Priestess
Hello Master (Indica/Outside)
Priestess has been earning quite the buzz around town, and with the wallop of this debut, they prove that big things are in store. Gas-guzzlin’ rock gets tangled up with some serious songwriting, but it’s Mikey Heppner’s Danzig-esque howl that every song hangs its hat on. Knowing not to blow a good thing (the vocals), Priestess leave a lot of space for guitar solos and let the freedom sound of the cowbell clang righteously. Songs like “I Am the Night, Colour Me Black” and “Two Kids” can easily duke it out on the radio dial. With irony corroding rock ’n’ roll lately, it’s nice to hear it getting back to pure sweat and blood again. 8.5/10 (Johnson Cummins)
Dungen
Ta Det Lugnt (Kemado)
The title translates from the Swedish to “take it easy,” reflecting Dungen-master Gustav Ejstes’s “it’s the journey, not the destination” approach. Um, strike that and try “trip” over “journey”—Dungen do an outstanding job reviving the shaggy bombast of Shel Talmy’s maximum mod rock, the crepuscular meanderings of Pink Floyd at the turn of the ’70s and the flowery fuzz of soft-focus folk-rock, punctuated by fragments of Swedish folk music. As stated, Ta Det Lugnt never really goes much of anywhere, but its elements, deliciously executed, do flow together with all the distinction and clarity of a freak-out montage from some high-’60s Roger Corman hippie bait. Which is good. 8/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)
Old Time Relijun
2012 (K)
Blues? Jazz? Disco? Punk? It won’t make any difference when the apocalypse comes, which, according to Olympia’s Old Time Relijun and the Mayan Long Count calendar, will be Dec. 21, 2012. This is the band’s seventh album, a tangle of bare-bones blues, bursts of howling, moaning sax, short, jutting guitar riffs and trance-inducing rhythm, topped with frontman Arrington de Dionyso’s strangled vocals. Far from the frenetic mess it could be, the sound ranges from danceable to brooding, from electrocuted Gang of Four to something resembling organs and didgeridoos joined in unholy matrimony. 8/10 (Lorraine Carpenter) With Creeping Nobodies, Panopticon Eyelids at Casa del Popolo, Sun., Oct. 16, $10
Ladytron
Witching Hour (Ryko/Universal)
The electric ambiance of Ladytron’s “Blue Jeans” remix on the Softcore Jukebox comp was a good indication of where they would go with this, their third LP, produced by Kasabian’s Jim Abiss. Without sacrificing their beats, their synths or their wintry disposition, they’ve reduced the electroclash quotient and cranked the shoegazing and the rock, adding enveloping, ethereal guitars and the occasional gritty riff. This album features some of the Liverpool quartet’s best work, their masterful melodies and retro re-workings heightened by an invigorated sound, but a handful of thin, throwaway tracks really hurt the album as a whole. 7/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)
Cut Copy
Bright Like Neon Love (Modular)
A track or two in, the debut from this Australian unit seems like yet another post-rave review of the ’80s new wave template, reinforcing the synth-pop preciousness with a techno backbone. A bit further in, the debt to the French Touch of Daft Punk and such becomes clear—the album was produced by Philippe Zdar of Motorbass and Cassius, after all. With the untitled eighth track, however, we’re treated to a mashing of abrasive guitar howl and rubbery disco thump directly comparable to Kentucky’s VHS or Beta. In short, Cut Copy break no new ground, but do delineate a fair portion of the current dance/rock détente. 7.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg) With guests at la Sala Rossa, Wed., Oct. 19, 9 p.m., $12
Adult.
Gimmie Trouble (Thrill Jockey)
The electro-charged assault of husband-and-wife duo Adam Miller and Nicola Kuperus has been augmented on their second album with the addition of guitarist Samuel Consiglio. The newfound punkier aesthetic retains a certain quick and dirty urgency that translates well live, but fails to deliver the same hooks of Adult.’s previous efforts. Above all, Kuperus’s shout has become a manic, Slits-inspired howl that would try the patience of even the most patient punk fan. 6/10 (Raf Katigbak) With Optimo, Der Plan, Sister Iodine, Genders and Satan Belanger at SAT, Thurs., Oct. 20, 9 p.m., $25
Black Dice
Broken Ear Record (DFA/Sonic Unyon)
Brooklyn’s Black Dice are a little less noisy here than on the previous Creature Comforts, but without a drummer, BD’s noisescapes are nonetheless more upfront and allowed to stretch out longer, while loops of sound keep the beat. They’re far more restrained than contemporaries Wolf Eyes, but Black Dice know how to deliver the goods, and when the unintelligible vocals come in, it even starts to sound like Sunburned Hand of the Man. Check out the Afro-noise groove on “Motorcycle” for sheer dementia. 7.5/10 (Johnson Cummins)
Various
Another World is Possible (Uncivilized World)
More than simply a benefit CD for the organization ATTAC, this hefty package is intended as an illustration of, and a catalyst for debate about, the alter-globalization movement. The ghost of Joe Strummer haunts the musical selections, with Asian Dub Foundation and Zebda jamming on “Police On My Back” and Emir Kusturica and his No Smoking Orchestra drunkenly stumbling through a brassy Balkanization of “Lost in the Supermarket.” Manu Chao, Femi Kuti, Lee Perry and Moby also contribute tracks, while left-lit superstars like Chomsky and Klein, Arundhati Roy and Shirin Ebadi supply mini-manifestos. Concrete solutions are in short supply, but as a motivational tool, this package delivers. 7.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)
Atach Tatuq
Deluxxx (Anubis/Outside)
Montreal’s hip hop monster Atach Tatuq returns with a hefty helping of music with their latest LP. Deluxxx may come with a condom inside, but this local crew intends to bust a nut in your eye with songs like “Chambre à gaz Feng Shui,” “Du monde comme nous” and “What Are Friends For.” Rolling with an extended crew, AT still manages to achieve a focused record due to strong, distinct MCs and the singlehanded production of Toast Dawg. Check out “Plastiq doré” and “1-2” featuring Arnak, Egypto and DJ Nerve for some new Montreal flavour. 8/10 (Scott C)
Curumin
Achados E Perdidos (Quannum)
As Quannum’s roster expands to include the many rhythms of the world, Brazilian artist Curumin adds a warm take to the end of the summer with his debut LP. Music from the streets of Sao Paulo is filtered through American funk and soul of the ’70s, combined with Curumin’s laid-back vocal approach. Born to Japanese/Spanish parents, Curumin’s influences seamlessly combine a love for Stevie Wonder on “You Haven’t Done Nothing” and Jorge Ben on “Vem Menina,” part of a relaxed tip of the hat to artists that have shaped his musical palette. 7.5/10 (Scott C)
Chromeo
Un Joli Mix Pour Toi (Eskimo/Fusion III)
Montreal’s purveyors of all things electro-funk, the duo of Pee Thug and Dave 1 dig deep in the crates and pull out some lost classics and hidden gems for another excellent mix on Belgium’s Eskimo label. Eschewing any hints of irony (you can hear the love in there), this 47-minute mix takes listeners back to that early-’80s New York nexus where disco, funk, electro, soul and freestyle intertwine into a deep, silky groove. Tracks like Jellybean Benitez’s sax-laden “Who Found Who,” the upbeat pop boogie of David Grant’s “Stop and Go” and Calloway’s “I Wanna Be Rich” will earn more than a few cries of, “Oh Snap! I remember that jam!” 8/10 (Raf Katigbak)
Toni Braxton
Libra (Universal)
On her sixth album and first post-Arista effort, Braxton mines familiar slow-groove territory with customary aplomb. The album follows recent efforts by urban artists like Brian McKnight and Babyface, whose sets reflect a return to form by seasoned acts no longer obsessed with the elusive hip hop market. Not surprisingly, this is a consistent effort by Braxton, one that uses her limited range to best effect on sultry grooves like “Midnight” and lead single “Please.” The Rich Harrison-produced “Take This Ring” would sound fresher if Harrison hadn’t already produced a better gogo-tinged track earlier this year in Amerie’s “1 Thing.” That misstep aside, Braxton fans should be satisfied. 7.5/10 (Gerard Dee)
The Five Corners Quintet
Chasin’ the Jazz Gone By (Milan/Ricky-Tick)
When composer, producer and arranger Tuomas Kallio got together with label manager Antti Erikainen at a Helsinki bar to plot the course of the future, they envisioned jazz produced for the dancefloor. The Five Corners Quintet bring real jazz licks to the floor without the aid of nu-jazzisms or house-music overtones, instead opting for atmospheric, heady tunes and undeniable floor-fillers that brim with life, energy and authenticity. Hot tunes include the up-tempo “Lighthouse,” “Unsquare Bossa” and “Jamming (With Mr. Hoagland)” featuring vocalist Mark Murphy. 8/10 (Scott C)
Manny Albam
The Blues Is Everybody’s Business (Gambit)
This 1956 big-band outing has been revered for years. I must confess I’m just catching up with this one, and that it has been well worth the wait. Albam, who died in 2001, was an unsung jazz arranger, and this CD contains some great writing capped by the four-part suite from which it takes its title. For the most part these are also his originals, though Bobby Troup’s “Lemon Twist” is also tackled. There are two all-star bands here, the other led by trumpeter Larry Sonn. Besides the writing there is the wonderful playing of musicians the likes of Bob Brookmeyer, Phil Woods, Eddie Costa, Gene Quill, Al Cohn and George Devens and, one the live tracks, the voice of Al “Jazzbo” Collins. A must for the big band collection. 10/10 (Len Dobbin)
Mini CD Reviews
Lester Young Lester’s Be-Bop Boogie (Membran) A wonderful four-CD collation of the man Billie Holiday named “Pres”—76 wonderful tracks by this jazz giant at an almost giveaway price. 10 (LD)
Snooks Ealgin New Orleans Street Singer (Smithsonian Folkways) Absolutely everything on this label rules, but Ealgin actually raises the bar. 9 (JC)
Art Brut Bang Bang Rock & Roll (Banana/Fierce Panda) Like U.K. punks trapped in ice since 1979, long-lost brothers of Wire and the Fall, cousins of the Undertones. 8 (LC)
Nadja Truth Becomes Death (Alien8/Sonic Unyon) Excellent ambient doom, from Canada no less. 8 (JC)
Murcof Remembranza (Leaf/Fusion III) If classical music students want to get into Austrian electro free jazz, this is the disc. 7.5 (RK)
The Coral The Invisible Invasion (Deltasonic/Sony BMG) Less murky and mangled, more prim and namby-pamby, the Coral are as mysteriously mediocre as ever. 7 (LC)
Various The Rose Vol. 2: Music Inspired by Tupac’s Poetry (Amaru) Everybody lines up to pay tribute, including Shock G, Boot Camp Clik, Kweli, Bone Thugs and even Yoyo. 7 (SC)
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