Alien Hybrid

After countless self-produced, low quality cassettes, Winnipeg's Alien Hybrid has taken the giant leap to CD. Moriarty is a 22-song disc that features previously released material like "Mnesikles" and "Treason" alongside newer, more musically challenging songs like the instrumental "Home Kathleen." A two-piece rock band with distorted, off-key guitars, Kurt Cobain-style vocals, a drum machine and samples from the old Sherlock Holmes TV show is not exactly what one would consider mainstream. One spin of Moriarty, however, could turn even the most sceptical of listeners into a raving fan. With fast, heavy sounds ("Moriarty," "Chicago"); hip-hop grooves ("Big Club," "North End"), weird noise/art rock ("Watson & Watson," "Treason"); mellow instrumentals ("Home Kathleen") and everything in between, Alien Hybrid's music encompasses so many genres that it's indefinable. Lead singer/guitarist Marcel Dzama is on the road to fame outside of the music industry. His artwork has been shown in Los Angeles and is selling like hotcakes and he has even been seen hob-nobbing with celebrities like Jim Carrey. One can only hope that Dzama's music eventually becomes as popular as his art.