Deep Dish Yoshiesque Two (Yoshitoshi/React)

 Since the mid-'90s, Washington, D.C.'s Deep Dish (consisting of the one-two punch of Ali and Sharam) have pushed the envelope for funky, jazzed-out tech-house with an ambient flair. The DJ/production tandem received numerous accolades for their Junk Science LP and on their latest, the Dish cobble together a standout cornucopia of dreamy, percussive new-school housers in a follow-up to Yoshiesque for their own label Yoshitoshi. Tracks from the label, involving Soulstice, Faze Action, Roger Sanchez, Chemical Brothers, Kings of Tomorrow and more, are superbly meshed together in a trippy, edgy haze that shores up Deep Dish's reputation as pre-eminent beat-nicians. One never knows what Ali and Sharam have in store, whether they are on the decks or the console. They turned it out fiercely at New York's Twilo and will likely do the same at Sona this weekend. 9.5/10 (Peter Lightburn) At Sona on Sat., July 14, 1am, $25

 Citizen Fish

 Life Size

 (Honest Don's/Outside)

 With a punk rock icon from the Subhumans, Dick (no, there's no last name, ya rock star ponce), on vocal duty, musical change is not a real motivator, as this English pub punk is pretty standard. Dick is still providing food for thought by taking aim on television, convenient rebellion, the current state of punk and so on. Nothing really new here at all but the band does seem actually inspired and come across as not giving a toss about sounding current. The econo-dub style on "Autographs" is pretty bad, but this is your better-than-average punk that still can get a message through. 7/10 (Johnson Cummins)

 Quickie Dropping the Why (Music Blitz)

 Combining old-school U.K. punk with the catchiness of early new wave, this new Seattle trio makes a pretty strong case. Though neither cerebral nor sexy, it's a fun, dumb album--dumb, not stupid--that avoids many of the plastic pitfalls of punk boy bands and Big Shiny Tunes modern rockers. And the mood is as dynamic as the song titles. There's breakneck Buzzcocks style ("Psalm 1:41 [Jesus Is a Mannequin]"), shouty American punk ("Medicated [Just To Get By]"), melody-driven power-pop ("Mushrooms on Sesame Street") and darkly toned new wave ("Suits, Ties and Suicide"). Not bad for a quickie. 8/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

 Dave Navarro

 Trust No One

 (Capitol/EMI)

 Navarro finally drops his second solo piece with influences from his stints in the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Porno For Pyros and Jane's Addiction (concurrent with his debut book, Don't Try This At Home). This album is for the guitar fan and has a feel reminiscent of his debut Deconstruction and Soundgarden's last one Down On the Upside, with its light and heavy pop contrasts. Navarro also has a smooth falsetto that follows the trail of Soundgardener Chris Cornell. The lush guitars of Navarro and co. provide thick, melodic backdrops for bass, samples, strings, synth, programmed beats and live drums alike, while an industrial edge threatens to rip through the surface. The formula of soft verse, hard chorus, soft verse can be grating at times, but Trust No One has its moments. 7/10 (Lateef Martin)

 Earthbound Smoke Ghost

 Karma's Grave (Tee Pee)

 ESG know that just chugging away at detuned nu-metal riffs is getting tired pretty damn quick but their Alice In Chains vocals are nothing new either. If you think the band name is bad, check out the song titles "Black Saturn," "Asphalt Green," and "Outer Self." The Tee Pee label is usually good for some high-quality stuff but this just comes across as tepid Soundgarden that brings nothing new to the table. Not that this is that bad, but ESG will inevitably just get lost in the shuffle of the ever-changing metal scene. See ya. 6/10 (Johnson Cummins)

 Aspera

 Sugar & Feathered

 (Big Wheel Recreation)

 Formerly Aspera Ad Astra, this Philadelphia quartet makes something akin to psychedelic shoegazing, with the perma-grin experimentation of the former, and the murky ethereal wanderings of the latter. Somewhere within the fuzz and bells are hints of songs, and they're... nice, with simple, sometimes childlike melodies (and the Emo Phillips-esque vocals amplify this effect, believe me). Several tracks have a sing-song quality and seem to serve as intermissions between the "proper" songs, you know, the ones with drums. And a chorus. But tell that to four guys wacked out on mushrooms. 7/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

 P. Diddy & The Bad Boy Family The Saga Continues (Bad Boy/BMG)

 Just when you thought it was over, Shyne takes the rap for Puffy, Puffy becomes P. Diddy and cuts down on the Court TV appearances just long enough to drop a record. P. Diddy, aka News@11, has chomped the bit hard, surrounding himself with just enough half-assed MCs that you can't keep track of who's got the best chance of being dropped. And no, I'm not hating, as if I could add to the game of catch-up that P and the Family have to do in order to really have the saga continue. I'm pretty sure that Bad Boy's perch atop the hip pop heap is no longer, considering the Neptunes do a track on the record, and the simple fact that Biggie is still dead. Still, I'm chillin' on the balcony with a Zima wondering how in hell people get so rich. 7/10 (Scott C)

 Troy Dunnit "Let's Go"/"Mindblowin'" 12" (Audio Research)

 The Montreal label that doesn't waste time worrying about the competition has released yet another solid single for heads from here to Brixton. Side one's "Let's Go" has Troy lickin' shots back and forth with Non Phixion's Ill Bill over some melancholy strings. Tight team-up, but their collective lyrical darts run circles around the repetitive beat. Side two heralds the return of Simahlak to the production side, giving the gruff Dunnit something to do with his flows. "Mindblowin'" chugs along like a train on time, complete with back-up singers and some well-placed cuts. Slugs and muskets? Check the additional track "Any Given Gunplay" for some thug shit, no doubt. 8/10 (Scott C)

 Si Se self-titled (Luaka Bop/Warner)

 Looks like ol' Dave Byrne finally realized that he doesn't have to max out his Air Miles to find a half-decent world-pop signing. This group hails from the untamed world that is NYC, and is built around tech-guy DJ U.F. Low and singer Carol C. This Miss C. has a history in the Big Apple's D&B scene, having worked with DJ Dara, but her voice betrays earlier inspiration. Her Dominican-with-a-twist-of-Arabic heritage shows through, but the debts to Sade and EBTG's Tracy Thorne override. There's a lovely lilt there when she sings in Spanish, though, as she does on about half of these downtempo numbers--sweet boutique pop with a pronounced Nuyorican flavour. 8/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

 Various

 Dublab Presents:

 Freeways

  (Emperor Norton/Outside)

 Good to hear there's more going on in L.A. than silicone and drive-bys. This sample of young, experimental artistes presents a small cross-section of minimal, relaxed pop electro, ranging from inconsequential, smoothed-over beats (the kind you'd hear at a pricey pick-up lounge) to tight, rhythmic experimentation that's still accessible. The atmospheric backdrops are largely direct and organic, while the beats come in "finely spliced" or "loosely dropped"--take your pick. The few tracks featuring vocals have a tendency toward dark undertones, among them Mia Doi Todd, whose fem-folk thing gets the "Digital" treatment. And all the better for it. 8/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

 URoy Now (Tabou 1/Fusion III)

 One of the world's most important and talented studio gurus is still hard at work churning out future dub and reggae classics at this very moment. URoy has had a long and fruitful career that has allowed him to work with the best in the business while still carving out new directions in the magical studio process. This album has no lack of team-ups, with only Sugar Minott, Sly and Robbie, Horace Andy, Anthony B and even Errol Dunkley and Flabba Holt. URoy's ear is open to the old and the new, which he bridges with the ease that only comes with the experience that this old master is no stranger to. Now is definitely rooted in the present, but with very clear links to the past. 8/10 (Scott C)

 Lagbaja

 We Before Me

 (Indigedisc/Outside)

 Comparisons to Fela Kuti are inevitable when assessing this Nigerian anti-star, because Fela's dreadnaught African funk is the inspiration here. Lagbaja's music, however, is more like 21st-century Afro-beat lite--slickly recorded, light on the bass thud, full of contemporary touches (Fela never vocodered his voice) and more given to posi-vibe platitudes than fiery rhetoric. All that said, though, this is a lively, engaging record, drawing on a wide palette of styles and techniques. Moreover, the band's epynomous frontman has a clear concept in mind, as he appears strictly masked--an about-face from the cult of personality and an effective means of accenting the essential points he makes. 8/10 (Rupert Bottenberg) At the Spectrum tonight, July 12, 8:30pm, $25

 Sonny Rollins/Art Farmer

 Jazz Casual

 (Koch Jazz/Koch)

 Two valuable sessions from Ralph J. Gleason's Jazz Casual TV series of the '60s. Guitarist Jim Hall is common to both quartets and both feature interviews with the leaders. The Farmer has Steve Swallow on acoustic bass while Rollins has Bob Cranshaw (now a Montreal resident). Try "Some Time Ago" by Farmer and "The Bridge" by Rollins. 9.5/10 (Len Dobbin) Sonny Rollins is at the Ottawa International Jazz Festival on July 20, 8:30pm in Confederation Park

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