Category Archives: Album Reviews

Sudbury Ontario’s own Fortunate Losers will release their first full length debut album Cut Teeth on April 28/18 . 

What do you get when you spend ten days at Vancouver’ Warehouse Studio with talent like Alan Doyle? Well, when you ask him, he will tell you all about his appropriately named album A Week at the Warehouse. With an old school way of making this record, he had his whole band, (affectionately named “the Beautiful, Beautiful Band”), set up within the studio to do full recordings together. This created a fun environment for the musicians to record in, and an interesting space for the album to grow from.

I’ll never forget the first time I heard of Midnight Shine. I was sitting at my computer browsing through social media when I came across a posting from a friend in Northern Ontario that had shared a video they took at a music festival in Timmins. The video was off a band called Midnight Shine opening for Trooper, the song was “Since You Been Gone”. I immediately looked them up, reached out to their management at the time and the rest is history.

The Old Smugglers – Photo by Marty Lang

They look like gangsters from the 1940’s, they sing about the salty sea, they play instruments that look like they were scavenged from a shipwreck, and on November 10th, 2017, The Old Smugglers revealed their 3rd album “Hard Pan to Chaos”.

The Old Smuggler’s are a duo, The Infamous Dr. Thunder & Mister December – and it seems that’s all they need; no drummer, no bass player, although occasionally Dr. Thunder plays bass for live shows. Nonetheless, their stage performances are far from lackluster, quite the opposite. Don’t be deceived by what appears to be a stripped down act, these guys can fill a room with thick guitar tones, gravel in their throats, and fire in their eyes. This approach translates naturally from the stage to their recordings, percussion and bass are used as a more of a spice than a main ingredient. That being said, there aren’t any moments that feel hollow or as though anything is missing. Like a pirate with a broken paddle for a peg leg, a mangled coat hanger for a hook hand, and a dirty marble for a glass eye, it’s all sorts of messed up and yet that’s exactly the way it’s supposed to be.

“…Lyrics that are sharper than sharks teeth and fueled by moonshine.”

It’s been a few years in the making but the long anticipated third album that Brett Kissel and I talked about last February has finally arrived. The debut single, and title track, “We Were That Song”, which was released in September, has become Brett’s highest charting single to date.

“Close our eyes and took on the world together”

The Specials have been bringing their unique brand of funk, punk, dance, Rhasta and ska music to the masses since well before I was born, and they still have plenty more to say. The group preaches love and acceptance, and stands opposed to racial divide.

River Town Saints self-titled debut album is one hit after another that you can listen to over and over again (trust me, I did)!

Toronto based blues/disco/punk five piece July Talk have returned with a follow-up to their critically acclaimed self titled debut record. The new album entitled “Touch” is a ten song masterpiece, meshing their bygone era songwriting style with synth and keyboard sounds, punk and blues influences, and a disco feel that makes this the most danceable rock album of 2016.

Madeline Merlo released her debut album Free Soul, on Friday April 29th. Following her earlier EP release back in 2014, let me tell you, this girl put her heart and soul into this album. From her radio hit “Whatcha Wanna Do About It”  and “Honey Jack” to some older hits such as “Sinking like a Stone” and “Alive”.