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Disc of the week |
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 Be Your Own Pet Get Awkward (Ecstatic Peace!/Universal) These Nashville kids administer a potent dose of no-frills party punk on their sophomore album, produced once again by Steven McDonald, with steaming riffage by John Eatherly and commanding vocals by Jemina Pearl Abegg. Her lyrics aren’t profound, but they punctuate the music well, with shout-outs to decadence and teenage kicks, hate and revenge, zombies and food fights. “Creepy Crawl” is the only loser here, reining in the pace and power, and unleashing diary-mining malaise. But tunes like “Super Soaked,” “The Kelly Affair” and “Bitches Leave” should reassure the skeptics that popular punk doesn’t have to be junk. 8/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)  The Coast Expatriate (Aporia) As dreamy as their eponymous 2006 EP was, its pop songs cruising like a submarine through Jell-O, the dressed-down dynamics and rock punch of this debut LP finds Toronto’s the Coast navigating more easily, their destination in plain sight. There’s no lack of gauzy atmosphere on songs such as “The Moon Is Dead” and “Floodlights,” which emphasize the band’s epic quality. Elsewhere, they delve into clearer waters, consistently delivering alluring hooks and melodies. Mainstream radio, arena gigs and advertising deals beckon, in the best possible way. 8/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)  The Kooks Konk (Virgin/EMI) As if Razorlight didn’t do a heinous enough job piggybacking the early-’00s American garage rock revival, the Kooks have taken the stolen riffs from Razorlight’s Up All Night to create an even more boring Lou Reed stepchild. Usually, Brit bands think expanding one’s sound means creating a Sgt. Pepper knockoff; in this case, the goal is to create a Jet record. Konk is so familiar and worn, there’s something resembling a Mellotron intro on the umpteenth song to feature the name “Shine On.” “Down to the Market” is more workable, borrowing from the Arctic Monkeys’ bag of tricks. 2.5/10 (Erik Leijon) Cavalera Conspiracy Inflikted (Roadrunner) Blasting the cobwebs of winter slumber away, Inflikted brings back a vibe Sepultura and Soulfly fans have been craving, yet rehashes neither of the two. A double dose of Cavalera anchors the band from front to back, with Sepultura’s brother act, singer Max and skin-basher Igor, reunited for the first time in 12 years. Between the Cavaleras writhe the guitar and bass of Soulfly, Max’s post-Sepultura project (which will once again lash out this year). The brothers Cavalera & co. deliver the goods with 11 blistering doses of groove-thrash. Mosh-mongers take heed, you may not get out intact. 8/10 (Lateef Martin)  Black Elk self-titled (Crucial Blast) Holy shit, where the hell did these guys come from? Oh, right—Portland, Oregon. As aggressive music continues to branch out, this fearsome foursome bring the dementia with them, with a brutal sound that recalls the glory days of Am Rep—the more manic moments of Halo of Flies or the more lysergic snippets of the Cows, but synthesized with a solid noise/metal backbone. If you are looking for a less grindy Pig Destroyer or a more fucked up Totimoshi, look no further. 8.5/10 (Johnson Cummins)  Mixylodian The “K” EP (independent) Echoes of anything from Magical Mystery Tour to pop punk, prairie folk and polka moonlight on these five quirky pieces. The unabashed nostalgia and melodramatic progression of this local act could drive some listeners crazy but, considered on its own merits, the desperate cuteness of it can be very charming at moments. Aside from its eccentricity and upbeat playfulness, this EP quite accurately communicates the ramshackle charisma of Montreal’s thriving indie loft hippie scene and its scrubby cast of characters, the creative fallout of a half-dozen anglo Canadian cities’ wanderlusting art students. 8/10 (Jack Oatmon) With Woodhands, Hilotrons at Club Lambi, Sat., April 19, 9 p.m., $10 Does It Offend You, Yeah? You Have No Idea What You’re Getting Yourself Into (Sony BMG) Offensive? Naw, it would be more accurate to say the debut of these bratty Brits frequently irritates and even exasperates. From their moniker through their lyrics, vocals and musical choices, the Reading electro-rock unit wallow in an antagonistic cleverness, crossing the line from quirky to jerky—consider the obnoxious “Let’s Make Out.” When they quit acting out and strive to create a solid, sober tune such as the closer “Epic Last Song,” they do alright at best. Then there’s the standout “Attack of the 60 Ft. Lesbian Octopus,” a big, fast, furious pseudo-retro instrumental that shames the rest of the record. 5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)
Ghostface Killah The Wallabee Champ (Starks Enterprise) This may not be the ultimate compendium of Ghostface goodies that you never heard, even for a disc of non-album cuts and rarities, but Ghost still holds the crown as the most consistent Wu-Tang Clan member to ever touch the mic. Fans of Ghost know he doesn’t even know the meaning of half-stepping on a cut, as heard on tunes like the serious “Trials of Life” featuring Prodigy or the straight-up hijack of the Jacksons favourite “ABC,” which has Ghost giving the gusto right on top of Michael’s vocals. With tracks that span his entire career, joints like the “93 Freestyle” with Meth and the ominous posse cut “Watch Your Mouth,” featuring the entire Wu-Tang fam, reinforce Ghostface’s standout quality. If you don’t already have most of these, you won’t be sorry. 7.5/10 (Scott C) With Wu-Tang Clan at Metropolis, Mon., April 21, 8 p.m., $50, all ages  Shad The Old Prince (Black Box) The first thing that you realize while listening to London, Ontario rapper Shad is that a big part of his microphone persona involves a modest but imaginative dose of self-examination and deprecation. Built around the idea that he’s an old prince who would, should and could be king, Shad rolls out the insight on tunes like “What We All Want” and follows suit with “Out of Love Part Two” and “Brother Watching,” a personal look at black youth growing up “surrounded by mostly white and affluent dudes.” Shad has certainly painted a self-portrait of simple, authentic originality that doesn’t compromise its musical integrity, even if The Old Prince does still live at home. It doesn’t hurt that this well-paced LP also easily clips the nod factor, with its fair share of quality beats. 8.5/10 (Scott C) Mariah Carey E=MC2 (Island Def Jam/Universal) What’s most impressive about Carey’s follow-up to her career-revitalizing 2005 set, The Emancipation of Mimi, is that it retains that album’s stylish grooves without sounding like Emancipation redone. Once again, the emphasis is on polished hip hop/soul that doesn’t demand too much from Mariah’s still impressive, yet clearly diminished vocal range. The army of producers, including Jermaine Dupri and Scott Torch, keep things nice and breezy on tracks like the reggae-flavoured “Cruise Control” and the retro-vibe “I’ll Be Lovin’ U Long Time.” Occasionally, the album gets serious—“Side Effects” chronicles an abusive relationship while “Bye Bye” pays respect to those who’ve passed—but mainly, E=MC2 refreshes the formula that made Mimi such a huge success. 8.5/10 (Gerard Dee)  Charlie Haden The Private Collection (Naim) Two early versions of “Quartet West” with Ernie Watts and Alan Broadbent here—the first, a 1987 50th-birthday celebration, has Billy Higgins on drums, while the latter, a St. Louis concert from 1988, has Paul Motian replacing Higgins. Fourteen tracks in all, including Ornette’s “Lonely Woman” with Charlie quoting from “Tom Joad,” and a number of Bird compositions, “Segment,” “Passport,” and “Visa” (mis-titled “Lisa”). There’s also a look at “Nardis,” some J.S. Bach and a great version of “Body and Soul.” An overdue historical (and musical) document. 9.5/10 (Len Dobbin) Mini CD ReviewsDavid Hazeltine 4 Flights Up (Sharp Nine) This excellent pianist leads a foursome of bassist Peter Washington, drummer Killer Ray Appleton and veteran trombonist Slide Hampton over nine tracks including Bird’s “Air Conditioning.” 9 (LD) |
Sally Shapiro  |
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