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 Karl Lagerfeld
My Favourite Songs(Tolerance/Fusion III)
German fashion icon Lagerfeld has clambered to the top of his field by fusing pop art and provocation, elegance and absurdity. But does the old fart know music, enough to compile a double-disc set of his preferences? Well, he recently dumped his 60,000 CDs onto dozens of iPods, so there had to be some good stuff in there. The first disc of the fancy, Vogue-“sponsored” kit, “At Home,” is a parade of giddy, folk-flavoured chamber pop and inventive indie delights—Devendra Banhart, LCD Soundsystem, Black Mountain, Fiery Furnaces and the Pipettes all appear here. The second is the catwalk mix for Lagerfeld’s ’05/’06 Chanel show, a brilliant blend of the Fall, Siouxsie, Matmos, Caribou, Goldfrapp, Stereolab and more. Seems his ear’s as good as his eye. 9/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)
 Madonna
The Confessions Tourv (Warner)
This capably captured DVD (with bonus CD of hits amped up for the arena) of Grammy-grabber Madonna’s London leg of her last tour radiates the cynical calculation, bordering on sociopathic, that’s come to characterize her career. That’s not to say the show doesn’t look great—a mediocre singer and dancer at best, Madonna can’t be beat for picking the right people and pushing the right buttons to generate movable units. A spectacular parade of high-end bells and whistles, its proficiency and production values almost—almost!—obscure the tremendous bad taste of the ridiculous, pseudo-S&M equestrian nonsense of the show’s first act, never to mention the cornball Orientalism and the cheesy parkour episode. 5.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)
Explosions in the Sky
All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone (Temporary Residence)
From what’s perhaps the band that wrote the book on epic, uplifting instrumental pieces, this new one can still rattle the teeth, but when EITS drop the decibels and begin their slow, heady ascensions, they are simply stunning. Fans of godspeed!, Red Sparowes, Pelican and Isis’s light interludes are going to absolutely love this, while the ADD set are just going to miss out. The six tracks here offset each other perfectly, yet provide a thread throughout, with hope shining through the shadows at all times. This beacon of white light should be mandatory listening for everyone in these dark days. 9/10 (Johnson Cummins)
 Fall Out Boy
Infinity on High (Island/Universal)
The metamorphosis into a billion-dollar pop act is nearly complete. Although emo and teen punk still flows through FOB’s veins, Patrick Stump’s improved vocals have taken an interesting bluesy turn, suggesting Jonny Lang (especially the wildly fun “The Take Over, the Breaks Over”), and the clean, upbeat guitar riffs are perfectly suited for a Gundam anime montage. The caveat is, alongside the bouncy, handclapping numbers, they still appease their old fan base with a few overwrought, AFI-esque clunkers. They also inexplicably lift Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” with terrible results. Forget the past, boys. You’re a pop band now, so start making me dance, dance. 6/10 (Erik Leijon)
Tones of Town (Memphis Industries/Revolver)
Tongues have been wagging over these clever-clever Brits since their eponymous debut surfaced in 2005, and here they are with an admirable, if not very exciting sophomore LP. The bells, whistles, pretty harmonies, gently bent piano, strings and sporadic guitars make a handsome package (“In Context” is a highlight), but too many songs feel like uptight, antiseptic exercises in time-signature and song-structure tomfoolery. The record is also surprisingly pedestrian in its pop lineage, evoking Abbey Road’s duller riffs and BTO’s drums. Really, the only thing separating Field Music’s “Closer at Hand” from “Takin’ Care of Business” is a college degree. 6/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)
 Skinny Puppy
Mythmaker (SPV)
Infectiously danceable and digitally dirty, the grimy sounds of Skinny Puppy will please the ears of fiending fans. Mark Walk and original puppies cEvin Key and Nivek Ogre have created an album that will satisfy fans of The Process and initiate the neo-nihilists with a taste of industrial. Problem is, Mythmaker relies too heavily on techno and not enough raw industrial rust. The vocal effects can be a little trying, and despite this being a well-oiled machine, cheese needs to be sandblasted from the gears once in awhile. That said, if you want that ol’ Puppy sound, pick up that ol’ Puppy album. If it’s new tricks you’re looking for, this dog’s got a few. 7/10 (Lateef Martin)
yoko Ono
Yes, I’m a Witch (Astralwerks/EMI)
A polarizing figure to put it mildly, septuagenarian Yoko Ono’s better known for her conceptual art, and of course fucking a dead Beatle, than for her music. Understandably. Here, a gaggle of hipsters nobly strive to redeem Ono’s repertoire by covering, remixing or flat-out redoing tracks while keeping her vocals. Given that, the ones who treat Ono as a palatable songstress—Porcupine Tree, Cat Power, Antony of the Johsnons—only make a bad thing worse. Conversely, more successful efforts by Peaches, DJ Spooky and Hank Shocklee wisely work with Ono’s wit and weirdness, while the best moments—Flaming Lips, Apples in Stereo—bury her under arguably karmic avalanches of pop cacophony à la George Martin. 6.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)
 Stink Mitt
The Red Album (Cochon/Outside)
Guys, get ready to get all hot and bothered—and uncomfortable. Surrey, B.C.’s Stink Mitt are back to remind you about tampons, menstrual blood and erectile dysfunction, possibly in that order, if you’re extra squeamish. But their lyrics still deal largely in sex, sluts, secrets, stardom and suicide, backed by the undeniable rhyming and vocalizing skills of MCs Jenni Craige and Betti Forde and producer BigStuff. Blending the classic synthpop side of Prince with a few fluid ounces of modern electro, their music will surely put dance in your pants. And what a prescient tribute to Marilyn Monroe, what with another blonde train wreck in the news. 7.5/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)
Mos Def
True Magic (Geffen/Universal)
Part of the reason I like Mos Def is that I’m not quite sure what he’s going to do next half the time. With his last two LPs officially listed as “misses,” many Mos Def fans hoped for something solid this time out, but you can add another miss to the list. With the exception of his Hurricane Katrina jab “Dollar Days” and the strangely Grammy-nominated “Undeniable,” this is a largely inconsistent and disconnected record. Perhaps he was fulfilling contractual obligations, but this is low-grade mixtape fodder. I do like “ Crime & Medicine” and the sing-songy “Sun, Moon, Stars,” though. 7/10 (Scott C)
Dog Murras
Um Golpe Na Obscuridade: Best of… (Nocturne/Fusion III)
Compiled by France’s Frédéric Galliano, who has a great track record in scrounging up hot African dance tracks, Dog Murras’s material makes a great intro to the kuduro sound from Angola. Like the Brazilian booty beats of funk carioca, kuduro boasts raw-throated ragga raps in Portuguese (though Angolan pride takes precedence over pussy for Murras) and rugged ghetto grooves, though with its smooth Afro swing, plenty of real instruments to offset the electronics and a wider array of inspirations (batucada, zouk and early hip hop—check “Viver!!”), Murras’s kuduro comes off just as tough and funny but more tasteful. Mostly, anyway—the mambo-disco disaster “VIP” ends things on an awkward note, but gems like “Midexa” and the sly “Quem…” more than make up for it. 8.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)
 Dennis Ferrer
The World As I See It (King Street Sounds)
DJ Dennis Ferrer’s techno background, and his subsequent embrace of soulful electronic dance music, has afforded him the ability to kick out across-the-board smashes that uplift the soul and wear out the soles. “Sandstorms” and “Most Precious Love” are two examples of his wizard-like ability to coalesce elements of Afro and gospel over a bare-bones, tech-ish beat. Throughout his debut LP, Ferrer demonstrates that type of creative elasticity with an intricate patchwork of thumpers that will take you to the altar one moment, on a jungle safari the next, and offer an interesting global viewpoint. An important project that’s a testament to house music’s “sur-thrive-ability.” 9/10 (Peter Lightburn)
Jill Scott
Collaborations (Hidden Beach/Universal)
Although this collection of past Scott pairings is clearly a stop-gap release, it’s still worthwhile because it reminds us just how versatile a performer she is. For instance, Scott takes full control of jazz standards “Good Morning Heartache” and “God Bless the Child” while retaining the integrity of each song. She’s equally adept at making a joyful noise with Kirk Franklin (“Kingdom Come”) or trading sweet soulful nothings with the Isley Brothers (“Said Enough”) and Hootie frontman Darius Rucker (“Sometimes I Wonder”). Meanwhile, her hip hop collaborations with Lupe Fiasco (“Daydreamin’”), Common (“8 Minutes to Sunrise”) and Mos Def (“Love Rain”) are nothing short of brilliant. 8.5/10 (Gerard Dee)
Alec Wilder
Children’s Plea for Peace(Albany)
In 1966, Bishop Fulton J. Sheen moved the outspoken Father Henry A. Atwell from Rochester to Avon, NY. Alec Wilder, described as an affluent, aristocratic agnostic, decided, in protest, to put that town on the musical map. The title piece here, conducted by Gunther Schuller with Studs Terkel narrating, was one of the results, but there’s more here—three of his octets (including “House Detective Registers”), a “Fantasy for Piano and Wind Ensemble,” a five-movement “Jazz Suite for Brass Quintet” and “Entertainment No.1” (in five movements) make this a welcome addition to the classical woodwind repertoire. The Appleton Boychoir and the Lawrence University Wind Ensemble add to the success of this one. 10/10 (Len Dobbin)
Mini CD Reviews
Jesu Conqueror (Hydra Head/Sonic Unyon) Jesu obliterates yet again. This could be the greatest moment in Justin Broadrick’s already astounding career. 9 (JC)
Kodo Heartbeat (Sony BMG) A deep bow to Japan’s premier purveyors of precision monster-drum pounding, celebrating a quarter-century in the game. 8.5 (RB)
Reily We Were Archeologists (independent) An EP’s worth of smart, elegant co-ed piano pop that probably belongs on the Arts & Crafts roster. 8 (LC) With Amanda Mabro etc. (the WAWA Show) at la Sala Rossa, Fri., Feb. 16, 8:30 p.m., $15
Mia Verko L’Imbroglio du scaphandrier (independent) This six-track, French-language follow-up to the local act’s 2004 album finds their jagged rock further moulded by melody. 7.5 (LC) With Chin Up Chin Up and Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin at la Sala Rossa, Sat., Feb. 17, 9 p.m., $8
Jay Bezel The Philadelphia Beast Vol. 2 (DPL/Fusion III) Compared to fellow Dipsets Cam’ron and Juelz Santana, Bezel still has a long way before he can be equally over-hyped. 5 (EL)
Wax Poetic Copenhagen (NuBlu) This is some full-blown smoky, rock-soul noodling, hiding behind the lofty premise of uniting continents. Please. 5 (SC)
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