Air 10,000 HZ Legend (Virgin)
The reigning masters of lush pop hedonism go all concept and end up sounding like refried union of Queen and the Alan Parsons Project. -Chris Wodskou
Manu Chao Proxima Estacion: Esperanza (Virgin)
Failed to meet even modest hopes. Retains the same busy methodology with sound collage and liberal quotations from the first record, but it just doesn't hang together like the brilliant Clandestino. -Helen Spitzer
The closing of Toronto club the El Mocambo -Rob Ferraz
Leonard Cohen Ten New Songs (Sony)
Get back up that mountain, Lenny! Even his collaborator admitted that he specifically requested that she remove any interesting musical bits. -Michael Barclay
Bobby Conn at Bumper's in Ottawa
Soundman was being a dink and a general feeling of misery encompassed the room. Not the sparkly, tight show we saw at Lee's Palace in Toronto three years ago. -Jon Bartlett
The death of Poetic
Poetic (aka Grym Reaper of Gravediggaz), along with Frukwan, was the last remaining member faithful to the Gravediggaz after Prince Paul and RZA hightailed it to their own individual projects. As the release date for the now-duo's third album approached, Poetic succumbed to cancer, leaving behind a number of touching verses dealing with his struggles. He will surely be missed. -Thomas Quinlan
Eighties Nostalgia
It's nice to know that the absolute worst era of recorded sound will be with us so long as video channels exist. -Jason Schneider
King Django Reason (Epitaph)
The record was decent but with the experience and musical flexibility he has, I was hoping for something amazing. -Dan Cohen
Kruder & Dorfmeister's DJ set at Kool Haus
Two words: it sucked. Three more: my heart broke. -Denise Benson
DJ Krush Zen (Sony)
After wetting our appetites with his most unique-sounding album, Kakusei, the Japanese hip-hop DJ comes rather weak and unimaginative. Had the potential to release one of the best albums of the year.
Mekka
It could have been a new generation's Lollapalooza but it ended up being, well, not a thing at all. So very sad. -Joshua Ostroff
Metalcore
What was a cutting edge combination of hardcore and thrash metal turned into a cheesy rehashed forced fashion show faster than you can say "fall to the floor screaming." -Greg Pratt
Pulp We Love Life (Island)
Even with the legendary Scott Walker at the helm, Pulp managed to blow it. I can hear all of the androgynous glam boys and girls crying in the streets. So sad. -Cam Lindsay
Spearhead Stay Human (Six Degrees)
The cringe-inducing radio narrative makes this almost unlistenable as an album, unless you omit the segments and burn another CD. A few worthy tracks would make a fine EP, but this is a long way from the radiant Home. Helen Spitzer
Strokes Is This It (RCA)
With a great live show and great singles, it's really too bad that this album is such a bore. Sure, there's a couple of somewhat catchy songs, but not only does this album not live up to the excessive hype (in fairness, no album could), it is completely uninspiring. Rob Bolton
Tricky Blowback (Hollywood)
Tricky's so-called "commercial" comeback lacked the over-the-top catchiness of "Mmmbop"-style pop music, instead he produced a cynically uninspired cash grab that offered street cred to the unworthy even while destroying his own in the process. Blowback, indeed. Joshua Ostroff
Trite Canadian aggressive music
Sum 41? Kittie? Pathetic. Where's Rush when you need them? Chris Gramlich
Wellwater Conspiracy The Scroll And Its Combinations (TVT)
The blinding brilliance of 1999's rock standard Brotherhood of Electric was obviously a fluke. Chris Ayers
Wilco's Label Troubles
The person at Reprise Records that made the decision to drop the band, saying this record was not commercial enough, is obviously a fucking idiot and/or has no musical taste. Probably both. Sean Palmerston
The reigning masters of lush pop hedonism go all concept and end up sounding like refried union of Queen and the Alan Parsons Project. -Chris Wodskou
Manu Chao Proxima Estacion: Esperanza (Virgin)
Failed to meet even modest hopes. Retains the same busy methodology with sound collage and liberal quotations from the first record, but it just doesn't hang together like the brilliant Clandestino. -Helen Spitzer
The closing of Toronto club the El Mocambo -Rob Ferraz
Leonard Cohen Ten New Songs (Sony)
Get back up that mountain, Lenny! Even his collaborator admitted that he specifically requested that she remove any interesting musical bits. -Michael Barclay
Bobby Conn at Bumper's in Ottawa
Soundman was being a dink and a general feeling of misery encompassed the room. Not the sparkly, tight show we saw at Lee's Palace in Toronto three years ago. -Jon Bartlett
The death of Poetic
Poetic (aka Grym Reaper of Gravediggaz), along with Frukwan, was the last remaining member faithful to the Gravediggaz after Prince Paul and RZA hightailed it to their own individual projects. As the release date for the now-duo's third album approached, Poetic succumbed to cancer, leaving behind a number of touching verses dealing with his struggles. He will surely be missed. -Thomas Quinlan
Eighties Nostalgia
It's nice to know that the absolute worst era of recorded sound will be with us so long as video channels exist. -Jason Schneider
King Django Reason (Epitaph)
The record was decent but with the experience and musical flexibility he has, I was hoping for something amazing. -Dan Cohen
Kruder & Dorfmeister's DJ set at Kool Haus
Two words: it sucked. Three more: my heart broke. -Denise Benson
DJ Krush Zen (Sony)
After wetting our appetites with his most unique-sounding album, Kakusei, the Japanese hip-hop DJ comes rather weak and unimaginative. Had the potential to release one of the best albums of the year.
Mekka
It could have been a new generation's Lollapalooza but it ended up being, well, not a thing at all. So very sad. -Joshua Ostroff
Metalcore
What was a cutting edge combination of hardcore and thrash metal turned into a cheesy rehashed forced fashion show faster than you can say "fall to the floor screaming." -Greg Pratt
Pulp We Love Life (Island)
Even with the legendary Scott Walker at the helm, Pulp managed to blow it. I can hear all of the androgynous glam boys and girls crying in the streets. So sad. -Cam Lindsay
Spearhead Stay Human (Six Degrees)
The cringe-inducing radio narrative makes this almost unlistenable as an album, unless you omit the segments and burn another CD. A few worthy tracks would make a fine EP, but this is a long way from the radiant Home. Helen Spitzer
Strokes Is This It (RCA)
With a great live show and great singles, it's really too bad that this album is such a bore. Sure, there's a couple of somewhat catchy songs, but not only does this album not live up to the excessive hype (in fairness, no album could), it is completely uninspiring. Rob Bolton
Tricky Blowback (Hollywood)
Tricky's so-called "commercial" comeback lacked the over-the-top catchiness of "Mmmbop"-style pop music, instead he produced a cynically uninspired cash grab that offered street cred to the unworthy even while destroying his own in the process. Blowback, indeed. Joshua Ostroff
Trite Canadian aggressive music
Sum 41? Kittie? Pathetic. Where's Rush when you need them? Chris Gramlich
Wellwater Conspiracy The Scroll And Its Combinations (TVT)
The blinding brilliance of 1999's rock standard Brotherhood of Electric was obviously a fluke. Chris Ayers
Wilco's Label Troubles
The person at Reprise Records that made the decision to drop the band, saying this record was not commercial enough, is obviously a fucking idiot and/or has no musical taste. Probably both. Sean Palmerston