Tom Waits
Real Gone (Anti/Epitaph)
One of America's greatest living songwriters, Waits continues his tradition of constantly reinventing himself and doesn't disappoint. Waits enlists heavyweights like bassist extraordinaire Larry Taylor, and Brain and Les Claypool of Primus, but this of course remains Waits's show all the way. His husky croak will have you hanging on every word as he maintains his place as the Devil's favourite lounge singer. His signature clackety percussion, distorted vocals and disjointed lounge guitars are all here, but what will make Real Gone stick out in his already mighty discography is that he's never seemed this driven, at least not since Swordfish Trombones. On "Shake It," when he sings, "I feel like a preacher waving a gun around," he pretty much nails this whole thing on the head. 9/10 (Johnson Cummins)

REM
Around the Sun (Warner)
From their original college rock base to contemporary casual listeners, all REM fans know there's a reason these guys have remained standing for over two decades. Unfortunately, this album - the band's 13th, notably - may change all that, bearing nearly none of the qualities of even the most mediocre REM record. Dreary tempos, thin arrangements, weak melodies and vacuous lyrics dominate, with only "Final Straw," "Wanderlust" and "The Ascent of Man" showing any signs of life. Can you still experience REM sleep in a coma? 4/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

Jens Lekman
When I Said I Wanted to Be Your Dog (Sonic Unyon)
Packing an array of classic pop sounds, retro folk aesthetics and contemporary eclecticism, this blasé Swedish crooner makes his bachelor-pad pop an inviting and fascinating place. Home-recorded over four years, Lekman incorporates honey-coated horns, twinkling pianos, soft acoustic guitars, silky violins, heavenly back-up vocals, whistling, finger-snaps and exotica samples. His lyrics combine straight earnestness, clever quips and a dumbass anecdotal style from the Lou Reed school, making each track a multi-faceted little pleasure. 8/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

Death From Above 1979
You Are a Woman, I Am a Machine (Last Gang)
The debut LP by Toronto's Jesse F. Keeler and Sebastien Grainger blasts off with the kind of bottom-heavy heavy-metal offensive you'd expect from the boys behind last year's Heads Up. Fans of that EP and the duo's fiery live shows won't be disappointed in this record, especially those who dig '70s metal and fat-free cock rock. Pairing primitive pummelling with danceable rhythms, brown-noise bass with melodic synths and speed-metal velocity with handclaps, these guys have made a record that's sure to win hearts and guts all across the aggro-music-loving spectrum. 9/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

An Albatross
We Are the Lazer Viking (Ace Fu)
With the skewed intensity these boys pack into mere seconds, the obvious comparisons to fellow sonic terrorists the Locust are going to be made, but An Albatross may have beaten the masked ones at their own game. Devo/Six Finger Satellite keyboards mesh with rock surroundings and screaming hardcore vocals. All 11 songs are packed into a tiny eight minutes and 20 seconds, but there are so many moments within that that immediate replay is guaranteed. If the International Noise Conspiracy weren't such pansies, they might've sounded as good as An Albatross do on "The Revolutionary Politics of Dance." 8.5/10 (Johnson Cummins)

Valis
Head Full of Pills (Small Stone)
Former Screaming Trees Van and Patrick Conner regroup and return to their righteous place as sludge-slingers. This is guaranteed to appeal to all stoner rockers out there but, unfortunately, Valis barely get water wings in this overcrowded gene pool. It's no secret that this collection of big fellas stuffed their faces at the Sabbath all-you-can-eat buffet - just check out the blatant Ozzy-isms on the title track and "World of Decay." Their saving grace is that they don't take the whole thing that seriously and are just having fun delivering the bludgeoning riffs, throwing in the odd buzzy Hawkwind part to keep things interesting. 7/10 (Johnson Cummins)

My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult
Diamonds & Daggerz (Rykodisc)
Based on my knowledge of their song "After the Flesh" from the Crow soundtrack, I expected a fusion of obnoxious technometal - instead, I'm surprised by cheese-infested goth house. Let's not forget their progressive trance leanings mixed with the industrial-esque tendency to throw in the odd weird sample. The confusion continues as TKK delve into Casio-preset disco with cursory pseudo-soul vocals. No wait, I've got it, it's technoporn! Post-Rocky Horror Picture Show abandonment, dirty motel sex music for hopeless rave junkies. This would have killed back in the '80s. 6/10 (Lateef Martin)

Lesbians On Ecstasy
self-titled (Alien 8)
By now you should have at least heard about the pumped-up rump-thump that is L.O.E. From opening slot-rock-type gigs at la Sala Rossa to afterhour-club-type gigs at Circus to queer stage-type gigs at Divers-Cité, this quartet has been moving the whole dancefloor spectrum at home and abroad with their energetic house-inspired club tracks. Their eponymous debut features liberal lyrical theft of lesbian anthems by K.D. Lang and Indigo Girls reconstructed and rejuvenated with the raw electro punk L.O.E. energy (who use a mix of electronic drums, keyboards, bass) that just screams "I am woman, hear me rave." A must for lovers of bands like Le Tigre (whom they'll be touring with in November) and Chicks On Speed. 8/10 (Raf Katigbak) CD launch Fri., Oct. 15 at Le Local (7154 St-Urbain) with Kids On TV, DJ Slutsky

Cravo e Canela
Free Radical (Trigger/Warner)
Various
Ville Marie (D7/Dep)
Cravo e Canela is Montreal's Miguel Graça and Ottawa's Trevor Walker, two cats well versed in sunny, good-vibe tropical house. With this project, they seem to have uncovered some strange new subspecies of house, native perhaps to the Brazilian rainforest. Unencumbered by big bass or fascist 4/4 time, it moves deftly through the jungle canopy, chowing down on rum, yage and mushy fruit. All manner of mouth noise, acoustic instruments and polymorphous percussion make up its rainbow plumage, essential during mating season. Cravo e Canela, and Graça again in many guises, pop up on the sweet new Ville Marie comp (mixed by the local duo Erik Simon), as do fellow Montrealers Couch Potatoes, Fred Everything and more. Perfect placement for 'em, as the lively, lighthearted comp explores not what house should be, but what, with a little daring, it could be. Free Radical 8.5/10, Ville Marie 8/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

Nelly
Sweat (Universal)
Nelly
Suit (Universal)
I think there's got to be a good reason when an artist decides it's time to release a double LP. Turbulent times, the purging of some traumatic personal experience, an intense period of transition and art building, or the impending breakup of a group, have all produced great 2XLPs. Nelly's latest offering, which is essentially one album cleverly packaged as two, is nothing to get excited about, save lining up the two halves of his face on the matching jewel cases. Sweat reaffirms that Nelly is indeed a one-trick pony, with a mere three of the 13 songs offering anything new. Stephen Marley, the Lincoln University Vocal Ensemble and Christina Aguilera sing along and still can't float this boat, but Missy and Mobb Deep shine on "Playa." Suit is Nelly appealing to the people who think he can sing, with an attempt at a classy approach, and mediocre results. All the catchy, sing-songy, rap-foolery on this LP won't prepare you for Nelly's team-up with country singer Tim McGraw, which is, well, unnecessary. That said, there's probably at least eight chart hits tucked away between these two LPs, so get used to hearing them for a while. Sweat 7.5/10, Suit 6/10 (Scott C)

FP Crew
Exposé (FP International/ Fusion III)
Representing the reality of hip hop life in Montreal, FP Crew seems to realize the importance of both the French and English sides of the culture in this city, and the fact that they clearly co-exist. With MCs PHd., Ebonics and Big Shah rapping in English, the charismatic flows of the lone Frenchie Blanco are far from marginalized, bringing style and cohesion to the group. LP choice cuts include "Street Corner Freestyle" featuring Butta Beats, "Illest Analysis" and "Soundclash" with Face T. FP keep it tight, and have the skills to make a case, but many of the beats do not match their energy and insight. Checkez ça. 7.5/10 (Scott C)

Queen Latifah
Dana Owens Album (Universal)
Ever since Latifah exposed her considerable vocal abilities as Mama Morton in Chicago, we knew the Queen could sing. Now she takes her Broadway chops to the next level, offering her first full album of standards. For the most part, Latifah chooses her material well, covering songs where she can best project her larger-than-life singing style. Not surprisingly, she's less effective on subtler tracks like "Moody's Mood for Love," but hits the mark on the upbeat "The Same Love That Made Me Laugh," and "Hard Times," a track surprisingly reminiscent of '70s Rufus. Chalk up another coup for the Queen. 8/10 (Gerard Dee)

Stan Getz
My Foolish Heart (Hyena/Fusion III)
Rahsaan Roland Kirk
The Man Who Cried Fire (Hyena/Fusion III)
Producer Joel Dorn is back and these are two valuable items. The Getz is a 1975 Left Bank Jazz Society concert, seven tracks including Corea's "Litha" and "La Fiesta" with backing from Beirach, Holland and DeJohnette. The Kirk consists of live performances, mostly from the Vanguard and Keystone Korner, with the leader heard on many instruments including the clarinet and flute. Try "Mr. P.C." for an exciting example of the latter (Jon Hendricks sits in on this one), and for some raunchy tenor playing, go directly to "Night Train", a throwback to his youth as an R&B tenorman. Two important documents and thankfully they left Kirk's patter in. Both 10/10 (Len Dobbin)

Mini CD Reviews

Hatebeak Beak of Putrefaction (Reptilian) This seven-inch features a standard black-metal sound with a parrot singing. That's right, a fucking parrot singing. Get on your knees and worship! 666 (JC)

Mission of Burma A Gun to the Head (Ryko) A collection of their early '80s gems. "Academy Fight Song" and "That's When I Reached for My Revolver" - what are you waiting for? Buy this right now. 9 (JC)

Stephan Oliva Sept Variations sur Lennie Tristano (Sketch) A decidedly "outside" take on compositions by Tristano and Lee Konitz. Rewarding listening, but not everyone's cup of tea. 9 (LD)

The Dears Thank You Good Night Sold Out (MapleMusic/Universal) The Dears kick out the orch-pop gems and rom-rock jams live. 8 (LC)

Sea Snakes Clear As Day, the Darkest Tools (Three Gut) A pretty, breezy chamber-bound folk-pop debut by this T.O. quintet. 7.5 (LC) With Pinback and Despistado at Cabaret on Mon., Oct. 18

Black Strobe Chemical Sweet Girl EP (Output) The French duo offer up seven tracks of gritty, sometimes almost industrial synthpop including the massive "Me & Madonna" single. 7 (RK)

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