Hot Water Music A Flight and a Crash (Epitaph/Sonic Unyon) Now that punk's great white hope At The Drive In have apparently called it a day, it seems that Hot Water Music are in a breakaway position. On their first release for Epitaph, HWM write catchy ditties that manage to challenge and utilize dynamics that would stun most of their labelmates. Fugazi, Jawbox and Quicksand are still namechecked but Chuck Ragan's throaty growl is what really makes this an impassioned and personalized release. The backpack set are going to weep tears of joy over this. 8.5/10 (Johnson Cummins) Anti-Flag Underground Network (Fat Wreck Chords)
Sianspheric The Sound of the Colour of the Sun (Sonic Unyon) The definitive Canadian shoegazer band returns, after just a little too long "somewhere out there" (last full-length was '98, infrequent EPs the only consolation). This one makes up for lost time--the patient, graceful mechanics of these expansive wash-cycles only benefit further from the recent induction of guitarist Locksley Taylor. With his previous band South Pacific, Taylor ably demonstrated his treated-guitar textures, which now settle comfortably into Sianspheric's grand geometry. Magnificent stuff. 8.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)
Various Syrup and Gasoline Vol. 2 (Grenadine/No) The little Montreal label that could, Grenadine is back with their second compilation and although it leans a bit more towards the syrup (pop) than gasoline (rock) this time around it's still a great listen. The Dears continue their romantic pop with a song that shows off their great composing skills, the Frenetics pop the clutch, Elevator travel the solar system and parts of Moncton, Riff Randalls recall the glory days of '99, les Sequelles get their yé-yés out and Mario Poupette & les Chevettes tackle smarmy guy Serge Gainsbourg. Twenty great bands--ya can't go wrong, I tell ya. 8/10 (Johnson Cummins) Los Mocosos Shades of Brown (Six Degress/Outside)
KRS One Sneak Attack (Koch) Believe it or not, KRS One is now a 35-year-old MC and still one of the most respected hip-hop icons that we'll ever know. But I gotta ask, are people still checking for Kris? Do people still wait for his new shit to drop, knowing that he's going to kick the truth to the young black youth? Of this I'm not so sure. What I do know is that this brother is not, and has never been, short for words. With his last few records doing little to excite the ever-hungry masses, Sneak Attack almost feels like the next instalment in a series of unusually mediocre albums, but in his own way, Kris Parker makes it quite clear who this is for. This is for people who know what hip hop was and want to reaffirm where hip hop should be going. Lead on, O noble teacha, but are they listening? 7.5/10 (Scott C) DJ Eddie Def self-titled (Ipecac) Ipecac, owned in part by Mr. Bungle/Fantomas front-wacko Mike Patton, is known for harbouring weird-ass projects, from the intriguing to the unlistenable. DJ Eddie Def falls somewhere in between. While a phat beat lounges in the backseat, distorted, frenetic scratching is spewed all over the etch-a-sketch windshield. Ranging from rock to hip hop, old-school beats, fucked-up breaks and an assortment of samples snatched from Star Wars, Eddie's album would probably work best as a sonic partner to a media collage assignment (assembled by schizophrenics on coke). This is music for the short-attention-span generation--and eclectic and unpredictable even by that standard. 7/10 (Lateef Martin) Various75 Ark Takes You to the Bridge (75 Ark/Outside) In the last two years, New York label 75 Ark has gone out of its way to show yet another side to the wonderful world of hip hop. This is a compilation of some of their more notable artists and what they've got cookin' this year. Deltron 3030 is here with "Things You Can Do," as well as some solo shit from Dan the Automator featuring Kool Keith called "King of New York." The comp also features tracks from Anti Pop Consortium, Unsung Heroes, Nextmen and the return of the Coup on a track called "Get Up" with Dead Prez. With a roster that also includes Encore, Mista Sinista and Persevere, 75 Ark continues to show that there are other voices that need to be heard. 7/10 (Scott C) Various Music for Dancefloors: Chappell Music Library Sessions (Strut/Fusion III) In the years I've been digging in the "bizarro" section of Disquivel, I've come across my share of the infamous Chappell Library fare. Hit and miss, weird to funky and always cheap, the odds of finding a gem on one of these albums is still about 1 in 10. But here, compilers Adrian Gibson and Quinton Scott have separated the men from the boys and collected some of the more memorable Chappell productions for the Music For Dancefloors series. With incredible orchestration and serious attention to recording and mixdown, these songs that span from 1968 to 1998 will catch the ear of Afro-cubists, Moogalites and hip-hop hedonists across the board. You can try to keep your sampling plans in check as you listen to this, but the Chappell Library has always been responsible for ill productions. 8/10 (Scott C) JaheimGhetto Love (Warner) It's hard being a player these days. Just ask Jaheim, who's trying his best to figure out what the hell love's all about. Coming off like a roughneck Teddy Pendergrass, he delves head-first into real issues, like questioning women's motives ("Could It Be"), denying fathering a child ("Lil Nigga Ain't Mine") and dealing with the daily possibility of death ("Just in Case"). Jaheim wins because he sings about real love in real life. And ghetto love is as real as it gets. 8/10 (Gerard Dee) Patrick Watson Waterproof9 (independent)
Lee Konitz Parallels (Chesky/Fusion III) The 73-year-old leader just gets better and better. He's joined here by Mark Turner (an Afro-American well acquainted with the Lennie Tristano school repertoire), Peter Bernstein (who you probably know from the Diana Krall trio) and longtime Phil Woods rhythm-team members Steve Gilmore and Bill Goodwin. For close to an hour, they make memorable music using as a base a nice mix of standards, Konitz dedications to Hans Koller and Tristano and staples from the latter's book including "Subconscious-Lee" and one from out of nowhere, "317 East 32nd." One of the best albums of 2001! 10/10 (Len Dobbin) Various Moulin Rouge Soundtrack (Interscope/Universal)
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The strange urge to strike tango poses to a pop record never hit me until the slithery strings and percussion of "Greek Song," track two on the sophomore disc by Montreal's favourite diva. The influence of standards shows itself in many of these dramatic, piano-driven melodies. Elsewhere, the Propellerheads' Alex Gifford lends some beat textures ("Shadows"), guitar pop numbers get your head a-bobbing ("California"), and subtle melancholic songs showcase Wainwright's newly tolerable, warbling whine (including a cover of dad Loudon's "One Man Guy"). It may sound busy on paper, but it's a well-executed, controlled kind of busy, so more power to him. 9/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)
If you've been searching for that old-school punk spirit and consistently finding Blink 182 and their idiot clones, this, album four for the Pittsburgh foursome, might be more your bag. Basically, it's a bunch of riled-up, anti-American American dudes shouting about politics over an adrenaline rush of guitars and drums (some titles include "Watch the Right" and "Angry, Young and Poor"). Their hardcore leanings and somehow fascistic backing vocals (irony?) make for a few laughable moments, but the tough pop-punk melodies and pure anger are quite refreshing. Good to know some wheels are still turning down there. 7.5/10 (Lorraine Carpenter) At Rainbow on Sat., June 16
Where once there was mere ska-core en Espanol from L.A., there's now a truly diversified, bilingual Latin Rock hybrid, updating the tradition of the Cali Chicano-power triad Santana, Malo and War--the latter nodded to with a top-notch shot at "Spill the Wine." I could do without "The Border" or the Fishbone-manqué title track, but then there's some real good stuff, too: the cruising-speed sal-ska of "El Gran Skalsero," the touching tip of the hat "Tito Puente" and the adrenalized all-ins "Soy Callejero" and "Llegaron Los Mocosos" with their meaty brass and acid-blues gee-tar. Closer "Mi Barrio Loco," meanwhile, sheds a tear for gentrified 'hoods. 8/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)
Composed to accompany Brigitte Henry's undewater photo series Waterproof/Portraits sous l'eau, Watson's nine pieces are, like their inspiration, an ambitious and original exercise. 20,000 leagues away from the ska-jazz of Gangster Politics, which introduced Montreal to Watson the keyboardist, these are sparse, tenebrous laments from Neptune's own cabaret. The elements involved--neo-classical, dub minimalism, piano-man paeans to slow-mo heartbreak--come to the listener as uncertain, submarine echoes, cold and cavernous, beyond the grasp of any land-locked logic. Try soaking your head in this for a while. 8.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg) Concert w/ projections at Cinéma l'Amour (4015 St-Laurent), Fri., June 15, midnight, $7
The best part of Aussie director Baz Luhrmann's epic movie musical can be found here, in a soundtrack that is close to sublime. Nicole Kidman's voice wraps perfectly around "Sparkling Diamonds," an update on "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" and "Material Girl." This soundtrack has a tremendous sense of humour, best illustrated in "Elephant Love Medley," in which Ewan McGregor and Kidman exchange lyric soundbites from "All You Need Is Love," "I Was Made for Lovin' You" and "I Will Always Love You," among others. And Beck offers a beautiful rendition of Bowie's "Diamond Dogs." One downside: No matter how anyone may try to cover it, there really isn't a hope in hell of making "Rhythm of the Night" into a decent song. 8.5/10 (Matthew Hays)