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Disc of the week

Hank Pine & Lily Fawn
North America (independent)
Victoria, B.C.’s sinister, bug-masked Pine and seraphic, deer-antlered Fawn sure have the big concept down, a homemade mythology that’s equally cute, creepy, silly and soul-stirring. For their latest disc, they’ve cooked up a fine batch of vigorous folk-punk hymns graced with soaring choral harmonies to light a fire under the Arcade Fire’s asses. Feel free to jump in, there’s a songbook included, so treasures like “Que Hora” and the swingin’ “Prison Song” are yours to make your own. In fact, the pair further supplement the record with a nifty comic book, the third in a series that further fuels the surrealist backwoods freak show/fairy tale they’ve concocted. The music’s the cornerstone of all this, of course, and it’s close to unimpeachable. 9/10 (Rupert Bottenberg) With Ladies of the Canyon Choir, the Unsettlers and le Kid at la Sala Rossa, Sat., Aug. 2, 8:30 p.m., $10

Spiritualized
Songs in A & E (Sanctuary/Universal)
From the get-go with his original band Spacemen 3, England’s Jason “J. Spaceman” Pierce has sought, somewhat quixotically, to breach the threshold between the commonplace and the cosmic. He’s eased off a bit on his obvious tools here, the drone rock, serial music and gospel, focusing more on his blues, folk and chamber pop abstractions. Pierce’s often interchangeable lyrical riffs on love, drugs and faith remain, amplified by his confrontation with death from pneumonia in 2005 (the title refers not to tunings but to the Accidents & Emergency wards of British hospitals). The face-of-God gooseflesh fails to rise—self-conscious transcendentalism invariably bellyflops—but narcotic bliss, a decent placebo, abounds.
7/10 (Rupert Bottenberg) At Osheaga (4:15 p.m.), at Parc Jean-Drapeau, Sun., Aug. 3, 1 p.m., $67.50, all ages

Scars on Broadway
self-titled (Velvet Hammer/Interscope)
Free from the depth and mischief of System of a Down, guitarist/vocalist Daron Malakian finally gets to play rock star. Rhyming “by,” “high” and “cry” clearly demonstrates Malakian’s writing prowess, lyrics crafted for those who couldn’t process System of a Down’s sophistication. Musically, Scars on Broadway moves away from the challenging and unique guitar work SOAD was known for, even on its last couple of lacklustre releases. Malakian’s still got it, but doesn’t dig deep enough into his bag of tricks, rehashing portions of riffs we’ve heard before. This one gets boring halfway through, and halfway through each song. 6/10 (Lateef Martin)

Snailhouse
Lies on the Prize (Unfamiliar)
The impeccable songcraft, tender lyrical bent and tight guitar work remain, but what separates this record from previous Snailhouse efforts is its pop propulsion. Montreal’s Mike Feuerstack, also known for his band the Wooden Stars and myriad collaborations (Bell Orchestre, Angela Desveaux etc), reveals yet another facet of his oeuvre, this time alongside longtime partner in crime and Ottawa homie Jeremy Gara (of Arcade Fire). Steering clear of any arena bluster or faddish gimmicks, Feuerstack finds a stealthy way to give ’er like a cream-of-the crop singer-songwriter. His pretty and poignant songs about the (somewhat) simple things—love, homesickness, the sun—flow with ease, bolstered by the subtlest of strings and horns and keys. As a great war criminal/idiot savant once said, this is where “wings take dream.” 8/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

Faun Fables
A Table Forgotten (Drag City)
An alluring playground reverie, with Celtic faeries and bayou demons and desert cult members and medieval dress-up dudes. Surprise, surprise, these California kids are hippies, including in their ranks a lady who wears lacy frocks, and a man whose look is, perhaps, Scandinavian bike courier chic. But the presence of a ’90s-styled graver girl is equally fitting, given the spooky tones and unsettling sounds of “Winter Sleep,” the last of four tracks on this EP. Even the dreamiest of fair-maiden folk songs (“Pictures”) has nightmarish potential, but it’s the lead track, “With Words and Cake,” that takes the strange folk crown. Mystical and magickal and just slightly nauseating, it’s a backwoods psilocybin ceremony in the making. 8/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

Tagaq
Auk/Blood (Jericho Beach)
Tanya Tagaq Gillis’s 2005 debut, Sinaa, which followed her work with Björk on 2004’s voice-based Medúlla, showed the Inuk musician using traditional Inuit throat singing as a springboard for intensely intimate and emotive journeys into hidden corners of the human soul. The exploration continues on the follow-up Auk/Blood, an equally potent and more clearly realized effort. Master of mouthiness Mike Patton, whose Ipecac label has picked Auk up for U.S. release, integrates himself excellently on “Fire-Ikuma,” as does beatboxer Shamik on the subtly propulsive “Burst,” but jams with Buck 65 (“Gentle,” “Want”) throw the flow a bit, as cool as they are. The most essential collaborator, though, is violinist Jesse Zubot, present on most tracks. His inspired, out-there string work complements Tagaq’s gripping vocals perfectly. 8/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

Peezee
The Mayor II (Soundbeat/Select)
When creating an acceptable facsimile of American hip hop, cut corners, however slight, can stick out like a sore thumb. Côte-des-Neiges rapper Peezee has the clean production, synth beats and cameo refrains down pat, but his dream of an all-encompassing buffet of USA rap falls short. “34D’z” is Ying Yang Twins crunk minus good double entendres. “18 Again” and “The City” infuriate with same-word rhyming. Other times, Peezee pronounces “mo’ money mo’ problems” and “no snowmobiles” like his American counterparts, but adds the lines without context. There’s very little Peezee or Montreal emerging from these lyrics. 5.5/10 (Erik Leijon)

Shawn Jackson
First of All... (Tres)
Shawn who? That’s what most people say upon hearing Jackson’s name, but this West Coast native isn’t pulling any punches with his debut release. With hearty lyrical content, robust delivery and style for days, heads will give the nod to Jackson’s bangin’ and soulful first effort, while wondering just where this guy came from. “Feelin Jack” feels right at home on repeat, while “Hate Down” and “Strategies” with Guilty Simpson only drive home the truth about Shawn’s above-average skills on the mic. It’s all about honesty if you want to take it up to the next level, and you’re about to get a great big dose of it with this first-rate album. 8/10 (Scott C)

Anthony David
Acey Duecy (Soulbird/Universal)
Technically, this is David’s third set, though this major label debut is largely composed of tracks from his first two releases. Regardless, it’s an excellent showcase for his brilliant storytelling and hearty vocals, though the Savannah, Georgia native is clearly most at home when his bluesy guitar is front and centre, like on the candid “Cheatin’ Man.” Longtime pal India.Arie drops by for some wordplay on lead single “Words,” but otherwise this is David’s show, as he interjects about everything from corruption (“Krooked Kop”) to the importance of family (“Kinfolk”). In between the topical issues, David remembers to be playful on “GA Peach,” his ode to Southern women. 9/10 (Gerard Dee)

Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis
Two Men With the Blues (Blue Note/EMI)
I will fully admit that I am all over anything Willie does like a cheap suit. He has continually proved he can take on any genre, adding his own signature soul to the proceedings without coming off like a bit-part actor. He has also done some of his best work as a collaborator, but he has to lose this newfound sidekick Marasalis and his big-band cronies. They just stick to him like a barnacle, which only weighs down the Red-haired Stranger. Marsalis stomps all over blues classics like “Bright Lights Big City” and “Ain’t Nobody’s Business” while Willie’s signature “Georgia on My Mind” gets cut off at the knees. Finally, a blemish in Nelson’s near-perfect career—but you got to hand it to him for trying. 6/10 (Johnson Cummins)

Corey Wilkes
Drop It (Delmark)
You might have seen Wilkes on stage here in Montreal, as he’s travelled from his native Chicago with the Ethnic Heritage Ensemble to perform on many occasions. This young trumpet and flugelhorn ace has put together an album that draws upon multiple eras of black music, effectively framing the 20th-century black American experience in regards to funk, soul, tribal roots and of course jazz. From the opening track, “Trumpet Player,” featuring the words of poet Langston Hughes spoken by Miyanda Wilson, it’s clear that you’re about to embark on a journey into rich and textured expressions. Big tunes include the uptempo romp of “Funkier Than a Mosqiuto’s Tweeter,” and both live and studio versions of the title track. 7.5/10 (Scott C)

Dizzy Gillespie Big Band
Showtime at the Spotlite (Uptown)
Charlie Parker
Washington, D.C. 1948 (Uptown)
More great, rare material from Montreal doctor Bob Sunenblick’s important label. The Gillespie was recorded live at the famed 52nd Street emporium in June, 1946, and over two CDs, we have early examples of this great band that included James Moody, Ray Abrams, Thelonious Monk, Milt Jackson, Dave Burns, Ray Brown and Kenny Clarke. Early readings of “Things to Come,” “Woody ‘n’ You” and “Our Delight” are among the 26 tracks. The previously hard-to-find Parker disc finds Bird in top form in 1948 with such D.C. musicians as Earl Swope, Ben Lary, Charlie Walp and Joe Theimer, with guests like Buddy Rich, Art Phipps and some musicians from an earlier era in Tony Parenti, Wild Bill Davison and Benny Morton on one track. Both issues are musts for collectors of rare early bebop material. Both 10/10 (Len Dobbin)

Mini CD Reviews

Zombie Zombie A Land For Renegades (Versatile/Statik) 1970s Italian horror-flick scores and astral krautrock inform this ace Parisian synths-and-drums duo. Too cool. 9 (RB)

David Berger The Music of Harry Warren (Such Sweet Thunder) Music by this great songwriter, played by Berger’s Octet, which includes Harry Allen and Joe Temperley. “Summer Night,” “Serenade in Blue” and “September in the Rain” are among Warren’s output. 8.5 (LD)

Durlin Lurt Him Jenson (independent) This delightful little piece of boom-bap strangeness samples from mostly Sesame Street and Muppet Show records, but is as grimy as a Burger King bathroom. 7.5 (SC)

Sebastien Grainger “American Names”/“Ways to Come Home” (Outside) Powerful but conventional rock tuneage from DFA1979’s other half, songs that hit but fail to penetrate, like a hammer without its nail. 7 (LC) At Osheaga (9 p.m.), at Parc Jean-Drapeau, Sun., Aug. 3, $67.50, all ages

Subways All or Nothing (Infectious) Produced by Butch Vig, this British trio brings ’90s alternative to the aughts with decent results. 7 (EL)

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