Arthur H
Adieu tristesse (Polydor/Universal)
The latest from the remarkable Monsieur H was partially recorded in Montreal last winter, and produced by Montreal's Jean Massicotte, who also helmed Lhasa's The Living Road. But this isn't Arthur's "Montreal album" per se. Much of it is, in its disheveled elegance, as exquisitely French as ever, as H holds high a torch passed on by Brel and Gainsbourg. "Ma dernière nuit à New-York City," meanwhile, appropriately echoes the Velvets to a degree. The duetting guests include Franco-fop M, Toronto-cum-Parisian chanteuse Feist and for the first time, Arthur's dad Jacques Higelin. But more than anything it's coming from a fantastical if deliberately lower-case anywhere, a reflection of the hibernal hermitage from which H, his lieutenant Nicolas Repac and Massicotte cobbled this gem. 8.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)
The Rolling Stones
A Bigger Bang (EMI)
Once heralded as the greatest rock 'n' roll band, the Stones have unfortunately lost the plot since Some Girls and are now merely a tribute to their former glory. Album opener and call-to-arms rocker "Rough Justice" promises good things, but unfortunately the Black Crowes and JuJu Hounds beat them at their own game these days. After that, they in fact hit new lows (excluding Sir Mick's She's the Boss) with the R&B-flavoured "Rain Fall Down." When Richards lays down the righteous boogie on "Back of My Hand," shades of Exile on Main Street manage to shine through, and Jagger's lyrics aimed at neoconservatives in "Sweetnewcon" are ballsy, but these old boys are largely asleep at the wheel. 6/10 (Johnson Cummins)
Ween
Shinola Vol. 1 (Chocodog/ Fusion III)
The furiously productive Gener and Deaner gather some loose tracks, outtakes and unfinished Web site-only material, spruce 'em up and let 'em loose via their own label. As such things invariably go, there are tracks here that are forgettable and even regrettable ("The Rift"). But tunes like the swanky chuckle "Boys Club," the characteristic classic-rock pastiche "Gabrielle," the disgusto-funk throwback "Big Fat Fuck" and the opener "Tastes Good On th' Bun," which could well summarize the band's trajectory, make for a primo round of Weenology on the balance. 8/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)
Khanate
Capture & Release (Hydra Head)
This new one from New York's heaviest noisemongers is absolutely crushing, with just two songs taking up the 50 minutes here. Made up of James Plotkin from Atomsmasher, Alan Dubin from Old and Stephen O'Malley from the drone masters Sunn O))) and Teeth of Lions, Khanate absolutely punish with this one. O'Malley brings the dredge and doom of Sunn O))) with him, but sticks closer to a Swans/Earth dirge while adding more movements to the mix with Dubin's teeth-rattling wail thrown over top of the devastating doom. This is the heaviest thing you will hear all year. 8.5/10 (Johnson Cummins) With Nadja at la Sala Rossa, Tues., Sept. 20, 9 p.m., $12
Sigur Ros
Takk... (Geffen/Universal)
Without forfeiting all the ambient subtleties of their fanciful compositions, Iceland's Sigur Ros return with their most conventional album to date. Aiming straight at the chamber pop/post-rock axis, the band evokes scorching, sentimental movie climaxes set against saturated sunsets, their orchestral largesse shamelessly fingering the heartstrings. Elsewhere, lowly distortion lends a raucous roar to their newfound arena-sized sound, though the feline/Farinelli vocalizations offset the kind of masculine energy emitted by bands like Mogwai. There's no shortage of sprawling beauty here, but it seems as if the band's stab at accessibility has infringed on the unique, otherworldly quality that once made Sigur Ros truly exceptional. 6/10 (Lorraine Carpenter) With Amina at Place des Arts, Fri., Sept. 16, 8 p.m., $42.50, all ages
Various
Dimension Mix (Eenie Meenie/Sonic Unyon)
Philip Anagnos
Haack: The King of Techno DVD (Koch Vision/Koch)
Bearing the hallmarks of both the prescient electro-musician/inventor and "outsider" oddball, Alberta-born Bruce Haack (d. '88) was always both ahead of, and at odds with, his time - like his music, at once capricious and controlled, erudite and utterly naïve. Anagnos's lively documentary follows Haack's story, from nowheresville to Juilliard, to his People-odeon and Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, settling on his extensive efforts for kids with sidekick Esther Nelson. It's peppered with chats with current art-pop figures inspired in part by Haack, some of whom cross over to the outstanding Dimension Mix comp. On it, Haack's tunes get worked over by Beck, Stereolab, Money Mark, Tipsy, Apples in Stereo and many more. A kooky, energetic affair, and a fundraiser for autism charities to boot! Both 8.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)
T.Raumschmiere Blitzkrieg Pop (Shitkatapult/Fusion III)
Germany's T.Raumschmiere exploded onto the scene in a rain of blood, bile, distorted sawtooth waves and chugging power chords. He was dirty, angry and nasty, and we loved him for it. With his third album Blitzkrieg Pop, you can add "unfocused" to those descriptors. "Sick Like Me" could be a Psalm 69-era Ministry track, and "Driving in Whiskey" is a decent dancefloor thumper featuring vocals by Ellen Allien. While no T.Raumschmiere album would be complete without a throbbing shuffle track ("All Systems Go!"), the rest is littered with throwaway interludes and pseudo-electroclash meandering. 5/10 (Raf Katigbak) With Four Tet, Hot Chip at Cabaret, Thurs., Sept. 22, 9 p.m., $19
Necro
The Sexorcist (Psycho+Logical)
Necro wastes no time getting straight to the point on this sex-ploration of every part of his self-proclaimed Porn King persona. "Who's Your Daddy" paints the debaucherous picture: "The foul shit/bounce wit' me/degrading, depraving debauchery/you're naked on the couch with me/bitch getting' fucked in your ass through your fishnets/cuttin' queefs/you better eat shit next..." This record is relentless, and with songs like "Suckadelic," "I Remain Stiff" and "Vaginal Secretions," plus cameos from porn stars Ron Jeremy, Joey Slivera, Katsumi and Brittany Andrews, it's hard to get through once. Necro will always be a dope producer, and handy with the mic, but this record is for a select, twisted few. 7/10 (Scott C)
Princess Superstar
My Machine (K7!/Outside)
Presented as a dispatch from the fourth millennium, when human cloning is commonplace and kids are named after corporate logos, Superstar's fifth album is the taste that refreshes. Electro, hip hop, rock, house and tiny techno are mixed and matched by the likes of Jacques Lu Cont, Junior Sanchez and Armand Van Helden, producing an amped-up (if occasionally overblown) range of sounds fit for the futuristic setting. Though the Princess often reverts to her lyrically vapid, vocally grating self, some sweet singing and sci-fi blather take the edge off the squeaky rapping and tired self-aggrandizing. I'm almost loving it. 7.5/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)
Morcheeba
The Antidote (Echo/Fusion III)
Although it may be a stretch for Ross Godfrey to claim his band "invented chill-out" back in the late '90s, Morcheeba's blend of hip hop, soul, dub, electronics and the wispy, seductive voice of Skye Edwards created a downtempo sound as ubiquitous and dense as post-party weed smoke. Now the smoke has cleared, leaving only a few trip-hop releases to withstand the test of time. Morcheeba's response is a subtle reinvention. More upbeat and psych-rock, the sound owes more to Jefferson Airplane than Massive Attack. Unfortunately, the powerful Grace Slick vocals of new frontwoman Daisy Martey are held back by uninspired lyrics and a too-clean production that betrays the rawness of her vocals. 6/10 (Raf Katigbak)
Jaguar Wright
Divorcing Neo 2 Marry Soul (Artemis)
Her brilliantly vicious '01 debut, Denials, Delusions and Decisions, introduced an artist who, while deeply rooted in soul traditions, showcased a no-nonsense hip hop sensibility. This sophomore effort finds Wright in a kinder, gentler space, best exemplified by "Flower," dedicated to her child. While the vibe is uplifting, it's not as fun and lacks the edge that made her debut so enjoyable. Producers like Raphael Saadiq provide sexy beats, and flashes of the old Jaguar surface on tracks like "Woman 2 Woman," "So High" and the almost 12-minute rant "Do Your Worst," but overall the album's just not quite Wright. 7/10 (Gerard Dee)
Various
Ready or Not: Deep Jazz Grooves From the CBC Radio Canada Archive (DoRight!/Outside)
It may just be a coincidence that this collection of rare Canadian jazz, recorded and released by the CBC between '67 and '77, comes in the middle of the broadcaster's labour dispute, but it sheds light on a cloudy chunk of Canadian music history. Maynard Ferguson, Emile Normand and Nick Ayoub all contribute Latin-tinged dancefloor workouts, while Humber College music professor Al Michalek's deep and wide "Voices" would be a great garage-sale find. Killer tracks can be found in Billy Robinson's "The Family" and the bubbly Kathryn Moses title track. 8/10 (Scott C)
Buddy Rich
Quiet Riot (Proper/SRI)
Twenty-three airchecks from the period of '46 to '48 - bankrolled by Frank Sinatra, these bands were well stocked with musicians of the calibre of Earl Swope, Aaron Sachs, Red Rodney, Allen Eager, Harvey Leonard, Al Cohn, George Handy and Jimmy Giuffre. Arrangements come from the pens of Ed Finckel, Tadd Dameron, Neal Hefti, Cohn and Giuffre. There's a fun grouping of Rich, Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Mooney doing "Blue Skies" and hearing an announcer read, "And now here's a tune called poontang!" is worth the price of admission. 9/10 (Len Dobbin)
Mini CD Reviews
Kenny Clarke/Francy Boland Fellini 712 (MPS/Universal) Just in time for film-festival season, a reissue of Boland's well-written, three-part suite played by an all-star big band. 8.5 (LD)
Bloc Party Silent Alarm Remixed (Vice/Warner) The danceable U.K. agit-pop debut gets a worthy reworking by Erol Alkan, M83, Four Tet, DFA1979 and more. 8 (RB)
T La Rock Lyrical King (Fresh/Fusion III) More classic hip hop reissues from Fresh. Check out T with a young Greg Nice and DJ Louie Lou. 8 (SC)
The Greenhornes East Grand Blues (V2) Straight outta the far-out rock 'n' roll time machine, these Cincinnati kids regurgitate the mid-'60s in style. Just don't get it on your clothes. 7.5 (LC) With the White Stripes at Bell Centre, Sat., Sept. 17, 8 p.m., $45
Richard Hawley Coles Corner (Mute) Hawley could replace Nick Cave as Satan's favourite lounge singer. 7.5 (JC)
Cobra Killer & Kapajkos Das Mandolinenorchester (Monika) The back catalogue of Berlin electro-punk bad girls Cobra Killer, reprocessed as Balkan folk music. Crazy shit. 7 (RB)
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