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 Various
Dark Was the Night (Red Hot/4AD/Select)
To mark its 20th year raising funds for HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention, Red Hot releases its 20th album, 31 exclusive tracks by A-list indie acts. Given the context, the record’s mood is somewhat restrained, ranging from sober (but caffeinated) to somber (but serene). Most notable are new songs by Arcade Fire, the New Pornographers, Bon Iver and Sufjan Stevens, covers of Nick Drake, Bob Dylan and Shuggie Otis by the Books & Jose Gonzalez, Antony & the National’s Bryce Dessner and Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings, respectively, and traditional songs tackled by Cat Power and Belle and Sebastian’s Stuart Murdoch. Pairings of the Dirty Projectors and David Byrne, Conor Oberst and Gillian Welch, and Feist with both Ben Gibbard and Grizzly Bear yield impressive results as well. It’s a stellar compilation, with a cause. 9/10 Trial Track: Spoon “Well Alright” (Lorraine Carpenter)
 Mi Ami
Watersports (Quarterstick/Touch and Go)
This San Francisco trio may be small in number but they manage to squeeze an incredible amount of density into their stripped-down sound. Dub, African rhythms, minimalist composition and their true bread and butter, free improv, all merge and stew together, with an amazing display of control over their chaos. Although Mi Ami is able to punish the decibel dial, it’s their collective show of restraint that really makes this a sonic journey worth taking. Their hypnotic surge must surely work wonders on stage—and wouldn’t ya know it, they’re in town this week! 8.5/10 Trial Track: “New Guitar” (Johnson Cummins) With Thank You at Bar St. Laurent 2, Sat., Feb. 14, 9 p.m., $10
 Beirut
March of the Zapotec/Realpeople: Holland (Pompeii)
Following the disappointing Parisian pastiche The Flying Club Cup, the latest from globetrotting mood-meister Zach Condon, he of the rich baritone and world-weary themes at odds with his young age, heads south to Mexico’s Oaxaca state. His exploration of the local banda brass-band style, often with the local ensemble Band Jiminez involved, dovetails nicely with the Balkan thump of his substantial debut, Gulag Orkestar, and Condon’s songcraft elevates this above both chamber-pop novelty and cheap aural tourism. Then there’s the second disc, under the pre-Beirut alias Realpeople. These 20 minutes of Condon’s first love, syrupy synth pop—aping, by his own admission, Stephin Merritt—impress, particularly the highly addictive closer, “No Dice.” 8/10 Trial Track: “The Akara” (Rupert Bottenberg)
Cut Off Your Hands
You and I (Frenchkiss)
From Auckland, New Zealand, four effeminate boys with lopsided haircuts bring back memories of Britpop, before jocks, retards and crackheads took over the English music scene. It’s a gorgeous union of catchy melodies, driving guitars and charming vocals that range from an emotive bellow to a confessional whisper. Musically, the effect is something like the Smiths meets the Strokes, with producer Bernard Butler infusing some ’60s bells and whistles, particularly on the towering opener, “Happy as Can Be.” The ballads are forgettable, the earnest lyrics a tad obtuse, but at their pop-most, these kids have got it going on. 8/10 Trial Track: “Turn Cold” (Lorraine Carpenter)
The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
Lonely Road (Virgin/EMI)
The Jacksonville, Florida quartet had an unexpected hit with “Face Down” in 2006, a success attributed to frontman Ronnie Winter over-articulating his ’fffricatives and ’ppplosives—and using the words “feel” and “push” to demonstrative effect. Instead of being a contemplative addressing of spousal abuse, “Face Down” was a peppy pop punk number starring a vocalist sounding as if he were launching spitballs from your speakers. Their follow-up doesn’t stray from the speed-pop formula—save for the ’50s pop of “Believe” and war drums on “Godspeed”—so all that separates them from your typical teen-skewed punkers is the odd verbal tic. 4/10 Trial Track: “Step Right Up” (Erik Leijon)
 The Derek Trucks Band
Already Free (Victor/Sony BMG)
Best known as the man sitting stage left to Warren Haynes in the new version of the Allman Brothers, Trucks definitely saved his best for his last solo record, Songlines. When Trucks is locked in, he’s easily one of the best bottleneck players since ol’ Duane Allman and only appears to be getting better, pushing far beyond the blue-eyed blues with his slide style liberally snatching lines, articulation and breath from reed players while at the same time plunging deeper into a signature style. The only thing that falters is Trucks’s repeated choice of a pick-up Bonnaroo band for backing, which aims for Stax-styled soul but unfortunately misses the mark again. 8/10 Trial Track: “Back Where I Started” (Johnson Cummins)
 Late of the Pier
Fantasy Black Channel (EMI)
From Nottingham, England, comes a stylistic clusterfuck of indie, arena, dance punk, synth pop and rock opera, as produced by DJ Erol Alkan and performed by what may as well be a pre-fab boy band for American Apparel-clad club kids. Trendy ’80s sounds abound—synths both classic and kitsch, Afrobeat percussion and sports guitar—as do shades of ’00s indie (the DFA roster, Franz Ferdinand, Wolf Parade, Of Montreal), all fused together, cranked up and blown out for the dancefloor, the musical theatre and the next iSomething ad. But as much as it sounds like music cooked up in a corporate lab, it’s a lab with quality control. 8/10 Trial Track: “Space and the Woods” (Lorraine Carpenter)
 Movèzerbe
Dendrophile (Districk/Select)
This first effort by newly formed Quebec unit Movèzerbe offers a sound without borders or age limit, where funk, reggae, soul and rap blend together organically. Made up of les 2 Tom, Accrophone, Karim Ouellet, Boogat, Abidbox and Kenlo, this eight-man collective runs a wide gamut of musical ability and rap styles. There’s not a trace of redundancy throughout the album, while every song takes a different direction. The lyrical innuendoes of “Papier,” knocking rhythms of “Bois” and soulful vibe of “Eau”—which all sample their namesake—display the creativity of the album well. Aside from a few fillers, it’s a tropical retreat in these Arctic times. 8/10 Trial Track: “Le Loop” (Morgan Steiker) CD launch at O Patro Vys, Tues., Feb. 17, 7 p.m., free
 Diplo
Decent Work for Decent Pay Selected Works Vol. 1 (Big Dada/Outside)
A robust reflection of what producer/DJ/general hustler Wesley “Diplo” Pentz has pulled off over the last four years, this comp—on his original home and not his own Mad Decent label, despite the title—covers a lot of ground. Reasonable but not superlative remixes abound, including CSS, Bloc Party, Hot Chip, Daft Punk and his ex M.I.A.’s “Paper Planes.” The nimble variant on PB&J’s “Young Folks” is arguably the strongest of the bunch. It’s Diplo’s own jams that dominate, however—the punchy opener “Newsflash,” the fat digi-funk of “Way More Brazil” and “Smash a Kangaroo,” an early-hip-hop-flavoured number he concocted with Aboriginal problem kids in the Australian outback. Yes, there’s didgeridoo, and no, it totally jives, in fact. 7.5/10 Trial Track: Spank Rock, “Put That Pussy on Me” (Diplo Tonite Remix) (Rupert Bottenberg)
 Kindred the Family Soul
The Arrival (Hidden Beach)
Kindred’s phenomenal 2003 debut, Surrender to Love, raised the bar so unbelievably high that it’s no wonder their 2005 sophomore set, In This Life Together, seemed to fall short. Their latest is a more cohesive effort, leveraging the seamless harmonies of husband and wife Fatin Dantzler and Aja Graydon against the velvety mid-tempo rhythms of the band. As usual, Kindred keeps it real, focusing on issues all too familiar to couples (“Pressure”) and families (lead single “House of Love”). In fact, the title of this set refers to the twins the couple recently welcomed into their lives, perhaps a good omen for the musical future of the family soul. 8/10 Trial Track: “Rightfully So” (Gerard Dee)
Steve Kuhn
Life’s Backward Glances (ECM/Universal)
Keith Jarrett
Yesterdays (ECM/Universal)
Piano (and vocal) fans rejoice, here’s a pair of releases you’ll want to add to your collection. The Kuhn release is a three-CD set containing a solo session from 1974 and two quartet sessions, one from 1977 with Steve Slagle and the other from 1979 with my favourite jazz singer, Sheila Jordan, as the fourth member. They show off not only Kuhn’s great piano but also his composing skills. The Jarrett disc is another in the “standards” trio series with Gary Peacock and Jack DeJohnette, this one recorded live in Tokyo in 2001. Both are exceptionally well recorded. Both 10/10 Trial Tracks: Kuhn, “The Zoo,” Jarrett, “Shaw ’Nuff” (Len Dobbin)
 Mariza
Terra (Four Corners/World Connection)
Powerhouse vocalist Mariza performs fado, a traditional song form from her native Portugal characterized by what one might call a sense of longing or strong emotion. If you want an indication of the melancholy factor of fado, take a quick peek at the English translation of the lyrics in the CD booklet. Mariza’s intense, full and throaty voice is showcased here on her fourth album, performing older songs such as “Rosa Branca” alongside music that takes its cues from Cuba (with pianist Chucho Valdes), Cape Verde (with singer Tito Paris) and Spain (with both the singer Buika and flamenco guitarist and producer Javier Limon). The combination of influences and connection to tradition combine with a more-than-memorable voice to create an album that won’t soon be forgotten. 9/10 Trial Track: “Beijo de Saudade” (Erin MacLeod) At Place des Arts, Sun., Feb. 15, 8 p.m., $36.33–$51.38
Mini CD Reviews
Steve Earle and the Del McCoury Band The Mountain (New West/Fontana) If you missed the original release of Earle’s amazing 1999 stab at bluegrass with the backing of the best since Bill Munroe, do yourself a favour and don’t snooze this time around. 9 (JC)
The Blue Note 7 Mosaic: A Celebration of Blue Note Records (Blue Note/EMI) This CD with players like Bill Charlap, Steve Wilson and Lewis Nash marks the 70th anniversary of a label that began with an Albert Ammons/Meade Lux Lewis set on Jan. 6, 1939. 8.5 (LD)
Daedelus For Withered Friends/Touchtone EP (Ninja Tune/Outisde) One of the very best tunes of 2008, “Fair Weather Friends,” revisited—with a delicious vocal drop by Michael Johnson, and both covered and remixed by B-more candy-blitzers the Death Set. 8 (RB)
Ultimate Power Duo New Normal (National Hearing Lab) Ultra lo-fi sarcasm rockers deliberately grind through their rough sophomore release, squeezing as much juice as possible from every coarse note. 7 (EL)
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