The Fine Arts Showcase
Dolophine Smile
By Michael Edwards

Just when you think that all the worthy bands from Sweden have already been presented to North America, along come the Fine Arts Showcase. They've been at it for a few years now and have three albums under their belts, including one where they reinvented songs by fellow Swedes, the Rough Bunnies. Dolophine Smile, for better or for worse, is a more polished affair with an air of melancholy that permeates every song, not surprising, considering this is a breakup record. That doesn't mean that the band's love of pop songs has been completely shelved, but there is a lot less jangle and a slightly harder edge and more angst, although it does make for better lyrics, as this kind of thing inevitably does. Just like the relationship that it documents, Dolophine Smile starts off strongly with the driving "Friday on My Knees" and the Byrds influenced "The Teenage Order," but it begins to run out of steam during the middle stages. Things do improve again as things hurtle towards the predictable conclusion, and perhaps that was the plan all along – end on an optimistic, yet knowing note. (Adrian Recordings)
Dinosaur Jr. / Pink Mountaintops
Young Galaxy / Politique / Blazer
The Fiery Furnaces / Cryptacize
Jonas Reinhardt / Sinoia Caves / Valet
Muse - The Resistance
Ricca Razor Sharp - Causeways & C-Trains
Muneshine - Status Symbol
Magnolius - Mary Musht
Port-Royal - Dying In Time
John Abercrombie - Wait Till You See Her
Mark Knopfler - Get Lucky
Mountain Goats - The Life of the World to Come
James Kasper - Small Town Gods and Devils
KZA - Dig and Edit
Boys Noize - Power
Moonbootica - ...Save The Night!
Nirvana 2002 - Recordings 89-91
Orchestre Poly-Rythmo - Echos Hypnotiques Vol. 2
Katatonia - Night is the New Day
The Most Serene Republic / Meligrove Band / Single Mothers
Metric
Florence and the Machine
Blues Control / Solars / Gross Xmas
Monsters of Folk
Gwar / Job for a Cowboy / The Red Chord
Black Mountain / Bison / Sorcerers / Rabies AB
Jamie T - Kings & Queens
Modernboys Moderngirls - I Might As Well Break It
Language-Arts - Where Were You in the Wild?
Honest I’s - Anatomy of Lightbulbs
Dragonette - Fixin to Thrill
Gramps Morgan - 2 Sides Of My Heart — Vol. 1
Yasmin Levy - Mano Suave
Tyondai Braxton - Central Market
Javelina - Beasts Among Sheep
Fight Amp - Manners And Praise
Threat Signal - Vigilance
Portal - Swarth
Nile - Those Whom the Gods Detest
Hypocrisy - A Taste of Extreme Divinity
Simon Whetham - Quiet Please
On - Your Naked Ghost Comes Back at Night
Not the Wind Not the Flag - Tintinabulum
Geordie Haley - Sculptures
Jean Derome et les Dangereux Zhoms + 7 - Plates-Formes et Traquenards
David Crowell Ensemble - Spectrum
Broadcast / Atlas Sound
Various - Northern Aggression — Project Boneyard Volume 2
The Action - Complete Punk Recordings 1977-1978
Strung Out - Agents of the Underground
Polar Bear Club - Chasing Hamburg
Nirvana - Bleach: Deluxe Edition
Vagina Panther - Vagina Panther
Katie Mullins - Pastoral
Capybara - Try Brother
Gov't Mule
Teenage Bottlerocket / Cobra Skulls
Halifax Pop Explosion Featuring Cadence Weapon, Think About Life, the Pack A.D., the Got to Get Got
Metallica / Lamb of God / Volbeat
Dead Man’s Bones
Fuckpony - Let the Love Flow
Will Saul / Various - Balance 15
Various - Kitsune Maison #8
Various - The Village: A Celebration Of The Music Of Greenwich Village
Hallelujah The Hills - Colonial Drones
Black Heart Procession - Six
Various - M — Pop Muzik / 30th Anniversary Remixes
Tiesto - Kaleidoscope
Bad News Brown - Born 2 Sin
Toca Loca - P*P
Barry Guy / Irene Schweizer / London Jazz Composers Orchestra - Radio Rondo
Warcall - Demonarchy
Canopy - Will and Perception
Brandi Disterheft - Second Side
Staff Benda Bilili - Très Très Fort
Grown -Ups - Grown -Ups
Wild Beasts - Two Dancers
The Big Pink - A Brief History of Love
El Perro del Mar - Love Is Not Pop
Doom - Unexpected Guests
Doug Cox and Salil Bhatt - Slide To Freedom II
Orange - Phoenix
CoCoComa - Things Are Not All Right
Maximum Penalty - Life & Times
Video Dead - Damn Disco
Devil Eyes - Devil Eyes
U.D.O. - Dominator
Expulsion - Wasteworld
Eco-Shock - Get Shocked!
A Storm of Light - Forgive Us Our Trespasses
Pelican - What We All Come To Need
Barn Burner - Bangers
The Spits - IV
Various - Shredded Wheat Vol. One
Whiskey Trench - Television
Q-Tip - Kamaal the Abstract
Ghostface Killah - Ghostdini: The Wizard of Poetry in Emerald City
Swollen Members - Armed To The Teeth
Sunny Day Real Estate - LP2
Subarachnoid Space - Eight Bells
Before the release of 2009's Veckatimest, Grizzly Bear stood at a career watershed of sorts. Critical darlings without much mainstream success, they could very well have continued in the direction set with 2007's Friend EP and become perennial indie overachievers, in the vein of the Li... Full Review
It's unfortunate the words "maturity" and "growth" are stigmas in the world of punk rock. They would be the perfect descriptors for Toronto, ON-based Hostage Life's tertiary release. Maintaining the adage that a band never realize their true potential until their third album, the quintet prove thems... Full Review
In an interesting twist of Hollywood fate, Chris and Paul Weitz have entered the final stretch of 2009 each in control of a major vampire franchise built from the pages of popular young adult fiction.

From one half of the brotherly team who brought us American Pie and About ... Full Review
Viewing the August 2009 Issue: Contents PageNewsClick Hear • Articles --> On the Cover  •  Front Five  •  Points  •  Questionnaire  •  Release Dates  •  Timeline  •  Videogames  •  Conversations • Music Reviews --> Recently Reviewed  •  Aggressive Tendencies  •  Beats & Rhymes  •  Destination Out  •  Frequencies  •  Groove  •  No Future  •  Pop Rocks  •  Wood, Wires & Whiskey  •  Concert Reviews • Motion Reviews --> Recently Reviewed  •  Dvd Reviews  •  Film Reviews  •  Music DVD Reviews  •  Videogame Reviews • Music School --> Need to Know  •  Where I play Contests • Contact --> About Us  • Advertising  • Distribution  • Getting Reviewed  • Getting Published  • Letters To The Editor  • Partnerships  • Subscriptions • Exclaim! Radio --> Aggressive Tendencies Radio  • Beats & Rhymes Radio  • Destination Out Radio  • Frequencies Radio  • Groove Radio  • No Future Radio  • Pop Rocks Radio  • Wood, Wires & Whiskey Radio Exclaim! TV • Home & Latest Issue Browse Issues