Disc of the week

THE END Various Peanut Butter Wolf Presents Stones Throw Ten Years (Stones Throw/Koch)
This is it. This is the model that you should refer to if you’re getting ready to start your very own independent hip hop label. L.A.-based Stones Throw was born from the mind of Peanut Butter Wolf, aka Chris Manak, in 1996. Over the years, the label has built a stellar reputation for hip hop and funk, while boldly venturing into soul, new wave, lounge, broken beat, electronic and free jazz. This comp looks back at a fruitful decade with selections from Jaylib, Quasimoto, Koushik, J Dilla, Lootpack, Funkaho, Kazi, M.E.D., Oh No, Madvillain and more. This is a must-have for anyone who can appreciate this label’s weighty contributions. 10/10 (Scott C)

The Good, the Bad & the Queen

self-titled (Parlophone/EMI)

Keep your Rockstar Supernova, here’s a supergroup for the kids in Docs and parkas. Following their Gorillaz collab, Blur’s Damon Albarn reunites with producer Danger Mouse (Gnarls Barkley), as well as Afrobeat drum lord Tony Allen, and the Verve’s Simon Tong and, yes, Paul Simonon of the Clash rounds things out. It’s in fact Simonon’s sensibility—the low-key, haunted cool of, say, “The Guns of Brixton”—that seems to most strongly permeate the firm but gentle, dub-inflected folk-rock of this wearied, war-shy, working-class evocation of West-End London. 7.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

Of Montreal
Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? (Polyvinyl)

This Athens, GA, band’s eighth LP picks up where 2005’s The Sunlandic Twins left off, complete with echoes of Brian Eno, particularly his mid-’70s solo work and Bowie collaborations. Sizzling riffs, warped melodies and infestations of fuzz aside, the record is packed with steep pop highs, channeling Abba and Prince. The knees-up opener “Suffer for Fashion” is typical of the record’s perverse pairings of up tunes and down, deep or dark lyrics, often with absurdly pompous titles. In short, only pop-loving listeners with offbeat inclinations will be able to stomach the saccharine stuff and weather the band’s kinks. 8/10 ( Lorraine Carpenter)

Only Crime

Virulence (Fat Wreck)

Proving that their debut blaster wasn’t just a fluke, this punk rock supergroup delivers the goods again. Drummer Bill Stevenson finally reunites with his Black Flag colleague, guitarist Greg Ginn, and the two join ex-Bane/Converge guitarist Aaron Dalbec, bassist Doni Blair (Hagfish) and singer Russ Rankin (Good Riddance). In fact, Only Crime strike the perfect balance between Black Flag and Descendents when solid melody rises out of the dissonance in “Take Me” and “Everything for You.” 7/10 (Johnson Cummins)

Thisquietarmy Wintersleeper (Thisquietarmy)

Elika self-titled (Thisquietarmy)

Thisquietarmy is an ambient guitar project by Montreal ’s Eric Quach from Destroyalldreamers, clearly a guy with an aversion to the space bar. It’s one of the most depressing weeks of the year, statistically speaking, and this is a fine score for it, with shimmering washes of grey sound cascading off a cliff. There’s more light than darkness, however, despite titles like “Tsunami Death Toll Rising” and “Bombing for Peace, Fucking for Virginity.” The pieces evoke Elizabethan court music, Vangelis’s Blade Runner soundtrack and, of course, the ambient fringes of shoegazing. Taking those downcast guitar stylings in a more pop direction, but leaving the inherent melancholy intact, is Brooklyn duo Elika. My Bloody Valentine, Saint Etienne and Boards of Canada collide in their textured guitars, gauzy reverb, crisp beats and ladylike vocals. Both 7.5/10 (Lorraine Carpenter) Both bands with Millimetrik at Casa del Popolo, Sat., Jan. 27, 9 p.m., $7

Clouds

Legendary Demo (Hydra Head/Sonic Unyon)

Easily the closest thing Hydra Head has come to straight-up rock. Ex-Cave In singer Adam McGrath sheds his skin completely here, with no traces of his previous band, and heads up a band that sounds more like the Didjits and Halo of Flies than any of his earth-shattering hardcore outings. His sense of inventiveness makes this record stand out from the legions of rockers out there. Punk kids and fans of McGrath’s previous band are going to hate this, and it seems he wouldn’t have it any other way. 7.5/10 (Johnson Cummins)

Arthur H

Show Time DVD (Polydor/Universal/Dep)

Following the CD of the same title, this collection of live concert material doesn’t merely expand the track listing, it more fully documents the exquisitely rich and intoxicating cabaret of cool that one can expect from a show by Parisian pop champ Arthur H and his top-shelf band. The tunes are drawn largely from his most recent album, Adieu Tristesse, and the couple preceding it—highlights include a spellbinding “Ma dernière nuit à New York City ,” captured in Lille , France . The lion’s share, including two duets with Lhasa, is taken from last year’s Francofolies show at le Spectrum, adding a poignant note for regulars at the venerable but now doomed Montreal venue. 8/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

David Macleod

Strange Biology (Ships at Night)

Backed by a rotating cast of local luminaries including Angela Desveaux and Katie Moore, Mishka Stein (Patrick Watson Band) and the Plants & Animals guys (Warren C. Spicer, who co-produced, in particular), painter David Macleod lays down his brushes and picks up his acoustic guitar. His finespun, filigreed folk-pop avoids adventure, only ramping up briefly with the bouncy, bluesy romp of “It’s a Living,” and such reticence drains lustre from his music’s natural glitter and charm. But what Macleod carries over from his work on canvas is a calm, clear and considered communication of the great beauty quietly pervading the intimate and ordinary. 7/10 (Rupert Bottenberg) With Katie Moore at Casa del Popolo tonight, Thurs., Jan. 25, 9 p.m.

Rodney DeCroo

War Torn Man (Northern Electric/Universal)

The comparisons come quick when listening to this Pittsburgh-born troubadour and his capable band, caught live here at Edmonton ’s Sidetrack. His high, rough and robust vocals suggest Neil Young and Bob Dylan, though it’s really the former, and Steve Earle to boot, that War Torn Man’s 13 tunes bring to mind. It isn’t just the raw, rugged, blues-charged country rock, though, it’s DeCroo’s clear-eyed, deftly articulated conveyance of both his own hard-knock history and the hard knocks recent history has dealt so many. 7.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg) At the Yellow Door, Fri., Jan. 26

Rob Lutes

Ride the Shadows (SOCAN)

On his third disc, Montreal singer/songwriter/musician Rob Lutes reaffirms his affinity for the blues and folk music with a set of songs that draw heavily from both genres. Almost entirely self-penned, these quiet songs draw you in with a storytelling style that’s at once universal and uniquely Canadian. For example, Lutes’ inspiration for “Cold Canadian Road” may have stemmed from getting lost in his native New Brunswick, but the song’s message of perseverance in the face of doubt is one that everyone can relate to. Although he’s surrounded by a crack band, Lutes’ husky baritone and acoustic guitar work always find their way to the front on this engaging release. 8/10 (Gerard Dee) At Oscar Peterson Concert Hall, Thurs., Feb. 1, 8 p.m., $10–$20

Various

Brazilian Beats Brooklyn (Mr. Bongo)

Those of you who like to bug out over 1970s Brazilian samba soul can thank Brookyln DJs Sean Marquand and Greg Caz, who teamed up with Mr. Bongo himself to bring you this hot-tipped comp of rare Brazilian funk. Easily one of the best volumes of the continuing Brazilian Beats series on the Mr. Bongo label, these are songs taken from Marquand and Caz’s weekly Brazilian Beat Broolykn night at Black Betty’s in New York. Floor-fillers like Som Tres’s “Tanga” and Miguel De Deus’s “Black Soul Brother” make this 22-song powerhouse one for the books. 9/10 (Scott C)

Roy Haynes

Whereas (Dreyfus Jazz)

Drummer Haynes, who’s sparked the rhythm sections of Lester Young, Charlie Parker, Stan Getz, John Coltrane and Sarah Vaughan, is still going strong at 81. His group of young musicians highlighted the 2006 Montreal Drum Fest. If you heard that one, or even if you didn’t, you’ll want this CD, one of the best released last year. Joined by Jaleel Shaw on reeds, pianist Robert Rodriguez and bassist John Sullivan, Haynes is up front and centre on eight tracks, one of which, “Hippidy Hop,” a drum solo, has been nominated for a Grammy! An 11-minute version of “My Heart Belongs to Daddy” is a highlight, along with Monk and Denzil Best’s “Bemsha Swing” and Bird’s “Segment.” 10/10 (Len Dobbin)

Philip Glass
Notes on a Scandal Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Rounder)

A Glass record, even—at times especially—his film scores, is always a welcome arrival. In this case, though, a better title might be A Scandal, Note by Note. The composer’s piercing serial motifs aren’t entirely absent, but their incisive effect is dulled by the very conservative and uninspired tack Glass takes for this Judi Dench/Cate Blanchett vehicle. Too much of this score is indistinguishable from the bulk of the throwaway soundtrack symphonies out there. Glass needs another Errol Morris doc to properly occupy him. 4/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

Mini CD Reviews

Adrean Farrugia V 1.0: (Romhog) The leader is a Toronto-based pianist, joined here by the likes of Phil Dwyer and Brad Goode in a program of mostly originals. 8 (LD)

DJ Lexis What I'm Feeling Vol. 4 (independent)Once again, Lex makes you question your own tastes with tracks from Koop, Beck, Ty, Amp Fiddler, Ben Westbeach and more. 8 (SC)

Neko Case Live From Austin TX (New West) The queen of young country does well on Austin City Limits, but nothing beats 2004’s Sadies-backed live CD, The Tigers Have Spoken. 7.5 (LC)

The Puppini Siters Betcha Bottom Dollar (Universal) Produced by Montreal’s Benoît “Belleville” Charest, this U.K. retro vocal trio capably covers early and late 20thcentury pop, from Irving Berlin to the Smiths. 7 (LC)

Therion Nuclear Blast (Gothic Kabbalah) Who is actually buying this operatic goth-metal garbage these days? Somebody fess up, dammit! 3 (JC)

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