Dead Kennedys
Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables 25th Anniversary Edition (Manifesto)
So you have the original and you bought the re-mastered version last year—why should you keep shelling out the bucks to these money-grubbers? Well, this one includes a DVD that will blow yer little lid wide open. After the Pistols performed their last performance in Frisco, purportedly putting the final nail in the punk coffin, out came bands like the DKs, who made punk leaner, meaner and smarter. This package transports you perfectly back to that time. If you don’t already have this classic, or are making do with the inferior-sounding original, you have to own this. 8.5/10 (Johnson Cummins)

Broadcast
Tender Buttons (Warp)
And then there were two. For whatever reason, this U.K. band has been pared down to its core, leaving singer Trish Keenan and electronics wrangler James Cargill to create their third LP. With a stripped down line-up comes a sound stripped down to its kraut-rock-coloured electropop essence, minus the shrill clatter and creepy lullaby leanings of their last record, HaHa Sound, with added charming pop simplicity. The freshly evolved duo risks getting lost in the dancefloor electro fray, but their rough psychedelic flourishes and soft deadpan glamour are still unmistakably Broadcast. 8/10 (Lorraine Carpenter) With Gravenhurst at Cabaret on Monday, Nov. 7, 9 p.m., $15

Celebration
self-titled (4AD/Select)
This NYC trio’s connection to TV on the Radio (members play and produce here) is what initially piqued my curiosity, and they do share an otherworldly quality and an eagerness to rewrite the rulebook of what rock’s all about. But where TVOTR explore the transcendental, Celebration pursue something like the paranormal. The deceptively simple set-up of duelling drums and keys of all types back Katrina Ford’s freeform vocals, at once beautiful and beastly. A strong backbone of rhythm and melody is what allows the band to slide wide, from heartbreak to hypnosis, savagery to—yup—celebration. 8/10 (Rupert Bottenberg) With Calla and Christina Frances at Main Hall tonight, Thurs., Nov. 3, 9 p.m., $12

Controller.Controller
X-Amounts (Paper Bag/Universal)
While their debut EP History placed this Toronto quintet at the more firm and focused end of the neo-no-wave dance-punk revival, it didn’t really exploit the possibilities available to the unit. Their first full-length X-Amounts expands the band’s scope, building on the foundation of snaking bass, bitter guitar bite and the equally tough and disconsolate vocals of Nirmala Basnayake. While still shooting from the shadows, controller.controller show greater daring in their structures and above all bolder attack from the guitars. 7.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg) With Sylvie and Magneta Lane at Main Hall, Sat., Nov. 5, 9 p.m., $15

Mick Harvey
One Man’s Treasure (Mute)
Known as Nick Cave’s secret weapon, Harvey has nothing to prove as his resume with Crime and the City Solution and the Birthday Party already does the talking. Harvey mainly pays tribute to his heroes here, covering songs by Cave, Lee Hazelwood, Jeffrey Lee Pierce, Tim Buckley and others. As much love and respect as he squeezes into the covers, it’s actually his own country-tinged compositions like “Will You Surrender?” and “Man Without a Home” that prove he can stand with the best of them. 7.5/10 (Johnson Cummins)

Fiery Furnaces
Rehearsing My Choir (Rough Trade)
A concept album about my grandmother would be crammed with songs about butter, borscht and cleaning floors on all fours, set to alternately jaunty and tortured Soviet arrangements. The latest LP by Eleanor and Matthew Friedberger is nearly as compelling, with choppy, oddball arrangements backing surrealized narratives, set in different decades, about guns, letter-writing and choir practice. The duo’s grandmother, Olga Sarantos, contributes musty readings of tales from her past, with Eleanor playing the role of young Granny. Unless you’re a Friedberger diehard, file under negligible oddity. 6/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

Désormais
Dead Letters to Lost Friends (Intr_version/Fusion III)
For their third album, the duo of Tony Boggs (aka Joshua Treble) and Montrealer Mitchell Akiyama continue exploring the outer reaches of indie rock and electronic abstraction. This time, the pair mine the territory of quiet and intimate instrumental Americana. Folk-country instrumentation (violin, brushed snare, acoustic guitar and accordion) have all been manipulated—in the beginning and end, with a tasteful subtlety and melody, and in the middle, more abstractly. Désormais waste no time with the solid opener “Hell’n Ohio,” a driven song that has all the dynamic peaks and valleys reminiscent of early Thrill Jockey post-rock bands. Very Good. 8/10 (Raf Katigbak)

Eternia
It’s Called Life (Urbnet)
Toronto based MC Eternia has been a growing microphone force for almost 10 years, and is clearly passionate about expressing herself in the everchanging world of hip hop. As an MC, Eternia is about straight talk, opting for direct engagement with the listener rather than a roundabout attack. Songs like the Simahlak-produced “Time” and the conversational “Control” reveal an ability to effectively communicate multi-layered observations with style and conviction. Although capable of lining up the bars, and hanging with cats like Wordsworth and Kenn Starr, I prefer Eternia’s mellow tones, where wordplay and a keen eye for detail seem to shine brightest, to her rugged and ruff approach. 7.5/10 (Scott C)

Black Rob
The Black Rob Report (Bad Boy)
Black Rob hasn’t been around for quite a while, quietly disappearing from the Bad Boy ranks after blowing shit up in 1999 with the unforgettable hit “Whoa.” Having dealt with some kidney problems, Rob is back and eager to show the world that he’s still got loads to say, in that sly Bacardi Rob way. If you’re looking for hits, look no further than “Help Me Out,” featuring an infectious stride piano sample, or “You Know What” featuring Louis Farrakhan. You can’t hate Rob, who comes back into the light with a fairly solid effort, bearing a few special gifts for those who thought he’d never be back. Listen close for the club march of “Ready” and you’ll know what I’m talking about. 8/10 (Scott C)

Jason Forrest
Shamelessly Exciting (Sonig)
Forrest’s performance at last year’s Mutek is as painfully fresh in his mind as yesterday’s hangover. At a recent post-dinner drink I had with the man in Berlin, the sting of the crowd (some of whom booed him off the stage before a proposed encore) was still a sore point. But no one can fault Forrest for doing what he does best—rocking out and going apeshit. Heads admittedly weren’t ready. That’s why the title of his latest effort is so apt. Shamelessly Exciting is a cacophonous cut ’n’ paste conglomeration of power chords, hammer taps, anthemic drums and straight-up wailing. A breakcore barrage of blood, sweat and hair that, if you’ve ever thrown up the devil sign at your favourite DJ while banging your head incessantly, will no doubt put a smile on your face as you dive headfirst into the crowd. Amazing. 8.5/10 (Raf Katigbak)

Master C & J feat. Liz Torres
Can’t Get Enough: The Classics & More (Casablanca Trax)
Carl Bias and Jesse Jones, aka Master C & J, were known for a haunting, almost Kafkaesque sound that delivered the lightning to house music’s thunder. Basslines on steroids, otherwordly synths and distinct, inventive rhythms figured prominently in eternal anthems such as “When You Hold Me,” which featured the sultry, left-of-centre vocals of Liz Torres, a grand dame of house. All the classics featuring Liz are here, as is an NYC garage favourite not involving Torres—“Fantasize Me “ by Pleasure Pump. 8.5/10 (Peter Lightburn)

Alicia Keys
Unplugged (J/Sony BMG)
Keys’s latest is not an “unplugged” experience à la MTV. Rather, this is your standard live set, complete with a full band. It’s a decent showcase for Keys’ most recognizable songs, some new material and a few covers. She doesn’t really add anything substantial to the live versions of her own material—the most satisfying moments come during her covers of Petula Clark’s “Every Little Bit Hurts” and a spirited duet with Maroon 5’s Adam Levine on “Wild Horses.” Guest appearances by Mos Def, Common and Damian Marley on “Love It or Leave It Alone” and “Welcome to Jamrock” end the set on a high note. 7.5/10 (Gerard Dee)

John Coltrane
One Down, One Up (Impulse/Universal)
What a year for discoveries! Diz and Bird at Town Hall, Monk and Trane at Carnegie, and now the classic Coltrane Quartet at the Half Note! This two-CD set captures Trane, McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison and Elvin Jones in early 1965. Originally broadcast on Alan Grant’s radio show, the material here is superbly recorded and the four long tracks capture the intensity of this foursome. Cecil Taylor’s description of open-mouthed listeners, with brains so overpowered by the music they were unable to even summon a waiter, brings back how I felt experiencing this band here at the Casa Loma in ’64. Not for the faint of heart—this was one of the most amazing groups I ever heard. 10/10 (Len Dobbin)

Mini CD Reviews

Shirley Horn But Beautiful: The Best of… (Verve/Universal) A wonderful collection of the late Ms. Horn, a magnificent talent, including the ultimate “Here’s to Life” and three superb tracks recorded in January, in all probability her swan songs. 10 (LD)

Children of Bodom Are You Dead Yet? (Spinefarm/Universal) Fuuuugggggiiiiinnnnnn’ heavy! 8 (JC)

Below the Sea Blame It on the Past (Where Are My Records) The future looks brighter for this local instrumental trio, now less ambient, but still drenched in atmospheric ambrosia. 8 (LC) CD launch with Electroluminescent at la Sala Rossa, Sun., Nov. 6, 9 p.m., $8

Various Kalk Seeds (Karaoke Kalk) Lush ambient pop, quirky electro minimalism, Japanese folk, skittering digital detritus—the only predictable thing from this pioneering German electronic label is quality. 8 (RK)

Various This Bird Has Flown (Razor & Tie) Low, Ben Harper and the Cowboy Junkies insert the best, boldest interpretations on this Beatles tribute, marking the 40th anniversary of Rubber Soul. 7.5 (LC)

The Smokin’ Joe Kubek Band Served Up Texas Style (Bullseye/Rounder) Bland blues that desperately needs to be slathered in an extra dose of grease. 6 (JC)

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