SOURFLYv3.Ktor Final (Independent / CD-R, sourfly@hotmail.com)
Shawn Hadley aka Sourfly is well known in Toronto's underground party world. Sourfly's complex and expressive music proved that you didn't need the fanciest equipment to make good music, just some inspiration and little energy and a ton of time to dedicate to the craft. His newest album continues his explorations of drum and bass. All the songs were created by Hadley, and then mixed into one another so that the album sounds like a continuous DJ mix. While most d&b artists are either reproducing the latest formulas and sounds or getting so abstract that their music is considered more experimental than danceable, Sourfly finds a balance between the two worlds, creating digital jungle music that flirts with the computer realm. Dirty breaks from dusty old records are sliced and diced into impossible combinations, sitting atop resonant digi bass with the shiny sparks of electro chimes. This is a really fun and enjoyable listen. '“ MARINKO JAREB
File Next To: Toronto Drum and Bass. You heard us.

VARIOUS
Art of Disco (Yellow Productions www.yellowproductions.fr)
Disco was and still is a misunderstood art form. While most people have a very narrow view of the genre based on a handful of records that remain overplayed to this day, the sound is as multifaceted as any style of music. When one digs deeper into the genre, all the overlooked underground gems are unearthed and it becomes evident that some of the world's best session musicians can be heard improvising freely over chunky jazz grooves coupled with powerful and soulful voices singing beautiful songs. Disco actually never went away, it just kept giving birth to more and more types of music. So when house, techno and electro artists look into the past and discover disco, it is usually with respect and reverence (and maybe a touch of parody) that they look to interpret the sound. Yellow Productions out of Paris, France are a DJ-oriented boutique label behind projects like the stunning Africanism records. Yellow Productions is the type of label that you can trust to release stunning dance music and Art of Disco is a top notch look at a sound that remains relevant a quarter century after the fact. Art of Disco is a collection of the cream of the crop of contemporary musicians influenced by the night life of the late '70s. Vocal diva Carolyn Harding's 'œStrength'? mixed by Freeform 5, kicks the album off in style, with a dozen session musicians from The London Telefilmonic Orchestra adding layers and layers of luscious strings to the mix just like back in the golden days. Shortly thereafter, the sound takes a digital dive as funky Finns, Putsch '79, reinterpret Martino's 'œ4am in the Morning'? with their molten plastic synthesizers. It is hard to believe that Alexander Robotnick's 'œDance Boy Dance'? was originally released in the early '80s because it still sounds just as futuristic in 2005 as it did way back when. Bob Sinclar's 'œWho Needs Sleep Tonight'? dips deeper into Italo-disco territory while Vince's 'œSuperworld'? is bizarre yet catchy Europop. There are a couple of acid house inspired numbers, N&W's 'œAnalogue Acid'? and 'œRandomizer'? although my favourite songs on this compilation are Bob Sinclar's breezy and cinematic synth cut, 'œJeuness Doree,'? as well as Blackjoy's hysterical 'œMoustache'?. The Tiefschwarz remix of DJTAL's 'œDigital World'? is pretty dope as well. Art of Disco is exactly what it claims to be. '“ MARINKO JAREB
File Next To: Electrodisco, Glamour and Style.

AIDAN BAKER
Songs of Flowers & Skin (Zunior, www.zunior.com)
This dude's been payin' his guitar drone dues all over this city for frikkin' years now, and his stellar productivity just keeps growing and growing. Besides spending his time recording and releasing a steady string of self-released seven-inches and albums, he's also part of experimental collective ARC, ambient/doom metal duo Nadja and space-rock improv trio Mnemosyne. I first heard his thang a few years back on the guitar-textured space-ambient album Letters, which is pure Fripp & Eno No Pussyfooting goodness wrapped in blood-soaked emotion (and cover art in letters penned by Jack the fucking Ripper!) Since then he's released roughly 5000 albums exploring like every sound you've ever heard in your life, even this one of spacey, shoegazery pop noir, which is pretty nice if you ask me. And I guess you are, since you're reading this, so I'll tell you a bit about it: the songs drift into each other in that late-period Slowdive kinda way '” too experimental to become straight-up pop, but too beautiful and structured to be considered too experimental. Flowers & Skin has lots of loops, warm textures, soothing vocals, and thankfully there's not a scent of cheese to be found. Chances are Mr. Baker's not gonna start hammering out these poppy albums by the dozen, so grab this while you can and ease that shoegazer fanatic floating deep down within the oceans of your soul. '“ KEVIN HAINEY
File next to: Slowdive's Pygmalion, Mazzy Star, tissues with dried tears.

REAL LIVE TIGERS
Sadness is a Gentleman (Independent, www.reallivetigers.com)
It always makes my heart pump overtime to see someone chasing dreams, doing things just for the sake of doing them, y'know, for the love of it. The best art either holds a mirror up to the outside world as they see it, in a non-judgmental way (like the best objective art) or straight up opposite, with the mirror directed straight at their heart and soul (like subjective beauty). Real Live Tigers, which is primarily constituted of indie acoustic strummer and singer Tony Presley (no relation to that Elvis pig), fall into the latter category, more subjective than objective, concerned with feeling more than defining. Their music is slightly dark and disturbed, spiced with occasional drums, bass, cello, banjo and other such rustic implements of expression. This is an obviously self-released affair'”I first thought it was a mix CD, with its magazine-cut-out cover, until I popped the case open and saw the little track listing print-out inside. It's a numbered CD-R, but since CD-Rs are the future of indie music, that's okay with me. So, the songs '”'œTalk about the songs'? '” they're sparse, serious, heart-felt, intimate'¦ Sometimes when the music stops and Tony keeps singing it can get kinda uncomfortable in that intense way you gotta admire, and sometimes the music lets loose and goes off rocking and reeling, like on 'œWeight in Nails.'? There's definitely a slight Steve Malkmus feel to Presley's voice and songs, but it's not overbearing or forced. And, hey, they cover Cat Power's 'œColors and the Kids'?. So what's stopping you from checking this Austin, Texas group out when they get all the way up to Toronto on September 3? I know, it's tough to wanna go out sometimes, but if this is the kinda thing you go for, I think you should just get out there and go for it. '“ KEVIN HAINEY
File next to: Pavement's 'œRange Life'? unplugged even more, indie folk without all the psych.

SPARROW
The Early Years (Absolutely Kosher; www.inflightmusic.com)
Last year I was one of the many who went completely bonkers over A.C. Newman's The Slow Wonder. I haven't gotten around to checking out Zumpano, Newman's old band, but I'm sure it's pretty alright. After they split and Newman went on to New Pornographers success, Jason Zumpano formed Sparrow. I haven't heard their first album, but critics (those heartless bastards!) constantly refer to it as being 'œflat'? and 'œboring.'? The Early Years, actually Sparrow's proper second album, is far from that. Bouncy, poppy, flourishing with inspiration, Zumpano must have fallen for The Slow Wonder as hard as I did, thought of course this doesn't sound much like A.C.'s bag '” it's less rock and more sparse pop. Not really ass-blowing stuff, but an energetic pile of pretty nice tunes that some indie purist type people will definitely go ape over. More power to them! '“ KEVIN HAINEY
File next to: That album that isn't A.C. Newman's The Slow Wonder, because this guy's probably sick of being compared to his old band mate, Sloan's One Chord to Another.

SUMMER OF '05 AS OF TUESDAY JUNE 28It's Way Too Fucking Hot I Can't Take It
Well, it seems as though the sun has become everyone's new best friend! But for me, it's the enemy. I mean, its one of those 'œfriends'? that is always around, and you have to be nice too, or it'/they will 'œburn'? you. I honestly dread the smell of fresh pools, the sound of air conditioners, and the feeling of heat! If I could have it my way, it would be fall all year, and maybe a little snow for fun. And how could anyone disagree? Exhibit A: 'œHey Jas, let's go for a stroll?'? 'œNo thanks, it's too hot!'? This is the response one should expect from me in this weather; if I do go out, I must get my accompaniment to sign a contract insuring that they will allow me to have a minimum of five-minute intervals in stores with air conditioning. Otherwise there could be a fainting spell come over me. And never try and play a fast one on me, and take me to some place with 'œfans,'? because you know what the stands for: FAKE AIR'S NEVER SATISFYING! Don't get me wrong, a little warm weather is okay, but it's the mere fact that my body simply hates the heat that makes it worse. Blame it on the body, not the brain! This shall be my new motto in life, or shall I say in weather, because if I could handle the heat, I'd handle it. But I can't, so if you're ever looking for me, look for the coolest home, car, or store, because that's where you'll find me. '“ JASMYN BURKE
File Next to: An air conditioner