This is a benefit for three Tennessee guys accused of a triple murder. Despite evidence riddled with holes, a guilty verdict was levelled at the three, based solely on their love of heavy metal and black clothing. A nice dig at America's clogged judicial system, this disc, but is it a good listen? John Doe and Steve Earle maintain mindblowing excellence as usual, while L7 completely suck as usual. Rocket From the Crypt's and the Supersuckers' contributions are truly shining moments. Joe Strummer and the Long Beach All Stars tackle "The Harder They Come," Zeke take on Iron Maiden's "Wrathchild," Kelley Deal lulls Pantera's "Fucking Hostile," Nashville Pussy warble through AC/DC's "Highway to Hell" and Murder City Devils supercharge the Misfits' "She." Did I mention Jello Biafra, Tom Waits and Killing Joke also have tracks? 8.5/10 (Johnson Cummins)
Merle Haggard Motorcycle Cowboy (Smith Music Group) If I Could Only Fly is Epitaph's attempt to bring old coot Merle to the young masses: new songs, stylishly gritty B&W cover art, rad marketing campaign. Things start off great with "Wishing All These Old Things Were New," with Merle longing for the lines of his youth, but unfortunately he could be talking about his muse as well as cocaine. Too many of the rest of the songs sound like throwaways, and the mod production is a tad sweet. Greenhorns looking for a meatier slab of Merle will be better served by Motorcycle Cowboy, recorded live in '99 at Billy Bob's Texas bar. Here Merle and the boys kick the shit out of some old chestnuts and they've seldom sounded better. Fly 7/10, Cowboy 8.5/10 (Al South)
Fozzyself-titled (Megaforce/Outside) In this corner, weighing in with riffs as heavy as a dirty dishrag, we have a wrestler masquerading as a singer. In the other corner, weighing in with above-average riffs we have a guitarist masquerading as a frontman. From the first bell Slash has got Fozzy's lead singer, pro-wrassler Chris Jericho, on the ropes, stretching his "Paradise City" riff throughout 12 testaments to testosterone while Jericho desperately scratches and slaps his way out of a headlock with weak attempts at Judas Priest and Accept. Slash pins him to the mat with half-decent songwriting and a 10-ton megaton blast of mind-numbing riffage, before Jericho limps out of the rock 'n' roll ring in search of a senatorial position. Snakepit 6.5/10, Fozzy 4/10 (Johnson Cummins)
Quebec is probably about the only place on the continent where a college band building on what they learned from the Pixies and Fugazi is an anomaly, even if they do reference ska (the sax on "Petit Patapon") and metal ("Tenter de Sombrer"). That said, Granby's Vulgaires Machins do a bang-up job of it, with quality melodies, precise song structure and clever lyrics--en francais, like they should be. Let's hope the rest of Canada turns a deaf ear to the language and gives this sophomore release the mileage it deserves. 7.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg) At Club Soda on Fri., Oct. 13, 8:30pm, $8.50, all ages
Various Guru's Jazzmatazz Streetsoul (Virgin/EMI) Well, Guru has showed up once again with the next installment of his own little baby project, now three years old and only slightly more impressive. The JZMTZ premise has always been cool, teaming up jazz, funk, soul, R&B and hip hop heavyweights with the stalwart voice and shaky production of Guru. Streetsoul starts with the treats and beats, and slowly becomes worse as things go on. Nice bits from Erykah Badu, Donnell Jones, Bilal, the Roots, Kelis and some help from DJ Premier carry this record. As we all know, Guru should lay off the production, with the proof in tracks with Big Shug, Herbie Hancock and a stinker with Junior Reed. 7/10 (Scott C)
Nightmares on Wax DJ-Kicks (Studio K7/Fusion III) As someone more stoned than me once said, these DJ-Kicks mixed sets are... uh... eee... um... oh yeah: no-brainers! I mean, it's pretty hard to ball it up when you send a guy like Yoo-Kay hip-herbalist George Evelyn (or Kid Loco or Thievery Corporation, for that matter) an invitation to mix up and mix down his fave tracks--a guy who's been collecting records since age 8 and the head who dropped the mid-'90s, stone-chill, trippy hip-hop joint Smoker's Delight. And so George profers the new and the Native Tongue (Blackalicious, A Tribe Called Quest), the old and the ol é(Kenny Dope, Freddy Fresh's "It's a Latin Thing"), the downtempo and three upshots of his own. Dope? Word! 8/10 (Chris Yurkiw)
DJ Serious Dim Sum (Kola Kube/Sound King/Outside) This joint has been a long time coming from T.O. underground hip hop king DJ Serious, who over the years has cranked out many a jam from his mom's place at Dufferin and College. Production is the order of the day on this impressive debut that showcases some of Toronto's most respected MCs on the strong beats of Serious. Check Unknown Misery on the staggered "Trap Doors" or Monolith Crew member Nish Rawks as he rips it on "The Enlightening." Knowing Serious, this is only the beginning of the "ill producto" dynasty that he has planned for the future, but still a firm debut showing yet another side of T.O. hip hop. 8.5/10 (Scott C)
Subtitled "the Continuing Confessions of the Man Who's Been Everywhere But in Love," this downtempo delerium is the authentic sound of the soulful bachelor. Tummy Touch top dog Tim "Love" Lee, superstar DJ/producer/label owner, knows his way around women--c'mon, "First Base Bossa," "Bed Sheet Shuffle," "Triple X Togetherness"? But love never lasts for our protagonist. Studio or DJ booth, airport lounge or Riviera cafe, he's a man of style and substance, but a man all the same. A lonely man. Ladies, won't you open your hearts to Tim "Love" Lee? 8.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)
Larry Levan Live at the Paradise Garage (West End) Fabled New York institution the Paradise Garage is widely regarded as the greatest club in underground dance-music history. Armed with an awesome sound system that could have been hatched out of NASA, DJ "god" Larry Levan navigated thousands of his disciples to the outer galaxy on weekend nights. For a touch of the Garage monsoon, there is this double CD featuring Levan's programming wizardry on a sweaty night in 1979. It includes a terrific booklet that recounts the Garage legend and its influence on house and modern DJ culture. Brought to you by one of disco's seminal figures, Mel Cheren of West End Records. 9/10 (Peter Lightburn)
HybridWide Angle (Distinctive Breaks/Warner) This aptly named U.K. act fuses e-beats, techno textures and trad song structures complete with vocals by Julee Cruise (remember Twin Peaks?), Chrissie Hynde (on a cover of the Pretenders' "Kid"), and France's Soon E MC. A prominent orchestra, cheesy guitar samples and some adventurous knob-twiddling (hey, get your mind out of the gutter!) make this a dynamic little collection of tunes fit for the dancefloor or your home stereo. While it sometimes verges dangerously on handbag, recalling the dark days of 1997, there's enough here to satiate fans of "intelligent" and, uh, stupid. 7/10 (Lorraine Carpenter) With Moby, Oct. 17 at Metropolis.
At the beginning of this disc, gospel duo the Wordd promise funky gospel music unlike any other you've ever heard. Problem is, since Kirk Franklin began the good-news invasion in the early '90s, funky gospel music has become the norm. That said, the Wordd do get the party moving with numbers like "It's All Good," "Thank You" and the title track. Their vocals aren't particularly strong, but what they lack in style, they make up for in enthusiasm. The revolution continues. 7/10 (Gerard Dee)
Genevieve Letarte Chansons d'un jour (Ambiances Magnetiques/ DAME) Writer, singer, performance artiste and general wordsmith supreme Genevieve Letarte released her debut and last album 10 years ago--far too long a gap to go without an injection of her measured yet sensuous voice, much too long a wait to hear her simply deliver words in all the gloriousness of their sound, sense and nonsense. A precious actuelliste Letarte is not: here she engages in art for music's sake, poetry (in French, and so all the more poetic) made palatable by mellow and melodious waltzes and two-steps, lounge blues and even whammy-bar rock. Gen: how about another piece o' pie in, oh, five years? 8/10 (Chris Yurkiw)
Denny Christianson/Jan Jarczyk Goin' Places (Justin Time/Fusion III) The profs have their say here. University teachers all, co-leaders Christianson and Jarczyk are joined by Pat LaBarbera (who trekked down from Toront) Alec Walkington and Dave Laing. They make for a cohesive fivesome on the 10 tracks here, well-conceived, diverse originals--six by Jan, the balance by Denny. Everyone plays with focus. Watch for them in concert in November at the Oscar Peterson Concert Hall. 8.5/10 (Len Dobbin)
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Various Free the West Memphis 3 (Aces and Eights/Koch)
Merle Haggard If I Could Only Fly (Anti/Outside)
Slash's Snakepit Ain't Life Grand (Koch)
Vulgaires Machins Regarde le Monde (Indica/Outside)
Tim "Love" Lee Call Me "Lone" Lee (Tummy Touch/Fusion III)
The Wordd How You Gonna Live (Myrrh)