Torngat
La rouge (independent)
Is there room for one more act on the Montreal chamber-pop bandwagon? Because this trio, extant since 2001, deserves a first-class seat. The unusual instrumentation - keyboards, drums and French horn care of Pietro Amato (Ensemble Kappa, Bell Orchestre, cameos with those Arcade Fire folks) - is no mere pretentious conceit. They work together magnificently to create a rich, emotionally engaging sound that recalls at times Yann Tiersen's work circa the Amélie soundtrack, at others the stirring pop elegance and delicate constructs of locals Stars, Montag and Jérôme Minière. My only complaint about this five-tune EP? It's far too short. 9/10 (Rupert Bottenberg) CD launch with guests 6 Cats Horn Trio at O Patro Vys, Sat., May 21, 9 p.m., $10/$15 with CD
System of a Down
Mesmerize (American/Sony)
I don't think these Armenian-American heavyweights can make a bad album. Guitarist Darren Malakian steps up to the forefront once again with the lion's share of music, lyric writing and vocals, but Serj Tankian is still the psycho we love, spewing lung-shearing tirades against the Bush administration, with "B.Y.O.B." asking, "Why do they always send the poor?" and sending your hand to scratch your head on "Question!" I've always felt that SOAD was a cross between The Muppets and Metallica - sillier than Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy getting' it on, yet just as serious as ... And Justice For All - and that tradition continues here. Speedy and manic, Mesmerize continues where Toxicity left off: with infectious hooks to snag the kiddies and lyrics to makes 'em think. 9/10 (Lateef Martin)
Acid King
III (Small Stone)
Once again produced by the king of low-end doom, Billy Anderson, Acid King reach new sub-low heights with this piece of plastic punishment. Fans of the fuzzed-out sludge of Toronto's Sons of Otis and Sleep's landmark album Jerusalem are guaranteed to bug out over this. The heaviosity fest is nicely offset by Lori S.'s wail (think Cherrie Curie of the Runaways) but for the most part, she just lets her Les Paul do most of the talking. Drums hit behind the beat at a Sabbath crawl while the bass empties bowels and the guitar sticks to pentatonic beatdown - and they're called Acid King! 8.5/10 (Johnson Cummins)
Planet Smashers
Unstoppable (Stomp/Warner)
I'm gonna play with the theme of the isometric cover art inspired by Q-bert (the video game, not the DJ) and talk triangulation here. What's kept this local ska band sounding fresh after a dozen years, or even a dozen songs, is hopping back and forth between three styles, all of which they've mastered. There are the raucous, goofball sing-alongs ("Here Come the Mods!"). There are the darker, more sombre and - gulp! - genuinely moving tunes ("Giant"). And there are the lazy, liquor-and-lounge-chair numbers like the reggae rumination "Cool Your Jets." That's how these guys have taken a necessarily limited template and remained lively and interesting. 8/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)
22-20s
self-titled (Heavenly/EMI)
This very young British trio, which was founded within the past year and whose members are all in their early 20s, is clearly enamoured with all forms of blues rock. The bounce of rhythm and bluesy rock 'n' roll, the semi-psychedelic noodling of '60s rock, the brooding of bands like Mazzy Star (minus the atmospheric gravitas) and the classic rock of '70s and '80s are represented here in all their glory and horror. Your reaction to their sound, which ranges from modern-rock immediacy to the grand guitar theatrics and reverberating vocals of old, depends on your tolerance for excess riffage. When 22-20s learn to focus their energy, maybe they'll be a really good band. 6.5/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)
Monta
Where Circles Begin (Rewika/Fusion III)
After a decade fronting a band called Miles, singer Tobias Kuhn presents a collection of deceptively simple, insidious solo tunes. Kuhn is German, yet he's wholeheartedly adopted an American accent and emo pop's boyish deadpan - he's toured with Bright Eyes and Death Cab for Cutie, and it shows. Sticking to graceful mid-tempos, he brings acoustic guitars, drums, piano, Rhodes and horns together behind his pleasant vocals and casual melodies, which range from sunny to somber. Monta strikes a sophisticated but utterly unpretentious tone. 7.5/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)
Mecha Fixes Clocks
Orbiting With Screwdrivers (Alien8)
Mecha Fixes Clocks is the nom de plume of Montreal musique actuelle composer Michel F. Côté, whose composing skills are really underlined through his masterful approach to mixing. His main lines appear front and centre, only to fade gradually into the background, replaced with feedback squelches that can transform themselves and take on string-section duties while electronics continually fade in and out of the foreground. "Planet Genre Specific," Côté's soundtrack to a film yet to be made, lets wind instruments fall prey to a distant rumbling before electronic blurts appear over a gently off-time pulse. Côté's real talent is switching gears from lush and dense to beautifully understated and sparse. 8/10 (Johnson Cummins) At FIMAV's Cinéma Laurier, Fri., May 20, 1 p.m., $16
Nathan Michel
The Beast (Ski-pp/Sonig)
Michel not only has a doctorate in cold-rockin'-it... he's working on one from Princeton's composition department as well. Following two excellent, low-fi albums for Tigerbeat6, Michel drops a simply gorgeous full-length joint release for Dat Politics' Ski-pp and Mouse on Mars' Sonig labels. Combining the wistful cheer of a Bacharach melody with the playful, experimental pop charm of Jean-Jacques Perrey and emotive atmospherics of Ennio Morricone, Michel's approach is both challenging, sophisticated and refreshingly simple. Playing all the instruments himself (and there are many), then re-editing them, Michel's childlike fascination with sound shines throughout. 8.5/10 (Raf Katigbak)
Various
Raw Fusion Bass-Ment Classics (Raw Fusion/FusionIII)
Compiled by Stockholm's main man, Mad Mats, this comp revisits some of the monster tunes that have taken the lucky clientele of the Raw Fusion Club in Sweden to new heights. These 14 tracks serve up a healthy dose of that leftfield, next-level hip hop that's sonically challenging, but a neckbreaker just the same. Roots Manuva's "Witness Dub" is here, as well as the killer Danny Breaks track "Jellyfish." DJ Mitsu gets remixed by Sa-Ra on their version of "Negative-Ion," while Jay Dee and Frank and Dank "Take Dem Clothes Off." The sweetest track has got to be the Detroit Experiment's "Highest," a Rhodes-laden stomp that only builds with every minute. 8/10 (Scott C)
The Quantic Soul Orchestra
Pushin' On (Tru-Thoughts/Ubiquity)
The young genius Will Holland is back at work, rallying the QSO for another stab at the gritty, tight-licked funk game. Deftly sidestepping any sort of retro rehashing, the QSO instead introduce new compositions and spirited takes on well-known joints like Mr. Scruff's hit "Get a Move On." Brighton's quintessential vocalist Alice Russell is here too, gracing no less than five tracks. This is a band that gives new life to a genre that many believe only exists on rare 45s and in porno films, but the truth lies in the wonderful arrangements and authentic feel that the QSO are able to achieve. 8.5/10 (Scott C)
Luciano
Hail the Comforter (Jet Star)
This isn't a brand spanking new set of tunes, but it's a strong showing nonetheless. Luciano and producer Chris "Coxsone" Hunt (yep, he's related to famed producer Clive Hunt) ride on some vintage riddims, with help, of course, from Dean Fraser. Luci's voice is as lovely as ever, and he also demonstrates his lyrical knack for pointing out problems and offering political, social and economic pointers. You get far more than a hail-to-Jah solution with Luciano. For evidence, check the relatively recent hit "Crafty" here, along with a deejay version, titled "Too Greedy" and featuring Anthony B. The title track, on the Hand Cart riddim, is also stand out, as are "Stop the War" and "Love Makes Me Strong." 8/10 (Erin MacLeod)
Amerie
Touch (Sony/BMG)
With her '02 debut All I Have, and the pleasant but forgettable lead single "Why Don't We Fall in Love," Amerie seemed to be just another pretty voice. But while she penned only one tune on that set, she had a hand in writing almost all of the songs here. Furthermore, Rich Harrison, who produced her entire debut, shares producing duties with a host of other talents this time, all of whom supply beats that kick harder than anything on Amerie's first set. The result is a vibrant, lively album full of club-ready jams like the lead single "1 Thing." Seems Amerie's more than just a pretty face. 8/10 (Gerard Dee)
Remi Bolduc
Cote d'écoute (Effendi/SRI)
Kye Marshall
Standard Time (Zephyr)
The cello, an instrument not often associated with the jazz world, is common to these releases. The Bolduc trio outing has that altoman joined by Sheila Hannigan on cello and John Roney on piano. It's a program of music that will appeal particularly to listeners who are also enamoured of TV here in Quebec, as Remi has chosen 11 TV themes that should bring back memories to those who viewed shows like Rue des Pignons, Bobino etc. Marshall is a Toronto-based cellist and this is, I believe, her third jazz CD. The standards in the title include compositions by the likes of Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Earl Zindars, Monk, Jobim and Gershwin, and support from Don Thompson, Dan Ionescu and Mark Duggan, make this one special and of somewhat wider appeal than Remi's outing. Both contain superior playing and interpretation of the materials at hand. Bolduc 8.5/10, Marshall 9.5/10 (Len Dobbin)
Mini CD Reviews
Dennis Brown Sings Revival Classics (Attack) Given the one-drop revival, this is a reminder that the Crown Prince of Reggae left us all too soon. 9 (EM)
Various Ready Or Not (Do Right) A winner with 11 rare tracks from the CBC archives. Included are Cisco Normand, Nick Ayoub, Pierre Nadeau and Kathy Moses. 8.5 (LD)
Roué Upward Heroic Motive (Exit) Some kinda Voidoids/Television/ Rocket From the Tombs sorta thang. I'm certainly not complaining. 8 (JC)
Duplex Ablum by Duplex! (Mint) By parents and kids, for parents and kids (five to nine), this is the indie Sharon, Lois and Bram, feat. Veda Hille and other B.C. scenesters. 7.5 (LC)
AK-Momo Return to N.Y. (Hidden Agenda) Elfin vocals and whistling over antique keys - Optigans, Mellotrons and such. File under Scandinavian fairytale tuneology. 7 (RB)
God Made Me Funky self-titled (GMMF) All I can say is, Phatt Al's in this group! And God made him funky too! 7 (SC)
Mascotte self-titled (Surprise) Beyond the white-hot "Ride 'Em Girls" track, this Belgian electro-rock outfit's debut is always just a little short of being fantastic (or maybe it's just five years too late). 6.5 (RK)
Weezer Make Believe (Geffen/Universal) It's best to block this '80s power-ballad horror from our minds. 4 (LC)
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