The Dears
Gang of Losers (MapleMusic/Universal)
Surprise, surprise. From their nascent Britpop fandom through their brilliant, almost absurd symphonic phase to their most recent evolution into a universally accessible, world-class band that should keep Radiohead up at night, these local darlings have never failed to entertain. Gone are the days when the Dears could be easily dismissed as derivative and pretentious—they’ve toned down their influences, tightened up their arrangements and turned their lyrical themes outward, on tracks like “Fear Made the World Go Round.” Even their most personal lyrics address global concerns, as on the disc’s swingin’ “Whites Only Party.” Moreover, especially in its second half, this third LP boasts some of the band’s more stirring, soulful songs yet, with that Gauloise-thick ambiance that just won’t quit. 9/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

Stolen Minks
self-titled (independent)
The comfort chords of early rock ’n’ roll and the DIY drive of ’70s punk hit the dancefloor together on the debut EP by these four Haligonian gals. Talk of “girls on stage and boys on the floor” and interchangeable rock ’n’ roll shows and revolutions, all backed with rollicking rhythm, party riffs and epileptic piano, create a giggly mood that evokes an after-uni evening at the amusement park with several side orders of Irish coffee. Sure, three of the five tunes are covers (by Link Wray and others), but this is just a taste—there’s an LP on the way. 8/10 (Lorraine Carpenter) With Hexes & Ohs, Hunter Valentine at Main Hall on Sat., Sept. 2, 9 p.m., $7

Strike Anywhere
Dead FM (Fat Wreck)
With the exception of Only Crime, Against Me! and the Sainte Catherines, there seems to be nothing to differentiate Fat Wreck’s bands. Strike Anywhere, unfortunately, shoulder up to their labelmates with “explosive” catchy choruses replete with “whoa whoa whoa’s ” with the tried and true bubblegum-punk drum beats that just get way too predictable and one-dimensional. The lefty lyrics are all well and good, but all of these songs have already been written millions of times, and usually much better. When is Fat Wreck’s stock sound going to die? 5/10 (Johnson Cummins) With Ignite, A Global Threat, Modern Life Is War at Club Lambi on Wed., Sept. 6, 7 p.m., $15

An Albatross
Blessphemy (Ace Fu)
A.A. definitely put in one of last summer’s best shows, and this record doesn’t disappoint. Opener “Lysergically Yours, My Psychedelic Bride” perfectly merges grind core with Deep Purple while the Naked City cut-and-paste arrangement of blaster “Dimensional Gymnastics” would even make John Zorn green with envy. The band is still hiding behind their John Sinclair spiel with lines like, “We’re calling all the beautiful people to gather all electric children” on “Feastgiver” but all is forgiven when they deliver a groove that gives containment to the chaos. With all of the aggressive technical hoohaw going around right now, An Albatross rule with sonic superiority. Not for the timid or closed-minded! 9/10 (Johnson Cummins) With the Expectorated Sequence, American Devices, Nervous Sleepers at la Sala Rossa on Tues., Sept. 5, 8 p.m., $10

Lamb of God
Sacrament (Epic/Sony BMG)
Often touted as the band that has the potential to bring extreme music to the mainstream, this new one should clinch it. Technically, everything is supreme as expected, but it’s singer Randy Blythe’s caterwaul that really raises the bar here. They’ve traded the politically based lyrics for a personal slant dealing with subjects like co-dependency and depression, all delivered with white-hot, seething rage. Earning a reputation for being Slayer Jr., L.O.G. blow away previous influences with the grinding groove on “Redneck” and the throwdown in “Pathetic.” Sacrament shows these Virginians finally in the leading position and will prove to be an important record in the history of metal. 9/10 (Johnson Cummins)

Stone Sour
Come What(ever) May (Roadrunner)
Stone Sour—what, people are eating rocks now?—have perfected that pop metal sound a few years too late. A middle of the road sound. All the licks are there, the riffs are in place and the hooks are pre-teen friendly too. Opener “30/30-150” is the perfect track for the credits of some half-assed post-apocalyptic action flick. Come What(ever) May probably would have turned heads back in the ’90s, when metal clashed with drum & bass and techno on the Spawn soundtrack. But this is toast with no jam, no peanut butter, or even butter. 6/10 (Lateef Martin)

Various
Volume 1: The Hacienda (Gut Active /Statik)
“This is it. The birth of rave culture. The beatification of the beat. The dance age. This is the moment when even the white man starts dancing. Welcome to Manchester.” The immortal words of Tony Wilson, as played by Steve Coogan, about the impact of his club and, more importantly, the music that DJs played there in the mid- to late-’80s. This two-disc set is the first in a series of comps aiming to capture the essence of famous clubs. Whether or not it’s historically sound—only those who actually attended the Hacienda, and didn’t have their memories wiped by sketchy chemicals, can vouch for that—it’s a great sampler of acid house, dancefloor hip hop and new wave (no Madchester rock though), from a time when those styles and their followers weren’t strange bedfellows. 8.5/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

JR Writer
History in the Making (Koch/Diplomats)
Under the watchful eye of Cam’ron, JR Writer’s popularity as an MC has given him the opportunity to engage in the wide world of solo pursuits, and one would think that the kid would make good, no? Well, this 19-track LP may have its fans out there, but there’s a lot of hot air to be found between the lines. With all the songs sounding amazingly similar to each other, you start to wonder if JR accidently recorded the same song two or three times. Throwaways like “On the Block” and “High Music” sound similar to many a Dipset tune, and in many cases, appearances by in-house and family guests make the man of the hour look a little silly. This is an exercise in laziness starring one of the Bronx’s golden children with a reputation that he’s desperately trying to live up to. 7/10 (Scott C)

Kelis
Kelis Was Here (Sony BMG)
Kelis’s first non-Neptunes produced album is an unpredictable, somewhat inconsistent but highly satisfying effort filled with quirky musical effects. As with lead singles from her previous sets “Caught Out There” from ’99’s Kaleidoscope and “Milkshake” from ’03’s Tasty, lead single “Bossy” is a sassy slice of funk from the spunky hip hop/soul singer. But there are many other superb moments: the Raphael Saadiq-produced “Circus,” a cautionary tale about the music industry, and the instantly memorable “Till the Wheels Fall Off,” (one of several tracks produced by the ubiquitous will.i.am) are just two examples. Likewise, more intimate songs like “Living Proof” and “Goodbyes” prove that Kelis is not only here, but she’s here to stay. 8.5/10 (Gerard Dee)

Elizabeth Shepherd Trio
Start to Move (Do Right)
The immediacy and importance of this fresh helping of real jazz music can be found in Shepherd’s ode to Bob Barker and the lovely ladies of daytime TV, “Price is Right.” Although this is the last song on the disc, it was the perfect way to end an honest and impressive look into the mind of a contemporary jazz artist who isn’t afraid to do her thing. Backed by the confident chops of Colin Kingsmore and Scott Kemp, Shepherd holds her own both at the piano, and with her memorable vocal stylings. Check “Ton Visage” or “Melon” for a few tracks that will get you ready for more. 8/10 (Scott C)

Thelonious Monk
In Philadelphia 1960 With Steve Lacy (RLR)
Oscar Peterson Trio
Meets Coleman Hawkins Live in Hannover 1967 (Gambit)
Two more CDs of rare live recordings by pianists who couldn’t be more different. But there is a connection—Hawkins once employed Monk in his combo. The Monk has many interesting groupings, and among the rare items is a 1948 set with Idrees Sulieman, a 1955 TV appearance with Art Farmer, Hank Mobley and Mingus and a session listing Thad Jones, one that sounds more like Clark Terry than Jones. The 1967 Peterson CD originated as a radio broadcast from the Funkhaus in Germany. This is the trio with Sam Jones and Bobby Durham with Hawkins guesting on four of the 13 tracks. The trio is heard doing Bird’s “Shaw ’nuff” and Hawkins is here on “Stuffy,” which he co-composed with Monk, and a timely and beautiful “September Song.” And the sound quality is not too bad for these “live” settings. Both 9/10 (Len Dobbin)

Mini CD Reviews

Sizzla Waterhouse Redemption (Greensleeves) Ah, redemption indeed. Sizzla alongside the almighty King Jammys—now that’s what I’m talking about. Run far far away from the hip hop, Mr. Kalonji, it’s better for you! 9 (EM)

Motörhead Kiss of Death (Sanctuary/BMG) The first time they’ve actually managed to “turn everything up louder than everything else” since the ’80s. 8.5 (JC)

Mickey Katz Borscht Riders in the Sky (Castle Pulse) Hilarious send-ups of 20 songs, including “She’ll Be Coming ’round the Katzkills,” by this former member of Spike Jones’s City Slickers‚ and father of Joel Grey. Dangerous listening while driving. 8 (LD)

Heartless Bastards All This Time (Fat Possum) Somewhere between PJ Harvey at her grittiest and a sketchy Women in Song comp, this band creates a palatable alt-pop mish-mash. 7.5 (LC)

Bob Dylan Modern Times (Sony BMG) Zimmerman’s voice may be a little ragged now, but he can still deliver a lyric like no one else. 7.5 (JC)

Slouch No Decks mix (independent) This would be a much better listen if it didn't come wrapped in a shoebox with sardines. 6 (SC)

The Thermals The Body the Blood the Machine (Sub Pop) With such sharp lyrics and art about corporatist evil, our dying planet and the integration of church and state, it’s a shame about the sound. Booklet 8, Music 5 (LC)

>> Music Listings