Clinton Disco and the Halfway to Discontent (Virgin/EMI)
Tom Jones Reload (Gut/Oasis)
Various Southern Death: a Tribute to Pantera (Dwell/Oasis)
Various The Million Dollar Hotel soundtrack (Island/Universal) Wim Wenders' soundtracks are as limp as his movies these days. There was a time when a nice dovetailing took place 'tween his graceful images and brooding movie tunes by neo-Berliners (Nick Cave), neo-performance artists (Jane Siberry), and neo-alternative types (U2). Now it's almost exclusively the latter, The Million Dollar Hotel album front-loaded with two (new, mellow) U2 tracks and three others sung by Bono backed by "the MDH Band," which includes Team U2 alumni Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno. Snore. It's all very genteel and ambient and soundtracky, and even the best moment--star Milla Jovovich impersonating Diamanda Galas as she sings "Satellite of Love"--is spoiled by two more superfluous mixes of the already overdone Lou Reed song. 6/10 (Chris Yurkiw)
Jungle Brothers V.I.P. (V2/BMG) First let me start off by saying that the Jungle Brothers were basically the fathers of the Native Tongues family. That said, let me now say that the Jungle Brothers are now the illegitimate bastard offspring of an elaborate big-beat joke. No matter how I tried, I just couldn't get into this record, even if it was produced by head Propellerhead himself, Alex Gifford. To me, this is Afrika and Mike G saying goodbye to the confines of New York. The big, in-your-face, poppy sound of this record will win them new fans on the Euro-circuit, and Gifford's two cents can't really hurt them either. But this is one JBs fan who's comin' straight out the jungle to say that this album gets the Jimbrownski. 6/10 (Scott C)
Console Rocket in the Pocket (Matador/FAB)
Rhea's Obsession Between Earth and Sky (Metropolis/Outside) It's been three long years since RO's independent debut Initiation came out. Since then they've been touring all over the U.S., been on a handful of soundtracks, scored a film (Boxspring) and hooked up with Metropolis Records. Between Earth And Sky is a progression from the more organic Initiation, adding techno and a little more rock to their sound--with mixed results. On many a track RO is reminiscent of Switchblade Symphony in their guitar work and vocal phrasing. Unlike Dead Can Dance, Rhea's Obsession don't go deep enough into their eastern influences, and the techno aspects feel like a separate entity, similar to flesh rejecting cybernetic implants. 6.5/10 (Lateef Martin)
David Kristian Room Tone (Alien 8)
ADNY Selections '97-2000 (Turbo/Koch) One assumes that the hustle-'n'-bustle, dog-eat-dog life of NYC would bring out the maniacal side of one's personality. But it seems to have had the opposite effect on Sweden's Alexi Delano, who has cast away his funky and at times gritty house beats aside in favour of a smoother, dare I say more mature sound. His latest album Selections, on local label Turbo, contains 12 tracks, hand-picked by Turbo's executive producer Tiga, of blissfully melancholic, vocal-tinged, chilled-out tech-house. Ueber-cool. 8.5/10 (Krista)
DJ Maues Intersections (Haute Couture/Select) You've heard her name around town, seen her name on flyers, people may have even pointed her out to you. But you still have no idea how or what DJ Maues spins. Well, now you can go and buy her first-ever mix CD Intersections and take in the DJ Maues experience in the comfort of your living room. Miss Maues mixes sans frontiers, utilizing 15 eclectic D&B/jungle tunes from artists like Germany's experimental Myer and Polar to Amon Tobin to U.K. purists Omni Trio and Foul Play. 8/10 (Krista)
DJ Food A Dub plate of Food 10" (Ninja Tune) I don't know who's responsible for all the 10-inch releases that are firing out of Ninja Tune but I really like the format. It makes you feel like you're getting something different. This little bit of something different is limited edition, I'm sure, with Food's Kaleidescope full-length set to drop real soon. Until then, you can chomp on just enough selections from one of the more seasoned Ninja team members to get your appetite going. Although a precise and angular turntablist in his own right, Food has filled this serving with the moody delights of relaxation, which suit me just fine. Kudos for the collabo with "the Voice" Ken Nordine on "The Ageing Young Rebel," an old Ninja but a good Ninja. 8/10 (Scott C)
Jazzyfatnastees The Once and Future (Universal) Female R&B duo Tracey Moore and Mercedes Martinez are as smooth as butta on their debut disc. A caveat to listeners who like their soul a little rough around the edges: stay away from this one. However, for those who live for silky harmonies over precise lyrical styles, tracks like "The Wound," the '50s-ish throwback "Breakthrough" and the infectious "Let It Go" are sweet ear candy. Think Sade times two. 7/10 (Gerard Dee)
Various Phil Pratt Thing (Pressure Sounds/Brilliant)
Pete Yellin Mellow Soul (Metropolitan/Fusion III)
An outstanding outing from Yellin, an unsung veteran who's played with the likes of Buddy Rich, Joe Henderson, Jaki Byard and Mingus. He's appeared locally at both Jazz Club 2080 and Upstairs. He's heard here, on both alto and soprano, in a nine-track, well-balanced program, joined by a stellar cast which includes Peter Leitch, Chick Corea, Eddie Henderson and Vincent Herring. Try "Warm Valley" or the title piece for starters. 9/10 (Len Dobbin)
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Together again for the very first time: that's Tjinder Singh and Ben Ayres, rebooting with a project that bears only tangential similarity to the mothership Cornershop. It's a fresh new deal, this Clinton business, packed with snappy, distinctive dance-pop gems. Pitching disco biscuits through Casio-tronic hoops into a bucketful of free-ass lyrics with grace, poise and ease, the duo deliver mellow funkage ("The Hot For May Sound"), pure-tone Pac Man fever ("Giddian di Rani"), stringy, steady stonerology ("Electric Ice Cream") and a global weekend whomper-stomper, "Buttoned Down Disco," that gets the Fila Brazilia treatment come the closing track. In short, mirrorball mythology discombobulated with utmost confidence. 9/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)
Endowed Welshman Tom Jones has been both shrewd and shameless in pimping himself as a pop-culture punchline, ever since the Art of Noise dragged him out of your mother's old records to voice their remake of Prince's "Kiss" back in 1988. On Reload, Tom takes the collaboration concept as his own and spins an album of duet-covers; rockin' with Robbie Williams on "Are You Gonna Go My Way?," soul-mannin' with Van Morrison, and "Burning Down the House" with the Cardigans. At 17 tracks it's spotty, but the highlights are an epic version of Portishead's "All Mine" (with The Divine Comedy), the polka-rock of "Little Green Bag" (last heard on the Reservoir Dogs soundtrack) with Barenaked Ladies, and hearing Jones croon that mysterious line from "Lust For Life" (with Chrissie Hynde): "Of course I've had it in the ear before." 7/10 (Chris Yurkiw)
Pantera Reinventing the Steel (Elektra/Warner)
Reinventing... marks Pantera's first outing without master producer Terry Date and their first record in over four years. No surprises here, though. These Texan rednecks stick to their six-guns and continue serving up no-frills, testosterone-fuelled metal. Reinventing the Steel is an unapologetic, straight-up metal record and their honesty and commitment comes through in every breath. But is it heavy, you ask? Like ballast, buddy. The tribute, on the other hand, is a massive load of horseshit, from the same label that brought us the tribute to Megadeth, Rush and (gasp) Dio. Once again, it's largely the same tribute bands that appeared on the aforementioned comps bringing nothing new to the table... again. Pantera 8.5/10, Various 3/10 (Johnson Cummins)
What weirdness transpires in the backwoods of Bavaria. Console, an offshoot of German circuit-breakers the Notwist, is a one-man operation dedicated to capturing the awkward, tender sounds of a dot matrix printer making sweet love to a fax modem. No small feat, coaxing this much feeling out of a mess of hiss, hum and clatter. The standout track on this domestic reissue is in fact a bonus not found on the original, a robot paean called "14 Zero Zero" that grafts itself irrevocably to your lobes. 8/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)
Listening to Kristian's new offering is a bit like filling your head full of Dimetap while submerged in a sensory deprivation tank. On this dark, ambient opus, Kristian keeps his destinations cleverly obscured as he weaves his dense soundscapes. Using the ominous low end as an anchor, Kristian explores the full electronic tonal spectrum before getting downright krautrock on closing track "Norak." When Kristian drops the beats and sticks with the ambient, he's really on top of his game, and what makes him so good at it (unlike a lot of other electronic composers) is never rushing to the finish line to make his statement. 8.5/10 (Johnson Cummins)
Maybe you're a fan of the old-school reggae, the rock steady sound that mirrored the high, sweet U.S. soul of the late '60s (reference points: Ken Boothe and the Heptones). Or maybe you're into the mid-'70s Jamaican dub-a-delica that went down when reggae started to define itself on its own terms (note: Big Youth, Dillinger). Either way, this comp's for you--spotlighting a forgotten figure from Kingston's production scene. Pratt worked with the names above and more, finding colour and character under every rock he turned over. Gotta love a historical document that heralds balcony BBQ parties to come. 8/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)