Death from Above 1979 - You're a Woman, I'm a Machine

In honour of the announcement that Death From Above 1979 would be reuniting for the 2011 Coachella Festival in April, I had to revisit the gateway album to noise-rock/dance-punk for me. I can, with great certainty, say that this album is responsible for me listening to the likes of Ladytron, Animal Collective, Sleigh Bells and possibly even Sonic Youth or Alexisonfire.

Released in 2004, this was, for me, the same sort of kick-in-the-pants that the introduction of grunge was ten years earlier. It is raw, it is powerful and it comes right at you. This two-piece (yeah, all this sound is from just two people... amazingly enough, using the same two instruments that The Inbreds used... think about that!) were getting some notice a year earlier with the initial demos and EP, but it wasn't until this full-length came out that I really took notice. Right from the iconic pink cover art to the roughly 35 minute, non-stop assault that this album is, it grabbed me with the screaming vocals and relentless drumming. But, somehow, during this attack, you realize that these songs are really grabbing you; they're filled with riffs and hooks that just get under your skin and hold on. This isn't just noise... it is something awesome.

The band released a remix album in 2005 along with an iTunes Sessions set, but broke up in early 2006. Jesse went on to form MSTRKRFT (pronounced, Master Craft) and Sebastien went solo for awhile. The announcement of their reunion came as a total surprise to everyone, but it has been confirmed by Jesse (I believe) on Twitter. No word about what might come after this (new single? new album? full tour?) but it's great to have them back together, even if it's only for one show.

Recommended track(s):	Romantic Rights; Black History Month; Little Girl
Worth another listen?	Yes!
Overall rating:	Four Stars

Girl Talk - Feed the Animals

I was finally able to track down a copy of All Day late last night (the day of it's free release), but in honour of Gregg Gillis' new album, I thought it was only fitting to review Girl Talk's previous album today.

Less of an album, meaning a collection of songs put together one heading, as it is a 53 minute experience; an on-going mash-up of song snippets that have been masterfully put together into something new. Similar in style to The Avalanches' album, Since I Left You, but somehow different... and no, I can't put my finger on how or why (although I don't believe that either artist got the rights to all of the samples used on their albums). Looking at the Wikipedia entry for Feed the Animals, you can see that we're not talking about 'a few samples' that have been mashed together. We're talking about hundreds, from all eras and genres.

I have no idea how someone would go about putting something like this together, or how it would ever occur to someone that having Busta Rhymes rap over top of the groove from Phil Collins' In The Air Tonight would be great. But it is, and Gillis was the one with the vision to make this happen. It could be that, on the first few listens, it was just the idea of putting something together like this that kept me coming back, but I've heard this album countless times now and it still gets me going. There aren't any choruses, verses, bridges, etc., here, it's just a single stream of music that has been cut into 'tracks' for ease of access more than anything else.

Sure, some of it is a little crass lyrically in places, but I don't normally listen to a lot of the rap artists that are sampled here, so maybe that's my bias. Otherwise, the fun of identifying songs or artists is still there for me, the energy is still super-high on this album, and it's just a great album to drive to or have on in the background.

Recommended track(s):	Shut the Club Down; What It's All About; Hands in the Air
Worth another listen?	Yes!
Overall rating:	Four Stars

Elbow - Asleep in the Back

"I'll be the corpse in your bathroom... useless." I can't count how many times I've listened to the song Newborn on Elbow's debut album, but that first line always catches me. It seems like such a bizarre phrase, but Guy Garvey always makes it work. Somehow.

At the time the album was released, this band was slammed with a number of comparisons: Radiohead, Coldplay, Starsailor, etc., etc. Now, these bands don't all sound the same, but Asleep... doesn't exactly play by the rules either, so ignore any of these comparisons that you might have previously heard/read. The (deserving) Mercury Prize nomination tells me that not all of the critics were so short sighted.

The tracks can be heavily backed by layers of instruments and vocals (Any Day Now), or sparsely arranged (Scattered Black and Whites); the song can almost drift along through the air (Powder Blue), or it can slam right into you (Bitten by the Tailfly). Lyrically, the band has put together some really great lines from start to finish. The band has also released a number of actual singles from this album, complete with b-sides which ranged from okay to incredible; these were obviously very successful sessions for this new group.

Speaking of alternate versions and such, if you have heard (or find) a copy of Newborn, make sure it's the full length (album) version of the track. The band release a short version of it for radio play, but the ~7.5 minute version is far superior.

Recommended track(s):	Powder Blue; Newborn; Scattered Black and Whites
Worth another listen?	Yes!
Overall rating:	Four Stars

Ryan Adams & the Cardinals - Cold Roses

I should preface any review I do for Ryan Adams, with or without the Cardinals, with this statement: I freakin' love Ryan and everything he's done (including his work with his previous band, Whiskeytown). This is a biased review, to be sure... but what can I do?

Cold Roses is a double album, but more in theory and execution than running time; the whole work clocks in at one hour, sixteen minutes. That said, casual fans and those new to Ryan's work should also realize that this was one of three (3) albums that he released that year (Jacksonville City Nights and 29 being the other two) and that the total running time does nothing to depreciate the impact this package has as a double album. It plays like a double album and between the packaging and the track order, I think it's essential that it be a double album like this.

Compared to his previous works at this time (e.g., Love is Hell, parts one and two, Rock n Roll) this album was a (welcome) return to a much more 'country' sound for the band. The highlights are many, the lyrics are brilliant, the music is fantastic and I got to see him tour shortly after these albums were released and they translate beautifully to the stage; I have the bootleg (Ryan is 'taper friendly') from the show I saw and listen to it all the time still.

If you're new to Ryan, I'd still probably suggest starting with something like Gold or even Whiskeytown's Strangers Almanac. And, please don't let the "country" tag scare you away: this isn't Shania-esque new country, nor is it 'your fathers' country music; yes, there is some twang, but Ryan has an incredible voice and there is enough of a 'rock' vibe underlying everything to interest anyone. Also, even if you don't know it, you've probably heard his music previously, either in a movie or on tv or something... but maybe I just notice it everywhere because I love it so much; yes, I'm that annoying person who will stop people in the middle of a conversation over dinner or whatever to point out that he's playing on the radio somewhere.

Recommended track(s):	Magnolia Mountain; Sweet Illusions; Easy Plateau; Cold Roses; Dance All Night
Worth another listen?	Yes!
Overall rating:	Four-and-a-Half Stars

The Tragically Hip - Up To Here

There are some people who still insist that classic (read: pre-Day for Night) The Tragically Hip albums are one of those "love 'em or hate 'em" kinda things. Personally, I don't have a clue how you can't love this stuff. This album is pure awesome.

I'm pretty sure that I didn't get into The Hip until about their 4th album, Fully Completely; however, this album has some of their best work on it. I mean, when an album starts off with the 1-2-3 punch that this one does you know you're in for something great. Gord's lyrics tell wonderful little stories; the guitar solos/bridges throughout are so well done; the overall flow of the album is spot-on. Although these songs sound so much better on the remastered 'best of' collection, Yer Favourites, the album is now twenty-one years old so what do you expect?

Towards the end, the final three tracks don't quite have the same impact and lasting memory of the first eight, but that's not to say they're filler or throw-away either. Standing on the shoulders of the recommended tracks (listed below) is no easy feat. It's sing-along, it's memorable, there are great riffs and one-liners in here; it's an excellent summertime BBQ/camping album, like so much of the band's (classic- and neo-classical -era (read: pre-In Violet Light)) music is.

Recommended track(s):	Blow at High Dough; New Orleans is Sinking; 38 Years Old; Boots or Hearts
Worth another listen?	Yes!
Overall rating:	Four-and-a-Half Stars

Linkin Park - Reanimation

Speaking of bands who have 'had their day', Linkin Park would, at least for me, be a prime example of this. Their catalogue up to, and including, Meteora (yes, I realize this is just two studio albums, this remix disc and a live album) was pretty good. After that, they are taking nothing short of a nose dive into obscurity.  Sorry boys, but the overly repetitious nature of Minutes to Midnight drives me crazy and what I've heard from A Thousand Suns comes off as the sound of a band trying way to hard to be different.

That said, I wasn't initially a huge fan of Hybrid Theory, the album on which this remix collection is mostly based, when it first came out; I'm still not a fan of "Crawling" to be honest. However, this album made me a fan of the band. This remix album seems to take the standard rap-rock nu-metal sound just a bit further, a bit more beat-heavy, a better balance of the rapping/singing dynamic, and it really works for me. Sure, I could do without the fake phone calls and I'm not saying that all the tracks are awesome, but on the whole – especially for a remix album – it's a very good set. The big singles from the previous album are given more energy; the other tracks are also treated to a good overhaul.

It should be mentioned that this album can be a bit heavy on the scratching and DJ-styles, but if you're already familiar with the LP sound, this shouldn't be a big surprise. Again, I don't know if it's the reorganization of the band's sound that makes this disc work for me, but whatever it is, I kinda wished that the band would have explored this sound more on follow-up disc (or, at least gave Meteora the same remix treatment).

Recommended track(s):	Pts.Of.Athrty; Plc. 4 Mie Hæd; Wth>You; 1stp Klosr
Worth another listen?	Yes!
Overall rating:	Four Stars

Bloc Party - Silent Alarm

I don't really know how to label this sort of music. It's electronic, it's rock... it's awesome. This is an album that I have been known to pull out from time-to-time because it's just great. I don't remember the rest of the Bloc Party catalogue being as strong, but future reviews will sort that out. This album is solid.

I have no idea how popular or well known these guys are in Canada; I thought they toured with Broken Social Scene or were part of the Virgin/Toronto Island festival a few years back (Google says "Yes" to both), but that doesn't really mean much regarding the bands exposure over here. This album was a short list nominee for a Mercury Prize when it came out, but again, outside music snob circles, that doesn't mean much either.

This was a great album to end the week on: it's super up-beat, it's driving, has great drum parts, great hooks and vocals. Lyrically, I don't know if there is any sort of 'deeper message' to be had, but it's not one of those albums that is meant to be about the lyrics I don't think. Even the album's packaging is great: I love the cover art for this disc.

Recommended track(s):	Positive Tension; Banquet
Worth another listen?	Yes!
Overall rating:	Four Stars

Barenaked Ladies - Stunt

There was no rhyme or reason to review this album first. It might be just because it was one of the most recent albums that I'd put into my iTunes library in anticipation of starting this project.

This is the fourth studio album for the Barenaked Ladies and, I believe, the one that really broke them in the US market. While we'd known about them for years up here in Canada, international success had been hard to come by. It's also the last/most recent studio album that I own by the band. Their follow-up, Maroon, never really connected with me and I stopped buying their albums after that. Listening to this album, and the joint vocals of both Ed Robertson and Steven Page, I can't imagine their sound today without Page (who left the band in 2009).

Lyrically, the album is much darker than I remember it being, and significantly darker in lyrical tone than Gordon (although, in hindsight, Maybe You Should Drive may also have darker undertones; I'll have to listen for that when I review that album in the future). Musically, however, it's still a fun, poppy album with lots of highlights. Next to Gordon, this is very likely my favourite BNL album and a pleasure to have heard again.

Recommended track(s):	One Week; Light Up My Room; Who Needs Sleep?
Worth another listen?	Yes!
Overall rating:	Four Stars