The City Streets, “The Jazz Age”
Clamour Records
Reviewed by Vee Manzerolle
Growing up in Edmonton, Alberta and strategically positioning themselves in musically endowed Montreal, Quebec, The City Streets are making their presence known to fellow Canadians and independent music lovers. With the release of their latest album The Jazz Age and an all-embracing North American tour these boys are endeavouring to gain musical support first and foremost on a local basis and now on a national scale. The City Streets are no strangers to the world of musical festivals, making appearances at NXNE, SXSW, CMW, Pop Montreal, and Halifax Pop Explosion. Why all the mileage? The City Streets are on the road to promote The Jazz Age. Their new album opens with the titled track "Midnight Sun," a song that gives the active listener a music-based introduction over a minute long. As Rick Reid’s voice unites with his guitar playing, Matt Leddy’s bass, and Mark Chmilar’s drums there’s a likeness in sound with Welland, Ontario natives Attack in Black (at least that comment applies to their album Marriage). Reid’s voice is far more mature than the vocals coming out of Attack in Black, at least in terms of his rough-edge sound. The album offers versatility through its various songs but to achieve its full impact it must be listened to with headphones, external speakers just doesn’t do their album any kind of justice. The Jazz Age opens up hard and softens up as it progresses. Be prepared for a prolong ending with "Slothrop’s Ghost". 3/5
Marsmobil, “(Why Don’t You Take) The Other Side?”
Compost Records
Reviewed by Vee Manzerolle
What do you get when you have a song with dominant vocals, that’s heavily keyboard concentrated, and favours harmonization? Patience, the first track off Marsmobil’s new album (Why Don’t You Take) The Other Side? Roberto Di Gioia, the man behind Marsmobil, has a fresh light-hearted voice that is packed with an airy seductive sound, but seductive in a platonic kind of way. After listening to this album you’ll find yourself sitting there pondering who he vocally reminds you of. There’s something so familiar about his voice. Di Gioia not only lends his voice to the Marsmobil project but also is responsible for almost every single instrument on the album, including organs, drums, electric guitars, sitar, percussion, cello, and let’s not forget the blues harp. The disc's second track, "Crazy Colored Lights," a song doused in a sound that can only be attributed to the musical vibe of the sixties (minus The Illusionists who is actually featured). On the whole, the songs on (Why Don’t You Take) The Other Side? tend to have a psychedelic sound to them, some are a bit rushed lyrically ("Insane"), some are a tad tacky ("Moon of Dust"), and some have a strange indescribable appeal ("Spirit of the Dark"). The standout tracks on Marsmobil’s latest album include "Gonna Be My Day" and "Revolution Girl". This is the kind of album that could find a home on a soundtrack or before bedtime in the comfort of your own home. 3.5/5
Andrew Collberg, “On The Wreath”
Le Pop Musik
Reviewed by Vee Manzerolle
Andrew Collberg has what some folks like to call an “indie” sound, and who can disagree? He’s kind of like the cheerful version of Death Cab for Cutie, but a tad bit more upbeat and feel-good. His voice emphasizes echo-based vocals, like on "Clementine." Mr. Collberg is guilty of repeating lyrics in his song "To The Road" to the point where it’s a bit too much for the average listener, but you have to give him this much, you’ll never for a split second forget the title of the third track. The only other criticism is more of an observation. It's the oh-so-apparent nasal sound of his voice on "Wait Inside." The song shows versatility and the slower tempo and softer side of Collberg is stimulating. Two standout tracks are "Plastic Bows" and the "The Tide Below." "Plastic Bows" has an upbeat, sweet appeal to it. The inclusion of brass instruments followed by the lyrics “little one it’s all O.K” can be credited for that appeal. "The Tide Below" is amazing for two reasons. First, the song has a banjo incorporated into it (score). Second, it has some pretty solid lyrics going on for it. For example, the line “I’ve grown down and you’ve grown up”. It also highlights his vocals and his use of harmonization. Lastly, but certainly not least, the last track on the album, "Make It Right" leaves Collberg’s voice lingering in the back of your mind. 4/5
Jon & Roy, “Homes”
Independent
Reviewed by Vee Manzerrolle
Jon & Roy’s latest album Homes opens with the track "Any Day," a wise choice that lets the listener know the overall vibe of what is to come in the following tracks. "Any Day" draws you in with its rhythmic guitar accompanied by soft bongos. The sound of bongos and the vigour to grab a hold of a listener’s attention is immediately apparent; you cannot help but bob your head to the instrument's rhythmic powers. The vocals have a soothing appeal to them with reggae influences and they make "Any Day" a song well suited for summer. A lot of the tracks on Homes follow a similar formula, musically simple and content. "Get Myself A Gun" is no different. It exemplifies a simple formula with the inclusion of harmonic sounds and calming vocals, and this formula is far from a bad thing. The sounds of Homes do not strictly abide by one sound. "Boom ‘Elm" gives off an east-coast vibe with a dominant fiddle but let’s just say, if you’re looking for some country twang in your life, look no further then "947". If country twang isn’t really your style maybe a song with faster rhythms will entice you, like "Cuban B." Overall, the first half of Homes is significantly stronger than the second half. Let it be said, a day out in the sun will be a day well spent with Jon & Roy. 3.5/5
The Dudes, “Blood Guts Bruises Cuts”
Load Music
Reviewed by Vee Manzerolle
Following their 2006 release of Brain Heart and Guitar the new album Blood Guts Bruises Cuts by The Dudes proves that not only does a fine wine get better with age, a bands music also gets better the longer they’ve been making music together. The album opens with “Honest Mistake,” a strong start to a strong album. The music and the vocals compliment each other perfectly. With the spoken words of “not my fault” followed by a musical breakdown it’s hard not to like “Honest Mistake”. The Dudes are often described as having a rock and roll soul sound to them, if you ask The Dudes they’ll tell you straight up that they’re a rock band. The confusion of being considered a soul band can be attributed to vocalist Danny Vacon having an actual singing voice not strictly limited to the typical rock sound. Usually I condemn clapping in a song especially during a live performance but I will not and cannot condemn the dudes for using light clapping in the background of “Ever been to Taiwan?” If you’re a sucker for a sing-a-long tune be sure to check out their track “Terrified” and you’ll be harmonizing with the song in no time. Overall, the album has a consistent good flow to it from start to finish. The Dudes also include a bonus DVD by the title of Breakfast at Rock Central full of goodies and a little bonus at the end of their album. Warning: View the DVD only after eating a mean breakfast and prepare yourself to be teleported back to 1996. 4/5
Little Foot Long Foot, “Harsh Words”
Independent
Reviewed by Vee Manzerolle
Opening with a track entitled, “King Hipster” should be your first indication that what you’re about to witness is an album packed with witty, sarcastic, and catchy lyrics accompanied by naturally catchy beats and rhythms. This formula continues to swarm all the following tracks. Little Foot Long Foot mocks not only the hipster phenomenon but follows suit on the idea of marriage and fake cowboys. They may even be the first rock band to make an anthem for strippers everywhere, although I highly doubt that. Harsh Words is a rock album that is saturated with a blues and country underlining that may cause an influx of country/blues album sales for those who have yet to dabble in such genres. It's a perfect example that the two-piece band is slowly taking over the infamous four-five-piece ensemble. Joan Smith packs a powerful voice. She would be the perfect candidate to challenge the rock stereotype that female singers cannot rock because she undoubtedly does. The strongest tracks on this album are “June Bug”, “No Holiday”, and “Thank You”. “June Bug” starts off with a catchy guitar riff that’s soon followed by a solid drumbeat courtesy of Isaac Klein. The vocals exhibit a strong emotional tie with the music, one that only gets stronger during the chorus. “No Holiday” juxtaposes “June Bug” by starting with softer vocals from Joan Smith and light guitar followed by an increasing drumbeat beat that speeds up as the song progresses. Each time you give the album a listen you’re guaranteed to find another track that’s your favourite. Little Foot Long Foot has created an ideal album for the anticipated coming summer. 4/5
Spookey Ruben, “Mechanical Royalty”
Hi-Hat Recordings
Reviewed by Vee Manzerolle
Spookey Ruben is a self-proclaimed master of all that comes out of his new album Mechanical Royalty. Not only does he write and produce the album but he also credits himself with musical instruments, sound effects, and vocals. This makes for a very impressive resume that only pushes the average artist harder to be the sole genius of your album's outcome in the music industry. The album’s title is also a “track” on the album, I say track in quotation marks because it’s more of a tale than a song. In the CD’s sleeve it lists chapters during the above-mentioned track. It’s also an astonishingly long at 15 minutes and 18 seconds in length. It opens with fast-paced guitar riffs and drumming that hold a certain mental flavor. It progresses with hints of keyboard with a slower pace, and that only accounts for the first three chapters of Mechanical Royalty. There are a total of seven chapters within that single track. The rest of the album varies from extremely short songs like, “Cat and Mouse” (1:52) to the standard three-to-four minute songs. Several Spookey Ruben songs on Mechanical Royalty can be characterized by their synthesized sound, including the vocals. Probably the most unique song, aside from “Mechanical Royalty”, would be “American Processed Cheese”. With its electronic sound accompanied by single worded lyrics, a demonic voice chants ‘cheese’ meanwhile a childlike voice repeats the word ‘smile’. This track is like a videogame; something you would most likely find on the original Nintendo system. The strongest tracks on Mechanical Royalty are “Rachel” and “Just Another Way”. Overall the album has a formula with a distinctive sound and it sticks to it. Warning: songs will get stuck in your head. 3/5
Jessi Hamilton, “Rebirth”
Independent
Reviewed by Cheryl Thompson
In the tradition of Jewel, Sarah McLachlan, and Chantal Kreviazuk, Jessi Hamilton is a singer/songwriter with a masterful command of the piano and a beautiful voice to match. Rebirth, her sophomore release, is part folk/rock part Christian, but a whole lot of heart and intimacy. With each song, Hamilton brings you into her world and creates a picture in your head for the story being told. Tracks like “Land of Illusion,” "Afraid to be Alive,” and “Feed the Fire” are emotional yet inspirational and deep. Hamilton has a wonderful ability to not let her voice overpower the subtleness of her piano accompaniment and even if this is not your genre, you can’t help but be drawn into each track. Comprised of 12 self-produced, recorded and performed songs, Hamilton is the complete package. It is also worth noting that she’s sung backup for rock group Foreigner’s lead singer, Lou Gramm and has been featured on numerous songs. The album runs a tad short but otherwise, Hamilton is a name you should expect to see for many years to come. 4/5
Arkells, “Jackson Square” 
Dine Alone Records
Reviewed by Cheryl Thompson
This five-piece rock band from Hamilton, Canada, is definitely an example of Canada’s stellar independent rock scene. In the same vein as Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band, Arkells are a band that rocks hard with earnest lyrics. Jackson Square, as their first full-length release makes you feel excited about rock music. Songs like “Deadlines,” “Pullin’ Punches,” “Oh, the Boss is Coming,” and “Tragic Flaw” are full of upbeat rhythms and edgy guitar riffs that excite without being too over the top. But what makes this group even more appealing is the catchiness of their hooks and sheer excitement in their vocals. This is Canadian rock music at its best. But what Arkells also does well is balance the hard rock tunes with slow ballads, like “No Champagne Socialist,” “Abigail” and “I’m Not the Sun.” While there’s nothing on this album that you can call groundbreaking, it is a solid contribution to the world of rock. 4/5
Mystéfy, “Spark Within” 
Compost/Inertia
Reviewed by Cheryl Thompson
Mystéfy is an Ottawa, Canada-based artist whose music harkens back to yesteryear, like the 1950s when women sang love songs with innocence, with only a slight hint of sexiness. On the title track for instance, her vocals are earnest and simple. The only problem with this album is that there is not enough of that “it’ factor to separate it from say the last 30 years of jazz/folk music. Mystéfy gives it a valiant effort on “Eye Candy”, with a Minnie Riperton like scatting sequence, then on “Beware” her vocal styling is reminiscent of Doris Day, and “I Dream of You” sounds like a song Sarah Vaughan might have covered during her prime. Mystéfy is a talented vocalist with a style that leaves an impression, however, this album would have benefited from more originality in its production and perhaps a bigger contemporary vibe. 2/5
Sleepercar, "West Texas"
Doghouse Records
Reviewed by Martin John
West Texas is as American as apple pie. This dry, arid piece of land was sometimes home to a young George W. Bush, its largest city, El Paso. This is the area that Jim Ward of 'Sparta' and the late 'At the Drive-In' has named his Sleepercar album after. With the help of Chris Heinrich, who also plays ukulele on Jim's solo album, Jim's father Jeff and various others, Jim has crafted an album of what he calls "American roots rock-n-roll." Opening track "Death of a Broken Promise" is the album's catchiest tune, a survival song about moving past a period with soul intact, steel pedal guitar working seamlessly with the crunchy guitars and clean vocals before digressing into radio-friendly rock. The ballad "Wednesday Nights" has the smokiest, grittiest, country-iest vocals with pedal steel guitar haunting the song like a ghostly steed. "All Will End Well" with Maura Davis singing in the background is short, sweet and sincere with Jim singing "I'd give up the world to make you feel okay ..." over a quiet piano piece. Thematically the album seems like a catharsis of sorts; plans that weren't fulfilled and finding the strength and courage to push through it, whatever it takes. Musically, the album lacks originality, but that is often sacrificed for commercial appeal. In a market that seems to be opening up to alt-country, Sleepercar's album seems arid like West Texas, with the odd spring to bring you back to the living. 2/5
Kae Sun, “Ghost Town Prophecy”
Last Press Label
Reviewed by Cheryl Thompson
SoulMatters checked out Kae Sun’s live show in Toronto this February and to call this guy original is putting it lightly. Not only is his flow incredibly tight, so too is his band. Ghost Town Prophecy can best be described as part folk, part rock, part hip-hop but 100% heart. Sun has produced a conscious EP that’s about life, and the trials and tribulations of our times through his eyes. On “Kidnapped,” heavy guitar riffs are paired to earnest lyrics; then he slows it right down with “Stay Up,” a tune that reminds you of Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song” in terms of the universality of its humanitarian message. Undoubtedly, “Living in the City” is the album’s standout track. With its funky beat, and catchy lyrics like “living in the city/ain’t what it used to be,” these are words that anyone living in a city can relate to. While Ghost Town Prophecy is just an EP, it’s a great introduction to an artist whose name we’re sure to hear for years to come. 5/5
Lima Charlie, “It’s So Easy To Be Creepy”
Reviewed by Cheryl Thompson
Lima Charlie is a band keeping the independent spirit alive. Since 2004, they’ve been mostly playing live clubs in the northeast US, while releasing an album along the way – 2005’s More Medication, Please. Having not heard their debut disc, I take It’s So Easy To Be Creepy as it is, and it’s the kind of disc that you’d probably really enjoy hearing live (this probably explains their touring success). With song titles that range from “Banana Boat” to “Menopause Graudate” to “Average Caucasian Blues,” you can tell this is a band with a sense of humour. Comprised of Pete Van Leeuwen, Jim O’Mahony, Dave Morrison, and Tom Ash, this group’s sound can best be described as a wide-ranging blend of rock, folk and a subtle edge that’s controlled enough to keep even the non-rock/folk person interested. 3/5
Jackson Analogue, “And Then Nothing”
Groove Attack
Reviewed by Dan Verbin
Whether Jackson Analogue were purposely trying to be ironic or not, naming their debut, And Then Nothing is certainly something of an odd choice. Perhaps, it’s possible they were just taking a page from their more famous ‘60s-influenced brethren Supergrass, who once titled one of their albums In It For The Money, or maybe they thought the title made them seem clever in a self-deprecating Warren Zevon kind of way. Whatever the band’s reasoning, they could not have picked a worse name for their album had they called it Smell the Glove. It’s not that there’s anything particularly wrong with And Then Nothing. It’s just that there’s nothing particularly right with it either. It’s as if Jackson Analogue is stuck in some bizarre time warp limbo, not sure whether they want to be Jethro Tull or the next Nickelback. At times, largely because of this absurd duality, it’s hard to decide whether to appreciate the band’s attempt to stay true to their classic rock roots or to be disdainful of all the cringe-inducing moments where you could swear the vocals morph into Chad Kroeger territory. The album starts off pleasingly enough with the one-two-three punch of the potent garage rock of “Day Is Done,” the Jet-like “Stop,” and the CD’s only real standout, the aptly titled anthemic “Come On”. Then things start to go downhill. Even the soothing mid-album ballad, "Concrete Hands" can’t slow the album’s descent into the epitome of banal classic rock muzak. There’s no denying And Then Nothing contains occasional flashes of utter brilliance – check out the extended coda on prog rockish closer “Moody Man Left.” However, Jackson Analogue still sound like they haven’t abandoned their pubescent dream of being Led Zeppelin. The only way to genuinely mature as a band is to either realize that it’s not going to happen or to ask Jimmy Page for the Devil’s phone number. If Jackson Analogue were smart, for their next album, they should take a page from fellow Isle of Wight retro-enthusiasts, The Bees, and dispense with all the tried and true clichés by realizing their potential by coming up with an album that’s about something. Instead, this album is about nothing. 1.5/5
Rayna, “Empty Room”
RaynaMusic
Reviewed by Dan V
If you like your singer-songwriters to be one third Jann Arden, one third Chantal Kreviazuk and one third Holly McNarland with a pinch of Amy Lee’s gothic heartache thrown into the mix, then Rayna just might be your new saviour. But catch her in a few years. Rayna’s self-released debut, Empty Room, shows promise in buckets. However, apart from “Standing In The Doorway,” an epic atmospheric song full of mournful loss straight out of a coming of age movie, and the last track, “Unarmed Angel,” a dreamy, melodic folksy ballad perfect for listening to while laying outside on your back, staring at the night sky, Rayna’s songwriting doesn’t display the lyrical maturity or pop sensibility needed to break away from the pack. Most of the songs on Empty Room could be rightfully called middle of the road. Simple melodies flow over simple progressions, which flow into simple but capable choruses. Not that there’s anything wrong with middle of the road, but to be fair to Rayna, from the musical and emotional complexity she displays on the last two songs, she is obviously capable of much, much more as a songwriter. After all, the former Toronto backup singer has only been writing songs for three years. Hopefully her next release will do her distinct vocal and lyrical musings justice. 3/5
Maniacal Plan, “Casualty of Sound”
Dirty Smile Records
Although just an EP, Maniacal’s Casualty of Sound is the kind of debut that sets the stage for bigger things to come. Based out of NYC, this indie rock group is all about music you can feel. It’s not soft rock for your grandma, nor is it pop rock for an over-hyped watered down radio station; on the contrary, this group is about heavy guitar driven rock music with hard pounding drums, and earnest vocals. On “Anathema,” lead vocalist Dan O’Berry draws you into Maniacal’s world of mystery and intrigue. It’s easy to tell that he’s the centre of this group. While some might categorize this album as being too much of a throw back to the ’90s grunge era, others will definitely find tracks like “NUMB” and “Filter” a refreshing rememberance to a time when power ballads reigned supreme. Overall, this is a solid introduction to a band that has the potential to shatter a few eardrums, as they will the critics. 4/5
JP Jones, "Magical Thinking"
Vision Company Records
While there are some who think that folk music is a dead genre, artists like JP Jones are living proof that it's a live and well. While Magical Thinking is Jones' 12th independent release, there's a fresh flare to his acoustic guitar, and subtle vulnerability in his lyrical prose. From the album's lead song, "A Man Stands Up" to "Us and Them" and "That's All Right," each spans the folk/blues/rock gamut. Admittedly, Magical Thinking is not a disc that is going to appeal to everyone since its sound is reminiscent of an era gone by, yet, like Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan, when you sing from your heart and are uncompromising in your music, people will always listen. Thus, this disc is definitely worth a listen or two. 4/5
