The Congos & Friends
Fisherman Style (Blood and Fire/Outside)
Ten years ago, Blood and Fire reissued Heart of the Congos. The obscure, Lee Perry-produced masterpiece featured the legendary vocal trio performing some of the most memorable and beautiful reggae ever recorded. On that album was the tune “Row, Fisherman, Row.” B&F’s Steve Barrow, whose idea to revive Bernard Collins’ classic Satta Massa Gana riddim for Tree of Satta proved remarkable, has done it again. New versions from Big Youth, Prince Jazzbo, Luciano and many others deal not only with Rasta spirituality, but also calls for the alleviation of poverty and end to unfair trade. B&F proves that the Fisherman riddim, which was originally inspired by the lives of the Congos—poor men in a seaport town with hungry belly pickney deh a shore—is as vital now as it was then. 10/10 (Erin MacLeod)

Don Caballero
World Class Listening Problem (Relapse/Koch)
One of the greatest instrumental math-rock bands of our time is finally back with their first record in over five years, and the wait was well worth it. More and more bands are coming to grips with their proggy sides of late, and Don Caballero could teach the Mars Volta a lesson or two here. This one is jam-packed with musical transitions, dynamic shifts and impossible time signatures guaranteed to boggle minds. Their M.O. is hidden as they’re able to shoot off Mahavishnu Orchestra fireworks before breaking down into trance passages, with their destinations always obscured. If bands like the Fucking Champs have whetted your appetite for the proggier side of indie rock, you have to hear this. 8.5/10 (Johnson Cummins)

The Fiery Furnaces
Bitter Tea (Fat Possum)
Last year’s Rehearsing My Choir was a record that never should have happened. But maybe Fiery Furnaces let expectations plummet on purpose, ’cause the bulk of this fourth album of theirs sounds like a masterwork by comparison. Eleanor and Matthew Friedberger (and friends) got back their knack for balancing chaotic arrangements and cabaret schtick, raw noise and melodic payoffs, girl-group prettiness and brooding lyrics. There are over half a dozen winners on this 15-track disc, among them “I’m Waiting to Know You” and “Teach Me Sweetheart,” and few total losers like “The Vietnamese Telephone Ministry.” Ooof. 7.5/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

Against All Authority
The Restorations of Chaos & Order (Hopeless)
With Bush continuing to sink in the polls, AAA are increasingly preaching to the converted, but their kneejerk, juvenile lyrics actually start to make Bill O’Reilly look, um, not so bad. Here’s the problem—once again, the lyrics may be somewhat topical, but with their tired, early-’80s hardcore sound, they might as well be yammering on about Reaganomics. It’s mid-tempo punk all the way through, with embarrassing ska parts showing up intermittently and standard group “whoas” tagging every monotone chorus. The mishandling of the same old Clash riffs smacks of Rancid’s cutting-room floor, and “All Ages Show Tonight” is one of the most terrible things I have heard this year. You’ve heard it a million times before but probably never quite this bad. 4/10 (Johnson Cummins)

Flin Flon
Dixie (Teenbeat)
For those who remember Teenbeat founder Mark Robinson from Unrest and Air Miami, this band will sound familiar, but don’t get your hopes up too high. You may have blinked and missed the trio’s five releases since 1997, and that’s a shame for two reasons: They have a huge crush on Canada, judging from their name, albums and songs named after Canadian cities (Chicoutimi!); moreover, the band’s jittery, bottom-heavy pop, though occasionally half-baked, sounds like classic indie rock and trendy punk-funk sharing a lo-fi berth, with shout-outs to the heady days of “rock against Reagan.” 7/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

Young People
All at Once (Too Pure/Select)
Early this year, Young People’s Five Sunsets in Four Days EP piqued my interest in this bi-coastal American band. Their abstract fusion of jazz and country with punk and noise, propped up by the hardened beauty of Katie Eastburn’s voice, was a refreshing respite from predictable sad-sack indie rock. But, perhaps because of guitarist Jeff Rosenberg’s departure, this third LP doesn’t live up to that promise, extending beyond artfully minimal to downright thin, minor-key mood music. There’s some lively treasure to forge for here, but even the best material feels like an Off Broadway rendition of PJ Harvey’s first album. 6/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

Vernon Reid & Masque
Other True Self (Favored Nations)
Trying to emulate Vernon Reid is an open invitation to bleed your fingers dry. A legendary shredder, you may remember Reid as the guitarist for Living Color, a rock band full of brothers who helped redefine the genre, blending it with African influences, hip hop, funk and R&B. Now that Reid has had his fill with Living Color (for now?), he’s devoted to his other group, Masque. These innovative, avant-garde cats keep up with the virtuoso Reid, whose jazz and fusion background power this album’s instrumental chi through African rhythms, Latin grooves, reggae swagger and more—even a trippy cover of Depeche Mode’s “Enjoy the Silence.” 8/10 (Lateef Martin)

Tumi and the Volume
self-titled (District Six)
South Africa’s Tumi and the Volume have taken the Roots’ live hip hop template to the motherland, crafting tight beats alongside MC Tumi’s introspective and lucid point of view. On this latest LP, recorded and produced in South Africa, Tumi still sounds confident, touching on some very personal tales as well as social and political matters. I must admit that a full listen to this LP might leave you thinking that some of the songs sound the same, but it’s Tumi’s voice cutting through that separates each song from the next, and brings the immediacy of the music to the front. Check out “Afrique,“ “Oslo” and “Basement” for some key tracks. 7.5/10 (Scott C)

Various
Rewind! 5 (Ubiquity)
The music heads at Ubiquity truck out the fifth volume of the wildly successful Rewind! series—well-known songs and a few B-side cuts, covered and reworked by the next wave of artists from the combined worlds of electronica, funk, soul and hip hop. L.A. punk-and-soul duo J*Davey cover Frank Zappa’s “Dirty Love,” ?uestlove’s Randy Watson Experience branch out with Sting’s “Be Still My Beating Heart,” while Osunlade’s take on Prince Nelson’s “Crazy Love” is just perfect. Unlike other comps that involve remixing or edits of classic songs, the strength of Rewind! is entirely fresh takes on songs that you may or may not know. 8/10 (Scott C)

NOMO
New Tones (Ubiquity)
As revisionist Afro-beat bands have started to multiply exponentially across North America, bringing something new to the table becomes just as important as delivering the requisite polyrhythms, rubbery basslines and juggernaut brass blasts. Detroit’s NOMO have instinctively understood this—their respectful use of Fela Kuti’s African jazz-funk template is supplemented by more recent African innovations, specifically the street-level junk-tech tinkering, and exciting new instrumentation, celebrated on the hit Congotronics comps. Hence, for instance, the electric m’bira, or thumb piano, so artfully applied on the killer opening track “Nu Tones,” confirmed on first listen as a dancefloor masterpiece. 8.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

Van Hunt
On the Jungle Floor (Capitol/EMI)
Whether or not Van Hunt is a Prince fan, it’s clear he’s grasped the Purple One’s expansionist vision of soul music—that it’s both influenced by and influences a myriad of musical styles. As such, Hunt fearlessly crosses the lines between funk, rock and soul, uniting these diverse genres with strings of clever lyricism. For example, he turns a very Lenny Kravitz-esque trick on the rock jam “Ride Ride Ride,” and then rides an irresistible funk groove through a tale of cat and mouse on “Suspicion (She Knows Me Too Well).” Hunt’s sophomore effort isn’t a masterpiece, but it certainly shows he’s got the music in him. 7.5/10 (Gerard Dee)

Lubo Alexandrov
Kaba Horo (Enja/Justin Time/Fusion III)
Montreal-based fretless guitarist Alexandrov uses the tag “Balkan Gypsy groove” to define his ensemble Kaba Horo, and the music on this debut CD of the same name—but it’s just shorthand. The full designation would touch on the distinctive Turkish flavours, elegant yet engaging jazz-funk flourishes and more that pepper this Eastern European stew. Alexandrov and company walk the fine line between the jazzman’s intricacies and the rousing simplicity the dancefloor demands, between compositional density and effervescent energy, generating something to charge up both thinking cap and dancing shoes. Ram Borcar (of Ramasutra fame) behind the board no doubt contributed to Kaba Horo’s success. 8/10 (Rupert Bottenberg) CD launch, with guests Coral Egan, Karen Young and Vassil Markov, at Kola Note, Fri., May 12, 8:30 p.m., $17

Terry Gibbs
52nd & Broadway (Mack Avenue/Fusion III)
Gerald Wilson
In My Time (Mack Avenue/Fusion III)
Two large ensembles directed by a pair of octogenarians—Wilson is 87 and Gibbs 81. The Gibbs is subtitled Songs of the Bebop Era and features the leader’s spirited vibraphone playing, James Moody, Sam Most and Nicholas Payton plus some wonderful string writing. Wilson, Anthony’s dad, has been an in-demand composer/arranger for years, working with the likes of Dizzy Gillespie and Duke Ellington. Again, this one catches some wonderful charts Wilson recorded during a recent trip from California to NYC. Ten tracks include “So What,” “Love for Sale” and a suite entitled “The Diminished Triangle.” The band abounds with firstrank soloists including Renee Rosnes and Russell Malone. Both 9.5/10 (Len Dobbin)

Mini CD Reviews

Bryn Roberts Ludlow (Fresh Sound New Talent/Fusion III) A recent review called this pianist/composer “the next Brad Mehldau.” Hear for yourself on this 2004 session—Seamus Blake’s sax is a huge bonus. 9 (LD) See Bryn Roberts & Seamus Blake at Upstairs, Fri.–Sat., May 12–13

King Tubby & Friends Classic Dubs 1974-1978 (Motion) Motion just keeps it coming with terrific and rare reissues. Tubby is the king, and this is yet another piece of supporting evidence. 9 (EM)

The Illuminati And Their Cheap Powers (Rectangle/Universal) Probably the finest thing to come from this T.O. trio so far. Think Captain Beyond. 8.5 (JC)

Various Footprints Session Vol. 5 (independent) GE, Stu Li and Jason Palma hit the floor with cuts from Candido, Prince Buster, Dom Um Romao and Hank Ballard. Dancefloor plus... 8 (SC)

The Charlatans Simpatico (Sanctuary/EMI) Hard to believe they’re still at it, easing out of their Madchester past into something resembling an MOR UB40. 4 (LC)

Babyshambles Down in Albion (Rough Trade/EMI) Worst band name ever? The story of ex-Libertine Pete Doherty is getting sadder by the day, but there’s a future for him as a judge on Pop Idol (Crackhead Edition). 3 (LC)

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