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Pecola The Mexican (Kosher Rock Records) CCR meets Drive Like Jehu? What gives here? Finally, some people who realize that Jason Lowenstein is way better than that whiny Lou Barlow. Despite their insistence on annoyance, these Polvo heads at least realize there is a melody to their madness... well, at least sometimes they do. You'll need an abacus if you insist on tapping your foot to it, but every now and again they do manage to let it all hang out in their tender heartfelt ballads, tailor-made for chronic masturbating geeks who work in their dad's office mail room. Classic titles include "You Left the Fucking Stereo On" and "Dad's Dick Is a Mustang." 7/10 (Johnson Cummins) Rude Boy Shut Up and Dance (Right Rude/Stomp)
Sleater-Kinney The Hot Rock (Kill Rock Stars/Outside) The latest, greatest hopes outta the Pacific Northwest keep indie hangin' in, but this saddle-shoed trio are more sinewy than rock solid while calling up the gal-infused, post-punk days of the Slits and the Raincoats. There's really nothing new in the mix on this, their fourth album--still anchored by the tremolo trill of Corin Tucker, and still sounding like the Go-Gos in grad school. 7/10 (Chris Yurkiw) Crocodile Shop Everything Is Dead and Gone (Metropolis) Not too keen on the name, and in their lyric sheet (which will give you a headache), they shamelessly list ALL of their equipment... but most of the time these guys know what they're doing. Highlights are "Hostage," with its curiously sexy groove, and "Claim," a track that sounds like something David Bowie and Brian Eno would whip up (hint hint, David). The rest of the album has enough good industrial breaks to keep the above-average dancer pumped. 7/10 (Lateef Martin) Alpha Yaya Diallo The Message (Wicklow/EMI)
John Swana Introducing... (Criss Cross/Fusion III) This is the debut as a leader of an excellent, exciting trumpeter from the Philadelphia area. He's 26 and was previously heard to advantage on a Peter Leitch CD done some eight years ago this week. He shows continuing maturity and his playing can be described as both lyrical and robust. His excellent quintet here has tenorman Billy Pierce and the great rhythm team of Benny Green and Peter and Kenny Washington. Well worth a concentrated listen. 9/10 (Len Dobbin)
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The Ottawa lads opened for the Kingpins a few weeks back, and anyone old enough to remember the heyday of ska's turn-of-the-'80s "second wave" could hear the echoes of Madness, the Pirhanas and especially the English Beat loud and clear. Having left the distortion pedal on the pawn shop shelf where it belongs, Rude Boy give us catchy pop-ska ditties like "G'wan Wit Ya," as well as nods to soul providers like Laurel Aitken, Edwin Starr and... uh, KISS ("Detroit Ska City"). 7.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)
Guinea native Alpha Yaya brings the magic of his homeland to many on this quilt of African styles. Exiled for years, and now making his home in Vancouver, he's had an opportunity to record in four languages (Fula, Malinke, Susu and French), making his mix of mystical funk and tribal grooves something to listen to carefully. This multi-instrumentalist is a talented guitarist as well as composer, and doesn't hesitate to let his gifts shine on this album. Yaya, your roots are showing. 7/10 (Scott C)