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 King Khan & the Shrines
What Is?! (Vice)
This ’07 effort by exiled Montrealer King Khan and his German rhythm & black-’n’-blue revue gets its due domestic release. It’s more of Khan’s patented, potent ass-in-motion potion, that premium blend of psilocybic soul sweat, garage-ghoul guano, goat’s blood and a heartbroken mother’s tears—with an extra scoop of lard and ground glass thickening the mix this time, adding extra wallop to the fearsome freakout “Cosmic Serenade.” 9/10 Trial Track: “Land of the Freak” (Rupert Bottenberg) With Vivian Girls, Chocolat at la Sala Rossa, Sat., May 9, 9 p.m., $15
 Bob Dylan
Together Through Life (Columbia/Sony BMG)
After 32 records, ya can’t expect boppin’ Bobby Zimmerman to cough up Blonde on Blonde every time, but this half-hearted attempt at Cajun and zydeco-flavoured folk just gets downright grim. Bob’s voice is now officially shot as he howls through the 10 songs here and although lyrically, the man still has some chops, this becomes a very hard listen quite quickly. 6.5/10 Trial Track: “Beyond Here Lies Nothin’” (Johnson Cummins)
 Monks
The Early Years 1964–1965 (Light In the Attic/Outside)
Their sole ’60s record, Black Monk Time, should be mandatory listening for any fan of garage and proto-punk, but these unearthed Monks demos are as raw and wild as it gets. These American GIs stationed in Germany pegged the needles in the red on stompers like “I Hate You” and “Space Age.” Don’t even get me started on the deluxe packaging. 8/10 Trial Track: “I Hate You” (Johnson Cummins)
 The Horrors
Primary Colours (XL/Select)
Channeling post-punk and shoegazing and garage, this British band serves a second helping of fromage-free haunted-house rock, skirting the line between pop and art. Guitars stoked with reverb spar and spasm while singer Faris Badwan pays homage to Peter Murphy’s pipes. Although the record sags somewhat midway, it recovers in time to reel you back in with its charms. 7.5/10 Trial Track: “Do You Remember” (Lorraine Carpenter)
 Slim Twig
Contempt! (Paper Bag)
The sophomore LP by Toronto’s Slim Twig is an emaciated amalgamation of rockabilly, folk and goth—the latter chiefly because the sample-based sounds are spooky enough for a quality horror or sci-fi film soundtrack. The lyrics are macabre as well, in keeping with the music’s twitchy dissonance. Contempt! isn’t a consistently successful sonic experiment, but its massive creativity cancels out its minor blunders. 8/10 Trial Track: “Mansion Haunting” (Lorraine Carpenter) At Divan Orange, Thurs., May 14, 10 p.m.
Camera Obscura
My Maudlin Career (4AD/Select)
Developing the Motown/music-hall pop that they buffed to a near-perfect sheen on 2005’s Let’s Get Out of This Country, these Scots deliver another winner, aided by a Scandinavian secret weapon, producer Jari Haapalainen (the Concretes etc). As hinted by the Morrissey-esque title, the lyrics are downbeat, even depressing, though rousing strings and pop melodies almost always ride to the rescue. 8/10 Trial Track: “Honey in the Sun” (Lorraine Carpenter)
 Pierre Lapointe
Sentiments Humains (Audiogram/Select)
Lapointe, a classy and crafty standout in the realm of Quebec pop, extends the sheer, modernist angles of his impressive stage show of last year, Mutantès. Be it his grandiose anthems or his delicate ballads, Lapointe drums up drama to spare, but he’s agile enough to romp around the pomp, souring things only with occasional echoes of turgid ’80s post-prog mall rock. 7.5/10 Trial Track: “Je revienderai” (Rupert Bottenberg)
 Standing Waltz
Non-Sens! (Pop6/Outside)
It’s impossible to dissociate this awkwardly cute and catchy Quebec City electro-pop quartet from the colourful band photo of four acne-ridden, brace-faced teenagers staring back, because the wide-eyed effervescence and fresh-faced pep is Non-Sens!’s most endearing quality. The young group reeks of teen spirit—dimples are on full display as they extract interesting synth squelches and put their ESL classes to good use. 6/10 Trial Track: “Nothing to Say” (Erik Leijon)
 Pilot Speed
Wooden Bones (MapleMusic/Wind-Up)
If there was an award for most British sounding Canadian act, Coldplay/Travis/Keane acolyte Pilot Speed (formerly Pilate) would carry the biscuit tin. Chock full of mid-tempo rock and moody balladry with stadium ambitions, conveniently-placed piano hooks and strings fronted by a passionate vocalist with big things to say and even bigger choruses by which to deliver them. 5/10 Trial Track: “Wooden Bones” (Erik Leijon)
Nadja
When I See the Sun Always Shines On TV (The End)
Holy bejeezus, this is a monster. Canada’s best band extract the ultimate doom and gloom that was only hinted at on these 10 cover songs from a-ha, Kids in the Hall, My Bloody Valentine and others. This record is as flawless as it gets, but their takes on Swan’s “No Cure for the Lonely” and Slayer’s “Dead Skin Mask” are as heavy as it gets. 9/10 Trial Track: “Dead Skin Mask” (Johnson Cummins)
 D-Sisive
Let the Children Die (Urbnet)
Toronto’s D-Sisive charts unknown territory with a record where Greek tragedy meets the MPC. Darkness prevails for the first half, on his critique of today’s hip hop scene in the title track and later even more profoundly on “Father.” The mood lightens up later on the album, but the final product is still gloomier than anything else coming out of Canadian hip hop. 7.5/10 Trial Track: “Let the Children Die” (Morgan Steiker)
 Moderat
self-titled (BPitch Control)
Virtuosic German techno tastemakers Apparat and Modeselektor unite to craft this cerebral, psychedelic industrial techno tour-de-force, which reconciles Modeselektor’s more epic, gradual, climactic moments with Apparat’s subtlety and melodic synths. Production quality is off the scale, most tracks are hypnotic and masterfully executed, but instances of goofiness set the otherwise arresting album slightly off kilter at points. 8.5/10 Trial Track: “Nasty Silence” (Jack Oatmon)
 Day 26
Forever in a Day (Bad Boy/Warner)
The winners of Making the Band 4 follow up last year’s self-titled debut with more of the same. That is, this five-man vocal band delivers the same type of generic R&B that characterized their debut. No doubt, they can sing, but no amount of vocal gymnastics can hide the fact that Day 26 has nothing original to say. 6/10 Trial track: “Just Getting Started” (Gerard Dee)
Julie
Lamontagne
Now What [Justin Time/EMI)
One of our best pianist/
composers is heard on eight of her compositions joined by her regular superb trio of Dave Watts, bass and Richard Irwin, drums and special guest, the superb saxophonist Donny McCaslin. Great playing, great music — one of the outstanding releases of 2009. 9.5/10 Trial Track: “Lost In the Cycle” (Len Dobbin)
Mini CD Reviews
Gunther Schuller Journey Into Jazz (BMOP) Schuller narrates this explanation of jazz written by Nat Hentoff. Great if you have youngsters. 8.5 (LD)
NOMO Invisible Cities (Ubiquity) Further far-fetched fusions from Michigan’s maestros of Afro-beat and scrapheap innovation, including a mighty Moondog cover. 8 (RB)
Megan Hamilton See Your Midnight Breath in the Shipyard (Familiar Music) Ontarian folk that sways, rocks and writhes, with great production and penmanship. Watch out, Martha Wainwright. 7.5 (LC) With Fall Horsie, Leif Vollebekk at Cagibi, Fri., May 8, 9 p.m., pwyc
Cryptacize Mythomania (Asthmatic Kitty) Balmy, iridescent neo-exotica blessed with shrewd instrumental ideas and singer Nedelle Torrisi’s honey-sweet voice. 7.5 (RB)
Anti-Flag The People Or the Gun (Side One Dummy) Bush is out of the White House? Oh no, they’re melting... MELTING! 3 (EL)
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