Bloc Party
Silent Alarm (Vice/Warner)
Being branded "the new Franz Ferdinand" and (ugh) "multiculti" says more about Bloc Party's pop-chart potential and skin colour (black, yellow, white) than their sound. The London quartet's high-energy, hook-heavy rock and dabs of ethereal balladry are beautifully bound by Kele Okereke's elastic vocals, which recall, but better, the likes of Robert Smith and Damon Albarn. Unlike the rock bands whose so-called danceable tunes leave you in a Twister pretzel, Bloc Party's light-on-their-feet beats will easily meet your clubbing needs. All that and sharp, smart, heartfelt lyrics, folks - believe the hype. 8.5/10 (Lorraine Carpenter) With the Ponys at la Tulipe on Sunday, April 3, 9 p.m., $16

Beck
Guero (Interscope/ Universal)
As pristine as Sea Change was, epic breakup albums tend to gather dust on my shelves, so Beck's up, even albums are always welcome. Co-produced by Tony Hoffer and the Dust Brothers (Odelay, Midnite Vultures), Guero finds Beck in top pop shape, from "E-Pro's" rock swagger to "Girl," arguably his catchiest song ever. However, with injections of Latino aesthetics, new and old school hip hop cool and, yes, glimmers of Sea Change-style melancholy, this sixth (major label) LP sounds like a consolidation of Beck's eclectic, ambidextrous abilities. Homogenization is rarely the path to perfection, but a talent like Beck handles it well. 7.5/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

Louis XIV
The Best Little Secrets Are Kept (Atlantic/Warner)
Based on delusions of "murder, decadence and betrayal" in a loosely conceived character who begins to believe he's Louis XIV, this San Diego band's debut is a loving tribute to '70s glam rock and rock funk. There are shades of Iggy Pop and Mick Jagger in singer Jason Hill's sleazy bark, and nods to David Bowie, T-Rex and gay old Vaudeville in their tunes, yet the band's raw, acidic arrangements and relentless groove inject modern cool for listeners who wouldn't know glam if it slapped them on the ass with a lipstick-kissed elbow glove. Hott! 8/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

Bloodshot Bill
Dig It Up (Cry-Baby)
This wild man hardly has to prove himself as one of Montreal's best performers, but can he capture his bloodthirsty sludge-abilly in the grooves? Fuck yeah, buddy! Bloodshot steps it up, sounding like a greased-up troglodyte screaming from his cave as drum kits crash like trash cans and guitar strings sound like razor wire. Bill sings about the important things in life, like jive dominatrixes, monsters and getting rip-roaring loaded, but hides his pearls of wisdom behind yelps, hollers, coos and rebel yells immersed in a wash of reverb turned up to 11. Pick up a sixer of Grizzly, Dig It Up and get bloodshot! Vinyl only, natch. 8/10 (Johnson Cummins)

United Steel Workers of Montreal
Broken Trucks and Bottles (Urban Handed Works)
This collective of countrified Montrealers seem to be hopped up on the lighter side of Lefty Frizzell, Bill Monroe, Hank Williams, Doc Watson and the cowpunk of Blood on the Saddle. But it's Gern F.'s gruff voice, sounding like it's seen its shares of rough nights, that give USWM's songs a sense of conviction. The production and arrangement let things settle gently as Gern F. takes centre stage, but the mandolin, Tele twang, wandering bass, glistening slide and brushes on snare all hit their mark. Felicity Hamer's country croon on "Wandering Eye" proves to be the ace card here, though the band really deliver on barstool anthems like "Place St. Henri" and "Lay Me Down Father." 7/10 (Johnson Cummins) CD launch at Club One, Fri., April 1, 10 p.m., $4/$12 with CD

The Octopus Project
One Ten Hundred Thousand Million (Peek-a-Boo)
What if, in some alternate universe, Stereolab had been weaned not on Soft Machine but on, say, the raunchy Texan psych-rock of the 13th Floor Elevators? They might have sounded like this Austin instrumental outfit, a trio often supplemented by various pals. Patched into the Chicago/Weilheim post-rock axis to a degree, the Octopus Project offset their brainy compositions with noisy clutter, goofball character and big damn drums. Bright, colourful, unpredictable yet cozy, One Ten Hundred Thousand Million is an album you can count on. 7.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

Basement Jaxx
The Singles Special Edition (XL/Select)
All the hits are here, of course, from the goons of Brixton, with their lefthanded garage groove, punky punch and bottomless grab-bag of weird, wonky noises. Which is all great, but the second disc is of particular note. It's got the requisite rarities, remixes, acoustic versions and a powerful live version of "Good Luck," with Lisa Kekaula of soul-punks the BellRays reprising her vocal spot. I'm especially fond of the Clash mash-up "Magnificent Romeo," care of 2ManyDJs, and the fucked-up future ska of "Ha Choo" and the globalista goof "Mere Pass." 8/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

Keith Fullerton Whitman & Greg Davis
Yearlong (Carpark)
Culled from live recordings, Yearlong captures the abstract tone poems of New England's resident laptop beardos Greg Davis and Keith Fullerton Whitman. By choosing to compile a "best of" live disc instead of a full "live at" album, the pair avoid the meandering wankery that often bogs down a live electronic improv set. No strangers to sonic deconstruction (they've already done stuff for Schematic, Anticon, Lex and Planet Mu), the duo have instead pared down 18 hours of live recordings from 2001-2002 to a concise and deeply moody 45 minutes that evolves from seemingly random glitch elements and fractured samples to delightfully chiming melodies and meditative passages. 8/10 (Raf Katigbak) With Ben Vida at Casa del Popolo, Wed., April 6

Boom Bip
Blue Eyed in the Red Room (Lex)
Since 2001, Warp hip hop sub-label Lex has been flirting with the idea that the future of electronic experimental music might not necessarily lie with processor-pushing sequence acrobatics, but rather with artists who see as much merit in Jam Master Jay as Richard D. James. Bryon Hollon (aka Boom Bip) is one. Raised on a diet of Sonic Youth, Hendrix, Prince and Miles Davis, Cincinnati native Hollon moved from guitar to turntables to mixing desk. Blue Eyed... is an ethereal blend of all these elements into an album at first luscious and intimately charming, then beautifully soaring and elegantly instrumental. 8.5/10 (Raf Katigbak)

Airborn Audio
Good Fortune (Ninja Tune/Outside)
If the split of Anti-Pop Consortium was supposed to foster some late deluge of pent-up creativity and innovation, it may be that Beans has been the lucky one in all of this. HPrizm and M. Sayyid had taken the helm of the Airborn Audio ship with visions of new journeys and expeditions, but as far as I can surmise, this ship is still tied to the dock for the most part. Nicely sidestepping any commercial comparisons while outrunning the sentimental side of underground hip hop is an achievement missed by many making hip hop today, but Good Fortune sounds like mere scraps off the Anti-Pop table. If laziness had anything to do with this LP, for shame. But if this is a stepping stone, I can wait. 7/10 (Scott C)

Classified
Boy-Cott-In the Industry (Halflife/Urbnet)
First of all, I have to tip my hat to Classified for single-handedly producing every single song on this 18-track LP, on which he also raps tirelessly. Having said that, Boy-Cott... houses a lot of tracks that violate the hip hop cliché quota, both on the production and lyrical side. Great thing about Classified is that he's constantly deflecting the critics and haters in his rhymes, so at least he knows what he's dealing with. He gets it done, though, and had enough left to call up Choclair and Royce Da 5'9" for the smooth cut "Unexplainable Hunger." "Beat Auction Interlude" is easily my favourite track here, but "The Maritimes" gets the nod as well. 7.5/10 (Scott C)

Brian McKnight
Gemini (Motown/Universal)
Some of McKnight's past efforts have been hampered by an over-eagerness to court hip hop listeners, leading to awkward musical moments for a singer clearly in his element in the adult urban arena. McKnight plays to his strengths here, relying on smooth, '70s-style grooves and jazzy, mid-tempo rhythms to underscore his mature musical tales. He still manages to get his beat on with Juvenile, Akon and Skip on "Whatcha Gonna Do," and Talib Kweli makes a brief appearance on "She." But for the most part, McKnight lets gorgeous, soulful songs like "What We Do Here" and "Everything I Do" play front and centre on this refreshingly grown-up set. 8/10 (Gerard Dee)

Joe Bataan
Call My Name (Vampi Soul/FAB)
The first newly recorded album from this retro soul imprint is an auspicious one, the first effort in two decades from the wonderful Mr. Bataan. The Afro-Filipino New Yorker was a prime mover in the turn-of-the-'70s Latin soul/boogaloo scene, and he hasn't lost an ounce of goodness in the meantime. Call My Name ranges from the sly, psych-soul glide of "Secret Girl, My Superfraud" to the vivacious zing of "Chick-a-Boom," the requisite cornerstone party track - all graced by Bataan's distinctively congenial, somewhat meandering vocals. Why am I not surprised to see that Dap-tone/Desco man Gabriel Roth, a key figure in the vintage funk revival, had a hand in this? 8.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

Connie Evingson
Gypsy in My Soul (Minnehaha)
In the wake of a great Christmas CD, this one doesn't disappoint. The "gypsy" in the title refers to the spirit of famed Belgian guitarist Django Reinhardt. Ms. Evingson, who is based in Minnesota, is backed by three distinct groups on this spirited, 15-track outing, Pearl Django, the Parisota Hot Club and the Clearwater Hot Club. Included are a pair penned by Django as well standards like "Caravan," "Nature Boy" and a track that combines Gillespie's "Dizzy Atmosphere" with Gershwin's "'S Wonderful." The usual suspects (Jerome Kern, Vernon Duke, Cole Porter) are also represented. 9/10 (Len Dobbin)

Mini CD Reviews

Warne Marsh Marshlands (Storyville) A baker's dozen with people like Lee Konitz and Red Mitchell aiding and abetting this wonderful tenorman. 10 (LD)

Carlos Del Junco Blues Mongrel (Northernblues Music) The harmonica/samba treatment of Jerry Goldsmith's "Our Man Flint" has to be heard to be believed. If there is a better living harp player, I have yet to hear him. 8 (JC)

Pete Rock The Surviving Elements (BBE/Rapster) Soul Brother No.1 rolls us some instrumentals left over from the Soul Survivor Series. Horns, bells and heat. 8 (SC)

50 Foot Wave Golden Ocean (4AD/Select) This tsunami of early '90s rock sludge is a massive climate change for Kristin Hersh, but she weathers it well. 7 (LC)

Ivy In the Clear (Nettwerk) The lack of gravity that made this pop trio delightful has blocked oxygen from their brains and turned frightful. 6 (LC)

Howie B Last Bingo in Paris (MK2/Fusion III) Decently produced but utterly forgettable sonic wallpaper that might fly as martini music at a boutique hotel, but doesn't stand up one on one. 5 (RK)

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