The Saint Alvia Cartel - The Saint Alvia Cartel

1. Karma Kill Me Again

2. Don't Wanna Wait Forever

3. Dirty Dent

4. Try To Forget

5. Time To Go

6. Business As Usual

7. Gimme Til The Morning

8. Blonde Krytonite

9. Unspoken Bond

10. Pacing

11. Carpel Dem Syndrome

12. Dead And Done

13. Stones On The Road

The Saint Alvia Cartel have released their debut album, which they have decided to self title. This album shows the band in a very Reggae Punk type of sound. This is something not a ton of band try but seems to work. They have a similar sound to that of bands like Rancid, Sublime and even Illscarlett, so if you like those bands, you could really like this album. These guys have done a really solid job here. 

When looking at the recording quality of this album, the album has been recorded to a fairly decent level. This album sounds great, and it has a crisp sound overall. These guys have done a great job getting a good sounding album. The instrumentation is pretty decent as well here. This band isn't going to wow you too much on this part, but they do a good job incorporating horns and piano into their punk sound. Overall, you can tell these guys know how to play, and most of them have been doing it for quite awhile.

Now onto the vocals and lyrics, the vocals on this album are pretty decent. The band has multiple members who sing, and they dynamic of the different styles of singing, make this pretty unique. All of the guy can sing, and they are quite clear, so you can hear everything they are saying. With the lyrics, the band goes for songs about relationships, making something of your life and not letting it just pass by, making thing happen for yourself, When things are falling around you, keep going, and more. These seem to be very positive things that people need to hear. It's nice to hear a band go this route. We feel people will latch on to these lyrics, and are easy to connect with.

If you are looking for a single to this album, both "Don't Wanna Wait Forever" and "Time To Go" are solid tracks, and we would recommend them to anyone. These songs will definitely give you an idea of what this band and album are about.

These guys have made an album that really shows off what the band is about, and what the band can do. This band isn't reinventing the punk wheel, but for Canada, they are making enough noise for this type of music to get a bit of attention. We think they have done a really good job here, and we hope you give this a chance. Listen to it for yourself to make up your mind about the album. They have since called it quits. (R.I.P.)

Genre: Punk/Reggae/Rock

Release Date: May 29th, 2007

Location: Burlington, Ontario

Label: Stomp Records

Rebel Emergency - Love Ain't Free

1. Intro

2. Love Ain't Free

3. Sunriser

4. Summer Gold

5. Searching For

6. Last Goodbye

7. Take Me

8. So Long

9. They Said

10. Under The Sun

11. Sheriff

12. Travel So Far

Rebel Emergency have released their second album titled "Love Ain't Free." This album has a mix of alternative rock and reggae. This was made prevalent on their debut album, and they have continued it here. A similar band would be illscarlett, but less rock and more reggae, so if you like the reggae side of them, you should like this album. They have done a decent job here. When looking at the instrumentation on this album, the band has done a pretty good job. The music sounds pretty simple and standard, but they can certainly play, and the sound isn't lacking, it just won't wow you like crazy. Now onto the vocals and the lyrics, the vocals on here are pretty solid. You can tell that the singer can certainly sing, and you can clearly hear every word, so you get the main messages of each song. This album just has good old regular singing on it. With the lyrics on love ain't free, the band sings songs about relationships, cheating, being used, not being able to break free from someone, and more. We feel that there are people who have also been in these kind of situations and can relate to the things the vocalist is singing about. Overall, everything isn't too complex, so the average music listener can get into these songs. If you are looking for a single to this album, give the song "Sunriser" your attention, as this is the best song on the album and gives you a good idea of how the rest of the album sounds. Rebel Emergency have made an album that expands on their catalog of songs and give more to pull from for a better live show. These guys seem to have done a pretty decent job on this album, and looks like they are doing the right things to reach a wider audience with this album. We like it. Listen to this album to decide for yourself what you think about it. They have since called it quits (R.I.P.)

Genre: Reggae/Rock/Ska

Release Date: March 4th, 2008

Location: Toronto, Ontario

Label: None

KO - Let's Blaze

1. Rehab [Intro]

2. Moving Mountains

3. Miss U

4. Drunk

5. Capable

6. Radio

7. Bourbon [Crack Song]

8. Rehab [Interlude]

9. Let's Blaze

10. This Life [Punches]

11. Kurt Kobain

12. Good Man, Bad Man

13. The Ballad Of Jimmy Roscoe

14. Represent

KO has released his first album titled "Let's Blaze" As a title, this may throw some people off from listening to it right off the bat, but you don't use this title if you really care. His music has a laid back sound that a reggae artist seems to incorporate in their music while also rapping. It has a bit of a jump from genres, like he isn't quite sure what he wants to do in his music and still trying to find his exact sound. He has a similar sound to that of Kazzer or Bedouin Soundclash or even older Walk Off The Earth. If you mixed those, you'd an idea of the sound. We think it's good, but not a star, hit sound. When looking at the recording quality of this album, the album has been recorded quite well, and sounds great. This album is crisp, clear, and you can hear everything, which makes it one of the bright spots of the album. The instrumentation here isn't anything that is really going to jump out at you, it's more just standard regular playing. He can certainly play, but in this type of music, the playing isn't a huge deal so it won't really affect the overall outcome. Now onto the vocals and lyrics. The vocals on this album are not bad, not holy jump out at you, but not bad. He can sing, and he can certainly do the hip hop thing, and you can hear him quite clearly, but the laid back vocal is what most people like here. With the lyrics, KO sings about drugs, smoking up and stories about bad times/broken homes. This is more geared toward the blue collar working city for sure, so that would be the target for this album. If you are looking for a single for this album, give the song "Capable" your attention. This is the best song on the album, but it doesn't quite give the album a total overall representation for the other songs, so we would suggest listening to another song as well to get the feel of the album. KO has made a debut album that has the smoking, being chill person in mind. This album certainly isn't for everyone, but it does catch a crowd. We feel that once a cohesive album comes out, we can't really say how KO will do. We can't wait to see whats next. Listen to this album to decide for yourself what you think about it. 

Genre: Reggae/Hip Hop/Acoustic

Release Date: February 9th, 2009

Location: Toronto, Ontario

Website: https://ko-nation.com/

Label: Castle Hill Records

Street Pharmacy - Free Delivery

1. Welcome 2 Tha Street Pharmacy

2. Sober State Of Fame

3. Crazy Gunner

4. Figure It Out

5. Winter Coat

6. It's Better That Way

7. Degenerate

8. Two Brothers

9. Hey Elizabeth

10. Broken Compass

11. Go It Alone

12. This Life

13. Empathy (Bonus Track)

14. Juxtapose (Bonus Track)

Street Pharmacy have released their second album titled "Free Delivery." This one follows the previous album in style and sound. They have that very reggae feel, but with a more updated style and a little rock added in. This album really has it going on. The band has a similar sound to that of Illscarlett or older Walk Off The Earth, so if you like either of those, you could possibly like this album. When looking at the recording quality of this album, the album has been recorded pretty well, although it could use just the smallest bit of updating, otherwise it has a solid sound. The instrumentation has it points here and there, but overall reggae has simple structures to the songs. Now the last two songs on this album are from the remastered version of the album in 2014, but the rest are from the original 2008 release. Now onto the vocals and lyrics, the vocals on the album are done pretty well. Although there is nothing really special about the vocalists voice, he can do some decent fast singing and his voice is clear. You can hear just what he is saying. With the lyrics, the band go for songs about self promotion, girls/relationships, the pressure of figuring out life and the story of being caught in a robbery. This are a little off the regular path, but they seem to still get it through to the listener. Sometimes you just need a good story to loose your mind in. If you are looking for a single to this album, give the song "Welcome 2 Tha Street Pharmacy" your attention as it is the best song on the album and really has a great groove to it. Street Pharmacy have made an album that really encapsulates their style and sound best. This is the album to listen to if you want to know Street Pharmacy. This is a very groovy album and the reggae will hit you quite well. Nice job overall. Listen to this album to decide for yourself what you think of it.

Genre: Reggae/Rock/Hip Hop

Release Date: March 12th, 2008

Location: Welland, Ontario
Website: http://www.streetpharmacymusic.com/

Label: None

Walk Off The Earth - Smooth Like Stone On A Beach

1. Little Sin
2. 100 Proof Life
3. Rock Me Away
4. Gotta Go
5. My Mistakes
6. Broke
7. Miss Jeppetto
8. Spiraling Son
9. Stolen
10. People Of The Sun
11. Smooth Like Stone On A Beach
12. W.O.T.E.

Walk Off The Earth have released their debut album titled "Smooth Like Stone On A Beach." This album is one that really shows the band as a reggae type of band without completely being reggae. The band has a similar sound to that of a illScarlett without being as rock and maybe a Westbound Train, so if you like those bands, you could like this album. They have done a pretty good job on this album. When looking at the recording quality of this album, the album has been done fairly well. The instrumentation on the album is pretty decent as they go all over the place with the instruments they play. Now onto the vocals and the lyrics. With the vocals, they have a very nice vocal range as both people singing can do it very nicely. They also have someone who sort of raps on parts of songs and it is done well also. Overall the vocals are pretty impressive and clear. Now with the lyrics, they are pretty sophisticated with nice clean, clear messages and things that people can relate to. They have done a great job on the lyrics. If you are looking for a single to this album, listen to the song "Smooth like Stone On A Beach" as this is the best song on the album and really gives you a feel for the album. Walk Off The Earth have done a pretty good job on their debut sort of welcome to album here. It has a different sort of feel then the other bands and really gives you that island feel. Hopefully with some progression and tweaking they can really lock it in. Listen to this album to decide for yourself what you think of it.

Genre: Reggae/Rock

Release Date: December 31st, 2007

Location: Burlington, Ontario
Website: http://www.walkofftheearth.com/

Label: SlapDash Records

Staylefish - Audible Addiction

1. The Spark
2. Rebel Rider
3. Green, Black & Gold
4. Back In The Day
5. Bullet
6. No Ulterior Motives
7. AA
8. Interlude
9. Deja Vu
10. The Weekend
11. Southside
12. Sensimilla
13. The Archive
14. Not Too Late

Staylefish have released their second album titled "Audible Addiction." This album follows in the footsteps of their debut album with a similar style and sound. These guys have quite the sound, I would say they are similat to a Bedouin Soundclash or a Westbound Train, so if you like those bands, you could like this album. When looking at the recording quality of this album, the album has been recorded pretty well here. The instrumentation is alright here too, the band can play. Now onto the vocals and lyrics, the vocals are pretty similar to their previous album, while they do have different styles with the reggae vocals then the regular vocals, it makes it not like every other band. Both of these singers can sing and you can understand them. With the lyrics, they go for more of that light, fun lyric that doesn't really mean much except for making you feel upbeat. If you are looking for a single to this album, there isn't one, so just pick a song and give it a listen to get the feel of the album. Staylefish have again made an album that mixed the reggae with the rock and it has a nice sound. Now all that is left is to get out there and bring it to people. Listen to this album to decide for yourself what you think of it. They have since called it quits (R.I.P.).

Genre: Reggae/Ska/Punk

Release Date: August 15th, 2006

Location: London, Ontario
Website: http://www.staylefish.com/

Label: None

Moglee - Recess!

1. Glow
2. The Penny Song
3. Stormy Weather
4. Pdacifist March
5. Rain Does
6. Pusher
7. Lay Down
8. Plan B
9. All Aboard
10. Street Violence And Lemonade
11. Date Book
12. The Opener

Moglee have released their second album titled "Recess!" This album is one that has quite the reggae feel to it. This album has a similar feel to one of a illScarlett or Magic!, so if you like those bands, you could like these guys. They have done an alright job on this album. When looking at the recording quality of this album, the album has been recorded alright, but it could use some work in the overall quality of the albums sound, as well, the bands instrumentation is nothing to spectacular, just on par with other reggae bands. Now onto the vocals and lyrics,the vocals are alright, they could use some work, but they are clear and you can hear the singer. With the lyrics, they also could use some work as they are very amateur in their subjects and they just don't have as much substance as they could in some songs. If you are looking for a single to this album, there isn't one, so just pick a song and give it a listen to get the idea of the albums feel. Moglee have done an alright job on their album here with spots they can improve and make better. This is a good start to what could be something though, so we are looking forward to what is next once they refine their sound. Listen to this album to decide for yourself what you think of it. They have since called it quits (R.I.P.)

Genre: Reggae/Ska/Rock

Release Date: 2008

Location: Waterloo, Ontario

Label: None

Street Pharmacy - Self-Prescribed Feelgood

1. Uphoria

2. Child's Play

3. Shallow Waters

4. New Binge

5. Liquid Confidence

6. I See Yellow Not Red

7. Class Act

8. Pull Out The Bat

9. Sweet Destiny

10. Joey Beans

11. In This Town

Street Pharmacy have released their debut album titled "Self-Prescribed Feelgood." This album is very much a reggae record, but through the eyes of how a white north american male sees it. Look for a sort of illscarlett feel to this band when you want a comparison. This album sounds pretty good. When looking at the recording quality of this album, the album has been recorded alright but you can hear a few little things that could be tweaked. Now onto the lyrics and the vocals, the lyrics for this album are quite good for what the band is trying to do and the vocals are pretty good as well. If you are looking for a single for this album, there isn't one, so just pick a song and give it a listen to get the feel of the album. It is nice to see a band that is doing something a little different and going into a style that isn't big at all around here, but they do a good job. We are hoping that Street pharmacy gets out there more and exposes people to their version of reggae. Listen to this album to decide for yourself what you think of it.

Genre: Reggae/Rock/Hip Hop

Release Date: November 22nd, 2006

Location: Welland, Ontario
Website: http://www.streetpharmacymusic.com/

Label: None

Rebel Emergency - Rebel Emergency

1.Wandered Far Away
2. Here I Am
3. Walk On By
4. Ghosts And Angels
5. All Mine
6. Honest
7. Juvenile

Rebel Emergency have put out an album that is pretty distinctly a reggae album. The bands debut self titled album shows a band that seems to have the North American style of reggae rock all figured out. If you want to say who do they sound like when listening to this band, just think of illscarlett, but a little less rocking and more reggae. When looking at the recording quality of this album, the album has been recorded pretty solidly for an album that is seven years old, of course it could use a little bit better upfront sound. This albums instrumentation sound pretty decent on this album as they really incorporate a lot of sounds on the album. Now looking at the lyrics and vocals, the lyrics are pretty solid and they really tell the story they are trying to give you. The vocals have a good clear sound here also and they just sound good. If you are looking for a single for this album, give the song "Walk On By' your attention as this song is the best one on the album and it really shows off what the album is about, although it does have a featured reggae artist on it so it's not quite like the rest of the album. Rebel Emergency have really done a good job on this album and show off what they are able to do on their debut album. Hope they continue doing this. Welcome to Rebel Emergency. Listen to this album to decide for yourself what you think of it.

Genre: Reggae/Rock/Ska

Release Date: March 4th, 2008

Location: Toronto, Ontario

Label: None

Brown Brigade - Into The Mouth Of Badd(d)ness

1. E2 The F (Homeboy)
2. Purebread
3. Blame The Wizards
4. Aggravation Plantation
5. Blues Warrior
6. Fear Of A Brown Planet
7. Hallowed Be Thy Name
8. Down With Brown
9. WD-So
10. In The Mouth Of Badd(d)ness
11. Make Way Fe De Tout! Dem
12. Last Writes (Thusfarvolume1)
13. Relaxation Plantation (Superhopperfreakwalizer)

Brown Brigade's debut album is an odd one to listen to, it has the feeling of a regular rock band but then the vocals are sung as he is trying to do it 80's metal style. Not sure here if it is the singing or the recording of the album, but something seems not to work here. Another thing is that some of these songs are just odd in itself. The recording of this album feel like it could of been a little better, but when you listen to the vocals, you get the feel that its more just the vocals were not recorded the best. Looking at the music, it seems to be alright and its better than the average band, so that helps it. If you are looking for a song to listen to, give the song "Aggravation Plantation" your attention as its the single for the album and probably the strongest one as well. We applaud Brownsound for going off and trying something different, but maybe when he stops trying to combine too many elements that just don't seem to meld, it will sound a lot better. Strip it down and just play. We looking forward to hearing whats next. They have since called it quits (R.I.P.)

Genre: Rock/Metal/Reggae

Release Date: August 14th, 2007

Location: Ajax, Ontario

Website: http://www.brown-brigade.com

Label: Aquarius Records

Staylefish - Utopian Theory

1. The Theory
2. Bobby Rocks The Ganja
3. Hold On
4. Fallen
5. Give It Up
6. Next Wave To Paradise
7. Tippin' Canoes
8. Crix N' Cheese
9.  Buena Vista
10. Stereo

Staylefish's debut "Utopian Theory" has a light island feel that also rocks. Reggae is not a style that many bands go for nowadays, but they seem to make it fun and an enjoyable listen compared to what reggae usually has, although reggae all seems to have the same basic feel. Now with the recording of the album, it has been done pretty decently but it could use a tweak here and there as some spots are a little too soft. The vocals could be recorded a little better as well and the guitars sound a little in the background too much. If you would like a song to listen to over the others there isn't really one, so just pick a song and listen to it. Staylefish have done a pretty good job on the whole reggae rock deal here and its nice to see a band doing something thats not popular but they still love. Give this album a listen and make sure you check out what the band is doing.
 

Genre: Reggae/Ska/Punk

Release Date: September 15th, 2003

Location: London, Ontario

Label: None