Frenchi Blanco
Haute Surveillance (FP International/DEP)
No stranger to stealing the show, FP Crew’s Frenchi Blanco adds his name to the list of local MCs stepping it up in Montreal. Showing a relaxed versatility and a clear sense of showmanship, Frenchi eases his way through big tunes like the hustler’s anthem “Cook ton bake” and its companion, “Dans l’grind.” As well as some fine cameos from FP Crew, Face-T and Sans Pression, Frenchi holds his own on “Appel tes connex,” where he trades bars with Wu-Tang Clan’s Inspectah Deck. More strong songs can be found in “Pour l’argent,” “Juste Bizness” with 2-Face, “24/24,” and my pick, “Blowmind.” 8/10 (Scott C)
Lily Allen
Alright, Still… (Regal/EMI)
Forget the “female Streets” tag some have stuck to 21-year-old Lily Allen. Aside from “Knock ’Em Out,” her debut has little to do with grime, but plenty more than a Specials sample to do with joining the Dead 60s and Ordinary Boys in reanimating that British fusion of Jamaican rhythms, post-punk panache and classic popcraft of the early ’80s (the reference point here is Madness, and maybe a dash of Madchester in “Friend of Mine”). Her overcooked lyrics and affected prole-on-the-dole routine are pretty clumsy—Lily’s still young enough to have seen it all—but her vocals match the sweetness of her vintage pop reggae, dolled up with tasteful modern touches. 7/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)
Xiu Xiu
The Air Force (5 Rue Christine)
Nothing new to report about this Bay Area band’s fifth album, produced by Deerhoof’s Greg Saunier, except that Jamie Stewart’s wounds are as fresh as ever, and Jesus needs some Visine. Lean arrangements of piano, guitar, percussion and violin allow Stewart’s hushed croon to thrive, while tracks packed with synths, samples and beats provide a wall for him to wail at—the minor-chord pop of “Save Me Save Me” is a welcome anomaly. On the lyrical front, a Smiths quote sprouts naturally amid musings on awkward encounters with girls and boys, and references to self-mutilation and suicide. 7.5/10 (Lorraine Carpenter) With Cong for Brums, Dirty Projectors at la Sala Rossa, Thurs., Oct. 19, 8:30 p.m., $15
Califone
Roots & Crowns (Thrill Jockey)
Springing from the ashes of Red Red Meat, Chicago’s Califone come to their rootsy conclusions by way of lo-fi junkshop soundscaping, and do so successfully. A hushed tone permeates their stoner folk, boozy blues and backwoods ballads—and even the moments of dirty electronic funk, which don’t seem out of place. Thing is, many other records from their musical neighbourhood make for a nice if unobtrusive listen. Few others, however, reward an attentive listen with a lot of clever surprises and brain-games. 7/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)
Me First and the Gimme Gimmies
Love Their Country (Fat Wreck)
When ol’ Sidney wheezed his way through “My Way,” he created a tidal wave of talentless punk hacks obliterating classics. Almost 30 years later, Fat Mike and co. use the Dead Kennedys’ treatment of “Rawhide” as a blueprint and apply their beaten-to-death skate-punk treatment to country classics like “Jolene,” “Ghost Riders in the Sky” and “On the Road Again” (complete with a nod to the Misfits). Their version of Hank’s “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” shows how their taste for interpretation lacks any imagination whatsoever, while their Clash-style take on Lee Hazelwood’s “Sunday Morning Coming Down” is just a straight-up travesty. Even ol’ Sidney would turn in his grave over this one. 2/10 (Johnson Cummins)
Heresi
Psalm II: Infusco Ignis (Hydra Head/Sonic Unyon)
Heresi is the project of one of black metal’s more disturbed individuals, Sweden’s multi-instrumentalist Skamfer. Most of Psalm II was written while he was confined in mental institutions, and of course, instead of exorcizing his inner demons, he celebrates them in his native tongue. Unlike a lot of black metal, production is top-notch, but Skamfer’s technical brilliance on all instruments, as well as his great arrangement work, is what makes this hit like a nailgun. Blast beats rule the roost, but it’s his smooth transitions into thundering breakdowns that really makes this worth repeated listens. 7.5/10 (Johnson Cummins)
Avia Gardner
Mill Farm (intr_version/Fusion III)
Following up last year’s More Than Tongue Can Tell, locally based electronic producer Mitchell Akiyama and singer Jenna Robertson take the lo-fi road, letting their largely acoustic arrangements breathe, sigh and wheeze at centre stage, with beats and electronic flutters only occasionally emerging from the wings. You wouldn’t guess that the album was recorded in isolation in the Massachusetts countryside, but it comes as little surprise in light of the soft static that blankets Robertson’s vocals, the graceful tones of the harmonium and autoharp, and the scattered echoes of Eastern music. Pretty, if not beautiful. 7.5/10 (Lorraine Carpenter) With aMute, Désormais at Zoobizarre, Mon., Oct. 23, 9 p.m.
Squarepusher
Hello Everything (Warp/Outside)
Drill & bass pioneer and bass soloist Tom Jenkinson lets it all hang together on his 10th album, a particularly melodic record for an artist so strongly identified with mad rhythms. The drill is less invasive, the jazz more lounge-friendly, but fans will weather a softer touch in the face of tracks like “Planetarium,” which combines Squarepusher’s best qualities: the pitter-patter of little Amen breaks, the easy appeal of the melody line, the dark hues of the synthetic ambience. But there’s a fine line between levity and emptiness, and this record is weighed down by a surplus of the latter. 6.5/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)
Diddy
Press Play (Bad Boy/Warner)
Like the Dean Martin roasts, a Diddy album is only as good as its guest list. The first seven songs are reminiscent of the old Puff, complete with unimaginative samples (the desecration of Tears for Fears is especially heinous). Then, somewhere between cameos from Christina Aguilera, Big Boi, Timbaland and Cee-Lo, it’s as if Diddy had an epiphany about his meagre skills, and intelligently conceded the latter 12 tracks to his A-list buddies. “Making it Hard” with Mary J. Blige is an explosively fun duet, while “After Love” and “Through the Pain” feel like Bad Boy through Martin Gore’s synthesizer. 6/10 (Erik Leijon)
DJ Shadow
The Outsider (Island)
I shed a silent tear for Mo’Wax disciples everywhere upon my first listen to DJ Shadow’s long-awaited return to the full-length. While a clear and direct pointer tipped with Shadow’s latest musical inspirations, this is a giant leap away from the deep, dark, abstract drum breaks that deservedly defined trip hop. Yes, it’s true. DJ Shadow has made some shit for the club, and whether it’s “Freaks” featuring Keak da Sneak, or “Turf Dancing” with Animaniaks and the Federation, these are tracks that could compete with anything on Top 40 urban radio today. A few more surprises include the dirty funk of “Skullfuckery,” the indie-flavoured “The Tiger” with Sergio Pizzorno and Christopher Karloff, the throwaway “Enuff” with Q-Tip and Lateef, and some hot Hyphy bizness with E-40. 7.8/10 (Scott C)
Governor
Son of Pain (Atlantic/Warner)
Governor has a style that fits right in with the soul music of the late ’60s and early ’70s. And while it’s clear the Virginia native’s sound is firmly planted in the now, his vocal approach owes much to the raw, unpolished style that characterized those old soul singers. But although his emotive vocals make for interesting music, it’s not enough to make it entertaining. In fact, Governor’s lighter side only becomes apparent deep into this set, when tracks like the reggae-flavoured “Move Easy” and playful “Slow Down” serve to brighten the mood on this skilled but sombre release. After all, what’s a little pain without some joy? 7.5/10 (Gerard Dee)
Disciples of Ursula Big Band
Big Bad Bertha (independent)
God knows Montreal loves big bands with lots of brass and such, and the members of Montreal’s DUBB know it too. That doesn’t mean that this 11-piece outfit plans on sleepwalking its way to the Jazz Fest stages for which they’re tailor-made. Their new album Big Bad Bertha doesn’t just showcase their facility with brash swing, torchy lounge jams, Latin heat and snappy, uptempo ska, it also displays their collective knack for catchy melodies, vivid arrangements and carefully calibrated energy. Their secret weapon is trilingual singer Gizélia Pacheco, whose pleasing yet powerful pipes shine from the very first bar. 7.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg) CD launch at Théâtre Corona, Sat., Oct. 21, 8 p.m., $10
Grace Kelly
Times Too (Pazz)
Matt Savage
Quantum Leap (Savage)
We have here a gifted pair of teenagers. Kelly, 13, plays alto and sings, and Savage, 14, is a pianist. Both also compose. Times Too spreads Kelly’s talents over two CDs, the first of which is much more my cup of tea, with eight tracks of mostly alto, beginning with “Isfahan” and closing with “Blood Count,” two great Strayhorn compositions, and her own award-winning “Fast Metabolism.” Savage is an extremely talented (autistic) musician who Montrealers may remember playing the jam sessions during the Jazz Festival when he was nine. Jimmy Heath has called him “the future of jazz,” and this latest recording shows great maturity. A number of his own compositions are heard (“Blues in 33/8”) as well as standards like “Lullaby of Birdland,” “A Child Is Born” and “Monk’s Dream.” His longstanding trio is really together here. Kelly 7/10, Savage 8/10 (Len Dobbin)
Mini CD Reviews
Eric Harding Trio Capelton Road (XXI) An overdue second CD by pianist Harding that includes “Byrdlike,” “Monk’s Dream” and a number of originals by group members—try the title piece or “Twice Blue.” 9 (LD)
Various Burntprogress 1.1 (Burnt) London’s monthly gathering of beatmakers and producers gives birth to a compilation of progressive, underground, amateur sounds. 9 (SC)
Demetri Martin These Are Jokes (Comedy Central/Fusion III) On CD and DVD, a show similar to the comedian’s recent Just for Laughs act, with a cameo by SNL’s Will Forte, plus songs about grapes and wisdom. 8 (LC)
Born Ruffians self-titled EP (Warp/Outside) Tastefully wonky amateur pop—the last thing you’d expect from Warp, the first thing you’d expect from a suburban Ontario basement. 7.5 (LC)
Amon Amarth With Oden on Our Side (Metal Blade) How can you beat 15 songs about Vikings, set to chuggy-chug metal? 7 (JC)
Darkel self-titled (Prototyp/EMI) JB Dunckel’s playful but anemic side project proves that half of Air isn’t quite enough to breathe freely. 6 (RB)
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