For the next four months we are changing up our format to try something fun. Each of us will pick three albums that share a common thread. We want you to listen to these albums and try to figure out what the common thread between them is. Member Darren Scott is up first and he chose The Modern Lovers self-titled album, R.E.M’s Reckoning album and Sonic Youth’s Goo album. Listen along as we reveal our thoughts and Darren reveals the connection.
Continue readingWhat Connects These Three Albums? – Part 2
For the next four months we are changing up our format to try something fun. Each of us will pick three albums that share a common thread. We want you to listen to these albums and try to figure out what the common thread between them is. Member Scott Coates is up this month and he chose The Stone Roses self-titled album, Black Sabbath self-titled album and The Darkness Permission to Land album.
Continue readingWhat Connects These Three Albums? – Part 1
For the next four months we are changing up our format to try something fun. Each of us will pick three albums that share a common thread. We want you to listen to these albums and try to figure out what the common thread between them is. Member Darren Scott is up first and he chose The Modern Lovers self-titled album, R.E.M’s Reckoning album and Sonic Youth’s Goo album.
Continue readingLady Gaga – Born This Way
Lady Gaga’s second studio album pushed boundaries and many of the tracks became anthems for marginalized communities, pushing important topics into public discourse. Join us in exploring this important album.
Continue readingAlice in Chains – Dirt
Alain here, with our pick for July 2022. A couple of months ago, my girlfriend seemed to have stumbled onto the band Alice in Chains for the first time, and very quickly began extolling their music, and specifically their album Dirt as being pure genius. High praise from someone who has never really demonstrated much interest in 90s alt rock. So I pretty much HAVE to check it out, right? And why not bring the Sonic Collective family along for the ride!
Continue readingUnknown Pleasures by Joy Division
I’ve heard the strange legacy of Ian Curtis, who committed suicide in May 1980, mentioned on a number of episodes of The Ongoing History of New Music with Alan Cross and been intrigued. When I started out as a DJ at Lloyd’s Recreation in Calgary as a teenager, Blue Monday and Bizarre Love Triangle by New Order were huge and some of the original 12-inch singles I learned how to beat-mix on. I had no idea that Joy Division was the precursor to New Order back then and it’s time to see where their roots came from.
Continue readingHarry Nilsson: Nilsson Schmilsson
For our music review pick for May, 2022, member Darren Scott reveals he recently acquired a large record collection that had been entombed for 40 years. He decided that he would pick one of the albums from this collection to review. Join Darren and listen to all the options he had and how he ended up landing on Harry Nilsson’s Nilsson Schmilsson album.
Continue readingSaint Dominic’s Preview by Van Morrison
We’ve gone pretty far afield starting with a taste of neo soul, sliding into a lounge/chillhop and rounding out with a modern throwback to the roots of the genre. Scott is going to take us back and give us a taste of blue eyed soul with Van Morrison’s 1972 album Saint Dominic’s Review.
Continue readingDap-Dippin’ with Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings
We continue our exploration of soul music with Alain’s pick for March 2022, Dap-Dippin’ with Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings. This is the group’s debut album, which they self-released after creating their own indie record label to support the funk and soul scene.
Continue readingErykah Badu: Baduizm
For January 2022 Sonic Collective member Darren Scott decided to explore a genre of soul he always really liked, but never made much time for his choice – Neo Soul.
Darren had some of Erykah Badu’s songs on playlists of his but he really wanted to have a better listen to her music, so he decided to select her iconic first album, Baduizm. Listen to why he chose this artist and be sure to listen along this month to the album. We will then release our full review February 1st, 2022.
Darren
The Sonic Collective










