Plastic Bertrand & DJ Frigid
Machine! Remixes EP (Mix Communications)
Anyone who's been to his Kink!, Schizotronic or Electruck nights know that DJ Frigid does electric sleaze like nobody's business. Here Frigid's densely layered electro-shuffle-rock duet with legendary Belgian new wave weirdo Plastic Bertrand (who's headlining the closing party of Francofolies), getting an assortment of reinterpretations by some of Montreal's hottest electronic producers. Peep the hot, pounding, filtered dub blast by Sean Kosa of Turbo and Lipstick Music, or the thumping late-night treatment by Mateo Murphy. Make sure to hold on to your haircut as local electro-pop pretty boys Echo Kitty deliver an amazingly frantic, squelchy, cacophonous robot disco break reedit. Solid! 8/10 (Raf Katigbak) Plastic Bertrand with Starving at le Spectrum, Sat., Aug. 6, 11 p.m., $15.50
Dirty Tricks
Demerits (Blue Skies Turn Black)
These guys tease a bit with their second EP, but manage to deliver the goods in the all-too-short running time. Taking nods from Hot Snakes, Drive Like Jehu and Rocket From the Crypt (essentially all things John Reis), Dirty Tricks hunker down and dig in to create some serious thinking-man's rock coming right from the gut, with clichés kept at arm's length. Songs like "Season Tickets" and "Dirty Tricks Dragging You in Too Deep" prove these guys are a Montreal band to keep your eye on. Now if they would just get around to a full-length. 8.5/10 (Johnson Cummins)
Frank Black
Honeycomb (EMI/Sonic Unyon)
On a break from the Catholics and the Pixies, old Frank takes 'er easy (and takes after Bob Dylan's Blonde on Blonde) on this solo disc, recorded live over four days in Nashville. Sidestepping irony and cliché, Black flirts with blues and soul-inflected country, abetted by a crew of Nashville old-timers. His shimmying ditties and mellow ballads retain some of his characteristic pop savvy and eccentric lyrical tendencies, as camouflaged as they are by slightly tired trad arrangements. 7/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)
The Black Crowes
Live at Metropolis (Instant Live Concerts)
The Crowes' last stop in Montreal was easily one of the best shows I saw this past year. Instant Live offered it on CD minutes after the concert's conclusion, and have now released it commercially. The sound quality is crystal clear, far surpassing the bootleg or tape-trading circuits, but the run-of-the-mill packaging and lack of info and track listing on this two-hour, two-CD set is hardly an incentive against just downloading this from questionable sources. The performance of course is amazing, with guitarist Marc Ford and singer Chris Robinson stealing the show and the band soaring in a rare rendition of Little Feat's "Willin'." 7/10 (Johnson Cummins)
Raised by Swans
Codes and Secret Longing (independent)
Produced by the Two Minute Miracles' Andy Magoffin, this new London, Ontario band sounds like a seasoned major-label act, and not an awful one at that. A black and silver sheen drapes their downbeat guitars and pianos in reverb and shimmering gentility, while singer Eric Howden (ex-Gandharvas) eases seamlessly into gorgeous falsetto and back. As devastating and dark as some of their songs are, at times they revolve on the anthemic Coldplay/U2/Radiohead axis - albeit with more class than your average CHOM l'Esprit band - and even kick out some rock by album's end. 7.5/10 (Lorraine Carpenter) With Throbbing Purple, the Jason Bagg Band at the Hard Rock Café, Fri., Aug. 5, 10 p.m.
Röyksopp
The Understanding (Virgin/EMI)
Well, my understanding was this - Norway's Torbjorn Brundtland and Svein Berge were to outdo their impressive debut Melody AM with an even better sophomore dose of their emo-tronica. Nobody said anything about a heap of gauzy, outdated mush and fatuous filler. True, a few tracks stand out. Opener "Triumphant" is a solid, if melodramatic, builder, and the sprawling Vangelis pastiche "Alpha Male" is alright, if you're in that frame of mind. "Only This Moment" approaches the mood and melody that marked their debut, but other than those, the title of track seven, "What Else Is There?," is all too appropriate. 6.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)
Ying Yang Twins
United States of Atlanta (TVT/Universal)
I'm not gonna gas you up and tell you I'm a big fan of the Ying Yang Twins, but the first single off of The United States of Atlanta, "Wait (the Whisper Song)," even made it into my head. That's the genius of the Twins at their best - they make songs that you sometimes loathe, but stick deep in your head nonetheless. With crunk platinum in their eyes, they've connected all the dots to make things happen, calling up Adam Levine from Maroon 5, Anthony Hamilton and thug favourite Bun B from UGK to collborate. Songs like "Pull My Hair" and "Bedroom Boom" ooze with strip-club allure, something the Twins aren't short on by any means. But is "Ghetto Classic" a ghetto classic? You tell me. 7/10 (Scott C) With Lil Jon, Pitbull and Teflon at Circus, Sat., Aug 13, 6 p.m., $86, all ages
Mumbles
A Book of Human Beats (Sound in Color)
One thing that you won't find on Mumbles' new double disc are sunny, light and happy-go-lucky tunes. Most of the tracks are dark, foreboding plodders that take you deeper into the depths of some underground cave, but even below the surface, there is a purpose. Songs like "The Reason" and "A Tapestry of Folk Tales" paint vivid pictures of this subterranean scene, while "Walls and Windows" reveals a plan to unleash this underground way of life on the rest of the world. I suggest listening to this record in complete darkness on a crisp hi-fi. You'll quickly find yourself in Mumbles' world, finding comfort in his need to show this instrumental hip hop creation in its natural low-light. 8/10 (Scott C)
Organized Konfusion
The Best of... (Nasty Habits/Fusion III)
Organized Konfusion have maintained their position as one of the most slept-on groups in hip hop for years, from the release of their self-titled debut LP in 1991 right up to 1997's The Equinox. Prince Po's colourful, stutter-step raps played Robin to Pharoahe Monch's much more complex Batman as the two injected true originality into their music. These guys were also producing at least 75 per cent of their own beats from the start, as well as being responsible for putting O.C. on record. Classic tracks here include "Walk Into the Sun," "Stray Bullets," "Releasing Hypnotical Gasses," Black Sunday" and of course "Fudge Pudge." 8.5/10 (Scott C)
Alain Vinet
Mouvement (Musique)
After five years of heading up his monthly Mouvement residency, Vinet, one of Montreal's most consistent house DJs, is no doubt enjoying the fruits of being the exclusive DJ to Cirque du Soleil founder and infamously debauched, Fellini-esque party thrower Guy Laliberté (typical Laliberté party talk: "Oh, the bathroom? Straight down the corridor past the topless dominatrix with whips, then take a left at the midget covered in chocolate - can't miss it"). Now Vinet comes on strong with a double CD of light, deep and soulful early-morning house (the Day by Day disc) and darker, more thumping club bangers (the Night by Night disc). If you're a fan of the man, then definitely pick this up. 7/10 (Raf Katigbak)
Leela James
A Change Is Gonna Come (Warner)
On her compelling debut, James does more than just reference soul greats Tina, Chaka, Aretha and Gladys - she follows by example. Disparaging popular music's insistence on image over substance during lead single "Music," James joins the growing list of urban artists moving back to the roots of R&B via lyrical strength and musical innovation. Various producers, including Raphael Saadiq, Wyclef Jean and Kanye West, surround her gritty vocals with sturdy beats and thick rhythms that make musical tales like "Ghetto" and "Soul Food" all the more vivid. Her versions of No Doubt's "Don't Speak" and the Sam Cooke-inspired title track prove her ability to put a fresh twist on old favourites. 9/10 (Gerard Dee)
Various
Yoga Sessions: Drawing From the Roots (Man/Fusion III)
According to the press release for this album, the track list of this CD, compiled by Dixon and Ana Ofak, was designed according to the course of a Vinyasa Flow yoga class. The "flow" is, one, recollecting, joining in and wiping off everyday troubles; two, warming up through Sun Salutations; three, challenging and enjoying oneself in standing poses and balances; and finally four, getting over the fact that a CD compiled for a yoga class sounds so corny it makes you want to hang yourself with a Lululemon leotard, and actually enjoying the CD for what it is - a nice, ambient listen that moves from blissful beatlessness to plodding minimalism. 7/10 (Raf Katigbak)
Ray Bryant
Somewhere in France (Hyena/Fusion III)
Sonny Stitt
Work Done (High Note/Koch)
Two exceptional sessions, released for the first time. Bryant, a topnotch modern blues pianist, is best heard, as he is here, solo. This 1993 outing includes "A Train," "Django," and Bryant's own "Slow Freight" and "In the Back Room." Stitt, on tenor, is at the top of his game with Ed Kelly, Ray Drummond and "Smiley" Winters assisting. They're heard live in 1976, swinging through nine tracks that include Stitt's own "Loose Walk" and "Barkan the Blues" (for producer Todd Barkan), plus standards like "Stardust," "Indiana" and Bird's "rhythm" variations, "Constellation." Both 9/10 (Len Dobbin)
Mini CD Reviews
Woody Shaw Live Volume Four (High Note/Koch) Another volume in this important series recorded at Keystone Korner! 9.5 (LD)
Tangoterje "Can't Help It"/"New Morning" 12" (GAMM) Finally, this Michael Jackson bootleg gets a vinyl release, backed with a rework of my favourite song, "New Morning." 9 (SC)
Richard Hell Spurts: The Richard Hell Story (Rhino/Warner) From Heartbreaker through Voidoid to Dim Star, proto-punk paragon Hell has his history remastered and wrapped together here. 8 (RB)
Various Respect Presents Été d'Amour (Wagram/Fusion III) Respect to Respect for easing off the French-touch house sound with disco-punk, dance rock and daring oddities. 7.5 (RB)
Amps for Christ The People at Large (5RC) Jesus was the original hippie liberal, yes, but I'm not convinced he'd dig this whispy humming and sitar-strumming. 5 (LC) With Gowns, Carla Bozulich at Casa del Popolo, Wed., Aug. 10
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