Daddy Szigeti self-titled (Bobby Dazzler/Outside)
Feist Monarch, Lay Your Jewelled Head Down (Bobby Dazzler/Outside)
CineramaDisco Volante (Manifesto)
Voivod Lives (Metal Blade/Song)
Olivia Tremor Control Presents: Singles and Beyond (Emperor Norton/Outside) I used to like that idea of highly original music having been cultivated in some relative regional backwater, like Athens, Georgia (okay, all these places turn out to be college towns). But when it's a real shithole, like OTC's pre-Athens hometown of Ruston, Louisiana, and when the music crosses the line from "original" to straight-up "wacked idiosyncratic," I get afraid--especially when it involves the South. This album of this Elephant 6 offshoot group's early EPs and compilation tracks is meant to stave the demand for mescaline-fuelled Sgt. Pepperisms and scratch-audio Dada pieces until they return from a hiatus. Thanks--I could use the break. 6.5/10 (Chris Yurkiw)
American Pearl self-titled (Wind Up/Sony)
The 6thsHyacinths and Thistles (Merge) Now that a little more of the world knows about Stephin Merritt in the wake of 1999's critical cumfest, the Magnetic Fields' 69 Love Songs, the gay misanthrope returns with a second album in his guest-vocalist project, The 6ths. Hyacinths and Thistles shows off Merritt's neo-show-tune writing chops (who ever heard of a gay guy into show tunes?), his love of synth pop, and even greater love of melodramatic and/or idiosyncratic singers. And so Momus, Bob Mould (singing a show tune?), Sally Timms, Marc Almond, Miho Hatori, Melanie(!) and a very un-Numan sounding Gary are among those to get minimalist backing tracks--but also an average song time of just 2:30, making this album a bit of a burlesque tease. 7.5/10 (Chris Yurkiw)
The Kingpins Plan of Action (Stomp/Sonic Unyon)
Various Central Heating 2 (Grand Central/FusionIII) If you were one of those people who picked up Central Heating 1 back in 1996, you've probably already picked up this, the second volume highlighting some notable music moments from a wide array of talent. There are tracks here from the genre--versatile AIM, space-funk cadet Only Child, Tony D and Rae & Christian, as well as Ninja Tune signee Mr. Scruff, who was included on the first volume prior to his recent success. Trip hop, hip hop, nu-jazz, funky breaks and stuff that I hesitate to classify are all welcome here on this two-CD adventure that showcases a label that's responsible for another level of Brit production. 8/10 (Scott C)
Tony Allen & Afrika 70 Progress (Afro Strut/Fusion III)
BushmanA Better Place (AO!/Song) It's surprising that, at 22, Bushman sings with the spirit of someone considerably older, not to mention that he just plain sounds like a veteran. This is a roots affair, along the same lines as Burning Spear and the messenger of love, Luciano, with the only difference being that Bushman isn't afraid to throw some head-nodders in the mix. "Gangster Life" is a sweet love ballad about the bittersweet ups and downs of choosing the criminal path, with elements of the "Godfather Theme" thrown in for good measure. Although A Better Place does not employ the production talents of King Jammy, who produced Bushman's last album, it's still musically quite strong and ripe with mindful messages. 7/10 (Scott C)
Cleopatra ZYC Steppin' Out (Warner) This British trio are set to invade North American shores with radio-friendly jams finely tuned to tap into the youth market. Last time out, on their self-titled debut, they mounted a kiddie funk attack that fell flat. All grown up now, they're all up in the relationship mix, bringing heat to deadbeat dates ("Sweat Me") and controlling mates ("Questions and Jealousy"). "Yes This Party's Going Right" is fun, but the sexy "Voo-Doo" is perfect to get the real party started. 7/10 (Gerard Dee)
Jane Bunnett and the Spirits of HavanaRitmo + Soul (Blue Note/EMI) Bunnett, originally inspired by Mingus, found a great affinity with musicians of Cuba during a vacation there with trumpeter/husband Larry Cramer. This exciting CD is the latest done with these musician friends, the Spirits of Havana. Her flute and soprano sax are joined by Cramer, Hilario Duran (a kind of Cuban Bud Powell) and a host of others, including an important singer in Dean Bowman. Check this one out, as well as the NFB film on Bunnett and her love affair with Cuba. 9/10 (Len Dobbin)
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Imagine the best elements of Bad Brains, Faith No More, Rage Against the Machine and Deftones all intertwined with hints of drum & bass, reggae, hip hop, and funk. Ex-Thelma drummer Eric and the former Slowly Going Deaf (guitarist Jack, bassist Pablo and singer/lyricist Tracy) form like Voltron, creating a tight unit with all four elements complementing each other in giving the listener a monstrous four-pronged blast straight to the dome. Check opener "Where's HR?"--the band's attempt at locating the elusive and decidedly eccentric lead singer of pioneers Bad Brains. Guests include Joe Evil from Grim Skunk, on "Switch" and "Friendly Skunk," and DJ Slide from Phonologik. A long time coming, this EP will be lumped into the rap rock category by the uninitiated, but far exceeds anything out there. 9/10 (Lateef Martin) CD launch Fri., Sept. 8 at Club Soda, all ages
Lotsa crossover 'twixt these two Torontonians: they're label- and current tour-mates, Szigeti's string quartets lace both of their solo debuts (schooling courtesy of McGill music dept.), and the pair are members of the "Slow Motion B-Boy music/prankster collective," whose most prominent members are neu-Berliners Gonzales (Montrealer Jason Beck) and Peaches. But where those two adopt hip hop tropes and play up their personae, Dave Szigeti and Leslie Feist stay grounded in more trad pop-songwriterisms and tamer stage names. Szigeti's string thing is laudable--especially on the plaintive 11-minute closer "Mon Capitaine"--but the songs without them work just as well, his time playing with Jason and Howe Beck a seeming guitar-pop ideal. Leslie Feist has a clear if fragile tenor, but her gender and bent for the acoustic might leave her in a girl-folk ghetto. Her best moments also involve Jason "Gonzales" Beck: his melodica adds to the most memorable tune, "Still True," and then she does a nice turn covering his "New Torch," originally titled "You Are" on Gonzales' Ueber Alles. Both 7/10 (Chris Yurkiw)
Alas, it's truly a decade since the Wedding Present brought on Britpop with a bitter bite. The Present's now a thing of the past, as frontman David Gedge is clearly devoted to the soft-focus shimmer of Cinerama, replete with kaleidoscopic lustre and a fistful of spaghetti western echoes. The man can still emote with dignity, hatch a catchy hook and turn a resonant phrase--graceful aging's something to be admired. Complacency, on the other hand, is not. 7/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)
Usually live albums are to be avoided like the plague, but listening to old classics like "Tribal Convictions" and "Voivod" breathing with new life is easily worth the ticket price. Recorded in New York and Stockholm last year, Voivod comb through their 15-year career and sound as up-to-date as ever. The real treat here is their stab at Venom's classic black metal anthem "In League With Satan." Find out where Neurosis copped their licks from--Voivod are still are one of the most innovative bands around. 8.5/10 (Johnson Cummins)
This has "el stinkaroo" written all over it. Hollywood Blvd. glam brats showing off tattoos and posing with Les Pauls with more tales of urban alienation. Ee-yech! With opener "California" taking on pop/punk à la D Generation, these tattoed boys walk through the footsteps of hair metal's past with some detuned guitars. Ex-Pistol Steve Jones mans the production desk and delivers razor-sharp guitars and soaring harmonies, but doesn't manage to save this. At their worst they cop a Guns n' Roses pose, and never do sink to the depths to bottom-feeders Buckcherry. Is that something to be proud of? 6/10 (Johnson Cummins)
Whoa, major changes. Our erstwhile ska hardliners are now essentially a four-piece, with saxist Lorraine Muller front and centre handling vocal duty. Unconstrained by large lineup, timelines or skinny ties, Plan of Action proves to be their best-sounding disc yet. Their most adventurous, too--nods to new wave, a wide range of tempos, inventive yet economic instrumentation, an Indochine cover ("L'Aventurier") and even a breakbeat-based number ("All the World's a Cage"). A colourful guest list and a commitment to quality sound the bell for an exciting Round Two in the Kingpins' career. 8.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)
This is just one of several reissues of mid-'70s semi-solo material from Allen, the masterful drummer behind Afro-beat deity Fela Kuti. I say semi-solo because Allen's still working with the rest of Fela's band here, and he stays faithfully in the musical format established by his weekday bandleader--quarter-hour conscious jams that simmer, arc and ease off on cue. The difference is that Allen's more hung up on pure rhythm, and thus soft-pedals both the brass section and the political bluster. This more than complements the Kuti catalogue. It's essential listening in its own right. 9/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)