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 PELICAN
City of Echoes (Hydra Head/Sonic Unyon)
2005’s The Fire in Our Throats Will Beckon the Thaw turned the metal and post-rock worlds on their ears, but this new Pelican opus actually eclipses that one with its added contrast and depth. Once again, Pelican stay one step ahead of the merging post-rock instrumentalists and metal bands with seamless transitions from ambient pieces to crushing chug-a-thons, something that has now become their signature. Start your search engines and seek out “A Delicate Sense of Balance,” to see just how far metal can go. 9/10 (Johnson Cummins)
 THE HORRORS
Strange House (Stolen Transmission/Universal) “Psychotic sounds for freaks and weirdoes” is the pitch printed on the back of this British band’s CD booklet, while they strike a blackened New York Dolls pose on the flipside. Inside, handwritten lyrics and elaborate gothy doodling complete the picture. But if the aesthetic is suspect, at least for the adults who’ve seen it all before, the music is shockingly fun, fresh and genuinely deranged. The Cramps, the Damned, Cabaret Voltaire and company certainly figure into their sound, but their concoctions aren’t terribly derivative, dumbed down or overcooked. Freaks, weirdoes and their fans, rejoice. 8/10 (Lorraine Carpenter) With Schoolyard Heroes and Dandi Wind at Petit Campus on Sun., June 10, 8:30 p.m., $15
BRANT BJORK & THE BROS
Somera Sol (Duna/Cobraside)
There may be two former Kyuss members in the fold here, but you couldn’t get any farther away from the windswept, bongbubbling desert rock of Bjork’s previous band Fu Manchu. Bjork and co. get into some serious hypnotizing boogie, and when it comes time to bust out the family jams, they wring the groove out to the very last drop. This is stoner rock that goes far beyond the tired and uninspired sludge riffs, and probably has more in common with the Cars than Kyuss. 7/10 (Johnson Cummins) At Green Room, Sat., June 9, 10 p.m.
 CHRIS CORNELL
Carry On (Interscope/Universal)
The former Soundgarden frontman’s vocal cords are showing some wear, his manic shrieking now raspier and at a lower register. His regrettable time in Audioslave notwithstanding, Cornell has always been effective in putting his unique stamp on familiar musical styles, and this all-American record is no exception. The opener, “No Such Thing,” starts as an ill-advised Velvet Revolver copycat, but the inelegance of Cornell and the lead guitar gives it a more homespun feeling. It’s his attempt at ’70s rock (along with a bar-band cover of “Billie Jean”), which is different for him, although unoriginal in general. 6/10 (Erik Leijon)
AU REVOIR SIMONE
The Bird of Music (Our Secret Record Company)
On their debut LP, Annie, Erika and Heather from Brooklyn sound like a convergence of ’80s teenyboppers, ’40s vocal groups, 60s back-to-nature folkies and a modern-day electro-pop act with a slight Motown fixation. Despite its default melancholy and somewhat stately quality, the trio’s symphony of synths, strings, vibraphone, percussion and drum machine is light and easy to digest, their graceful harmonies making even the sad patches seem sweet. 7/10 (Lorraine Carpenter) With Voxtrot and Favorite Sons at Main Hall on Sat., June 9, 9 p.m., $12
TIM ARMSTRONG
A Poet’s Life (Hellcat/FAB)
THE AGGROLITES
Reggae Hit L.A. (Hellcat/FAB)
The sophomore album from what’s currently California’s finest punky-reggae bunch, the Aggrolites, resonates with a slightly more early-’70s feel than their debut—a touch more dub and weirdness in the production, but never to the point of corniness. The quality (and freaky tweaking, too, even more so in fact) carries over to Armstrong’s album, as the Rancid frontman/ Hellcat impresario pursues his rude-boy muse with a pretty squarely ska album, and so enlists the Aggrolites as backup. Between the band’s playing and Armstrong’s tunes (if not his limp and listless vocals), the results are tasty. “Into Action” stands out as a particularly fun skank attack. The DVD of almost identical, ultra-discount videos seems unnecessary. Armstrong7.5, Aggrolites8/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)
 THE NATIONAL PARCS
Timbervision (Audiogram/Select)
This trio is essentially Montreal’s Freeworm, the live configuration, but the name change isn’t a cosmetic abstraction. The foundation of the imaginative mix of global folk and laidback ghetto grooves here is rhythms ’n’ bits cobbled out of sounds sourced way out in the woods—sticks and stones, quite literally. The process is best explained through the accompanying DVD, which offers a video for every track and doubles as an artful explanation of their M.O. The innovative process is plenty cool, but are the results a good listen? Hell, yeah—the memorable material ranges from goofy rap and folk-funk fun to poignant twilight ruminations. 8/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)
DADDY YANKEE
El Cartel III: The Big Boss (Interscope/Universal) Not surprisingly, Daddy Yankee has created the perfect crossover reggaeton album, even though I was secretly hoping he’d reject mega-superstardom in favour of a hyperactive block party opus. He’s in fine form, even if the cameos (Will.i.am, Fergie, Akon and the Pussycat Doll who can sing) all suck and expedite the anglicization process of our beloved jefe. It pains me that a self-respecting Boriqua like Yankee would allow his rapid-fire Spanish verses to be sandwiched by flaccid English refrains. Case in point: compare the awesome album version of “Impacto” with the appalling Fergie remix included as a bonus track. 7/10 (Erik Leijon)
 BONDE DO ROLE
With Lasers (Domino/Outside)
Bummer that these Diplo-matic discoveries from Curitiba, Brazil, had to cancel their show with CSS this past week. Would have been nice to hear them roadtest the bounty of new baile funk tracks on their debut album. You might know the sing-along sunshine bomb “Solta O Frango” or the fat, funky “Marina Gasolina” (the one track produced in whole by Diplo), but there’s plenty more to dig into here. Dumb but snappy beats in a Brazilian booty vernacular get slathered with kazoos, ringtones and huge quantities of cheese-metal guitars (no samples, though, this is homebrewed from the ground up), with barked lyrics on top—a snarky, up-yours humour shines through even without translation. 8/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)
VARIOUS
The Other Side of Los Angeles (Time Out/Fusion III)
This CD/DVD combo might come in handy if you want to know what Peanut Butter Wolf thinks you should investigate if you’re ever in L.A., but if watching the unusually lethargic Stones Throw label head show you shopping spots, nightlife and sights doesn’t sound too appealing, the payoff here comes in the varied selections of Madlib on the CD. Only Madlib the bad kid would have Leroy Horsemouth Wallace’s “Herb Vendor,” the Sun Ra Arkestra’s “Nuclear War” and Freestyle Fellowship’s “Park Bench People” all in the same pot, cooking up nice. There is a great interview with PBW on the DVD, though, as well as videos from the Stones Throw Singers and more. 7.5/10 (Scott C)
 R. KELLY
Double Up (Jive/Sony BMG)
Hmmm. Seems Kelly didn’t get the memo concerning the current controversy over the use of certain negative words in urban music. Or maybe he did and just doesn’t give a !@%*. Either way, get ready for a verbal assault as Kelly serves it up raw on tracks like “Real Talk” and “Rollin’.” Foul language aside, this set isn’t one of his best—it simply lacks consistency. For every solid track (“Havin’ a Baby,” “The Zoo”), there’s a dud (“Hook It Up,” “Ringtone”). And for every entertaining guest spot (Ludacris and Kid Rock on “Rock Star”), there’s a boring one (Usher on “Same Girl”). Instead of doubling up, this one actually comes up short. 7.5/10 (Gerard Dee)
 THE BAMBOOS
Rawville (Tru Thoughts)
Australian funk unit the Bamboos return to the table with a little help distributed to the horn section to round out the sound. Rawvilleonce again shows that these guys have a firm grip on real funk arrangement and production, and because of that are able to craft original tunes with depth and colour as well as dancefloor appeal. I’m not a huge fan of MC Ohmega Watts rapping over live funk, but the Bamboos liked him enough to employ him for two songs. Vocalists Kylie Auldist, Tyra Hammond, Fallon Williams and the great Alice Russell also guest. 7.5/10 (Scott C)
RANDY WESTON
From 52nd Street to Africa (Fresh Sound)
RANDY WESTON African Rhythms (Comet)
RANDY WESTON self-titled (Mosaic Select)
Born in Brooklyn in 1926, pianist/composer Weston has grown into an original stylist with a Monk influence. The five discs here (the eponymous package is a three-CD set) cover a good portion of his career. The first release combines a pair of sets, a trio from Newport, 1958, and a sextet from 1966 in San Francisco. The second is a 1969 Paris set, a quintet featuring Henri Texier on bass. The box set contains six sessions recorded between 1958 and 1963, and includes many arrangements by the great Melba Liston as well as a previously unreleased session with Cecil Payne, Ron Carter and Roy Haynes. The majority of the music was composed by Weston and includes a number of dedications to his children and friends. All form a nice little portrait of a jazz giant and belong in the library of any serious collector. All 10/10 (Len Dobbin)
Mini CD Reviews
STEVE SWALLOW WITH ROBERT CREELEY So There (XtraWATT/Universal) A sequel to Swallow’s 1979 ECM recording Home, this CD again combines the poetry (read here by Creeley) with some wonderful music by Swallow, ably assisted by the piano of Steve Kuhn. 10 (LD)
NUBIAN MINDZ “Bossa Boogie” 12” (Rush Hour Limited) Colin Lindo tears the roof off with the dirty shuffle of “Bossa Boogie,” followed by the squelchy workout of “Tangents” to help you digest your lunch. 8 (SC)
VARIOUS SC 100 (Secretly Canadian) The secret’s out about this likeable U.S. label, celebrating their 100th release with a comp of covers by Jens Lekman, Songs: Ohia, Swearing at Motorists and more. 7.5 (LC)
YOU AND ME The Romantic and the Realist (independent/Local) The meek, the cute and the pretty join hands on this local acoustic pop project, with a delicate foundation that lets the songs and harmonies shine. 7 (LC) CD launch at Divan Orange on Tues., June 13, 5–7 p.m.
HAYSEED DIXIE Weapons of Grass Destruction (CV) Lots o’ yuks for their country-fried versions of Sex Pistols, Judas Priest and Alice Cooper, but it’s when they tackle Turbonegro’s “I Got Erection” that things really take off. 6 (JC)
RIHANNA Good Girl Gone Bad (Island Def Jam/Universal) The diminutive Barbadian has eschewed her tropical roots for over-produced synth-pop. 5 (EL)
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