The Charlatans UK Wonderland (Universal)
Machine Head Supercharger (Roadrunner)
Various London Xpress (Nuphonic/Fusion III)
Malcom Catto Popcorn BubbleFish (MoWax/Select)
Ozomatli Embrace the Chaos (Almo/Universal) The production creds to Steve Berlin of Los Lobos confirm this septet as East L.A.'s preeminent next-gen fusioneers. On "Dos Cosas Certas" and "Timido," they're straight-ahead, if hard-edged, salseros. On "Guerrillero," they're millennial Chicano rockers. On "1234," they're funkateers in a Fishbone vein and on "Lo Que Dice, "Vocal Artillery" and the title track, they're lively hip hop facilitators (De La Soul and Common are among the guest MCs on this album). While they have yet to truly master the chaos, they do embrace it with gusto. 8/10 (Rupert Bottenberg) Various Off the Ropes: The People's Champion (Big Daddy) Ain't nothing like a fine helping of hip hop, deep funk and breaks to soothe the soul on a wasted afternoon. Big Daddy magazine, the U.K.'s bible for crate-digging heads and inquisitive music lovers everywhere, has compiled some new (old) stuff along with current treats for the boombox. Included are tracks from J-Zone and Biz Markie as well as joints from the Dap Kings and the Soul Destroyers. Also worth noting are tunes from the Quantic Soul Orchestra and Natural Self, testaments to the power of true indie music (or readers who thought their shit was tight enough to send in). As this is volume one, who knows what the future holds? 8/10 (Scott C) Uberzone Faith in the Future (Astralwerks) Break out the kneepads and clear a circle on the dancefloor! The latest full-length from Q, the man and the mind behind Uberzone, is so "funky breakbeat" it's ironic, given the title. Anyone with faith in the future should have no trouble moving into it rather than rehashing tunes from 1995. However, there is no doubt in my mind that Q will do just fine with this one, that breakin' circles will materialize within moments every time a tune is played and that we will hear it pumping out of loudspeakers in Le Château and Urban Outfitters very soon. Features Afrika Bambaata, Beenie Man and the Crystal Method. 6.5/10 (Krista) Tall Paul Mixed Live (Moonshine/Koch) Tall Paul is a red-hot bloke these days. Declared by the U.K.'s Muzik magazine to be 2000's DJ of year, he continues to work his moxie at some of Britain's mega-venues and hoedowns, including Cream and Gatecrasher. On this Moonshine release, recorded live at L.A.'s Giant, Angelenos are swept into a bristling undertow of the three Ts (tribal, trance and techno). In selections from Tall Paul's flight case, beats, basslines, synths and choppy vocals drone on in a shrill, transfixing fashion, with nothing clocking under 125 bpm. Judging from the crowd reaction, the DJ god thing is here to stay. Trancers might dig an interesting treatment of INXS, produced by Tall Paul himself. 7.5/10 (Peter Lightburn) Babyface Face2Face (Arista/BMG) Brian McKnight Superhero (Motown/Universal) To change or not to change, that is the question. New releases from Babyface and Brian McKnight highlight divergent attitudes on approach. Long known for his producing skills and self-performed material (heavy on the slow jams with hook), Babyface makes some serious missteps in his bid to reinvent himself. Tracks like "Baby's Mama" with Snoop Dogg and "Stressed Out" are feeble attempts to be down. His best moments remain with tried and true slow jams that tell a story, like "What If' and "Wish U Was My Girl." In contrast, McKnight knows he's at his best with smooth adult R&B, making his latest a superlative walk down lovers' lane. Even when he shares the spotlight with guests like Nate Dogg ("Don't Know Where to Start") and St. Lunatics ("Groovin Tonight"), his midtempo groove flows unabated. Babyface 7/10, McKnight 8.5/10 (Gerard Dee) Nils Petter Molvaer Recoloured (the Remix Album) (Universal Jazz Germany) With its lack of contrast and go-nowhere jams, this album should be called Colourless. Remixers here include Cinematic Orchestra, Jang Bang's and Chilluminati, among others. The result is an overly smooth, soaking wet adventure in pretentious acid jazz which somehow manages to be both eclectic and boring. The liner notes feature Molvaer dressed like a hip hop monk, poised to revolutionize jazz. The text is equally cocky, tossing around words like experimental, atmospheric and minimalism. Nonsense. This is typical big-budget electro-jazz for passé McGill hipster types. The only track that goes anywhere is Pascal Gabriel's "Dead Indeed." 4/10 (Boss Sambosa) At Spectrum tonight, Thurs., Oct. 4, 8pm, $25.50 Karl Denson Dance Lesson #2 (Blue Note/EMI) Finally, Karl "Diesel" Denson grabs the industry by the balls and gets a Blue Note release. The West Coast saxman, who's been blazing trails in soul-funk and boogaloo since the Greyboy Allstars broke, looks like he may have aced this one with a band that pretty much wrecks shit. Everybody from Melvin Sparks to GBA alumni Zak Najor to Charlie Hunter and MMW's Chris Wood, as well as EJ Rodriguez, Leon Spencer and Ron Levy, add to the brilliance of this record, but the inclusion of one DJ Logic has me saying enough, already. Naturally, Denson's raw power is enough to make me suppress any disdain I have for his band choices and sing the praises of a dude I think is really inspired and driven to stir it up. 8.5/10 (Scott C) Stephen Barry Original (Bros)
Diana Krall The Look of Love (Verve/Universal) Russell Malone Heartstrings (Verve/Universal) These should come with the warning, "Do not listen while driving, may induce drowsiness." While Ms. Krall and her former sideman have both done sessions that reward listeners with each repeated listen, these two are not among them. The blame would seem to rest with Tommy LiPuma, who is listed as the producer of these very non-essential items. I really don't care who chose Ms. Krall's wardrobe and makeup, I do care that her piano is slipping further and further away into the background. Watch out for the name LiPuma--it would seem to guarantee boredom! Both 5/10 (Len Dobbin) |
Back from The Middle of Nowhere, which was someplace interesting enough, Hartnoll brothers Paul and Phil, the lords of pop techno, got it all together on this one. Whether they're playing hardball on "Tension" and "Tootled," goofing on some dusty, busted funk ("Oi!" and "Pay Per View") or going for that soaring, majestic goosebump groove (first single "Funny Break (One Is Enough)," with singer Naomi Bedford), they totally rock. Oh, except on the '80s cheezer "Illuminate," with David Gray's nasal vox--that I don't care for. The penultimate track is the slaphappy, self-referential sugar rush of "Waving Not Drowning." The real coop-de-grass, though, is the BBC-sanctioned refurbishing of that classic Doctor Who theme, a longstanding Orbital live-set standard, trapped on plastic at last. And did I mention a whole second disc of remixes and obscurities? Total bonus. 9/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)
Solidifying their stance as one of Britain's longest-running credible/commercial bands, these survivors of baggy, Britpop and (possibly) Britney have gotten adventurous in their old age. Upbeat, direct and funkier than ever, Manchester's finest all but discard their trademark Hammond organ here, and, in another bold move, opt for Curtis Mayfield falsetto on several tracks. Stones vibes persist, however, but there's more groove in the slithery riffs, as well as robo-electro centrepiece ("The Bell and the Butterfly"). Despite mediocre bits and questionable female backup in places, some of the Charlies' coolest songs can be found here. 8.5/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)
Machine Head may be full-fledged subscribers to the nü-metal sound now, but while they're sneaking some innovation into classic metal staples, the songwriting still stands alone. Dynamics are the real key here, as on "Bulldozer," where verses are squeezed down to their utter core before the band cuts loose on some serious Pantera chug and lets it all fall apart in a doom groove. Attempts at a modern rock radio are also present, like on "Crashing Around You," which is sure get them some attention. Now that Machine Head have met the consumer halfway, it will be interesting to see if they get lost in the shuffle or rise to the top. 7/10 (Johnson Cummins)
If you got a taste for U.K. club sounds, here's a loot bag of neat stuff that ranges from hard to impossible to find. Opening on a narcotic-smooth cover of "Rock the Casbah" by Japan's Tica, further dubbed out by Smith & Mighty, the comp follows through with exclusive joints from Red Snapper, Groove Armada and Coldcut, a preview track from Lionrock's Justin Robertson and rare gems from Sabres of Paradise and Björk. The high points, though, are a stunning jam that slipped through the cracks of the great David Holmes's last album and a discovery in Playground, a band whose punky danger-disco seems straight outta NYC's end-of-the-'70s no wave scene. 8.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)
Despite its crusty connotations, the word "groovy" is well applied here, being the one constant throughout this disc. Catto plays drums for British deep funk combo the Soul Destroyers (hence the groove), but this moody, modular solo outing owes more to sources as varied as Krautrock and loungey jazz. Buzzing synths and distorted guitars on the opening tracks are Add N to (X) with dancing shoes, while other beat-heavy numbers are walled in by looped piano, Farfisa, sax, flute and persistently diverse percussion. Never too slick or too claustrophobic, this one's all-purpose mood music for forward-thinking folk. 8.5/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)
Local legend Barry has spent more time on a stage than any other Montrealer, and it seems that he managed to pick up a few things along the way. You may be familiar with Barry's lurching shuffle behind his bass, but he's back in front as a seasoned songwriter with his sixth record. Barry's unique, warbling vocal delivery lends a great sense of honesty to songs like "Girl From New Jersey," "I Wash My Dishes" and "Bare-Naked Man." Although the playing is top-notch, throughout it's Barry's autobiographical lyrical pearls that really transport this. "Talking Bullet Hole Blues" for instance, is about the pitfalls of being a bluesman playing local dives, only to find his car shot up after a gig (true story!). Great stuff. 8/10 (Johnson Cummins)