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 Jahnice+
Sonneur EP (Pasa)
With a name like Jahnice+, one would assume more than a touch of reggae in the work, but this local band and its frontman, Joel “Jahnice” Janis of Kalmunity fame, seems to reference the consciousness of Jamaica’s most famous export rather than its sound. They call it “hybrid soul” and it certainly is soulful, but there’s rock ’n’ roll here, hip hop, R&B, pop sensibility and a touch of sweeping choral drama that wouldn’t be out of place in musical theatre. And it all works. 9/10 Trial Track: “Fanmi se Fanmi” (Erin MacLeod)
Dum Dum Girls
I Will Be (Sub Pop)
Produced by Richard Gottehrer (Blondie, the Raveonettes) for maximum retro impact, the debut album by this L.A. quartet shimmers, shakes and quakes, its girl-group vocals, snaky ’60s riffs and economical rhythm reminiscent of a Russ Meyer soundtrack. They call it “blissed-out buzz saw,” a great summation of a party record about jail, weed, teenage drama and the dark side of Southern California. 8/10 Trial Track: “Bhang Bhang I’m a Burnout” (Lorraine Carpenter)
Gayngs
Relayted (Jagjaguwar)
It’s a great week to discover the 21st-century slow jams of Gayngs, a collective feat. members of Solid Gold, Megafaun, Bon Iver, Rhymesayers etc. Relayted sounds like soft rock on morphine, foggy soundscapes painted with keys, guitars, dabs of cheesy sax, woozy falsetto, choral chanting and a steady 69 BPM pulse. Some of the material here is more dub than song, but when you’re paralyzed by heat (or drugs), you won’t know the difference. 7.5/10 Trial Track: “Faded High” (Lorraine Carpenter)
 Stone Temple Pilots
self-titled (Atlantic/Warner)
STP finally reunite after the DeLeo brothers and singer Scott Weiland went their separate ways (Weiland with supergroup Velvet Revolver, bassist and guitarist the DeLeos with Army of Anyone). Their sixth album—nine years (!) after their last—finds STP somewhere in the ’60s, leaning more on psychedelia, with no trace of the heavy grunge style they built on with Core and Purple. Full of lighter fare and straight-ahead rock with the occasional groove, if you’re a fan of their past three albums, you’ll dig this one, man. 8/10 Trial Track: “Hazy Daze” (Lateef Martin)
Soulfly
Omen (Roadrunner)
Not as worldly as Prophecy and Dark Ages, Max Cavalera keeps it thrash on Soulfly’s latest but still throws in elements ranging from sitars to electronics. Keeping Soulfly fresh is a rotation of members for each album. This time around, Max makes it a family affair with his son and brother guesting on drums. Greg Puciato of Dillinger Escape Plan joins in on the kinetic and haunting “Rise and Fallen” while Prong’s Tommy Victor slashes riffs on “Lethal Injection.” 8/10 Trial Track: “Bloodbath & Beyond” (Lateef Martin)
Cathedral
The Guessing Game (Nuclear Blast)
Cathedral are one of the original post-Sabbath doom bands, but on this exhaustive two-disc set they come closer to proto-metal bands like Captain Beyond and Sir Lord Baltimore and mix in ample amounts of psych, folk and prog. Vocalist Lee Dorrian bites off a bit more than he can chew here with his monotone delivery and while some folk and prog experiments pay off in spades, there are still too many that just fall flat. 7/10 Trial Track: “The Casket Chasers” (Johnson Cummins)
 The Rolling Stones
Exile on Main St. (Deluxe Edition) (Universal)
This 1972 classic is without a doubt one of rock ’n’ roll’s most important releases and arguably the Stones’ finest moment. Even the cutting room scraps—eight bonus tracks and two alternative mixes—cement the fact that this is a Keith Richards-driven record, with “Plundered My Soul” and “I’m Not Signifying” alone making this all the more worthwhile. Sir Jagger’s famously placing this among his least favourite Stones records is only further proof of the genius spilling out of these grooves. 8.5/10 Trial Track: “Pass the Wine” (Johnson Cummins)
 The Glitch Mob
Drink the Sea (Glass Air)
Winding up with a dramatic psych folk riff, then thundering into an uplifting, grinding digital synth line, this record immediately announces itself as epic, unbridled and fine tuned to elicit both physical and emotional reactions. It’s a clash of shuffling beats, anthem melodies, heavy buzzing and discombobulated samples. The melodrama tips over into tackiness at times, but this album is meant to be a serious artistic statement. 8/10 Trial Track: “Animus Vox” (Jack Oatmon)
 Kaskade
Dynasty (Ultra)
With a crossover of sorts, from ultra-slick Euro club music to more vocal-heavy electronic dance pop, the American DJ attempts to prove he’s more than just a purveyor of sweaty bangers. The punkish Dragonette collab falls flat, but when he’s in his wheelhouse, the percussive backbeats thump, the repetitive synth melodies are infectious and the hired disco sirens inject some angelic personality. 6/10 Trial Track: “Dynasty” (Erik Leijon)
Magnum K.I.
self-titled (Foultone)
Formed by longtime Frek Sho crew members Ismaila and DJ Kutdown, the Winnipeg duo’s debut combines classic, jazzy-sample-based, snare-heavy drums and contrabass licks with Ismaila’s deep-voiced soul sensibilities. The MC belongs to a handful of artists who can both rap and sing credibly, often on the same bar. The prairies have rarely rolled like this. (8/10) Trial Track: “Rhythm Addict” (Darcy MacDonald)
 Leela James
My Soul (Stax)
With artists like Angie Stone and Teena Marie on its roster, Stax is again becoming the pre-eminent soul label. It’s fitting that James joins the fold, bringing her brand of gritty retro soul with her. On her latest, she’s once again potent in her delivery, whether espousing an ideal reality (“I Want It All”) or setting a deadbeat partner straight (“It‘s Over”). 8.5/10 Trial Track: “I Ain’t New to This” (Gerard Dee)
 Ladies of the Canyon
Haunted Woman (Kindling/Warner)
If NASCAR can succeed in Montreal, who’s to say our fair city can’t house the next Dixie Chicks? No matter how far north of the Mason-Dixon we are, this quartet of talented local ladies harmonize like a foursome well-versed in the spirit of the South. Twangy guitars provide authenticity, but the stellar vocals shine throughout, especially the southern spiritual bridge on “No Deliverance.” 8/10 Trial Track: “Forget Me” (Erik Leijon)
Djoumbush featuring Warhol Dervish
Djoumbush (independent)
A number of names familiar to the local worldbeat scene appear on this sumptuous selection of traditional Turkish and Gypsy tunes, originals baptised in the Bosphorus and a Bollywood twist to the dense and exciting “Mustapha’s Snake.” Tempos run hectic and precise, heavy-hearted and expansive—the latter particularly on the tracks with string quartet Warhol Dervish. The expressive clarinet work of founding member Lucas Moore is a bright thread running through it all. 7.5/10 Trial Track: “Mustapha’s Snake” (Rupert Bottenberg) At les Bobards, Fri., May 28, 9 p.m., $5
MINI CD REVIEWS
The Most Serene Republic Fantasick Impossibliss (Arts & Crafts) Less laboured and pretentious than ever, and yet evoking Animal Collective and Radiohead in places, this new EP finds the Ontario sextet raising the stakes, the pace and the freaky meter. 7.5 (LC)
Damien Jurado Saint Bartlett (Secretly Canadian) Jurado’s vaguely mystical folk gets a splendiferous make-over, rejuvenating his sound 10 albums in. 7 (LC)
Soft Copy Vicious Modernism (independent) A perfect melding of ’90s discordance and a keen sense of melody bleeding through every note. 7 (JC)
With Lights Off at l’Escogriffe tonight, Thurs., May 27, 10 p.m., $5
Tobacco Maniac Meat (Anitcon) Old-school hip hop beats driven to insanity through a smattering of schizophrenic lo-fi noises. 7 (EL)
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