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 Steve Earle
Washington Square Serenade (New West/Fontana North)
With this 15th record stuffed in his ever-expanding belt, Earle is most definitely in the middle of hitting his stride. After his last record Revolution Starts Now, the betting man would set down his sawbucks for a tirade on the Bush administration, but Earle proves himself a master songwriter again instead of a mere sloganeer. Political statements on the war and immigration are made, to be sure, but Earle’s inspiration comes more from within here. If Earle isn’t the best living songwriter right now, I don’t know who is. 9/10 (Johnson Cummins)
 Foo Fighters
Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace (Roswell/Sony BMG)
On the 10-year anniversary of The Colour and the Shape’s release, it’s fitting the Foos return with one of their best records yet. Unfortunately this isn’t 1997, and a collection of haggard rock tunes (of both the electric and acoustic variety) feels more like a holding pattern than a rejuvenation for Dave Grohl. As he gets older, Grohl is trying to become a new Dylan or Cash, a road-tested troubadour who can effortlessly relate to anyone. Sadly, his ode to a Tasmanian mine collapse, “Ballad of the Beaconsfield Miners,” shows he hasn’t achieved the everyman vibe just yet. 5.5/10 (Erik Leijon)
 The Donnas
Bitchin’ (Purple Feather/Red Eye)
Now that the Donnas have completely shed the Ramones influence and burrow even deeper into their ’70s Sunset Strip gimmick, things couldn’t get more boring. Ripping off KISS, Mötley Crüe and Joan Jett is all okay, but things just get way too thin here. Check out theses pearls on “Wasted”: “The first time I saw your face/I got wasted on your love.” Yeesh, not even Nikki Sixx has written a lyric that stinky. Things do pick up on “Here For the Party,” but by that time, all the guests have grabbed their coats. 6/10 (Johnson Cummins)
Thomas Dolby
The Sole Inhabitant DVD (Lost Toy People)
Thomas Dolby and the Jazz Mafia Horns
Live at SXSW (Lost Toy People)
After a decade and a half hustling in Silicon Valley, one-hit wunderkind Dolby takes up tune-smithing again for the love of it, synth-pop savvy and charming character intact. The DVD, a solo set in Boston a year and a day ago, reviews his ’80s catalogue (yes, “She Blinded Me With Science” is in there) and his current headspace as well. Bells and whistles abound, and Dolby’s strength, a graphically anachronistic techno-optimism, keeps him paradoxically au courant. Live at SXSW follows that up with five new tunes and a new strategy. A decidedly non-electro brass trio backs him up, adding a vague and at moments off-putting Club Med flavour to his emotive, thoughtful robo-pop. DVD 8, Live at SXSW 7/10 (Rupert Bottenberg) With Science Ninja Big Ten at Café Campus tonight, Thurs., Sept. 27, 8 p.m., $24
 Caribou
Andorra (Merge/FAB)
The latest from Dan Snaith, the Canadian artist formerly known as Manitoba, completes his transition from fussy, fine-tuning electronic artist to psychedelic revisionist. One could in fact be forgiven for imagining Andorra to be a lost classic of elaborately produced California flower-power pop from the ’60s. The material here throbs and glows with a tastefully subdued euphoria even in its most wistful moments, and while enduring hooks were never Snaith’s forte, his artfully arranged welter of weird and wonderful sounds is more than memorable enough. 8/10 (Rupert Bottenberg) With Miracle Fortress,
Born Ruffians at la Tulipe, Wed., Oct. 3, 9 p.m., $18
 Bat for Lashes
Fur & Gold (Echo/EMI)
“To see a black or dark horse in your dream signifies mystery, wildness and the unknown. You may be taking a chance or gamble at some unknown area,” says DreamMoods.com. Natasha Khan’s dream about being sent on a quest by a black horse inspired this album’s opening track, and her transition from preschool teacher to band leader. Comparisons to Kate Bush, Björk, Tori Amos and Loreena McKennitt are justified, but the British band creates their own murky mythology and haunting tone with piano, strings, beautiful vocals and mystically-oriented lyrics. 8/10 (Lorraine Carpenter) With the Brunettes at Petit Campus on Sat., Sept. 29, 8 p.m., $14
 Stars
In Our Bedroom After the War
(Arts & Crafts)
Newfound confidence seems to permeate the singing, songwriting and production on this fourth LP by Montreal’s Stars. Written here at Breakglass Studios, recorded at Bryan Adams’s Warehouse in Vancouver, the record is dominated by the kind of pop that straddles indie and AOR, with forays into funk, bittersweet balladry and elegant lounge music outnumbering the urgent anthems. Lyrically, the political bent of Set Yourself on Fire has diminished, but violent imagery fuels “Barricade” (a song about gay fascist soccer hooligans, apparently) and, to some degree, “Take Me to the Riot.” Nice to know there’s still a little blood alongside the sweat and tears. 8/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)
André 3000
Whole Foods (Think Differently/Fusion III)
It’s no secret that André 3000 has been focusing most of his recent attention on his burgeoning acting career, but that didn’t stop him from making a barrage of cameos on record earlier this year. This street release from Think Differently brings together some of his most recent shining moments on the mic, from his strut on DJ Unk’s “Walk It Out” remix, to the “You” remix featuring Nas. Only thing is, on a lot of these tunes, they actually only give you Andre’s verse, forsaking the rest of the song in the process. Apart from cherry-picking key rhymes, there’s ample evidence here that André should get back to rapping very soon, plus a short history of his eccentric productions and falsetto high points. 8/10 (Scott C)
Will.I.Am
Songs About Girls (Interscope/Universal)
I will say something nice about the R.L. Stine of music, even if lines like “I be loving you like lalala/but it be hitting you like blablabla” (“One More Chance”) make it difficult: the man has a way with catchy beats. The top-40 BEP stuff is usually pretty lazy, so imagine my surprise that “Impatient” is a subtle (by Mr. “My Humps”’ standards anyway) Daft Punk-ish disco funk beat, or that “Fly Girl” mixes things up with live drums and guitars. Lyrically, he makes Wesley Willis seem like Oscar Wilde, and sadly, it makes some decent production otherwise unlistenable. Your self-respect/10 (Erik Leijon)
Rhythmicru
Supertoke 2 (Heads Connect)
I respect the crew mentality of Rhythmicru, offering the maximum number of likeminded heads some room to get down on the same record, all backed by the production of D-Ray. I did wonder why I had to wait until track 8 before a song grabbed my attention, though. Vandal unwinds on “...And Purple” like a pro, while Lameck Williams insists you listen up on “Next Man” with a crucial flow. With the sheer size of the crew represented here, there’s definitely some weak links, but thanks to D-Ray’s versatile “everybody eats” approach, there’s room for characters like Uncle Dropsi, Graph Nobel and Snowy Owl to do their thing. 7.5/10 (Scott C)
Madlib
Beat Konducta Vol 3–4: India (Stones Throw/Koch)
Nipping at the heels of his own brother Oh No’s very recent Dr. No’s Oxperiment, which crafted bits and beats out of vintage Turkish psych-rock, celebrated Oxnard, CA DJ Madlib applies the same fragmented approach to a stack of back-in-the-day Bollywood sounds. Can’t say it’s quite as successful, but India does have its moments. Thing is, at 34 curtailed tracks, the duds evaporate quickly, but then so do the strong ideas, like the funky “Freeze” or tough “Dark Alley Incidental Music.” Essentially a scrapbook of loops in waiting for adventurous MCs, it’s a disjointed listen that now and then hits the jackpot. 7/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)
 Keite Young
The Rise & Fall of… (Hidden Beach)
It’s not surprising that Young found a home on Hidden Beach, the same label that gave Jill Scott and Kindred room to manoeuvre through eclectic musical territory. Young doesn’t waste the opportunity, giving his inner blues man equal time with his soul persona. At his best, he combines the two, working hard guitar licks through driving rhythms on “Thinkuboutmi” and “Hey Joy.” He also rolls off a little rock (“The Wash”), some mid-tempo jams (“If We Were Alone,” “E.N.S.”) and even a James Brown-inspired groove (“The Pressure”). His music is sometimes a little too self-indulgent to be universally appealing, but there’s enough here to make the rise worth the fall. 7.5/10 (Gerard Dee)
 Leonard Feather
Presents the Mitchells & the Joneses (Fresh Sound)
A reissue on a single CD of two sessions produced by Leonard Feather and originally on the Metro-Jazz label. “The Mitchells” are brothers Red on piano and bass, Whitey on bass and the unrelated Blue on trumpet—joined on eight tracks by musicians like Pepper Adams and Andre Previn. It’s a mix of standards and originals, like “Monster Rally,” inspired by Charles Addams. The Jones brothers—Hank, Thad and Elvin—are joined here by Eddie, a bassist best known for his work with Basie. Here even the composers have the same name, the music includes three by Isham Jones and four by Thad. Great to have this one back on the market. 8.5/10 (Len Dobbin)
Mini CD Reviews
Beat Kaestli Happy, Sad and Satisfied (B&B Productions) Material ranging from Gershwin through Cole Porter, Thelonious Monk and Henry Purcell, by a relatively new singer on the New York scene. Excellent backing as well. 9 (LD) At le Cigare du Pharaon, Fri.–Sat., Sept. 28–29, 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.
Andrew Allsgood “Raise It on Down” (independent) Allsgood tries his hand at production with this more than satisfying post-punk stomp. 8 (SC)
Om Pilgrimage (Southern Lord/Sonic Unyon) Less doom ambience and more psych from these two ex-Sleep members. Should go great with copious amounts of codeine. 8 (JC)
The Dragons BFI (Ninja Tune/Outside) Cheers to Ninja’s Strictly Kev for unearthing this lost gem of ambitious, impressive California psych-pop. 7.5 (RB)
Kevin Drew Spirit If… (Arts & Crafts) “Broken Social Scene presents” the first in a series of solo-ish LPs from its crew–’80s arena flair aside, Drew mumbles and meanders like a champ, recalling BSS’s debut. 7.5 (LC)
Film School Hideout (Beggars Banquet/Select) California band delivers space rock from the nu-gazer dimension, boasting a cameo by My Bloody Valentine’s drummer. 7 (LC)
Twista Adrenaline Rush 2007 (Atlantic/Warner) Motormouthed rapping accompanied by slow, old-time gangsta beats. Twista’s done better. 5 (EL)
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