For his first album in 10 years, the legendary David Bowie teaches us first the art of recycling a cover, repeating the one from the Heroes album released 36 years ago. Musically, we find nothing far from his last recordings, especially since he works with the same team than for Reality, with his faithful collaborator Tony Visconti as producer. In fact, with a career that spans nearly 50 years with 90-degree turns, it is quite natural that the Bowie of yesteryear is now more calm and he puts on comfortable slippers. He still manages to capture our attention on several occasions, first with the dynamic title track, then with "The Stars (Are Out Tonight)" and "How Does the Grass Grow". Some tracks are a little too dense, to ensure that we do not fall in love for too long, but the fact remains that Bowie offers once again a very good album, worthy of what he did since the second half of the 1990s.

Videos: « Where Are We Now? » - « The Stars (Are Out Tonight) »

The Italian singer and pianist artfully blends jazz, soul and pop in an ever so cheerful and pleasant music to listen. Some songs like "Don't Call My Name" are unforgettable and may accompany you for a long time. You can hear the voice of the Puppini Sisters on "Welcome To My Hell", as well as Camille on "L’ami d’un Italien (Rainbows)". Gualazzi also sings Italian songs in a few occasions, including "Un Mare in Luce". Happy Mistake contains very good compositions which will certainly capture your attention. Raphael Gualazzi is likely to become known as one of the best contemporary crooners.

After a first part in 2012, Stone Sour is back with the second part of its concept album House of Gold and Bones. Despite its aggressive side, Stone Sour continues to do catchy melodies that give it the chance to reach a large audience. The second part presents some notable differences from the first CD. The compositions are again of good quality, the lyrics have good ideas and the band managed a perfect transition between energetic and introspective tracks. So, the record will please as much as the first one, allowing fans to have a little more to listen to. It was a wise decision to present all these songs in two separate CDs as one double album might be a little too thick.

Video: « Do Me a Favor »

James Blake is a London-based musician and producer who offers his dubstep sound incorporating many samples of R&B. Overgrown is his second album and he really seems to put the hook on his own style. The whole is a little more pop than its predecessor, but he still does not bother to deconstruct some songs, always with great subtlety. For example, on "Take a Fall For Me" Blake can count on the collaboration of RZA of Wu-Tang Clan to chain rhymes on looping sampling and reworked voices, a bit like Tricky was doing at his debut. He can also count on another important collaboration, Brian Eno on "Digital Lion", one of the most energetic tracks of the album. Blake did not hesitate to join piano and his R&B voice to a mix of dub and trip hop full of sampling. This way, he allows his music to take more amplitude. It still remains very intimate on some occasions, as in the rather boring "DLM". In short, James Blake presents a very good second album which will allow him to get many new fans.

Videos: « Retrograde » - « Overgrown »

Folly & The Hunter is a Montreal band releasing its second album, Tragic Care. It was produced by Dave Smith and Jace Lasek of the Besnard Lakes and mastered by Ryan Morey (Arcade Fire, Half Moon Run, The Barr Brothers). The trio of artists from diverse backgrounds presents music halfway between folk and indie pop. Some orchestral parts greatly remind us of Arcade Fire, but the whole remains rather intimate. The band managed to captivate us from the beginning of a song to then drag us to the end. We must admit, we are in front of musicians with an unlimited talent with Folly & The Hunter!

Video: « Moth in the Porch Light »

The Montreal psychobilly trio is not calmer on its sixth album. Instead, the band is more energetic and aggressive than ever. The energy flowing rhythm section manages to make you tap your feet from the start and does not let you go before the end of the 35 minutes. And you will ask for more! Obviously, The Brains do not reinvent the genre, but they give it a new breath that is extremely pleasant. If you like B Series horror movies, here is the perfect musical accompaniment to this universe.

Bonobo is the project of British producer Simon Green, a fan of electronic music and French movies of the 1960s. He produces a rather ambient music, despite some danceable moments. While he has produced several warm albums in the past, with The North Borders Bonobo remains in cold atmospheres perfect for a fall rainy day. Where he remains particularly strong, it is in the way he creates a perfect transition from one track to the other, for an album that is slowly savoured to the end. Many artists collaborate on the album: Grey Reverend, Cornelia, Szjerdene (for 2 tracks), and most importantly, Erykah Badu (for the excellent "Heaven for the Sinner"). Here's a great record for fans of ambient electronic music.

Video: « Cirrus »

Magillah is a project by Henri Oppenheim that started in Montreal in 2008. After leading instrumental group Kleztory for many years, Oppenheim wanted to explore Jewish songs in Yiddish from Eastern Europe. Accompanied by jazz, classical and world music musicians, he pays tribute to the Yiddish and klezmer standards. Many of the 13 pieces presented remain faithful to the tradition. Otherwise, some original arrangements incorporate different musical genres such as reggae, blues and even disco. Oppenheim itself ensures the production of the album with Richard Bélanger (Jean-Pierre Ferland, Gilles Vigneault, UZEB). A very good record for us to discover Jewish music!

Zoom is already the ninth album for Algerian singer Rachid Taha. It was recorded between Paris and England with producer and guitarist Justin Adams (Robert Plant) and relies on numerous collaborations like Mick Jones (The Clash), Brian Eno and Rodolphe Burger. We can also hear Rai singer Cheba Fadela and Jeanne Added for a duet retaking in English and Arabic the classic by Elvis Presley, "Now or Never", adapted from the famous Italian song "O Sole Mio". In addition to the excellent "Zoom sur Oum" and "Jamila", Taha gives us in conclusion of the CD a new version of his famous "Voilà Voilà", first recorded 20 years ago. With Zoom, Rachid Taha proves once again that he is one of the best artists to merge occidental and Arabic music, traditional and contemporary music.

The Australian indie rock band was first discovered through the web where "Trojans" was an instant hit. It did not take much more for the Jeffery brothers and their friend Darren Sell to get a record deal allowing them to present their first album. Here is When It Was Now, a quite accessible rock album with excellent melodies and rhythms. They can be compared in part to Kings of Leon and The Killers with a little something of the British band Franz Ferdinand. "Trojans" is definitely the best song of the CD, while other songs like "If So", "Through the Glass", "Back Seat" "Centred On You" and the title track will not leave anyone indifferent. Otherwise, some compositions are a little less effective, which creates inequality on the album. It is still a very good first record for this group to be discovered.

Videos: « Back Seat » - « Symptoms » - « Trojans » - « If So » - « Centred On You »

Kvelertak is a Norwegian band that merges perfectly black metal and rock 'n' roll. This therefore results in a pleasant listening and an accessible sound, despite the guttural voice of singer Erlend Hjelvik (which by the way sings in his native language). There are obvious influences of Turbonegro and other such groups that provide a rock 'n' roll alternative to punk rock sound. Meir is their second album and it presents a challenge considering the expectations created by their excellent self-titled debut released in 2010. The album has very good songs that reinvigorate black metal and 1970s rock (AC/DC, Thin Lizzy). Motörhead also come to mind on several occasions, a band known for their perfect blend of metal and rock 'n' roll. Although, Meir reinvents nothing compared to what has been recorded for the last 40 years, but it contains great moments that will certainly appeal to fans of metal.

Videos: « Bruane Brenn » - « Manelyst » - « Kvelertak »

Omara "Bombino" Moctar is a Tuareg musician from Niger born on January 1, 1980. For his second album, he went to Nashville to record with producer Dan Auerbach (The Black Keys). He offers a sound merging the traditions of his country and blues for a very good mix of cultures. Excellent guitarist, Bombino takes inspiration from African guitarists as well as occidental geniuses as Jimi Hendrix and Mark Knopfler. Obviously, the style of blues garage of The Black Keys is reflected in Nomad as well as some funk influences. The whole remains very pleasant until the end and after a few listens, you realize you may have one of the best albums of the year on hand. To discover!

Video: « Azamane Tiliade »

Project created in 2005 by Montrealer Radwan Ghazi Moumneh (of Lebanese origin), Jerusalem In My Heart presents contemporary Arab music and electronics coupled with projections and lighting. The trio had previously refused to record its music, leaving the ephemeral art of its rare performances. It finally comes up with a destabilizing first album in its experiments. The songs are calls to prayer, while the instrumental pieces are trimmed with bird songs accompanied by guitars. Even if you do not understand Arabic, the heavy atmosphere makes you easily assume that there are no happy lyrics. The unit is not easily accessible and will leave you with a huge feeling of heaviness not necessarily pleasant. In addition, it lacks the visual portion that would certainly help us in our appreciation. Otherwise, it is terribly creative!

Icelandic Olafur Arnalds is a composer and multi-instrumentalist who first worked as a drummer for several metal bands in his native country. In recent years, he devoted himself to neo-classical and film music. On For Now I Am Winter, he skillfully blends neo-classical and electronics, including some pop passages with singer Arnor Dan. The result is a relaxing atmosphere that brings us to daydream. This is an album to be savored slowly and it can become the soundtrack of your own life. A very good album!

For their 13th album, Dave Gahan, Martin Gore and company offer a slow and dark album. The group remains in fairly deep electronica and is likely to disappoint fans of their most danceable hits. Yet, they still manage to innovate in a style that was proliferating for many years. Gore is still in great shape when he signed some very good compositions like "Angel" and "Heaven". The whole record creates a unique atmosphere that compels us to listen to the end, even if few songs truly stand out. Delta Machine may not go down in history, but it is still another good record for Depeche Mode.

Video: « Heaven »

On his new album, the crooner dives even further into pop music, without leaving completely aside his characteristic swing style. To Be Loved was produced by Bob Rock who manages to create a sound a little more accessible to the singer. Bublé skillfully covers the classics of American pop music, including Bee Gees’ "To Love Somebody" and Smokey Robinson’s "Who's Lovin' You". But, as it was the case on his last recordings, he is co-writing also some songs including the very effective "It's a Beautiful Day" and "After All". Bublé is accompanied by guest artists including actress Reese Witherspoon, Bryan Adams and The Puppini Sisters. Ultimately, To Be Loved has a nice diversity in addition to songs which fit perfectly with the singer.

Video: « It’s a Beautiful Day »

After sales of more than 10 million albums, the French electro pop group returns with a global major release, Black City Parade. All the lyrics were written by Nicola Sirkis which allows himself some passages in English for the international audience. There is also participation by Lescop for the writing of "Traffic Girl". Sirkis produces the album with Oli de Sat. The result is huge, worthy of the world's best releases. Note the excellent first single, "Memoria", which has all the potential to become a hit. Their newest video for "College Boy" directed by Xavier Dolan, caused an uproar because of the shocking images we can see. Black City Parade is a great record for these legends of French pop.

Video: « College Boy »

On this new album, Chris de Burgh revisits 14 pieces from his vast repertoire in acoustic versions. There are several lesser known compositions from the artist, as his hits "Lady in Red", "Don’t Pay the Ferryman" and "Missing You" are missing. So, it is rather far from a collection of greatest hits, but the record is trying to give a second life to pieces that have gone somewhat under the radar in their original version. The most interesting moment of the CD can be heard right at the beginning with the excellent "Waiting for the Hurricane".

Video: « Waiting for the Hurricane »

Josh Groban is basically a classical singer who serves an accessible pop sound, with rich orchestrations. The singer from Los Angeles began his career when he was just 20 years old, so he already has his sixth studio album by the turn of his 32 years of age. Producer Rob Cavallo (Green Day, Goo Goo Dolls, Paramore) managed to get Groban a little further into pop rock with guitar arrangements that are in competition with orchestrations. The result is his most accessible album to date. In addition, he participated in the writing more than before, allowing him to be deeper on a few more songs for a personal and intimate album. Among the covers that you can hear, there are Glen Hansard’s "Falling Slowly" and Stevie Wonder’s "I Believe (When I Fall in Love It Will Be Forever)". He also performs well in a personal reworking of "The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress" by Jimmy Webb, as well as traditional Celtic piece "She Moved Through the Fair." Note the presence of Italian singer Laura Pausini on "E Promettero Ti" and Cuban trumpeter Arturo Sandoval on "A Alma Mas." With All That Echoes, Josh Groban seems to have found the desired balance, for certainly one of his best albums to date. (March 2013 Featured Review)

Two years after Angles, the Strokes are back with their fifth album, Comedown Machine. The group is continuing its exploration of the sounds of the 1980s with quantities of synthesizers. This time, the surprise is less present, but more importantly, the group was able to offer us a little more cohesive album, with fewer trials in opposite directions. Through the 80's, among every document on which Julian Casablancas released his falsetto ("Tap Out"), there are some good old songs a little more rock 'n' roll to our delight (like the title track). Although it may be somewhat uncertain in the beginning, in the end we realize that the album is very enjoyable to listen to.

Casually, with a career of nearly 30 years, the New Kids On The Block are certainly the most durable boy band (despite a long break between 1995 and 2008). They are again a group to see on stage, helped by the nostalgia of the girls which now became mothers. Otherwise, their music remains rather insignificant with all the pop and R&B clichés. There are a few interesting melodies and the pseudo-rock "Remix (I Like The)" will make you to tap your feet, but overall it remains futile. For the guys who knew them at the top of their careers, the New Kids On The Block remain a band simply useful to turn on the pretty girls around. But, not sure that it is still the case in 2013, unfortunately.

Video: « Remix (I Like The) »

The Band Perry is a group of contemporary country that incorporates elements of pop and rock to its music. The trio, made up of brothers Reid and Neil Perry and led by their older sister Kimberly comes from Alabama and has a dynamic sound that has all it takes to please the masses. In fact, there is only an occasional violin to to remind us of traditional country music. The band regularly puts different genres together which may seem odd on some occasions, probably due to its desire to appeal to the largest possible pool of the population. In this sense, Pioneer is a successful album, but it will be raging for country music lovers, in addition to go in several directions not always desirable.

Video: « Better Dig Two »

The Scottish alternative rock band comes to us with a sixth album, four years after Only Revolutions. Again, the guys prove their ability to write really good pop melodies in a rather tight alternative sound. In addition, we can guess an interesting conceptual trend on Opposites, which is definitely the kind of album to listen to the end, without shortcuts. Even if the record has several interesting moments, all is not impressive and many tracks may leave you indifferent. Biffy Clyro offers us a good album with Opposites, but it may fall quickly into oblivion. Note that the album is available in two versions, one or two CDs.

Videos: « Black Chandelier » - « Biblical »

A Rocket To The Moon was first started as a solo project for multi-instrumentalist Nick Santino, before becoming a full band. Their first album, On Your Side, had several interesting features, but with Wild & Free we finally discover their true nature. Santino and his band play corporate rock with memorable melodies, and a tinge of country in some instances thanks to the slide guitar and acoustic guitars. Solid compositions are sure to keep our interest, and unlike the previous record, it’s with ease and lots of fun that people listen to Wild & Free until the end. A very good album by a band to check out closely!

Videos: « Whole Lotta You » - « Ever Enough »

The hardcore metal band comes to us with a fourth album rather surprising. Their evolution was already evident in 2010, but when you hear their skillful blend of subtle sounds and aggressive, you can only be delighted. "Can You Feel My Heart" has a metal smooth sound in opening of the CD, a beautiful contrast. The band then presents its share of aggressive songs, but still manages to put a more atmospheric touch. "Empire (Let Them Sing)" is definitely a song Korn would have liked to write in recent years. As for "Shadow Moses", it was an instant hit when it appeared on YouTube. In addition to these excellent compositions, the album was produced masterfully by Terry Date (Deftones, Linkin Park, Soundgarden), the same one that produced White Pony by Deftones in the category of classic contemporary metal 13 years ago. The result is arguably the best album of Bring Me The Horizon to date.

For Old Yellow Moon, country female singer Emmylou Harris joins Rodney Crowell to produce an album of duets. Although it was recorded in Nashville, the album has a little more folk sound, a special atmosphere that makes it immediately interesting. The duo plays "Bluebird Wine", a composition of Crowell Emmylou had recorded to start her Pieces of the Sky album in 1975. There are several standards on the album by artists such as Roger Miller, Allan Reynolds and Kris Kristofferson. We can also hear three pieces of Hank DeVito (the title track), who was part of the group of musicians playing with Emmylou Harris’ Hot Band in the 1970s, as Crowell by the way. It is a very beautiful album that offers us the duet, hoping they come back with a follower later.

The pop rock band from Colorado is back with a third album, almost four years after Waking Up. Musically, the quartet will not surprise many and will rather reassure its fans. Ryan Tedder is still as effective for writing catchy melodies, but he managed this time to compose a few that truly stand out for their quality. Note especially the three opening songs, "Counting Stars", "If I Lose Myself" and "Feel Again" that put the bar really high for what’s coming. While their first two albums contained only some interesting hits, Native has a nice overall quality, in addition to some foreground compositions. So this is the best album to date for OneRepublic.

Videos: « Feel Again » - « If I Lose Myself »

French composer Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683-1764) spent most of his life to opera. But he first presented profane cantatas including six that have survived to us. This record presents four of these cantatas, the most famous one being "Les amants trahis". Rameau's words are brought here by bass-baritone Philippe Sly and soprano Hélène Guilmette. The duo is accompanied by Clavecin en concert ensemble led by world-renowned harpsichordist Luc Beauséjour. In presenting these four cantatas on a beautiful 63-minute CD, classical label Analekta pays a beautiful tribute to this giant of French Baroque music. A nice way to discover Rameau.

For the original soundtrack of Spring Breakers, they put their trust in Skrillex and Cliff Martinez for the composition of most of the tracks. This therefore results in a predominantly electronic / dubstep album. Otherwise, some names just integrate the mix to offer an alternative in another genre. This is the case for Dangeruss and James Franco with the rap song "Hangin' With Da Dopeboys" for Meek Mill, Pill, Torch and Rick Ross with "Big Bank", as well as Ellie Goulding to conclude with her hit "Lights". Nevertheless, this is the opening track by Skrillex, "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites", which not only gives the tone to the album, but is better than everything that follows. Despite some good moments, the soundtrack of Spring Breakers has too many bad patches to keep our interest until the end, which is often the case with a movie soundtrack anyway.

Mount Moriah is an alternative rock band with a folk sound that comes from North Carolina. Miracle Temple is their second album and they seem to really take off with this one. The trio has in fact quality compositions, beautifully arranged and with a flawless production. Mount Moriah music has beautiful subtleties that make their songs rich and fully satisfactory. Here is a very good album of soft rock that is both accessible and creative.

The Milk Carton Kids are a contemporary folk duo from Los Angeles, California. Directly influenced by Simon & Garfunkel, Kenneth Pattengale and Joey Ryan offer a minimalist acoustic sound dominated by vocal harmonies. On this second album, they bring inventive and refreshing guitar lines on some occasions, which is helping keeping the interest in a style that was largely overexploited for the last 50 years.

For Valentine's Day, the pop punk label Hopeless issued a compilation of love songs by 10 of its artists. It includes original songs, but also covers of well known songs like Cyndi Lauper’s "True Colors" by All Time Low, Bruno Mars’ "Grenade" by We Are The In Crowd, Britney Spears’ "Toxic" by Air Dubai, Bruno Mars’ "Locked Out of Heaven" by Divided By Friday and Death Cab for Cutie’s "I Will Follow You Into the Dark" by For The Foxes. Other artists who have their love songs are The Used, Yellowcard, Anarbor, The Dangerous Summer and Driver Friendly. The covers by All Time Low, We Are The In Crowd and Divided By Friday are quite successful, but the album also has several ballads that are less interesting. It is still an album of love songs that is quite different from what is usually offered.

Born in Houston, Devendra Banhart grew up in Caracas and Los Angeles, before discovering Arts in San Francisco. Very active since its debut in the early 2000s, this is his first album in four years. Without returning to his lo-fi debut, Banhart offers intimate music incorporating both folk and minimalist electro. He also picks in its Latin origins to produce some of the best songs on the album including "Mi Negrita". The compositions are generally very efficient and Banhart manages to create interesting links between these pieces yet so different. His universe remains special, but he has many elements of interest for anyone who wishes to do an effort.

La Mort Pop Club is the fourth album by indie punk trio from Montreal We Are Wolves. Even if the distortion is prominent, the band still likes to explore an electronic territory. The beats are effective and danceable, and they are very well accompanied by layers of synthesizers, without going back to the past. The group offers an excellent album of post-rock with memorable pop melodies, on which they can even sing occasionally in Spanish. As for "Voices", it is a ballad that reminds us of Coldplay.

The Swedish indie rock band presents its fourth album since its debut in 2005. The group members, childhood friends, take over the production themselves for Optica which has excellent compositions and incomparable melodies. For example, "Illusions" with its disco influenced beat can hardly leave you indifferent. Despite the somewhat happy side of several songs, the melancholy occupies a prominently spot on the album, especially in ballads like "Blue Ice". Many songs, including the excellent "Sugar", recall the sound of The Cure. With Optica, Shout Out Louds is back to the quality of its first two records after a wrong move in 2010 with Work.

Videos: « Blue Ice » - « Walking in Your Footsteps »

Pissed Jeans is an indie punk quartet from Pennsylvania offering a rather loud music with sound experiments. For its fourth album, the band dropped the guttural voice of its previous record to present a little more accessible one, although it still needs a lot of patience to enjoy it. Their frustration with everyday details is still the main topic throughout the CD. The most interesting tracks are certainly "Romanticize Me" and "Cafeteria Food", while the opening track, "Bathroom Laughter", could be much more attractive without the unnecessary screams. If you like your music noisy, Pissed Jeans is definitely a good choice, especially as the group offers here its best album to date.

Video: « Bathroom Laughter »

Since Crush in 2000, the best album of the last 20 years for Bon Jovi, we had very little good material to listen to. They had a resurrection in 2007 with Lost Highway and its country sound, but it was the only moment of interest in the last decade. With What About Now, the band recycles its rock recipe by integrating country influences. The problem is that this recipe is more indigestible with time. The ballads are unbearable and it is not the strings that will make them more tolerable. When the group tries to shake it a little more, it does not approach the energetic hard rock sound that made them famous in the mid 1980s. The only track to be of interest is the hit "Because We Can". For the rest, they're sounds and melodies often heard and mostly uninteresting content, without energy. I dared to declare Bon Jovi clinically dead after Keep the Faith in 1992, and I must say that I might be right after all... Good luck in listening to the album, you will need it to go to the end, hoping that you have not bought the deluxe version with three additional tracks. (April 2013 Featured Review)

Video: « Because We Can »

For his 21st studio album in career, the veteran presents 10 favourite songs of his youth and two new compositions ("Gotta Get Over", "Every Little Thing"). He gives a sunny touch to these essential songs in transforming several pieces in reggae. On this independent album, the guitarist seems happy to be released from all business obligations, which allows him to first have fun. And by the way, he managed to make us as happy with this beautiful album.

The young 24-year old country singer had already released three independent albums before coming to the Nashville Star competition in 2007 on which she finished 7th. With Same Trailer Different Park and the first single, "Merry Go 'Round", Kacey enters the big leagues. She offers a country folk sound usually soft which has beautiful creative qualities. The melodies are efficient and her voice is able to charm from the first moment.

Video: « Merry Go ‘Round »

Nick Cave was active with the Bad Seeds for 30 years, but he presents his first album in five years with them, after the intense Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!. On Push the Sky Away, Cave presents a moody music while the tracks are linked beautifully in softness with beautiful orchestrations. The opening track and first single "We No Who U R" gives the perfect tone to this album to be savoured slowly until the end. It is at this point that former bassist Barry Adamson makes a comeback to the title track which gives it his personality with his bass line. Please note that this is the first album by the Bad Seeds without Mick Harvey and this is perhaps what's missing in the album, his qualities as arranger. Nick Cave and Warren Ellis still manage to offer us many good songs for an album very enjoyable to listen to.

Video: « We No Who U R »

The progressive metal band from Quebec is back with a 13th album in career, eight years after the death of Denis "Piggy" D'Amour. Otherwise, it is their first album without any contribution from Piggy which left guitar tracks for their previous album, Infini. It is therefore an ultimate test for the band that is now completed by guitarist Daniel "Chewy" Mongrain and welcomes back the bassist Jean-Yves "Blacky" Thériault after 20 years. Despite the absence of their main songwriter, Voivod succeeded once again to innovate on Target Earth with various experiments at the height of the group's reputation. This is again a difficult to access sound which is dense and very intense. "Kluskap O'Kom" presents the thrash metal we knew of them in the 1980s. But it’s with "Mechanical Mind" that the band has the intention to impress. In more than 7 minutes and 30 seconds, Voivod has so many changes of riffs and time, as well as many weird harmonies and experiments, that we find ourselves totally destabilized throughout this song of pure progressive metal. The opening title track and "Kaleidos" with its punk introduction are other highlights of the album, which confirms that Voivod can still be creative in 2013. Also, it is interesting to note that the quartet recorded its first song in French, "Corps étranger".

The Minneapolis punk band releases its third album and this could well be its best to date. We are quickly snapped up by the incredible energy of the group that pitches its fastest compositions right to our face without warning. There are also a number of mid-tempo pieces that are very good to create a balance to the album. The production of Bill Stevenson (Descendents) is impeccable and makes us enjoy every moment of the record, even in its more rawness. Home turns out to be a very good album of punk rock, nice to listen to the end. To discover!

Videos: « Nightlife » - « Start Walking »

Holy Fire is the third album by English indie rock band Foals. After a gentle introduction with a whole progression that creates expectations for what's coming, "Inhaler" does not disappoint with a good pop melody and a wall of guitars in the chorus reminding us of Muse. Before you even hear the rest, there is little doubt that they can not do better. "My Number" brings us into a rather dance pop universe, but the band still manages to retain the interest of its more introspective audience. In fact, this is one of the strengths of the group which is able to maintain an intellectual dimension in a simple pop dimension necessitating not much reflection. Few rock bands have this capability that we can find on numerous occasions throughout the CD. In addition, one can not ignore the quality of the musicians which is impeccable. Even if we do not find more songs of the same calibre of "Inhaler" on the rest of the album, and some people arguing they turn too pop, Holy Fire has possibly the best balance to date for the band from Oxford.

Videos: « Inhaler » - « My Number » - « Late Night »

Pedestrian Verse is the fourth album by the Scottish indie band that emerged in the mid-2000s. For the first time, singer and guitarist Scott Hutchison leaves the other group members to participate in the songwriting. The band offers a nice blend of pop melodies, folk guitars and rock 'n' roll excitements. Listening to "Holy" reminds us of The Arcade Fire. The Frames can also come to your mind on several occasions. Frightened Rabbit had presented an EP in 2012 and only one of the tracks from that CD can be found on Pedestrian Verse, the title song, the excellent "State Hospital". The production by Leo Abrahams adds breadth to the Hutchison songs which could certainly be as effective in a more stripped version. Pedestrian Verse is an excellent album that is likely to enable the band to finally get international recognition.

Videos: « State Hospital » - « Dead Now » - « The Woodpile » - « Backyard Skulls »

Ballaké Sissoko is a Malian musician specialist of the kora, this African instrument with 21 strings. He was seducing his audience wherever he went for the last ten years. In 2009, he grabbed attention with his album Chamber Music with Vincent Segal on cello. Segal takes up the role of producer for this new album by this unique artist. At Peace has the right title with its soothing side that is immediately enjoyable. The intimate album goes well beyond his previous one. In fact, he brings us into a whole other universe centered around his beloved kora. Sissoko has the unique strength to convey emotion through the simple link of his instrument. A really nice album!

Buckman Coe is a songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Vancouver who previously issued two albums in 2010 and 2012. He now releases an EP produced in a limited edition with a total of 5 tracks and 25 minutes. He plays a soul and reggae sound with a good dose of hippie attitude, gospel and folk. Melodies stay mainly pop and come with a beautiful voice full of feeling. So this is a beautiful CD that will make us eager for more.

It's now time for a new compilation by the famous house DJ from Quebec. The least one can say is that it starts with power with Pitbull's "Don't Stop the Party". Subsequently, the most famous moments include Bingo Players' "Get Up (Rattle)", Calvin Harris' "Sweet Nothing", Cash Cash's "Michael Jackson (The Beat Goes On)" and especially Ke$ha's "Die Young". The second half presents tracks a little less famous, but equally interesting to maintain the party at its climax. This is the case with, among others, Joachim Garraud's "Maximus (Jump)" and We Are Presidents' "Hello World". Also note "Phat Ass Drop" by DJs From Mars which is used as training for how to become a good producer of the perfect club song. Then, as usual, D-Noy gives us a personal composition, "It Goes On", featuring Jodee and P.-A. Here is another album up to the reputation of Desnoyers.

Video: Megamix

The Sheepdogs are a band from Saskatoon formed in 2006 that sounds like a Southern United States band in the 1970s. They are in fact a mixture of classic rock and boogie, with traces of blues, all delivered in an alternative rock sound of the 2010s. This fourth album is the first for a major label. They have strong compositions with unforgettable melodies and music passages that make them immediately sympathetic. Some tracks stand out from the lot as "Feeling Good", "The Way It Is" and "While We're Young." Here is a particularly good album by a timeless band to discover.

Videos: « Feeling Good » - « The Way It Is »

Angelo Finaldi worked with the greatest singers, both in France and Quebec. He wrote successfully among others with Nanette Workman ("Danser, Danser"), Nicole Martin ("Laisse-moi partir") and Mario Pelchat ("Reste là"), in addition to having worked with Ben Charest on Triplettes de Belleville and on the opera Dioxine de Carbone with Luc Plamondon (before he sabotaged it). With Désoriented Voyage, Finaldi proposes an expedition which is actually disorienting in the heart of Little Italy in Montreal with various quirky characters. He describes his own project as a pop music opera in which Italian, Native American and Quebec cultures collide. The least we can say is that it is a creative project, but how inaccessible!

Klone is a French alternative metal band that falls somewhere between post-grunge and corporate hard rock. The six guys have powerful guitars, but still retain very good melodies. They also incorporate more atmospheric guitars, keyboards and saxophones to make their music richer than many other bands in the genre. Few compositions really stand out of the lot, but the whole 54 minutes are listening well to the end.

For this third album as a trio, jazz pianist John Roney allows himself an exploration of new sounds and some intrusions into electronic music. He adds so much richness to his music that was already well alive. Accompanied by Rémi-Jean Leblanc on bass and Damien Schmitt on drums, Roney covers works of Oscar Peterson ("Place St-Henri") and Chuck Corea ("Spain"). Otherwise, he offers especially strong original compositions worthy of his huge talent. Already well established internationally, Roney will leave with a very nice project under the arm for his upcoming tour.

The Analekta label celebrates its 25th anniversary, while Radio-Classique (founded by Jean-Pierre Coallier) reaches 15 years of existence. That was a good reason for both to work together and present this superb 3-CD box set of classic works that marked Canadian music. Analekta was originally founded to showcase classical music performers from Canada and they released more than 500 albums in 25 years. Radio-Classique for its part contributed to improve the broadcasting of classical music over the last 15 years. It was therefore natural to give them the mandate to select the music for this box set among the thousands of works from the Analekta catalog. Among the artists that can be heard and which are shining internationally, there are violinists Angèle Dubeau and James Ehnes, pianist Alain Lefèvre, contralto Marie-Nicole Lemieux, cellist Stéphane Tétreault and many others. You can also hear the I Musici ensemble, the Metropolitan Orchestra and the Montreal and Quebec Symphony Orchestras. Composers honored include Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, Mozart, Tchaïkovsky, Vivaldi, and Mathieu.

Egyptian Project is the project of French Jérôme Ettinger who wanted to combine traditional Egyptian instruments and electronic music assisted by computers. The result is a contemporary Egyptian sound, even if it borrows greatly to the musical traditions of the country. In fact, the album is more organic as you might think and electronic works are full of subtleties. The ensemble presents in a beautiful way the power of Egyptian instruments, which could attract a whole new audience.

Waves of Fury is a new British band founded by Londoner Carter Sharp. The group offers influences of R&B and funk on an indie rock sound filled with distortion and feedback. Sharp's voice can be downright rude on occasions when he shouts to stand out among the rather noisy instruments that accompany him. The set has some interesting aspects, but the result may make several people uncertain by its very pronounced rawness.

Video: « Businessman’s Guide to Witchcraft »

Triades is a vocal project involving three singers and a wonderful trio of musicians, who enrich of lyrics jazz compositions from Quebec. The project initiator and artistic director Sonia Johnson is surrounded by Charles Biddle Jr. and Annie Poulain, who are accompanied by Marianne Trudel (piano), Morgan Moore (bass) and Jim Doxas (drums). It is Charles Biddle that is the most surprising one on this album with a gentle soul voice which gives him a discreet role of crooner. Triades perfectly highlights the talent of Quebec composers and their pieces take practically a dimension of jazz standards in this new context. A nice idea by the Effendi team!

Alicia Keys has probably the best contemporary mix between R&B and soul. Her talent was impressive for over 10 years and she is back now with her fifth studio album. For the 13 tracks of Girl on Fire, Alicia can count on the collaboration of twenty composers and a dozen of directors, as well as singing with Nicki Minaj on the title-song and Maxwell on "Fire We Make". Few jazz atmospheres alternating with electro beats are perfectly accompanying Alicia's voice throughout this record, which has a production of quality. Otherwise, we can hear overproduction which can become annoying considering Alicia Keys has all the talent needed to give us the creeps in a completely stripped atmosphere. After effective songs in the first half, the CD is becoming somewhat less interesting and it gives us the feeling of rushing towards the end. But there are still good moments that will probably succeed in satisfying her most ardent fans.

Video: « Girl on Fire »

Victoria Duffield is a singer, dancer and actress from British Columbia. She presents her debut album which is in fact limited to an 8-track EP. You can discover energetic pop music, like the hits "Shut Up and Dance", "Feel" and "Break My Heart". Victoria also flirts with R&B on "They Don’t Know About Us", a duet with Cody Simpson. Even if her energy is refreshing in Canadian pop music, it lacks stronger compositions to hope to differentiate and especially to last.

Videos: « Shut Up and Dance » - « Feel » - « Break My Heart » - « They Don’t Know About Us »

For her new album, the singer from Ontario explores her career past, present and future. She has so many personal themes that influence her, which allows us to discover a little more about her. The album was recorded largely in her home studio, The Cottage, with Jerrod Bettis (Better Than Ezra) and Jon Levine (K'naan, Nelly Furtado), but also in Los Angeles, before being mixed by Joe Zook (Modest Mouse, Katy Perry). It has good moments, like the first single, "Stompa", but the whole remains easily replaceable in the universe of adult pop rock.

Video: « Stompa »

Petra is one of the three daughters of jazz bassist Charlie Haden. She uses her voice as an instrument and delivers the majority of her performances a cappella. She has especially captured attention in 2005 by revisiting the album The Who Sell Out by The Who in its entirety. For her new album, these are classic pieces from cinema that are recreated in an atmosphere that is personal. You can hear selections from the movies Rebel Without a Cause, Taxi Driver, Cinema Paradiso, Psycho, Goldfinger, Superman, My Bodyguard and others. Also in the playlist, the excellent "Calling You" from Bagdad Cafe. Petra immerses us in a unique atmosphere that may remind many moviegoers’ memories, if of course you recognize the pieces presented.

St. Ange is a Montreal band with multiple influences combining especially pop and jazz. First issued in November 2011 independently, their first album, Second Nature, was re-released by the Justin Time label in the fall of 2012. Following the image of the female singer, Angela Gallupo, the record presents colorful and joyful sounds. The CD fits perfectly into the new trend that mixes jazz with intelligent pop. This is a very good album that offers us St. Ange.

Silvana Kane is best known as the lead singer of the pop group Pacifika. With La Jardinera, she presents her first solo album. We can mostly hear covers of songs from her favorite Latin American female artists like Chabuca Granda, Mercedes Sosa and Violeta Parra. There are also two new compositions: the folk "Cruces" and "Vida Llena" (written for her grandmother). La Jardinera appears smoothly, with beautiful and very touching ballads. It is an intimate album that will definitely be a lot of fun for her to play live in small venues.

Sienna Dahlen spends her time between Toronto and France. Present in Montreal in January 1998 during the ice storm, she was inspired by it for this short album of 7 tracks. The singer-songwriter presents an album with winter moods merging jazz and folk, a sound heavily influenced by Jane Siberry and Joni Mitchell. Sienna is dedicating the album to Lhasa de Sela who was also a major influence for her by her magnificent musical heritage. With Verglas, Sienna Dahlen offers a unique and moving record.

Produced by Piers Faccini, Ela is the first album by the Brazilian-born cellist Dom La Nena. There are 13 original compositions sung in Spanish and Portuguese with her ​​sweet voice. Simple arrangements leave any room for the power of the compositions. After playing with many French stars as Jeanne Moreau, Camille, Étienne Daho and Jane Birkin, Dom looked at her own songs referring to personal experiences inspired much by Lhasa de Sela. She addressed among others uprooting in several countries, without a clear nationality, on a title like "No Meu País". The coherent and intimate whole is rather endearing and gives us the desire to discover her in a concert experience.

Video: « No Meu Pais »

The Canadian singer now based in Montreal presents her fifth album in career, but her first one comprised of jazz standards. She managed to completely bring these classics in a world of her own. Among the essentials that you can hear on Rewind there are Cole Porter’s "Love For Sale", Cannonball Adderley’s "Sack of Woe", George Gershwin’s "Buzzard Song", Mel Tormé’s "Born To Be Blue" and Duke Ellington’s "Prelude to a Kiss". You can also hear a pair of songs from the French repertoire, including Georges Brassens’ "Les amoureux des bancs publics". With this warm album, Elizabeth Shepherd not only creates expectations for her next album, but she makes us to want to discover her in concert.

With Gratitude, the young Canadian jazz bassist now based in New York City presents her third album. She once again shows a perfect mastery of her instrument, which Oscar Peterson compared in the past with his former bassist, the late Ray Brown, by her rhythmic pulse. The talented musician quickly captures our attention with "Blues For Mandela" and the title track. Performed in French and English, "Le regarder la rencontrer encore (Rendez-vous indésirable)" is a beautiful love song and one of the greatest moments of the CD. Note also her interpretation of Gershwin’s "The Man I Love". Dim the lights and Brandi Disterheft will make you spend a wonderful intimate evening.

For its latest show, the Cirque du Soleil team has yet ask Bob & Bill (Guy Dubuc and Marc Lessard) for the composition of the music. Their mission was to create a unique and raw sound and the result incorporates influences from heavy rock, certainly the heaviest music that has been heard so far in a Cirque show. Another interesting aspect is that these are all women who interpret the original music (with Jenifer Aubry on the microphone), a first for Cirque du Soleil. The guitars play a significant role throughout the CD, but they are supported by beautiful arrangements of strings and percussions among others that enrich pleasantly the music of Amaluna. Again. Bob & Bill managed to create a music soundtrack that complements the show, while bringing a lot of surprises.

The popular American series Girls presents music that often stands out. It was therefore quite natural that they offer a collection of songs heard in the first season of the show or coming in the second season. The album begins strongly with "Dancing On My Own" by Robyn and "Sight of the Sun" by Fun. Other interesting moments include "Girls" by Santigold, "Fool To Cry" by Tegan and Sara and "I Don’t Love Anyone" by Belle and Sebastian. Unfortunately, as it is often the case on soundtracks, the whole is somewhat lacking of consistency with much weaker songs and unknown artists without much interest. Fans of the series will still relive their good memories.

Video: « Dancing On My Own »

The Pittsburgh rapper has come up with a new album after the success of Rolling Papers in 2011. Unfortunately, that sudden success has a negative effect on the new record while the lyrics refer only to his new financial situation, his love for weed and what he can buy now that he is rich. After 3 tracks, we hope very much that it will not be a general trend until the end of the 74 long minutes. But it is coming back at different times throughout the CD, which is in addition not very interesting musically. There are 17 mid-tempo songs that give us a few moments of excitement. O.N.I.F.C. is therefore an extremely disappointing album by a rapper who proved highly promising only a few months ago.

Video: « Work Hard Play Hard »

The twins Tegan and Sara Quin were already having a career for fifteen years. While the Canadians had a folk rock sound at their debut, they now take a resolutely electro pop direction with a polished sound and many keyboards. They had tried this on Sainthood in 2009, but with Heartthrob, it is obvious that they have a desire to become popular. We can now compare them to a cross between Robyn and Katy Perry. The production of the record has been entrusted to Greg Kurstin who has worked with the most popular female singers in recent years, including Kelly Clarkson, Ke$ha, Kylie Minogue, Lily Allen and Natasha Bedingfield. The result is a clean album of the 2010s, with no major excesses or surprises. Heartthrob can be listened carefully until the end and has everything needed in catchy melodies and dynamism to propel the twins at the peaks of the charts. With this new album, Tegan and Sara manage to bring some creative energy to pop. Good work!

Video: « Closer »

Pour son nouvel album, Garou revient à ses premières amours, le rhythm and blues. C’est dans ce style qu’il est le plus à l’aise et c’est comme si toute sa carrière de chanteur pop n’avait été qu’une longue pause. Il s’est rendu aux légendaires studios Sanctuary de Londres pour enregistrer cet album sur lequel il reprend des grands classiques du genre, mais aussi des pièces du répertoire francophone qu’il adapte à sa façon. Des classiques comme « I Put a Spell on You » et « Hard to Handle » sont des naturels dans un tel contexte. Par contre, Garou surprend beaucoup plus avec ses relectures de « Quand tu danses » de Gilbert Bécaud, « Cash City » de Luc De Larochellière et « Je voudrais voir New York » de Daniel Lavoie. Aussi au menu, « If I Ain’t Got You » d’Alicia Keys, un des grands succès de la dernière année, « Lonely Boy » des Black Keys et « Bad Day » de Daniel Powter. Avec Rhythm and Blues, Garou s’approprie des chansons bien variées pour en faire un ensemble qui comporte par contre une certaine dichotomie. Les variations sont parfois brusques et un peu bizarres, même si on tente de créer une ligne directrice grâce au rhythm and blues. C’est dommage, car prise séparément, chaque chanson démontre tout le talent de Garou dans ce style musical.

In the case of the Californian punk band Bad Religion, it is difficult after 30 years of career to still expect albums as great as they were at the turn of the 1990s. The band tries somehow to renew his style album after album, but we must say that they are somehow trapped in a specific music genre that is hard to break. Guys throw us a few solid punk tracks straight to our face like the title track, "Fuck You" and "Vanity". You can also hear songs a little slower but effective, with a wall of guitars: "Dharma and the Bomb", "Hello Cruel World", and so on. Greg Graffin lyrics still denunciate and it is in this sense that the group remains relevant after so many years. The overall still unfortunately has many compositions that are disposable. This is exactly what makes that Bad Religion is no longer the band it was before.

Video: « True North »

For their fourth album, the quintet from Vancouver returns with the energetic pop rock sound that they have developed in recent years, especially on the previous album, Eureka. Folk influences of their debut are now rare and we rather hear an excellent indie pop and rock sound on which you will have to keep the beat. Many of the 14 tracks on The Sticks not only have the ability to make us stomp, but they also have beautiful creative qualities. This is the case for the title song, "Bit by Bit" and many others. If the band finally discovered themselves with Eureka, they reached the peak of their career with The Sticks. To discover!

Video: « Bit by Bit »

In recent years, the legendary Bob Mould issued albums that were particularly effective, almost worthy of his most creative years, either in solo or as part of Hüsker Dü or Sugar. He resumes his momentum with Silver Age, an energetic album which is not betraying the age of its creator. Songs are well linked and they never disappoint us. It sounds like the Bob Mould of the heyday of Sugar! We can still hear several tracks a bit slower, but never boring. Mould may be nostalgic or not, the fact remains that he brings back what his fans prefer of him, for their own pleasure. Silver Age is once again an excellent album by this genius of alternative rock.

Lee "Scratch" Perry is considered as the biggest reggae legend after Bob Marley. He has contributed greatly to the development of dub and made ​​many important albums in the genre, including some of the first recordings by Marley. On the eve of his 77 years of age, Perry continues to give us new material. He may not be reinventing the genre, but he still has good moments of dub / lounge, proving that he remains a towering figure in reggae dub.

Big Kenny and John Rich are a duo from Nashville that debuted in 2004 in country music. They include rock and pop music in their country sound that is rather fanciful. After a break of five years, they are trying to reinvigorate their careers which seemed to be ending up badly with Between Raising Hell and Amazing Grace in 2007. They requested the services of Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora for the writing of the opening track, "Born Again" (on which Jon also participates), and "Can’t Be Satisfied". The album has some good songs, but the whole falls quickly in the insipidity of the last record. The duo appeared as a joke in the country music world but it cannot get out of that image, unfortunately. The joke lasted long enough...

Videos: « Born Again » - « Party Like Cowboyz » - « Lay It All On Me » - « Cheat On You »

The Northern Irish alternative metal band first caught attention in 1994 with its excellent album Troublegum, in the flow of the tsunami wave driven by post-grunge. They quickly went back to the underground, a much more natural place for Therapy?. A Brief Crack of Light is the 13th album of the band, which has lost none of its power of 20 years ago. The group seems determined to regain the charts with "Living in the Shadow of the Terrible Thing". Otherwise, it still presents experimental moments that are difficult to access, such as the instrumental "Marlow". The album offers interesting portions, but a few tracks prove to be truly memorable.

The Hellbound Hepcats began as a duo on the Montreal rockabilly scene. Alexander Brown (vocals and guitar) and Jordan Peddie (bass) have now added a drummer in Sylvain Lemire, and they are now ready to conquer the world with their second album. The group takes us literally back in the 1950s with numerous references to early rock 'n' roll and country influences. In addition, Alex Brown has an excellent voice which is not without reminding us of a certain Elvis Presley. The Hellbound Hepcats are actually a 2010 version of the rock 'n' roll artists of that time, with a record that benefits of today's technologies. This is an album that caters to both nostalgic and younger people that have a curiosity for the music of the past. Even if we cannot really talk about creativity in their case, The Hellbound Hepcats offer us a very good record on which the annoying moments are absent during the 25 short minutes.

Empress Hotel is an eclectic pop rock band from New Orleans inspired both by Prince, the pop music from the 1970s, Roxy Music and the Velvet Underground. Their music is accessible by its good beat and catchy melodies. But it also presents a great complexity and creativity. It is only a pity that we remember a very little from it in the end.

Neomythics is a duo formed of Gregory Howe and Matt Montgomery, two multi-instrumentalists that play many different instruments on the album. Produced by Howe, New Corporate Resistance is their first album together after they have composed several songs for other artists, especially in jazz and funk. Neomythics has a post-punk sound like Television and you could also compare them to early U2 material. Their music is rich and has beautiful creative qualities, even if they often fail to really capture our attention. Note the presence of guitarist Harvey Mandel who played with The Rolling Stones in the 1970s.

The Australian ace of Hammond B3 organ presents on his new album a majority of original compositions strongly influenced by the 1960s, but also some blues classics like Willie Dixon’s "Seventh Son" and jazz classics as Erroll Garner’s "Misty". He also pays tribute to one of his early idols, legendary jazz organist Jimmy Smith, with the medley "Chicken Shack / How Blue Can You Get". Even though it contains only 9 tracks, Desperate Times, recorded in Toronto, offers some interesting parts.

For his eighth album, the flamenco guitarist is somewhat in a different direction and leaves room for his musicians to produce a particularly rich environment. Even if you can hear mostly original instrumental compositions, there are also two huge covers. The album begins with Screamin 'Jay Hawkins’ classic "I Put a Spell on You", beautifully interpreted by Toronto female singer Emma-Lee. Another classic comes from the French repertoire, Jacques Brel’s "Ne me quitte pas". The album was recorded with old microphones to recreate the atmosphere of the Miles Davis era. The result is an intimate and mature album that is listening beautifully in the late hours of the night. This is another great album by this excellent classical guitarist.

The pianist and his trio cover here some pieces by rather eclectic artists such as Alice In Chains ("Got Me Wrong"), Sufjan Stevens ("Holland"), Jimi Hendrix ("Hey Joe") and Chico Buarque ("Samba e Amor"). He still allows some jazz covers as Clifford Brown’s "Brownie Speaks" and Sonny Rollins’ "Airegin". Note also the reworked versions of the touching "Baby Plays Around" from Elvis Costello and Cait O'Riordan, as well as Nick Drake’s "Time Has Told Me". Although it is very interesting to hear jazz covers of pieces as varied, the fact remains that the whole is somewhat bizarre at the end. The trio is not at its best on Where Do You Start, but it brings an element of curiosity that is the whole point of the CD.

Little Big Town is a Nashville vocal quartet consisting of 2 men and 2 women. They have a country pop sound based primarily on vocal harmonies. Tornado is their fifth album in 10 years and it is certainly their most pop record to date. Otherwise, it is not sure that the country purists will be disappointed by it since they were not already enjoying the band. In fact, Little Big Town has always been perceived as a slightly more country version of Fleetwood Mac, and it continues with Tornado. If one forgets their country influences, one can easily perceive the new album as a great pop record, simply.

Videos: « Pontoon » - « Tornado »