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 Nadja
Radiance of Shadows (Alien8)
With the increased interest in experimental metal prompted by bands like Sunn O))), Earth, Om, Pelican etc., time should be ripe for these Toronto doomsayers. With three epic tracks making up the record that comes in at just over an hour, this is weighty stuff for sure. The doom-laden sludge is thick with ambient synths cushioning the blows, but when the band combines the punishment of early Swans with the cinematic scope of later Swans, things really open up. Fans of Hyrda Head and Southern Lord have to check this out. 9/10 (Johnson Cummins) CD launch with Qui, CPC Gangbangs at la Sala Rossa, Fri., Oct. 5, 10 p.m.
 P.J. Harvey
White Chalk (Island/Universal)
The deadpan pose and old-fashioned frock P.J. Harvey dons on this album’s cover make a perfect fit for a stark, nearly one-note record, an ethereal counterpart of her 1993 album, Rid of Me. With piano, folky strings and predominantly falsetto vocals—gently whipped up with reverb and gauze, care of Flood and John Parish—Harvey presents another grim portrait of feminine misery, complete with loneliness, murder, mourning and failed pregnancies. The story could be set a century ago, sung by the ghost of a madwoman, punctuated by a frightening wail. With such a strong atmosphere, but few standout songs, this is one for the hardcore fans, and not for the faint of heart. 7/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)
Krief
Take It or Leave (independent)
Dears guitarist Patrick Krief doesn’t stray incredibly far from his primary gig on this solo mini-album, seven tracks of tender and melancholy melody with vocals delivered straight from a mildly depressed heart. However, whereas the Dears are akin to relatively contemporary artists, Krief is clearly rooted in classic rock and pop, a sound stitched together with acoustic guitar, strings, piano, drums and a voice couched in echo, further amplifying the John Lennon effect that’s immediately apparent in the first strains of the record’s opener, “We’re All Whores.” 7.5/10 (Lorraine Carpenter) With Chickita Violenta, Creature, the Beasts of Eden, Alice Stops Time at Hemisphère Gauche, Fri., Oct. 5, 9 p.m., and with Jade McNelis, special guest at Associcao Portuguesa on Sat., Oct. 6, midnight
 The Agonist
Once Only Imagined (Century Media)
A rarity in Montreal metal, the Agonist is fronted by the not-so-hard-on–the-eyes Alissa White-Gluz. Soaring like Evanescence and growling like Serj Tankian of System of a Down, Gluz delivers lyrics as political as the latter’s, proving at the same time that vegans have enough energy to pop your eardrums. The Agonist’s music doesn’t bore, going from fast and hard to soft, slow and heavy, and dare I say catchy. So while the kids are headbanging and swimming through the mosh to speeding riffage, the backs of their brains are catching messages about treating the planet and its inhabitants with a little respect. 8/10 (Lateef Martin)
The Most Serene Republic
Population (Arts & Crafts)
Aiming high and almost always hitting a musical sweet spot between modern classical and indie pop, the sophomore LP by this Canadian septet presents a vision of dystopia coloured by their suburban Ontario existence, or so their bio says. Good luck detecting a narrative in lines like, “Purpose what a selfish orangutan,” “Our creams were hit by the squints in chemicals first” or “Rheumatic boulder, could your sheets still roll?” Dangerously dense and pompous, yes, and “A Mix of Sun and Cloud” verges on ’80s TV theme music, but otherwise, these kids produce a sound on the scale of Sufjan Stevens, with a reliable rock backbone. Lyrics 5, music 8/10 (Lorraine Carpenter) With the Stills, Young Galaxy, Sam Shalabi, Anthony Seck and Friends at le Gymnase tonight, Thurs., Oct. 4, 8 p.m., $10
 Basia Bulat
Oh, My Darling (Hardwood/Universal)
London, Ontario’s Bulat is “Most likely to: Become the darling of Montreal’s café society,” according to The Guardian. Manchester has spoken, espresso-heads, so do your part. Of course, Bulat had a summer sojourn here in 2006, distilled in this material recorded by Howard Bilerman at Hotel2Tango. Locating a perfect point between homespun folk and filigreed chamber pop, Bulat attracts comparisons to Feist and Joni Mitchell, though the plainspoken simplicity informing her work sets it apart. It ebbs and flows with appealing grace, an undercurrent of energy—hat tip to Bulat’s brother Bobby on the skins—adding extra sparkle. 7/10 (Rupert Bottenberg) With Final Fantasy, Ohbijou at the Ukrainian Federation tonight, Thurs., Oct. 4, 8 p.m., $13
Dragonette
Galore (Mercury/Universal)
How coincidental that as the Ontario provincial election looms, the finance minister’s daughter drops an irresistible set of sexy electropop to re-energize the McGuinty campaign? Truthfully, Martina Sorbara’s Canadian/U.K.-based quartet are more inclined to advocate promiscuous late-night escapades over a backdrop of playful synths and girlish cooing than promote Dalton’s dastardly Bill C-56 amendment. A fun, female version of Chromeo, “Competition” is the devilishly coquettish war cry of a mistress, and “Black Limousine” flaunts living luxuriously with synth trumpets. Not included is the amazing Van She remix of the Lothari-ette anthem “I Get Around.” 8.5/10 (Erik Leijon)
Soulja Boy
Souljaboytellem.com (Interscope/Universal)
Keep it up, mankind: only two years were needed to surpass the musical nadir of “My Humps.” Soulja Boy has bent 14 plagiarized turds, including Billboard’s No. 1 “Crank That,” a mindless rap in incomprehensible English that could only succeed in the era of No Child Left Behind. He doesn’t actually rap— he takes a juvenile word like “supersoak” and repeats it with similar diction to someone with overactive salivary glands, and even that requires overdubs. I destroyed my copy before it had a chance to lay demon eggs, but a YouTube search for “Soulja Lion King” confirms he’s spreading faster than HPV. 0.0/10 (Erik Leijon)
Def 3 & Moka Only
Dog River (Ship/Fontana North)
I’ll say it again, but Moka Only’s bountiful and endless stream of beats and rhymes sets him apart from most people making hip hop in Canada. Here he teams up with Def 3, a capable MC who might not share Moka’s swagger, but is far from a slouch. This collection of songs features some first-class production, Moka’s signature catchy singsong choruses, and more than its share of moments, but the songs themselves seem clipped, and often finish before they should. I’m sure there’s got to be a second album of outtakes or tracks they passed on, but it would have been nice if they’d padded this one a little bit more. 7.8/10 (Scott C)
Duane Stephenson
From August Town (VP)
It’s a plain reality that Dean Fraser is one of the most important instrumentalists in Jamaican music history, but the man with sax appeal has a weakness for sweetness. As producer of Duane Stephenson’s debut, Fraser has left his sugary stamp on this record full of one-drop riddims and lovers rock. Hailing from the same area as Sizzla, Stephenson’s From August Town is less fire but more warmth. Vocals are smooth and superb, and tunes like “August Town” and “Heaven Will Rise Up” make this point clear. No tune here rates as high as “True Reflections,” the monster hit Stephenson wrote for Jah Cure, but the talent on this album leaves no doubt that there’s more to come. 8/10 (Erin MacLeod)
 Rahsaan Patterson
Wines & Spirits (Artistry)
On his fourth release, Patterson revisits the intoxicating grooves that permeated 1999’s watershed Love in Stereo. Unlike 2004’s scattered After Hours, his latest is an exercise in focused funk that’s sometimes quirky but never bizarre. It’s a moody experience, where Patterson admits agitation on “Delirium (Comes and Goes),” surrounds the dark “Pitch Black” with a goth-like musical atmosphere, professes innocent confusion during lead single “Stop Breaking My Heart” and basks in simple pleasures on the folksy “Feels Good.” Redemption is also a prominent theme, especially on the desperate “Deliver Me” and the live-sounding “Oh Lord (Take Me Back),” though Patterson clearly has nothing to make up for here. 9/10 (Gerard Dee)
 The Heliocentrics
Out There (Now Again/Stones Throw)
As far as fresh avant-garde, psychedelic jazz-funk goes, the production team of inspired drummer Malcolm Catto and keyboardist/sample jockey Mike Burnham have flipped the apple cart with some jarring, chaotic and masterful compositions on this 24-track creation. This is a well orchestated, not to mention syncopated, head trip, reeling from Zappa-inspired moments to serious drum breaks and monster bass. “Distant Star” immediately stands out with its annoyingly persuasive keyboard riff laid over a booming break, but that’s only track number two. Catto’s vision of organized disarray never sounded better. 9/10 (Scott C)
Lee Konitz & Ohad Talmor
Inventions (OmniTone)
Pierre Blanchard
Music for String Quartet, Jazz Trio, Violin and Lee Konitz (Sunnyside)
Konitz turns 80 on Oct. 13, and he’s averaged a “with strings” session every 20 years. Inventions combines Konitz and another reedman, arranger Ohad Talmor, with the Spring String Quartet on nine tracks—Konitz’s “Alone in Cologne” and the vintage “Struttin’ With Some Barbeque” were done in 2004. The other disc combines his sax work with that of violinist Blanchard, a trio led by pianist Alain Jean-Marie and a string quartet based in France. Recorded in 1986, its six tracks include Lee’s “Chick Came Around” and Trane’s “Moment’s Notice.” Nice additions to Lee’s large recorded legacy, one that began with the Claude Thornhill band back in 1947. Both 9/10 (Len Dobbin)
Mini CD Reviews
George Russell Ezz-Thetics (Riverside/Universal) A wonderful session by George’s sextet of 1961, including Eric Dolphy, Don Ellis and the debut of Steve Swallow on bass. Great versions of “Nardis” and the title track, dedicated to then heavyweight champ, Ezzard Charles. 10 (LD)
Ray Condo & his Hardrock Goners Top Hits! Party Favourites! (Crow-Matic) Condo may no longer be with us, but this collection of songs taken from his five records proves his rep as Canada’s top rockabilly cat is still intact. 8.5 (JC)
Girl Nobody Balaclava Casino Heist (Jericho Beach/Festival) A strong second showing by this Vancouver band, who’ve mixed a rich, potent concoction of dub, rock and trip hop. 8 (LC)
With Tanya Tagaq, Ndidi Onukwulu at O Patro Vys tonight, Thurs., Oct. 4, 8:30 p.m. and 10:45 p.m. (all acts play two sets)
Lalo Schifrin Rush Hour 3 Soundtrack (Varese Sarabande) God bless composer Schifrin, who let Salaam Remi remix the RH theme into “Less Than an Hour” featuring Nas and Cee Lo—probably the best thing about this movie. 8 (SC)
Figurines When the Deer Wore Blue (Morningside/Paper Bag) A hit-and-miss sophomore record by these indie-rocking Danes, whose smorgasbord is now slightly spiked with acid. 7 (LC)
Motion City Soundtrack Even If It Kills Me (Epitaph) If only The O.C. were still on the air, this five-piece would feel relevant. 5 (EL)
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