David Krakauer & Socalled with Klezmer Madness!
Bubbemeises: Lies My Gramma Told Me (Label Bleu)
Here’s an inspired, engaging and entirely unpredictable jam between Montreal’s Hebraic hip hop hero Josh “Socalled” Dolgin and clarinetist Krakauer, a king among the neo-kleyzmerim of NYC. The former’s wisely assembled wackiness and the latter’s wily, wistful inclinations fuse perfectly on “B Flat à la Socalled,” while “Moskovitz and Loops of It” and “Ms N.C.” highlight their respective musical personalities. The strong traditionalist strains are offset by freak-jazz forays, and then there are the heavy shtetl meltdowns in “Turntable Pounding” and “Rumania, Rumania.” A damn fine record, and that’s no lie. 9/10 (Rupert Bottenberg) Socalled, with Dee and Loe Pesci, is at Divan Orange, Sat., Jan. 13, 9 p.m., $8
The Riptides
Hang Out (Union/Warner)
Much like the Queers, Screeching Weasel, Randy and all the others inspired by the Ramones, the Riptides wear their Chuck Taylors proudly while eluding the extraneous use of the fourth chord. Possessing a bit more vitriol than their Ramones-lovin’ brethren, the band bash out perfect melodic punk on “That Girl” and “China Doll,” while “Red Dawn” and “I Wanna Riot” seethe with white-hot rage. The Riptides know how to plow through the frontal lobes with some seriously catchy tunes, but it’s when they taste blood that things really accelerate. 7/10 (Johnson Cummins) With the Queers, the Heart Attacks at Foufounes Électriques, Wed., Jan. 17, 9 p.m., $12
Trike
The New Album (independent)
There’s a definite patchwork quality to this CD. It’s in the music, of course, a capable clash of left-handed bedroom budgetronics, dry, droll chamber pop and woozy hipster folk that takes some delirious detours. It’s also in the timeline—despite the title, the 17 tracks here reach back to 1998—and in the geographically scattered make-up of the band (only singer Stephen Taylor’s presently a Montrealer, assembling a crew of cello, flute and fiddle for shows). A chaotic construct, to be sure, but one blessed with a guileless wit, emotional honesty and an impressive sense of tunecraft. 7.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg) With Deanne Smith at l’Utopik tonight, Thurs., Jan. 11, 9 p.m., free
Neil Young
Living With War: In the Beginning (Reprise/Warner)
As opposition to the Iraq war hits a fever pitch, Young has quickly re-released his critically acclaimed 2006 record. With a companion DVD and a now choir-less mix added for consumer incentive, the question remains, why do we really need to buy it again? Well, I don’t really know. Most critics have waved the record’s political agenda like a flag, but Young’s barbed and simplistic message gets further muddled on repeated listens, and rings increasingly hollow over the months since its original release. Young’s heartfelt frustration over the war is on his sleeve as he bluntly reads picket-sign slogans, but sadly, this just comes across as Al Franken with a Les Paul rather than the legend that he is. 7/10 (Johnson Cummins)
Josef K
Entomology (Domino/Outside)
Following compilations of Orange Juice and the Fire Engines, Domino continues to excavate “the Sound of Young Scotland,” reissuing the one and only record by these geeky Kafka buffs, with extra material culled from b-sides and Peel Sessions. Between 1980 and ’81, Edinburgh’s Josef K recorded 22 cerebral, melodic, jangly, wiry tunes reminiscent of Magazine and early Talking Heads. Previously unavailable in North America, this is a valuable piece of the post-punk puzzle, by a band that was either too perverse or too inept to build a career. Franz Ferdinand and company should be grateful. 9/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)
Rock Plaza Central
Are We Not Horses (independent/Outside)
Led by novelist Chris Eaton, this Toronto septet presents another poetic portrait of dystopia, following the war between humans and angels waged on 2003’s The World Was Hell to Us. The protagonists here are robotic horses who believe they’re flesh and blood—Blade Runner meets Mr. Ed, perhaps. Shades of chamber pop, country, folk and klezmer form a vivid backdrop to each song’s dramatic arc, most beginning with a spotlight on Eaton, and ending with swelling horns, terse strings or a chorus of Grade 3 students. Free of the heavy hand that sometimes makes a mess of orchestral arrangements (not to mention fantasy narratives), this is a unique and inviting songwriting feat. 8.5/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)
Bocce
Hi Birdbear/Can’t Reason Do It? (Dadmobile)
Slapping together luminous, laser-guided synth motifs and classic drum-kit crash ’n’ bash, this Waterloo, Ont. quartet find their place in the growing dancefloor trance-punk genre. “Disco Juan” is a definite DFA pastiche, though one that gives James Murphy a run for his money, while opener “Ping Pong Pixel” is propelled by post-Floyd prog keys and Reich-style serialism. But who’s complaining? “Bears” boasts a brutish bombast, but Bocce can also take it down a notch, as on “Again Again Again Again,” and capture a sweetness elusive to many of their peers. Fingers crossed for a show here in Montreal soon. 8.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)
Nas
Hip Hop Is Dead (Def Jam)
While Nas and Jay-Z share the ability to write truly lasting and tangible rhymes, they also share the same diehard devotion of fans who’ve been along for every up and down of their entire careers. Nas rattled the cage with the title of his newest release, taking the lead in a push for self-examination and reflection within the hip hop nation, while still appealing to fans who expect him to flip even the heaviest of topics into a poetic head-nod. A long-awaited team-up with Jay-Z on “Black Republican” adds weight to the call for unity and leadership echoed on J’s Kingdom Come LP, and help from Will.I.Am, the Game and Kanye all feels good. But, if you’re looking for Illmatic Nas, you should know that he’s grown up, been through a lot, and is trying to find ways to use his lyrical gift to inspire both you and me. Trust me, it’s a good thing. 8.5/10 (Scott C)
Ghostface killah
More Fish (Def Jam)
Those of you who ate up all the lyrical goodness on Fishscale will be happy to get your hands on More Fish, made up predominantly of leftovers from the LP released last year. With a major presence from Ghost’s Theodore Unit, a ragtag Wu crew who rhyme with all the energy and style of dudes who have been waiting to get put on forever, this LP lacks some of the sting of Fishscale, but Ghost of course saves the day. High points include “Guns ’n’ Razors,” where Ghost bleeds Ghost over a ’60s Spider-Man sample, and the rugged “Outta Town Shit,” but one of my favourite songs of 2007 is already “You Know I’m No Good,” featuring U.K. voice Amy Winehouse. Ghostface rarely disappoints, and this is a great way to start the new year. 7.5/10 (Scott C)
Ying Yang Twins
Chemically Imbalanced (TVT)
The world according to Kaine and D-Roc, the hip hop equivalent of the Festrunks, is so remarkably simple it’s the anti-Dream Theater. Their limited skills are counteracted by their unflinching dedication to making asses jiggle (hanh!), and the album gains inertia almost entirely on positive attitude. They contrast each other well (one is higher and smooth and the other sounds like Tony the Tiger), while the average Wyclef Jean-produced reggaeton tracks meld with the above-average Mr. Collipark crunk tracks to form a serviceable soundtrack to a night at a strip club. Miraculously, they sample Hall & Oates and reference “Black Betty” effectively on “Dangerous.” 7.5/10 (Erik Leijon)
Mary J. Blige
Reflections (Geffen/Universal)
Mary started ’06 with The Breakthrough, a set which did just that for her already sterling career. So it’s fitting that this timely compilation takes a look back at some key Mary tracks, while providing four solid new joints. This set isn’t definitive. Rather, it features select highlights from Mary’s career, from 1992’s “Real Love” to last year’s “Be Without You.” The album’s most unexpected moment is Mary’s surprisingly fluid duet with John Legend on the complementary “Kings & Queens.” Elsewhere, the title track reminisces about the past, while lead single “We Ride (I See the Future)” makes a solid case for the future of the queen of hip hop/soul. 8/10 (Gerard Dee)
Various
Dreamgirls (Sony BMG)
This soundtrack is a musical rollercoaster that never fails to entertain, whether it’s Michael-Leon Wooley’s bluesy “Take the Long Way Home,” Eddie Murphy’s remarkably sturdy chops on “Fake Your Way to the Top” or Jennifer Hudson, who hits it home every time she takes the mic, but particularly on the show’s most significant numbers, “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” and “I Am Changing.” Furthermore, all of these songs are even more enjoyable if you’ve actually seen the film. For the diehards, the two-disc deluxe edition ups the ante on the single-disc version with more music and a thicker booklet featuring additional pictures and complete song lyrics. 9/10 (Gerard Dee)
Jimmy Heath Big Band
Turn Up the Heath (Planet Arts)
Ben Riley’s Monk Legacy Septet
Memories of T (Concord)
Beboppers rejoice, these are two of the best releases of 2006. The Heath is a kind of 80th birthday celebration—10 tracks arranged by Heath, eight of his originals plus one each by Kenny Dorham and Jimmy Dorsey, played by an all-star cast including Slide Hampton, Lew Tabackin, Gary Smulyan, John Mosca and Steve Davis. Drummer Riley’s salute contains 11 Thelonious Monk compositions, scored in just the right settings by Don Sickler for four saxes, trumpet, bass and guitar (but no piano). “Gallop’s Gallop,” “Brake’s Sake” and “Shuffle Boil” are among the lesser known compositions included here. Both 10/10 (Len Dobbin)
Mini CD Reviews
Frank Sinatra Sinatra: Vegas (Reprise/Warner) A magnificent set of four CDs and a DVD, covering the years 1961 through 1987. Not to be missed! 10 (LD)
Talib Kweli & Madlib Liberation (Blacksmith/Madlib Invazion) Kweli and Madlib get up on another fantasy collab and blow your mind. Serious beats and rhymes, available as a free download online! 9 (SC)
Vicious/Delicious self-titled (independent) Local kids infuse their rebel rock ’n’ roll with some sinister murder balladry on this debut mini-LP. 7.5 (LC)
Various Brats on the Beat: Ramones for Kids (Go-Kart) Members of the Donnas, Pennywise, QOTSA, Dwarves and more, plus a gaggle of hollerin’ tykes, gleefully salute the lords of greasy kid stuff. 7.5 (RB)
Bob Lanois Snake Road (Cordova Bay) Although Bob’s soft, lilting harmonica stands on its own, fans of his famous brother Daniel may want to pay close attention, as his contribution here is equally impressive. 7 (JC)
Various The Our Power Solar Music Compilation (Zunior) Hear the likes of Snailhouse and the Hip’s Gord Downie, and put $8.88 towards the promotion of residential solar power (albeit in T.O.). 7 (LC)
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