Music Critics Poll - All across the country, Strokes is the word

Music Critics Poll - All across the country, Strokes is the word
by eye
in eye, 17 janvier 2002

Article

Billy Squier spoke too soon. For it was not 1981, but rather 2001, that Canada's rock critics did the stroke -- mostly in the direction of barely legal New York City pin-up punks the Strokes. How's this for a first year on the job: not only did the rookie rockers run away with the Best Album (Is This It) and Best Single ("Last Nite") of 2001 honours in our 11th annual Cross-Canada Music Critics Poll, they amassed the highest-ever total vote score (album plus single votes) in poll history, with a tally of 4,284. Not bad for a band no one had heard of this time last year.

The Strokes also figured prominently in another category, as 26 of our 77 participating critics named them the most overhyped band of 2001 -- and many of those votes came from critics who claim to actually like the band. But the Strokes aren't the only class-of-2001 upstarts to have a banner first year -- grassroots Guelph guerrilla soul crew the Constantines made almost as impressive a mark in the charts with a No. 4 Best Album placing for their self-titled Three Gut Records debut, and dark-horse drug-punks Black Rebel Motorcycle Club zoomed into the No. 7 slot with minimal buzz (and a whole lotta Mary Chain fuzz).

What else did we learn? As rock radio has turned into a sonic shithole of Stinkin' Park and Nickelcrap, critics found themselves wholeheartedly and unironically embracing singles that would've been considered hipster anathema 10 years ago, be it production-overloaded R&B (Destiny's "Bootylicious," Mary J.'s "Family Affair") or disco flashbacks (Bran Van's "Astounded," Daft Punk's "Digital Love").

And in other news: David Byrne deserves a big pat on the back for reissuing Shuggie Otis' psychedelic soul opus Inspiration Information on his Luaka Bop label; Basement Jaxx make cute primates (their monkey-mad clip for "Where's Your Head At" won Best Video); and, in case you had forgotten, Creed still stuck -- the well-oiled Christian rockers took home Worst Album honours for the third year straight. Well done, lads -- we knew you could do it.

BEST ALBUMS
1 THE STROKES Is This It (RCA/BMG) 2177 (25)
2 BJORK Vespertine (Warner) 1307 (16)
3 BOB DYLAN Love and Theft (Sony) 1080 (12)
4 THE CONSTANTINES (Three Gut/Outside) 1068 (13)
5 RADIOHEAD Amnesiac (Parlophone/EMI) 913 (11)
6 THE WHITE STRIPES White Blood Cells (Sympathy for the Record Industry) 794 (9)
7 BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB (Virgin) 782 (9)
8 SPIRITUALIZED Let It Come Down (BMG) 775 (9)
9 THE AVALANCHES Since I Left You (Sire/Warner) 758 (9)
10 SUPER FURRY ANIMALS Rings Around the World (Epic/Sony) 728 (8)
11 MERCURY REV All Is Dream (V2) 710 (8)
12 WEEZER (Geffen/UMG) 684 (8)
13 NEW ORDER Get Ready (Warner) 674 (8)
14 FUGAZI The Argument (Dischord) 605 (7)
15 TOOL Lateralus (Volcano/Zomba) 602 (7)
16 RUFUS WAINWRIGHT Poses (Dreamworks/UMG) 562 (7)
17 SPARKLEHORSE It's a Wonderful Life (EMI) 544 (7)
18 RICHIE HAWTIN DE9: Closer to the Edit (Novamute) 527 (6)
19 PETE YORN musicforthemorningafter (Colombia/Sony) 511 (6)
20 PERNICE BROTHERS The World Won't End (Ashmount) 508 (6)
21 APHEX TWIN Druqks (Sire/Warner) 506 (6)
22 (tie) GORILLAZ (EMI) 503 (6)
RYAN ADAMS Gold (Lost Highway/UMG) 503 (6)
24 PROPAGHANDI Today's Empires, Tomorrow's Ashes (G7 Welcoming Committee) 495 (6)
25 SLAYER God Hates Us All (Def American/UMG) 476 (5)
26 TWO MINUTE MIRACLES Volume II (TeenageUSA/Outside) 462 (5)
27 ROYAL CITY Alone at the Microphone (Three Gut/Outside) 459 (5)
28 BEN FOLDS Rockin' the Suburbs (Epic/Sony) 438 (5)
29 THE SADIES Tremendous Efforts (Bloodshot/Outside) 419 (5)
30 MOGWAI Rock Action (Matador) 413 (5)

BEST SINGLES
1 THE STROKES "Last Nite" (RCA/BMG) 1449 (16)
2 MISSY ELLIOTT "Get Ur Freak On" (Warner) 912 (10)
3 DESTINY'S CHILD "Bootylicious" (Sony) 903 (10)
4 MARY J. BLIGE "Family Affair" (UMG) 873 (10)
5 WEEZER "Island in the Sun" (Geffen/UMG) 831 (9)
6 THE STROKES "The Modern Age" (Rough Trade/Beggars Banquet) 562 (6)
7 BRAN VAN 3000 "Astounded" (Grand Royal/Virgin) 552 (6)
8 GORILLAZ "Clint Eastwood" (EMI) 523 (6)
9 JAY-Z "Izzo" (UMG) 495 (6)
10 FREELANCE HELLRAISER "A Stroke of Genie-Us" (Internet bootleg) 375 (4)
11 DAFT PUNK "One More Time" (Virgin) 368 (4)
12 EVE W/ GWEN STEFANI "Let Me Blow Ya Mind" (UMG) 360 (4)
13 INTERNATIONAL NOISE CONSPIRACY "Capitalism Stole My Virginity" (Epitaph) 350 (4)
14 BASEMENT JAXX "Where's Your Head At?" (Beggars Banquet) 346 (4)
15 SLOAN "If It Feels Good Do It" (Murderecords/BMG) 342 (4)

STROKIN' OFF

I was wary of the Strokes for a little while, but that all changed when I heard "Someday." I'm not about to make any bets regarding their long-term importance, and I'm not going to speculate about their affluent N.Y.C. upbringing, but I will flatly state that said song friggin' rules. So much so, in fact, that when they played it twice in one night at the Dance Cave, I almost danced. But then I remembered that I don't know how. ZACH FELDBERG

The Strokes are fine, but Is This It doesn't get my vote as best album of the year -- unless the year is 1978. VIT WAGNER

The ultimate beauty of the Strokes lies not in their scruffy old-school threads, that deliciously sublime swagger in their collective stride or the lock-up-your-daughters aura with which they carry themselves. Sure, they've made a near instant-classic debut record, but what you have to love about these N.Y.C. punks is how they managed to convince the notoriously merciless music-critic snob intelligentsia to ignore the ridiculous hype and instead embrace them with something much better than praise: respect. BRIAN PASCUAL

Impressions of the Strokes, opening for the Doves at the Opera House:
Song No. 1: Hey, this sounds like Television!
Song No.2: No wait, it's Jim Morrison fronting the Velvet Underground!
Song No. 3: OK, this one sounds like Iggy Pop...
Song No. 4: Ah yes, the Violent Femmes.
Song No. 5: Yawn... MIKE DOHERTY

I don't know why everyone is complaining about the hype for the Strokes -- at least they've done something worth talking about. So many truly horrible things were shoved down our throats this year --Sugar Jones, Linkin Park, crazy Mariah, evil Britney and her awful *NSync boyfriend, Nickelback, J-Lo and P. Diddy, for god sakes, not to mention eternal undead like the Cure, Smashing Pumpkins, Pink Floyd, Michael Jackson, Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney (the list goes on and on, all the way to hell) -- that the Strokes seem merely like a refreshing instance of a young band hitting all the right notes and the right references the first time out. Let's not slam them for that -- there's always the follow-up album to shoot down for not living up to the promise of the debut. MARY DICKIE

Sure, the Strokes recorded a fine debut album. Heck, I'll even call it great. But are these floppy-haired trust-fund brats from New York the saviours of rock music? No frigging way. The Strokes have better taste than most other young classic-rock revivalists, but they remain backward-looking historians. I found it pathetic to watch critics trip all over themselves to trumpet the band's genius. Let's face it: the hype about the Strokes damaged both the band and the legitimacy of North American pop-music criticism. BARTLEY KIVES

Stop whining about the Strokes and just enjoy them, already. KATE GUAY

2001: THUMBS UP

I could go see the Constantines play six nights a week and never get tired of them. There's a reason Toronto's sorta-incestuous critical community got so wound up over them. BEN RAYNER

Like Paul's Boutique, We're Only in It for the Money, Disco Tex and his Sex-O-Lettes, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back and Endtroducing, you can't separate the technique involved in the making of the Avalanches' Since I Left You from the cumulative effect of the thing: six Australian monkeys (for all we know) bouncing around from machine to machine and sample to sample (900 went one rumour), paying their respects to Kid Creole, The Love Boat and some forgotten '40s Western, none of which would matter if it didn't somehow cohere into one of the lightest, frothiest "electronica" records ever made, a time-and-space travelogue through a startling range of sights and emotions. SCOTT WOODS

Forget Stephen Malkmus and Scott "Spiral Stairs" Kannberg. The Two-Minute Miracles' Andy Magoffin made the best post-Pavement album of the year. VIT WAGNER

The White Stripes became the sweethearts of the indie world by making an even better album than their last. They were, by far, the coolest band this year. Two people from Detroit (who may or may not be siblings or ex-spouses) not only successfully introduced their own style of fashion, but also made the blues cool for people under 40 and put Detroit on the musical map for something other than Motown and techno. CAM LINDSAY

There's nothing on the White Stripes' White Blood Cells as stunning as the last album's "The Big Three Killed My Baby," but if you're counting killer albums, the score is now White Stripes 3, Strokes 1. Bring it on, pretty boys. MATTHEW MCKINNON

Destiny's Child is like crack: you know it's bad, but goddamn! You can't help yourself from taking another hit of that sweet, sweet pop rock. KATE GUAY

Hip-hop may have reached epic corporate bloat, but it still managed to pump out much of 2001's best pop, burying Britney and her brethren under a bass-heavy avalanche of hit singles, from Missy puttin' on the freak in a futuristic casbah and OutKast beggin' Ms. Jackson to forgive their nasty ways to Jay-Z redundantly demanding our damn hands up. But best of all was Mary J. Blige and the good Dr. Dre delivering a beat-down to nu-soul darlings Alicia Keys and India.Arie with "Family Affair" -- the year's most compulsively propulsive R&B crunk. No hateration. JOSHUA OSTROFF

Rush, Pink Floyd and King Crimson finally get to infiltrate radio station 102.1 the Edge with a freaky singer that wears hotpants, and who is obsessed with self-help books. Tool is close as you can get to Rod Serling being in a prog-rock band. ROMAN SOKOL

As the mainstream remained stagnant for the most part, the false alarm that At the Drive-In set off prior to breaking up leaves a crack in the door that is aching to be kicked in. Fugazi and Rival Schools put out great records that probably would've been huge in the wake of ATDI's post-hardcore popularity, which fizzled out just before the bomb went off. MATT WESLEY

Every year there's a record that guys can buy their girlfriends to be all sappy while still retaining an air of cool about them, not to mention hanging on to their music cred. This year it's Pete Yorn's musicforthemorningafter. We've all gotta wuss out every now and then. BRIAN PASCUAL

Nothing this year compared to, say, the instant perfection of last year's great poll-topper, Sigur Rós' Agaetis Byrjun. I had an easier time coming up with a list of best reissues -- the Neu! releases, Love's Forever Changes, Shuggie Otis' Inspiration Information, the Ultimate Yardbirds comp, George Harrison's All Things Must Pass, the Soft Boys' Underwater Moonlight, a handful of soul and reggae compilations -- and a tougher time narrowing it down. At 29, I feel like the nostalgic rock geezer I used to dislike. KIERAN GRANT

The Leonard Cohen album is 18 times funnier than the Bob Dylan album, but it's hard to beat Bob's new beard. Makes him look like a pimp. JASON ANDERSON

2001: THUMBS DOWN

Something really has to be done about all the fifth-generation-grunge bellowing that passes for mainstream rock these days. There are so many awful American rock bands -- and awful Canadian rock bands who sound like them -- fronted by sensitive jocks with tattoos and emotive baritones that you'd think the market would be approaching saturation, but no. Along comes a Nickelback or a Puddle of Mudd or Staind to out-Creed Creed, and the whole, bewildering phenomenon re-energizes itself for another six or seven excruciating months. Who the hell keeps buying this stuff? BEN RAYNER

What is with all this agro-rage rock? Why are the kids venting so vehemently? Is there too much starch in their shorts? Are their cellphones running out of batteries? JOHN SEKERKA

I've resolved not to pick on the easy targets this year. I won't be hurling cheap insults at Michael Jackson, Limp Bizkit, Nickelback, Creed, Three Doors Down, P. Diddy, Mariah Carey, Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys, Default, Marilyn Manson, Céline Dion, Our Lady Peace and J-Lo. Though this may seem like a dereliction of duty, I'm confident they'll do enough to get them made fun of without me helping them. But why do you people like Staind and Linkin Park? Are you all retarded? AARON BROPHY

At its best, music is about escapism; the creation of a beautiful new space around your ears; a palette for reflection, interaction and epiphany; the redrawing of new laws of physics. At its very worst, music is merely... there. Nickelback are so ordinary it hurts. MARK PYTLIK

It's frightening how Nickelback and Default sound like Creed, who sound like Pearl Jam, who sound like Cher on steroids. It's even more frightening that Britney Spears' "Slave 4 U" video "coincidentally" resembles Paula Abdul's "Cold Hearted Snake" video with overbuffed, scantily-clad, sweaty men groping her. And look where Paul Abdul is now.... It's strong and intelligent women like Tori Amos and Lauryn Hill who keep the seams of music together while Britney slowly stitch-rips the industry with her idiotic image. JENNY YUEN

How much more must we take of Britney's bare belly, ballooning breasts and bouncing butt? Where's the burka when we need it? MARY DICKIE

Unfortunately, one of the sadder moments of 2001 was a beloved childhood con making a total ass of himself in the most self-indulgent, ridiculous display of ego in decades. Mounting a tribute to yourself is bad enough. But witnessing Michael Jackson lip-synch through his hand and struggle his way through signature moves was painful. And by the time four R&B divas bleated "Feed the World" over a cloying montage designed to make MJ look like a cross between Jesus and Mother Teresa, it was clear, the King of Pop is dead. These days, the undisputed Queen, Madonna, is hanging on to the spotlight by her teeth. Could the demise of Princess Britney be far behind? SHELLEY WHITE

Writers for Rolling Stone and assorted women's magazines: stop defending Britney Spears' image. She is not "subversive." She is not the picture of a strong woman (despite what she sings). And she sure as hell ain't the next Madonna. The contrast between her naïveté in interviews and her lurid stage persona, though, suggests she could be schizophrenic. Now, that's a story worth pursuing. ANDRE MAYER

EMERGENCY 9/11

Pop stars reacted to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks the only way they knew how -- by joining hands to sing a healing song. That in itself doesn't help. It's the money. So many benefit concerts, so many tribute albums, so little time. There's controversy over the huge pile of money raised, and some of the tribute albums aren't selling so well. But the celebrity heart is in the right place. Only the most cynical troll would suggest they're trying to cash in on the tragedy. Several recording artists stepped up to say their existing music had acquired "new meaning" after the tragedy. Even Bon Jovi. How embarrassing. Patriotic twaddle that would've been laughed off before became popular, like Aaron Tippin's "Where the Stars and Stripes and the Eagle Fly" -- No. 4 with a bullet. Kapwing! On the other side, bands like System of a Down got ripped for anti-American lyrics on an otherwise great album. There's a new machine to rage against, apparently. MIKE ROSS

Although my heart strongly goes out to the unfortunate directly affected by the horrific incidents of Sept. 11, I still can't help but cringe when I catch sight of another contrived Tribute to America compilation. There's a reason why my Guinness stout rests upon that nary-used Farm Aid album from Christmas long past (no offence, Grandma). VINCENT ZIFFLE

Heartening as it was to see that even the combined resources of Michael Jackson and Sony Music couldn't buy the comeback they so desperately desired and, apparently, took for granted, the best spinoff from the dreadful, dated Invincible's failure was that it looks to have scuttled plans to release another Jacko-penned all-star benefit single, "What More Can I Give?" After suffering through Céline Dion's "God Bless America" and Fred Durst's "Rock Remix" of a spinning-in-his-grave Marvin Gaye's "What's Goin' On?" post-9/11, my appetite for charity anthems had taken its own life. BEN RAYNER

INDUSTRY STANDARDS

The music industry continues to blame the Internet among other things for reduced sales and dwindling market share. Look in the mirror -- the glut of substandard, overhyped material that follows a certain formula has killed rock music in North America. You'll be hard-pressed to name more than a dozen solid "rock" bands that met their sales forecast in 2001. The industry's short-sightedness and lack of quality output is the villain. Don't point your finger at my mouse. TIM HENDERSON

The voices most conspicuously silent in 2001 were those of the pro-Napsterites who previously defended their copyright theft (oh, sorry, "file-sharing") by claiming it would boost interest in music and so increase sales of recorded music. Yeah, right. Canadian sales for the year may be down over 15 per cent, largely because of cyber-piracy and the proliferation of CD burning. Record retail chains and labels (including hip independents like Grand Royal) are folding, artists are suffering. Clearly, praising people for stealing a product removes any incentive to purchase. KERRY DOOLE

2001?! More like 1981. While my faith in the shotgun marriage of bedroom obscurantist glitchdom with the ass-shaking nightclub proclivities of (J)/(P)iggy Nation grows ever fainter, I'm increasingly excited by the fervent desperate-measures-in-desperate-times zeitgeist that's forcing all mutant strains of the underground(s) to regroup, recombine, take names, forge new alliances and prepare to strike back with a vengeance. This is not just empty rock-crit hyperbole. CRAIG DUNSMUIR

It's kinda funny listening to the industry accountants bitching about how Napster and other file-sharing software will kill the industry as we know it. Like that's a bad thing. And didn't radio and home taping and used CDs already do that? I guess an overpriced, overhyped, crappy product had nothing to do with it. JOHN F. BUTLAND

Cause for optimism: The year's 10 best-selling albums included jazz (Diana Krall), R&B (Alicia Keys), Celtic (Enya), reggae (Shaggy) and rock (Nickelback). Cause for pessimism: most of it was execrable crud. JOHN SAKAMOTO

FUTURE FORECAST

I sincerely hope the "I can't believe it's not Pearl Jam!" trend goes away. My stomach ulcer will flare should I be forced to endure another Nickleback single in heavy rotation. Music listeners in Canada are far more intelligent than our music industry likes to believe. This year was a weak one, as they all are, making this type of poll like voting in a federal election: just pick the lesser of evils. NATALIA YANCHAK

A trend to steer clear from is glam. If you see a poster for a "glam" band, just replace the word glam with shit and move along. You'll save yourself a night of sheer hell. Thankfully, the ever-expanding grind/hardcore-kid scene has at least got a heads-up and is turning a blind eye to fashion while making some of the most heartfelt, interesting music to come along in a long time, but it's high time for real rock to open up and bleed again. JOHNSON CUMMINS

I'm probably the only person who dares to put Britney on my "Most Likely to Succeed in 2002" list. She's not going anywhere. Even if her movie ends up a big joke like Mariah's Glitter, Madonna's box-office flops didn't hold her back. Basically, this is my vote for the popular girl that everyone says they don't like. JENNIFER HOLLETT

It's a long-standing fact that Toronto audiences don't dance. When they do give up the moves, it's usually for a huge touring band. So, what gives with the non-stop booty-shaking at Hidden Cameras concerts? They play "gay folk church music" that makes the kids sing, dance and feel revitalized by the sheer gorgeousness of the music. How lucky we are to have them in our town. JOANNE HUFFA

In homage to the mighty Bruce Springsteen, the Constantines' next album will be called Guelph (instead of Nebraska -- get it?): a tale of getting blitzed on Sleeman's ales and hanging out by the Speed River lamenting the fact that your girlfriend dumped you and now swings the other way. ROMAN SOKOL

Last year's great white hype, Sigur Rós, gained notoriety for singing in a partially made-up language. With the success of The Lord of the Rings franchise, I expect a wave of bands performing entirely in High Dwarvish. Are you listening, Cradle of Filth? RUSTY GRAGG

2002, Year of the Peaches?: I've got a really cool stupid idea: get Peaches and Moldy Peaches together to record an X-rated rendition of the Stranglers' "Peaches," which could be renamed "(Who's Got the) Peaches(?)" for the occasion. TIM POWIS

The whole concept that we need a band to swoop in and "save" rock 'n' roll is overrated. Rock 'n' roll is doing fine. Stop trying to save it. Listen to Tina Turner. We don't need another hero. JONATHAN BUNCE

TOP 10 ARTISTS

Based on combined total of Best Album and Best Single votes
1 THE STROKES (4284)
2 WEEZER (1855)
3 BJORK (1395)
4 RADIOHEAD (1252)
5 BOB DYLAN (1177)
6 THE CONSTANTINES (1068)
7 GORILLAZ (1026)
8 DESTINY'S CHILD (993)
9 DAFT PUNK (977)
10 THE WHITE STRIPES (969)

BEST REISSUES
1 SHUGGIE OTIS Inspiraton Information (Luaka Bop/Virgin) (13)
2 NEU! Neu!, Neu! 2, Neu! 75 (Astralwerks/Virgin) (8)
3 MILES DAVIS Complete in a Silent Way Sessions Boxed Set (Columbia/Sony) (7)
4 (tie) GEORGE HARRISON All Things Must Pass (EMI) (6)
NUGGETS II: ORIGINAL ARTYFACTS FROM THE BRITISH EMPIRE AND BEYOND 1964-69 (Rhino/Warner) (6)

BEST VIDEO
1 BASEMENT JAXX "Where's Your Head At?" (8)
2 FATBOY SLIM "Weapon of Choice" (7)
3 (tie) RADIOHEAD "Knives Out" (3)
THE STROKES "Last Nite" (3)
4 (tie) GORILLAZ "Clint Eastwood" (2)
SLOAN "If It Feels Good Do It" (2)
SUM41 "Fat Lip/Pain for Pleasure" (2)

WORST ALBUM
1 CREED Weathered (10)
2 MICHAEL JACKSON Invincible (5)
3 PROJECT WYSE Misfits Strangers Liars Friends (4)
4 (tie) ENRIQUE IGLESIAS Escape (3)
MICK JAGGER Goddess in the
Doorway (3)
5 MARIAH CAREY Glitter (2)

WORST SINGLE
1 AFROMAN "I Got High" (5)
2 ENRIQUE IGLESIAS "Hero" (4)
3 (tie) MARIAH CAREY "Loverboy" (3)
BRITNEY SPEARS "Slave 4 U" (3)
4 "ANYTHING BY CREED" (2)

CAN'T BELIEVE THE HYPE!
1 THE STROKES (26)
2 NICKELBACK (8)
3 THE WHITE STRIPES (7)
4 BRITNEY SPEARS (6)
5 ALICIA KEYS (5)

MOST LIKELY TO SUCCEED IN 2002
1 THE CONSTANTINES (8)
2 (tie) THE DEARS (5)
STARSAILOR (5)
3 (tie) THE HIDDEN CAMERAS (4)
ROYAL CITY (4)
4 (tie) PETE YORN (3)
THE WHITE STRIPES (3)
5 (tie) ALICIA KEYS (2)
JIMMY EAT WORLD (2)
TWO-MINUTE MIRACLES (2)

HOW THE POLL WORKS

In Dec. 2001, eye sent ballots to music critics across Canada asking them to rate their favourite albums and singles of the year out of 100; the scores were totalled to determine ranking on the Top 30 Best Albums and Top 15 Best Singles lists (the number of votes each record received appears in parentheses). Winners in the other categories were determined by number of votes received.

THE CRITICS

Jason Anderson (Globe and Mail, Amazon.com), Michael Barclay (Exclaim, eye), Stuart Berman (eye), Don Breithaupt (freelance), Aaron Brophy (Chart), Jonathan Bunce (Wavelength, eye), John F. Butland, (Toast), Paul Cantin (Canoe.ca), Elizabeth Chorney-Booth (Chart), George Collins (Exclaim, Mote), Del Cowie (Exclaim), Johnson Cummins (Montreal Mirror, Nightlife), Phil Dellio (Rockcritics.com, Tiger Beat), Mary Dickie (eye), Noel Dix (Exclaim), Mike Doherty (eye), Kerry Doole (freelance), Philip Downey (Exclaim), Howard Druckman (umbrellamusic.com, SOCAN), Craig Dunsmuir (Wavelength, Exclaim), Amanda Factor (Chart, Access), Zach Feldberg (Ductape), Russell Gragg (Earshot), Kieran Grant (Toronto Sun), Stuart Green (Exclaim), Kate Guay (Chart), Kevin Hainey (eye), James Hayashi-Tennant (View, Chart), Tim Henderson (Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles), Jennifer Hollett (The Chatroom), Joanna Huffa (eye, Calgary Straight), Nicholas Jennings (Macleans), Mitch Joel (Hour, Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles), Michael Johnston (Exclaim), Jordan Kawchuk (MuchMoreMusic), Darrin Keene (Chart), I. Khider (Exclaim, Feedback Monitor), Bartley Kives (Winnipeg Free Press, CBC Radio), Nick Krewen (Kitchener-Waterloo Record, Country Music), Liisa Ladouceur (eye, CBC Radio), Cam Lindsay (Exclaim, Utter Music), Andre Mayer (eye, Shift), Craig McGinnis (freelance), Aubrey McInnis (FFWD, Exclaim), Matthew McKinnon (Shift), Matt Mernagh (Sonic Monk), Rehan Mirza (URB, View), Chuck Molgat (Exclaim, Uptown), Jeff Nedza (Canadian Music Network), Joshua Ostroff (eye, Exclaim, Globe and Mail), Sean Palmerston (Exclaim, View), Brian Pascual (Chart), Sean Plummer (Access), Tim Powis (eye, Bravo!), Greg Pratt (Exclaim, Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles), Mark Pytlik (HMV.com, Allmusic.com, NME.com), Ben Rayner (The Toronto Star), James Reaney (London Free Press), Bill Reynolds (eye), Chris Rolfe (eye), Mike Ross (Edmonton Sun), John Sakamoto (Canoe.ca), John Sekerka (Ottawa X-Press), Vikas Sharma (The Spill), Roman Sokal (Exclaim, Tape Op), Robert Veri (The Chatroom), Vit Wagner (The Toronto Star), Ryan Watson (eye), Bill Welychkya (MuchMoreMusic), Matt Wesley (eye, 102.1 the Edge, Snowboard Canada), Michael White (Calgary Straight), Shelley White (Shift), Lisa Wilton (Calgary Sun), Scott Woods (DJ Times, eye, Village Voice), Natalia Yanchak (Vice, Chart), Jenny Yuen (Chart), Vincent Ziffle (Chart, XLR8R).

(Article original)

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