Disc of the week

Headlights
Some Racing, Some Stopping (Polyvinyl)
Following up their 2006 debut, Kill Them With Kindness, this Champaign, Illinois band rolls out the kind of classic songwriting that deserves to cross over to a real pop audience. Fans of the Shins and Death Cab, Belle and Sebastian and Camera Obscura, Phil Spector production and Brill building songcraft, even your mom and dad could get behind this. Alternating lead singers Tristan Wraight and Erin Fein lay down easy-on-the-ears vocals, propelled by bobbing and weaving riffs, solemn keys and gorgeous strings. Some of the best songs, like “School Boys,” take their sweet time to build up, and it’s always worth the wait. 8.5/10 (Lorraine Carpenter) With the Submarines and Mixylodian at Divan Orange, Sun., May 25, 9 p.m., $10

Kataklysm
Prevail (Nuclear Blast)
These Montreal death-heads have really put in the work, and Prevail could prove to be their big payoff. Although they stick close to their roots with elements of death, grind and blast beats, this foursome lock it down this time around and really get explosive when they are in a mid-tempo pummelling, as in “Taking the World by Storm” or the killer chorus of “As Death Lingers.” On this 10th release, the band have really struck gold—it should catapult them to the upper rungs of the underground metal elite. 8/10 (Johnson Cummins)

Kids Eat Crayons
Is for Lovers (independent)
Attention-deficit jazz with a dash of swing, rock and lyrical theatrics make up the twisted world of Montreal’s Kids Eat Crayons. Piano, horns and vocalist J. Phil Major lead the charge in this study of humour through music. Opener “Eat It or Wear It” is sonic coffee that’s decaf and speed all in one. The suit-and-tie lounging of “You Are All Dead to Me” is mauled by distorted guitar, and saxophones duke it out for supremacy over a rabid mob of piano, guitar and vocals on “Truck Date.” Fans of Mr. Bungle’s California will appreciate the jackknifing into metal mayhem, but the Kids stand on their own with their sound. 8.5/10 (Lateef Martin) With Goreflex, guests at Petit Campus, Sun., May 25, 9 p.m., $7

Caesars
Strawberry Weed (Virgin/EMI)
It’s not often that a band releases a double album of original material, particularly a pop band like Caesars. Even more surprising is that there’s less filler than most bands stick on a single disc. Outside their native Sweden, the band may go down in history as a one-hit wonder, on the basis of their 2005 song “Jerk It Out.” That would be a shame, because they’re consistently solid songwriters, striking that perfect balance between tight and loose, simple and intricate, jolly and melancholy. Stylistically, Caesars are pop/rock through and through, a little ’60s garage here, a little ’70s power pop there and ’80s new wave too. Praise, don’t bury. 8/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

The Submarines
Honeysuckle Weeks (Nettwerk)
Mates of State
Re-Arrange Us (Barsuk/Outside)
Two married units here, and the comparison can be extended to the bright, rich, righteous pop music both create. L.A.’s Submarines surface with an impressive sophomore effort, sweet as its name. From the garage/studio of Blake Hazard and John Dragonetti comes a swirling transposition of eras and elements, dub, cabaret and chamber-tronica decorating their eager-beaver indie pop-rock with polish. Meanwhile, Kansas-cum-Californians Mates of State re-arrange their own state on their latest. Keyboardist Kori Gardner’s replaced her neat old retro organs with piano and synths (some strings are strung about as well), but the ambitious structures and high-wattage vocal interplay with drummer/husband Jason Hammel are as vivid as ever. Both 7.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg) The Submarines with Headlights and Mixylodian at Divan Orange, Sun., May 25, 9 p.m., $10

Lil Mama
Voice of the Young People (Sony BMG)
Best known for her rap interlude on Avril Lavigne’s “Girlfriend” remix, New York’s Lil Mama, aka Niatia Kirkland, hit it big when New York’s Hot 97 put lead single “Lip Gloss” in heavy rotation. The song’s minimalist groove and high-school anthem character soon positioned the 17-year-old as the new kid on a much bigger block. Much of her debut follows suit, her rapid-fire delivery sliding over nursery-rhymed grooves like “G-Slide (Tour Bus)” or relating harder tales of life in the ghetto (“Stand Up”). The rock edge on “L.I.F.E” and the exceptional “Broken Pieces” helps to broaden her musical range, which is what she’ll need to truly become the voice of the young people. 7.5/10 (Gerard Dee)

The New Groove Orchestra
Illharmonic (independent)
As far as 10-piece funk-and-soul outfits go, the New Groove Orchestra can definitely hang in terms of musicianship, and is offered an additional leg up by the efforts of lead vocalist Meghan Patrick, who isn’t afraid to belt it out. It’s always great to hear a fully realized big band that knows how to hit it, complete with tight arrangements, a strong rhythm section and ample showcasing of the different corners of the group. Bluesy tunes like “Blues in Rhythm” and “Sincerely” left me a little underwhelmed, along with some trite lyrics, but the backend to this record is that it leaves you feeling that this band is certainly worth checking out live. 7.5/10 (Scott C)

Chus & Ceballos/Joubin
Blended Sound 002 (Mile End)
In-demand, world-ranked DJs Madrilenian “Chus” Esteban and Pablo Ceballos, representing the Iberian connection to progressive/tribal house, boast residencies in key joints including New York’s Pacha, Miami’s Space and our city’s Stereo. Mile End Records highlight the phenomenon with the second installment of their Blended Sound series. All the sparse, frenetic and distinct modalities of the genre are clearly evident in Chus’s attack on the first disc. On the second, Joubin—a rising local star in his own right—continues the assault, featuring his own studio revampings and those of his friend, DJ/producer Nicola Torriero. 8.5/10 (Peter Lightburn) CD launch at Unity, Sun., May 25, 10 p.m.

Duffy
Rockferry (Polydor/Universal)
Welsh chanteuse Amy Duffy isn’t as technically proficient as Joss Stone or as interesting as Amy Winehouse, but as far as Motown-inspired U.K. R&B goes, Duffy has a powerful, albeit distinctly female-sounding voice with sufficient character. The instrumentation is modest but not intentionally retro, like Winehouse’s last record. “Syrup & Honey” is a great example of how her multi-faceted singing—she switches from Lesley Gore girly to Dusty Springfield husky on a dime—can really transform a simple guitar lick into superb blue-eyed soul. It’s the rare pop record where the performer seems encouraged to explore vocally. 7.5/10 (Erik Leijon)

Nilia Berkin
Whirlwind (independent)
With T.J. Plenty of Asexuals fame handling production, guitar and bass, Montreal’s Nilia Berkin introduces her style of thoughtful piano pop with subtle jazz, cabaret and, on “Strange Days” for instance, roots inflections. Her lyric sheet gives the listener a lot to chew on, served up in a voice that, like the music that carries it, is resistant to emotive excess, playing in the grey areas. If anything, Berkin’s too cautious with her vocals, but her tunes are in tip-top shape, elegant and understated in their careful ornamentation—“Life’s Wondrous Mystery” has a nice bump to it, as does the playful “Dusty White Moon.” 7/10 (Rupert Bottenberg) CD launch at Jello Bar, Fri., May 23, 5 p.m., free

Bill Frisell
History, Mystery (Nonesuch/Warner)
T Bone Burnett
Tooth of Crime (Nonesuch/Warner)
Frisell’s History, Mystery continues his recent showcasing of his compositions over his playing prowess, but leans further into a classical approach to arrangements this time around. The two-CD set features a lush string section providing the foundation while Frisell’s signature twang shares space with the immaculately arranged pairing of a cornet and tenor saxophones. Frisell once again proves comfortable in any setting. On Tooth of Crime, the equally inventive and rewarding Burnett brings along guitarist Marc Ribot, who once again shines while knowing his place. Burnett is of course best when he’s knee-high in swampy muck, wading through waves of reverb, and thankfully Tooth of Crime is as swampy, beautiful and creepy as it gets. Frisell 8.5, Burnett 9/10 (Johnson Cummins)

Pepper Adams
Hollywood Quintet Sessions (Fresh Sound)
Bob Brookmeyer
The Modernity of… The 1954 Quartets (Fresh Sound)
The Adams disc combines two of this great baritone man’s earliest sessions, from 1957—trumpeters Lee Katzman and Stu Williamson, and pianists Jimmy Rowles and Carl Perkins, add their musical talents to the proceedings. Brookmeyer’s long-awaited reissue contains a session he did with Red Mitchell, Frank Isola and John Williams, and a “desert island” selection of mine, some wonderful Jimmy Rowles including a long “Bulldog Blues,” worth the price of admission. Drummer Mel Lewis is also an asset on both discs. Both 10/10 (Len Dobbin)

Danny Monzerol
The Dark Side of the Moon (Otave/Universal)
Montreal classical guitarist Danny Monzerol isn’t the first to filter Pink Floyd’s eerie, mid-career masterpiece through an unexpected yet fitting musical vernacular. Easy All-Stars did it dubwise a couple years back, but Monzerol’s effort, trimming a couple of tracks, feels far less of a novelty album. Divested not only of the vocals but of the ominous scope the production lent the original, Monzerol relies instead on thoughtful, intricate and at times daring transcriptions—and of course his nimble executions thereof—to coax out the complex melodic essence of Floyd’s meditation on birth, death and the stuff in between. 8/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

Mini CD Reviews

Joy Division The Best of… (London/Warner) Probably the best Joy Division compilation yet, an excellent sampler for a new generation of fans. 9.5 (LC)

Herb Geller Plays the Al Cohn Songbook (Hep) A beauty of a salute to the composing talents of Cohn. The saxophonist leader is joined by people like singer Ruth Price and Tom Ranier, who plays both piano and reeds. 9 (LD)

We Are Scientists Brain Thrust Mastery (Virgin/EMI) Pop with power, panache and a little dancefloor swing, miles ahead of their overrated debut. 8 (LC)

Dokken Lightning Strikes Again (Rhino/Warner) Stop the presses! Dokken is no longer rokken! 4 (JC)

Forever the Sickest Kids Underdog Alma Mater (Universal Motown) Over-produced pop punk even Panic at the Disco and Fallout Boy are tired of. 3 (EL)

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