Franklin Building in A and E (File 13/ Spectra Sonic Sound)

This band from the city of Brotherly Love's roots may lay in punk rock, but Franklin easily break out of their hardcore confines with experiments in dub and electronica. And miraculously, they do so without ever losing their sense of place. In "When My Skin is on Fire" these punkers tackle reggae without sounding as hokey as the Clash's Sandinista era. Franklin remain interesting while not trying to be interesting--and that is a feat indeed. 8/10 (Johnson Cummins)

The Smugglers Buddy Holly Convention (Mint)

A fresh six-pack of true rock'n'roll from Vancouver's heavyweight champions of geek chic. Their signature blend of mod, punk and garage stylings is raunchier than usual--could be that producer Kurt Bloch (a member of the Fastbacks and Fresh Young Fellows) turned the punch-o-meter up a notch. No instant classics to be found on this EP, but it should keep fans occupied until the boys grace us again with their superior live show. 7/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

Robert de la Gauthier United Club Foundation 2 (ID&T)

Robert! Come back to Montreal soon so we can hear this live in a club! The embodiment of de la Gauthier's Europeanized, eclectic and humorous style in a two-CD mixed set. CD 1 is huge choons, digit-house and disco loops, and CD 2 is simply Rob at his peak: tough, faggy Nalin & Kane-ish nouveau prog stuff, all glassy, weird and choppy. The sound of 1000 bleach-blond Germans getting extreme in a warehouse to tunes like Punk Anderson's "Shave That Pussy"and Green Velvet's "Land of the Lost." Fearless. 9/10 (Mireille Silcott)

Mick Harvey Pink Elephants (Mute/Fusion III)

What with versions of Serge Gainsbourg ultra-classics like "Comic Strip," "La Javanaise" and "Je t'aime... moi non plus," you wouldn't think this album was the second of Harvey's tributes to Gainsbarre. While Mick can't hope to match the wonderfully fucked-up vibe of Gainsbourg's fertile '65-'69 period--and even if he homogenizes things a bit with his unintentional tribute to mentor Nick Cave--the arrangements are a great update and Harvey's English translations admirable. 7.5/10 (Chris Yurkiw)

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