Review of Yeah Yeah Yeahs: It’s Blitz!

The Sonic Collective returns with a thrilling reassessment of a record that deserves far more love. For our December 2025 episode, podcast member Scott Gregory throws down a bold pick: the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ electrifying 2009 release It’s Blitz!—an album that pushed the band beyond garage-rock swagger into sleek, pulse-driven art-pop. If you’ve overlooked this album—or haven’t revisited it in years—this episode makes a compelling case for turning it up loud and giving it the attention it’s always deserved.

Continue reading

Review of Recoil: Liquid

Album Review: Recoil - Liquid (2000)

This month on The Sonic Collective, Alain’s album choice has us exploring Recoil’s fifth album, Liquid (2000)—a chilling, experimental work born from Alan Wilder’s near-death experience. Wilder, best known for his years with Depeche Mode, crafts a sonic labyrinth that feels less like an album and more like the soundtrack to your darkest fever dream…

Continue reading

Review of Nas: Illmatic

The Sonic Collective: Nas Illmatic album review

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.

Continue reading

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.

Continue reading

Review of MGK: Tickets To My Downfall

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.

Continue reading

Classic Compilation Albums Review: Big Shiny Tunes 4 – 1999

Big Shiny Tunes 4 - 1999

🎧 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!

Continue reading

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

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

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!

Continue reading

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

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.

Continue reading

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

​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.​

Continue reading

Review of Skid Row: Slave to the Grind

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.

Continue reading