Various
In the Mix.05 (Tinted/Statik)
For this split double-CD mix (accompanying a year-end glossy mag), Tinted tapped Montreal’s own crown prince of electro, Tiga, and Australia’s duke of disco-nouveau, Ajax. From the opening salvo of the Buick Project remix of electro acid-rock banger “Warning Siren,” Tiga proves he not only has a knack for selecting the illest late-night floorfillers, but a creative flare in the mix as well, teasing bits and pieces of his own remixes (Thomas Anderson’s “Washing Up”) and tracks from his forthcoming full-length in and out of his hour-long mix. Ajax proceeds to kill it with his own more laid-back, groovy take on the electro sound with remixes by Sean Kosa, Mylo, Justsus Kohncke and DFA. Killer! 9/10 (Raf Katigbak)

The Subways
Young for Eternity (City Pavement/Warner)
Your feelings about the Subways may depend on your reaction to the sticker slapped onto this CD: “As heard on The O.C.” But it’s not mall-punk, emo or any other easily defined American specialty sound. The Subways are a teenage power trio from small-town England whose punk is cut with sleaze rock and a little rootsy rock ’n’ roll, with vocals ranging from bratty to screamy to weepy (on the requisite ballad). The songs are slightly samey after a while, but this is nevertheless an impressive debut that outshines similarly oriented but ultimately disappointing acts like Ash. 7/10 (Lorraine Carpenter) With the Shys, Code Pie at la Sala Rossa tonight, Thurs., Mar. 9, 9 p.m., $13

Neko Case
Fox Confessor Brings the Flood (Mint/Outside)
Four years after Blacklisted, Neko Case hasn’t lost her flair for country noir, a concoction of shuddering guitars, towering vocals and lyrics about devil worship and boiling lovers in oil. Case is backed by some of the same players from her excellent 2004 live album, The Tigers Have Spoken, such as backup singer Kelly Hogan, guitarist Paul Rigby and the Sadies, who co-wrote three songs. After an underwhelming opener, the album peaks high and early, dulling midway and only dusting itself off for the closer. There are some huge songs here, but simply too much mediocrity for an album so long in the making. 7/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

Mastodon
Call of the… (Relapse/Koch)
Of the many Relapse re-releases this month, this one proves to be a massive. Call of the Mastodon marked the band’s first studio foray and although all the proggy time signatures and stop-on-a-dime arrangements are in place at this embryonic stage, it’s obvious the real spit and polish were still a record away. Having said that, the band just obliterate on the nine songs here. “Welcoming War” shows their death/grind metal roots (think Cephalic Carnage), but songs like “Thank You For This” prove them far more than just another metal band. A half-hour of pure, pounding bliss. 8.5/10 (Johnson Cummins)

Troy Von Balthazar
self-titled (La Tribu/Select)
I’m guessing the “Von” is an affectation. I’m also sceptical about the claim that this frontman for Hawaiian indie-rock band Chokebore wrote part of this album while rooming with Leonard Cohen. Moreover, considering the strange, sparse texture of his songs, it’s hard to believe Balthazar’s not French. Acoustic and occasional electric guitars back his strained, tender voice, sometimes in duet with girlish chanteuse Adeline Fargier. Bells chime, hands clap, voices warp and loop and cheap keys and beats make the necessary cameos, forming an album that’s like a raw wool sweater—warm and cozy, if you can bear the itch. 7.5/10 (Lorraine Carpenter) At le National, Tues., Mar. 14, 8 p.m., $11.50

(n=1)
Disco Génetique (independent/Local)
The lab coats aren’t for show—all four members of this Montreal band are actual grad students in various sciences, something gently reflected in the clever lyrics. The anticipated frosty synths and algebraic machine beats are utterly absent (though Geiger counter samples and a centrifugal coda pop up). Instead, you get vivacious, danceable, distinctly Quebecois pop-rock with no small bite and a sweet, folksy touch in the frenzied fiddling of Alexis Vallée-Bélisle. Hypothetically speaking, this mini-album should earn them ear time well beyond their current geek-clique following. 7.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg) CD launch at la Sala Rossa, Fri., Mar. 10, 9 p.m., $8

William Hooker/Lee Ranaldo
The Celestial Answer (Xeric)
Hall Ranaldo Hooker
Oasis of Whispers (Alien8)
A couple slices of Ranaldo/Hooker improv, from ’97 and 2001 respectively. On the first, with only the occasional overdub, Sonic Youth guitarist Ranaldo sets his Roland Space Echo on stun (which gets tiring over the hour) while Hooker’s percussion provides the dynamic shifts and lulls, keeping things on track. Things definitely get more interesting on Oasis of Whispers, with Glen Hall filling out the sound with an assortment of wind and reed instruments. Ranaldo is far more interesting on this release, with a more violent and urgent approach on guitar, while Hooker once again proves he has big ears and is respectful of space, but this one is Hall’s show all the way—just check out his treatment of Sonny Rollins’s “Blue Seven.” Answer 7/10, Whispers 8/10 (Johnson Cummins)

Goldfrapp
Supernature (Mute/EMI)
Goldfrapp’s third album opens promisingly with the pulsating neo-disco pair “Ooh La La” and “Lovely 2 C U,” suggesting a marked improvement over the disastrous e-clash cash-in of their second, Black Cherry. Better yet, “You Never Know” comes tantalizingly close to recapturing the soaring alpine grace of their debut, Felt Mountain. But it’s doubtful the duo will ever climb that hill again—the bulk of Supernature is expansive yet empty synth-pop helmed by a woman clearly fixated on being a millennial mash-up of Marlene Dietrich (notice “Satin Chic”) and Madonna, with some Björk thrown in on “Fly Me Away.” Yeah, she’s got the chops and the craven ambition, but not the charisma. 6/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

Various
Pure: Music From the Film (Finite/Statik)
Distilling a full night’s partying into a 74-minute mix is no easy task, but music supervisor DJ Guapo pulls it off in style for the soundtrack to the Montreal-made club-culture feature. Starting off with some chilled-out world-beat breaks, Guapo then brings on the bouncy electro-pop of local duo Chromeo, the quirky minimalism of Mateo Murphy, the epic throb of Nuclear Ramjet, the relentless pummelling of Misstress Barbara and the underwater funk of Eloi Brunelle, meanwhile peppering the mix with international names like Ian Pooley and LSG. A great introduction to electronic music, particularly local, for the uninitiated! 8/10 (Raf Katigbak)

Remy Ma
There’s Something About Remy: Based on a True Story (SRC/Universal)
This first solo effort from Terror Squad’s number-one lady opens with some words from the late Big Pun: “Sometimes you have to send a woman to do a man’s job.” Remy Ma may not have shown her cards on the massive hit “Lean Back,” but she is more than capable of engaging attention with a rugged and versatile flow. Her skill as an MC is apparent on tracks like “She’s Gone” and the gritty and visual “Guilty.” Unfortunately, her choice of beats almost robs her of any further praise, and she could have left out the love track, the club track, the Southern collaboration track and the dumbass skits. Thank producers Swizz Beats, Scott Storch, Buckwild and Alchemist for trying their best. 7/10 (Scott C)

Roots Manuva
Alternately Deep (Big Dada/ Ninja Tune/Outside)
Much like he did after Run Come Save Me, Big Rodney serves up the companion to last year’s Awfully Deep, a collection of B-sides, bonus cuts and songs only previously available for download, all recorded at the same time the album was being crafted. Eight new tracks sit alongside tunes that some of you have already heard. Check the lead-off “No Love,” or the forlorn chorus on “Nobody’s Dancing,” where Roots seems to cry out for the good ol’ days. For maximum heat and some classic lyrical swagger, check out “Grown Man” and the impossible swing of “Things We Do.” If you wished there were a few more nod-factor joints on Awfully Deep, this disc has you covered. 8/10 (Scott C)

Jaheim
Ghetto Classics (Warner)
Even after three albums, it’s still hard to listen to Jaheim without thinking of Teddy Pendergrass. Jaheim’s no imitator, but just as Pendergrass imbued vocal urgency into his songs, Jaheim sings like he’s trying to mean every word he says. The ’70s vibe that runs throughout this set gets a little redundant, but when it works, it acts as brilliant support for Jaheim’s rough and ready vocals. For instance, “Like a DJ” uses Eddie Grant’s “Time Warp” to support a skillful analogy that compares relationships to the connection between a DJ and her records. Something tells me Jaheim won’t have to worry about getting enough spin with this one. 7.5/10 (Gerard Dee)

Art Lillard’s Heavenly band Reasons To Be Thankful (Summit)
Pratt Brothers Big Band 16 Men & A Chick Singer Swingin’ (CAP) Here are two lesser known New York-based groups for the big-band fan to check out. Drummer Lillard’s release, mixing standards and jazz standards by the likes of Kenny Dorham and Tom McIntosh, has some distinct bonuses in the work of a number of guests that include the wonderful Bob Mover and Jay Collins. Pianists Mike Longo and Arturo O’Farrill, bassists George Mitchell and Sean Smith and vocalists Miles Griffith and Mary Foster Conklin are among the band’s members. Four vocals by Italy’s Roberta Gambarini are a good reason to hear the latter band, which includes the superb pianist Ronnie Mathews, Don Sickler, Willie Williams and Chip Jackson. Trumpeter Dean and drummer Michael Pratt are the co-leaders on this CD of originals. Both 8/10 (Len Dobbin)

Mini CD Reviews

Tiger Okoshi Color of Soil (JVC) One of the great living trumpeters in an unusual quintet of piano (Kenny Barron), bass, cello and percussion. 9 (LD) With Lorraine Desmarais at Club Soda tonight, Thurs., Mar. 9., 8 p.m., $20

Mott the Hoople Mott /All the Young Dudes (Columbia/Legacy/Sony BMG) Boogaloos go electric on these remastered, bonus-packed reissues. Both 7.5 (LC)

Slideshaker In the Raw (Bad Afro/Fusion III) Kind of like Billy Childish fronting Brian Jonestown Massacre, but way more fucked up. 7.5 (JC)

Various Back to Mine: Prodigy (DMC/Fusion III) After 12 listens, I still don’t know exactly what to make of this mix—Dolly Parton, Public Enemy, Method Man, Stranglers, PIL and QOTSA? A fine line between genius and madness... 7 (RK)

Herb Alpert’s Tijuana Brass Whipped Cream & Other Delights Rewhipped (Shout Factory/Sony BMG) With the exception of Medeski Martin & Wood’s take on “Tangerine,” Alpert’s EZ-listening classic comes out shit-dipped, not re-whipped. 2 (RB)

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