by Peter, Paul & Mary... READMORE |
 Leahy - In All Things2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 They’ve played with Shania, symphony orchestras and even shared stages with heavy-metal bands. Everywhere Leahy goes, the group of siblings from Lakefield, Ont. wins over audiences. And why wouldn’t they?... READMORE |
 The Miniatures - Coma Kid2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 It’s unfortunate that the title of this Kitchener, Ont. rock group’s second album, and first for MapleMusic Recordings (the hit-factory home of Sam Roberts, Kathleen Edward and Gord Downie, among... READMORE |
 Grant-Lee Phillips - Virginia Creeper2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 As leader of the popular U.S. alt-rock/roots trio Grant Lee Buffalo, he chronicled mythic Americana. On his third solo album, Grant-Lee Phillips continues that tradition, crafting historical epics like the... READMORE |
 Raising the Fawn - The North Sea2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 The first CD by these cringe rockers was a cycle of fragile love songs addressed by lead singer John Crossingham to then-drummer Lesa Hannah, prompting one critic to rightly ask,... READMORE |
 The Frames - Set List2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 In the early ’90s, Irish singer Glen Hansard landed a part in Alan Parker’s film The Commitments. At the same time, his band the Frames got signed to Island Records.... READMORE |
 Patricia O’Callaghan - Naked Beauty2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 With her third album, the Toronto soprano has recorded another two songs by Leonard Cohen (bringing her Lenny quotient up to seven), and one by each of Kurt Weill (13)... READMORE |
 Matthew Barber - The Story of Your Life2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 He hails from Port Credit, Ontario and has a penchant for Austrian philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein. But don't hold that against him. Barber proves on his major-label debut EP that he’s... READMORE |
 Oumou Sangare - Oumou2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 Sangare is the foremost singer of the hypnotic Malian music known as Wassoulou—and a fearless champion of women’s rights. This two-CD set features controversial favorites like “Diaraby Nene,” the African... READMORE |
 Great Big Sea - Something Beautiful2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 Great Big Sea’s rousing shanties regularly become boisterous sing-alongs at faux Irish pubs and concert halls. Who could resist the Newfie group’s exuberant, Celtic version of R.E.M.’s “End of the... READMORE |
 The Living End - Modern Artillery2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 Rockabilly. Psychobilly. Surfabilly. What sets this Aussie trio apart from other punk outfits like Green Day is its ability to mix it up musically—and to write ridiculously tuneful songs. On... READMORE |
 Ken Dirschl - Plan for Conquest2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 This Ottawa-bred artist paid his dues in the ’90s playing the Toronto bar circuit in his rock band Gasoline. Obviously, Dirschl learned plenty in that time. On his confident, self-produced... READMORE |
 Sondre Lerche - Two Way Monologue2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 Norway’s Sondre Lerche didn’t do himself any favors claiming to be a huge fan of compatriots A-ha, the mid-80s trio famous for the cheesy synth-pop hit “Take on Me.” Lerche’s... READMORE |
 Wynton Marsalis - The Magic Hour2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 After his last album, All Rise, an extended composition for big band, gospel choir and orchestra, Marsalis returns with his quartet for his Blue Note debut, joined by labelmates Dianne... READMORE |
 David Byrne - Grown Backwards2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 Having worked in new wave and electronic music and dabbled in salsa and samba, Byrne was bound to try his hand at serious opera. Here, the former Talking Head tackles... READMORE |
 The Wilkinsons - Highway2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 They began as a wholesome father-and-kids trio from Trenton, Ont. After relocating to Nashville and scoring a hit with “26 Cents” the Wilkinsons became major country stars while Amanda and... READMORE |
 Sarah Harmer - All of Our Names2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 With intimate, observational lyrics and falsetto-laced vocals, Kingston, Ont.’s Sarah Harmer is already one of the world’s best singer-songwriters. Harmer’s second album is every bit as assured as her debut,... READMORE |
 The Vines - Winning Days2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 They’re snotty and perform sloshed with tongues hanging out, but since their debut album, Highly Evolved, sold 1.5 million copies worldwide, the Vines are also highly respectable as Australia’s biggest... READMORE |
 Jacksoul - Resurrected2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 Canada’s hardly a bastion of soul—blame it on a cold and indifferent music industry. But with the likes of Glenn Lewis and Remy Shand, the country has become a source... READMORE |
 Abra Moore - Everything Changed2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 Moore’s an original. After busking in Europe as a teenager, she returned to her native Hawaii to sing with the inventive worldbeat band Poi Dog Pondering. A solo career led... READMORE |
 Franz Ferdinand - Franz Ferdinand2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 Currently on the NME Brats Tour with the Von Bondies et al, Franz Ferdinand is the latest “It Band” from the Old Sod. Where these art-school rockers from Glasgow differ... READMORE |
 Amy Winehouse - Frank2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 This new British soul sensation writes and sings sultry, jazzy numbers with a hint of hip-hop. Unlike Joss Stone, there’s no innocence in Winehouse, who performs what the U.K. press... READMORE |
 Janet Jackson - Damita Jo2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 Wacko’s sister’s in a tailspin. How else to explain Janet’s “wardrobe malfunction” at the Super Bowl? The exposure smacked of publicity stunt. But the massive media boost from Nipplegate cannot... READMORE |
 Eric Clapton - Me and Mr. Johnson2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 The 29 songs that blues pioneer Robert Johnson wrote and recorded have been covered by rockers from Led Zeppelin to the White Stripes. Clapton himself delved into the songbook while... READMORE |
 Lloyd Cole - Music in a Foreign Language2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 At his best, on his first two mid-’80s albums with his band the Commotions, the bookish Brit rocker successfully juggled cynicism and pretension—with irony as his foil. Cole’s star fell... READMORE |
 Ron Sexsmith - Retriever2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 Canadian divas get all the attention these days, but Ron Sexsmith is one of the best songwriters this country has ever produced. On his latest album, Sexsmith proves he’s more... READMORE |
 Toots & the Maytals - True Love2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 Toots Hibbert is an original and, as Little Richard would say, “an originator.” Hibbert was the first to mix r&b and gospel with reggae in the early ’60s. This all-star... READMORE |
 Eric Burdon - My Secret Life2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 In his heyday, with the Animals and War, Burdon was one of pop’s most distinctive stars, blessed with a powerful blues-rock voice. Like Long John Baldry and others, Burdon has... READMORE |
 Diana Krall - The Girl in the Other Room2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 Although she covers Tom Waits, the big news is that Krall is emerging as a fine songwriter. Where the glamour puss previously penned only several songs, here she co-writes six... READMORE |
 John and the Sisters - John and the Sisters2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 As in Toronto blues belter John Dickie and the Sisters Euclid, the instrumental outfit led by guitarist Kevin Breit. A versatile musician (Folk Alarm, Supergenerous), Breit hit paydirt playing on... READMORE |
 Simon Wilcox - Smart Function2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 Another child of a rock star. In Wilcox’s case, her father is Canrock guitar god David Wilcox, who played with country-rock pioneers Great Speckled Bird and whose “Rockin' the Boogie”... READMORE |
 Tangiers - Never Bring You Pleasure2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 Toronto’s Tangiers has left behind the Strokes comparisons to forge a fresh and sparkling sophomore album. With a greater emphasis on clean vocals and the addition of crisp keyboards, there’s... READMORE |
 Jolie Holland - Escondida2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 On her website, Holland describes her music as “new old time: spooky American fairy tales,” placing her alongside nouveau traditionalists like Oh Susannah and the Be Good Tanyas, a group... READMORE |
 Melissa auf der Maur - Auf der Maur2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 The Canadian bass goddess has already enjoyed a fairytale career as a member of Hole and Smashing Pumpkins. Now, with high-powered management and a solid debut album, Auf der Maur’s... READMORE |
 The Beta Band - From Heroes to Zeroes2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 The British groove-meisters return with their third self-produced album. As always with the publicity-shy quartet, the emphasis is on dreamy, rhythmic soundscapes rather than rock-star posturing. While the band continues... READMORE |
 Los Lobos - The Ride2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 Like the new Toots & the Maytals album, this collaborative CD shines the mainstream spotlight on an underexposed talent. To celebrate its 30th anniversary, Hispanic rockers Los Lobos throw a... READMORE |
 Feist - Let it Die2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 Feist is Leslie Feist, a mesmerizing singer from Calgary who has graced CDs by Toronto bands Broken Social Scene and By Divine Right. She’s destined for stardom. Like expats Peaches... READMORE |
 Wayne McGhie & the Sounds of Joy - Wayne McGhie & the Sounds of Joy2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 Long out-of-print, this vintage piece of Canadian soul has been lovingly resurrected by Seattle reissue label Light in the Attic. McGhie was part of Toronto’s Jamaican expatriate community that included... READMORE |
 Kevin Fox - Come Alive2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 With this debut, Halifax native Fox leaves behind his years as a session player for artists from Sarah Harmer to Céline Dion. A classically trained cellist who also plays guitar,... READMORE |
 Matthew Good - White Light Rock & Roll Review2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 Good has been called Canrock’s best provocateur and its biggest asshole. But give the Vancouver artist credit: he’s made a mark with his prickly nature and drawn attention to worthy... READMORE |
 The Beastie Boys - To the 5 Boroughs2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 They once declared that they’d fight for the right to party, now they’re going to “party for the right to fight.” The Beasties’ latest is a protest party album, targeting... READMORE |
 Ranee Lee - Maple Groove: Songs from the Great Canadian Songbook2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 Along with k.d. lang’s Hymns from the 49th Parallel and the recent Gordon Lightfoot tribute album, Lee’s latest represents a new trend: singers mining vintage Canadian nuggets for repertoire. Lee... READMORE |
 Sweetback - Stage 22004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 Members of Sade’s backing band, Sweetback know all about laying down seductive grooves. Guitarist-saxophonist Stuart Matthewman and company worked with neo-soulster Maxwell and other singers on the trio’s self-titled debut... READMORE |
 Keshia Chante - Keshia Chante2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 Ottawa’s 15-year-old may be urban music’s answer to Avril. Like Lavigne, Chante suffers from a typical preoccupation: boys. “Why you trippin’? Why you gotta be buggin’ out on me?” she... READMORE |
 Serena Ryder - Unlikely Emergency2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 Hailing from Peterborough, Ont., Ryder channels Etta James and Janis Joplin to create something completely fresh. “Don’t you dare hold nothing back,” she sings over a chain-gang beat in the... READMORE |
 Gordie Sampson - Sunburn2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 Although he’s from Cape Breton, wrote Ashley MacIssac’s hit “Sleepy Maggie” and produced Natalie MacMaster, don’t expect any Celtic fiddles on Sampson’s second album. Unlike his debut, Stones, the singer-songwriter’s... READMORE |
 The Tragically Hip - In Between Evolution2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 It’s summer—time for cold beer, the cottage and a new album from the kings of hoser rock. The Hip’s latest is another heady brew of intoxicating riffage and trippy poetry.... READMORE |
 Angie Stone - Stone Love2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 Stone’s soul picnic has previously featured such funky guests as D’Angelo and Lenny Kravitz. Here, the South Carolina neo-soul queen invites Snoop Doggy Dog to join her on the smooth... READMORE |
 The Polyphonic Spree - Together We’re Heavy2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 White robes, celestial voices, symphonic swells. The choral-rock orchestra from Dallas, Tex. has been dismissed as a cult of sun worshippers. Jaded observers have suggested the 25-piece ensemble has stumbled... READMORE |
 Andy Stochansky - One Hundred2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 A film graduate from art college, Toronto’s Stochansky has often shown a cinematic flair with his music. Here, on his sophomore release, Ani DiFranco’s former drummer makes a bolder pop-rock... READMORE |
 Howie Beck - Howie Beck2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 It’s been five years since Beck released his indie bedroom classic, Hollow. Now the Toronto artist has found a new home: the True North label, where gifted singer-songwriter Bruce Cockburn... READMORE |
 k.d. lang - Hymns of the 49th Parallel2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 Katherine Dawn’s homage to her native land is an inspired—and inspiring—choice: perform classic songs by Canada’s finest songwriters. Aside from the usual suspects, lang showcases works by Bruce Cockburn, Ron... READMORE |
 The Marble Index - The Marble Index2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 Hard rock from Hamilton, Ont. Is there any other kind? What sets this three-piece apart from other loud Steeltown bands is its devotion to melodic hooks. While MC5 and The... READMORE |
 Jane Monheit - Taking a Chance on Love2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 Monheit’s been overshadowed by Norah Jones and Diana Krall in the jazz diva department. But with her fourth album, the New Yorker delivers a formidable challenge. Produced by Peter Asher... READMORE |
 Rokia Traoré - Bowmboi2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 African music fans will know Traoré, whose modern approach on traditional instruments has set her apart from fellow Malian divas like Oumou Sangare. But anyone with a taste for startlingly... READMORE |
 Medeski, Martin & Wood - End of the World Party (Just in Case)2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 Their name conjures up the image of a buttoned-down law firm, but this New York trio bridges avant-garde jazz and jam-band workouts, reminiscent of both John Zorn and Phish, with... READMORE |
 The Waking Eyes - Video Sound2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 Two-thirds of this prairie-rock trio hail from Steinbach, Manitoba and enjoyed acclaim in Britain as The Pets—which prompted one member to ask: “How did a band from Steinbach get into... READMORE |
 Marc Jordan - Make Believe Ballroom2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 Toronto’s Jordan has enjoyed an enviable career as a songwriter, having penned hits for Cher, Joe Cocker, and Rod Stewart, who topped the charts with “Rhythm of the Heart.” But... READMORE |
 The Black Keys - Rubber Factory2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 Like Detroit’s White Stripes, Akron, Ohio’s Black Keys is a guitar-and-drums duo that revels in minimalist blues-rock. But the White Stripes are pristine and polished next to the rough-and-ragged sound... READMORE |
 Sarah Slean - Day One2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 There’s a pixie quality to this pint-sized Toronto singer. But don’t take Slean lightly. Her fourth full-length album is a sophisticated mélange of dark cabaret tunes and bright, piano-laced pop.... READMORE |
 The Thrills - Let’s Bottle Bohemia2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 Let’s not and say we did. The Dublin quintet’s sophomore album deserves a juvenile rejoinder, because it’s guilty of trying so desperately to sound grown up. Gone is the innocent... READMORE |
 Har Mar Superstar - The Handler2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 He’s been described as Prince trapped in porn star Ron Jeremy’s body. Not a pretty sight. But the man born Sean Tillman comes by his devotion to the Purple One... READMORE |
 The Datsuns - Outta Sight, Outta Mind2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 Like other bands from Down Under, including The Vines, The D4 and Jet, The Datsuns get saddled with the garage-rock tag. But the New Zealand quartet actually has more in... READMORE |
 Madeleine Peyroux - Careless Love2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 It’s been eight years since Dreamland, the stunning debut that earned the Georgia-born, Paris-raised singer comparisons to Billie Holiday. Now Peyroux (pronounced like the country Peru) is finally back with... READMORE |
 Lowest of the Low - Sordid Fiction2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 he Toronto band released only two albums during its brief run in the 1990s, including the Canrock classic Shakespeare My Butt. Blame personal and creative differences. After burying the hatchet,... READMORE |
 Ben Harper and the Blind Boys of Alabama - There Will Be a Light2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 For 60 years, the members of the Blind Boys have been giving the world pure, unadulterated gospel. Lately, the group has enjoyed a hipper profile, thanks to their fine crossover... READMORE |
 Skye Sweetnam - Noise from the Basement2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 The latest contender in the Canadian pop tart sweepstakes hails from sleepy Bolton, Ont. Unlike Napanee’s Avril Lavigne and Scarborough’s Fefe Dobson, 16-year-old Sweetnam didn’t hang out in shopping malls.... READMORE |
 Mark Knopfler - Shangri-La2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 Since disbanding Dire Straits in 1995, Knopfler has been a prolific creator of fine solo albums and film soundtracks. His latest solo effort is another well-crafted affair, full of memorable... READMORE |
 Joss Stone - Mind, Body and Soul2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 Anyone thinking Stone’s debut hit album was a fluke need only check out the British teenager’s followup. Where her first was a collection of retro r&b covers, Stone’s sophomore album... READMORE |
 Fatboy Slim - Palookaville2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 Like most DJs and remixers, Fatboy Slim (a.k.a. Norman Cook) is a record geek (his vast vinyl collection graced the cover of his 1998 album, You’ve Come a Long Way,... READMORE |
 Tom Waits - Real Gone2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 With his predilection for misfits and his flair for theatricality, Waits has crafted one of America’s most eccentric songbooks. His albums are carnival worlds, full of fringe characters and otherworldly... READMORE |
 The Futureheads - Decent Days and Nights2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 Imagine the Specials mixed with Queen and Gang of Four—singing in thick, working-class English accents like Billy Bragg. Sunderland’s Futureheads are the oddest amalgam of influences. On paper, this shouldn’t... READMORE |
 John Fogerty - Déjà vu All Over Again2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 Fogerty forged his swamp-rock sound with Creedence Clearwater Revival, which he’s reprised in his solo work—leading a label to once try to sue him for plagiarizing himself. Here, Fogerty mines... READMORE |
 Interpol - Antics2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 Although they hail from the Big Apple, the members of Interpol have more in common with English bands than New York’s Velvet Underground. Much has been made of Interpol’s debts... READMORE |
 Nikka Costa - Can’t Never Did Nothin’2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 Her father, Don Costa, was the producer for Sammy Davis Jr., while her godfather was Ol’ Blue Eyes himself. But Nikka’s no lounge singer. The red-headed siren, whose music has... READMORE |
 Boy - Every Page You Turn2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 His promising debut suggested that Canada had produced another flamboyant pop artist like Rufus or Hawksley. But the followup album by Whitehorse native Boy (aka Stephen Kozmeniuk) is much closer... READMORE |
 Minnie Driver - Everything I’ve Got in My Pocket2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 Uh oh, you’re thinking—another Hollywood actor with musical ambitions. But Driver, star of such films as Good Will Hunting, was singing in London jazz clubs long before an acting career... READMORE |
 R.E.M. - Around the Sun2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 It’s no surprise that R.E.M.’s 13th album is also its most political. Joining Springsteen on the Vote for Change tour, the veteran rockers are clearly anti-Bush. “We wanted to say... READMORE |
 Projet Orange - Megaphobe2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 A strange thing happened while this Montreal band was making its second French album: Jean-Sebastien Boies was diagnosed with a blood poisoning disease, prompting his brother, Jean-Christophe, to try his... READMORE |
 Sum 41 - Chuck2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 In May, Canadian punkers Sum 41 faced rebel gunfire in the Democratic Republic of the Congo while filming a documentary about war. The group’s third album, named for the United... READMORE |
 Elliott Smith - From a Basement on the Hill2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 The parallels between Smith and Kurt Cobain have grown increasingly eerie. Both were among their generation’s most beloved songwriters and their fans have managed to cast doubts on their suicides.... READMORE |
 The Concretes - The Concretes2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 Sweden’s latest export is not another frenetic garage band, but a sumptuous pop act. Originally a girl group, the Concretes have grown into an octet with such guest members as... READMORE |
 Willie Nelson - It Always Will Be2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 Nelson’s as famous for his battles with the taxman and his unrepentant fondness for cannabis as he is for his music. But the Red Headed Stranger’s talents as a songwriter... READMORE |
 Jeremy Fisher - Let it Shine2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 At first glance, he’s a guitar-toting, two-wheeled fanatic from Canada’s Left Coast: Fisher toured on his bicycle and raises money for a charity that provides bikes to African women so... READMORE |
 Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - Abattoir Blues/ The Lyre of Orpheus2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 Cave’s 13th studio album is actually a two-disc set, recorded with his usual Bad Seed suspects, except guitarist Blixa Bargeld. It’s an ambitious undertaking. The aptly titled Abattoir Blues is... READMORE |
 Liam Titcomb - Liam Titcomb2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 On his debut album, Toronto’s 17-year-old Liam Titcomb writes and sings with surprising maturity and assurance. Songs like the upbeat “Sad Eyes” and the James Taylor-ish “Easy in My Sky”... READMORE |
 Stars - Set Yourself on Fire2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 One song, “Soft Revolution,” amounts to a manifesto: “We are here to save your life,” sings keyboardist Torquil Campbell, “chase the demons out of town.” There are worse ways to... READMORE |
 Le Tigre - This Island2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 “Feminist punk electronic music” is how the band describes its sound. Led by Bikini Kill founder and riot grrrl Kathleen Hanna, Le Tigre tackles the Bush administration on stridently political... READMORE |
 The Music - Welcome to the North2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 The lads from Leeds, England featured joyful psychedelic anthems like “Take the Long Road and Walk It” on their debut album. Singer Robert Harvey and company have clearly looked up... READMORE |
 Lenny Breau, Don Francks, Eon Henstridge - Live at the Purple Onion2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 Although his name comes first in the billing, the Canadian jazz guitar genius plays second fiddle to singer-comedian Francks on this 1962 recording from Toronto’s Yorkville district. Unlike the fine... READMORE |
 Lori McKenna - Bittertown2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 A thinly disguised portrait of Stoughton, Mass., where McKenna grew up and continues to live, the folky Bittertown captures the hopes, struggles and shattered dreams of working-class life. Like Bruce... READMORE |
 Razorlight - Up All Night2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 With 22-year-old firecracker Johnny Borrell leading the charge, Britain’s Razorlight is the latest challenger to the throne of American rockers the Strokes. Borrell has all the makings of an upstart... READMORE |
 Jonas - Jonas2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 Montreal has always been a bastion of hard rock, from Mahogany Rush and Aldo Nova to Sass Jordan. Jonas Tomalty has clearly been raised on such sounds. On his debut... READMORE |
 Sophie Milman - Sophie Milman2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 In the past, Toronto jazzman Bill King has shown a keen ear for spotting new talent, including saxophonist Jane Bunnett, guitarist Kevin Breit and pianist Tyler Yarema. King’s latest discovery... READMORE |
 Brenda Fassie - Greatest Hits2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 Known as the Madonna of the Townships, South African singer Brenda Fassie, who died last May, was blessed with passionate vocals and an indomitable spirit. She rose from humble beginnings... READMORE |
 Low Millions - Ex-Girlfriends2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 It can’t be easy being the son of Leonard Cohen—especially if you fancy yourself a singer-songwriter. Adam Cohen discovered that in 1998, when he released his self-titled solo debut, a... READMORE |
 A Perfect Circle - Emotive2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 Released to coincide with the U.S. presidential election, Emotive, by alt-metal rockers A Perfect Circle, takes aim at George “Dubya” Bush and his pro-war policies. Most of the covers of... READMORE |
 Elton John - Peach Tree Road2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 He made headlines this fall for calling paparazzi “vile pigs” and accusing Madonna of lip-syncing. But the real news is that sober Sir Elton is back in musical form. His... READMORE |
 Linda Ronstadt - Hummin’ to Myself2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 Blessed with one of the best set of pipes in pop, Ronstadt has tried on as many styles as the Grammys have categories. Since 1967’s country-rockers the Stone Poneys, she’s... READMORE |
 Shania Twain - Greatest Hits2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 Seems the pride of Timmins, Ont. can’t decide on who to party with. Twain’s collection of career blockbusters (nothing from her 1993 self-titled debut) features two versions of the limp... READMORE |
 Eminem - Encore2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 Eminem’s producer, Dr. Dre says: “I really like him talking shit and pissing people off.” That’s exactly what Slim Shady is expected to do with his fourth studio album (under... READMORE |
 U2 - How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 With Bono in summits with global leaders on AIDS and Third World debt, it’s no surprise that U2’s latest should carry such a weighty title. The Irish men have come... READMORE |
 Various artists - Can’t You Hear Me Callin’2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 This four-CD box set of bluegrass is the perfect gift for anyone who was smitten by rootsy sounds of O Brother Where Are Thou? Spanning eight decades, from Charlie Poole... READMORE |
 Barenaked Ladies - Barenaked for the Holidays2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 This seasonal CD reflects the best of the Ladies, who are joined by Sarah McLauchlan on “God Rest You Merry Gentlemen/We Three Kings” and crooner Michael Bublé on “Elf’s Lament,”... READMORE |
 Various artists - Hard Headed Woman2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 Wanda Jackson was a maverick, a fiercely independent woman who broke the music industry’s gender barrier in the ’50s, dated Elvis Presley and inspired Elvis Costello. This album features covers... READMORE |
 Downchild - Come On In2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 For 35 years, Donnie “Mr. Downchild” Walsh has led his Toronto blues band, weathering members’ deaths (including his brother Richard “Hock” Walsh’s) and pop’s ever-shifting winds. It’s a sterling track... READMORE |
 Norah Jones - Live in 20042004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 Her detractors call her “Snorah.” And, true, the superstar songstress does lack the requisite concert dynamics to drive audiences wild. This DVD, featuring a concert shot in 16mm at Nashville’s... READMORE |
 Rufus Wainwright - Want Two2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 Like Gwen Stefani, Wainwright makes his screen debut in The Aviator, in which he also sings. Film is the perfect vehicle for Rufus’ theatrical music, which often seems too grand... READMORE |
 Alicia Keys - The Diary of Alicia Keys (DVD)2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 Not to be confused with her album of the same name, this DVD is a visual feast for fans of the Harlem-born singer. It ventures deep into Keys’ world: on... READMORE |
 The Exies - Head for the Door2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 This Los Angeles post-grunge quartet is little more than the sum of its influences, namely Nirvana, Foo Fighters and Stone Temple Pilots. Led by singer-guitarist Scott Stevens, the band summons... READMORE |
 Sarah McLachlan - Afterglow Live2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 Filmed at Toronto’s Molson Amphitheatre, this DVD brings drama and excitement to Earth Mama Sarah’s otherwise serene and soothing set, thanks to lavish set and lighting and a superb nine-camera,... READMORE |
 Jimmy Smith - Retrospective2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 Smith is synonymous with the Hammond B3 organ. This excellent four-CD box set compiles his stellar jazz work for Blue Note from 1956-63, beginning with his lightning-fast version of Dizzy... READMORE |
 Dianne Reeves - Christmas Time is Here2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 A lot of Christmas albums feature phoned-in performances, but jazz singer Reeves brings a convincing presence to such yuletide nuggets as “Let it Snow” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little... READMORE |
 Blue Rodeo - In Stereovision2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 To mark its 20th anniversary, Blue Rodeo offers a classy DVD that truly celebrates the beloved band and its history. Produced and directed by award-winning filmmaker Ron Mann, it features... READMORE |
 Alison Krauss & Union Station - Lonely Runs Both Ways2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 The bluegrass star has excelled with songs by her bandmates and some of Nashville’s best composers. Once again, she covers material by her banjo picker Ron Block, her dobro player... READMORE |
 Diana Krall - Live at the Montréal Jazz Festival2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 Less elegant than 2001’s sumptuous Live in Paris, Krall’s latest DVD is almost folksy by comparison. Where Paris featured stark lighting and formal attire, Montréal is all bright lights and... READMORE |
 Esthero - We R in Need of a Musical Revolution2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 It’s been seven long years since Esthero, born Jen-Bea Englishman, released her formidable debut Breath from Another. Now, the trip-hoppy electronic pop singer whets her fans’ appetites with this soulful... READMORE |
 Manic Street Preachers - Lifeblood2004 | Administrator | Tuesday, 8 June 2010 The Manics, once bigger than Oasis or Blur (although lesser known in North America), have been eclipsed by fellow Welsh bands like Stereophonics and Super Furry Animals. The lost lustre... READMORE |
Reviews
 Nicole Scherzinger - Killer Love2011 | Administrator | Thursday, 11 August 2011 Nicole Scherzinger has always turned heads. When burlesque act the Pussycat Dolls was being recast as an r&b-style pop group, the cappuccino-colored beauty was chosen as its lead singer. Scherzinger... |
 Melissa Etheridge - 4th Street Feeling2012 | Administrator | Tuesday, 2 October 2012 Renowned for her honest songs about romance, Etheridge has never shied away from tough choices. The Kansas-born rocker came out as a lesbian in 1993, the same year she won... |
 Justin Bieber - Believe2012 | Administrator | Monday, 9 July 2012 This one’s for the non-Beliebers out there. Justin turned 18 on March 1—and it shows. The Canadian sensation’s latest recording presents a new, mature Biebs. Gone are the innocent odes... |
 Our Lady Peace - Curve2012 | Administrator | Monday, 16 April 2012 Our Lady Peace is in fighting form. The veteran Toronto band’s strong eighth studio album features legendary Canadian heavyweight boxer George Chuvalo on both the cover and the guitar ballad... |
Features
 Alex Cuba - A Magical Musical Blend2012 | Administrator | Monday, 21 March 2011 With his oversized Afro and razored sideburns, Alex Cuba cuts a cool figure, a cross between ’70s soul man and stylish rocker. It’s a look that has been attracting attention ever since the musician, born... |
 Kathleen Edwards is an Emotional Voyageur2012 | Administrator | Tuesday, 13 December 2011 A lot can change in four years—especially in the music world. In 2008, when Kathleen Edwards released her album Asking for Flowers, the Ottawa native was known primarily for story songs about other characters, some drawn... |
 The Midway State - From Riches to Rags and Back Again2011 | Administrator | Wednesday, 31 August 2011 Nathan Ferraro doesn’t seem the least bit bitter—which is surprising, given everything he’s been through. In fact, the affable, afro-haired frontman exudes all the serenity of a Buddhist monk, as he sits in a Toronto café... |
 Hey Rosetta! - Literary songwriting worth yelling about2012 | Administrator | Sunday, 4 March 2012 Tim Baker has a problem. As frontman for Newfoundland’s Hey Rosetta!, one of Canada’s fastest-rising, hardest-working bands, he is touring for nine months of the year, performing concerts on three continents. Trouble is, Baker is also... |