Fatboy Slim Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars (Virgin/EMI)
Spice Girls Forever (Virgin)
The Twilight Singers Twilight (Columbia/Sony)
The Atomic Bitchwax II (Tee Pee/Caroline)
Outkast Stankonia (LaFace/BMG) Let me start this by saying that if you're the world's biggest Outkast fan, or just the most welcoming, progressive, open-minded soul that ever listened to hip hop, you're gonna love this. If you're neither, I suggest you take the blinders off for the full effect. Andre 3000 and Big Boi, still one of Atlanta's most recognizable hip hop duos, have evolved into a visual, aural and spiritual reincarnation of George Clinton, Parliament-Funkadelic and Prince. A stanky, funky, freaked-out record that just gets further and further away from what you'd expect, these guys get mad props for doin' their own thing, and throwing some breakneck-booty-beats, pychedelia and slow jams in for good measure. 7.5/10 (Scott C)
Add N to (X) Add Insult to Injury (Mute/Fusion III)
Roni Size & Reprazent In The Mode (Mercury/Talkin' Loud) The only complaint I heard about Reprazent's debut was that after the amazing intro track "Railing," there was no more MCing. No chance of that problem here, with lyrics on almost half the tracks c/o Dynamite, Method Man and that angry dude, ex of Rage Against the Machine. Maybe all the yelling is supposed to cover up the fact that the tracks don't come near New Forms, as least not in terms of breaking new sound barriers. While most of it is solid, In The Mode lacks the individual moments of brilliance from each member that made Reprazent such a potent force in '97. I guess that's the problem with getting it perfect the first time around. 7/10 (Chris Hatherill)
Deltron 3030 self-titled (75Ark/Outside) Fast forward to the future according to Dan the Automator, Kid Koala and Del the Funkee Homosapien. Dipping once again into the cinematic imagination of the Automator, Deltron 3030 tells the post-apocalyptic stories of these three, and all of their many co-stars. Prince Paul plays Vince Paul McMahon, while annoying MC Paul Barman plays Cleofis Randolph the Patriarch. There's also Mr. Lif as Billy Ray Valiftine, Sean Lennon as Walt "Clyde" Mercado and Money Mark as That Bickering Old Guy. Although not quite as movie-like as Prince Paul's Prince Among Thieves, or as funny as Handsome Boy Modelling School, Deltron 3030 is still a great collaborative effort of the creative kind with some choice cuts. 7/10 (Scott C)
Martin Venetjoki Go'natt Sandviken (Gungeligung/FusionIII) Isn't it amazing how sometimes, just when you're feeling like things kind of suck, someone comes along to show you just how wrong you are? It's as if God keeps these people tucked away until he notices the world needs a little ego boost and then he sends them out like a ray of light to brighten everything up. Swedish producer Martin Venetjoki is one of those lights, shining down to show us that house music is more than repetitive beats and synth noises, and that it's important not to take one's self too seriously. His debut album is real, yet very different, dancefloor music (call it house) that will delight the ears and put the smile back in your step. 9/10 (Krista)
Various Push It: DJ Warren Gluck (Centaur) Come on, boys, work it. For the latest installment in their mix CD series, Global Groove selected a 25-year veteran of the circuit-party scene, DJ Warren Gluck, to showcase his characteristic festive, energetic tunes. It also features Brandon, "the Global Groove Guy," showcasing his enormous abs, tris, pecs and more (just check out www.centaurmusic.com). The theme? Well, "Push It," of course! Whether you're in the gym or on the dancefloor, "Ride the wave of music and get your body moving," says Brandon. Featuring tracks from Caspar Pound and Plavka, Duane Harden and more. 7/10 (Krista)
TamiaA Nu Day (Warner) Ever since Tamia made her auspicious debut in '95, covering the Mica Paris track "You Put a Move on my Heart" on Quincy Jones' all-star Q's Jook Joint, she's held the promise of huge potential. Unfortunately, it won't be fulfilled here. Her latest set is an adequately well-produced collection of contemporary urban love songs. Once again, it's a cover (El DeBarge's "Love Me in a Special Way") that's the standout. She has the chops to deliver great songs, too bad she still doesn't have the material. 6.5/10 (Gerard Dee)
The Sea and CakeOui (Thrill Jockey)
John Prine Souvenirs (Oh Boy/Koch)
Keith Jarrett Whisper Not (ECM/Universal) This double CD is the first by the Standards trio since the leader's return to public performance. This is a cutting-edge outing with Jarrett, Gary Peacock and Jack DeJohnette captured in concert in Paris in July '99 over 14 tracks. Here the material leans more heavily on the jazz standards, with music from the pens of Benny Golson, Clifford Brown, Dizzy Gillespie, George Shearing, Monk, Ellington, Strayhorn and a pair from Bud Powell added to music by Victor Young, Harry Barris and Cole Porter--a must for Jarrett devotees, close to two hours of meaningful music. 10/10 (Len Dobbin)
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It sounds like theme songs for flying saucers drag racing over Havana the night Batista falls, spooking the CIA guys slinking around with suitcases full of cash and compromising photos, but the paper trail and phone taps lead back to Zuerich. The Spacesound Effect marks the long-overdue return of Swiss duo Ernest Maeschi and Karen Diblitz, applying Swiss precision in crafting plugged-in retro studio instrumentals, equal parts the Ventures, Mancini and Moogs. The melodies are flawless, the textures spectacular (their collection of anachronistic gear, apparently endless, gets thoroughly showcased) and the playlist devoid of disappointments. The Effect, in short, is positive and permanent. 10/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)
Pickings are indeed slim on Norman's latest cook-out. It's riddled with clumsy, substandard house and absurdist electrofunk numbers, accounting for more than half the disc. Oooooh, and exhuming a bloated Jim Morrison for the trance track "Sunset (Bird of Prey)" just stinks. But then there's the slaphappy opener "Talkin' 'Bout My Baby," the mighty "Demons" with Macy Gray, The Charlie's Angels outtake "Ya Mama" and "Weapon of Choice," with Bootsy Collins mumbling genius nonsense over what sounds like the Fatboy folks like best. 7/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)
Guess who just got back today? Them wild-eyed girls that'd been away! And as they proclaim in bold redundancy in the song "Right Back at Ya," "The girls are coming back again," and then Scary starts rapping in a sassy stylee. They've got a nu-skool R&B flavour now and they look all mature, dressed in black (with Sporty suddenly the spitting image of Bette Midler). The slow songs sound like Michael Jackson and Celine Dion having a candle-lit dinner and the lyrics are about friendship and love (for a change). 3/10 (Genevieve Paiement)
Afghan Whig Greg Dulli teamed up with British remixers Fila Brazilia to produce this (alleged) concept album. Sound dodgy? It is. The "concept" is hard to detect, unless melancholy tales of desperate lovesickness make up a unified theme. The production and instrumentation are often interesting, integrating strings, horns and old-school keyboards without being too grandiose. Unfortunately, much of this is just wimpy, and the embarrassing falsetto on several tracks doesn't help (seriously, who invited Tiny Tim?). A few decent tracks, notably "The Twilite Kid" and "King Only," don't override my overall disappointment in what could have been a really strong collaboration. 6/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)
The stoner rock genre is getting a bit overcrowded these days but bands like the Atomic Bitchwax are continuing to push it in new directions. Led by Monster Magnet guitarist Ed Mundell, the Bitchwax can still lay down the ballast riffs in the vein of '70s bell-bottom bands like Captain Beyond, Sir Lord Baltimore and the almighty Sabbath. Mundell also proves to be quite the guitarist when he's out of Monster Magnet's grip. The organ in "Play the Game" and "The Cloning Chamber" tips the hat to Deep Purple while "Dishing Out a Heavy Dose of Tough Love" brings Mahogany Rush to mind. Freedom rock is here again. 8.5/10 (Jonathan Cummins)
This London, England unit often get lumped in with Trans Am, Man or Astroman? and Vancouver's I am Spoonbender, all of whom flirt with the violent, abrasive side of neo-new wave. Add N to (X) supplement their array of old-school electronics with raw drums and some guitar spuzz, calling the resultant mess "avant-hard." Alternately silly and scary, peppered with moments of moodiness, Add Insult to Injury adds another solid record to their discography. 8/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)
It's been three years since the last album/tour from these guys, second only to Tortoise (from whence cometh drummer John McEntire) in the Chicago post-rock hierarchy. They've been busy painting, drawing comics and playing in side projects, and the breather has served them well. This is orchestral pop minus the bombast and ballast, light but not flaky. Synths and strings melt together for a lush background murmur, behind the lean, precise jazz-pop song structures, all wrapped in thick, warm production. Go ahead, anglos, vote Oui. 8.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg) With Broadcast at Cabaret on Sun., Nov. 12
One of America's greatest songwriters goes through his songbook, re-recording chestnuts from his 30-year career and keeping things topical by including some newly penned numbers. Despite living with songs like "Donald & Lydia," "Sam Stone" and "Hello in There," Prine seems to keep it fresh and brings a new sense of intimacy to these well-worn tunes. Prine's slice of Americana is all carved out with his songs about dead-end jobs, all-night cafés and prisons. Now you can hear the living legend from whom Tom Waits got most of his tricks. 8.5/10 (Johnson Cummins)