Black Crowes Greatest Hits 1990- 1999 (American/Sony) Deftones White Pony (Maverick) This album is sick. If you're a Deftones virgin, you won't be disappointed, and if you're a seasoned fan the same goes for you. White Pony takes you everywhere from Chino's captivating wailings on opener "Feiticeira" to the spooky, explosive duet with Tool's James Maynard Keenan on "Passenger" to the melancholy calm of "Pink Maggit." The Deftones' various moods, atmospheres and trips come through with an exceptional mixture of heavy guitars, keyboard sound effects, machine-like rhythm section and Chino's distinct vocals. You want solid music? Check this album. 'Nuff said. 9/10 (Lateef Martin)
Toshack Highway self-titled (Catapult)
Swervedriver albums are few and far between, so fans of the definitive shoegazer band will have to make do with frontman Adam Franklin's new side endeavour--even if it means giving up the four-way sandstorm of guitar noise in favour of naive noodlings on assorted vintage keyboards. No prob for Franklin, who's found a new box of toys to fiddle with. It owes a lot to the space-age lullabies of Air and even more to mid-period Pink Floyd (never to mention direct cops from Bowie/Eno and Twin Peaks), but then there are some strange, regressive, idiosyncratic moments here, that even Franklin's shrink would be hard-pressed to decipher. 7/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)
Hammerlock Anthems For Outlaws (Man's Ruin/Outside) Step aside, .38 Special and Skynryd, the South has rose again. Hammerlock point their sawed-off double-barrels at all the lily-livered pierced masses with 20 rounds of buckshot anthems guaranteed to scare the pants off anybody still in possession of their front teeth. How about these road apples: "Cold Coors," "Whiskey Rebel," "Musta Been Drunk," "Carried by Six," "Tennessee Whiskey," etc. After one listen you'll be asking your sister out on a date. Yee-haw! 7/10 (Johnson Cummins)
Richard Ashcroft Alone With Everybody (Virgin/EMI)
Jay-Jay Johanson Poison (RCA/BMG)
Superfunk Hold Up (Fiat Lux/Labels/Virgin)
Next Welcome II Nextasy (BMG) On their debut album, '97's Rated Next, this homeboy trio scored with the monster jam "Too Close." History seems destined to repeat itself as lead single "Wifey" is set to explode. Overall, though, this set is no groundbreaker. The guys explore kinky Internet love ("Cybersex"), the downfall of a high school crush ("Beauty Queen"), and the consequences of rash actions ("Banned from TV"). The reggae-esque "Oh No No" with Red Ant and Zhané's Renée Neufville is a cool departure, but reggae purists may cringe. 6.5/10 (Gerard Dee)
Raz Ohara Realtime Voyeur (Kitty-Yo)
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In November of '99, pianist Corea did a series of 10 solo concerts, beginning in Sweden and ending in Japan. These two CDs are culled from that material; the first consists of a pair of Preludes by Scriabin and 11 Corea compositions including "Spain," "Armando's Rhumba" and three of his "Children's Songs," while the second has music by Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern and others, including two by Bud Powell and no less than four by Thelonious Monk. Both discs offer top-notch piano playing, as will his gigs at the Jazz Fest this year. Both discs: 9/10 (Len Dobbin) At the Spectrum with his band Origin on Fri., June 30, 9pm. In-store signing and solo performance at HMV Megastore, Fri., June 30, 3-4pm, free
With 16 gems on this, it's a bit mindblowing to think of what a rich career these boys have had. Unlike Mr. Kravitz, the Crowes make no bones about having their grubby mitts in the Stones/Humble Pie/Faces cookie jar. The swampy glimmer-twins feel on "Jealous Again" and "She Talks to Angels" is nicely offset by the Humble Pie boogie of "Remedy," the Rod-the-mod "Blackberry" or the Volt-age "Sting Me." As rock and soul come in vogue again it would seem like the Black Crowes should be as legendary as some of the heroes they musically namecheck here. As good as this collection is, I would recommend their entire discography to get the whole picture. 9/10 (Johnson Cummins)
I wanted to like this album just as I wanted to like the Verve. Besides the occasional decent tune, the Verve never really clicked for me, and the same can be said for their frontman's solo debut. The inane, clichéd lyrics and unnecessary epic treatment are only too appropriate for what is essentially classic rock. A lot of these songs may seem familiar because of their radio-friendly, universal appeal ("Wait... is it Live? Tears For Fears? Eugh..."), but some tracks are saved by a sweet balance of strings, keyboards, guitars and tuneage. You'll just have to wade through some muck to find them. 5/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)
Trip hop's babyfaced Ingmar Bergman returns, albeit with a Hitchcockian theme to his jacket art (what are you burying out there in the pine forest, you naughty Swede?). The songs remain Bergmanesque, though, as suggested by titles like "Humiliation," "Suffering," and "Colder (I Want You No More)." Ol' Jay-Jay's gotten a better handle on the English language lately, and the confidence in his croon mirrors the airtight grace of the stylish laments he's cooked up with co-Swede Erik Jannson--except "Keep It a Secret," which is annoyingly rockist. Heartbreak cocktails for one, sweet poison indeed. 8/10 (Rupert Bottenberg) At Metropolis on Sat., July 1, 9pm
The latest outfit to jump aboard the endless Frenchy, sample-iscious, funky-disco train ride, this trio from Marseilles have got the aesthetics (snazzy comic book logo meets urban Americana), the connections (album intro courtesy Dimitri From Paris, done a remix for Bob Sinclair) and the old-school cred (obscure Musical Youth samples, anyone?). Plus, a Stardust-esque single, "Lucky Star," with Chicago house vocalist Ron Carroll crooning away, all buttery powder-puff. Good shit, if you dig the formula, but formulaic (by now) nonetheless. 7/10 (Genevieve Paiement)
Once again with the Kitty-Yo stuff, but this time the Berlin label makes good on the pundits' prognostications of pop profiling (ooooh, alliteration overdose). No system-error soundscapes or sparse crackle 'n' hiss here; Ohara (a Berlin fixture) delivers buoyant, graceful electro-gems and simulated soul that are well-schooled but never academic. Try this: his tunes, including an attention-grabbing Pixies cover, are light yet firm, carefully coloured and somehow surefooted without ever touching the ground. I'm ready to bet this kid blows up superbig inside a year. 7,5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)