Jonsi – Go 
2010 is shaping up to be a stellar year in music and we are only four months in, with Portugal The Man’s American Ghetto being my top choice at the moment, if I had to pick a number two it would be Jonsi from Sigur Ros’ solo debut. Done in dexterity all by himself, the Sigur Ros frontman displays the power and force of a male Bjork. He is as crafty, creative and dissimilar as she is and yet, can still manage to toss his own spin on things. Go is a severe departure from his main band, but still manages to be as beautiful and haunting anything in the Sigur Ros catalogue, just way more upbeat…oh, and it’s mostly in English not in his usual and native Icelandic language.
FINAL GRADE: A+
Codeine Velvet Club
From one side project to another, Fratelli’s frontman Jon Fratelli or as he is going by his real name Jon Lawler teams up with a fellow Glasgow native Lou Hickey in the debut from these rockers. This record is a ton of fun to listen to, it’s basically a vaudeville-glam version of The Fratellis, but with much more arrangements rather than a straight garage/basic sound.
FINAL GRADE: B+
Sade – Solider of Love
10 years after her last record, the woman with vocals as smooth as silk returns with a record of impressive lyrics and musical achievements. She may have kept for fans waiting for a decade, but the wait was worth it, Soldier of Love is a dramatic album from start to finish. Though nothing extremely new in Sade’s sound, she still is at the top of her game.
FINAL GRADE: B+
2010 is shaping up to be a stellar year in music and we are only four months in, with Portugal The Man’s American Ghetto being my top choice at the moment, if I had to pick a number two it would be Jonsi from Sigur Ros’ solo debut. Done in dexterity all by himself, the Sigur Ros frontman displays the power and force of a male Bjork. He is as crafty, creative and dissimilar as she is and yet, can still manage to toss his own spin on things. Go is a severe departure from his main band, but still manages to be as beautiful and haunting anything in the Sigur Ros catalogue, just way more upbeat…oh, and it’s mostly in English not in his usual and native Icelandic language.
FINAL GRADE: A+
Codeine Velvet Club
From one side project to another, Fratelli’s frontman Jon Fratelli or as he is going by his real name Jon Lawler teams up with a fellow Glasgow native Lou Hickey in the debut from these rockers. This record is a ton of fun to listen to, it’s basically a vaudeville-glam version of The Fratellis, but with much more arrangements rather than a straight garage/basic sound.
FINAL GRADE: B+
Sade – Solider of Love
10 years after her last record, the woman with vocals as smooth as silk returns with a record of impressive lyrics and musical achievements. She may have kept for fans waiting for a decade, but the wait was worth it, Soldier of Love is a dramatic album from start to finish. Though nothing extremely new in Sade’s sound, she still is at the top of her game.
FINAL GRADE: B+
Erykah Badu – New Amerykah Vol 2 : Return of the Ankh
The follow up to her 2008 electronic and tremendous release New Amerykah Vol 1, Badu brings it back to the neo-soul vibe that got people’s attention when she first arrived more than a decade ago. With the very smart promotion of releasing the controversial video for “Window Seat,” it created a buzz about this album and was backed up by the music. After a listen you will be hooked.
FINAL GRADE: B+
The follow up to her 2008 electronic and tremendous release New Amerykah Vol 1, Badu brings it back to the neo-soul vibe that got people’s attention when she first arrived more than a decade ago. With the very smart promotion of releasing the controversial video for “Window Seat,” it created a buzz about this album and was backed up by the music. After a listen you will be hooked.
FINAL GRADE: B+
Coheed & Cambria – Year of the Black Rainbow
When this band arrived, no one herd anything like them before. It was emo-prog with a guy that sounded like Getty Lee from Rush but looked like Benicio Del Toro in The Wolfman. After their first two albums, The Second Stage Turbine Blade & the brilliant In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth 3, I felt like the band lost a bit. It was disclosed that the idea behind the band’s music was comic book story line and ever since, the band has been making records to fit the story and shred along the way. Don’t get me wrong, these guys can rock, but it was not as interesting as it once was…until now. Year of the Black Rainbow is a nice return to form and a prequel for the band, indeed the story being created by the band began on their first album, it was only the second part of the story (confused, yeah me too). Regardless, Year of the Black Rainbow is apparently where the story begins and this review ends.
FINAL GRADE: B
Brasstronaut - Mt. Chimaera
This Vancouver rock-jazz-pop fusion finally releases their debut in 2010. Since forming in 2007, Brasstronaut have been hitting the festival circuit in North America hard and have gained a massive following along the way. Mt. Chimaera, displays the band’s style and sound vividly but still makes it feel as if it is better seeing them live.
FINAL GRADE: C+
Audio Bully’s – Higher than the Eiffel
This British DJ duo had my attention from the get go in 2005, yet it has been rather quiet on the Audio Bully’s front for quite sometime, glad that has all changed. Higher than the Eiffel, the band’s third record, finds the electro hooligans in their usual suits, however there is nothing very thrilling about what is coming from these lads, possibly due to the major electronic movement in music now with acts like Justice, Miike Snow, Major Lazer, MSTRKRFT and others, Audio Bully’s are now lost in the iPod shuffle of things.
FINAL GRADE: C
MGMT – Congratulations
What. The. Fuck?!
FINAL GRADE: C-
When this band arrived, no one herd anything like them before. It was emo-prog with a guy that sounded like Getty Lee from Rush but looked like Benicio Del Toro in The Wolfman. After their first two albums, The Second Stage Turbine Blade & the brilliant In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth 3, I felt like the band lost a bit. It was disclosed that the idea behind the band’s music was comic book story line and ever since, the band has been making records to fit the story and shred along the way. Don’t get me wrong, these guys can rock, but it was not as interesting as it once was…until now. Year of the Black Rainbow is a nice return to form and a prequel for the band, indeed the story being created by the band began on their first album, it was only the second part of the story (confused, yeah me too). Regardless, Year of the Black Rainbow is apparently where the story begins and this review ends.
FINAL GRADE: B
Brasstronaut - Mt. Chimaera
This Vancouver rock-jazz-pop fusion finally releases their debut in 2010. Since forming in 2007, Brasstronaut have been hitting the festival circuit in North America hard and have gained a massive following along the way. Mt. Chimaera, displays the band’s style and sound vividly but still makes it feel as if it is better seeing them live.
FINAL GRADE: C+
Audio Bully’s – Higher than the EiffelThis British DJ duo had my attention from the get go in 2005, yet it has been rather quiet on the Audio Bully’s front for quite sometime, glad that has all changed. Higher than the Eiffel, the band’s third record, finds the electro hooligans in their usual suits, however there is nothing very thrilling about what is coming from these lads, possibly due to the major electronic movement in music now with acts like Justice, Miike Snow, Major Lazer, MSTRKRFT and others, Audio Bully’s are now lost in the iPod shuffle of things.
FINAL GRADE: C
MGMT – CongratulationsWhat. The. Fuck?!
FINAL GRADE: C-
