Disc of the week

Grizzly Bear
Friend EP (Warp/Fusion III)
These indie darlings from Brooklyn offer a new product packed with contradictions. First of all, it’s not exactly an ideal friend, as it does all the talking. It’s presented as old material, but it’s mostly new. They call it an EP, but with 10 tracks, it’s a full-length record. Presumably, they’re not calling it an album because it’s not a cohesive work, containing re-imagined, fleshed-out, exploded versions of songs from their debut, Yellow House, along with covers by Grizzly Bear (a suitably zombified take on the Crystals’ “He Hit Me”) and of Grizzly Bear, by CSS and Band of Horses. It’s delicate, moving and majestic, with bursts of excitement—what more could you want from a batch of tunes? 8/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

White Magic
Dark Stars EP (Drag City)
The sorcery that serves this New York unit is a feat of chimerical fusion, assembling the casual elegance of chamber pop, the mesmerizing cyclical motifs of the serialist avant-garde and the twisted-mystic shtick of the freak-folk fellowship. The four tracks on this mini-album indicate that the auguries and incantations were correct, summoning from the shadows a profound and resonant sound, with Mira Billotte’s rich and sturdy vocals, and deft piano playing, planted at the pulsating heart of the matter. 7.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg) With Elfin Saddle, Molly Sweeney at Casa del Popolo, Sat., Dec. 1, 9 p.m., $10

The Evaporators
Gassy Jack and Other Tales (Mint/Outside)
Since the last Evaporation in 2004, Vancouver’s Nardwuar the Human Serviette has focused on the DVDs documenting his other artform, that of the gonzo pop-star interview, but here he returns to his longstanding band. He and the band are replenished if anything, as the crew—drawn from the ranks of the Smugglers, New Pornographers and Canned Hamm—bang out a tasty batch of unambitious yet solid garage rock and power-pop (though a fragment of a face-off with Courtney Love closes the disc). Always a titan of trivia, Nardwuar’s lyrical fodder includes alt-rock obscurities and inconsequential Canadiana. 7/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

Imani Coppola
The Black & White Album (Ipecac)
If you had the opportunity to catch Imani doing her thing with Mike Patton’s Peeping Tom project, you would have been looking forward to this. Those not familiar with Coppola’s eclectic stylings may remember the catchy “Legend of a Cowboy” from Grey’s Anatomy. With equal parts catchiness and cheesiness, Imani straddles taboos on her third album involving mixed race, fame and lack thereof. “Woke Up White” points out the differences of skin colour and status, while struggling artists with a touch of grey may cringe at the in-your-face lyrics of “30th Birthday.” Rapping, singing and playing violin over unconventional rock, electronica, hip hop and more make The Black & White Album a breath of fresh air. 7.5/10 (Lateef Martin)

Cuff the Duke
Sidelines of the City (Hardwood/Universal)
“Alt-country” doesn’t do justice to this band of Ontario boys, whose music is neither alternative nor country. Their third album pits honky-tonk melancholy against uplifting pop, and ends in a draw. Folk, blues, British invasion, glam rock, maybe mariachi—the list of styles sampled here goes on and on, each expertly woven into the songs. Perhaps too expertly, as the band occasionally falls prey to the homogenous tendencies of country-rock, particularly towards the end of the disc. But if I absolutely had to take a bumpkin bar band to a desert island, Cuff the Duke would be the one. 7/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

Pierre Lapointe
En concert dans la forêt des mal-aimés (Audiogram/Select)
Live albums are usually limited in their appeal to true believers, as they bring little new to the table. Like the Ramones’ astounding It’s Alive, though, this set—the big outdoor show at this past summer’s Jazz Fest—amplifies the existing material. The sound may be hollow and unbalanced, but having one of the province’s top figures in refined pop backed by the OSM, under the baton of Yannick Nézet-Séguin (a fellow who’s put a fresh young face on classical music in Montreal), compounds the impact of Lapointe’s lush and filigreed fairy tales. 8/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

Dan Wilson
Free Life (Red Ink)
Wilson is probably best known for his penmanship on half of the Dixie Chicks’ smash LP Taking the Long Way, as well as dashing off the ultimate barstool anthem “Closing Time,” so a quick glimpse at the mess o’ brass hogging space on his mantelpiece should suggest just how glossy and predictable this gets. Production by Rick Rubin and a guest appearance by Sheryl Crow are indeed very impressive, but unfortunately, his songs just don’t match up to the glitterati’s numbers stored in his cell phone. 6/10 (Johnson Cummins)

Percee P
Perseverance (Stones Throw)
The name Percee P rings out with all the power and respect of any neighbourhood-corner battle rapper with relentless chops intact. This debut LP only took him 19 years to complete, but a team-up with sole producer Madlib ensures that this was well worth the wait. The machine-gun flow that Percee traditionally employs is here, mowing down bar after bar, even to the point of confusion. The gruff, tenacious and seemingly neverending barrage that he constantly employs is hard to swallow, served up on almost every one of the 18 tracks, but Madlib’s inventive and rigorous approach to the beats gives Percee the perfect podium to prevail. Check “Watch Your Step” and “The Dirt and the Filth” for shining moments. 7.5/10 (Scott C)

Mike Jones
The American Dream (Ice Age/Warner)
Houston’s lard-laden everyman with the humble moniker is the working class rap equivalent of Bruce Springsteen, so understandably he wants to tell his rags to riches story. The Boss only needed three minutes to explain the formation of the E-Street Band, while Jones gives us a 90 minute unintentionally funny straight-to-DVD movie starring him and a six song greatest hits EP. Spoiler alert: his big break was convincing a stripper to dance to his demo. At one point, his rap nemesis astutely points out Mike Jones’s raps consist of repeating his name and phone number, and it was a rare genuine moment. 5/10 (Erik Leijon)

DJ Vadim
The Soundcatcher Extras (BBE)
Once again, the cart has been put before the horse, with this collection of remixes and extras from Vadim’s Soundcatcher project slightly outshining the original release from earlier this year. Still building on the international zing of the first record, the burgeoning production talents of Aaron Jerome and Kidkanevil are called upon for remix contributions, as well as alternate offerings featuring Silent Knight, Demolition Man and One Self collaborators Yarah Bravo and Blu Rum 13. Biggest tune on this record is the marvelous “Saskatoon,” featuring sounds of the Young Blood Brass Band massaged and manipulated by an obviously enlightened Vadim. 8/10 (Scott C)

Boban i Marko Markovic Orkestar
Go Marko Go! (Piranha/Fusion III)
Shantel
Disko Partizani (Essay/Fusion III)
Boban Markovic has long since proven himself a modern monarch of the boisterous Balkan brass-band tradition, and his latest, while hardly his hottest and heaviest, serves two functions. One is exploratory, as he draws in elements of reggae, jazz and Latin styles, though the latter leads to Herb Alpert’s hacienda. The second is ceremonial, as he passes the torch to his son and heir apparent. The young Marko also appears on the first album of original material in seven years from Shantel, a pioneer in pairing up folk music from Eastern Europe with coke-jitter club grooves and dub reggae. Shantel flirts with flat-out cheese, but sly wit and a knack for nice melodies keep things copacetic. Both 7/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

Angie Stone
The Art of Love & War (Stax)
Stone is now on renowned soul label Stax, which makes sense considering she’s been working hard to reinvigorate the genre since her 1999 debut Black Diamond. Never one to mince words, she’s in a different mood here thanks to a new love. As such, tracks like “Take It All In” and “These Are the Reasons” celebrate love’s bloom. But don’t get it twisted, the players still get checked on bass-heavy lead single “Baby.” And social commentary, always a part of Stone’s repertoire, is properly addressed on “My People.” But frankly, any song that lists inspiring African-Americans and concludes with Bill Clinton not only displays a sense of responsibility, but a sense of humour too. 8/10 (Gerard Dee)

Altsys
Watercolours (Swing In Time)
Ian McDougall
No Passport Required (Barbarian)
Two excellent large ensembles, one from the east, the other from the west, supply some rewarding listening here. The local Altsys is co-led by Jennifer Bell and Bill Mahar, has a bonus in the playing of guest reedman Donny McCaslin, one of the leading players currently on the scene, and don’t miss Alec Walkington’s bass, on “Numbly” in particular. McDougall is a veteran trombonist who is an important composer (in both the jazz and classical fields) as well. He’s joined by the multi-talented Brad Turner (heard on trumpet here) as well as Phil Dwyer and Cam Ryga, both remembered for their work with Hugh Fraser. Both CDs are worthy of space in the big band section of one’s collection. Both 9.5/10 (Len Dobbin)

Mini CD Reviews

Woody Herman The Road Band 1948 (Hep) Forty live tracks by this wonderful edition of the band, with players like Stan Getz, Zoot Sims and Al Cohn. 10 (LD)

AIDS Wolf versus Athletic Automaton Clash of the Life Force Warriors (Skin Graft) Locals confront their pals from Providence in a frenzy of crashing, bashing and abrasive groans ’n’ drones. Electroshock therapy for the ears. 7 (RB)

Nicole Atkins Neptune City (Red Ink) All the bands you like swallowed and regurgitated by a Broadway singer and capable band, shaped into something superior by producer Tore Johansson (Cardigans, Saint Etienne, New Order). 6 (LC)

Various Box of Dub 2: Dubstep and Future Dub (Soul Jazz/Fusion III) With the exception of Coti’s half-decent “Tamil Dub,” this collection does not rate well in the excellent discography that Soul Jazz has to offer. 6 (SC)

Sebastian Bach Angel Down (Caroline/EMI) Some old guy wearing heavy mascara playing grandfather music. Axl Rose takes time out of his busy schedule to screech on three tracks. 2.5 (EL)

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MIRROR ARCHIVES » Nov 29 Dec 05 2007 : INSIDE - COVER | ARCHIVES INDEX | CURRENT ISSUE