Ak'Sent isn't just another female MC trying to cash in on hip-hop's fascination with pretty young things. Like Lady Sovereign, she's a teenager with an original style — a little dirty south roughness mixed with west coast toughness. On "Zingy," her fast flowing rhymes are nicely matched with Beenie Man's raspy reggae bravado. And although "My Life" takes its hook from Mary J. Blige's classic tune, the song is equally personal (it's about the death of her father) and shows a lot of depth. The only misstep on this disc is "Krunk," which is essentially the same song as Kris Kross' "Jump." But that track was released well before this youngster's time, so it's a forgivable oops. Cheryl Thompson
Is it just me, or is the next big rock 'n' roll comeback genre horrorbilly? Over the past few years, a legion of horror-obsessed, hard-partying garage weirdoes have emerged from the tomb to become club darlings, from Horrorpops to Elvis Hitler. The Creepshow are the latest bunch to join the fray. Although this revitalization of ghoulish rockabilly may be dubious — do we really need 100 watered-down versions of The Cramps? — this bunch of Toronto freaks hold their own on Sell Your Soul. Lead singer Hellcat has an impressive range and, more importantly, personality. You can almost hear her lip curl on "Shake." Meanwhile, the band's rollicking sound belies their moribund subject matter. They sound more like Mighty Mighty Bosstones than The Misfits in this regard. Despite all this ability, however, The Creepshow aren't particularly distinct, and if they want to be more than a very competent bar band, they'll need a little extra something special. Alison Lang
If your dad's babbling about IPOs or something, just throw on Tim Easton and watch his eyes glaze over in contentment. Ammunition is packed with calm, enjoyable baby boomer tunes ranging from acoustic country-tinged confessionals to cautionary blues numbers. The soothingly finger-picked "J.P.M.F.Y.F. (Jesus, Protect Me From Your Followers)" recalls a young Bob Dylan's liberal indignation, while the harp-driven "News Blackout" attempts to satisfy any folks missing Dylan's Empire Burlesque-era whine (get help, people). Easton even throws in a decent take on Big Joe Williams' Dylan-covered "Sitting On Top Of The World." But the singer's best when he's being himself, particularly on "Dear Old Song & Dance," an acoustic foot-stomper that references enough drugs to kill those Mötley Crüe douche bags once and for all. James Simons
The Flairs are a really hard band to dislike. On their second full-length album, the Vancouver foursome churn out 13 fun punk-lite tunes that would fit well into the CD players at any Hot Topic outlet. It doesn't hurt that they boast a secret weapon in their standout lead guitarist Gillian Hanna, who displays her chops with some truly ripping guitar solos. The big obstacle keeping The Flairs from being completely bitchin' is lead singer Dawn Mandarino. Her voice is decidedly cutesy and genteel and it doesn't match her band's slightly edgier instrumentals. Her attempts at tough-broad lines — like "We're out of control and ready to roll" and "You'll always be my enemy" — make you want to smile and tickle her under the chin for making the effort, but her whiny, tiny voice make the entire exercise fairly unconvincing. When you cover a Skid Row tune, it's best not to sound like a pissy eighth-grader. Alison Lang
With nary a drum snap, guitar lick or heavily-pomaded hair out of place, The Matadors prove that while psychobilly is hardly the most inventive of genres, it's still a helluva lot of fun. On Horrorbilly 9000, these London, Ontario bar circuit vets display a flair for re-electrifying old trends. There's little here that Reverend Horton Heat hasn't done already, but the results certainly swing hard. "Demon Riders," with its cock-strutting bass and Misfits-y back-up vocals sets the tone: lean, bouncy and crunchy in all the right places. But while the band's tunes are immediately enjoyable, they're also almost instantly forgettable — like an all-night drinking binge, you're still somehow thirsty at the end of it. Steve English
The White Stripes may be one of the world's most famous acts, but you know they have to run out of road at some point. Jack White's pre-empting the path to obscurity with the Brendan Benson/Greenhornes collaboration, The Raconteurs. The prime question the band answer is, "What does White sound like with a full band?" The answer, surprisingly, is great. Let's face it, Get Behind Me Satan was a sign that the Stripes' day is almost done. The next logical step for the band's eccentric frontman is to team with another songwriter and a rhythm section, and go wild. Broken Boy Soldiers is highly influenced by '70s rock, with "Hands" and "Store Bought Bones" doing the greats of that era proud. The real winner is Benson, who produces his best-ever work for the impending spotlight. Make no mistake, though: this is White's baby. And while he's obviously testing the waters, the results are assured and highly entertaining. Noah Love
Red Hot Chili Peppers albums are made for summer. Stadium Arcadium, their ninth studio effort, is a sprawling 28-track double-disc that's no exception to their sunny, albeit gritty, California funk-rock resume. The quartet have crafted an expansive, melodic album teeming with classic rock riffs, proving that they're one of those rare bands who keep getting better while remaining firmly planted in their roots. On the two discs, Jupiter and Mars, we get Flea's signature funky bass slaps ("She's Only 18") and Anthony Kiedis' steady Cali rhymes ("Hard To Concentrate"), yet it's John Frusciante who finally takes centre stage. His guitar wails and rawk riffs ("Ready Made," "Torture Me") cement his status as one of the world's best guitarists. Where BloodSugarSexMagik's energetic tracks suited summer revelry and By The Way sounded like your summer fling, Stadium Arcadium's bittersweet, sun-drenched ballads make it the soundtrack to the end of a hot day when the sun's going down and there's a delicious chill in the air. Jodi Goulart
THE SALADS The Big Picture (Maui Wowie/Kindling/Warner)
If you thought The Salads' ska-influenced frat rock was annoying, well, apparently so did they. You won't find another unbearably catchy song like "The Roth Kung Fu" here. In its stead are chunky, even more generic hard rock numbers that take more than a few cues from Sum 41's recent work. They also share a similar love for hair metal solos — there's a large amount of shredding going on — though it all seems tacky, and not in an ironic way. What's really ironic is that The Salads have gone for more maturity and ended up with a less appealing sound than they had before. It's hard to believe that you'll almost want them to go back to the way they were. Shehzaad Jiwani
Glasgow's Snow Patrol aren't the kind of group you listen to while piercing your eyelid or battling poisonous snakes. No, they're Ford Freestar rock stars, perfect for those tender me-moments between when you drop off the dry cleaning and pick the kids up at gymnastics. Tepid ballad "Chasing Cars" is basically a Celine Dion tune. You can practically envision Leonardo DiCaprio clutching a floating hunk of ice as Gary Lightbody emotes? It does, however, mesh flawlessly. Under the guidance of U2 producer Jacknife Lee, the group craft big beautiful anthems that sincerely detail tumultuous relationships over rocky guitars, chiming background vocals (provided by Martha Wainwright on the pretty "Set The Fire To The Third Bar") and epic string and choral arrangements. James Simons
There are some records that you know the sound of before you start listening to them, and then there are albums you have to hear to believe. Think About Life's self-titled debut falls into the latter category. Using mostly a distorted Casio synth and compelling vocal harmonies for instrumentation, this Montreal trio have concocted a truly awesome collection of tracks to fill the dancefloor. Keyboardist Graham Van Pelt and drummer Matt Shane's songs take more detours than a Toronto driver in construction season, giving singer Martin Cesar's intense vocal melodies vast and always original soundscapes to work with. "Money" is one of the catchiest tracks you'll hear this year, while "What The Future Might Be" is filled with heartbreaking melodies and Subtitle's expert raps. Think About Life are strong contenders for rookies of the year. Noah Love
