In art, as is the case in life, it has been proven time and again that the population of intelligent people in the world fall into one of two groups: those that consider themselves to be smart and those that simply are. So what’s the difference? Those that assume themselves to be intelligent usually come by the notion honestly – they might be scholarly, they might be good (if fairly humorless) conversationalists, they may be the ones that their friends...

After about nine years spent etching a small but indelible mark upon the Canadian punk scene with Simple Plan, it's understandable why guitarist Sebastien Lefebvre would want to step out on his own. While three chords and a quiver full of songs about girls were great for establishing Simple Plan as stalwart (if fairly unremarkable) purveyors of skate/pop punk, doing the same thing over and over again gets tiresome after a while (Simple Plan's been doing it for three full-length...

Remember when you found out they were making a film version of Where the Wild Things Are and it was a bit worrying until you realized that it was being handled by Spike Jonze and Dave Eggers? Well, you can have that same feeling of relief about the movie's soundtrack, masterfully orchestrated by and attributed mostly to Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, along with an outfit including Bradford Cox of Deerhunter, Dean Fertita and Jack Lawrence of The...

I refuse to classify this band. I’ve read a lot of reviews, over the last day or so, of Japandroid’s album, Post-Nothing, and every writer has devoted a solid paragraph—at least—to comparing them to another band, to a genre, to a sub-genre, to a sub-post-ultra-minimalist-extra-such and such a type of music/band, and I refuse to do that. And if you say a word about the White Stripes, I’m going to punch you in the mouth. Okay, I go back on...

The timing is perfect for this band to shine. Phoenix has blown up this year with their May release of Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. Right when we have heard it all and found ourselves a little tired of the pop-synth rock groups, Phoenix showed up with a fresh vibe and an amazing album to tour with. And apparently, I learned that not all French guys are pretentious jerks. The sold-out Wednesday night crowd at Chicago’s Aragon Ballroom was hyped up after...

Have you ever started following a band, not because you were their biggest fan right away, but, because the group seemed to bear enormous potential that you hoped they would eventually realize? You found yourself following them, hoping they'd get the change to get it right eventually? There's no denying that such a pleasure is very private, (sort of) misplaced and self-absorbed (claiming victory when the band makes it from a comfy, third-person seat?), but it's no less gratifying when...

As Tragically Hip singer Gord Downey once said, the problem with cutting out a living in the arts (particularly in music) is that, as soon as you subscribe to one discipline, all of the others look that much more attractive. Actors want to make music (as exemplified by Keanu Reeves, William Shatner and Juliette Lewis), musicians want to act or paint (Hugh Dillon, Iggy Pop, David Bowie, Gibby Haynes or Ronnie Hawkins anyone?), and painters (like Andy Warhol) along with...

I’ve come to the realization that I listen to well over 100 albums each year, dear readers. I know that doesn’t sound like much, but having to sift through the utter sea of shit that qualifies as music these days in order to bring you the highlights isn’t exactly an easy task. Whenever the yearly consumption and absorption starts, there’s always a few crazy outliers; some albums come from genres that would normally be way out of my radar. This...

No one likes a show-off. I know that’s certainly the case for me and, in addition to a certain lack of patience, I have a low tolerance for people’s bullshit. This general sense of impatience isn't something I'm proud of (because, come on – everyone deserves a chance!), but I’ve come to accept it. Knowing that these aspects add to my sunny disposition, I was given the arduous task of reviewing Gallows’ Grey Britain, which was released earlier this year....

What's a band to do when, as the ink dries on a brand new record contract, its members realize that have very little in the way of fresh material for use on a new album? Raid the B- and C-side content in the vault and assemble an album from those previously dispossessed and discarded songs? Record a live album? Release a greatest hits package maybe? All of those options are feasible when a band realizes its creative cupboards are bare,...