With their self-titled debut, it’s easy to see that Toronto’s Sweet Thing have Top 40 ambitions. Whether or not they’ll get there remains to be seen.

The album certainly contains elements that suggest they will: the punchy guitars of “Gun,” the shimmering synths of “Lazy Susan,” and the soaring vocals of “A Change of Seasons” are all perfectly pop rock enough to satisfy any fan of the genre, but they still have a long way to go.

The first single, “Dance Mother,” almost lives up to its title, but the chorus fails to deliver the big payoff the frantic verse suggests. Sung in a falsetto, the “I don’t want to dance, motherfucker” refrain comes off sounding far less badass than it should. And while they are nice displays of stylistic range and strong songs in their own right, both the garage-rocker “Duotang” and album closer “We’re On Fire Tonight” don’t fit with the overall tone of the album. In fact, the latter ends the whole thing with a whimper rather than a bang, an odd final statement considering the worth of upbeat pop songs that precede it.

Also potentially disappointing to long-time fans is the fact that the album’s three best tracks, “A Change of Seasons,” “Winter Night,” and “Kite Fight” appear as shorter versions from their debut EP.

These boys are definitely skilled musicians, crafting some impressive harmonies throughout with chops and pop sensibilities to boot. But not much of the album stays with you once it’s over. It’s not that the tracks themselves are instantly forgettable-there’s just no aftertaste to remind you of what you heard.

Dropping out of nowhere this summer, the All Delighted People mega-EP (the thing is 60 minutes long) is Sufjan Stevens’ long-awaited return to song-based material.

The EP is an all-encompassing affair and serves as an both an excellent reminder of Stevens’s work to date and a crash-course for the uninitiated. There’s the sweeping orchestral-pop of Michigan and Illinois, the hushed, acoustic ruminations of Seven Swans, and even the electronic blips of Enjoy Your Rabbit and symphonic flourishes of The BQE.

It’s impossible to talk of the EP without mentioning how it begins and ends: with two behemoths of songs that couldn’t be more different. The title track-an 11-minute-opus loosely based on Simon and Garfunkel’s “Sound of Silence”-is unapologetically grandiose, taking the densest arrangements from Stevens’ back catalogue and cranking them to 11, with pretty spectacular results. Meanwhile, 17-minute album closer “Djohariah” (billed as a “guitar jam-for-single-mothers”) builds a cacophonous guitar solo around a fusion-y vamp, and rewards attention spans with some spectacular instrumental crescendoes. It’d all be incredibly self-indulgent if it wasn’t so good.

In between the two, piano ballad “The Owl and The Tanager,” finds Stevens’ lyrics at their most unsettling: “You touched me inside of my cage / Beneath my shirt your hands embraced me / Come to me feathered and frayed / For I am the ugliest prey.”

The 50 States project be damned, Sufjan is back, and we can all collectively exhale.

On Sunday night SSMU froshies were treated to one final night of entertainment, a concert starring Torontonians k-os and Keys N Krates.

Keys N Krates featured a drummer, keyboardist, and DJ with a laptop and turntables. The band describes their work as “hands-on remixing,” a style that transforms recognizable riffs and melodies into rave-style mixes. The band’s greatest strength was their manipulation of tempo, and in turn, the audience. The trio used Hitchcockian suspense to create explosive and dance-worthy moments.

k-os introduced himself as a “sonic scientist,” and “rap n’ roller,” and he lived up to the title. His music defies any kind of categorization, blending pop, hip-hop, rock, rap, and reggae. His lyrics are saturated with literary references and social commentary, leaving plenty of room for interpretation. I still haven’t figured out if the lines “Everyday is Saturday night / But I can’t wait for Sunday morning” are about partying or the apocalypse.

Both groups had good things going for them, but in the end, the performances were a little too “frosh.” Just like newly emancipated teenagers, the bands felt it necessary to set aside normal behaviour and go a little wild.

Keys N Krates frequently played an annoying pitch that sounded like a fire alarm and k-os’ performance lacked his regular polished sound. Unpleasant guitar solos, dissonant noises, and bizarre sampling were abrasive, not edgy.

But the audience was happy Sunday night, the concert was free, and the music was invigorating. But I think we could have done with a little less chaos.

Since becoming permanently stationed in Chicago’s Grant Park in 2005, Lollapalooza has consistently delivered two things: impressive lineups and droves of people looking to see said lineups. This year featured hugely popular artists such as Green Day, Lady Gaga, and Arcade Fire alongside only slightly lesser-known but no less awesome acts, including Mumford & Sons, Chromeo and Wolfmother. Dozens of other bands and a host of DJ acts also took to the park’s eight stages.

Most sets can seem upsettingly short for diehard fans, but to those with a more casual musical interest, they are fast paced and exciting. X Japan­-a riveting Japanese metal band-delivered a particularly excellent show, rocking out in full heavy metal regalia, using huge pyrotechnics, and braving the 35 degree heat in black leather and chains.

People who are claustrophobic, heat-sensitive or picky about acoustics should probably skip Lollapalooza, because it’s about the experience. Yes, the crowds are vast, the acoustics are bad and holy God, it gets hot. But even if you are one of the finicky ones, it would be remiss of you to skip over Lollapalooza next summer. Grab a five-dollar beer and get ready to spend three days packed like sardines with a cheerful and drunk crowd witnessing some outstanding performancesSince becoming permanently stationed in Chicago’s Grant Park in 2005, Lollapalooza has consistently delivered two things: impressive lineups and droves of people looking to see said lineups. This year featured hugely popular artists such as Green Day, Lady Gaga, and Arcade Fire alongside only slightly lesser-known but no less awesome acts, including Mumford & Sons, Chromeo and Wolfmother. Dozens of other bands and a host of DJ acts also took to the park’s eight stages.

Most sets can seem upsettingly short for diehard fans, but to those with a more casual musical interest, they are fast paced and exciting. X Japan­-a riveting Japanese metal band-delivered a particularly excellent show, rocking out in full heavy metal regalia, using huge pyrotechnics, and braving the 35 degree heat in black leather and chains.

People who are claustrophobic, heat-sensitive or picky about acoustics should probably skip Lollapalooza, because it’s about the experience. Yes, the crowds are vast, the acoustics are bad and holy God, it gets hot. But even if you are one of the finicky ones, it would be remiss of you to skip over Lollapalooza next summer. Grab a five-dollar beer and get ready to spend three days packed like sardines with a cheerful and drunk crowd witnessing some outstanding performances.

This year’s North by Northeast music festival featured close to 650 bands on over 40 stages throughout Toronto. Often playing second fiddle to the similarly named, but unrelated, South by Southwest festival, 2010 seemed to be NXNE’s coming-of-age. From scoring big-name headliners like Iggy and The Stooges and De La Soul, as well as a good number of up-and-coming buzz bands like Surfer Blood and Avi Buffalo, this year’s line-up demanded attention. The festival might not have “taken over” the city, but it was pretty hard to ignore.

Starting off a packed Thursday night, Montreal’s Young Galaxy and The Besnard Lakes brought their atmospheric guitar rock to the Mod Club. The former charmed with a mid-set shower of bubbles from the ceiling and the latter hit it out of the park, playing a tight set enhanced by the impeccable lighting system. Later at the Dakota Tavern, Alberta’s Ghostkeeper gave the audience a taste of their raw country-blues while Japandroids drained the crowd’s remaining energy with their 2 a.m. “surprise special guest” slot.

Friday night saw garage-rock take over the sweltering Garrison, with California’s Best Coast and The Soft Pack hitting the right blend of noise and pop to dance the night away.

Not to be outdone by club shows, the Hollerado Nacho House (nachos and beer in a house that isn’t yours) was a festival highlight. Taking place on a warm and sunny Thursday afternoon, close to 200 people crowded onto the apartment rooftop of Audioblood Media, a Toronto press and management team, to watch a slew of young and promising GTA bands. By the time Hollerado took the stage, the crowd was as enthusiastic as they were inebriated ($3 beers, anyone?), but they pulled out all of the stops anyway, including confetti cannons, spray-paint, and a hefty dose of performer-crowd interaction.

If there’s one gripe about NXNE it’s that, unless you find yourself at Dundas and Ossington, it’s nearly impossible to venue-hop without breaking the bank on cab fare. Your best bet is to pick a venue for the night and stick to it.