Disc of the week

Alejandro Escovedo
Real Animal (Back Porch/EMI)
Escovedo is easily one of the best wordsmiths alive today and his shaky voice remains the perfect vessel for his pearls. This time around, though, on what may be his most definitive record to date, Escovedo’s delivery gets some extra push from producer extraordinaire Tony Visconti. Throughout Real Animal, Escovedo gets reflective and weepy about his life as a punk rocker (he was a member of the Nuns and cow-punkers Rank and File) on “Chelsea Hotel ’78” and “Nuns Song,” Iggy Pop (“Real As an Animal”) and his recent marriage (“Always a Friend”). Lyrically, Escovedo can still burrow beneath even the most calloused skin, and is guaranteed to grab you by your bone marrow and shake some blood. 8.5/10 (Johnson Cummins)

The Hold Steady
Stay Positive (Vagrant/Universal)
Although not as brilliant and immediate as 2006’s Boys and Girls in America, their latest show the New York/Minnesotan quintet continuing to express a keen understanding of the many facets of restless American youth—from drinking in good times to drinking the pain away. Musically, the group is standard American college mixed with roots rock, and the few attempts here to branch out (in the form of more robust arrangements) never upstage Craig Finn’s songwriting. It’s reliable music for those uncomfortable transitions in your life. Pull up a chair, grab a beer and toast another lost summer winding down. 8/10 (Erik Leijon)

Primal Scream
Beautiful Future (B-Unique)
On their ninth album, Primal Scream largely stick to the same script they’ve been reading from for the last decade, casting shadowy soundscapes propelled by scorched beats. They also revisit pub rock on “Zombie Man” (an abomination that makes their mid-’90s hit “Rocks” sound like “A Day in the Life”) and, nearly as unimpressive as that, limp bedroom funk on “Uptown.” But for every stinker, a pair of sweet studio creations clear the air, such as “I Love to Hurt (You Love to Be Hurt),” Bobby Gillespie’s heart-racing duet with CSS’s Lovefoxxx, and the title track, a fun and frothy pop song about dystopia. 7/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

Black Kids
Partie Traumatic (Columbia/Sony BMG)
“Kids” is the key word here as this Jacksonville, Florida quintet practically shoots exuberance from their pores. Deriving much of their sound from the various electro/rock mergers of the early ’80s, from funk and disco to new wave and synthpop, the band processes influences and grinds out refined post-modern party tunes—imagine Robert Smith fronting the Go! Team to make the soundtrack for a disco-aerobics DVD. Perhaps it’s only a matter of time before their tunes end up in ads for gadgets starring unattractive people in day-glo gym clothes, but maybe it’s time to turn off the TV already and get on the dancefloor. 8/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

Modernboys Moderngirls
I Might As Well Break It (independent)
A very promising letter of introduction from a Toronto quartet who’ve clearly been buying England by the pound—MGMB’s brisk, 10-song debut bunches together pub rock and punk-funk, Madchester and, mainly, mucho moptop garage raunch. Singer, songwriter and guitarist Akira Alemany—who’s got a great foil in the vocals and Hammond organ of Aimée Mazzuca—initially steers his bright, brash, raucous songs with a sure hand, popping the top, delivering the goods and wrapping things up curtly at the right moment. Ambition gets the better of the band midway, but in the rousing final moments, “Spiral & Smoke” and “I Don’t Need to Understand,” these cats land on their feet. 7.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

Drowning Pool
Full Circle (Eleven Seven)
No diving, this one’s shallow. Tired, ’90s-vintage alt-metal at its finest, Drowning Pool wade into early Alice in Chains and tatters of Stone Temple Pilots, keeping the bitter teen leftovers in you brooding. Best suited for the soundtrack of a movie of twenty-something grunge kids in ’93 struggling with addiction and self-loathing (y’know, hanging out at a warehouse at night drinking, punctuating a self-deprecating monologue with a smash of a bottle against graffiti-laced brick). Not so much growling on this effort, but a whole lot of screaming, even a “Rebel Yell”—a competently handled cover, but unspectacular, perfectly in line with the rest of the album. 6.5/10 (Lateef Martin)

Clouds
We Are Above You (Hydra Head/Sonic Unyon)
With the recent success of catchy metal labelmates Zozobra and Torche, the hooks continue to rub shoulders with heaviosity as these Beantown brats headed up by ex-Cave In member Adam McGrath add fuel to the fire. Cave In’s sense of urgency is still there, but songs are blown up with a strong classic rock feel mixed in with modern metal ferocity and detuning. Songs like the XTC-flavoured “The Bad Seat” is sure to challenge the most eclectic heavy-heads, while the band still manages to crush on “Heisenberg Says” and “Motion of the Ocean.” 8.5/10 (Johnson Cummins)

Seelenluft
Birds and Plants and Rocks and Things (International DJ Gigolo/Statik)
The first thing that popped into my head when I put this on was, “When the hell did DJ Gigolo start releasing campy, Swiss-accented folk cover albums?” Then the drum machines kick in and some plinking synths bubble up into America’s “Horse With No Name” and from there on it’s a Bizarro World Euro analog of the numerous cutesy synth-indie-folk-quirk acts infesting our fair city. I’m not about to tell you this juvenile wet dream of a disc is fantastic music, but I will guarantee you some laughs if you’re anywhere near as cruel and cynical as I am. 5/10 (Jack Oatmon)

Various
I Like It Like That: Fania Remixed (Mr. Bongo)
Fania has always been considered the Mecca of Latin music, mixing traditional Latin styles and recording some of the most memorable moments in salsa, boogaloo and Afro-Cuban jazz. Here we find a stacked deck of great tracks, providing a snapshot of Fania’s glorious catalogue including original songs from Tito Puente, Hector Lavoe, Willie Colon, Ruben Blades, La Lupe, Ray Baretto and more. The second disc ventures into remix territory with contributions from Bugz In the Attic, DJ Format, Nicola Conte, Louie Vega and Aaron Jerome. While some of the reworks are great, the brunt of the payoff here is in the original tracks themselves, which is why this came about in the first place, right? 8/10 (Scott C)

Hil St. Soul
Black Rose (Shanachie)
Zambian-born, U.K.-based soul singer Hilary Mwelwa and her band Hil St. Soul find their centre on their fourth release. Whereas 2006’s Soulidified seemed decidedly conservative compared to 2004’s eclectic Copasetik & Cool, their latest embraces the mid-tempo groove and brilliantly wraps Mwelwa’s rich vocals around them. At times the tempo gets redundant—tracks like “Gravity” and “Broken Again” fade into the background a little too quickly. But cuts like “Life,” the brilliant “Don’t Forget the Ghetto,” where the group’s fondness for combining relevant lyricism and inspired musicality is evident, and the deliciously reminiscent “Sweetest Days,” are proof this band is still one of the best contemporary soul combos around. 8/10 (Gerard Dee)

Two Banks of Four
Junkyard Gods (Sonar Kollektiv)
Producers Earl Zinger and Demus spread their wings once again as they venture into a realm of truly spiritual heights, mixing improvisational gold with electronic subtleties for this lofty meeting of influences and styles. Vocalist Valerie Etienne shows her true colours, flying high above with her unique voice, while the music swirls invitingly below. Piano, flute, saxophone and trumpet combine to form a naturally layered beast that moves between giant steps and quiet whispers, pushing the boundaries of fresh contemporary jazz music to the egde. 8.5/10 (Scott C)

Stan Getz
The Vancouver Concert 1965 (Gambit)
George Russell
Live in Bremen and Paris 1964 (Gambit)
Two more gems from this label. The Getz CD has Gary Burton in Vancouver and three tracks from the 1961 Newport Jazz Festival with Steve Kuhn, Roy Haynes and the last ever recording of bassist Scott LaFaro (he died three days later). There’s also a pair of tracks of Getz at the Apollo with Zoot Sims and Mulligan in a large ensemble. The edition of the Russell Sextet on the 1964 disc, meanwhile, had Thad Jones, Joe Farrell and Garnett Brown in the front line. They are well received in Germany but actually booed in Paris. Russell is heard to say, “Now for something you may enjoy even less,” and boos later turn to cheers. Exceptional playing and writing and pretty rare material as well. Both 10/10 (Len Dobbin)

Mini CD Reviews

Jo Stafford Jo + Jazz (Corinthian) The reissue of a Columbia release by this wonderful singer who died this past July 16 at age 90. Sidemen include Johnny Hodges, Ben Webster, Harry Carney, Ray Nance and Jimmy Rowles. 10 (LD)

Chinatown L’Amour, le Rêve et le Whiskey (independent) Promising local band debuts with an aptly named four-song set, three great sensations that feel great together. 8 (LC)

Allez Allez Best of… (Eskimo/Statik) The short lifespan of this classy, early-’80s Afro-disco-rock band makes for a short overview, but nice remixes by Quiet Village and Optimo fill things out. 7.5 (RB)

Dialekt & DJ Manifest Midnight Creep (RedEyeRadio) Mic man Dialekt teams up with Smif-N-Wessun, Doo Wop and Pacewon while Manifest gets a few beats under the wire. 7 (SC)

Hammerfall Masterpieces (Nuclear Blast) As touching as it is to hear covers of Rainbow, Europe, Kiss and Accept, this still just comes across like a bad bar band unleashed in a studio. Avoid. 5 (JC)

Simon Collins U-Catastrophe II (Razor & Tie/Sony BMG) Phil’s boy’s message-bandying adult rock record ironically feels like the logical suite to Genesis’s post-Phil record, Calling All Stations. 5 (EL)

Various Life Beyond Mars: Bowie Covered (Rapster) Au Revoir Simone is among the dozen acts delivering anemic covers of the Thin White Duke on this pretty pointless tribute. 5 (LC)

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