Kardinal Offishall
Fire and Glory (Black Jays/EMI)
Oh, gosh. After having what would have undoubtedly been his shining moment snatched from him when MCA folded with his second LP in tow, Toronto's Kardinal emerges unscathed, and seemingly stronger because of the ordeal. Fire and Glory is a blazing testament to Kardi's Jamaican roots, and even more impressive, completely produced by the man himself. Keeping safe distance from his American hip hop counterparts, Fire and Glory incorporates Kardi’s impeccable jerk-spice patois rhymes, and even uncovers an impressive singing voice. This record is hard proof that Kardinal Offishall has set the bar for Canadian hip hop originality. Ya done know! 10/10 (Scott C)

The Darkness
One Way Ticket to Hell… and Back (Atlantic/Warner)
Following up the massive debut Permission to Land is no easy task, but the sophomore Darkness album proves that the joke hasn’t delivered its punchline yet—although it is getting dangerously close. Tongues are still firmly in cheek, judging by the Zamfir-style pan flute opening the record, but these spandex-clad limeys can still pen a great bubblegum hit when needed (“Knockers,” “Blind Man”). Roy Thomas Baker’s massive production packs a wallop, although unfortunately not even his string arrangements can save ’70s MOR-ballad duds like “Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time” and “Dinner Lady Arms.” A fun, disposable listen that never hits the heights of the debut. 6.5/10 (Johnson Cummins)

System of a Down
Hypnotize (American/Sony BMG)
Open letter to Daron Malakian, guitarist and vocalist for one of the best metal bands around: Please stop playing rock star! Let singer Serj Tankian sing and write the majority of lyrics again, like the old days. Your mundane lyrics kill the uniqueness that made System stand out from the crap. Dropping two records in one year ain’t impressive when they sound like the same album—the second weaker than the first—even if every single track is killer live. Lousy cover art too (your little bro?). If this were any other band, I would have no complaints, but ever since Toxicity, it seems you’ve been dumbing things down for the kiddies. Give ’em credit, please. 6/10 (Lateef Martin)

From First to Last
Dear Diary, My Teen Angst Has a Body Count (Epitaph/FAB)
Yet another band for the emo set, with their black nail polish, sleeve tattoos and angular hair. Things start off well enough but the stubbed-toe angst of singer Sonny Moore fails to register while harmony vocals steal all of the attention, rendering his a pestering whimper by the end of the record. Not all is lost here, as they do display some good arrangements and dynamics, but songs like “Note to Self” and the acoustic “Emily” smack too much of pale imitation, and signs of innovation are nowhere to be found. 6/10 (Johnson Cummins) With Haste the Day, He is Legend and Dead Reckless at El Salon tonight, Thurs., Dec. 1, 8 p.m.

Calexico/Iron & Wine
In the Reins (Overcoat)
These seven songs were written and sung by Iron and Wine (aka Miami’s Sam Beam), backed by Calexico’s Joey Burns and John Convertino. Each act has had its way with country and folk traditions over the years, Calexico’s desert twang bordering on Shins territory (nearly literally, as both bands formed in Arizona), Iron and Wine’s clucking strings cast in nocturnal velvet. Together, however, the tunes are largely tepid head-bobbers, the arrangements curiously low on spice. A spot of celebratory horns, a burst of unhinged sax and a sleazy slice of honky-tonk porno music are the only sounds that keep the tumbleweed at bay. 6/10 (Lorraine Carpenter) At the Spectrum on Thursday, Dec. 8, 9 p.m., $25

Dutch Oven
Electric Last Minute (Century/FAB)
These Montreal drunks are back with a sweet new record deal under their arm as they continue to let punk rock duke it out with Blue Cheer sludge. Production can get a little murky in places, but wading through the muck are riffs as heavy as lead on “Random Drunks” and the Monster Magnet psych of “Joliette.” The regular bong-bubbling suspects—Kyuss, Orange Goblin, Mudhoney—all get nodded to here, but on songs like “Brand New Past” and the doom-laden “Audible Silence,” Dutch Oven carve out their own niche. 7/10 (Johnson Cummins) CD launch at Petit Campus with Top Brass, Fri., Dec. 2, 9 p.m., $6

Sir Alice
self-titled (Tigerushi/Statik)
Dandi
Wind Concrete Igloo (Todtenschlaf)
There are strange and surprising similarities between these debut LPs by France’s Alice Daquet, one of the lady lounge singers with Nouvelle Vague (whose Marc Collin produces), and local B.C. ex-pats Dandi Wind. Abrasive electronics, hammering beats and awesome vocal velocity are expected amid the danceable synth-punk songs of Szam Findlay and Ms. Wind, a Georges Leningrad-esque electro commandant with hair-raising death metal skills, always crackling with barely restrained hysteria. A similar juxtaposition of dancefloor pop and dangerous noise permeates Sir Alice’s disc, a more subtle and dynamic affair that carefully builds to its thundering climaxes and weaves in velvety ambient passages and skewered Xmas music. For their sheer force of personality and creative concoctions of infernal industrial noise and melodic electro, Dandi Wind wins out. Bonus points for that rap track. Alice 7/10, Dandi 8/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

Freeform Five
Misch Masch (Fine/Statik)
Denying “particular allegiance to any scene or movement” is a little disingenuous on the part of FF5’s Anu Pillai. Allegiance to anything that works would be more accurate, as this outrageously good double-disc mix illustrates. The first side is a rapid-fire run-through from classic disco, funk and electro (Funkadelic, Breakwater) through current hip hop, disco-punk and unclassifiable cool (Soulwax, Diplo, Pink Grease, Aphex Twin—and a surprise winner in the dub of Comateens’ “Get Off My Case”). The second disc is a little more chill, focusing on FF5’s “freeform reforms” of Annie, N.E.R.D., Mylo, Isolée and, uh, Elton John. Yup, Sir Elton—and it works too. 8.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

Carl Craig
Fabric 25 (Fabric/Fusion III)
If you want to talk about a legendary producer whose sound is as diverse as it is infectious, Detroit’s Carl Craig is untouchable. His 69 project was lo-fi and gritty, while his Innerzone Orchestra was lush and jazzy. Paperclip People was a tech-house mindfuck (ask James Murphy, whose LCD Soundsystem covered a PP track last tour) and his eponymous productions are classics. On this 75-minute mix, Craig drops some Detroit vibes early on, then brings in some deep Chicago house-style funk and Africanism, Kerri Chandler and Blaze, then brings it back to Detroit for a smooth-as-silk outro. Classic Craig! 7/10 (Raf Katigbak)

Fred Everything
House of Om (Om/Koch)
Montreal house impresario Fred Everything has always had an ear for funk. It only makes sense that San Fran deep-house label Om asked Everything to take over mix duties for their increasingly popular House of Om series (DJ Sneak and Kaskade have already had their turn). Comparatively, Everything’s mix is a little grittier than previous installments, lending the hour-long blend an intimate, decisively dirtier and bouncier feel. The balls-deep bassline of Rithma’s “Funk is Still Alive (Joey Youngman Mix)” is an elastic eargasm, and Fred Everything’s own showings (“Studio C” and “Soul Mates (Lazy Dub)”) are just as tight. This is sweaty, funky, late-night club music à l’os. 7/10 (Raf Katigbak)

Various
Kenny Dope vs. P&P Records (P&P/Fusion III)
Leave it to MAW man Kenny Dope to hook up this re-issue of rare and classic tracks from the legendary funk, soul and disco genius of Harlem’s P&P Records, which encompassed a slew of imprint labels that included Golden Star, Hit Makers, Sound of New York, Golden Flamingo and Queen Constance. Larry Levan would be proud of this two-disc LP, one featuring a Kenny Dope mix, the other tracks from artists like Little Scotty, Shift, Florence Miller, Queen Yahna, Personal Touch and Marta Acuna. Classic material. 8.5/10 (Scott C)

Floetry
Flo’Ology (Geffen/Universal)
On their third release (their second studio effort), British duo Floetry let their feelings flow in a set that favours romantic love songs. This is a calmer affair than their ’02 debut Floetic, with “songstress” Marsha Ambrosius and “floacist” Natalie Stewart trading thoughtful lyrics over rhythms that rarely rise above a mid-tempo groove. As such, the album gets overly mellow at times—there is such a thing as too much introspection. The most exciting moments here include a guest appearance by Common on “SupaStar” (a tribute to the brothers), and the positive-minded “Blessed 2 Have.” This one is most satisfying during intimate evenings at home. 7/10 (Gerard Dee)

Dick Hyman & Dick Wellstood
Stridemonster! (Sackville)
Daniel Lessard Trio
Pas à Pas (Propella)
A couple of gift ideas for jazz piano lovers. A pair of modern stridemasters, Hyman and Wellstood’s CD is a reissue of 14 tracks recorded in NYC and Toronto. Gems include “Keep Off the Grass,” “Froggie Moore” and “Snowy Morning Blues.” Bassist Lessard moves to the piano for a superb trio outing. He’s hugely assisted by the always impressive Carlos Jimenez on guitar and Jonathan Braën on bass. The leader’s “Stride a Ride” is here along with some variations on “You Stepped Out of a Dream” (“Influence”) and “What Is This Thing Called Love” (“Dizz”), and standards like “Witchcraft” and “I Loves You Porgy.” Both 9.5/10 (Len Dobbin)

Mini CD Reviews

Burst Origo (Relapse/Koch) The perfect middle ground between the hardcore brutality of Botch and the apocalyptic panorama of Neurosis. 9 (JC)

Ilona Knopfler Live the Life (Mack Avenue/Fusion III) The bilingual Ms. Knopfler sings a dozen songs, including Claude Nougaro’s “Le Jazz et la java” and his French-language version of “Girl Talk” as well as some Monk, Gershwin and Legrand. 9 (LD)

Michel F. Côté Flat Fourgonnette (DAME) Composer Côté takes early American music to unlikely places—with excellent results. 8.5 (JC)

Delia Gonzalez & Gavin Russom The Days of Mars (DFA/EMI) Anachrono-tronic adventures in the drone zone, narrowcast at fans of Spacemen 3 and such. 7.5 (RB)

Songs of Green Pheasant self-titled (Fat Cat/Fusion III) These four-track recordings from a northern British kitchen have a subtle bipolar beauty, and a few tracks are bound to creep out the kiddies. 7.5 (LC)

Matthew Barber Sweet Nothing (Warner) Sink yr teeth into some classic Can-rock fromage. 3.5 (LC)

Various Star Status Vol 1. (Artemis) An hour-long mix of cringe-worthy diva-trance remixes of Chrissie Hynde, Jody Watley and Taylor Dayne (!?). About an hour too long. 3 (RK)

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