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Brand Nubian Foundation (Arista/BMG) I remember in the second incarnation of Brand Nubian, Lord Jammar and Sadat X took a hard knock at women with a song called "Love Me or Leave Me Alone." Here in '98, a song called "Sincerely" effectively apologizes for everything they may have said or done to disrespect the ladies. Sad to say, but I'm really sorry Foundation isn't a better album altogether. Contrived, repetitive and just plain uninventive songs like "Back Up Off the Wall," "Let's Dance" (!?) and "Shinin' Star" plague the Nubes' return to the game, and make it really hard to get excited. 6.5/10 (Scott C) The Queers Punk Rock Confidential (Hopeless/Outside)
North of America Elements of an Incomplete Map (Matlock)
The Aluminum Group Plano (Minty Fresh/Page) The names Bacharach and Webb get checked a lot in these days of revising the canon of rock influences. But rarely does a group display the pop chops and proper arm's-length reverence of such demigods to be uttered in the same breath as them. And even more rarely do they do it via a vague '80s synth-pop filter while, at least once, reworking a Cher classic. 8/10 (Chris Yurkiw) Fatboy Slim You've Come a Long Way, Baby (Skint/Virgin)
Meat Beat Manifesto Actual Sounds & Voices (Interscope/Universal)
With fat, dirty, funky-ass beats, MBM forego clean 'n' militarized and keep their meat raw. "Let's Have Fun" gives you a clue to why they were on the recent Depeche Mode tribute album, "3 Floors Above You" should be called "Fencing in Spacesuits in an Asteroid Field" and "Where Are You" is a soundtrack to a gumshoe seeking a damsel in distress hidden in a darkened warehouse. But MBM should keep their vocals to a minimum, where they work best. 8/10 (Lateef Martin)
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The new, sober Joe Queer is given back the keys and drives this punk rock sucker home. Right from the first few bars of "I Didn't Puke," you'll agree that this is what pop punk is all about and that bands like Chixdiggit are definitely still learning the ropes. Songs like "Mrs Brown, You've Got an Ugly Daughter," "Motherfucker" and the anthemic "I Enjoy Being a Boy" almost puts Punk Rock Confidential in the same holy territory as the Ramones' or Rezillos' early outings. Remember when punk rock was fun? Well, hear it again for the first time. 9/10 (Johnson Cummins)
These myopic, backpack-wearing indie norts play math rock à la Polvo but thankfully know when to ditch the quirkiness for the earthiness of Archers of Loaf especially in songs like "Killed in the Ratings." In "The Life of Fortitude," dissonance becomes hummable and in "Time Changes Technique" shifting time signatures become toe tappers. Don't let the pocket protectors fool ya, these wacky Haligonians are out to sex you up. 7.5/10 (Johnson Cummins) With the Nul Set at Barfly, Friday, October 23, 9pm, $3
There was a lot of traffic through my flat while I listened to this, and everyone (including my reprehensibly unfunky roommate) asked, "Who is this?!" It's Norman Cooke, that's who, and he has come a long way. From Housemartin to Beats International to this silly business, snagging scraps of rock, rave, and "that funky music" along the way. Now he's nature's way of saying, "It's all good, baby." His new disc is shallow, repetitive, unoriginal... and such primo kickass head-nod fuel that neck cramps are pretty much guaranteed. 8.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)