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 THE PONYS
Turn the Lights Out(Matador/Select)
The saviours of garage rock, Chicago chapter, are back
with a third album, their debut for Matador. In striving
to capture the sonic power of their shows, the band
reveals a heavier hand, both in pure resonance and stylistic
heft. Clanging sixties garage and psych-pop still
mingle with that early CBGB’s sound (singer Jered Gummere
certainly channels Richard Hell and David Johansson),
but there’s an epic rock card in the deck that gives
the band more room to let loose and hit hard, without
sacrificing the hooks that made their debut album, Laced
With Romance, so appealing.8.5/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)
With the Black Lips, the Sunday Sinners at la Sala Rossa
on Wed., March 28, 8:30 p.m., $12
 LCD SOUNDSYSTEM
Sound of Silver (DFA/EMI)
The title suits, seeing as the latest from
DFA’s chunky disco-punk wunderkind,
James Murphy, isn’t entirely gold-medal
material. Openers “Get Innocuous!” and
“Time to Get Away” simply repeat a formula
Murphy’s worked for several years now, though the
sprawling, percussive “Us V Them” and title track allow it to
breathe some. But then there’s the frustrated flagship track
“North American Scum,” which shares an efficacious punch
with “Watch the Tapes,” while “Someone Great” and “All My
Friends” offer a pensive sweetness against Murphy’s usual
bitterness and bite. That’s back in fine form with the closing
piano-based lament “New York, I Love You But You’re Bringing
Me Down,” a tough-love tribute to a town gone sour. 8.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)
SHAPES AND SIZES
self-titled
(Asthamtic Kitty)
THERE WERE VALLEYS
Night War
(independent)
The Victoria invasion and occupation continues with the
arrival of Shapes and Sizes, the latest B.C. band to make Montreal
home, by presstime anyway. With a bio that reads like a
fairy tale and a sound suggesting members of Stars, Television,
Sleater-Kinney and the New Pornographers feeling their way
through a dark rehearsal space, there’s a charmingly naïve
quality in this ambitious indie pop, even if it comes off a little
Raggedy Ann & Andy. Then there’s There Were Valleys, a local
sextet who take their sweet time building beautiful tunes with
guitars, synths and vocals, sometimes to devastating effect.
While “Renegade Daughters” could easily be a Bright Eyes
song, other tracks venture into Luna’s VU jams, Spiritualized’s
stacks of sound and Mazzy Star’s ominous reveries. Someone
sign this band. S&S 6.5, TWV 8/10 (Lorraine Carpenter) With
the Castanets at Friendship Cove, Mon., March 26, 9 p.m., $8
 THE GRUESOMES
Live in Hell (Ricochet)
The hell in question is the Pub Flamingo
in Halifax, and your overlords of damnation,
the Gruesomes—Montreal’s bigshots
in bowlcuts, regarded to this day as one of
the world’s premier garage-rock revival
units. Here, they’re captured live in 1989, when the retrorock
scene they dominated was in fullest swing. Over 23
tracks, including what constituted hits for these pioneers of
the under-the-radar indie-rock ethos in Canada (“Way Down
Below,” “Hey!”), the band makes up for thin, tinny recording
with extra bucketloads of snarling, sweaty faux machismo,
ratcheted up to an energy level exceeding that of their studio
albums. 7.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)
THE REASON
Things Couldn’t Be Better (Smallman/Warner)
This is what happens when your iPod playlist consists only
of Billy Talent and Hot Hot Heat. Singer/keyboardist Adam
White is a dead ringer for the latter’s Steve Bays, and
throughout this concerted attempt at the big time, you can
feel the desperation—the Reason want to be loved. The songs
are rigidly formulaic and, predictably, wallow in mediocrity
before hitting their ultra-catchy refrains. It’s polished, albeit
very unmemorable, including the too-pristine-to-be-true
“This Is Just the Beginning” and “All I Ever Wanted,” replete
with dinky keyboard add-ons. Yet another band to add to the
teen-punk Cancon pile. 4/10 (Erik Leijon)
 SON VOLT
The Search (Legacy/Sony BMG)
It always seemed such a shame that his
former bandmate from the highly influential
Uncle Tupelo, Jeff Tweedy (now the
head of Wilco), soaks up all the attention,
because Son Volt’s Jay Farrar is stride for
stride easily as good—and after listening to this record, he
may even be better. Farrar’s St. Louis drawl fits like a comfortable
old shoe, while the underlying musical themes poke
and provoke with mantras and blues dirges, while still delivering
his signature Americana sound, often duplicated but
never replicated. Farrar once again proves that he is the
songwriter to beat in the ever-expanding world of y’all-ternative.8.5/10 (Johnson Cummins)
 TINARIWEN
Aman Iman: Water Is Life (World Village)
Championed by Robert Plant and Carlos
Santana, this ragged, shaggy band of
Tuareg nomads have found their distinctive
strain of Saharan blues-rock toasted
the world over with their debut disc. This
sophomore effort from Mali’s Tinariwen fine-tunes their formidable
blend of hypnotic electric guitar picking, ramshackle
rhythms, call-and-response chanting and occasional ululating.
Enjoy it as a fascinating offshoot from the roots of the
blues, as a heartfelt exposition of the political struggles of
the Tuareg people, or simply as trance-inducing mystery
music par excellence.8.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)
TA’RAACH & THE LOVELUTION
The Fevers
(Sound in Color)
The Detroit artist formerly known as Lacks already has a long
history of great music, having lent his ample talents to the
efforts of Platinum Pied Pipers, Carl Craig, J Dilla and Dwele.
Now based in California, this rapping producer has expanded
his sound, incorporating sun-drenched soul and musicality as
well as some serious drums. This is a very satisfying listen
featuring guests like Cassius and Blu, Big Tone and Amp Fiddler.
Big tunes include “Big Bang Theory,” “Merci Me Lord,”
and the cosmic groove of “Liberation’s Lullabye.” 8/10 (Scott C)
 SUNSHINE ANDERSON
Sunshine at Midnight (Music World/Universal)
Anderson broke out in ’01 with the no-nonsense
single “Heard It All Before” from her
debut Your Woman. Her sophomore effort
hones the musical drama to a fine point.
For instance, she instructs one woman to party instead of sitting
home alone (“Switch It Up”), and lends a sympathetic ear
to another in pain (“Problems”). Elsewhere, she cuts one
brother loose (“Something I Wanna Give You”) and blames
another for, well, everything (“My Whole Life”). The disc features
a variety of producers, but Mike City gets props for creating
the album’s sturdiest beats on tracks like “Being With
You,” a feel-good song that finally gives Sunshine something to
smile about. 8/10 (Gerard Dee)
THE IDAN RAICHEL PROJECT
self-titled (Cumbancha)
“Our ability to live in peace with each other depends first
and foremost on our ability to accept all that is different between us,” writes Idan Raichel on his Web site. Before you
balk at the cliche, take into account that this is a guy who
invited 70 musicians of all sorts of different backgrounds to
his basement studio. He recorded a bunch of tunes that
reflect the cultural diversity of his native Israel, and then
ended up releasing two of the most successful records in the
history of Israeli pop music. This record presents a broad
selection of these tunes. Yes, this is pop music, but it’s
darned good stuff (check “Boee” if you don’t believe me) and
it mixes up ingredients you wouldn’t expect, and maybe
haven’t heard before.9/10 (Erin Macleod)
 LUCINDA WILLIAMS
West(Lost Highway/Universal)
It’s been four long years since Ms.
Williams blessed us with a release, but
good things do indeed come to those who
wait. Williams hardly has anything to
prove as far as being a master songwriter
goes, and knowing how to truly deliver a lyric, but her translation
of the language of the heart is even more well-honed
here. This 70-minute record easily stands up next to her
already impressive body of work, but this could be the one
you might start hearing on adult contemporary radio. Few
can write tearjerkers as good as “Learn How to Live” and
“Where Is My Love,” but “Come On” drips with so much vitriol,
it’s guaranteed to make your goosebumps stand up and
salute.8.5/10 (Johnson Cummins)
FANFARE POURPOUR & LARS HOLLMER
Karusell Musik
(DAME)
Hollmer’s a noted Swedish accordionist and composer with a
thing for offbeat collaborations, and in the 18 members (plus
choir, at points!) of Quebec’s boisterous big band Fanfare
Pourpour, he found a good one. Imagine a wild but wellorganized
mix of Danny Elfman, Yann Tiersen and Balkan
brass-master Boban Markovic, and you’ve grasped the sonic
circus let loose here—but hold on, the Fanfare is actuellista
Jean Derome’s project, so a fair bit of avant-weirdness pokes
through too. It’s all in good fun, though, writ accordingly
large. 8/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)
 GEORGE GARZONE
Alone
(NYC)
Garzone is a major name as both an educator
and cutting-edge player. He’s been a
club fixture in Boston, with his trio the
Fringe, since 1972, and a decided asset to
recordings with people like George Russell,
Joe Lovano, Ingrid Jensen and Claire Daly. This recording for
Mike Mainieri’s label is among his most musical and accessible
sessions. He’s joined over 11 tracks by Mainieri, Chuck
Loeb, David Kikoski, Eddie Gomez and Lenny White—
Luciana Souza makes a guest appearance as well. Standards
are the bill of fare, and items like “Con Alma,” “Nature Boy,”
“Night and Day” and “Insensatez” are among the high points
of a memorable session. 10/10 (Len Dobbin) At Upstairs, Fri.-
Sat., March 23–24, and McGill University, Mon., March 26
Mini CD Reviews
STEFANO BOLLANI
Piano Solo
(ECM/Universal)
A wonderful
Italian pianist, best know for his work with Enrico
Rava, going it alone in a wonderfully diverse program of
music.
9 (LD)
MENOMENA
Friend and Foe
(Barsuk)
On their third LP,
Portland’s leading “punk funk crunk” trio plant a wild
array of seeds and come up roses, petal to the metal.
8
(LC) With Land of Talk, Field Music at Main Hall on
Sun., March 25, 8 p.m., $12.50
ACROBAT
The Unbelievable Truth
(independent) Formerly
Brighton, this local band keeps the Anglophilia flowing
on their impressively pro pop/rock debut.
7 (LC) CD launch
with Infighter at Club Lambi, Sat., March 24, 9 p.m.
BABA BRINKMAN
Lit-Hop
(Lit Fuse)
West Coast MC Baba
Brinkman teams up with Moka Only and Josh Martinez
for this wordy take on his hip hop life.
7 (SC)
DRAWING VOICES
self-titled
(Double H Noise
Industries/Sonic Unyon)
Aaron Turner challenges even the
most open-minded Isis fan with this treated guitar ambience.
7 (JC)
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