Rebekah Higgs -- Sha La La

  A dream pop drenched EP with a moody doo wop backdrop ... Julee Cruise's Twin Peaks sadness mixed with M. Ward's indie sweetness!

The Beach Boys -- 20/20

   In a complete state of melancholy, a kind of loneliness laced with a sence of belonging, I was wracking my brain for a suitable sound for my mellow misery ... the Beach Boys's album 20/20, a mostly soft and minimal record, complimented exactly how I was feeling ... man, Brian Wilson knows exactly how to touch our most basic emotions.

Frank Zappa -- Hot Rats

  Man I can't say I'm too crazy about Zappa's Jazz driven hippie elevator Muzak, but I do get how it is extremely technical and requires a large amount of focused talent ... All in all the bluesy Beefheart led super hit, Willy The Pimp, was best thing to write home about!!

Chad Vangaalen -- Shrink Dust

  This is one fine little release, but my only real concern is that every track sounds like someone else, you've got from Iron and Wine to Radiohead to Brian Jonestown Massacre to M. Ward, which is fine and all, but next time he may not want to piggie back on all his favorite bands, don't get me wrong the music itself is good, it's just the album has a feel of compilation record!

Poncho Records Compilation Vol. 1

  While dealing with an intruding state of anomie, being in a new place only knowing 'bout 2.5 people, I'm at least going out discovering the Halifax music scene, which is in fact solidifying my sense of making the right decision in moving here!!  I stumbled upon this compilation cassette two night release party while listening to the local college radio station CKDU.  What I heard was 60's, indie, shoegaze influenced bands playing a sorta lo fi psychedelia by a tightly intertwining knit collective, each band consisted of at least one or two members from other groups.  Anyway point is it's f*cking weird being the new guy in any city .... and if you have a chance to pick up this cassette -- DO IT!!!

Elton John

  A dark, lonely, gothic version of Beatles-esque type music.  Perfect for moments of alienation and general weirdness ... lets face the facts, if you're human, you've felt this way!

Black Flag -- Who's Got The 10 1/2?

  Living in a pity party, electricity-less apartment, armed only with my C battery powerered tape deck, so what better band to play but Black Flag, who else could make your frustrations feel perfectly understood with a blast of live Hardcore musical assault!!