Music

Humanitarian, singer, actress, activist, model and mother, Cynthia Basinet is running for office this Christmas. Not really, but she sure could. For now she celebrates the 10th anniversary of her hit single "Santa Baby". The Christmas classic, originally sung by Eartha Kitt in 1953, has been covered countless times.

Canadian twins Tegan and Sara Quin released their fifth album The Con in late July 2007. The Con was co-produced by Chris Walla of Death Cab for Cutie and has already generated two successful singles, "Back in Your Head" and "The Con". Since the release, the 27 year-old identical twins have been selling out shows all across Canada and the US on their 15 month world tour.

Listen up Montreal's local scene, the bar has been raised. The threat is newcomers Mute fronted by Alex Geddes (vocals), with Marc Dahn on guitar/synth and Carl Lafontaine on bass/synth. One third Brit and two thirds Canadian are the key ingredients to this sparking firecracker.

Robbie Tucker is back with his third album GreenRoom. After being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, playing has been a struggle, but aggressively treating his condition has allowed this local musician to continue to pursue his passion. "It feels like being trapped inside your body," Tucker said of his condition.

"Where words fail, music speaks." -Hans Christian Andersen Wed., Dec. 05 - 3 @ Bar St-Laurent 2 - Amon Amarth, Decapitated, Himsa, Sonic Syndicate @ Medley Thurs., Dec. 6 - Tiefschwarz @ Club Parking - Howe Gelb @ La Sala Rosa - Kevin Drew, Los Campesinos @ Le National Fri.

Don't judge a book by its cover is an expression as lost to our era as the cassette tape player. Packaging and marketing is everything. The Queens of the Stone Age have been releasing albums since 1997 and with their fifth full length studio release, Era Vulgaris, it's fair to assume that they know a thing or two about the importance of an album's title, track listing and image.

Associating Nadja with a particular genre or scene can be a difficult task, because for the most part there are few genres/scenes in Canada to associate them with. The Toronto duo Aidan Baker (guitars/vocals/piano/woodwinds/drums) and Leah Buckareff (bass/vocals) combines elements of metal, drone, noise and ambient shoegazer, yet at the same time cannot be fairly pinned down to any one of these particular genres.

Xavier Cafeine has become a major figure in Montreal's rock alternative scene and is now standing on the brink of international stardom. The Quebec native won the International Young Stars contest held by Sonicbirds in Germany. And the prize? Cafeine walked away with a record deal and a tour.

Opera is when a guy gets stabbed in the back and, instead of bleeding, he sings. -Ed Gardner Tues., Nov. 27 - Celebration, Dragons of Zenith @ La Sala Rossa - All Time Low, Boys Like Girls @ Le National Michael Kaeshhammer @ Club Soda Wed., Nov. 28 Chiodos, Emery, Scary Kids Scaring Kids, The Devil Wears Prada@ Club Soda - Gamma 256 @ S.

French-Canadian renowned cellist Jorane knows and understands that music is an international language. She has blurred the lines and barriers of language with six successful albums recorded in French, English, and solely instrumental with vocal moans and murmurs, a language Jorane has made her own.

When the Sadies aren't recording, they tour and tour. Right now the band's back in Toronto for a bit of rest. "We've been on tour for a couple months since we put out the record," said bassist Sean Dean, "we're just at home right now, we're playing shows on the weekend.

Montreal's Kids Eat Crayons hosted their album release party at le Divan Orange last Wednesday. Kids Eat Crayons is Jean-Philippe Major (vocals), Scott Kingsley(bass), Craig Sauvé (guitar), D. W. Lee (drums), Steve Reid (alto sax), David Ryshpan (piano) and Ben Henriques (tenor sax).