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 Artist of the Year
Wreck la discothèque (C4/Dep/Universal)
The only way you’re going to understand the torrid affair that AOTY has been carrying on with 8-bit digital filth and the squelchy decimation of 120bpm dancefloor killers is to listen to their new album. This is the third LP from AOTY, perhaps the next Montreal outfit to catch the ear of the international set, and its full of signature cracked-out grooves and self-sampling party cuts like “If it Ain’t Dirty It Ain’t Fun” and “It Ain’t Tight Enough.” Even though it might sound like there’s something wrong with your speakers, that’s really just the way these guys love to serve it up. 9/10 (Scott C)
 The Police
self-titled (A&M/Universal)
A prep-work package for those with tickets to one of the two Bell Centre shows this week, a consolation prize for those without, a bundle of memories for old fans and a solid intro for new ones—this double-disc, 28-track retrospective is all of the above, collecting the best bits from every stage of the trio’s trajectory together (“Demolition Man,” fuck yeah!). At a time when the U.K.’s post-punk music is being subjected to intense scrutiny, it’s important to note how Sting, Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers leap-frogged their peers and shot to superstardom with a powerful mix of rock and reggae, sly wit and subtle menace, effective simplicity and magnificent musicianship. 8.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg) With Fiction Plane at the Bell Centre, July 25-26, 7:30p.m., $59.50-$225
 Editors
An End Has a Start (Kitchenware)
Interpol’s third album is out, Anton Corbijn’s Control is playing in various parts of the world and this Birmingham band is back with their sophomore album. Coincidence? Probably, yet they’re all connected through their evocation of Joy Division’s Ian Curtis. Like Interpol, Editors have gone some ways toward transcending the obvious comparisons, elevating the dark dancefloor rhythms and chiming riffs they established on The Back Room, a sturdy foundation to build on. A few tracks near the end of the record fail to ignite, but the likes of “Bones” and the title track threaten to set that back room on fire. 8/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)
 Velvet Revolver
Libertad (RCA/Sony BMG)
What the hell is with Slash’s and Duff’s insistence on working with the worse frontmen in rock history? What’s the matter, fellas—was that pompous flower child Perry Farrell too busy doing his trance DJ gigs? Well, you guessed it, Poindexter, this sophomore record from these 90210 rockers is indeed a torrential downpour of shit that seems to be all too proud of being void of any musical statement or sense of danger. Of course, STP and GNR fans are going to hope for a glimmer of former glories, but they ain’t going to find it here. On the plus side, VR can expect regular rotation of Libertad at their favourite strip joints. 5/10 (Johnson Cummins)
The Actual
In Stitches (Softdrive/Ammal New West)
For you trivia buffs out there, In Stitches was co-produced by STP’s Scott Weiland, and lead singer Max Bernstein is the son of famous reporter Carl Bernstein. Now if only the album were as exciting. The lyrics are horrendously vapid (“I know there’s a difference between an Etch-a-Sketch drawing and a master’s degree,” on “Permanent Kitten”), and Max’s voice, which sounds like a powerless Mike Ness mixed with Deryck Whibley from Sum 41, is as appealing as a spoken word album from Deep Throat. The production is lifeless, similar to something a high school band might record. 1.5/10 (Erik Leijon)
 Spoon
Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga (Merge/FAB)
This Texan indie-rock unit’s main man Britt Daniel raised the bar incredibly high on last year’s brilliant Gimme Fiction, and this new one proves that success was no fluke. With his hoarse, Lennon-esque vocals leading the charge, Daniel continues adhering to the stringent pop rule of getting it on and over with quickly, with a chorus that goes right for the frontal lobes. Songs like “You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb,” “Don’t Make Me a Target” and “Don’t You Evah” with its groove recalling the Fall, manage to push pop in new directions, with arrangements running the gamut from naked to bursting at the seams. 9/10 (Johnson Cummins)
 M. Ward
Duet + Guitars #2 (Merge)
From the vault, this is the 1999 debut album by M. Ward, the singer-songwriter whose quaintly eccentric compositions and graceful vocals have captured hearts and minds over five albums in as many years. Remastered and re-released with a few bonus tracks, this previously out-of-print record has much of the charm of Ward’s early albums, but it has an unfinished quality that undermines its impact. There are some treasures to uncover here, particularly for fans, but 2001’s End of Amnesia is a superior starting point for those just discovering Ward’s shadow folk. 7/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)
 The Unireverse
Dude Has His Own Agenda (Giradiscos)
Montreal’s masters of mind-bending mutant electro-prog-pop return with an impressive five-track record, the meaty mastering by Sixtoo giving it an oomph unmatched on previous efforts. The initial burst of energy in “Scuba Cops” gives way to creepy, idiosyncratic synth-scapes (the record’s theme is the unpredictability of their vintage keys and gear) and the diabolical dirge of “Hairmosa,” while the Unireverse’s roots as a demented cover band are revisited with a hilarious electro spin on Black Sabbath’s “The Wizard.” 8/10 (Rupert Bottenberg) Record launch with Dreamcatcher, Vagina Bison and Audio Architect at la Sala Rossa, Sat., July 21, 9 p.m., $6
 Various
Healing the Divide: A Concert for Peace and Reconciliation (Anti/FAB)
Captured here are highlights from a 2003 benefit concert in New York, a fundraiser for Richard Gere’s NPO, which aims to raise awareness of the Tibetan Buddhists’ plight, and money for their health and welfare. Following an address by the Dalai Lama, there’s the throat-singing of the Gyuto Tantric Choir, a sitar piece by Anoushka Shankar (daughter of Ravi) and a neat collab between Philip Glass and Gambian kora player Foday Musa Suso. The tone of reverent sobriety breaks, however, with the disc’s third act—the always irascible Tom Waits, backed by no less than the Kronos Quartet, delivers a quartet of quirky, darkly funny and entirely unique tunes. 8.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)
 Famn
Things Done Changed (independent)
Even though they won in the hip hop category in the Mirror’s BOM this year, there’s still a lot of people who haven’t heard what FAMN (pronounced “famine”) is all about. Although Things Done Changed is a 20-track LP from this ambitious clique, many of the cuts feel like mixtape filler, despite shining moments on the mic from MCs M.O., Tek and Midnite. The production varies from synth-rollers like “They Don’t Want It” to the unbearable Bon Jovi flip of “Unforgiven,” but Tek hits the nail on the head on “Best 4 U,” where he calls out rappers who peddle false personas to the kids. FAMN is for the children! 7/10 (Scott C)
Bob Marley and the Wailers
Roots, Rock, Remixed (Quango/Fontana North)
If, as many argue, Chris Blackwell killed Marley’s music with slick over-production (compare Legend’s contents to the reggae lord’s rough, tough early stuff), then some of these remixes by third-tier talents merely piss on the grave. Most of the contributions play it safe with boutique dubs of popular tracks (King Kooba and Bombay Dub Orchestra get fair mileage out of that approach), though DJ Spooky overdoes it with his take on “Rainbow Country,” while Trio Eléctrico’s spooky ska spin on “Trenchtown Rock” genuinely impresses. The shitty house jam from Jimpster and Cordovan’s cheesy “One Love,” which close out the album, come close to sinking the whole thing. 6/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)
 Kelly Rowland
Ms. Kelly (Sony BMG)
Rowland’s 2002 solo debut Simply Deep yielded the monster track “Dilemma,” but not much else. Her sophomore effort is more consistent, but the problem is that unlike Beyoncé, she still hasn’t carved out a distinctive musical voice for herself. To be sure, lead single “Like This” with Eve is a solid summer jam, and both “Comeback” and “Work” are waiting in the wings to pick up the beat. But on tracks like “Still In Love With My Ex” and “Love,” Rowland’s vocals are almost indistinguishable from her more famous Destiny’s Child alumni. Thankfully, a few songs like “Better Without You” and “This Is Love” finally allow Ms. Kelly’s personality to shine through. 7.5/10 (Gerard Dee)
 Harold Land
Jazz at the Cellar (Lonehill Jazz)
Pat Moran
This Is… (Fresh Sound)
Scott LaFaro, one of the most influential bassists in recent jazz history, is heard on both these items. In 1961, LaFaro died in a car crash at the age of 25, after gaining world-wide fame as a member of the Bill Evans trio, which included drummer Paul Motian. The session with tenorman Land was recorded at the Cellar in Vancouver back in 1958. This little-acclaimed quartet had the added strength of pianist Elmo Hope and drummer Lennie McBrowne to make it important both musically and historically. Moran, meanwhile, was a Chicago-based pianist who impressed Oscar Peterson back in the ’50s, when these sessions were recorded. There’s plenty of LaFaro to be heard on this 20-track reissue. The Windy City’s Johnny Whited is the drummer here and singer Bev Kelly is heard on the second half of the album while the last two tracks are piano solos that include “Goodbye.” Rare and impressive. Both 9/10 (Len Dobbin)
Mini CD Reviews
Giacomo Gates Centerpiece (Origin) If you’re of fan of, say, Mark Murphy, Kurt Elling and Marc Pompe, you want to add this one to your collection. Gates is backed here by people like Harold Danko, Ray Drummond and Vincent Herring. 8 (LD)
NuTropic Voce Sabe Remixed (Nocturne/Fusion III) Thank God for remixes from Yukihiro Fukitomi, Steppah Huntah and Jazztronik, who save the originals from obscurity. 8 (SC)
Richard Thompson Sweet Warrior (Shout Factory/Sony BMG) It’s completely baffling how Thompson just seems to be getting better and better at this late stage in his game. 8 (JC)
Emily Haines & the Soft Skeleton What Is Free to a Good Home (Last Gang) A strong companion piece to last year’s LP by the Metric singer’s side project. 7.5 (LC)
Crowded House Time on Earth (ATO/MapleMusic) A passable reunion record made in the wake of the suicide of the Australian pop band’s drummer. 6.5 (LC)
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