Kenny Werner Beauty Secrets (RCA/BMG) Another winner from pianist Werner. Kenny cooks! 9 (LD)

The Creators "The Hard Margin" 12" feat. Mos Def & Talib Kweli (Bad Magic/Nice) Some wicked roight Brits with ill producto style enough to support MD and Kweli. Excellent. 8.5 (SC)

Non Receive the Flame (Mute) Crack noisemaster Boyd Rice gets all grandiloquent in these searing, serrated, neo-orchestral numbers. 8 (CY)

Jolly Mukherjee and the Madras Cinematic Orchestra Fusebox (Palm Pictures/Outside) Stringing the Asian breakbeat thing along a little further, this one remixes Jolly's Bollywood bounty. 7 (RB)

Groop Dogdrill Every Six Seconds (Mantra/Select) These hellbent limeys do their best at smashing Brit pop to a bloody pulp. Brilliant, mates! 7 (JC)

Welcome Like a Star's Microphone (Page/Oasis) Solid, radiocentric Canuck power-pop. Sloan it ain't, but neither is it Glass Tiger. 7 (RB)

Storm and Stress Under Thunder and Fluorescent Light (Touch and Go) More math rock from ex-Don Caballero guitarist Ian Williams. Should go over big in this city. 7 (CY) With the Dirty Three at Cabaret this Tues. April 4

Grey Area Fanbelt Algebra (Victory) Melodic retread punk that sounds like Snuff on a bad day. Big fuckin' deal. 6 (JC)

Various The Crow: Salvation soundtrack (Koch) The most inconsistent, talentless offering to date. Oh, God when will it stop?! 3 (LM)

Collete Baron-Ried Journey Through the Chakras (EMI) I had a bro in 'Nam who caught a bullet in the lower chakra, eh. Now his karma's got lead poisoning. 2 (RB)

more discs...