Jon Fratelli | Bright Night Flowers
This is not the Jon Fratelli you're thinking of. Except that it is. Confused? So is anyone who buys this disc expecting to hear the rambunctious pop-rock Jon crank...
Long Ryders | Psychedelic Country Soul
It's been a long time coming. More than three decades, in fact. For those keeping score at home, we last heard new studio tracks from paisley cowpunks The Long...
Czarface & Ghostface Killah | Czarface Meets Ghostface
The latter is arguably The Wu-Tang Clan’s most colourfully creative, unstoppably prolific and collaboratively daring member. The former is an underappreciated hip-hop supergroup co-starring producer 7L, rapper Esoteric and...
Dale Watson | Call Me Lucky
You can call Dale Watson lucky if you want. And he's undoubtedly had some good fortune over the years — like being born with a rich set of well-deep...
J.S. Ondara | Tales of America
The American Dream doesn't get much better than this. Six years ago, 20-year-old Nairobi native J.S. Ondara won a Green Card lottery and moved to Minnesota — where he...
Tedeschi Trucks Band | Signs
"I don’t always love music that tries to be this brand-new discovery every time," Derek Trucks told me in 2016. "A lot of my favourite music is from bands...
Broken Social Scene | Let’s Try the After Vol. 1
Don't get too excited, Broken Social Scene fans. Let's Try the After Vol. 1 is not the Toronto collective's followup album to 2017's Hug of Thunder. It's just a...
Back Stories | My Review of XTC’s 1999 Masterpiece Apple Venus Vol. 1
Two decades ago this week, XTC’s eagerly awaited comeback album Apple Venus Vol. 1 was released. Here's a slightly edited what I had to say about it back then....
Some Snide Remarks on the Grammys
Head-scratching performances. Infuriating decisions. Pointless segments. Yep, it was another Grammy Awards show. I didn't watch it live, since I don't have to do that for a living anymore....
Next Week in Music | Feb. 11-17, 2019 • 130 New Albums Coming Your...
There are more than 130 albums, EPs and singles being released next week. Mark your calendars and pre-order your favourites — but don’t blame me if things change at...
Next Week in Music | Feb. 11-17, 2019 • Music on TV
I know you like to watch. So here's a list of the musicians who will be singing for their supper next week on the boob tube. Of course, everything...
Next Week in Music | Feb. 11-17 • Birthdays & Anniversaries
I wouldn't want to live in the past. But I still like to visit every now and then. Here are the musical birthdays we'll be celebrating and the anniversaries...
Charlie Faye & The Fayettes | The Whole Shebang
Even nostalgia needs an update every now and then. And who better to bring classic girl-group pop into the modern world than Charlie Faye and The Fayettes? They've already...
Colin Linden & Luther Dickinson With the Tennessee Valentines | Amour
Amour isn't a bad title. But Mutual Admiration Society might be a better one. Or at least a more accurate depiction of this genteel joint effort spearheaded by Blackie...
The Lemonheads | Varshons 2
It's a shame about Evan Dando. Back in the ’90s, the Lemonheads frontman was one of the more interesting and individual singer-songwriters on the scene (as anyone who's heard...
