Various
Stones Throw 101 (Stones Throw/Koch)
Under the tutelage of the one and only Peanut Butter Wolf, Stones Throw Records has become synonymous with quality, underground hip hop, delectable funk re-issues and simply great music since 1996. On this CD/DVD double feature, we find Wolf deftly mixing a tribute to the label's first 101 releases, featuring music from Jaylib, Lootpack, Percee P, Quasimoto, Funkaho, Stezo, Madvillain, Dudley Perkins and many more. The DVD houses some genius low-budget videos like Jaylib's "McNasty Filth" featuring Frank n' Dank, and Kazi's "Average," as well as footage from Jaylib live at the Jazz Café, a Stones Throw profile on The New Music and priceless footage of Stark Reality live on WGBH-TV. A must-have for any Stones Throw head. 9/10 (Scott C)

Malajube
Le Compte Complet (Dare to Care/Local)
Montreal's Malajube play that quirky style of pop that's got all the young'ns shakin' it like a bowl of soup right now, but they prove to be no babes in the woods and know what they're doing every step of the way. Orch-pop meets some seriously catchy ditties, all tied together with adventurous arranging riddled with risk - though these daredevils land on their feet every time. The only gripe is that they sometimes date themselves a bit too much with an over-reliance on analog bleeps, but with gems like the new wavish "Le Metronome" and XTC-esque "Le Bataillon" shining through, these angular popsters can't lose. 8.5/10 (Johnson Cummins)

The Radio Dept.
Lesser Matters (XL/Select)
The Scandinavians just won't stop pulling the rug out from under the British. On this Swedish band's debut, fuzzy ballads mingle with electropop, its bobbing and weaving guitars and clunky keys framing breezy melodies, wee beats hammering into walls of static, and wistful vocals exuding nostalgia. Without trying too hard - and only occasionally does their slack approach disappoint - they show glimmers of Broadcast, the Beach Boys, the Jesus & Mary Chain, Saint Etienne, Joy Division, Neil Young's Dead Man soundtrack and scores of half-remembered tunes you might have heard while drifting off to sleep. 8/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

Starlite Desperation
Violate a Sundae (Cold Sweat)
Crashing West Coast heaviosity into a dense wall of sound, channelling the Gun Club, the Cult and the Stooges, this reformed L.A. band is back with a vengeance, and by that I don't mean they're sticking their dicks in ice cream. No, don't judge this one by its title. Instead, wrap your head around "The Thing," the lead track and possibly the highlight of this six-song EP, a throbbing rock 'n' roll number with vanilla romance and horror-movie sprinkles, dipped in singer Dante Adrian larger-than-death voice. Sweet. 8/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

The Soft Pink Truth
Do You Want New Wave Or Do You Want... (Tigerbeat6)
What do you get when you mix techno, classic hardcore punk and gay politics? How about the weirdest bar mitzvah ever! Well, that and the latest by Drew Daniel, aka the Soft Pink Truth (also one half of experimental duo Matmos), which uses his sample wizardry, tech-house studio alchemy and a playful sense of humour to dial up some of the most mindbending covers since William Shatner's Transformed Man. Taking his versions of classic U.K. and U.S. hardcore to the dancefloor, Daniel turns Die Kreuzen's "In School" into a plunderphonic collage of pop-music mish-mash and Minor Threat's "Out of Step" into an icy cool, femme-fatale sub-bass workout (vocals courtesy of Dani Siciliano). Death disco at its best! 8/10 (Raf Katigbak)

Gonzales
Solo Piano (No Format/ Universal)
What's up with that trio of Canadian jackasses in Berlin? Peaches you know; Mocky, see below. As for Toronto's chimerical Jason Beck, lately known as Chilly Gonzales, the "Chilly" is gone and so is the electro-rap tomfoolery. You could call Solo Piano his return to seriousness, as these 16 simple sketches for the ebonies and ivories - which Gonzales envisions as episodes of aural shadow puppetry - have a refinement and melancholic touch absent in his Chillier works. But shed no tears, because the man's rich sense of humour lingers on here, discreetly tucked into the folds of these instrumental vignettes. 8/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

Mocky
Are + Be (Fine)
When I saw this Berlin-based Canuck sporting "the world's longest doo-rag" at a show a few years back, I knew he was up for big things. His debut In Mesopotamia saw clever, silly-ass raps and tight production in a marriage so twisted and surreal it could have been a reality TV show. His latest offering shows not only that he hasn't lost his wit (peep the debut single "Mickey Mouse Motherfuckers") but gained a new sensitivity and some refinement of studio chops. The result: a delightful mix of futuristic pop, soul, '80s funk, and rap that's more infectious than a winter cold (but not half as drippy and gross). 8.5/10 (Raf Katigbak)

Euphrates
Stereotypes Incorporated (NOFY)
With yet another year ahead of us, diligent perseverance is on the minds of many, including local hip hop outfit Euphrates. With the recent loss of SandhiLL production team member Nofy Fannan, the three-man team is down to two, but it's a solid, unified and complete effort that is reflected in their latest LP. Completed just prior to Nofy's passing, the album is awake with Narcicyst's blinding insight and a mix of tough and pensive almond-flavoured beats, tailored by Nofy and Habillis. As Arab-Canadians who have perspectives on the Middle Eastern from both sides of the river, Euphrates represent hip hop from a very engaging, personal and original point of view, capable of captivating anyone willing to listen closely. 8.5/10 (Scott C)

Various
Riddim Driven: Hard Times (VP)
Here's the proof that Stephen Gibbs is his father's son. Legendary producer Joe Gibbs, responsible for "Uptown Top Ranking," seems to have passed on the ability to combine great hooks with great melodies. Sure, riddim albums aren't always the most exciting things to listen to, but I'd argue that this is an exception. From future superstar I Wayne's exceptional "Living in Love" to Bascom X's sweet "Lonely Girl" to Richie Spice's "That Ghetto Girl" to Capleton's "That Day Will Come," not to mention the other 10 equally good tracks, this riddim alone should demonstrate that consciousness still rocks the dancehall. 8.5/10 (Erin MacLeod)

Ashanti
Concrete Rose (Universal)
The Ashanti story continues with a set that travels mostly the same terrain, in terms of both style and structure, as her first two releases. A rock-tinged edge, which surfaces during lead single "Only U" and the driving "Focus," is one element differentiating this set from her previous ones. But there's a spark that seems to be missing here. It surfaced during her first two releases, on tracks like "Scared" and "Rescue Me" from her debut and "Then Ya Gone" from Chapter II, but with the exception of a brief flicker during the party anthem "Turn It Up," this third chapter is a pretty dull affair. 6/10 (Gerard Dee)

Kool & the Gang
The Hits: Reloaded (EMI)
Here's an interesting project: enduring funk band Kool & the Gang teamed with a who's-who of contemporary music, for updated readings of hits that have kept the group going for some 40 years. Not all these versions are particularly interesting - Ashanti and Blu Cantrell offer pedestrian versions of "Cherish" and "Take My Heart" respectively - but some are noteworthy. Jamiroquai absolutely kills "Hollywood Swingin'," while missing-in-action British soul singer Lisa Stansfield injects heat into "Too Hot." Elsewhere, first-rate dancehall is front and centre on "Ladies Night" (Sean Paul and Spanner Banner) and "Let's Go Dancin'" (Jimmy Cliff and Bounty Killer), while Youssou N'Dour proves that "Summer Madness" knows no boundaries. 7/10 (Gerard Dee)

Various
Getting' Soulful (Vampi Soul/FAB)
An outstanding assembly of old-school funk that doubles as a preview of Vampi Soul's forthcoming catalogue, Getting' Soulful showcases the label's knack for crack tracks. Take note that the tunes here are almost overwhelmingly on the Latin soul tip, with a few Southern R&B numbers thrown in for good measure. Of course, you can always count on folks like Mongo Santamaria, Cal Tjader, Cachao and Fania All-Stars for bright and original efforts, but my top choice here is the ferocious "Chick-A-Boom" by Nuyorican block-party padrone Joe Bataan - who, word has it, is brewing up a new disc for Vampi Soul! Hot damn! 8.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

Lenny Breau/Don Francks/Eon [sic] Henstridge
At the Purple Onion (Art of Life)
Unless you have to own everything that guitarist Breau ever recorded, stay far away from this one. Basically, this is a feature for the unfunny, unhip Francks (the poor man's Lenny Bruce?) - lots of nervous laughter from what sounds like a very small audience. Francks also fancied himself a singer. I wasn't impressed with him when I heard him at Montreal's Plateau Hall in the late '50s, and this 1962 material doesn't change that impression. There's a lot of crap to put up with to hear Breau and Henstridge, two wonderful musicians. The latter, born in St-Lambert, is properly Ian Henstridge. 2/10 (Len Dobbin)

Mini CD Reviews

Duke Ellington The Jaywalker (Storyville) Superb! Twenty-three previously unreleased tracks by the great Ellington band of '66–'67 - Hodges, Brown and Gonsalves in top form. 10 (LD)

Various Sunday Nights: the Songs of Junior Kimbrough (Fat Possum) The Stooges, Spiritualized, Black Keys and Fiery Furnaces taking stabs at the songbook of one of the most unsung bluesmen make this a no-brainer. 9 (JC)

H.O.D/...And the Saga Continues split 7" (Contempt for Humanity) These two local thrash units are so fast, they were able to squeeze eight blasters onto one seven-inch record. Nuff said! 8 (JC)

Matmos/Die Monitr Batss Div/orce split 7" (Ache) An excellent indie-rock/electronic back-to-back from these two rhythmic-chaos powerhouses! Vancouver's Ache does it again! 8 (RK)

Phallus Über Alles Iron Woman (Fatal/Fusion III) Though not quite the she-Ozzys or comix heroines their title suggests, these shouty females lay it on over molten electrometal and seedy, speedy drum & bass. 7 (LC)

Various Riddim Driven: I Swear (VP) If you missed this in 2004, get it now - but you just might want to skip Richie Stephen's questionable "Woman to Man." 6 (EM)

Cerys Matthews Cockahoop (Rough Trade/Sanctuary) Despite her ambitious trek to Nashville, this Catatonia singer's solo debut is a fairly forgettable set of songs from under the pub table. 5 (LC)

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