Indie French metal band 7 Weeks was inspired by the 1972 film Dead of Night, directed by Bob Clark, to compose the music of this album which is intended as a side project in the group's recording career (their next album is planned for mid-2012). The music takes a darker and gloomy direction on this record that also includes excerpts of film dialogues. Julien Bernard and his band are able to captivate us into their world of horror for 45 minutes. Here is a concept album of great quality, the best record of the group to date. To discover! (April 2012)

Video: « Four Again »

Active Child is a project by singer and musician Pat Grossi, who was once part of the Philadelphia Boys Choir. He is inspired by the electronic sound of the 1980s, as New Order, and he adds his falsetto voice and harp. The result is a mixture of electronic and choral singing, on a background of atmospheric alternative pop. Through the voice of Grossi, one can compare Active Child with Antony and the Johnsons, but also with A-ha for the oldest ones. What is particularly remarkable about this first album is that even if the inspiration comes directly from the 1980s, Active Child succeeds in creating original and contemporary music of the 2010s. You Are All I See succeeds in creating a beautiful atmosphere through its 10 tracks. The album is generally mild and wraps beautifully the significant lyrics of Grossi. The only thing that can be less interesting is the very high voice of Grossi that can become annoying in the long run, despite very fine arrangements. Finally, Active Child is not only the featured new artist of the month, but certainly one of the best discoveries of 2011. (November 2011 Featured New Artist)

Video: « Playing House »

Ambrose Akinmusire is a 28 year-old jazz trumpeter who grew up in Oakland, California. His quintet offers us a second album (the first for Blue Note) Ambrose co-produced with Jason Moran, who also accompanies him on piano for two tracks. The young musician signs 11 of the 13 tracks presented, all instrumental except for "My Name is Oscar" on which he speaks. This piece was composed in honor of Oscar Grant, a 22 year-old unarmed African-American who was shot and killed by the police in Oakland in 2009. Ambrose has the distinction of offering several intriguing titles ("Confessions to my Unborn Daughter", "Tear Stained Suicide Manifesto") and he confesses that he always writes the title before starting to compose, just for inspiration. He paid tribute to his mother in two interludes, "Ayneh (Cora)" and "Ayneh (Campbell)", and as her name means "mirror", he also reversed it for the track "Henya." Ambrose Akinmusire alternates throughout the album between moments of pure tenderness and intense madness with neverending solos. He managed to give a truly unique voice to his instrument. Despite his young age, we can already be compared to the greatests. Here is a musician to follow closely in the coming years. (July 2011)

After their debut in Baltimore, it’s in North Carolina that the post-hardcore band Alesana has truly established itself in 2004. Freshly signed to Epitaph Records, they present now their fourth album. Their previous record, The Emptiness, was a concept album based on a novel by Edgar Allan Poe, Annabel Lee. Always as theatrical, the group is back again with a concept album, but this time inspired by a poem, the first part of Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy entitled Inferno. For 62 minutes, the band tells a story in two acts with passion reminding us of the conceptual works of Green Day, but especially My Chemical Romance. Arrangements range from discrete piano ballads to a large orchestra with strings and a children's choir, all accompanying the sometimes shrill voices that are typical to screamo. A Place Where the Sun is Silent can be listened exactly as you listen to a story. The disadvantage of it is that we have an obligation to get fully in the story to be interested. Therefore, it is an album that will appeal to many while leaving behind a wide audience. Those who particularly enjoy theatrical rock albums should appreciate the story Alesana has to tell us. (March 2012)

Video: « Lullaby of the Crucified »

To mark its 15th anniversary, the Chicago pop punk band Alkaline Trio offers us a somewhat different album compared to what it did in the past. They decided to present some of their favorite tracks in a more intimate acoustic version. There are 12 of these titles already well known to fans, in addition to a cover of Violent Femmes, "I Held Her In My Arms" and two new compositions, " Olde English 800" and "I Remember a Rooftop." Damnesia has mainly the advantage of giving us a new facet of the pop punk band that has accustomed us to a constant energy. But, most of their compositions are not powerful enough from a creative standpoint to maintain our interest in a stripped-down version. Say that the album gives them primarily a new product to promote on their 15th anniversary tour which promises to be the most important of their careers. (October 2011)

The pop punk band from Baltimore is back with a new album, two years after the excellent Nothing Personal, which brought it around the world. Maybe it’s because they worked like madmen in recent years that they want to have fun and party on Dirty Work. Or they simply still didn’t lose their juvenile attitude that has characterized them since the beginning of their career. The ultimate party anthem here is "I Feel Like Dancin'", a song co-wrote with Rivers Cuomo of Weezer. But, many parts of the album have a slightly more serious side. Throughout the CD, the focus is on quality of the melodies, riffs and rhythms. There are so many pieces that are catchy that with a little support from radio stations, they have everything it takes to become great hits, especially the excellent "Time-Bomb", my favorite one of them all which was co-written with Pierre Bouvier and Chuck Comeau of Simple Plan. Dirty Work has certainly very little evidence of punk and it’s rather a pop work of superior quality, a monster production. Maybe we can not find the creative elements that have enabled their previous album to become one of the bests in the genre in recent years, but this new album has all the elements necessary to acquire universal recognition, even for the least important fans of rock. (September 2011)

Video: « I Feel Like Dancin’ »

Night of Hunters is a concept album based on variations of classical works by Bach, Debussy, Satie, Schubert, Schumann, Mendelssohn and many others. It follows the journey of a woman in distress that is at the end of a relationship. Tori has tried to do concept works in the past, but we must admit that it was not always successful. On this new album, she managed to find the right tone, with just enough restraint not to steal the show from the musical work behind. The quiet atmosphere of the album is fully maintained until the end, all in rich musical arrangements thanks to John Philip Shenale. Of course, being based primarily on classical works, Night of Hunters will not reach her pop audience. Otherwise, it puts forward her classical roots for our own pleasure. The result is surprising, greatly interesting and above all, so pleasant to listen to. (November 2011)

This is the 18th album by this uncommon Belgian poet and rocker. On BRUSSLD, he presents 11 original songs, plus a piano cover of "Get Up, Stand Up" from legendary reggae singer Bob Marley. The one that might be regarded as the Belgian Tom Waits offers a bilingual album with almost as many French songs as English ones. A gravelly voice and experimental guitars, arranged in the blues rock and folk way, that's just a portrait of a typical recording in the heterogeneous discography of Arno, but unique in the European musical landscape. Originality is always present, but you will still have to make some efforts in listening to the album to successfully enter Arno’s truly unique atmosphere. (April 2012)

Asa was born in Paris and raised in Lagos, Nigeria. She now presents her second album, Beautiful Imperfection. Recorded in Montreuil, France, the record offers us a wide variety of styles with lyrics in English and Yoruba. The set is a sweet mix of pop and soul, but contains anyway effective reggae beats that manage to capture us at one time or another. She certainly had great influences of the soul and R&B from the 1960s, and we can also detect a strong attachment to gospel on some occasions. So, Asa offers us a light and joyful album we can listen to without great efforts. Without revolutionizing the genre, the compositions are of high quality and perfectly fit the image of their talented creator. Asa progresses in a fine way with her second album, which is helping her to shape up her style a little more. (December 2011)

Videos: « Why Can’t We » - « Be My Man »

In 1997, before launching a solo career, Eminem was part of a rap duo for a short period with Royce da 5'9'', Bad Meets Evil. They had at the time recorded a few songs in addition to doing concerts around Detroit. It's the rapper Proof (D12) that had gathered them at that time, and his murder in 2006 brought them back together. Hell: The Sequel is in fact a collection of various recordings of the duo, so the result is somewhat not consistent. Considered an EP with 9 tracks totaling 37 minutes, the record is also available in a deluxe version with two additional titles, which looks a bit more like a full-length album with 46 minutes. The most interesting about this album is that it brings back superstar Eminem to street rap, a little cruder than he has done since his solo debut. Royce also has good qualities as a rapper, qualities that he seemed to have trouble to present in his solo career. Here is an album with a few points of interest for fans of underground rap and fans of the two rappers. (August 2011)

Video: « Fast Lane »

In 1989, hard rock (or pop metal) was at the top of the charts and the largest record companies were all in search of the new band with long hair that would break new barriers in popularity. Among all these groups, one of the most underrated was probably the glam rock quintet from Los Angeles Bang Tango which issued that year a very solid album of hard rock. Greatly influenced by Aerosmith and Guns N’ Roses, the group also showed similarities with Living Colour and the Red Hot Chili Peppers by funk beats which they incorporated to their style. The group has perhaps not been as successful as expected, but it still managed to leave its mark on the music scene in Los Angeles. Twenty-two years after its release, here we are offered a re-issue of Psycho Cafe, a limited edition of 2000 numbered copies. We can again hear the hits "Someone Like You" and "Breaking Up a Heart of Stone", as well as the excellent "Attack of Life" and "Wrap My Wings". Simultaneously, they issue a reprint of Dancin’ on Coals (1991) with 2 bonus tracks, including a concert and a re-issue of the live EP Ain’t No Jive… Live! (1992). The time has come to rediscover one of the actors of the Sunset Strip in the late 1980s. (June 2011)

Videos: « Someone Like You » - « Breaking Up a Heart of Stone »

In 2009, the Beastie Boys had to put their plans on hold for the 2 parts of Hot Sauce Committee when Adam Yauch was diagnosed with cancer. Thereafter, they dropped the first part to focus on the second that is now available on CD. The rap band which was influential in the 1980s won’t surprise much people with this new album. In fact, they offer us a new variation on their already established style. Where they manage to surprise is that they come back to a teenage attitude, this "I care less" attitude that characterized so much their early recordings. Their several attempts to be taken seriously didn’t represent the best moments of their career and that such homecoming was highly desirable. The group presents some memorable tracks as "Make Some Noise," "Too Many Rappers" (with NAS), "Say It" and "Don’t Play No Game That I Can’t Win" (with Santigold). Okay, the Beastie Boys are no longer at the forefront of rap, but Hot Sauce Committee Part Two proves that the band can still perform well in the style it created and use today’s technology. Here is a great record that will satisfy their long time fans... (July 2011)

The former member of Destiny's Child presents her fourth album since she embarked on a solo career 10 years ago. The R&B singer presented a rather ordinary album in 2008, I Am… Sasha Fierce, despite the mega-hit "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)". Beyoncé has a huge challenge with 4, giving us an interesting album as a whole. From the opening ballad, "1+1", she seems determined to convince us of the power of her voice, but unfortunately it leaves us indifferent due to the lack of emotion she manages to give. The result is that we look forward to the next song only hoping that it will not be the case throughout the entire CD. A very odd choice to start an album... Three more ballads follow, and will probably make lose patience to those who prefer the pop danceable sound of Beyoncé. Only the fourth one, "Best Thing I Never Had", could catch your attention and stay in your mind. Subsequently, the songs alternate between rhythmic tracks and more introspective ones, but more importantly, the memorable moments remain rare. There are few moments a little more creative than on her previous record and the vocal performance of Beyoncé remains strong, but 4 is definitely missing a commercial hit of the magnitude of "Single Ladies". It is likely to be quickly forgotten, unfortunately. (September 2011)

Videos: « Run the World (Girls) » - « Best Thing I Never Had »

After a series of different recordings, the protégé of Kanye West comes up with his first official album, driven by the success of "My Last" with Chris Brown. The rapper gives us a very good mix of underground rap and music for a larger audience. "I Do It" is a guaranteed hit, while with "Dance (A$$)", on which he uses a sample of MC Hammer, he hopes to make the prettiest girls move their butt. Big Sean is in areas a little more sensual on "Marvin & Chardonnay", thanks to Kanye West who pushes the audacity as producer to add the sound of a squeaking bed at a very regular beat... Excellent rapper, Sean was able to give many dimensions to his album in surrounding himself with excellent musicians and singers. The 12 pieces are varied enough to keep our interest, while being fully linked. Finally Famous is an album both creative and fun to listen to, possibly one of the best rap albums of 2011. Here is a very good first attempt by a guy full of talent that should be followed closely. (September 2011 Featured New Artist)

Video: « My Last »

Big Talk is a project by The Killers drummer Ronnie Vannucci Jr., who presents his first album with guitarist Taylor Milne. Produced by Vannucci and Joe Chicarelli (The Strokes), the self-titled album is a blend of post-punk, new wave and pop rock. The melodies are always excellent and are accompanied by efficient rhythms. Vannucci takes much of his inspiration from the new wave of the early 1980s. For example, the synthesizer and the rhythm section on the first single, "Getaways", are reminding us of The Cars. Vannucci plays all the instruments and confirms his many talents. Even as a singer he is pretty impressive, since he has a beautiful voice, perfectly suited to his music. So, here is a solid debut album, with a clear direction and remaining effective until the end. (December 2011 Featured New Artist)

Videos: « Replica » - « Big Eye »

The Brains is a psychobilly band from Montreal playing since 2003. On Drunk Not Dead, the high energy trio seems to reach a new level when it compares favorably with the best acts of this genre on the planet. The playing skills are clear and the production is fully demonstrating the devastating vitality of The Brains. The influences of the 1950s rockabilly are still very present, but it is indeed a punk album, an album that may surprise an unsuspecting audience by its speed and aggressiveness. The rhythm section of Pat Kadavar (drums) and Colin The Dead (double bass) hammer relentlessly, while singer / guitarist Rene De La Muerte sings better than ever while offering us a guitar played at lightning speed and with full of distortion. From the beginning, you will have your ears full, especially with "We Are The Brains" and "Six Rounds", but also with the pop "Take What I Want (Souvenir of Monte Christo)", the track in Spanish "Gato Calavera" and the poignant song in French "Pourquoi me laisser". The Brains definitely reached a new peak with Drunk Not Dead and they have now their strongest album to date. (January 2012)

Video: « Six Rounds »

Breaching Vista is a band from Kitchener, Ontario which first made sensation with an EP, Breaking the View. They then presented their first album, Vera City, in the fall of 2011. The group can easily be compared with Simple Plan and Hedley, but also to Billy Talent and Jimmy Eat World. They therefore provide a commercial rock sound influenced by pop punk. Most of the 12 tracks of the CD are ready for commercial radio with catchy melodies and good beats, even in the songs a little more mid-tempo. They force you to toe-tapping and humming. Unfortunately, Breaching Vista offers a style of rock largely overexploited during the last decade and they fail to truly stand out from the mass. They should still manage to make you have a good time if you like the genre. (May 2012)

Video: « Nervous »

Actor Jeff Bridges had already released an album in 2000 called Be Here Soon, but very few people remembered it when he played the role of a fallen country singer in the movie Crazy Heart. He now comes to us with a self-titled album produced by T-Bone Burnett. It is surrounded by renowned musicians, including guitarist Marc Ribot (Elvis Costello, Tom Waits), that Bridges offers us a majority of American folk and country classics. The album starts strongly with the excellent "What a Little Bit of Love Can Do" by Stephen Bruton, one of the few moments of entertainment on the album, unfortunately. Most of his interpretations of songs by John Goodwin, Greg Brown and Bo Ramsey are boring and tasteless. Bridges also includes three new songs, but they simply fall flat, lacking any authentic Americana. (November 2011)

Video: « What a Little Bit of Love Can Do »

After more than 35 years in the business, Chris de Burgh decided to invest in one of the most ambitious projects of his career. Halfway between classical and folk, with elements of pop and rock, Moonfleet is a concept-album with majestic orchestrations. It also includes several narratives, now recognized as one of the strengths of the famous singer. Moonfleet is a small village in Dorset, England, immortalized by English novelist and poet John Meade Falkner. As theatrical and a movie, the album certainly finds its best vehicle on stage, where the artist can finally visually present what he had in mind during his creative process. Even if the work is bold and grand, the fact remains that overall, the image of a rock opera, going in all sorts of musical directions not always fit with a creative standpoint. In addition to Moonfleet, the CD concludes with six other stories, from the smile of the Mona Lisa to the history of Iran, making this a long CD of 71 minutes. Despite some less creative moments and lengths, Moonfleet may please his longtime fans who will surely appreciate the courage of their favorite singer. (April 2011)

Taurey Butler is a jazz pianist and composer from New Jersey who is now based in Montreal. From the age of 7, he studied piano and he perfected it inspired by Oscar Peterson. He collaborated for several years with singer and bassist Eldee Young. Accompanied by Éric Lagacé on bass and Wali Muhammad on drums, Butler presents now his first album. He offers jazz classics, but also original compositions, with a strong technical expertise. He impresses with his melodies and the comparison with Oscar Peterson is very flattering. Taurey Butler is certainly a very talented pianist who manages to conquer us quickly. Here is a very good first album by a musician who will have a long career. (March 2012)

Since her debut, Camille Dalmais has attracted the attention of fans of new French pop, both in solo and within Nouvelle Vague. She is back with a fourth solo album, Ilo Veyou, three years after the acclaimed Music Hole. Camille offers us an album entirely acoustic, natural and gentle. To be even more natural, all the musicians have played live in the studio, without headphones or a metronome. Only her voice was multiplied to create a children's choir. Several major musicians and technicians have worked on this very special album. Clément Ducol created the arrangements for string quartet, in addition to playing guitar and prepared piano. The album was mixed by Oz Friz (Tom Waits) and they are professional embroiderers who created the cover, Nadège Richer and Priscille Pulisciano. Ilo Veyou is a bilingual album talking about love with folk ballads, ditties and tributes to classic R&B. "Le berger" takes us to the Middle East, while "Tout dit" concludes the record by taking us into the atmosphere of Björk. She can also remain in classic French pop, taking an accent like Édith Piaf on "La France". The album contains 15 tracks for 40 minutes exploring various influences. This is a beautiful CD, somewhat eclectic, but which is very pleasant to listen until the end. (March 2012)

Video: « L’étourderie » (Live)

Luz Casal is probably the greatest female voice of Spain today, besides being a great songwriter. Since the early 1980s, she is a true symbol of pride among Hispanic women. With Un Ramo de Rosas, one can find 14 of her most famous songs. Of these, note in particular the inevitable "Piensa en mi" which was put in the spotlight by the movie Talons aiguilles (High Heels) by Pedro Almodovar. Although the compilation covers 30 years of the singer’s career, you can hear four songs from her album La Pasion issued in 2009. You can also hear three new songs: "Gracias a la Vida" of Violeta Parra, the title track, and "18 Anos", a Spanish version of the classic by Dalida "18 ans", mixed by the French group Nouvelle Vague. A special edition of the album includes a second CD. Un Ramo de Rosas offers an excellent way to discover this great Spanish pop singer. (April 2012)

Chase and Status is an electronic duo from London comprised of DJs Saul Milton and Will Kennard. They play drum 'n' bass dance music which made them deserve some recognition in recent years, especially in England. While the drum 'n' bass was rather fallen into the underground for a few years now, Chase and Status managed to bring it back to the forefront with their first album, More Than Alot, in 2008. No More Idols is their second full-length album and it includes renowned collaborators: Tinie Tempah, Dizzee Rascal, Cee-Lo Green, White Lies and Plan B among others. The album takes a tangent even more pop than on the previous one and it has all the ingredients necessary to become mainstream with highly energetic beats and memorable melodies. The album really starts at the third track with the excellent "Let You Go". Subsequently, "Blind Faith", featuring Liam Bailey, is recalling of Moby at the time of Play with an incredible wall of sound. As for Cee-Lo Green, he makes them particularly interesting on the excellent dubstep song "Brixton Briefcase". Chase and Status offer us a very varied album with No More Idols, from atmospheric electro pieces ("Embrace" with White Lies) to rap metal ("Hypest Hype"). Some compositions are custom made for the clubs, while others will undoubtedly remain in the underground. But what is sure is that Chase and Status have a creative and different album, surely one of the bests of the year in the genre. (December 2011)

Videos: « End Credits » - « Blind Faith » - « Time » - « Flashing Lights »

Rome is the result of a collaboration between producer Danger Mouse and Italian composer Daniele Luppi. The album pays homage to the traditional western spaghetti from Italian cinema. To complete the project, what better than to bring the voices of Jack White (White Stripes) and Norah Jones! Their collaboration gives us nothing less than the best moments of the album with Norah Jones on "Season's Trees" and "Black" and Jack White on "Two Against One" and "The World". The rest of the album is instrumental and is operating in the atmospheres of Morricone worthy of Tarantino films. Listen to Rome primarily as a soundtrack with some inequality, but a great capacity to create images in themselves. This is an interesting and unique project, but it certainly doesn’t please a wide audience. (August 2011)

Boundless energy and desire to have fun, that's what characterizes the Australian band Dangerous! Newly signed to the Epitaph label in 2011, the group was finally able to present its first album, Teenage Rampage. The quartet offers a garage punk / rock 'n' roll sound with some particularly strong influences of metal when they let their aggressive side out. In fact, the members of Dangerous! are in their music as they are in life, 4 young people who love to get drunk and destroy their hotel rooms. The compositions are simple and only one of the 12 tracks crosses the 3-minute bar, the last one, "D! or Die". It is therefore a perfect music to let out all the craziness. The production of Ulrich Wild (Deftones, Pantera) is rather raw and keeps the dirty side of the music of Dangerous! which may be similar at times to The Hives. Note also that the album was mixed by Marc McClusky who has worked with Weezer among others. This first recording by Dangerous! is certainly not revolutionizing rock 'n' roll, but it presents anyway a good entertainment, extremely dynamic. (February 2012 Featured New Artist)

Video: « Not One of You »

The Montreal indie rock band The Dears is back with a 5th album. Although Missiles, their last album, was less successful in capturing the attention, the band was nevertheless still offering quality and creative music. This is again the case on this new record, because the collective offers a creative and deep music. Despite a certainly difficult to approach dimension in their music, The Dears succeed every time in launching memorable melodies. Less atmospheric than the previous album, Degeneration Street goes back to large orchestrations, often accompanied by huge vocal explorations (sometimes exaggerated) by Murray Lightburn. The Dears influences come directly from the British pop of the 1990s and this can sometimes be annoying. Even if the band remains creative, it can somewhat sound old-fashioned at times. I must admit that if the group has influenced Arcade Fire at the beginning, these other Montrealers were able to evolve much more than The Dears in recent years. With Degeneration Street, The Dears offer us again a rather long album (almost 60 minutes), but it has the merit of being interesting until the end. The rock moments are both creative and energetic, while softer or mid-tempo moments show a good picture of the scope of their talent. Without competing with No Cities Left or Gang of Losers, Degeneration Street is definitely an album of high quality, once again… (March 2011 Featured Review)

Video: « Omega Dog »

After the excellent Narrow Stairs 3 years ago, the American indie rock band is back with a seventh studio album. What strikes first with Codes and Keys, is that it presents a side much less dark than its predecessor. Ballads about lost loves seem to be behind Ben Gibbard, perhaps because he got married since the last album... Here it’s rather almost half of the album that pays tribute to life, which is some kind of a clash with the previous work of the band. Another major change compared to the Death Cab For Cutie we know is the more frequent use of keyboards taking the lead on guitars on many occasions. The group also uses a little more the possibilities of studio and programming. The melodies and the overall style remains identifiable to Death Cab For Cutie, but it’s certainly their most polished album in career. Even if the content is interesting on many occasions, the group definitely preferred the container in the case of Codes and Keys. It’s not sure that this is the right direction to take, but it's still another good album for this band that seems to collect quality recordings since the beginning of its career. (July 2011)

Video: « You Are a Tourist »

The King is Dead is the fifth album by this indie rock band from Portland, Oregon. With this new record, the Decemberists show more than ever their admiration for R.E.M., Peter Buck even performing guitar on 3 songs including the excellent "Calamity Song" (in the style of R.E.M.). As the first single, "Down by the Water", it reminds us "The One I Love". You can also hear many folk and country influences throughout the CD with slide guitar and vocal harmonies that are typical of the genre. The group offers us perhaps its most accessible songs to date. But, they’re not all equally interesting, which is removing a bit of quality to the whole album. As a bonus, you'll receive a DVD with Pendarvia, presenting the making of the album for about thirty minutes. (March 2011)

Video: Album Trailer

At not even 22 years old, the R&B singer from Florida already presents his second album, after many collaborations. The megahit "Don’t Wanna Go Home" literally carries on Future History which has everything needed to get a monumental success with catchy and danceable pop songs. Derülo does not hesitate to use pieces from other famous songs, including "Africa" of Toto in "Fight For You". While not particularly original, his compositions have at least the merit of being effective. Otherwise, the lyrics are rather not really impressive and we quickly recall the young age of their author. The set is somewhat lacking in consistency, but the incomparable hits will please you when taken separately. In fact, Future History continues right where he had left with his first self-titled album in 2010, without too much room for evolution. So here's a record that is intended primarily for his fans. (November 2011)

Videos: « Don’t Wanna Go Home » - « It Girl »

Destroyer began in 1995 as a side project for Dan Bejar (New Pornographers). Fifteen years later, the supposed temporary project is presenting its 9th album. Already fairly experimental indie, the group now brings us into the 1980’s electro experimental pop. Many synthesizers, saxophone, flute and rather soft beats on drums make us almost believe that Bejar and his band have discovered a passion for new age music. But rest assured, the album remains indie pop with memorable melodies and enveloping atmospheres. It's a 9-track album that we can listen in a block, without major shortcomings. Destroyer fans will surely appreciate, as well as those of the New Pornographers. (March 2011)

Video: « Kaputt »

The Denver band has come up with its fifth album in 14 years of career. Recorded in the wake of large-scale concerts opening for Muse, the album tends to carry us into a majestic atmosphere with huge musical moments. The recent movie experiences of the group and its leader, Nick Urata, also influenced the album. This is the case at the opening track, the magnificent ballad "The Alley", which is reminiscent of the Flaming Lips’ space rock. Alternative rock gypsy of DeVotchKa definitely takes a different direction, bringing the chamber pop to a whole new level, while retaining its influences from Eastern Europe. The music richness is undeniable on 100 Lovers, but the creativity is not always there. It's like hearing a mixture of different artists ranging from Coldplay to the Flaming Lips, through The Frames, Arcade Fire and Muse. The problem is that the similarities can be sometimes annoying. In addition, the group seems to put all its efforts in the atmospheres and forget to provide us with quality melodies. With 100 Lovers, the band certainly managed to evolve, but unfortunately not in the right direction. The album has great moments, but it fails to match their previous recordings, that were more in subtlety and finesse. (May 2011)

Video: Introduction

Young London female singer Eliza Doolittle said she was influenced as much by the Arctic Monkeys then by Stevie Wonder. We can definitely say that in any case her influences are extremely varied when you listen to that first album, released in Europe in the summer of 2010 and finally available in America. Eliza goes from retro pop to modern pop, to folk and ska. Some comparisons with her compatriot Amy Winehouse are possible, but she has mostly a style of her own, a perfect blend of retro and modern music. She’s even dipping into influences of jazz standards from 1920 to 1940, reminding us at times of Nina Simone or Ella Fitzgerald. For example, the double-bass of the first single, "Pack Up" brings us straight in 1930. Many pieces are essential summer anthems, as in the case of the excellent "Rollerblades", a light and sunny song of high quality. The opening track, "Moneybox" and "Mr. Medicine" are also noteworthy. Eliza Doolittle presents perhaps only her first album, but we can already foresee a bright future for this talented singer who won’t certainly have problems to evolve. (March 2011 Featured New Artist)