Primal Scream Xtrmntr (Creation/Epic/Sony)
Arling & Cameron Music For Imaginary Films (Emperor Norton/Outside)
Werbo Lakehead Tragedies (independent)
Les Negresses Vertes Trabendo (Virgin/EMI) After the death of frontman Elno, things can't ever really be the same again for French jive gypsies les Negresses. With that in mind, they enlisted the ubiquitous Howie B to take things in another direction--with debatable results. The subtle treachery of the production, B's trademark, derails any possibilities of this coming off like the Gypsy Kings remixed. Which is good. At the same time, the vibe throughout is damp and muted--not entirely lacklustre (a couple of tracks really click), but lacking vital spark nonetheless. 6.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)
Fu Manchu King of the Road (Mammoth/Oasis) Fu Manchu may be the kings of stoner rock, slinging riffs as thick as mud, but they have been sucking on the same bong for far too long. Not to say this is a bad record--it just sounds the same as ever, with slow, fuzzed-out riff rock played at headnodding tempo with singer Scott Hill talking lethargically through the record. No wonder his former bandmates (Nebula) moved on after two albums. The Devo cover is nice, and you get cool CD ROM stuff and a video. I don't mean to come down too hard, because they still know how to deliver a good piledriving riff, but the bongwater is turning green and not bubbling like it used to. 7/10 (Johnson Cummins)
Kittie Spit (Artemis/Oasis)
Kid Koala Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (Ninja Tune) Forget everything you learned watching the DMC. Forget about all the latest scratch techniques. Forget about being hard for a minute, because if you don't, you may just miss the silly little point of this long-awaited debut from our own Eric San. This is mish-mash-hodge-podge-beat-jacking-frigger-fragger at its most complex and simple at the same time. Very funny and fast moving, this might be called "the blueprint for turntablism in the new millennium." But I would just say forget the hype and enjoy what I think is an original, innovative and charmingly retarded record. 8/10 (Scott C)
Various MTV presents Masters of the 1&2 (MTV/Priority/Virgin) Anybody who's ever stood through a DMC competition could be forgiven for thinking that turntablism is a rather bad theme for a CD compilation. But, thanks in part to the fact that licensing was too sticky a business for some of the more complexly crafted tracks out there, MTV serves up a highly listenable scratch-a-thon, f-f-f-fresh for its lack of wicki-wicki-wicki-wanking. There are even some (gasp!) SONGS on here. With (gasp!) VOCALISTS! A fine historical tribute that runs from Grandmaster Flash, Grand Wizard Theodore and early '80s bandwagon-jumper Malcolm McLaren through De La Soul remixes and "DJ Premiere in Deep Concentration," ending up at today's Junkies, Piklz and Mix Masters. At worst, it still provides great filler for when making mixed tapes. 8.5/10 (Mireille Silcott)
Ghostface Killer Supreme Clientele (Epic/Razor Sharp) I have always been partial to the complexities of Ghostface and his slang editorial and I'm happy to say that he didn't fall off. Ghost must be one of those older cats--that's the only way I can explain his blatant use of sweet doo-wop soul as backdrop for his fiery lyrics. On songs like "Apollo Kids" and "Saturday Nite" Ghost gets deep, just like we like it, kickin' shit that'll take just enough listens to decipher. The Wu barrage has slowed, but I think they still have some creativity intact if Supreme Clientele is any indication. 7.5/10 (Scott C)
Guardians of Dalliance Diffusion Rooms (Moving Shadow) I wasn't sure that dalliance was a real word, so I looked it up. It means the act of dallying, flirting, toying or trifling. James Mitton-Wade and Mike Hall have proclaimed themselves the guardians of said behaviour, and I'm guessing they attempt to "guard" dalliance with drum & bass. If my theory is right, it explains their latest album, Diffusion Rooms, which flirts with pseudo-jazz elements, trifles with airy vocals and toys with predictable beats resulting in a sound that dallies on the fine line between interesting and boring. 7/10 (Krista)
Mark Turner Ballad Session (Warner) Turner is one of the most interesting of the younger players. The 34-year-old tenorman is a Berklee grad, aided on this gorgeous, well-paced session by Kurt Rosenwinkel, Kevin Hays, Larry Grenadier and Brian Blade. Among the ten cuts are Carla Bley's "Jesus Maria" and Leonard Bernstein's "Some Other Spring," personal favourites of mine. A winner! 9.5/10 (Len Dobbin) At Upstairs Feb. 11-12.
Karl Denson Karl Denson's Tiny Universe EP (Independent/Bobby Ace Music) For a man who has been fascinated with food for the last few records he's put out, Denson's Tiny Universe is unusually devoid of anything edible. That's not to say that the music isn't filling in any way, but perhaps the big D was on to something, coupling the funk with the food. This record has its moments, but I can only be completely happy with about two songs. The cliche title of "Can You Feel it" is the only thing cliche about the song, while the roots of "Family Tree" run deep and funky. This man was meant to be seen, though, and you can do just that February 15. 7/10 (Scott C) At le Swimming on Tues, Feb. 15.
Tina Turner Twenty Four Seven (EMI)
Various Om Lounge 3 (Om/Fusion III)
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So this is the final album from the late, great Creation Records--sold off to Sony to become Oasis' vanity label. It's also the latest, greatest comeback from a band that specializes in self-reinvention. Picking up from the dark scuzz-dub of '97's Vanishing Point, Scotland's Primal Scream (raved-up baggy boys for Screamadelica, misguided Stones-soul picnickers in 1994) now fully realize the Trainspotting dare of merging "Born Slippy" with Iggy, and go aggro-techno. Even politico! Xtrmntr simply seethes, with piledriving big beats, raw-power rock and hardcore hip hop (!) all bolstered by key producers including the Chemical Brothers ("Swastika Eyes") and Kevin Shields of My Bloody Valentine, who's joined the band for upcoming tours. Tommy Lee: suck on this. 9/10 (Chris Yurkiw)
The Dutch duo return with a rather self-explanatory title. The gimmick clicks; from hardnosed crime jazz ("Le Flic et la Fille") to soft-focus feelgood fluff ("Weekend"), from Bollywood to Cinecitta to the vast void of space, the pair ease comfortably into any pair of pants on the rack. It's not just that they're clever wranglers of eclectic sounds, with good ears for melody and modernization. They're amazing zeitgeist-mimics, and were that not enough, the disc is loaded with brilliant, bogus blurbs and poster art for these fantasy flicks, fortifying the mini-mythology they've manufactured. 8.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)
Indie-rock rule #1: nothing succeeds like failure. And so Werbo find themselves on top of the Ottawa heap, having unreleased their debut album until they felt like promoting their second (both are included in this two-fer), having no proper distribution, but always having fun--especially on stage (one infamous show substituted a video monitor playing the taped performance for each member). And yeah--great music helps. What you could say about Werbo is that the Archers Of Loaf have absolutely nothing on them and that the Flaming Lips had better watch their ass. Superior, free-associative lyrics. Could give a fuck about making it in the music industry. Crescent Street might never be the same... 8/10 (Chris Yurkiw) At Club Zone this Friday, Feb. 11
Finally, a high school girl group that beats the shit outta all the formulated tempopuary teen clones out there. Hell, they even kick the asses of such tepid bands as Powerman 5000, Limp Bizkit and Creed. That's right baby, four teenaged girls from London, Ontario give Korn and even Slipknot a run for their money. Morgan can sing, growl and pull riffs with the biggest and nastiest of them, while Mercedes keeps shit tight and complex on drums, Fallon slays on guitar and Talena keep the groove in check on bass. Opener "Spit" sends a multi-buckled platformed boot hurtling into your nuts and the rest keeps you moshing despite the pain. All the hardcore girls out there finally have a voice and it's loud. 8.5/10 (Lateef Martin
At 60, Ms. Turner has settled down to a more manageable groove, leaning towards pop, but with enough grit to remind us of who we're listening to. If the first track, "Whatever You Want," doesn't have you, then give it up: it's vintage Turner. Of course, the Cher sound-alike "When the Heartache is Over" is here, but pales next to tracks like the in-your-face "Absolutely Nothing's Changed" or the good time rock 'n' roll title track. Turner fans and more will be cheering. 8/10 (Gerard Dee)
In the six years since tapping in to the blissfully laidback sound of West Coast electronic music, and the subsequent release of the first Mushroom Jazz CD, San Francisco-based Om Records have become the source in North America for trip-hip-hop and house-y slow jams. Om Lounge 3 is yet another collection of fine electronica tunes from the foremost artists of the genre, like Fila Brazillia, Kevin Yost and Herbert, Canadian newcomers the Verbrilli Sound and a debut from legendary SF DJ John Howard. 8.5/10 (Krista)