|
 The Sadies
New Seasons (Outside)
There is a certain excitement in listening to a Sadies CD, and this prolific and eclectic band continue to prove why they are one of the best groups in Canada right now. The Doc Watson flat-picking on “Introduction” quickly gives way to the 13th Floor Elevators feel of “The First Inquisition Pt. IV,” which could easily be a career high point thus far. The band’s fraternal frontmen, Dallas and Travis Good, are at their twangy best as their Gretsch and Telecaster argue like only brothers can, but instead of just blowing minds with double stops, the Sadies offer vocals harmonies recalling the Byrds at their most perfect—and the Meat Puppets’ Kirkwood brothers at their most depraved. Unbeatable! 9/10 (Johnson Cummins)
 Super Furry Animals
Hey Venus! (Rough Trade)
It’s been rumoured that Rough Trade requested a “pop album” from their new charges, a surprising bit of bullying from a so-called indie label, particularly of a band eight albums into a career that persevered after Britpop (arguably, Supergrass was the only other survivor). Luckily, the Welsh quintet excels at ’60s-styled melodies and welterweight psychedelia, and produces about half a dozen solid, memorable songs, alongside a handful of ’70s piano-ballad snoozers. The electronic noise experiments, beat-laden outros and prankster rock flourishes of old are sorely missed. 7/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)
Devendra Banhart
Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon (XL/Select)
“Every time you get high, you may see me floating by” would sound like more of a threat if it hadn’t wafted down on a cloud of “hairy faerie” dust. Banhart is clearly getting his jollies flying the freak-folk flag, he’s got a sense of humour, thank Vishnu, and he continues to craft alluring atmospheres with vocals, keys and light percussion, like Patrick Watson would if he’d grown up in California on a steady diet of LSD. But much of this record (out Sept. 25) is a smeg-smeared classic-rock lullaby, a lo-fi approximation of what made so much ’70s music so lame. 5/10 (Lorraine Carpenter) With Matteah Baim at le National, Sat., Sept. 22, 9 p.m., $26
Jérôme Minière
Coeurs (La Tribu/Select)
After more than a half-decade, Montreal’s Minière shelves his meta-persona Herri Kopter and his elaborate mythology, and Coeurs finds him returning to the realm of guileless yet beguiling first-person songcraft. Simplicity and simplification aren’t synonymous, though. Musically and lyrically, the tunes here—luminous chamber-pop pearls shaded with delicate dub, Afro guitar and intricate electronic detailing—reward the attentive ear with new riches each time around. 8/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)
 Flight of the Conchords
The Distant Future (Sub Pop)
With the decline of Tenacious D and a gaping hole left by Adam Sandler, Flight of the Conchords is a tank of laughing gas to breathe in a room full of 500-pounders who’ve had eggs and burritos for breakfast. While not quite as cheeky as Sandler’s classic “At a Medium Pace” or Tenacious D’s “Fuck Her Gently,” New Zealand’s FOTC still tickle with one-two folk-pop punches of wit and acoustic guitars. This is laugh-out-loud stuff. Let’s just hope the popularity in North America, bolstered by a TV series based on their stardom-hungry exploits in NYC, doesn’t knock these boys out of the sky and into the stale territory of generic funny music. 8/10 (Lateef Martin)
Tara Lee Combs
Whether We Shall Repel (Gaia Disk/FAB)
This former member of Navajo Code Talkers has dropped the sludge a bit this time around and hunkers down to do some solid songwriting. Although things can admittedly get a tad patchy, the Queens of the Stone Age breakdown on “Bullet Matches the Plastic Gun Found at the Crime Scene” shows balls, and the acoustic “White Whine and Hay” proves that Combs’s bluesy drawl doesn’t need to hide behind a wall of wattage. 7/10 (Johnson Cummins) CD launch with the Brown Hornets at Petit Campus, Fri., Sept. 21, 8 p.m., $5
Michael Jerome Browne
Double (Borealis)
Artists trying to make the leap from country blues to Chicago blues usually sink deep into the chasm between, but Montrealer Browne makes the transitions seem effortless on this two-CD set. Reissued with this package is his debut record, which is nothing short of stunning, with pared-down arrangements mainly for vocals and guitar, but the “Live at the Main Hall” disc is what really makes this mandatory for any fan of blues. Browne is indeed more than talented in his clawhammer picking, but like other virtuosos (e.g. Kelley Joe Phelps), he never lets his prowess get in the way of telling the story. 8.5/10 (Johnson Cummins) CD launch at Club Lambi, Sat., Sept. 22, 8 p.m., $20 ($10/students)
 17 Hippies
Heimlich (Hipster)
Neither necessarily hippies nor 17 in number, this Berlin outfit covers a high count of moods and motifs here, from rambunctious to reflective, sunny to saturnine. Heimlich comes off like a cockeyed cabaret, flipping figments and fragments of pan-European folk and post-war pop, Asian inspirations and flickering movie-music mischief. Improbable interpolations are a specialty—“The Moving Song” could be George Harrison on Hee Haw, while their cover of the funky instrumental classic “Apache” is given a sombre Turkish rinse. 7.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg) At Divan Orange tonight, Thurs., Sept. 20, 9:30 p.m., $15, and with les Gitans Dhoad du Rajasthan at Gésu, Fri., Sept. 21, 8 p.m., $30
u-Ziq
Duntisbourne Abbots Soulmate
Devastation Technique (Planet Mu)
Through the ’90s, Mike “u-Ziq” Paradinas carved a spot amid the leftfield electronica of Aphex Twin, Squarepusher and their Warp-ed ilk, culminating in 1999’s magnificent Royal Astronomy, a disc that reached for the stars and grabbed them. His latest album, his first in four years, is no match for it, but that isn’t to say that the dense, woozy clusters of tone and texture here, pinned to the ground by stiff, fierce beats, can’t engage and even at times overwhelm. A sinister sense of menace pervades the proceedings, punctuated by bright major-key flashes like sunbeams through storm clouds. 7/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)
 Chamillionaire
Ultimate Victory (Motown/Universal)
It’s a shame Chamillionaire will likely go down in history as the “Ridin Dirty” guy, because he’s actually a serious and insightful lyricist. That the production is pedestrian (too many tracks feature guitar samples) doesn’t mean the Houston native is a one-note rapper. Like the NAACP, Chamillionaire has done away with the N-word—and any other cuss words—while still sounding downright pissed. His primary target remains the police, but his attempts at political commentary blend well with the fun bits, and an anti-groupie rant set to Europe’s “Final Countdown” (“Industry Groupie”) equals the stupidity/fun of “Ridin.” 8/10 (Erik Leijon)
Jorun Bombay
First Words Anti Mixtape Movement EP 7” (Dead-Beats)
“The Anti Mixtape Movement is not a real movement... just like how a mixtape without a DJ mixing and cutting records is not a real mixtape.” Ouch! Jorun Bombay is a man of principles, and coincidentally, a great MC/producer as well. His classic boom-bap can be felt on both sides of this 45, making for some basement hip hop at its best. With tunes like “Just Clap” and “Talk to My Manager” combining the humour, style and quality that we all love to nod along with, Jorun and company prove once again that Nova Scotia never sleeps! 8/10 (Scott C)
G&D
The Message Uni Versa (Look/Ryko)
Talented composer and producer Georgia Anne Muldrow has emerged as a creative force whose roots in hip hop, soul and self-assured expression have cemented her as one to watch. Here, she teams up with clown-philosopher Dudley Perkins, her partner in life and music, for some positive soul. Muldrow handles the production, sprinkling her distinct harmonies over Dudley’s marble-mouthed observations and insights. Georgia and Dudley are obviously having a great time, and you can feel the chemistry throughout what will hopefully not be the last of their carefree collaborations. 8.5/10 (Scott C)
 Ledisi
Lost & Found (Verve Forecast/Universal)
Ledisi’s 2001 debut Soulsinger became a sensation despite the fact that it was released on a small, independent label and received limited distribution. Her major-label debut proves that the buzz surrounding the New Orleans-born, Oakland-based singer was justified. Her no-nonsense, in-the-church vocal style is at once contemporary and classic. Contemporary, because on the jazz-inflected “I Tried” and the slow-grinding “You & Me,” she brings to mind recent favourites like D’Angelo and Angie Stone, yet when she sinks her teeth into meaty, mid-tempo grooves like “Think of You” and “Alright,” it’s a reminder of what classic soul should sound like when it’s sung right. 9/10 (Gerard Dee)
Miles Davis
Live at the 1963 Monterey Jazz Festival (Monterey Jazz)
Thelonious Monk
Live at the 1964 Monterey Jazz Festival (Monterey Jazz)
Two wonderful CDs of previously unreleased material from this famed California festival. The Miles disc has George Coleman on tenor and the Hancock, Carter and Williams rhythm team in a set of familiar pieces including “So What” and “Autumn Leaves.” Monk is joined by Charlie Rouse and Ben Riley with Steve Swallow on acoustic bass, a last minute stand-in. The quartet is heard on things like “Bright Mississippi,” while “Think of One” and “Straight No Chaser” bring in Buddy Collette, Bobby Bryant, Jack Nimitz and Lou Blackburn. Keep an ear out for more in this important series, by people like Dizzy Gillespie and Louis Armstrong. Both 10/10 (Len Dobbin)
Mini CD Reviews
Ayn Inserto jazz Orchestra Clairvoyance (Daynakleina Nite) Another new arranger, composer and leader worth checking out. Guests George Garzone and Bob Brookmeyer add to the value of this debut CD. 9 (LD)
Ani DiFranco Canon (Righteous Babe) The best of the righteous babe on two discs, with five new versions of old songs. 7.5 (LC)
Konono No1 Live at Couleur Café (Crammed/Fusion III) The colossally popular Congolese unit’s jerry-rigged jubilee positively percolates over this Belgian set. 7.5 (RB)
Geneviève et Matthieu Rouge-Gorge (Fusion III) It’s naïve-art anarchy in Abitibi again, but more so on stage than on this, the electro-pop duo’s sweetest and slickest record yet. 7 (LC) At Academy, Wed., Sept. 26, 5 p.m., free
Vintnor Valeth & the Elder Suns “Funky Social Light” 7” (Tonedef/Firebrand) A nice, dirty slice of funk and psychedelia courtesy of Valeth and the B-side’s saving grace, Reuben Sparks. Drums for days. 7 (SC)
Various Echo Presenta: Invasion (Machete/Universal) A decent crash course if you’re curious about mainstream reggaeton. 6 (EL)
Sixx A.M. The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack (Eleven Seven/Universal) Mötley dude Nikki Sixx’s recounting of his junkie years will have you wanting to brain the dick who kickstarted his heart the first time he overdosed. 3 (JC)
>> Music Listings |
