Posted on 04/18/2008 3:47 PM


Dear Unfortunately Named Artiste,

I was privileged to have your record slipped to me via interoffice mail last year. After listening to it during "Girlfriends" commercial breaks last evening, it pains me to inform you we have no room for your work. No vacancy. The pool is full. Though your solid lyricism and heartfelt observations of social ills is a breath of fresh air amongst the myriads...

Posted on 04/18/2008 3:43 PM
Electronic music is a genre that has changed drastically over the years. Once relegated solely to trendy clubs, the genre has gone through many popular incarnations - from 1990s raves, turn of the century ambient background music, then re-infusion with full bands ala the post-punk movements of the late 1970s/early 80s, and today to a plethora of electronic remixes. Moby has been there through it all, both as a fan...

Posted on 04/18/2008 3:40 PM
Sophomore slumps aren't just reserved for artists who drop outstanding debuts. There are also the above-average bands like The Kooks that release a fun album like Inside In/Outside Out, only to lose the magic on their follow-up, Konk. While it follows many of the same formulas on the British quartet's debut, there's a lot less sincerity and too much fluff.

Posted on 04/14/2008 5:02 PM
When I receive a press release that reads; "One of the strongest Canadian hip-hop records ever!" I'm like, "yeah, and?" But it also quotes OKP as saying Shad is "worthy of Common and Kanye-style accolades." As of this album's intro, I'll confidently state that Shad's a far better rapper than Kanye West. Musically, The Old Prince has a similar feel to Blu & Exile's Below The Heavens record. Soulfully romantic samples and classic drum snaps...

Posted on 04/14/2008 4:59 PM
There's a Dutch proverb that says when you're looking for ideas, it's better to steal something good than come up with something bad yourself. It could have been invented for Duffy. Rockferry's ten tracks wear their influences from the ‘Soul for Dummies' book proudly, while offering little of Duffy herself beyond her much acclaimed voice. This doesn't make Rockferry a bad album, but after all the hype, you're left a little deflated.

Posted on 04/14/2008 4:57 PM

It's like Q-Tip said, "You can be white and cool but don't crack the roll." Most of Majority Rules unfolds like Premo produced a solo album for Prime Minister Pete Nice. And yeah, that means it's tight. E Major sounds like he'd be right at home dipped low in a leather office chair speaking real words out the side of his mouth waving a cane in one hand with a cigar gripped tight in the...