Do you know house? Here's a good way to tell. If any of the tunes on this compilation take you back to Thursday nights at Angel's when Tiga and Arnaud were the residents, to Nav and Patrick's Harmony parties, to after-hours clubs before there was a Sona, to Mark Anthony and Alain Vinet pre-Stereo, to trying to get into KOX--you get the picture. And even if you don't share in the memories of the aforementioned pinnacle moments, now you can buy this CD and imagine what fun it must have been for those who had the marvelous fortune to be there in the beginning. This is a brilliant compilation of classic, defining tunes from Pacha's "One Kiss" to Gypsy's "Funk de Fino" to Model 500, Kerri Chandler and more. 9/10 (Krista) Supagroup Rock and Roll Tried to Ruin My Life (Supagroup) Let there be rock! Supagroup know how to keep it stupid and look to some of the biggest lunkheads around, AC/DC, for their sole inspiration. Lead singer Chris Lee does Bon Scott so to a tee you would swear he recorded these tracks wearing a sleeveless jean jacket, no shirt and jeans that look painted on. This is serious beer-drinking buddy rock, anthemic rock classique that never veers from the two favourite topics of pussy and partying. Definitely not for people who find David Byrne's oversized suits and Peruvian hats exciting, but after a hard day of working on the shipping and receiving docks, Supagroup will go perfectly with that sixer of Lucky Lager. 8.5/10 (Johnson Cummins) At Foufounes, Mon., Nov. 12, 8pm, $8 Pulp We Love Life (Island/Universal) The good news is that these Britpop refugees have finally resurfaced, produced this time by legendary pop icon and recluse Scott Walker. The result is often grandiose, featuring layers of guitar, strings and choral backup (à la Spiritualized), most notably on the album's brilliant bookends "The Weeds" and "Sunrise." And Jarvis Cocker's trademark sleazy, anecdotal mumblings fill out the delightfully dark, epic centrepiece "Wickerman." The bad news is filler, weak songs with awkward lyrics showcasing Cocker's newfound (and kinda gay) love of nature. Don't bother hoping for another "Disco 2000," just enjoy these hits and beware the misses. 7.5/10 (Lorraine Carpenter) Freezepop Forever (Archenemy) Voted best new artist at last year's American Synthpop Awards, this female-fronted trio make frilly, robotic pop about cloning, "rokking," awesome DJs and robot friends. Hyper video game beeps and blips, corny melodies and robo-voice up the silly factor in places, while other tracks--such as the ethereal Japanese number called, uh, some lines and dots (you'll know it when you see it)--showcase the band's serious knack for tunes and beats. And hey, I got through this whole review without mentioning the '80s. But really, "the '80s." 7.5/10 (Lorraine Carpenter) With Lifestyle, the Parka 3 and Daddy's Hands at the Lotus Eaters Gallery (372 Ste-Catherine W., #382) on Wed., Nov. 14, 9pm
Madlib The Beat Conductor EP (Stones Throw) Using the Akai MPC2000 as a pillow and the EMU SP1200 as a foot-rest, Madlib proceeds with the "arduous made easy" task of once again making everybody look silly. Let's face it, people, Madlib puts out quality beats on the regular (more releases in two months than most people have in one year) that make even the most confident hip hop producer wonder if he should be increasing his output, or using another part of his brain. The Beat Conductor EP is nonchalant and even subtle, but also dirty, melodic and moody. Just when you thought you were working hard on your own shit, here comes Madlib with music to make you work that much harder. 8/10 (Scott C)
Homecookin' Do What You Wanna EP (Sole Music) Finally, a little bit more from the Bugz in the Attic superfriends crew of Seiji Dolby, Kaidi Tatham and Mark De Clive Lowe. These guys are into soul music in a big way, and here we see the creative fruits of combining three distinct producers with the same love for a proper groove. Four of the eight tracks break down the broken flavours so that even the biggest skeptic can do nothing but shake their ass, while the remaining four stay four on the floor with that Homecookin' vibe to be your guide. With a true love for the studio process that comes out in every recording, Homecookin' certainly do what they wanna, but they do it right. 8/10 (Scott C)
Nigeria's crown prince of Afro-beat, the son of the legendary Fela, has a tough act to follow. His first disc, while enjoyable, mimicked his late father's style but not the muscle, majesty and political bite. Round two sees Femi plying a paradox. Tunes like "AIDS" and "Traitors of Africa" begin to echo dad's fierce and often controversial convictions. On the other hand, Femi's light and highly finessed approach to Afro-beat is applied to a more diverse palette, incorporating dub, reggae, Latin and assorted Afro-pop elements. The ace up his sleeve here is Money Mark, whose multi-functional fingerwork graces the album right through, giving it a unique, funky flavour (Mos Def and Common drop in too). 9/10 (Rupert Bottenberg) DJ John Kelley United DJs of America Vol. 19 (DMC/Outside) You say you like it hard and dark? Pulsating? Driving? DJ John Kelley knows what you need and he's gonna give it to you. The L.A.-based former Full Moon Crew member has dominated the So-Cal and West Coast rave scene, playing his signature brand of trippy desert trance, since the early '90s. But this latest mix CD venture sees Kelley adopting a more powerful sound, a fusion and dark tech-trance and tech-house (currently sweeping the nation's after-hours circuit), from artists like Peace Division and Samuel L. Session (who started this whole movement) as well as Gaetano Parisio, Hatiras and more. Bangin'. 8/10 (Krista) To Rococo Rot Kö lner Brett (Staubgold/Fusion III) Laurie Anderson's famous "dancing about architecture" crack loses some punch here. Berlin's celebrated TRR have fashioned a tribute to the Kölner Brett building in Cologne, a 12-pack of equiform, po-mo living/working spaces designed by the architects B&K+. Like the edifice, the album contains a dozen three-minute modules of muted, contoured futurepop, each distinctly its own space, carefully worked and well lived in. Okay, Ms. Anderson, it's maybe all too calm, refined and ergonomic to frug 'n' boogie to, but a distracted little shuffle, a headnod or two, might just be in order. 7.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)
This is the latest installment in a series that has literally taken the world by storm, with a volume from almost every major port of call and then some. This one features Washington, D.C.'s world-renowned DJ/producer duo Deep Dish (Dubfire and Sharam). From one capitol to another, the Iranian-born duo deliver a double dose of their signature dark, heady deep-trance sound straight from the heart of Moscow. The first CD goes from melancholic and hypnotic to tribal and progressive, with tunes from G-Pal and Dido, while CD 2 takes it up a notch with a harder, driving beat and tracks from Bt, Fatboy Slim and more. 8/10 (Krista) At Lychee, Wed., Nov. 14, Jermaine Dupri Instructions (Columbia/Sony) Dupri's latest kicks off with the rousing "Welcome to Atlanta," a phat party jam that leads into the first of many "instructions," "Money, Hos & Power." This self-explanatory jam sets the tone for a disc that never rises above the lowest common denominator, though Dupri does take a break from the pursuit of money and sex to attack those who are supposedly jealous of his success ("Hate Blood"). This one won't bring any enlightenment, but tracks like "Ballin' Out of Control" will keep the party in full swing. 5/10 (Gerard Dee)
In Grade 2, I used to fall asleep staring at a poster of Michael Jackson taped to my bedroom wall. It showed him in his prime: red leather Thriller jacket, pre-bleached skin, jerry curl glow, holding a glass of milk at a party. My, how things change. On the cover of his latest, he looks like a doe-eyed, porcelain Japanimation belle. Rumoured to be the most expensive album ever (costing more than $30-million), this is prime Q-92 material. A hip hop/R&B Disney soundtrack opus with a smattering of soul-blistering Celine-Dion-style ballads. Creepy. 4/10 (Geni P)
The 64-year-old leader here is a sadly underappreciated talent--many sourcebooks list his name as Hille and his birthplace as Haiti. He was born in Chicago and has done a number of sessions for Blue Note that are well worth hunting down. He is important as both a pianist and a composer and both talents are on view here in a 1999 NY recording where he's heard solo and with a sextet of Ron Horton, Greg Tardy, Marty Ehrlich, Scott Colley and Billy Drummond. Try "Tough Love" or the oddly-metered "Sept" and "15/8"--a musical treasure. 9.5/10 (Len Dobbin)
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Femi Kuti Fight to Win (MCA/Universal)
Deep DishGlobal Underground 021: Moscow (Global Underground/NuMuzik)
Michael Jackson Invincible (Epic/Sony)
General Rudie Dusk (Palmetto)