The Music
Welcome to the North (EMI)
On their second album, these hard rockers from Leeds continue to deliver great songs soaked in the sounds of Led Zeppelin and perhaps a little Jane’s Addiction, since lead singer Robert Harvey does sound like Perry Farrell. Kicking off the album with the catchy title track, The Music live up to their name with a sound unique from the rest of the ‘definitive article’ bands in the industry right now (The Strokes, The Killers, The Hives, and the rest of those pretty boys). Even track three, “Bleed from Within,” has a kick-ass drum solo in its last minute. “Breakin” and “I Need Love” provide a sped-up party flavor similar to ’80s dance music that you could easily groove to. With their hard rock’n’roll spirit mixed with a bit of psychedelic vibe, The Music is that one band that really stands out.-JUDE MAK
a. graham & the moment band
The Tyrant Is Free (Sonic Unyon)
Who knew Kansas City would produce an ensemble that could pour out a funky pop album? Well that’s what you’ll get when you pick up The Tyrant is Free from a. graham & the moment band, interestingly released on vaunted Canadian indie label Sonic Unyon. Andy Graham, together with three of his friends, turned what apparently started off as only a studio project into this debut album. Folksy vocals mesh well with infectious melodies informed by a mélange of country, blues and rock. There are many wonderful surprises to be discovered throughout the album: a chorale pop track, an ostensible anthem for anyone who is tempted to go a little AWOL, great brass and saxophone accompaniment, and witty lyrics musing about annoyances, yearnings and other everyday experiences. A great album for those who aren’t afraid of exploring fusion-style music that’s a bit outside of the box.-INDIRA BALKISSOON
Various Artists
Boompa Volume 1 (Boompa Records)
A feel-good sampler from fledgling Vancouver indie label Boompa, this 14-track CD is a pop-rock head-bobber. But that’s all it is; there’s really nothing new here. On the other hand, what they do, they do very well, especially the opening track by Aussie natives Sekiden, who beat out a fun tribute to Alexander Graham Bell on “Alexander,” and Run Chico Run who have the one truly inventive track on the CD-the spooky-in-a-good-way “Jacques and Madeleine.” Vancouver faves The Salteens also bring the goods to the table with the closing track “Time You Have Been Wasting,” but everything in the middle seems to fall a little short, which makes you wonder why those tracks are even on the sampler at all: seven of the 14 artists featured aren’t even on the label. Fortunately for them, the good stuff comes from the signed Boompa artists, proving that they may know who to sign, but they don’t seem to know how to put together a sampler.-CAITLIN STAROWICZ
M83
Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts (MuteGooom)
In characterizing an ambient/shoegaze/dreampop album like M83’s Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts, it often can seem difficult to avoid a certain triteness: terms like ethereal, dreamy sonic landscapes; layers of textured, floating sound; floods of noise; atmospheric pop, etc. inevitably pop up. Whatever-despite M83’s successfully satisfying all these categorizations and clearly evoking My Bloody Valentine’s Loveless (the grand statement of the whole subgenre), their new album nonetheless also seems to offer something a little different. Dead Cities… consists of intricately complex arrangements of heavily distorted guitar, synthesizer, drum machine, and fuzzy bass, but coupled with a more electronica-based feel (blips, samples, static). This is achieved with an impressive coherence sustained throughout the album, carrying the delicate and palpably melancholic mood over an often-consuming 50-plus minutes. Dead Cities… is a testament to this French duo’s ability to create a thorough and resonant album that packs a substantial depth of emotion.-MICHAEL BACAL
Lily Frost
Situation (Aporia Records)
Opening song “Les Vaisseaux Nocturnes” offers a suitable introduction to Vancouver/Toronto songstress Lily Frost’s brand of retro-lounge. The French tune, written on a trip to Bora Bora, is the perfect backdrop for her voice, which is pretty in a Jane Birken-esque kind of way. I only wish that she’d sung more in French. The rest of the album is similarly jazzy and reminiscent of the chanteuse genre. “Silver Sun” is quiet and hushed, yet her sweet voice still has the impact to stop you in your tracks. Frost’s cousin Kinnie Starr sings background vocals on the atmospheric “Camden Town,” which evokes memories of taking relaxed strolls through the cool London neighborhood. Starr also contributes Spanish vocals to the rich Latin rhythms of “Black Narcissus.” On “Insatiable,” the instrumentals are pared down to just the melancholic wail of the guitar, allowing Frost’s voice to convey a deep sense of yearning. This album, an expanded version of an earlier EP, anchors Frost as a musician with a natural ability to entice the listener through her truthful lyrics and spellbinding delivery.-BRIDGET MAK
Lily Frost plays a residency at the Rivoli Pool Hall every Wednesday in November at 8 pm.
