Bill Frisell
East West (Nonesuch/Warner)
Proving to be one of today's most prolific players, Frisell releases this live two-CD set a mere two months after the release of the R&B-flavoured Unspeakable. Frisell also shows himself to be a sure bet without ever being locked into a style, as this new one continues his love affair with Americana. His Wes "The Thumb" Montgomery treatment on "Heard It Through the Grapevine" gets a new lease when he counters the familiar melody with loops and outside playing. In this live trio setting, Frisell is also able prove that he is fearless and requires no safety net. Stunning. 9/10 (Johnson Cummins)
The Dead 60s self-titled (Sony BMG)
Packing their debut album with retro-fit dance- and dub-punk, Liverpool's Dead 60s do a fine job keeping the late '70s and early '80s alive. Those who've heard Radio 4's "Dance 2 the Underground" one time too many may groan at the likes of "Riot Radio" (as fun as it is), but their Gang of Four/Clash ratio leans more towards the Clash (Sandinista-era) than their New York counterparts. Dub and reggae provide the disc's high ("Nowhere") and low points ("We Get Low"), leaving a trail of skunky smoke in their wake. 7/10 (Lorraine Carpenter) At Main Hall tonight, Thurs., Aug. 18, 8 p.m., $10
C'mon
In the Heat of the Moment (Maple Music/Universal)
C'mon's second outing proves they're playing for keeps, offering tighter songs without sacrificing the riff slinging - and there are riffs done up in spades. All the ballast is here, with guitars pegged in the ultra sludge territory, Sabbath low end and pummelling drums, but it's Blurton's sense of melody and the urgency in his vocals that will keep this stuck in your CD player. C'mon are simply the Canadian rock band to beat, with undeniable Southern groove and special attention to lyrics that will keep the knuckle-dragging, troglodyte weekend warriors at bay. Respect the rock indeed! 8.5/10 (Johnson Cummins)
Schmelvis
From Memphis to the Holy Land (independent)
Bagels, bubbies, zaydies, gefilte fish and circumcision - just a few of the topics tackled by Quebec's kosher entertainer, Schmelvis. The Schmel makes funny to the tune of Elvis classics such as "Mystery Train" and "Heartbreak Hotel," along with the likes of "You Sexy Thing," "The Ballad of John and Yoko" and "The Macarena," with the occasional inappropriate klezmer interlude. For someone who's spent several years exposing Elvis's Jewish roots, and re-imagining the King as Jewish and proud, it's impressive that he's still got this much material left to milk. 7/10 (Lorraine Carpenter) CD launch at Andrew's Pub on Thurs., Aug. 25, 8:30 p.m., free
Dredg
Catch Without Arms (Interscope/Universal)
Catch Without Arms is a strange mix of emphatic lyricism, pop appeal and early '80s atmospheric guitars that sometimes remind me too much of Radiohead. "Ode to the Sun" kicks things off with a young U2 feel, and I sense a touch of Jeff Buckley, too. A glimmer of hope shines through songs like "Not That Simple," but things switch into an almost lounge rock dance vibe (bloody weird, but damn it works) on "Zebraskin." Dredg plays with a lot of dynamics, switching directions and moods on almost every song. An interesting listen, but I'm looking forward to hearing how Dredg find their own feet. 8/10 (Lateef Martin) With Pacer, Sign of One at la Tulipe on Mon., Aug. 22, 9 p.m., $15
Jose Padilla
Man Ray 4 (Wagram/Fusion III)
Love it or lump it, you can blame Jose Padilla (the DJ, not the terror suspect) for the past decade's glut of Ibiza chillout-style mixes. Padilla basically kick-started the trend after his first Café Del Mar mix went to the top of everybody and their favourite lounge DJ's list of need-to-own records. That said, his sophisticated and contemplative style has often been imitated but seldom duplicated, and his latest mix for the Man Ray space drives this point home. Moving from deep dubby house to R&B flavours, bossa nova and even electro and 2-step, the ambient sound is eclectic but always smoothly blended. 7/10 (Raf Katigbak)
Emotional Joystick
Plays! (Zod)
Armed with a Fender Rhodes keyboard, some homemade electronics and a laptop loaded with the experimental music software Super Collider, Thomas Wincek's stated purpose is to introduce a new "I" (as in improvised) into the unfortunate term IDM. Bringing to mind Squarepusher's live sets (without the bass wank), Plays! sees Wincek (aka Emotional Joystick) push his improv sound even further, adding extended dub and jazzy elements to his often chaotic, intricately programmed breakbeats. Tracks like "Bells Bossa" absolutely kill with a sublime mix of shimmering keys and darkly processed rhythms that shift from an almost dancehall funk to four-on-the-floor throbs. Brilliant! 8/10 (Raf Katigbak)
Robert Strauss
Quasars and Phasars (Freerange/Loose Feet)
Easily taking the hallowed title of "Best Toronto Record I've Heard This Year," this solid debut LP work should attract a lot of attention to Strauss, who's already had cuts remixed by Osunlade and DJ Spinna. With essential tools like the Fender Rhodes, ARP Odyssey, Minimoog, Prophet 5 and the MPC 3000, Strauss has successfully combined elements of deep house, future soul and some warm boogie to make this LP something you won't soon forget. Whether it's "Miracles" with sublime vocalist Saidah Baba Talibah, or the West London feel of "The Empire Strikes Back" with Brassmunk, it all feels like 1983, without the rugby pants. 8.5/10 (Scott C)
Psyco
There Must Be a Revolution Somewhere (MIND/Fusion III)
With the mad Doctor L manning the controls, what we have here is another excursion into the futuristic sounds of Psyco. Deftly combining elements of jazz, Afro-beat, electronic production, spoken word and dub, the atmospheric and organic sounds resonate and linger, like the upbeat shuffle "Traficante" featuring Omar Sosa, and the slow, minor trappings of the bittersweet "Weya." Although he plays drums, guitar, percussion, bass, keys and sings, Doctor L had lots of help from people like trumpet player Stephane Belmondo, guitarist Kiala Nzavotunga, and a host of musicians and vocalists who came together to complete this multi-layered project. 8/10 (Scott C)
One Block Radius
Long Story Short (Avatar)
Like a boomerang that's been gone a couple years, it seems like the chances that Outkast took with The Love Below have seeped into the collective creativity of many hip hop artists. One Block Radius simply don't care what preconceptions you have about what hip hop should be, and instead concentrate on having as much fun as humanly possible while breaking in their original sound. Best described as underground hip hop beats and rhymes peppered with catchy pop vocals and hooks, Marty James, Z-Man and MDA sometimes sound like they need a show on Comedy Central, but keep the music first and foremost. 7/10 (Scott C)
Babyface
Grown & Sexy (Sony BMG)
Back in the day, Babyface was the producer du jour for all things love-related. His Midas touch created signature slow jams for artists like Whitney, Madonna and even Eric Clapton, while his singing career yielded urban staples like "Whip Appeal." His sixth album - his first in four years - makes no attempt to cater to the hip hop generation, relying on familiar slow and mid-tempo backbeats to power his tales of love and lust. Though his songs still get corny at times, he finds some inventive ways to sing about saving relationships ("Sorry for the Stupid Things") and ending them ("Goin' Outta Business"). Seems like Face still has the touch. 7.5/10 (Gerard Dee)
Hobart Smith
In Sacred Trust (Smithsonian Folkways/ Koch)
These new releases are nothing short of breathtaking, with an exhaustive 80-page booklet and nearly 40 songs squeezed onto the CD. The intimacy of Smith's stripped down accompaniment is only heightened when archivist Fleming Brown and his subject discuss the origins of classics like "Cripple Creek" and "John Henry," and how they were passed down through generations. Smith's style, be it on violin, banjo, guitar or vocal, is reminiscent of Blind Lemon, but songs like "Cuckoo Bird" show why he's one of the best banjo pickers ever, and an institution in American music. 8.5/10 (Johnson Cummins)
Kenny Clarke-Francy Boland Big Band
All Smiles (MPS/Universal)
Kenny Clarke-Francy Boland Big Band
More Smiles (MPS/Universal)
With the recent death of Belgian pianist, composer and arranger Boland, these two wonderful big band reissues are worth checking out. Recorded in Europe in the late '60s, they contain 19 charts by Boland, mostly material of the great American Popular Song variety played by a who's who of musicians of the time. On the former, we hear from people like Dave Pike, Benny Bailey, Ronnie Scott and Tony Coe, while the latter has solos from Idrees Sulieman, Johnny Griffin, Sahib Shihab and Ake Persson. The rhythm team is made up of Boland, bassist Jimmy Woode and two drummers, Kenny "Klook" Clarke, the father of modern jazz drumming, and England's Kenny Clare. Try these two and then search out the band's other releases. 9/10 (Len Dobbin)
Mini CD Reviews
François Richard Ad Infinitum (Effendi/SRI) A great quartet outing with Geoff Lapp, Frederic Alarie, Michel Lambert and the flute-playing leader in a set of 11 originals. 9 (LD)
Roland Deschamps 1984 mix CD (independent) One of Toronto's unsung heroes plays my shit. Leon Ware, Bernard Wright, Deodato, Patrice Rushen and more. 8.5 (SC)
Jimmie Dale Gilmore Come On Back (Rounder) Could Gilmore be the best modern Tele twanger to play traditional country? 8.5 (JC)
Ghislain Poirier "Cold as Hell" 12" (Chocolate Industries) Montreal's underground urban mixologist comes hard with a crunchy new teaser for his upcoming album Breakupdown. 8.5 (RK)
Kinski Alpine Static (Sub Pop) Near-ambient atmospheric shoegazing crew goes rawk, and I like it. Mostly. 7.5 (LC) With Oneida, Oakley Hall at la Sala Rossa on Sun., Aug. 21, 9 p.m., $12
Sunset Rubdown Snake's Got a Leg (Global Symphonic) Half of Wolf Parade on a white-knuckle trip to life-destroying narcotics addiction. Figuratively speaking. 7.5 (LC)
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