Disc of the week

Earth
The Bee Made Honey in the Lion’s Skull
(Southern Lord/Sonic Unyon)
Single-handedly inventing ambient drone metal back in the grunge years, Earth completely reinvent themselves once again and release what is surely an early contender for the record of ’08. The drones are still there, anchored by non-wavering keys, but the movements within definitely come from ’70s jazz rock and ’60s psych. Guitarist Bill Frisell guests on three of the seven opuses and again proves to be an expert at laying back and providing a perfect counterpoint to guitarist Dylan Carlson’s solid foundation. Just pure genius stuff here. 9/10 (Johnson Cummins)

The Raveonettes
Lust Lust Lust (Vice)
Denmark’s Raveonettes deliver a decidedly wintry fourth record, with all the yearning melancholy and creeping claustrophobia of a snowbound, sunless weekend. But as much as it evokes Northern climes, the sound comes by way of the U.K. and the USA. The duo’s love of ’50s rock ’n’ roll persists, but they’ve traded Phil Spector’s shimmering wall of sound for the electrified fence of the Jesus and Mary Chain, its blasts of distortion rippling into infinity with an all-encompassing echo. And with a booming bottom end that veers from the synth-punk abandon of Suicide to the goth-pop precision of Depeche Mode, they’ve built a sturdy bridge between old-school syrup and industrial nihilism. 8.5/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

Jeffrey Lewis
12 Crass Songs (Rough Trade)
Lewis’s lysergic-soaked garage is unpredictable enough, but absolutely nobody could’ve expected him to take on the songbook of anarcho U.K. band Crass. Trading the punk rock vitriol for psychedelic and folk leanings, Lewis’s interpretations actually work all the way through. The political bite on songs like “Do They Owe Us a Living” and “Punk Is Dead” have aged well, and Lewis’s sprucing up of the classics should turn on a whole new audience who might’ve missed them the first time around. 7.5/10 (Johnson Cummins) With Super Furry Animals and Times New Viking at Cabaret Juste pour rire tonight, Thurs., Feb. 21, 9 p.m., $20

Puff & the Pillpoppers
Set the World to Flames (Indie Martian)
The band name might suggest shits ’n’ giggles, but there’s little doubt that this Montreal quintet is deadly serious about their soul-punk dirges and dense, defiant rock nocturnes. “June” and “Precious Thing” stagger under the weight of the world while “Pillpoppers”—a theme song?—charges into it headfirst. Singer, guitarist and songwriter Simon Bergeron has assembled a capable crew, with a fierce rhythm section boosting up his trade-offs with singer Caroline Daigneault, who hits it out of the park a few times here. The MVP, though, is Fannie Pelchat D’Ascola, whose churning Hammond organ is a tidal wave carrying the whole thing to kingdom come. 7.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg) At Bar St-Laurent 2 on Wed., Feb. 27, 7 p.m., free

The Tom Fun Orchestra
You Will Land With a Thud (Company House)
The ever-so-optimistic title offers an idea of what kind of “fun” this Nova Scotia nine-piece has in mind. Oh, there’s furious folk-rock festivity to be had with the raucous, redemptive barnstormers herein. But then there’s the lyric sheet, by way of frontman Ian MacDougall’s gravelly growl, a white-knuckled fistful of hard-knock hymns and tales of woe to make you go “whoa!” (eg. the hair-raising “Highway Siren Song Breakdown” and “Throw Me to the Rats”). The Pogues come to mind, with a Maritime spin and negligibly better dental work. It’s Gordon Gano of Violent Femmes behind the board, however, and the material here suits his sensibilities well. 8.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

Bell X1
Flock (Yep Roc)
Released to great acclaim in the U.K. in 2006, and sampled on several hit-making TV show soundtracks, the third album by this Irish band finally surfaces on these shores (coinciding with a tour that’s not stopping in Montreal). The hype over Bell X1 is due in part to their past as Juniper, then led by breakout folk singer Damien Rice. Drummer Paul Noonan is a fine replacement, and with neat melodies and lithe rhythms, the band manages echoes of Radiohead, Franz Ferdinand and Coldplay. It’s all very lightweight, however, and as much as they fly like a butterfly, they land few punches. 5/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

The Cockroaches
The Cockroaches (Real Big North)
These greased-up bop cats have been playing the local haunts for quite a while and manage to squeeze in all the sweat, beer and blood that their live show is known for on these 15 tracks. This is grade-A rockabilly without the poseur trappings, with just the sparse trio setting and minimal overdubs just adding to the punch. An upright thumping bass keeps the pulse while a twangy Duane Eddy/Chet Atkins guitar and a Charlie Feathers Appalachian croon/holler hovers overhead. Songs like “I’m Gonna Bop ‘Til I Sleep In My Grave”, “Shoobydoowa” and “Easy Tiger” are just too good to pass up. 8/10 (Johnson Cummins) CD launch with Gogo Pleasers, Walnut Kids, DJ Choyce at Quai des Brumes on Fri., Feb. 22, 9:30 p.m., $7

Ray Davies
Working Man’s Cafe (New West)
The former Kinks frontman’s second solo effort irks me the same way the past few Bob Dylan records have. Geriatric traditionalist critics will hail it a return to form and marvel at how Davies can stay so relevant, but that’s precisely why Working Man’s Café—and its Willbury-ian quaintness—feels like an anachronism. It’s great the reclusive legend is having fun playing again, and he can still write a catchy hook in his sleep; it’s just when he talks about the death of small business (title track) and bitches about technology (“No One Listen”), he’s more Lou Dobbs than David Watts. 5.5/10 (Erik Leijon)

Luciano
Jah Is My Navigator (VP)
You can always count on the Messenjah, as Luciano has been dubbed. The consummate performer, and perhaps most consistent reggae artist alive today, has produced yet another solid album, thanks to the talents of producer (and legendary sax man) Dean Fraser. Fraser’s signature sound (and sax) can be heard throughout. Luciano is committed to positivity and every tune here is pure positive reggae, taking cues from both Bob Marley, with a cover of “Jah Live”, and Peter Tosh, with a cover of “I’m the Tuffest,” featuring Tosh’s son to boot. Alongside newcomers like Tarrus Riley and Duane Stephenson (two artists who also receive the Fraser touch), Luciano demonstrates that his enduring popularity is well deserved. 8/10 (Erin MacLeod)

Bon Iver
For Emma, Forever Ago (Jagjaguwar)
Male falsetto has traditionally been the domain of downtown funk and suburban metal, but singer-songwriter Justin Vernon brings the highness to rural terrain—namely a cabin in Northern Wisconsin, where Vernon spent an entire winter fending for himself, writing and recording. The result sounds like TV on the Radio’s Tunde Adebimpe in the midst of an existential crisis, oozing graceful, abstract heartache with only soulful vocals and subtle acoustic arrangements. The way the songs hang together, it’s like a sad, one-man operetta. Let’s hope this therapy worked. 7.5/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

Muhsinah
Day.Break (Rock Slinger)
Back in 2007, Muhsinah’s “Construction” crept into the minds of many hungry listeners as her Oscillations EP heralded her arrival. Day.Break is a complex exercise in music, filled with Muhsinah’s layered harmonies, piano chops and an eccentric approach to beat-making. The complexity comes when you realize that, soulful undercurrents aside, Muhsinah’s music isn’t immediately understood, easily digested or accessible, making it important to revisit each song with open ears. Tunes like “Only and Always,” “Discovery” and “Reconstruction” underline a love for tight beats, avant-garde arrangement and purposeful songwriting. 8/10 (Scott C)

Craig David
Trust Me (Warner)
David burst onto the music scene in 2001 as the latest soul sensation to cross over from the U.K. His debut, Born to Do It, displayed a boyish charm and a pop-driven hip hop style that made him one to watch. Three albums later, his penchant for catchy hooks is still in full effect on jams like “Friday Night,” and “Hot Stuff (Let’s Dance)” which samples liberally from David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance.” But David’s still most effective with engaging mid-tempo songs like “Awkward” and the acoustically driven “Officially Yours,” both of which tap into the boy-next-door persona that made him so popular in the first place. 7.5/10 (Gerard Dee)

Darren Sigesmund
Strands (Timely Manor)
The leader of this Toronto-based quintet is an excellent trombonist and composer, and all 11 titles here are his. Joining him on this January 2007 session are some of Toronto’s finest jazz musicians—Quinsin Nachoff, Reg Schwager, Jim Vivian and Anthony Michelli. “Metamorphosis,” “Another Thing,” “Wheels” and “Chorale” are all memorable, extended pieces. “Marakesh” would make a great starting point. 9/10 (Len Dobbin) At Upstairs, Fri.-Sat., Feb. 22-23, 8:30 p.m.

Mini CD Reviews

Gonzalo Rubalcaba Avatar (Blue Note/EMI) The latest from this Cuban-born pianist/composer is a seven-track set with the added bonus of some excellent trumpet from Mike Rodriguez. Try Horace Silver’s “Peace.” 8.5 (LD)

The Spears “People Are Bad” 7” (Choking Hazard) Blazing punk rock, and best of all, it’s on its preferred vinyl format. 8 (JC)

Cutty Lark “Get Caught” 7” (DoRight) A new funk-soul scorcher here with the fabulous Cutty Lark laying down a sick vocal over a piano-driven stomp. 7.5 (SC)

Various Box of Dub: Dubstep and Future Dub (Soul Jazz) Dubstep can indeed be great, as long as it ditches ultra cheesy vocals. The worst tracks on this comp prove this maxim. 7 (EM)

Widespread Panic Free Somehow (Widespread) Bar band rock perfectly suitable for a Bourbon Street North summer concert snooze-a-thon. 4 (EL)

>> Music Listings

MIRROR ARCHIVES » Feb 21 Feb 27 2008: INSIDE - COVER | ARCHIVES INDEX | CURRENT ISSUE