Buck 65
Secret House Against the World (Warner)
The hick-hop tag never entirely fit Haligonian-cum-Montrealer Rich Terfry, even if he does carry over the Johnny Cash-ins and barstool poetry with beats on his latest LP. There’s a lot of other rooms in his Secret House, though. “Kennedy Killed the Cat” and the revisionist hardcore of “Blanc-bec” are definitively downtown, while the quiet rumination of “The Floor” plays counterpoint to the staggered jazz-punk of “Le 65isme.” The closer “Devil’s Eyes (Piano Version),” sung in French over a dour tango, brings Jacques Brel to mind. Boho or hobo? B-boy or beatnik? Slumming sophisticate or Homeric hayseed? Good thing he’s got the hooks to hang his many hats on. 9/10 (Rupert Bottenberg) With Ridley Bent at Main Hall tonight, Thurs., July 7, 9 p.m., $18
Stina Nordenstam
The World is Saved (V2/Sony-BMG)
That lovely, vaguely macabre little-girl voice remains, but Stina Nordenstam’s music has softened slightly, lifting the shroud that made some of her previous releases almost painful to listen to. The understated arrangements couch her vocals in velvety guitars, keys, horns, strings, percussion and/or beats, not unlike those of her last album, 2001’s This Is Stina Nordenstam. With a touch more speed and substance, however, even her most morose lyrics fail to devastate completely. The familiar music-box quality of her tunes has even developed a delicate lilt, which suits the Swedish singer just fine. 8.5/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)
Esthero
Wikked Lil’ Grrrls (Reprise/Warner)
A far cry from her ’98 studiophile debut, Wikked Lil’ Grrrls swings from Latin rhythms to spoken word, R&B and more, and is the album Toronto’s Esthero was perhaps dying to make from the beginning. Right off the bat, the catchy opener “We R In Need of a Musical Evolution” bitches about the hegemony of MOR radio garbage, proving you can make a great song without all the clichés. Organic and eclectic, this offering doesn’t suffer from the oft times overproduction of her earlier work. A worthy opponent to all the cookie-cutter pop out there. 8/10 (Lateef Martin)
Junior Pantherz
Death by Life (independent)
After six years of hard DIY living, this prolific Saskatoon trio has split up, leaving a fifth album for fans to savour. Too bad they won’t be performing these songs, because their brooding, propulsive riffs that explode into mini-maelstroms on record would probably cause some serious emotional upheaval live. Despite the inherent darkness of their brand of indie rock, musically and lyrically—Calla with a touch of Nirvana?—the band knows when to pick it up and throw an upbeat curveball, even if the song decries “A Month of Sundays.” 8/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)
Soilent Green
Confrontation (Relapse/Koch)
Coming from the same swamplands as Crowbar and Eyehategod, Soilent Green are still masters of mixing blast beats with Southern swagger. When these boys from the Big Easy lay down the grind, they’re untouchable, but they raise the ante with expert half-time moments comparable to the greatest stomps of Celtic Frost and High on Fire. Soilent Green have come leaps and bounds since their last album, but with so many bands constantly trying to test the confines of extreme music, it’s nice to hear these guys stick to their guns and deliver a brutalizing but pure metal record. 8.5/10 (Johnson Cummins)
Allman Brothers Band
American University 12/13/70 (Sanctuary/Sony BMG)
True, Warren Haynes’ leadership has lately breathed new life into ABB, but this recently unearthed recording of a pre-Live at the Filmore show is just riveting. Greg Allman’s vocals, strong and full of conviction, have yet to show the effects of years of substance abuse, but from the first note this is clearly guitarist Duane Allman’s show. His slide work is stunning, but when he takes it off his finger for the 20-minute version of “Whippin’ Post,” he proves why he was one of the most imaginative and talented guitarists of all time. 9/10 (Johnson Cummins)
Colder
Heat (Output/Fusion III)
From the New Order bassline and echo-drenched deadpan vocals of opener “Wrong Baby,” you know that Parisian Marc Nguyen Tan hasn’t missed a beat since his critically acclaimed 2003 debut. While Heat has a few more upbeat moments than his previous effort Again, Colder still revels in drawing out each slow-tempo track in a gloriously sluggish manner. While elements of disco and reggae creep in almost imperceptibly, for the most part it’s all gloomy neo-darkwave that’s as thick, black and wispy as Robert Smith’s hair. Think Jesus and Mary Chain, Lee Perry, Suicide and Kraftwerk jamming in slow motion at an opium den. 8/10 (Raf Katigbak)
Various
Résonance (Goego)
Hey, Montreal, guess what? Other Quebec towns have electronic music scenes too! Granted, your Rimouskis and Abitibi–Témiscamingues may not have tons of kids making bleeding-edge, 30-minute experimental electro noise jams on their laptops, but Quebec City does have a vibrant electronic scene that refuses to stay silent. Résonance is a compilation exploring the varied sounds of our picturesque provincial capital. While a few artists need some time to develop their sound beyond their obvious influences of Autechre, Akufen, DJ Hell and Omni Trio, there are at least two or three artists to discover and keep an eye on here. 6.5/10 (Raf Katigbak)
Fat Joe
All or Nothing (Terror Squad/Warner)
After 10 years in the game, Fat Joe is still using King of New York imagery to try to solidify his spot with the hip hop elite. The little beef with 50 Cent that spawned “My Fo Fo” did its job in helping to push this LP, but makes for less than riveting listening. Employing all the A-List tactics he can muster, including production from Just Blaze, Scott Storch, Swizz Beats, DJ Khaled and Timbaland as well as added help from R. Kelly, Nelly, J.Lo and Eminem, there’s definitely a few sureshot singles and some mixtape fare here. The “Lean Back Remix” and “So Much More” are proof of that, but as the title says, I don’t know how much longer Joe can keep this up. 7.5/10 (Scott C)
Missy Elliott
The Cookbook (Atlantic/Warner)
Lots of different recipes in The Cookbook, some of which are delicious, others not so tasty. The schmaltzy R&B ballads could go, and Missy’s longstanding collaborator Timbaland, who only produced the first two tracks, might have saved a few of the duller raps. But big damn party jams like “Lose Control,” “We Run This” (built entirely, and successfully, from the Incredible Bongo Band’s “Apache”) and obviously “Party Time” raise the temperature. Other treats include the Neptunes-produced “On & On,” the ass-kicking “Can’t Stop” and the dark and dangerous closer “Bad Man” with Vybes Cartel and M.I.A. Here’s hoping Elliott didn’t peak with “Get Ur Freak On” and Under Construction—her hot, hilarious mic skills and sonic curiosity make her one of the most clever, creative and charismatic figures in pop today. 8/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)
Rochester aka Juice
A New Day (MapleMusic/Universal)
I can’t deny that Toronto’s Rochester definitely has a tone that is sometimes reminiscent of Jay Z’s, but his charge to engage the listener with clever wordplay and storytelling still has a long way to go. Rochester is young, so I don’t think we’ve seen the last incarnation of this MC, but I wish he’d found some focus before releasing A New Day, where he seems to try to satisfy a few too many mic personas. Canadian MCs getting international fame has been an elusive goal for most, and until Rochester tightens his scope, he may have to settle for the national shine he’s getting right now. 7/10 (Scott C)
Raul Midón
State of Mind (EMI)
The first release by singer/songwriter/musician Raul Midón is an intriguing blend of jazz, folk, soul and Latin music, skillfully held together by songs that speak to the heart and mind. Blind since birth, Midón is a musical visionary whose control of the acoustic guitar and the congas takes his music from deep introspection (the title track) to complete joy (“I Would Do Anything”). Along the way, he takes time to nod to one of his musical icons, Donny Hathaway, on “Sittin’ In the Middle,” and invites another, Stevie Wonder, to join him on the delicate “Expressions of Love.” A singular debut that makes a lasting first impression. 8.5/10 (Gerard Dee) On the Jazz Fest’s Bell-Samsung Stage (Ste-Catherine, in front of Complexe Desjardins), Sat., July 9, 8 p.m. and 10 p.m., free
Miles Davis
’Round About Midnight (Columbia/Sony BMG)
This is the third CD so titled and like the 2001 reissue, it adds four tracks to the original release by the quintet of Miles, Trane, Red Garland, P.C. and Philly Joe. “Sweet Sue” originally appeared on Leonard Bernstein’s What Is Jazz? LP. The second CD of this new release adds six tracks from a 1956 Gene Norman concert in Pasadena, and Norman errs in calling “Max Is Making Wax” a Miles Davis composition—it’s from the pen of another jazz giant, bassist Oscar Pettiford. The other track, a second version of “Midnight,” is from Newport ’55 and has Monk on piano. Hearing the quintet of ’56 live is a rare treat and a good reason to replace the earlier CD in your collection. 10/10 (Len Dobbin)
Mini CD Reviews
PJ Perry Times Flies (Justin Time/Fusion III) The bebop ideas of this 63-year-old alto player (plus a little tenor) remain exciting and musical. Joined by trumpeter Bobby Shew and two excellent rhythm teams, he doesn’t disappoint. 9 (LD)
George Jones My Very Special Guests (Legacy/Sony BMG) A re-release of Jones’s 1979 record of duets with Ray Charles, Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn etc. includes—count ’em!—27 bonus tracks. 8.5 (JC)
Various My Summer of Love OST (Milan/Warner) With the likes of Goldfrapp, Mozart and Edith Piaf, this soundtrack to a teen dyke romance wafts easily over the warm summer breeze. 8 (LC)
Pamoja/Jewel “Ooooh Baby”/“Paradise” 7” (Lotus Land) Hot Milwaukee seven with funk from Pamoja backed by some underground disco from Jewel. 8 (SC)
Sasha Fundacion NYC (Global Underground/Fusion III) Sasha ditches the Technic 1200s in favour of live laptop remix software. The results are refreshingly varied and only lapse into proggy cheese for a brief period in the middle of this otherwise tight mix. Surprise! 7.5 (RK)
Kelly Osbourne Sleeping in the Nothing (Sanctuary/Sony BMG) Star ghost-writer Linda Perry may have outdone Kelly’s last LP, but shame on them both for thinking the world had forgotten “Fade to Grey.” Ladies, ready your lawyers. 6 (LC)
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