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 Paul Bley
Solo in Mondsee (ECM/Universal)
Bley is, IMHO, the most influential musician ever produced in this country, born in Montreal, Nov. 10, 1932–75 years ago this Saturday. He’s had a long and prolific recording career, beginning with some mambos he recorded for Montreal’s Silver label, followed by a “lost” New York session with Oscar Pettiford and Kenny Clarke and then one for Debut with two other giants, Charles Mingus and Art Blakey. This is a follow-up to his superb 1972 solo session for ECM, Open to Love. Recorded in Mondsee, Austria in 2001, it consists of 10 very distinct and distinctive variations–try track 10 for a glimpse of Bley’s humour. Speaking of an earlier Bley trio date for Savoy, Keith Jarrett has said, “I listened to that one a thousand times.” Look for another solo outing on Justin Time in early 2008. For now, don’t miss this gem! 10/10 (Len Dobbin)
 Monster Magnet
4-Way Diablo (Steamhammer/Fusion III)
Back from the dead, head hesher Dave Wyndorf returns to stick a fork in his stoner-rock caricatures of muscle cars and sci-fi fantasies, and actually dig down deep. A bit spotty in places, with stinkers in the pack like his cover of the Stones’ “2000 Light Years From Home” sounding scooped from an Oasis B-side, but glowing moments like “Blow Your Mind” and “Little Bag of Gloom” easily outshine the fluff. 7/10 (Johnson Cummins)
Gob
Muertos Vivos (Aquarius)
I was a wee high school freshman when Gob’s “Soda” and “You’re Too Cool” videos were in nonstop rotation on MuchMusic, so the Vancouver quartet were really my first introduction to something resembling punk music. Like with Green Day—and seemingly every mainstream punk band from that era—the need to be taken seriously and the success of lab-tested mall rats 10 years younger has shaved the edges off their brash, teen-oriented posturing. The songs are blanketed in studio Astroglide, played at slower speeds and feature sloganeering lyrics—the precise cocktail mix for a past-their-prime hangover. 4.5/10 (Erik Leijon)
 Destroyalldreamers
I Wish I Was All Flames (Where Are My Records)
Every single device, derivation and deviation of shoegazing and post-rock are put to use on destroyalldreamers’ sophomore LP, the “end of a chapter” for the local band, who plan to “explore new sonic territories” in future. From ethereal levity to somber depravity, from ephemeral ambience to aggressive heaviosity, with a matching range of song structures, the band wallows darkly in its valleys and erupts mania at the peaks. Subtlety isn’t their forte, though their more even-keeled interludes provide some semblance of balance, and it’s the extreme sounds that speak most clearly when words don’t. 7.5/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)
White Williams
Smoke (Tigerbeat6)
A David Bowie comparison isn’t deployed lightly, not for a 23-year-old, but keep in mind that it’s buffered by the fact that Williams’s highly produced blend of mellow FM rock, electronic flourishes and idiosyncratic funk suggests what might have been had ol’ Dave favoured cough syrup over cocaine. The distance and languor here defuse the potential catchiness of Williams’s tunes (note the heavy-lidded cover of “I Want Candy”), but the layers upon layers of original and unexpected detailing indicate that this White kid ain’t asleep at the wheel. 7/10 (Rupert Bottenberg) With Battles at le National, Sun., Nov. 11, 8 p.m., $18
 Gravenhurst
The Western Lands (Warp)
Though widely ridiculed and reviled, and far from the mainstream status it enjoyed a decade ago, goth remains a musical fixture, having spread insidiously into nearly every style going. Somber melodies, howling guitars, morbid verbiage, hair dye and excessive eyeliner are everywhere, and these pale Brits in neutral colours are no exception. Sure, they don’t look the part, they’re on Warp and they favour reserved arrangements, but even their folk inclinations are coloured by blousy angst, while their bursts of rawk riffage and unsettling piano evoke horror-film soundtracks. And somehow it still manages to sound MOR. 6/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)
Peakafeller
Outside the Box (Milagro)
It’s a touch naïve to swipe styles wholesale from the market’s hottest electro labels, repackage them and then call the album Outside the Box. But this disc’s heavy, unabashed reliance on cues from the usual suspects of DFA, Ed Banger and Kitsuné doesn’t necessarily prevent it from having a few catchy moments. It’s just that every otherwise effective cyberpunk production gimmick is gratuitously overplayed and every groovy bassline is offset by a cheesy vocal that sounds like Trent Reznor without the depression or the artistic genius. 5.5/10 (Jack Oatmon)
 Gummibär
I Am Your Gummy Bear (Gummy International)
The latest disposable dose of Hi-NRG, low-concept Euro-junk is this unsightly green CGI muppet from Hungary, whose gassy digi-oompah hit is immensely popular online with small children and adults with the intellectual capacities of small children. The album’s a cavalcade of pneumatic ersatz mambos, polkas, bubblegum and Bollywood, the infuriating “Jodl Jodl Dance” and, in a postmodern pop-eats-itself coup, a cover of Euro-fad predecessor “Blue (Da Ba Dee)” by Eiffel 65. The stuff’s a bit like gummi bears, in fact, which one knows full well are made from fucking horse hooves and petroleum, but damn if they aren’t addictive. 5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)
Various
Peanut Butter Wolf Presents B-Ball Zombie War
(Stones Throw/KOCH)
L.A.’s reigning master of disaster, Peanut Butter Wolf, puts together yet another bulletproof compilation featuring Stones Throw’s extended family of beat kings, mic dons and overall niceness. Madlib and Karriem Riggins finally lace us with something solid as Supreme Team, with the rugged “See (Suite),” a tiny smattering of big things to come. M.E.D. makes an appearance on “Break It Down,” backed by none other than Just Blaze on a simple but effective beat, while Talib Kweli and Q-Tip trade bars over Dilla’s “Lightworks,” a beat that made its debut on Donuts. My favourite tunes come from the Stones Throw synth-kings Dam-Funk, Baron Zen and weirdo James Pants, who bring some new/old sounds to the forefront. 8.5/10 (Scott C)
Various
The New Mastersounds Re:mixed (Record Kicks)
After five albums and over 20 seven-inch singles, the deep funk outfit known as the New Mastersounds gets the remix treatment from a variety of fellow musicians and producers. As a band that leads the pack of new, raw funk at its best, the reinterpretations found here are mildly disappointing, with a few dodgy edits and watered-down versions of some fairly strong cuts. Nostalgia 77’s sunny-side flip of “Your Love Is Mine” featuring Corinne Bailey Rae is sweet enough, along with a tight version of “Bus Stop #5” by Montreal’s Afrokats Crew and Diesler’s “Hey Fela!” standing up strong. New Zealand’s Lanu also gets it right on the “One Note Brown,” but if a remix fails to inject new life into an already great song, you can always stick with the original, right? 7.5/10 (Scott C)
 Mr. Something Something &
Ikwunga the Afrobeat Poet
Deep Sleep (Rebisi-hut/World)
Hardly the rough ’n’ toughest Afrobeat unit on the block, this Toronto septet’s mini-album—five tracks and three radio edits—betray moments of sterile Juno-bait slickness. They do honour the template, though, with acrobatic brass and polyrhythms, and when they push the parameters, as on “Abankwa,” they’re dynamic and inspired. The real score here is the visit from Baltimore-based Ikwunga—certified psychiatrist, famous Nigerian poet/chief’s son, indefatigable philanthropist and pioneering Afro-beatnik—whose spiels unreel in a hi-def, resonant baritone. 7/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)
Various
Greensleeves 12” Rulers: Henry “Junjo” Lawes,
Volcano 1979-83 (Greensleeves)
If one genre of music can be defined by a format, it’s reggae. The seven-inch, 45 RPM vinyl record has, until the recent MP3 revolution, been the standard. Thing is, Jamaican music gets around, and the influence of the disco ’70s in New York led to experimentation with the 12-inch single. On this comp, Greensleeves has collected some of the most amazing stuff from this early dancehall era, all with Junjo at the controls. The tunes, from Barrington Levy’s “Look Youthman” to Barry Brown’s “Give Another Israel a Try” to Michigan and Smiley’s “Diseases,” get the 12-inch treatment—big tune followed by extended dub. As the Jamaican music industry wrestles with the digital age, it’s good to remember how producers innovated when faced with a new format way back when. 9.5/10 (Erin MacLeod)
Various
Goin’ Home: A Tribute to Fats Domino (EMI/Fusion III)
No doubt Domino is a musical legend, as are many of the artists who interpret his songs on this stellar two-disc set, but the real star here is New Orleans which, two years after being ravaged by Hurricane Katrina, continues to find new allies for the arduous rebuilding process. This album is Domino’s brainchild, geared towards raising money for the ravaged Crescent City. And frankly, any effort that can assemble first-rate performances from a diverse array of artists including Neil Young, Lenny Kravitz, Willie Nelson, Norah Jones, Elton John, Taj Mahal and Los Lobos is not only a tribute to the man, but to the city that nurtured his amazing talents. 8.5/10 (Gerard Dee)
Mini CD Reviews
Gil Coggins Better Late Than Never (Smalls) The late Mr. Coggins is probably best remembered from a pair of Miles Davis Blue Note sessions, or perhaps the period he lived in Montreal. This posthumous set is well worth your attention—“Repetition,” “Veird Blues” and “Smooch” are heard to great advantage. 9.5 (LD)
Marble Sounds A Painting or a Spill EP (Rainorsnow) Montreal-based Belgian saddo makes a soundtrack for Sunday solitude, crushing hangover or morning-after regret optional. 8 (LC)
Anti-Flag A Benefit for Victims of Violent Crime (A-F) True, this live record does get a little predictable, but kudos to a band that once again puts its money where its mouth is. 7 (JC)
Dumhi 3 Seats From Heaven (Inklings/Pickled Beats) Philly trio Dumhi make unapologetically cannabis-inspired college rap with Haj’s crunchy, MPC beats for the heads. 7 (SC)
The Two-Minute Miracles Volume IV: The Lions of Love (Weewerk) Reliable folk- and chamber-inflected indie rock from Ontario boasts clever tunes like “Freeloading Is Hot” and “Start Your Own Goddam Band.” 7 (LC)
Angels & Airwaves I-Empire (Geffen/Universal) Tom DeLonge sings like a teenager deepening his voice so he can fool a dep owner into selling him cigarettes. 2 (EL)
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