The Mars Volta
Amputechture (Universal)
From the band that single-handedly made prog less of a four-letter word comes the crowning achievement of their career thus far. Although there may be traces of Mahavishnu Orchestra, King Crimson and Bitches Brew in there, Amputechture actually manages to keep prog progressive on these eight epic tracks. Although singer Cedric Bixler-Zavala is utterly genius on this, guitarist and chief composer Omar Rodriguez-Lopez proves to be not of this planet, with some incredible guitar work and expert arrangements. Clever arrangements, creative time signatures and far-reaching arpeggios are one thing, but the Mars Volta instill soul in the musical pyrotechnics, something sorely lacking among their ’70s influences. This album is going to blow your little mind to smithereens. 9/10 (Johnson Cummins)

Brazilian Girls
Talk To La Bomb (Verve Forecast/Universal)
Basement Jaxx
Crazy Itch Radio (XL/Select)
Two popular proponents of punky disco damage drop new ones, and the Girls get a leg up on the boys from Brixton with their delightfully unpredictable effort. Talk To La Bomb’s surefooted blend of easy, sleazy house with genuine jazz chops (hence the Verve imprint), nasty punk attitude and polyglot Euro-trash cool holds up right through, with the cherry on top being first-rate frontwoman Sabina Sciubba’s elegant impudence. The fourth proper Jaxx album, on the other hand, can’t match its outrageously good predecessor Kish Kash. The corny fake-station interludes just grate, and mediocre tracks outnumber solid ones like the grimy “Run 4 Cover” and the cute “Everybody”—the lead-off “Hush Boy” is particularly mortifying. Then again, the back-to-back bad-meaning-goodness of “Take Me Back to Your House” and “Hey You,” the latter a classic Jaxx goof-monster flavoured with their current fixation on Balkan beats, is the best stretch of either disc. Girls 8.5/10, Jaxx 7/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

Various
Help! A Day in the Life (Sony BMG)
If you’re one of those people who hasn’t set foot in a record store since the advent of Napster, this compilation is a good excuse to revisit old haunts. Not because it’s musical perfection—although there are sweet rarities by Coldplay, Radiohead and Bloc Party, and fine Cancon from the Dears, Buck 65 and Sam Roberts, to name a few—but it’s part of War Child’s Help series, from which proceeds go to kids in war zones. If you hate the thought of tykes in crossfire more than you hate, say, Chantal Kreviazuk and Raine Maida (one of the comp’s handful of duds), you’ll have no regrets. 7.5/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

TV On the Radio
Return to Cookie Mountain (Interscope/ Universal)
It’s the visit from David Bowie, adding his battered baritone to TVOTR frontman Tunde Adebimpe’s sober soulfulness and bassist Kyp Malone’s honeyed falsetto on “Province,” that will drag many new ears to this remarkable Brooklyn quintet. Those ears will be pleased, too, by the rich spread of material on the band’s third LP, which further refines and expands their ambitious and original melange of shoegazer sheets of sounds, electronic streaks and stains, chopped-and-screwed chamber pop and of course glorious vocal storms. Dig the driving “Let the Devil In,” or “Hours,” so good it merited a tacked-on El-P remix. 8.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

Statue Park
EP 2: For Those About to Passively Observe, We Tacitly Acknowledge You (independent)
Dropping the electronic framework of their early days—when, CBC so quaintly reported, they got their “big break” by playing Divan Orange—Montreal’s Statue Park embrace the rock on their sophomore release, with largely positive results. The balladry is as strong as ever, and the atmospheric guitar work and uncluttered rhythm lend extra gravitas to the band’s melodramatic narratives. But despite some welcome heft, this post-rock, quasi-prog backdrop doesn’t set Statue Park apart from the fray as much as their electronic foundation did. 7/10 (Lorraine Carpenter) CD launch with Vitaminsforyou at Main Hall, Sat., Sept. 16, 9 p.m.

Audioslave
Revelations (Sony BMG)
On their third album as this spinoff project, three-quarters of Rage Against the Machine and Soundgarden’s singer find their footing more than ever. The Morello solos are fewer this time around, but it would be nice to spread them out. And how about a solo from bassist Tim Commerford, drummer Brad Wilk, or even Chris Cornell, just to shake things up? “Wide Awake” is the necessary war song, designed to make the complacent uncomfortable. Themes of riots and fires weave through the album as well. A prelude of what’s to come, if things gets worse? Who knows, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see these guys playing an open-air show in the middle of it. 7.5/10 (Lateef Martin)

Swollen Members
Black Magic (Battle Axe/Universal)
It’s been eons since Vancouver’s Swollen Members dominated the Canadian hip hop charts, but their fifth LP finds them taking the less-glamorous role of elder statesmen. MCs Mad Child and Prevail unwisely concede too much space to their special guests, but working around an Eat at Whitey’s outtake with Everlast on “Put Me On,” and doing their best dancehall impression with Mr. Vegas on “Dynamite,” shows off their maleability. Beyond those two songs, the album is reliable but too safe, notably Rob the Viking’s beats. Both Mad Child and Prevail have great, nonchalant deliveries—they could seamlessly weave their way onto a record of Gregorian chants. 6/10 (Erik Leijon)

Baby Cham
Ghetto Story (Atlantic/Warner)
“Ghetto Story” is perhaps the hottest tune of the past year. The plaintive strains of Cham’s voice singing, “this is my story, true ghetto story...” demands to be licked back repeatedly. On the sparse, Dave Kelly-produced Eighty-Five riddim, Cham’s mega-hit also showcases some of the most sensible, smart and serious lyrics voiced on a dancehall track in a long while. As regards the rest of the album, well, it simply can’t live up to the greatness of the title track. “Vitamin S” is silly yet fun, and “Rude Boy Pledge” is catchy. Knowing that there’s really only one story anyone wants to hear, the album includes two remixes of “Ghetto Story”—one lacklustre version with Alicia Keys, and a superior attempt with Akon. 7.5/10 (Erin MacLeod)

J Dilla
The Shining (BBE)
When the advance of this LP first leaked, Dilla-heads around the globe were pleading to the gods that the loud samples of Jack Nicholson, from the movie of the same name, wouldn’t be on the final release. The actual 12-track LP doesn’t waste time hiding behind noisy bits, and gets right to the point. J Dilla was one of the most prolific producers of the last decade, and on this, one of his final projects before dying of Lupus earlier this year, he’s joined by the best. Busta Rhymes, Common, Guilty Simpson, Black Thought, Dwele, Pharoahe Monch and D’Angelo all give tight performances, and at times share the mic with the talented flow of lesser-known but sick MC James Dewitt Yancy. My picks are “E=MC2” with Common, and the big break of “Body Movin” with Karriem Riggins, which reminds me why Dilla will always be number one for me. 9/10 (Scott C)

DJ Spinna
Intergalactic Soul (Wonderwax/Shanachie)
DJ Spinna has carved himself quite the little spot, coming from his roots as an underground hip hop producer into the world of soul, R&B, house and broken beat without breaking a sweat. He’s one of the few producers who gets equal respect for all aspects of his musical palette, and continues to grow. Intergalactic Soul focuses on a futuristic sound that seamlessly moves from one genre to another while maintaining a soulful electronic feel. Choice cuts include the upbeat shuffle of “We Can Change This World” featuring Heavy, as well as the soon-to-be-classic garage track “Show Us How to Fly,” with the butter vocals of John-Christian Urich of Tortured Soul. 7.5/10 (Scott C)

Radio Citizen
Berlin Serengeti (Ubiquity)
It isn’t just that Germany’s Niko Schabel displays an exceptional grasp of everything from film noir soundtracks and out-there jazz to deep dub, neo-soul and Afro-beat punch, or even his intuitive understanding of how to weave them together into different configurations. It’s that on this debut album of what’s mostly a one-man show, signed after the opening track “The Hop” caught the ears of folks like Quantic, Schabel makes it clear that he won’t be tempted by the wealth of tools at his disposal. If it’s there, it’s because it really ought to be there, which accounts for the effectiveness and end-to-end solidity of Berlin Serengeti. 8/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

The Brand New Heavies
Get Used To It (Universal)
After an extended absence, American vocalist N’Dea Davenport finally reunites with her British bandmates—Jan Kincaid, Andrew Levy and Simon Bartholomew—to brilliant effect. The Heavies dig deep into their inner groove and unleash a potent brew of soul, jazz and funk vibes reminiscent of vintage Rufus with Chaka Khan. In fact, on the ’60s-influenced “I Don’t Know Why (I Love You),” N’Dea channels both Chaka and Aretha with her ear-popping vocal delivery. Meanwhile, the band laments the image-over-talent attitude of today’s music industry on “Music,” and spearheads the drive to “put back the funk in music” on “Right On.” They do that and more on this welcome return to form. 9/10 (Gerard Dee)

Dave Holland
Critical Mass (Dare 2)
Jim Head
Mind’s Eye (Junkhead)
Bassist Holland’s return to the quintet format after five years is a superb one, with Chris Potter, Robin Eubanks, Steve Nelson and a newcomer, drummer Nate Smith. It’s an eight-track outing with compositional contributions from everyone in the band—try Smith’s “The Leak” or Holland’s dedication to the people and city of New Orleans, “Easy Did It.” Guitarist Head came to the attention of Montrealers while picking up both bachelor and masters degrees in music at McGill. His debut CD as a leader is one to be proud of. He’s joined here by Josh Rager on keyboards, Jim Vivian on bass and Owen Howard on drums. All seven compositions are by the leader and his “Empty Bottles” would be a great place to start. Holland 9.5/10, Head 8.5/10 (Len Dobbin)

Mini CD Reviews

Anita Ellis The World In My Arms (Collectables) A reissue of a 1960 Electra session by this Montreal-born singer—the singing voice of Rita Hayworth in film. Great song selection, nice charts from Peter Matz. 7.5 (LD)

Ex-Models Chrome Panthers (Troubleman Unlimited) Featuring Oneida’s Kid Millions, this is grade-A hardcore noise, kinda like sped-up Flipper. 7.5 (JC)

Easy Star All-Stars Radiodread (Easy Star) A dubbed up, song-by-song remake of OK Computer. Yeah, it works. Sort of. 7 (EM)

Tekel self-titled (Initial Cuts/Statik) Despite thrilling titles like “Cif,” “Smet,” “Flunch” and “Toufotouflam,” this housey electropop is strangely robotic and devoid of personality. 6.5 (LC)

Teitur Stay Under the Stars (Equator) Check yer tummy as these friendly ballads and sing-alongs become increasingly rich and sickly sweet. 6 (LC) With Tina Dico at Cabaret on Fri., Sept. 15, 9 p.m., $15.50

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