Petra Haden
Sings: The Who Sell Out (Bar None/Koch)
The Who's 1967 concept album tucked some of their best psych-pop gems ("I Can See for Miles" is one) between fake pirate-radio shtick and a pop-art piss take on consumerism. At the prodding of Minuteman/Firehoser Mike Watt (he and the late d. boon bonded over the original album), singer Petra Haden has tackled an a capella "cover album," recreating the entire Who disc in every detail with nothing but her voice. Such a voice, though. A former That Dog and Rentals member (and daughter of jazz great Charlie), Haden's not only got the pipes but the humour, irreverence and inventiveness to pull this feat off right. 9/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

Tori Amos
The Beekeeper (Epic/Sony)
While her voice and piano remain at the forefront of her lush compositions, Amos's 10th studio album (released to coincide with Piece by Piece, a book of her thoughts and conversations) further expands her sound, this time adding organs, Afro-Cuban drums and gospel vocals. The title track stands out among decidedly brighter pieces, the only one with a hint of the darkness and groove found on From the Choirgirl Hotel. The storyteller splits her album into six "gardens" - a bit confusing, as the track listing doesn't dovetail with the list of songs designated to each garden, but Tori fans will love this album just the same. 8/10 (Lateef Martin)

Les Séquelles
Tes Chansons Cruelles (Local)
The slinky spy-movie guitar riffs, the merry-go-round keyboard cries, the jubilant shake of tambourines, the exclamatory horn bursts, the token sitar song - all the elements of a hot '60s pop record are here on this local quartet's new album. It's been five years since their debut, and les Séquelles' yéyé obsession has been supplanted, somewhat, by a penchant for reverberating riffs and classic rock 'n' roll groove. Despite a slight energy deficit and two-dimensional feel, these fresh stylistic infusions and a pack of alluring songs (including the classic show closer "Achetez Notre Disque") make this record worthwhile. 7/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

Sons of Otis
X (Small Stone)
Canada's heaviest hit like a fistful of nickels on this sludgefest. King of bowel-emptying low end Billy Anderson (Men of Porn, Goatsnake) is once again in the production chair, obliterating woofers. Delayed vocals take a backseat in the mix as slow, thick, oozing riffs roll like sap. The Sons' take on Steppenwolf's "The Pusher" sounds more like the Stooges' "Dirt" than anything John Kay could've cooked up, and on "Eclipse," it just doesn't get any heavier. If you miss the days of Tab-era Monster Magnet, Melvins circa Stoner Witch or side two of Black Flag's My War, you need this. 8/10 (Johnson Cummins)

Dead Meadow
Feathers (Matador/Select)
Dead Meadow's psych-out journey continues down the expressway to your skull, but this time they open the drones up wide while vocals are left treading water in a sea of reverb. Feathers never strays far from the slow, swaying tempos, choosing to let the songs wander where they may and offering no obvious musical resolutions. Geek alert: the 15-minute hidden track is the best thing here, as Dead Meadow get down to some serious, Bardo Pond-like freak-out. 8/10 (Johnson Cummins)

M. Ward
Transistor Radio (Merge/FAB)
"Dedicated to the last of the remaining independent radio stations," the fourth LP by this Portland-based singer-songwriter delves more than ever into dusty nostalgia, evoking antique Americana and the intimate emissions of the first mass medium, poor reception and all. Ward's poppied cross-section of bare-bones folk and back-porch country, with small infusions of boogie woogie and indie rock, is masterfully mixed with fuzz, hums, whistles, strums, slaps, knocks and echoes. Guests such as John Parish, Howe Gelb, Vic Chestnut and My Morning Jacket's Jim James throw in with Ward's bittersweet tenor and ace guitar work. 8/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

Marc Leclair
Musique Pour 3 Femmes Enceintes (Mutek_Rec)
Local electronic luminary Marc Leclair sheds the Akufen moniker and its micro-house trappings to deliver a hauntingly personal album. Inspired by the pregnancies of his wife and some of his friends, Leclair's latest begins by playing between dubby, digital bleeps and classical ambient drones reminiscent of Wolfgang Voight's Gas project. By the third track, his sample-rich style is buried in reverb. The fifth track sees him returning to a stronger, Akufen-esque rhythm, albeit this time inflected with gentle guitar pickings. From then on the album is permeated with guitar as Leclair brings some dancefloor syncopation to his ambiance. Beautiful. 8.5/10 (Raf Katigbak)

Hangar 18
The Multi-Platinum Debut Album (Definitive Jux/ Outside)
Like the 1981 crap-rack flick of the same name, Def Jux young ones Hangar 18 provide a close encounter with some music that could shake the foundations of the universe. Well, sort of. This bold debut may laugh in the face of platinum sales, but it represents Def Jux trying to stimulate an otherwise quiet interim in their list of recent releases. Alaska and Windnbreeze sound a lot like each other on the mic, but still manage to put meat on the beats of producer Pawl. They tear down the club, steal the mic and rap over alien transmissions from beyond, but we'll have to see if this power trio can hang with us earthlings. 7.5/10 (Scott C)

Thievery Corporation
The Cosmic Game (E St. Music/Select)
A stronger tilt towards hashpipe psychedelia (a track called "Doors of Perception," even), and a big-gun guest list in David Byrne, Perry Farrell and the Flaming Lips, held promise for the latest from Washington, D.C.'s sultans of swank. The Cosmic Game nonetheless falls as flat as its predecessors. I love the theory - upscale, dubbed-out global grooves. The application, however (edges sanded down, bite bleached out, personality blurred to ineligibility), sucks. Flawless form, negligible content. 5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

Various
Shock of the Century (Sir Coxsone)
On March 30, 1986, at the Jubilee Hall in Brixton, Sir Coxsone's Outernational sound system (so named in tribute to the late, legendary Clement "Coxsone" Dodd) presented the Shock of the Century dance. A testament to why '80s dancehall is vastly underrated, it was, like most dances worldwide, taped, copied and circulated via a vast network of obsessed fans. Thanks to Sir Coxsone, you need not search for a crackling, hissy version of what is hailed as the "most popular live dance of all time." With Supercat, Nicodemus, Nitty Gritty, Eek-A-Mouse and Frankie Paul performing live and direct, this is not just a CD compilation, it's a historical artefact. 9.5/10 (Erin MacLeod)

Stephanie Mills
Born for This (JM/Lightyear)
Her first album in 10 years finds that soul diva Mills is still one of the most recognizable singers in urban music, and her vocal power hasn't diminished a lick during her time away. Familiar producers, including Barry Eastmond, Angela Winbush and BeBe Winnans, mostly push the right musical buttons to elicit the best results from Mills. And while some songs are a bit too cliché, there's enough good material here, especially the potent "Can't Let Him Go" and the gospel-influenced "Healing Time," to make this a welcome comeback. 7.5/10 (Gerard Dee)

Various
re:Brahim - Abdullah Ibrahim Remixed (Enja/Justin Time/ Fusion III)
South African jazz pianist Abdullah Ibrahim never had a problem laying down deep and memorable grooves. As with all remix projects like this, only about half the productions do the originals justice. DJ Explizit does a half-decent job with "Calypso Minor," as does Fauna Flash's Christian Prommer on his workout shuffle of "Sweet Samba." It's cuts like DJ Spooky's version of "Mindif" that leave me wanting the pared-down trio of the original track. Other contributors include UFO's Toshio Matsuura, and Stefan Rogall from Sonar Kollektiv. 7.5/10 (Scott C)

Ramachandra Borcar
Steel and Glass (Semprini/Fusion III)
For this score to the documentary Regular or Super, a look at the work of German architect Mies van der Rohe, Montreal's Borcar steps out from behind his alter egos DJ Ram and Ramasutra. His aptitude with vintage jazz in a Blue Note vein was always diluted into the mix with surf, exotica, breaks and mondo mystery music - witness for instance his last soundtrack, Camping Sauvage. Here, however, Borcar enlists Canadian talents like Frank Lozano, Jeff Johnston and Thom Gossage and lets the jazz swing wide and true in all sorts of directions, unadulterated save for some suitable sci-fi tweaking. 8.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

Opie Bellas
Faces (Bella Blue)
Simone Kopmajer
Romance (Zoho)
Two most musical singers, both new discoveries for this writer. Opie mixes standards with a number of memorable items written by Ron Anthony. Jay and Marty Ashby, Dwayne Dolphin and Roger Humphries add much to the mix. Simone is from Austria and has studied with Sheila Jordan and Mark Murphy. A well-chosen dozen songs have backing from the wonderful John DiMartino, George Mraz, Tim Horner and guest Eric Alexander. Both are well worth many listens, with Kopmajer having a slight edge. Faces 9/10, Romance 9.5/10 (Len Dobbin)

Mini CD Reviews

Torme/Mulligan/Shearing The Classic Concert Live (Concord/Universal) A never-before-released 1982 meeting at Carnegie Hall with Mel, Gerry and George joined by a big band directed by Jeru. A fun time was had by all. 8.5 (LD)

Gregory Isaacs Sings Dennis Brown (Ras) The Crown Prince of Reggae recorded an album of his bredren Isaacs' tunes. Here, the Cool Ruler returns the favour. What's not to like? 8 (EM)

Justin Rutledge & the Junction Forty No Never Alone (Six Shooter) Rustic elegance graces this debut disc by a promising singer-songwriter from down Toronto way. 8 (LC) With AA Soundsystem and Oh Susanna at Casa Del Popolo on Sun., Feb. 27, 9 p.m., $8

Chris Rock Never Scared (Geffen/Universal) Choice bits from Rock's last tour, peppered with neat studio bits (plus a crap making-of DVD). Real people of ignorance, consider yourselves saluted. 7 (RB)

Ani Difranco Knuckle Down (Righteous Babe) Like a casual acquaintance's life story in photos, Difranco's free-form musings are becoming tiresome. 6.5 (LC)

Kings of Leon Aha Shake Heartbreak (RCA/Sony) On this second album, these bros get tripped up on their bellbottoms with every step. 6 (JC)

Dirty Vegas One (EMI) Production so slick and suited to a financial-investment commercial, it reminds me of my uncle Steve's cow-pie clock. Even if you laminate it and stick a solid gold watch on it, it's still just a piece of shit! 5 (RK)

>> Music Listings