November 28, 2007

High Tension Wires Midnight Cashier [4/5] On their sophomore release, Texas’ High Tension Wires mix an early-punk vibe (think fun, energetic greats the Dickies and Vibrators) with a more lo-fi garage-y feel (adding to this aspect are the somewhat fuzzed-out vocals of the Riverboat Gamblers’ Mike Wiebe and well-placed organs). The cornerstone of High...

the Flatliners The Great Awake [4/5] With The Great Awake, Toronto’s Flatliners announce they aren’t going to settle for conquering Canada. Their goal is world domination-or at least a late-day, main stage spot on the Warped Tour-and the battle plan is a decidedly old-school one. As much as you’ll hear Pantera-strength metal shrapnel in...

Bedouin Soundclash Street Gospels [4/5] Given how unadventurous most native rock acts have been of late, Street Gospels is reason enough to open the borders to more Canadians. Ontario-based trio Bedouin Soundclash truly outdo themselves with their third album, blending a wide variety of musical styles with seamless sophistication. While their palette is...

Aiden Conviction [3/5] When Aiden officially crawled out of the Seattle underground with 2005’s Nightmare Anatomy, they had a great story (singer wiL Francis trades addiction for rock ’n’ roll), undeniable style (think AFI meet the Misfits), and a clever marketing plan (how cool is calling yourself a “horror rock” band?). All that was...

VHS Or Beta Bring On The Comets [2/5] VHS Or Beta’s last album, Night On Fire, was the rare digi-punk album that sounded distinctive and unique, even though the Louisville, Kentucky, band used the same tricks as their dance-funk peers: warm vintage keyboards, Cure-inspired vocals and shards of jagged guitars. The new Bring On...

Theo And The Skyscrapers So Many Ways To Die [4/5] Theo Kogan is a New York City rock luminary, having spent the better part of two decades fronting the semi-legendary proto-riot grrrls Lunachicks. Not content with simply being history, she assembled the Skyscrapers (including ex-Toilet Boy Sean Pierce on guitar) in 2005, and the...

the Secret Handshake One Full Year [4/5] Luis Dubuc is doing for pop what one-man bands have done for emo. Piano virtuoso the Secret Handshake (Dubuc) has created a highly impressive mothership with One Full Year, a key-laden, funky, pop-rock-induced full-length. Gyrating with addictive hip-hop beats and mashed-up robotic vocal harmonies, the Texas native’s...

Odd Nosdam Level Live Wires [4/5] Odd Nosdam (David Madson) is a pretty well-rounded dude. Not only does he make incredibly stimulating records (both solo and with cLOUDDEAD), but he’s also a producer, a visual artist and a remixer, reworking tracks by acts like Boards Of Canada, Mike Patton and Múm. It makes perfect...

Galactic From The Corner To The Block [3.5/5] Stanton Moore is one hell of a drummer. He kicked Corrosion Of Conformity into gear on their last studio disc, In The Arms Of God, infusing their stoner metal with a killer dose of badass biker-rock groove. But he’s best heard propelling NOLA’s own movable feast...