12:34
Horizontal
(Indie)

D

Website: www.myspace.com/rockwith12x34

Adé
49 54
(Indie)

B



Website: www.ade-music.com

Adé recently became known to the secular music world by being nominated for best Christian recording at the recent Western Canadian Music Awards. That she hadn’t really been on the radar prior is surprising given the smooth and sultry R&B sounds that flow through this disc. Working with producer Jordan Jackiew (Shezza, Jacob and Lily) and executive producer, programmer and co-writer Darren Sedor, Adé offers up 13 songs of love and faith and trust and hope. Themes of fidelity and caring for one another abound here, but there’s little proselytizing, as Adé prefers to deal in allegory and metaphor rather than evangelical fervour. Opening tune Shake the Dust is by far the best track here, pumped up with an ambitious beat and featuring an intense rap from Fenom. — JK

After all These Years
Brand New Dodge
(Indie)

B-



Website: www.afteralltheseyears.net

Brand New Dodge is the fourth release from After all These Years, and it comes on the heels of 2005’s Hectors Palace, which was a charming slice of country/roots heartache. The new disc doesn’t quite live up to that album’s promise but will still have you hoisting a mug at 1 a.m. when the band is finishing off a set. Brand New Dodge is just a little short on simple, honest cuts such as The Country Way and Last Night and a little long on songs like The Hero of Gypsumville, which has just a little too much O Brother Where Art Thou? flavour to be brilliant. These guys are still working it out, but they’re on the right path. And guys, thanks for this little gem, from the hidden track: “Puked on my balls again/Oh will I ever learn?/I’m going back to the bar/Gonna find me something to burn.” — MW

American Flamewhip
Finger Tight
(Transistor 66)

B



Website: www.myspace.com/americanflame whip

A lot of people were pretty pissed off when the VaGiants called it quits, so those same people will be ecstatic to know that singer J-Rod and drummer Mama are behind American Flamewhip. Add in New Meanies mainman Damon Mitchell and you’ve got an all-star band. AF calls its music “dirty-ass rock ’n’ roll,” and that’s a pretty bang-on description of anthems such as Gasoline and album opener Kick It. This whole outing is gritty and raw, with J-Rod’s husky vocals dusted with a bit of reverb and the guitars up front and snarling. I see the hoofprints of AC/DC in here — I’ll admit I see them everywhere — but we’re also dealing with a hint of punk and retro rock of the Urge Overkill/Velvet Underground variety. So does it rock? Shit yeah, and it’ll leave scratches all down your back. Don’t let your boyfriend or girlfriend see them. — MW

With quavering voice, this denizen of the Academy Bar & Eatery lays his lovelorn soul bare on Discoverers, an eight-song study of young love, fear of the future and finding the courage to hold. “Maybe it’s just that we’re together is what propels us to forever,” is the key lyric (from The Last Town in Ontario, a reference to Broadway’s hometown of Windsor), and Johnny explores this theme thoroughly, miraculously finding melodies in the most minimal of guitar approaches. Though the songs aren’t chronological, Discoverers is the tale of a relationship from start to finish, with special focus on the emotional fallout that follows when one of a couple of scared kids decides to pull the pin. Homemade and kinda crude, this journey is nonetheless quite charming. —JK

The Duhks practically fly off the disc on their second album for Sugar Hill, such is the richness and live feel of this recording helmed by George Paczoza (who also co-produced the quintet’s last effort). Surprising, too, is the contemporary soulfulness of these arrangements, a feeling that has to be put down to Jessee Havey’s ever-evolving vocal instrument and the vibrant fluidity of percussionist Scott Senior. That’s not to say The Duhks are moving away from their bluegrass roots, though. Every instrumental part here, save for one guitar track, is acoustic, and the effervescent swing of fiddler Tania Elizabeth, guitarist Jordan McConnell and banjo-man Leonard Podolak is what keeps this album moving. Standout cuts include a tremendous version of Tracy Chapman’s Mountains O’ Things, McConnell and Elizabeth’s sassy instrumental The Fox and the Bee and Havey’s first recorded stab at lyric-writing, Out of the Rain. — JK

Ego Spank is here to make your nostrils curl and your head nod with a live alb of soulful funk and R&B. This is another all-star band — Murray Pulver, Gilles Fournier, Daniel Roy and Marc Arnould are all scenesters of note — and of course the music is competent. Recorded at Finn’s Pub at The Forks, Bootleg sounds pretty good, but it just ain’t easy to make a good live funk record. Something usually gets lost in translation, and while kickin’ tracks such as Funky Shoes, the brilliant Seven Deadly Sins and the uptempo rocker Six Feet Under are groovy gems, this album just doesn’t have move-it-or-lose-it intensity from start to finish. But see these guys live and I guarantee you’ll be shakin’ everything that should probably remain unshaken. — MW

With a singer whose voice recalls Bill Hurley of The Inmates and a devotion to fuzz-guitar, blues-based hard rock, Equal Loudness Curve kinda sneaks up on you. While other bands may be more polished and rhythmically dynamic, ELC kicks out the jams with a subtly infectious sense of riff-rockery. Singer/guitarist Trevor Knox Millar is the guiding force here, and with producer Lloyd Peterson he and his bandmates create a blend of hooks and riffs that works best on songs such as You & the Devil, Too Damn Lazy and California, which also features some knock-’em-dead boogie-woogie piano. At the very least, this album establishes the band’s potential. — JK

Every New Day
Even in the Darkest Places
(Hand of Hope/Victory)

B+

Website: www.myspace.com/everynewday

The Harlots
Connoisseur of Ruin
(Curve/Universal)

A



Website: www.theharlots.com

The Harlots say this alb is their best yet — and they’re damn right. I’d go so far as to say that Magistrate, Slaves, the title track and Separated Generation are some of the best the Garinger bros. and Mark Sawatzky have ever written, Alien be damned. In fact, I haven’t been able to get this 10-song melodic rocker out of my CD player for a couple of weeks now, even though GWAR just released a new disc. Connoisseur of Ruin is just that good. The Harlots have crafted a sublime slice of music that recalls the best work of Jawbreaker and other dark rock bands, using emotional delivery, layered melodies and vocal harmonies to make each hook a wrenching passage that draws you deeper into the song. A great album start to finish, and hopefully one that’ll help this long-serving band break out into the big leagues. — MW

Hundredfold
Via Sirens
(Indie)

B



Website: www.enterthewolf.com

What’s in the water in Steinbach these days? This four-piece modern rock outfit is the latest group to emerge from our Mennonite neighbour sounding fully formed and ready to roll. In fact, the band has taken full advantage of producer Brandon Friesen’s pedigree to create an album that sounds as big and full as anything that might be played on Power 97. While the songwriting could be stronger and the hooks need sharpening, there’s more than enough on this disc to leave people asking when the follow-up is coming. The next step is for singer Rejean La Belle and guitarist Cory Le Roy to develop the kind of edgy, aggressive partnership that will give Hundredfold that winning edge. Check out One Sided Show and Paper Sun for the album’s most representative cuts. — JK

Infraction
Infraction
(Indie)

B



Website: www.infractioninc.com

Infraction brings the heavy here, serving up 12 brutal tracks of screaming aggression on this debut full-length. Overall Infraction is a blend of death metal and hardcore, but this quintet also experiments with melody, tempo and acoustic and instrumental passages, giving the songs a bit more flavour than you might expect from angry dudes who call the Pyramid home. Eric’s Left Blinker, for example, features a two-minute instrumental intro before singer Jeff really gets into his screaming, and some melodic vocals are later thrown into the mix as a counterpoint to the rage. The lower end on tracks such as Infected has a bit more sludge than is needed, but these guys bear watching in the future. If Take My Hand and My Pride are any indication, Infraction is capable of some gnarly things — MW

Like Tool? Then you’ll like JAW, a Winnipeg quartet that mixes the experimentation of Maynard James Keenan’s outfit with a little bit of death metal and some prog rock. The first thing you’ll notice about this disc is that it sounds bitchin’, which is due to the fact that the band spent a lot of time and money on the eight-song alb and had some big-ish names (Sean Thingvold and Greg Reeley) mix and master the beast. Best tracks here are Slaves and Of Kings and Pawns, both of which use shifts between clean and hoarse vocals to get things banging. These tracks build to a jagged point, but even the wildest moments maintain melody, making this both heavy as hell but also accessible. This is a concept album, so it’s difficult to criticize slower tracks such as the title cut and Begin Again, but this band is at its absolute best when it lets the heavy sneak up on you and beat you down with a hammer. — MW

Johnson is a local poet, hip hop lyricist and spoken-word performer whose debut project is an intensely personal recounting of life as a survivor of incest. It’s powerful, heady stuff, and at times the words may be too painful for some. Nevertheless, producers and performers Sunil (Ishq) Bector, Christian Devoin, Solidaze and Khela (aka Kutdown) were impressed enough to provide backing tracks free-of-charge for the 15 cuts on the album. The end result is a spoken-word recording with a jazzy, soulful backing that wouldn’t sound out of place alongside similar work by better-known performers. At her best, Johnson is clear and passionate and her images and descriptions are hauntingly vivid. — JK

For his ninth studio album, Keelo has gathered a collection of songs that reflect both his musical and personal heritage. There are Irish traditionals, tales of Canadiana, slices of British history and even an Irish/American prisoner’s lament. Sweetly played by an all-star cast that includes Danu and young locals Jordan McConnell of The Duhks and Ruth Moody of The Wailin’ Jennys, A Few Simple Verses rides smoothly on Keelaghan’s sweet baritone and his ringing acoustic guitar as he imbues each of these songs with his tremendous phrasing and tone. To top it all, Keelo and compatriot Jez Lowe offer up My Blood, an ode to the Irish diaspora that should ring true with anyone who’s soaked up a bit of craic and Guinness in a dirty old Irish tavern in an Eastern-seaboard town.
— JK

Kocay may do well to drink less coffee, write less bad poetry and spend more time learning how to play his guitar. If that sounds harsh, well, he is asking people to buy this recording. To be fair, the rudiments of two or three very good songs are here — there’s a lot of potential in Trumpeter Swan, for example — but this 19-year-old needs to live a little, get the preciousness out of his system and realize that just because he’s feeling something for the first time doesn’t mean it’s the first time it’s been experienced. Remember, most of the time less is more. —JK

Chantal Kreviazuk
Ghost Stories
(Sony/BMG)

B+

Website: www.chantalkreviazuk.com

Scott Kroeker
Fata Morgana
(Indie)

C+



Website: www.scottkroeker.com

Kroeker is a Steinbach-based guitarist who put together this 14-song album by himself, aided only by drummer/percussionist Jean Nadeau. While it’s readily apparent that this disc will find its niche in the musical subculture of those who appreciate solo rock guitar (fans of Satriani and Vai should check this out), it’s also likely Kroeker won’t break beyond that world. Most cuts here explore harmonic and melodic themes to the nth degree, but such structures don’t allow for a lot of rhythmic and dynamic variation, which is what would keep most casual listeners interested — especially over the long haul of 14 songs. When Kroeker does step out, as on the acoustic-oriented Angel in Ice or the riff-rooted Transparent, the results give pause to wonder what he might accomplish in a band setting. — JK

K-rupson
The Krupness Monsta
(Indie)

B



Website: www.murrk.com

This hip hop offering is infinitely better than K-Rupson’s 2004 disc, The Album. To sweeten the pot, K-Rupson has dropped the dollar sign from his name, so I don’t have to type ‘K-Rup$on’ anymore and you don’t have to read it. Furthermore, the between-track bullshit that distracted from the tunes on The Album is also gone. The result of renewed focus and growth is songs such as Soul Searchin’, an uptempo jam that also finds K-R upping the ante and putting a little more thought into the beats and music that accompany his rhymes. Infection is similarly catchy, and the guest vox by Lu-Cypha crank things up a notch. I’d say this 16-track disc is about four songs too long — K gets a little too soft and romantic in the middle and loses his rhythm — but it’s basically a solid release. — MW

The Land
The Land
(Indie)

B-



Website: www.homeontheland.ca

It’s 9:30 p.m. on a July night and the sun is just slipping below the trees on the horizon. You should probably be listening to The Land’s delicate, patient acoustic roots music right now. This full-length by Judith Klassen and Simon Neufeld simply has an earthy feel to it that goes beyond the fact that the duo calls itself The Land. Songs such as Path Through the Forest, I Live Near the Ocean and Even Though are all evidence that these musicians feel a strong connection to nature, and the disc was manufactured by Earthology Records, and environmentally responsible label. If there’s a criticism it’s that things can become just a bit droning and drab at times, but for the most part these 12 songs are charming, heartfelt and packed with character. Here’s your new soundtrack to a rainy day. — MW

Local activist Ian La Rue (he’s currently facing a slew of tickets picked up during the Critical Mass protests of the summer) is primarily a singer/songwriter and sound artist, and this EP is a nice introduction to his oeuvre. Atmospherics play heavily in this musical concoction, as background café noise, radio broadcasts and even the sound of hammering nails become as much a part of the songs as his quiet electric and acoustic strummings. But don’t let the lo-fi ambience lull you into thinking this is more soundscape than songwriting exercise — La Rue is a talented lyricist, and songs such as … And It all Comes Down to This and People Shaking Hands With Strangers seem to perfectly capture the ennui of being young and disappointed. — JK

“Oh my,” a friend says as this album plays. “They’re rocking in another era, aren’t they?” Oh my, I think, she’s right. While this five-piece Christian rock band certainly performs with the best of intentions, its stuck-in-the-’70s songs are sadly lyrically overwrought, amateurishly sung, rudimentally played and poorly mixed. Guitarist George Meacham’s rather thin tone dominates the album, and while that does draw attention away from the all-too-earnest vocals, his sound numbs the senses to the fact he’s probably the best player of this bunch. — JK

Goddamn, this is a good record. I’ve listened to it backward and forward and around and around, and that’s what I keep coming back to… a smile, a shake of the head and an inarticulate epithet. Here’s the thing — Mayes first caught my ear when she teamed up with guitarist Chris Carmichael in 2002. At the time, they played every shitty bar gig they could find. Even when there were only four people in the room, the two always delivered a nugget of something special, so to hear the potential of those days fulfilled in these 11 songs is simply a wonderful thing. Romi’s skill as a songwriter is now fully realized on wonderfully bittersweet, self-referential tunes such as Smoke More Than I Drink or Desperately, and in the title track she’s written an anthem for experienced single women everywhere. Carmichael, who plays guitar, sings and even adds drums, is this album’s MVP, while the likes of Scott Nolan (bass) and Dan Walsh (various guitars) give the songs the settings they deserve. — JK

This is the first solo release from Brian David Melnyk, and it’s a homemade production all the way. Melnyk handles all instruments and vocals and produced, engineered and mixed this pop rock offering. As a DIY project, Brian David Melnyk is a little rough around the edges, but the singer/songwriter does have a gift for crafting bouncy songs. Think of Cake or Pavement and you’ll have the idea. At times the lyrics and vocals grow just a bit stale, but Melnyk is clever enough to use a variety of tempos and some keys to keep things interesting. The 13 tracks here vary from poppy to rockin’ to experimental, but it’s the tender piano-driven cuts that I find the most intriguing. A little editing on the follow-up would make for a disc worth picking up. — MW

Moses Mayes
Rock It so Hard
(Indie)

B+



Website: www.mosesmayes.com

Double M’s latest electro-funk offering is characterized by the keyboard skills of Nathan Reimer, who’s back at it with turntablist Grant Paley and guitarist/ bassist/programmer Mark Penner. This is a three-song EP in advance of a full-length to come later this year, and it should pique the interest of funk fans, soulsters and hip hoppers everywhere. The best cut here is the title track, though the wah-pedalled funk of Flow is pretty Shaft-worthy. I’m just going to come right out and say what everyone’s thinking about this band — these guys could absolutely give porno soundtracks a better reputation. — MW

Nathan
Casserole
(Nettwerk)

A



Website: www.nathanmusic.ca

A new full-length Nathan album is due early next year. It’ll be called Key Principles, and recording is already wrapped. To tide you over, the band has put together a quickie five-song EP, and if it doesn’t whet your appetite for more, well, something’s wrong. Yes, there are two Tom Waits covers here, but it’s the three new songs that should have people on tenterhooks. The Boulevard Back Then, Malorie and Casserole all speak to the fact the band is crafting a well-rounded, gentle pop sound while staying true to their old-tymey instrumentation and vibe. There’s a bonus video for Sunchaser, too. — JK

Sketch Williams
The Moonlit Tunnel
(Indie)

B



Website: www.sketchwilliams.com

Young hip hop artists could do a lot worse than hooking up with two-time Grammy nominee Fresh I.E. Sketch Williams, aka Christian Mann, did exactly that, releasing the EP Portrait of a Poet in May 2005. This follow-up dropped in summer and features the blossoming actor (Falcon Beach), model and rapper kicking his lyrics over minimal beats and effects that take cues from R&B and soul. Williams is only in his late teens, so he’s still getting the delivery down, but his flow is easy and smooth. The MO is bare and stripped, but tracks such as Life Goes On incorporate some backing vocals to good effect, and The Old Wood uses some strings and shows why Williams is a two-time winner of the Canada Music Week composition competition. Williams still has room to grow, but expect that growth. — MW

Palmquist plays guitar like Ani DiFranco, with a percussive fingerpicking style all his own. He’s also got one of those pure, sensitive voices that could probably soar even higher than it does on this debut recording. At the moment, his stock-in-trade is the plaintive, reflective folk pop song, and his debut recording is a fine showcase for his obvious gifts. What Palmquist needs to develop, as is so often the case, is a more consistent sense of melody and a willingness to exploit his hooks. Sometimes he’s forcing words into places where they just don’t fit — at others, such as on Neighbor or Tiger’s Eyes, he achieves the poignancy and pop sensibility of, say, Dallas Green on his City & Colour project. — JK

This disc even smells like the Albert, and you know these songs would sound best in the dingy confines of Winnipeg’s home of punk rock. Do the next best thing to hitting the Alb: turn up the heat in your home, spill some Standard on yourself and crank the Quag. If you do you’ll experience songs such as Lock and Load and Jesus Was a Redneck as they were meant to be heard. No doubt about it, this is fast, aggressive punk music with a DIY edge, although Bloody Nice and Grease the Pig almost venture into psychobilly territory and Down at the Bar is a rockin’ blues-based number. The latter half of the disc features Shane (Quagmire) Haywood’s finest vocal performances, which hint at more awesomeness to come. — MW

Three-fifths of Doc Walker put the boots to the Stetsons and get down to rocking on this seven-song disc. Guitarist Murray Pulver is the driving force here, and he’s aided by bassist Paul Yee and drummer Chris Sutherland in creating melodic pop rock characterized by some pretty vocal harmonies. The trio is at its best on songs such as I Don’t Care and I Haven’t Been Good, both of which are delicate numbers that allow a charming mix of vocals to wash over everything. The interplay between the singers is really the selling point of Squeek — it’s enough even to save lesser tracks such as 1, 2, 3. The country shows through a little on Out in the Cold, but it’s still a solid track, and you can forgive Pulver for mixing it up. He’s been in the studio with both Doc Walker and Ego Spank (see above) recently, so he’s lucky if he remembers what band he’s in. — MW

The 10 songs on this disc should have basement guitarists scurrying to their axes and fiddling with the knobs and effects pedals. Simply put, Test of Fate is a guitarist’s album, packed with riff rock that owes its existence to bands such as Def Leppard, Van Halen and The Cult. As such, James Spurgeon’s vocals aren’t the main focus here. We’re supposed to focus on Kevin Stephen’s fretwork, and at times it’s pretty impressive. What this album’s 10 songs lack, however, is something that will set them apart from the tunes of hundreds of bands trying to cash in on the overwrought emotion and glitter of Poison and Bon Jovi. This quartet can craft some tasty licks and melodies, but I’m sure they’ve got more imagination. Let it ride, boys. —MW

The biggest question facing the Jennys on this album was how would Annabelle Chvostek’s songs and sound fit in? The answer is delivered in precisely three minutes and 47 seconds in the form of Devil’s Paintbrush Road, the Annabelle song that opens the album. It’s a spry, rootsy jig with three-part harmony in the refrain, and you’ll find yourself humming the tune long after it ends. Yes, you could call this a seamless blend, as fiddler/guitarist/mandolinist Chvostek steps in to offer just the right touches of instrumental colour and vocal complement to Ruth Moody’s folky compositions and Nicky Mehta’s ethereal, intelligent pop-tinged material. Writing credits are equally balanced between the three, with an effervescent vocal arrangement of Long Time Traveller thrown in for good measure. The highlights are many — Moody’s Prairie Town is a touching song of love broken and found, Mehta’s Starlight is as beautiful as its subject matter is stark, and Chvostek’s mandolin-tinged Firecracker is a wonderful bookend to it all. The Jennys show no signs of halting the momentum they’ve been building up over the past four years. — JK