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The Monthly Reviews

Each month our members rotate picking the artists or theme to be reviewed, dissected and discussed. Join us!

Review of Gordon Lightfoot: Sundown

On this episode of The Sonic Collective, we dive into one of the most iconic albums in Canadian music history — Gordon Lightfoot’s Sundown (1974). Known for its title track, which became Lightfoot’s only U.S. #1 single, Sundown is an album that perfectly balances folk roots with a smooth country-rock polish. At the height of the 1970s singer-songwriter era, Lightfoot delivered deeply personal songs about love, jealousy, and restlessness, cementing his place as one of the greatest storytellers in music. Though we all had many different perspectives on this album, and several of us mentioned it probably wouldn't be a regular album that they would listen to, the quality of the songwriting, singing, playing and production was impressive to us all. It's a wonderful Canadian album that impressed the world, and you should definitely listen to what we had to say, then go listen for yourself.

Review of MGK: Tickets To My Downfall

August 20, 2025 / Owen Pearson

This month on The Sonic Collective, things got a little louder and a lot more divided. Our newest and youngest member, Owen Pearson, brought us Machine Gun Kelly’s 2020 album Tickets to My Downfall—a bold departure from the classic rock and older albums we often cover. Owen loved this album when it dropped, and he wanted to challenge the crew to revisit it and see if it holds up as a modern “classic. So plug in, crank it up, and join us as we debate whether MGK’s pop-punk pivot deserves a spot in the canon of influential albums—or if it’s destined to be more pop than punk.

Classic Compilation Albums Review: Big Shiny Tunes 4 – 1999

July 11, 2025 / Scott Gregory

🎧 The Sonic Collective podcast is back with a nostalgic deep dive into one of Canada's most iconic compilation albums — Big Shiny Tunes 4! For over 10 years, our crew of passionate music lovers — Darren Scott, Scott Coates, Alain DuPuis, and Scott Gregory — have reviewed classic albums to see if they still hold up today. In this episode, we proudly welcome our newest member, Owen Pearson, as we revisit the MuchMusic-curated soundtrack that defined 1999 for a generation of Canadian rock fans. Packed with sharp insights, fun facts, and our signature scoring, this episode will take you right back to your CD binder days. Tune in now on your favourite podcast platform — and see if Big Shiny Tunes 4 still rocks like it used to!

Classic Compilation Albums Review: Spawn, The Album (Movie Soundtrack)

June 13, 2025 / Alain Dupuis

This month, Alain Dupuis takes us back to 1997 with a deep dive into the Spawn movie soundtrack! Featuring iconic and original collaborations from Korn, The Prodigy, Moby, Marilyn Manson, and more, we explore the hits, the misses, and what makes this album so unique. Don’t miss our scores out of five and the reveal of next month’s pick by Scott Gregory!

Classic Compilation Albums Review: Hit Express, by K-Tel Records 1982

May 13, 2025 / Scott Coates

Without too much background, here is my pick for April 2025, keeping on with the compilation theme. It was released in 1982 by KTel. This is the first compilation that popped into my head when Darren mentioned this theme. I may have had others prior but I would have been 9-years-old and distinctly remember having this one and listening to it in PEI over and over. It seems there were different versions of this released - in the US, Canada and maybe others, but this is the Canadian version. I played the shit out of this as a kid.

Classic Compilation Albums Review: Full Tilt, by K-Tel Records 1981

April 10, 2025 / Darren Scott

In this engaging episode of The Sonic Collective, hosts Alain DuPuis, Scott Coates, Darren Scott, and Scott Gregory delve into the nostalgic world of compilation albums, focusing on K-Tel Records' iconic 1981 release, "Full Tilt." They explore the history of K-Tel, founded in Winnipeg, Canada, by Philip Kives, who revolutionized music marketing with diverse hit compilations. The discussion highlights standout tracks like Diana Ross's "Upside Down" and Kenny Loggins's "I'm Alright," while reflecting on Canada's unique content laws that shaped the nation's music scene. The episode offers a heartfelt journey through the eclectic mix of genres that defined an era, emphasizing the enduring charm and time-capsule nature of compilation albums.

Review of Skid Row: Slave to the Grind

March 14, 2025 / Scott Gregory

Skid Row entered the scene at a cross roads of rock and grunge. They went through a journey on this album from a more polished glam metal sound to something harder. Did it work? The guys get together and give their takes on what they thought of the album and the musical happenings of the time that might have influenced it's fate. Stay tuned at the end when Darren reveals his pick for next month where we explore a new theme for a round.

Review – Best of the Beach Boys, Vol. 2

February 5, 2025 / Alain Dupuis

We spent January 2025 listening to and pondering over the 1967 compilation album, Best of the Beach Boys, Vol. 2. As we listened, we found ourselves dreaming about what it must have been like to spend carefree summer days in the 1960s, catching waves along the coasts of California with the surf-rock stylings and delicious harmonies of the Beach Boys. Tune in to catch our review, and stay till the end to hear what album we'll be reviewing next.

Review of Joan Jett: Bad Reputation

January 7, 2025 / Scott Coates

In December 2024, we revisited Joan Jett’s debut solo album, Bad Reputation (1980), a milestone in rock history. Jett’s bold voice and pioneering role as a female rocker broke barriers in a male-dominated genre. While the album boasts standout tracks like the title song, its mix of hard rock and 50s-style pop felt uneven, with only four original songs. Despite this, Jett’s talent and energy shine through, making it a must-listen for understanding her impact on rock. Though not a cohesive masterpiece, Bad Reputation offers a glimpse into Jett’s early journey and the evolution of women in rock. It’s worth a listen to appreciate where it all began!

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Musical Musings

Sometimes we just find cool music stuff on the Interwebs that we just have to share.

10-years of The Sonic Collective: A Look Back

October 25, 2024 / Alain Dupuis

This month, we celebrate 10 years of musical discovery at The Sonic Collective. During an upcoming round table discussion, we'll consider our top 3 and bottom 3 albums, most surprising discoveries, favorite introduced albums, bands or albums we had no idea of prior to this journey, and how the experience has changed the way we listen to music.

Choosing 10 albums to listen to for the rest of our lives | Our desert island thought experiment

January 31, 2024 / Alain Dupuis

If you could only choose 10 albums to listen to for the rest of your life, what would those be and why? Tune in to hear Alain tee up the preposterous scenario behind this month's episode. This isn't your average The Sonic Collective episode. Come and play along!

Desert Island Selections - Choose 10 albums!

Our Desert Island albums: Teeing up a thought experiment. Wanna play along?

January 8, 2024 / Alain Dupuis

Four bands people love to hate

July 30, 2021 / Alain Dupuis

For April 2021, The Sonic Collective member Darren Scott has chosen the Sleaford Mods, Divide and Exit album. This new and edgy working class electronic punk music is minimalist, raw as hell and has a distinctly new sound. With our world is so much chaos, we need more voices like this, telling it like it is. Enjoy Jason Williamson and Andrew Fearn as the Sleaford Mods.

A Conversation with Danko Jones

April 27, 2021 / Darren Scott

For 25 years, Danko Jones has kept rock n’ roll alive and strong. Over the course of 10 studio albums, from 2001s’ I’m Alive and on Fire’ to 2021’s upcoming ‘Power Trio’, the sound has remained solid, he’s continued to push boundaries, and consistently rocked. On this special episode of The Sonic Collective we chat with band founder Danko Jones about the history of the band, look to the future, and learn what he loves about music and performing.

Getting to Know WiL

January 19, 2021 / Darren Scott

Welcome to the Sonic Collective. On this special episode we’ll get to know a very talented musician from western Canada. From early days in the Calgary bar scene, building his name as a solo artist, to playing with two supporting players, singer-songwriter WiL has built a loyal following many musicians would love to have. In this fickle business, what’s kept him going for so many years, what does he still love about music, and what’s next?

A Chat with Sam Roberts – All of Us

November 16, 2020 / Darren Scott

On this special episode of The Sonic Collective, we chat with Sam Roberts, of the Sam Roberts band, about their October 2020 release, All of Us. He goes deep about how the songs were written and sharing it with the world in a time of COVID. But we start by going back in time, with Sam sharing what it feels like to have been recording professionally for almost two decades, being the son of parents from South Africa who immigrated to Canada, what it means to be Canadian, and even some of his musical guilty pleasures. Get ready to hear a very candid Sam Roberts share on multiple levels. Enjoy the musical ride!

Albums that Changed Our Musical Tastes

October 13, 2020 / Scott Coates

Scientists say your musical tastes are formed by what you enjoyed in your teens. You hear a song, it resonates, and that style guides your musical tastes moving forward. There’s those monumental albums you can still remember hearing for the first time, all these years later. You likely remember where you were, the time of year, perhaps even what you were wearing, who you were with, and the smell in the air when you first heard it. Today we’re going to chat about just that - albums that influenced and changed our musical tastes.

An Exploration of Musical Supergroups

July 20, 2020 / Darren Scott

Welcome to the Sonic Collective, and another one of our exploratory podcast episodes. In this episode, we’ll explore musical supergroups. So what is a supergroup? Well, for us, it’s a musical performing group of three or more persons, whose members have successful solo careers, are members of other groups, or are well known in other musical professions. They come together to form an epic alignment of mighty musical talents. For us, this isn’t a duo and they must have released at least one full-length album. These supergroups can also come from any genre. The term can sometimes also be applied to a group that has no specific preferred genre. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t, and today, we’ll touch on a few that fall in both categories and some in between.

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THE MONTHLY ALBUM SELECTIONS

UPDATE: As of January 2025, we have ceased creating these mini-podcast episodes that outlines our upcoming review. We now simply add the next podcast episode preview to the end of the latest podcast. Be sure to listen to the end to hear about what album or musical musing we decided to cover next.
Cheers Sonic Collectivians!

Listen to our Sonic Collective member explain the selection for the month. Be sure to follow up the next month to hear the reviews from the group.

Album Selection: The Beach Boys Greatest Hits Vol 2

Album Selection: Best of the Beach Boys, Vol 2

January 8, 2025 / Alain Dupuis

Over the last couple of months, both Darren and Scott picked the first albums they ever owned for us to review, so I'm continuing the trend. The first album I ever owned was Best of the Beach Boys, vol. 2 on cassette. Compiled and released by Capitol Records in 1967, this album served to fill a gap in releases by the band to keep the fans happy and the hype train going. Best of The Beach Boys vol. 2 features a selection of iconic tracks that showcase The Beach Boys' signature surf-rock sounds, filled with many popular hit songs, including Surfin' Safari and California Girls. Join us at the end of the month for our review.

Joan Jett – Bad Reputation

December 3, 2024 / Scott Coates

Joan Jett - Bad Reputation: When Darren’s November pick of Elvis Presley’s self-titled debut had him reflecting on his first-ever album, it got me thinking: what was mine? After a stroll down memory lane, I landed on Joan Jett’s Bad Reputation. Released in 1980, this debut solo album marked Jett’s transition from The Runaways to solo stardom, paving the way for her legendary career in rock ‘n’ roll.I received this cassette for my 9th birthday in August 1982. At first, I was disappointed—it wasn’t Jett’s I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll, the album I’d actually requested. But after listening to Bad Reputation a few times, I was hooked. Classics like “Bad Reputation” and “Do Ya Wanna Touch” have stuck with me ever since.Now, decades later, I’m revisiting this album to see how it holds up and what it still has to say. Join me as I take a fresh listen to the music that first introduced me to the rebellious spirit of rock.

Elvis Presley – Self-Titled

November 6, 2024 / Darren Scott

My favourite album I remember as a kid was a K-Mart compilation album I got that was all Elvis Presley hits. I do remember the big hit on that was ‘Teddy Bear’, which funny enough isn't on this album I'm about to pick. just loved it I mean it was really fun rock music and this was 1975.I want you to take a musical journey back to the beginning of the Elvis era with us this month. The music from that era was so fun. So listen along and then watch for the episode the first week of December 2024 to hear what the group thought of this iconic album that kicked off a career that is still resonating in popular culture. It’s time to dive in to the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll!

This Album Influenced That Album – Stone Temple Pilots Influenced Def Leppard

September 8, 2024 / Scott Gregory

This month, we round out our four-part series exploring how some albums influence others by seeing if the Stone Temple Pilots influenced Def Leppard. Sometimes bands with careers that span decades aren't just the influencers, but take inspiration from new genres and newer bands smashing it in them. When Def Leppard decided to get into the grunge and alt rock scene in the 90s, did Scott Weiland and crew influence them? Let's find out.

This Album Influenced That Album – Deftones Influenced Sleep Token

August 1, 2024 / Alain Dupuis

This month, we explore how the Deftones influenced Sleep token in the third of our four-part series exploring albums that sound like they were influenced by other albums. Or perhaps, more broadly, bands that sound like they were influenced by other bands, focusing on an album from each band that demonstrates the similarities.

This Album Influenced That Album – The Rolling Stones Influenced The Black Crowes

July 1, 2024 / Scott Coates

In the upcoming episodes, we explore how one album influenced another, starting with Darren Scott's picks of the Foo Fighters’ debut and Bad Brains’ Rock for Light. Now it's my turn with The Black Crowes' The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion, their 1992 follow-up to Shake Your Money Maker. This album broke records with four rock number-one hits and topped the Billboard 200. Produced by George Drakoulias and The Black Crowes, its rock, blues, and southern black soul sound has always reminded me of the early Rolling Stones, especially their 1972 album Exile on Main St.. Known for its murky, party-like atmosphere, Exile on Main St. was a double album featuring blues, rock, swing, country, and gospel influences. This month, I'll dive deeper to see if Exile on Main St. truly influenced The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion.

This Album Influenced That Album – Bad Brains Influenced Foo Fighters

June 1, 2024 / Darren Scott

The Foo Fighters' self-titled debut album, released in 1995, bears noticeable influences from Bad Brains' "Rock for Light," a seminal hardcore punk album released in 1983. Dave Grohl, the driving force behind the Foo Fighters and former drummer of Nirvana, has often cited Bad Brains as one of his major musical inspirations. The raw energy, aggressive sound, and punk ethos of Bad Brains significantly shaped Grohl's approach to the Foo Fighters' early music.

Fiona Apple – Tidal

May 10, 2024 / Scott Gregory

Scott's selection for May 2024 is Fiona Apple's 1996 debut album Tidal. Easily recognized by her unique vocal sound. Fiona's vibe bridges rock and grunge perfectly, giving us a darker contrast to contemporaries like Alanis Morrissette. Listen along and find out share your thoughts with us at the end of the month.

Album Selection: The Fat of the Land, by The Prodigy

The Prodigy – The Fat of the Land

April 3, 2024 / Alain Dupuis

Alain's selection for April 2024 has us exploring the monumental impact of The Prodigy's 'The Fat of the Land' on the late '90s music landscape, and its lasting influence on electronic and rock genres. Join us for a deep dive into this iconic album's legacy.

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The Sonic Collective Members

Meet our team of music lovers.

Scott Coates

Bangkok, Thailand

Scott has lived in Southeast Asia since 1999, when he co-founded what became one of the region’s most respected luxury travel companies, Smiling Albino. There, he designed and led adventures throughout SE Asia and Nepal before selling out of the business in 2013 to try his hand at other pursuits. While working as a Team Building Consultant, he developed a keen interest in how people learn and grow which led him to serve as Director of People Development with one of the region's largest travel companies, EXO Travel. \An enthusiastic mountain biker, runner, and explorer, he also very much likes bobbing his head to AC/DC while sipping beers.

Alain DuPuis

Calgary, Canada

Alain is a native Calgarian with a longstanding love of music. Groomed on post-grunge and 90s alternative, he seeks to expand his audio horizons ever further, exploring all the genres he once looked down upon. When he's not busy working six days a week like some sort of maniac, he enjoys gaming, obsessing about whisky, working out or frequenting seedy karaoke bars around town.

Scott Gregory

Calgary, Canada

Scott Gregory is the newest dad of the group and brings his love of melody and music to the Sonic Collective. Scott is always full of facts and seems to have an uncanny love for the women in music. He likes to push the Collective into areas that we may otherwise overlook. Scott loves his new little family, the New York Rangers and all the music he can consume between diaper changes.

Darren Scott

Calgary, Canada

Darren currently lives in Calgary, Alberta, Canada where he can often be found in the best live music venues in town (Palamino, Commonwealth, King Eddy's, Broken City, Cafe Koi, etc.) and he is used to being "The old guy" at the young punk shows. Darren likes to know the stories behind the music he listens to and enjoys the musical journey of it all. A "say it like it is" guy in his own words, he tends to go a little off the cuff from time to time. Ok, all the time. He loves his family, friends and Flames and has a sense of humour he thinks is hilarious.

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