NIKKIE
     
     
      Blue
      Roses
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Best
      described
      as
      a
      one-woman,
     
     
      neo-folk
      performer,
      Nikkie
      is
      a
     
     
      young
      singer-songwriter
      worth
     
     
      hearing.
      Featuring
      simplistic
     
     
      arrangements
      of
      voice,
      guitar,
      and
     
     
      the
      occasional
      sprinkling
      of
      per-
     
     
      cussion,
      the
      songs
      employ
      strong
     
    
   
   
    
     
      lyrical
      imagery
      about
      love
      —
      both
     
    
   
   
    
     
      won
      and
      lost
      —
      and
      dirty
      old
      men.
     
     
      Always
      heartfelt,
      occasionally
     
     
      humorous,
      and
      always
      featuring
     
     
      this
      Summerside
      native’s
      sweet
     
     
      voice,
      this
      album
      is
      worth
      checking
     
     
      out.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -ROC
     
    
   
   
    
     
      THE
      KINGSTON
      TRIO
     
    

    
     
      Both
      Sides
      of
      the
      Kingston
      Trio,
     
     
      volumes
      I
      and
      II
     
    

    
     
      Silverwolf
      Records
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Trio,
      which
      originally
      rose
      to
     
     
      fame
      in
      1958
      with
      their
      chart-top-
     
     
      ping
      rendition
      of
      “Tom
      Dooley,”
     
     
      has
      continued
      operating
      to
      this
     
     
      very
      day.
      In
      the
      early
      1980s
      the
     
     
      group
      recorded
      two
      albums
      featur-
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ing
      the
      lineup
      of
      Bob
      Shane,
      Roger
     
     
      Gambill,
      and
      Bob
      Haworth.
     
     
      Released
      here
      for
      the
      first
      time
      on
     
     
      CD,
      these
      albums
      feature
      the
     
     
      group’s
      wonderful
      renditions
      of
     
     
      their
      hit
      “folk
      oriented
      material”
     
     
      such
      ‘Where
      Have
      All
      The
      Flowers
     
     
      Gone?’,
      ‘MTA’,
      ‘Tijuana
      Jail’,
      and
     
     
      ‘The
      Reverend
      Mr.
      Black’,
      as
      well
     
     
      as
      lesser
      known
      versions
      of
      the
     
     
      groups
      songs
      such
      as
      ‘Long
      Black
     
     
      Veil’,
      ‘Big
      Ship
      Glory’,
      and
     
     
      ‘Hawaiian
      Nights’.
      This
      album
      is
      a
     
     
      fine
      addition
      to
      the
      collection
      of
     
     
      any
      fan
      of
      this
      influential
      group.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -ROC
     
    
   
   
    
     
      CHIXDIGGIT
     
     
      King
      of
      Kensington
     
    
   
   
    
     
      This
      song
      has
      almost
      nothing
      to
      do
     
     
      with
      the
      greatest
      Canadian
      televi-
     
     
      sion
      program
      of
      all
      time.
      You
     
     
      guessed
      it,
      or
      maybe
      you
      didn’t
      if
     
     
      you
      are
      under
      22,
      King
      of
     
     
      Kensington.
      Anyway,
      as
      I
      was
      say-
     
     
      ing
      the
      song
      is
      not
      very
      good,
      not
     
     
      very
      long,
      and
      not
      very
      relevant
      to
     
    
   
   
    
     
      this
      issue.
     
     
      -KJB
     
    
   
   
    
     
      NONPOINT
     
    
   
   
    
     
      statement
     
     
      MCA
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      CHRONIC
      FUTURE
     
     
      4
      Elements
     
     
      EMI
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Being
      genuinely
      talented
     
     
      and
      playing
      rap/metal
      are
      not
     
     
      attributes
      that
      often
      coincide.
      Aside
     
     
      from
      Rage
      Against
      the
      Machine
     
     
      and,
      if
      you’re
      really
      desperate
      for
      a
     
    
   
   
    
     
      second
      (and
      I
      mean
      really
      desper-
     
     
      ate)
      Limp
      Bizkit,
      rap/metal
      bands
     
     
      are
      largely
      interchangeable.
     
    

    
     
      Nonpoint
      have
      serviceable
     
     
      rap
      skills,
      sing
      in
      tune
      for
      the
      most
     
     
      part
      and
      play
      their
      instruments
     
     
      loudly
      and
      with
      reasonable
      skill.
     
     
      The
      downside
      is
      that
      they’re
      bor-
     
     
      ing.
      Really
      boring.
      The
      band
      can’t
     
     
      do
      much
      of
      anything
      except
      repeat
     
     
      the
      same
      riffs
      ad
      nauseum,
      and
     
     
      they
      rely
      much
      too
      heavily
      on
     
     
      “now
      we’re
      quiet’/
      “now
      we’re
     
     
      loud!”
      theatrics.
      Nonpoint
      are
     
     
      entirely
      forgettable.
     
    

    
     
      Chronic
      Future,
      on
      the
     
     
      other
      hand,
      are
      memorable
      -
     
     
      though
      not
      for
      the
      right
      reasons.
     
     
      They
      can’t
      rap,
      shouldn’t
      play
      their
     
     
      instruments,
      and
      they
      often
      seem
      to
     
     
      be
      singing
      the
      chorus
      to
      a
      different
     
     
      song
      than
      the
      one
      they’re
      currently
     
     
      “playing”.
      “Feel
      it
      Everyday”
      even
     
     
      incorporates
      the
      underused
      Cher-
     
     
      Kid
      Rock-vocoder-schtick.
      The
     
     
      song
      “Impossible
      to
      Win”
      accu-
     
     
      rately
      sums
      up
      their
      chances
      of
     
     
      selling
      this
      CD
      to
      anyone
      but
      fam-
     
     
      ily
      members.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      SSIS
      SSS:
     
    
   
   
    
     
      SSIS
      IS
      GS:
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Sew
      Gee
      eS
      ter
      eae
      ee
      we