Album Review
White Bear places The Temperance Movement on the map
February 25, 2016The Temperance Movement is a British blues rock band composed of vocalist Phil Campbell, guitarist Paul Sayer, bassist Nick Fyffe, and Australian drummer Damon Wilson. A few days ago, I had a brief interview with Campbell. In those few minutes, I understood live performances to be a significant part of the band’s existence. This focus on live performances comes through in their most recent album White Bear. According to Campbell, White Bear was a more focused project that captured the character of the band. While White Bear is more structured than the band’s first eponymous album, their music mirrors the…
Continue reading
Anti climatic
February 16, 2016Before I actually listened to Rihanna’s new album Anti, I did something stupid: I read a few opinion pieces. The main idea from these articles was simple — that it sucked. As a huge Rihanna fan, I kind of really…
Continue reading
The Life of Pablo: A track-by-track review
February 15, 2016“Ultralight Beam” Nick Bondi: Kanye seemed to be honest when he said that this would be a gospel album. The loud drums and fading sound effects are cool, and I think this track works as a good introduction to…
Continue reading
Sia creates an album full of singles
February 8, 2016To prepare for this review, I entered into what I call “72-Hours of Sia” — that is, listening only to Sia’s music for three days. After much listening, singing along, and dancing on my own, I have to say that…
Continue reading
Grizfolk produces music that is anything but grizzly
February 1, 2016Grizfolk is an alt-rock band from LA which has just released its debut album, Waking Up the Giants. Their hard work and determination shows through in their song-writing and flawlessly executed tunes. Although the whole album is amazing and endlessly…
Continue reading
Hello reinvents Hedley’s sound, but not in a good way
January 18, 2016Believe it or not, I’ve been a huge fan of Hedley’s music since their 2nd official album Famous Last Words. The album established their genre as alternative rock/pop-punk, and although they were not consistent with this, transferring over to this…
Continue reading
Coeur de Pirate’s new album is the best of both worlds
September 21, 2015I’ll understand if the name Coeur de Pirate fails to register with you. Despite eight years’ worth of material, including three original studio full-lengths and one album of covers, the stage moniker for French-Canadian artist Beatrice Martin doesn’t command the…
Continue reading
No surprises on Yukon Blonde’s latest album
June 29, 2015Kelowna’s Yukon Blonde hail from the class of indie rockers that captured the hearts and ears of young Canadians at the end of the last decade. At the time, the BC indie scene was exploding with great music from the…
Continue reading
Andy Kim trades toothache for heartache on It’s Decided
February 16, 2015Looking like a cross between Bryan Ferry and Gene Simmons, and sounding like Bono without the uncomfortable preaching, Andy Kim’s latest, It’s Decided, rings with a beautifully pained nostalgia. The opening track, “Sister OK,” is honest in its melancholy, informing…
Continue reading
Alumnus Baba Brinkman goes wild
January 26, 2015The Rap Guide to Wilderness is the latest album by SFU alumnus and hip-hop artist Baba Brinkman. Now residing in New York City, the multi-talented rapper, playwright, and environmental activist’s most recent work was commissioned by the WILD Foundation, with…
Continue reading
