Disc of the week

Friendly Rich & the Lollipop People
Dinosaur Power (Pumpkin Pie)
Equal parts Captain Kangaroo and Captain Bligh, Brampton, ON’s Richard “Friendly Rich” Marsella is as much a rabble-rouser, reprobate and raconteur as a crafty composer. With hellfire-and-hangover vocals recalling Tom Waits, he leads his chamber-pop nonet and as many guests again through a peculiar parade of cartoon creep-outs and curdled cabaret. Gratuitous Canadiana too—note the salute to our own Evel Knievel, Ken Carter, and his ridiculous rocket-car, or the stirring gypsy-ska cover of that song there from The Littlest Hobo. The extended magic-realist yarn about his grandpa’s goddamn tree and a go at “La Bohème” are other nice touches. 8.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg) With Lake of Stew at Casa del Popolo, Sat., June 14, 9 p.m., $10

Weezer
self-titled (Interscope/Universal)
Sloan
Parallel Play (Murderecords/Sony BMG)
As a young person I don’t understand how it must feel to become old and useless, but I’m hoping I age gracefully like Sloan, not kicking and screaming like Weezer. Rivers Cuomo has become so consumed with the nerd-hero persona he created to avoid the pressure of following up 1996’s very personal Pinkerton, his younger self would have never left Harvard had he received a glimpse of his contrived future. Halifax’s Sloan have managed to retain their poppy instincts despite growing out of their ’90s alternative beginnings. Sloan are the old blue jeans of Canadian rock, and Parallel Play is another collection of varied yet universally catchy three-minute songs. Both were influenced by ’70s power pop, but Sloan have expanded with wisdom, whereas Cuomo’s only trick is to bring Rick Rubin and Jacknife Lee aboard. Weezer 2, Sloan 7/10 (Erik Leijon)

My Morning Jacket
Evil Urges (ATO/Maple/Universal)
Rootsy protest rockers extraordinaire take a sharp left on this record, laying on an eyebrow-raising array of falsetto nympho funk, tongue-in-buttcheek rock, straight-up country, ’60s pop, proto-punk and classic soul and R&B. Played by top-tier musicians and co-produced by Joe Chiccarelli, this greasy slick, religiously eclectic set triggers memories of such acts as the Stylistics, the MC5, the Eagles, the Bee Gees, Prince, Jane’s Addiction and Electric Six. Meanwhile, the socio-political commentary runs through the record and onto its cover, (possibly) depicting Karl Rove assassinating Lincoln, though the famous theatre box is transposed to the World’s Fair and the band stands in for Honest Abe. Way to take one for the progressive team, guys! 7.5/10 (Lorraine Carpenter) With the Besnard Lakes at le National, Tues., June 17, 8 p.m., $30

The Charlatans
You Cross My Path (Cooking Vinyl)
The Rolling Stones and blue-eyed soul are out and New Order and post-punk are in, a surprising turn for the Charlatans on their 10th album. Barney and the gang are even name-checked in the band’s latest press release, but the Charlatans keep it real with their trademark Hammond organ and attention to the dancefloor. But a “Madchester” comeback it is not—the band is lean and mean, and Tim Burgess blends his typical nonsense poetry with deathly bleak and politically pointed material, probably inspired by his recent, reluctant detox. Sobriety may explain why the record is so sharp, a leap from the lad/dad-rock rut the band has been in for years. Don’t believe me? Find the title track online. 8.5/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

Harvey Milk
Life… the Best Game in Town
(Hydra Head/Sonic Unyon)
After a fairly long hiatus, these dirge lords finally squeeze a fourth release out of their 14-year existence. Good things come to those who wait as their Melvins-style beatdown has only gotten that much more deadly. People just getting hip to Boris’s crush and the legions of other Sabbath worshippers should look no further than this disc to really dig into the thick sludge. Bonus points for covering Fear’s “We Destroy the Family.” 8.5/10 (Johnson Cummins)

Fred Eaglesmith
Tinderbox (A Major Label)
Fred-heads can rejoice as Port Dover, ON’s favourite son is back with a great collection of (count ’em) 18 alt-country future classics chock full of twang, tears, blood and guts. People who have been digging the rustic quirkiness of T-Bone Burnett’s latest record will throw their 10-gallons in the air over the genius hidden at the centre of gems like “Chain Gang,” “Killing Me” and “Get on Your Knees.” 8/10 (Johnson Cummins) At Petit Campus, Sun., June 15, 8 p.m., $25

Mark Farina
Fabric 40 (Fabric/Fusion III)
There is literally not a second on this 21-track mix that veers away from 127 bpm or the TR 808 and 909 house beats you’ve already got tattooed on your brain. Add to that haunting sax-solo samples, session vocalists reciting axiomatic nothings and mildly funky basslines sequenced just so, and you’ve got the warm, fuzzy centre of house music as recounted by a true old-school Chicagoan. Is that a good thing? Well, not so much in a CD format, given that these straight house mixes are designed to be consumed in big, sweaty nightclubs surrounded by partiers. 6/10 (Jack Oatmon)

N*E*R*D
Seeing Sounds (Star Trak/Universal)
While not the ground-bound dud its predecessor Fly or Die was, the latest from the Neptunes-as-a-band isn’t a match for their awesome debut In Search Of… either. Of course, in 2002, the tricks and tropes deployed by Pharrell, Chad and pal Shae—the gasps and mumbles, the farty basslines and precision-tooled beats, the chunky summer-rock riffage—were fresh and exciting. That said, the first half of Seeing Sounds rolls good and hard. Cheesy-keys bridge aside, lead single/coke shanty “Everyone Nose” packs a wallop, as does its follow-up “Spaz.” “Anti Matter” is some rude, dumb fun. The sweet, McCartney-esque “Sooner of Later” kicks off the second half, which is where gravity unfortunately prevails. 7/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

D-Sisive
The Book (Urbnet)
I’ve always thought of D-Sisive as a truly entertaining MC, capable of pulling off the delicate balance between clever, farcical wordplay and killer punchlines, but The Book finds this Toronto MC stretching his storytelling skills. The relatively short length of this album is unfortunate once you realize the overall tone, but it drives home the sentiment contained in its eight tracks, dealing with awkward youth, alcoholism, illness and abandonment. Songs like “Kneecaps” illustrate D-Sisive’s real personal connection with hip hop culture, and how it got him through the worst. Notable tracks include the self-deprecating “Brian Wilson,” where D questions his own worth and drive in an industry full of cocksure swagger, and the kooky march of “Ambulance” featuring Tom Waits. Short, but sweet. 7/10 (Scott C)

Keith Sweat
Just Me (Rhino/Warner)
A string of seductive slow jams during the late ’80s and early ’90s allowed Sweat to hold his own with soul balladeers like Freddie Jackson and the late Luther Vandross. More than 20 years after his 1987 debut, Make It Last Forever, Sweat’s forte is still the bedroom. While his sound is decidedly contemporary, it’s still consistent with the style that made him popular in the first place. In fact, tracks like “The Floor” and “Me and My Girl” could have easily found a home on any of Sweat’s earlier albums. Duets featuring Athena Cage (“Butterscotch”) and Keyshia Cole (“Love You Better”) are particularly effective at getting Sweat’s inner freak working. 8/10 (Gerard Dee)

Ivana Santilli
TONY (Do Right)
When Ivana Santilli first arrived on the scene as part of Bass Is Base in 1999, the funk-pop-hip hop group regularly enjoyed the success of a band made precisely for the radio. In 2008, Ivana has two LPs and many more musical accolades under her belt, but for TONY, her third, she concentrates on old-school pop songwriting. Now, with little formulaic fluff in sight, TONY features real soul and boogie, but also some solid ballads and well-crafted pop songs. Ivana doesn’t waste her talents on throwaway material, so tunes like “Been Through This” and “Tony” crack with fresh energy and dancefloor appeal. I could do without “Wish You Away” and the Stuart Matthewman-produced “Keep It 2 Yourself,” but super-joint “Hollywood (Nothing Over U)” makes up for any schmaltz. 8/10 (Scott C)

Freddie Redd
Shades of Redd (Blue Note/EMI)
Art Farmer & Gigi Gryce
Complete Prestige Recordings 1954–1955 (Fresh Sound)
Pianist/composer Redd, who did the original score for the avant-garde play The Connection, is common to both these reissues. The first is a 1960 date with his works played by a quintet with Jackie McLean, Tina Brooks, Paul Chambers and Louis Hayes. The latter has a little more diversity. Other than a Duke Jordan piece, this is the wonderful writing of Gryce, played by three different combinations in which the leaders are joined by the likes of Jordan, Redd and Horace Silver, bassists Percy Heath and (twin) brother Addison Farmer with Kenny Clarke, Art Taylor and Philly Joe Jones handling the drum chair. Great sessions! Redd 9, Farmer & Gryce 10/10 (Len Dobbin)

Mini CD Reviews

Tay Zonday “Chocolate Rain” (FS Green Remix) (CDR) If you were looking for a version of this song you didn’t have to be embarrassed to play in the club, Amsterdam’s FS Green has done you a big favour. 10 (SC)

James Carter Present Tense (Emarcy/Universal) A showcase for the many talents of this reedman, abetted by the trumpet of Dwight Adams but brought down a notch by the occasional over-the-top piano of D.D. Jackson. 8.5 (LD)

Steve Earle Live From Austin TX (New West) This live recording of his 2000 appearance on Austin City Limits proves Earle is one of the few people that can save country music from itself. 7.5 (JC)

Aimee Mann @#%&! Smilers (SuperEgo/Outside) Despite novel arrangements and a newly minted bad attitude, it’s roughly the same old song from Ms. Mann. 6 (LC)

Cyndi Lauper Bring Ya to the Brink (Epic/Sony BMG) Gay club music, and not the good kind. It’s the Sex and the City effect, in which women magically become gay men (or at least pander to them shamelessly). 4 (LC)

PlayRadioPlay! Texas (Island Def Jam/Universal) Drum machines and keyboards do not transform a whiny emo band into an electronic one. 3 (EL)

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