Panico
Subliminal Kill (Tigersushi/Statik)
Various
Não Wave (Man/Forced Exposure)
With Mexico's brilliant Titan missing in action, Chile's Panico are just what the doctor ordered for those of us who dig, big time, the Latino spin on dirty, dubby dance-punk. With a smartass smirk and a paranoid snarl, wicked production from Joakim and Christian Vogel (Super_collider), a hard-on for the Stooges and a hard-on-inducing cameo from NYC's Crazy Girl, Subliminal Kill kicks serious ass. There's a precedent for this stuff, though, before even Titan - back as far as the early '80s, in fact, if Não Wave is any indication. Collecting shards of Brazil's forgotten post-punk movement, the anthology runs from ho-hum new wave by numbers to extended electro-delic jams, tropical space rock and danger dub. The best tracks are the distinctly Brazilian ones, crossing the wires of synth pop and art punk with sexy samba and ferocious batucada. Subliminal Kill 8.5/10, Não Wave 7.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)
Stereo Total
Do the Bambi (Kill Rock Stars)
Berlin's multilingual duo dynamique, Françoise Cactus and Brezel Göring, revisit Euro-kitsch, robo-punk and space-age rock 'n' roll on their first LP in three years. With 19 hit-and-miss tracks, the disc is begging for an edit, its songs marred by sluggish tempos, dry minimalism, dull lyrics and unnerving SFX. Amid these missteps, however, are at least half a dozen top-tier Stereo Total songs, among them (cue iTunes) rock hip-shakers "La douce humanité," "Europa Neurotisch" and "Tas de Tôle," the token punk thumper "Ne m'appelle pas ta biche" and Göring's dirty disco opener, "Babystrich." 7/10 (Lorraine Carpenter) With les Georges Leningrad and Hawnay Troof at Cabaret, Fri., May 13 and Sat., May 14, 9:30 p.m., $17
Caesars
Paper Tigers (EMI)
Big reverb rings hollow when it's slathered on to cover for flimsy arrangements or mediocre musicians, but when applied to a tight band, its shimmers and echoes complement great melodies and hot compositions. Such is the case with Sweden's Caesars, currently rocking charts worldwide with "Jerk It Out" (of iPod-ad fame). The band's latest LP isn't filler-free, but their melting pot of classic rock 'n' roll sweetness, hipster garage fun and modern rock gravitas (à la Doves) shows remarkable range and depth. 8/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)
Cirque du Soleil
Zumanity (Cirque du Soleil/Zing)
Subtitled "another side of Cirque du Soleil," this one'll have to wait till the kids are in bed. Between the circuit-party sexual hyperbole of the lyrics ("Overpowered by temptation/To orgasmic celebration/In this dance of desecration/We find our liberation") and the polymorphous perversity of the package pix (drag queens, sex dwarves, dirty debutantes - y'know, the usual suspects), the Zumanity soundtrack is an over-the-top yet well-meaning wail in favour of sexual inclusiveness and fabulous freakiness. Some of the tunes are a bit hard to swallow, but then you get moments like the Fellini-flavoured "Tickle Tango," or "Wind" with its obvious debt to Ennio Morricone, and Zumanity redeems itself. 6.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)
Robert Plant
Mighty ReArranger (Sanctuary/Sony)
I like to get the Led out as much as the next guy, and I can also respect Ol' Percy's insistence on distancing himself from his days of squealing about trolls and Vikings, but he doesn't age gracefully on this dud. Plant opens his limousine door in the front of the trip hop unemployment line (Portishead's Clive Deamer and Massive Attack's John Baggot both appear), while continuing in his foray into mash-ups with Moroccan music with a dated electronica treatment. Kudos to Plant for continuing to tip over rocks, but unfortunately there are people who beat him to the punch on this one - the Tea Party, albeit not as well, but when your imitators are that close on your heels, it may be time to hang up the boots altogether. 6/10 (Johnson Cummins)
Spanking Machine
Now Lie In It (Metropolis)
Obnoxious, naughty and perhaps even vile, Victoria Kalimata wails over Lord Spanky's playful factory presses, steam, distorted synths and guitars about social parasites on "Emotional Vampire," her choice in bedfellows on the title track and the love of a lust-servant on "Favorite Slave." But it's not all dismembered dolls, multiple partners and whips. Now Lie In It is spliced with rock star confessionals and "educational" asides about the complex idiosyncrasies of sexual deviance such as "the paddling of the swollen ass." This one'll get all the night-slicked darklings writhing on the floor 7.5/10 (Lateef Martin)
RamDac & Crispian
Glitchy and Scratchy (independent)
After repping the Montreal IDM scene for the last two years with their bi-weekly Flexout nights, DJs RamDac and Crispian come fierce with their latest mix CD. Combining the latest "Glitchy" leftfield leanings and classic glitch-no tracks, these two able DJs dish out the goods on a regular basis. The "Scratchy" in the title comes courtesy of local DMC champ DJ Mana, whose skill on the cut is both dextrous and tasteful (no over-scratched messiness here). Kicking off with hometown hip hop deconstructor Ghislain Poirier, the mix moves from MC-inflected head-nodders ("Deadly Wiz Da Disko") to space-rockish instrumentals to cut-up drill & bass interludes - and back again. Excellent! 8/10 (Raf Katigbak)
Melodium
La tête qui flotte (Autres Directions In Music)
There's something distinctly French about the latest Melodium album. The melodica, piano, xylophones and guitar melodies on the aptly named album (which translates to "the floating head") seem to drift, bob and hang in the air much like the relaxed, genial style of classic chansonniers like Charles Trenet and Yves Montand. Rhythmically, Melodium launches into the 21st century with the kind of digital trickery and glitchy glee befitting a bedroom laptop composer with too much time and coffee on his hands. The result is a collision of old and new, light and heavy, dense and minimal - in short, an engaging and charmingly fresh listen. 8.5/10 (Raf Katigbak)
Island City Monsters
Facts of War (ICM)
In a move that may surprise some of the longtime followers of this sprawling Montreal hip hop crew, Island City Monsters have released what is essentially a politically charged tongue-lashing directed at the Bush administration. Facts of War consists of 13 tracks that do not mince words about the "occupation" of Iraq, the cycle of violence and oppression, and the various pawns involved in this very dangerous game. ICM also seem to be spreading the extended collective ideal to include Velvet Trench Vibes from the West Island, Groundwerks, Euphrates, and even Manchilde from Butta Babees. The usual suspects are here as well, featuring tracks from Lokey. June Sixth, Memo, Second Thought and Meta4ce. 7.5/10 (Scott C) ICM's Monster Mash III at la Sala Rossa tonight, Thurs., May 12, 9 p.m., $7, all ages
Roots Manuva
Awfully Deep (Big Dada/Outside)
I don't know how he does it, but Roots Manuva is still in a class all by himself. The reigning don of U.K. hip hop returns with his latest full-length, a slight departure from the hallowed halls of dub-wise science employed on Run Come Save Me, but an aural epic just the same. Juggling his trademark patois twang, he brings the "cruffness," as well as a clear fascination with beats that are deep and wide. It's hard to do everything yourself, but Roots plays dual roles as the charming young master of ceremonies and the daring young squash-buckler on the production (aka Lord Gosh). Through it all, this U.K. original comes out on top, with another notch in his belt, and a classic on the shelf. 8/10 (Scott C)
Akon
Trouble (Universal)
Lyfe Jennings
Lyfe 268-192 (Sony)
Going to jail isn't a positive thing, but it sure gives you time to work on your music. Incarceration was certainly the driving force behind these two interesting debuts. Senegalese-born Akon used his time away to think about quirky jams like "Lonely," which uses the Bobby Vinton classic "Mr. Lonely" as a hook, as well as his pre-incarceration life ("Ghetto," "Gangsta") and the aftermath ("Locked Up," "Trouble Nobody"). Meanwhile, a decade behind bars gave Toledo native Jennings perspective about his crime days ("Stick Up Kid," "26 Years, 17 Days") and the need to intensify his search for love ("Must Be Nice"), now that he's out. Too bad Jennings' narrative interludes bog his project down, effectively killing the momentum that makes Akon's set such a winner. Trouble 8/10, Lyfe 7/10 (Gerard Dee)
Lucinda Williams
Live at the Fillmore (Lost Highway/ Universal)
This two-CD live set proves Ms. Williams' soft and husky delivery needs no safety net, retaining the purr-fect croon but with a new sense of urgency. When Williams latches on to a Hank Williams country crawl like on "Reason to Cry," her voice really starts to take flight. Williams' lyrics seem to come to her without force, rolling easily off her tongue while steering clear of the typical love song clichés. If you have all of her records and are thinking about avoiding this, do yourself a favour because in the live setting, her drawl really soars. 7.5/10 (Johnson Cummins)
Savoir Faire
Running Out of Time (Delmark)
Oliver Gannon
That's What (Cellar Live)
Two very different string players here - Savoir Faire (aka Samuel Williams) is a Chicago-based jazz violinist whose playing covers a wide range of genres. Gannon is a Dublin-born guitarist who for years has been a driving force on the scene in Vancouver. The first CD is made up of 10 compositions by the leader, the first of which, "Running Out of Time", swings like mad and also features some memorable piano from Ben Patterson. The latter was recorded live at the Cellar, and the leader's solid guitar playing is supported by a wonderful trio of Miles Black, Miles Hill and Blaine Wikjord. Nine tracks, including a Mingus tribute to Lester Young and Monk's look at "Sweet Georgia Brown" changes. Both 9/10 (Len Dobbin)
Mini CD Reviews
Keith Jarrett Radiance (ECM/Universal) A 17-part solo rumination over two CDs, recorded live in Tokyo in 2002. Gorgeous! 10 (LD)
Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings "I Just Dropped in to See What Condition My Condition Was In" 7" (Daptone) Sharon takes what was originally a Kenny Rogers song and gives it the soul bizness. 8.5 (SC)
The Ark Caliente (Perlon/Statik) Despite the played-out blaxploitation and gospel samples, punk-funkster The Ark's cheap reggaeton rhythms somehow tango nicely with disjointed house beats and off-kilter synths and cut-ups. 7.5 (RK)
The Keep Aways self-titled (Chairkickers/Sonic Unyon) Seventeen minutes of vitriolic, meat and potatoes punk rock. 7 (JC)
Various One Scene to Another (Plumline) Ragged, reverent and occasionally adventurous covers of classic Canadian indie rock by a ragtag gang of young Detroit bands. 7 (LC)
Stereophonics Language. Sex. Violence. Other? (V2/BMG) Considering the smell in the room, I'm guessing "other" - meaning "shit." 4 (LC) With Augustana at Cabaret on Sun., May 15, 9 p.m., $20
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