Clinic Walking With Thee (Domino)

Hurtin’ for fresh sounds, or rather classic tactics from across the board, reassembled in a cool and original manner? Make an appointment with Liverpool’s Clinic. Housed in a sparse, cavernous framework of uncomplicated surf/garage twang, you’ve got plinky piano, haunting, dubbish melodica and singer Ade Blackburn’s dizzy warble settling in like they’ve always belonged there. There’s the cosmo-drone organ motifs, too, which swell to a bulldozer front on the title track. “Pet Eunuch” is a lacerating attack, ripping off Lord Sutch’s “Jack the Ripper” with a shrug and a grin. But then “Come Into Our Room” lays some slack-assed sadness over a minimal disco groove—and works. All in all, some crackerjack, eye-of-the-tiger shit, good for what ails ya. 9.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg) With Kingsbury Manx at la Sala Rossa, Monday, April 1, 9pm, $14

The White Stripes White Blood Cells (Third Man/V2/BMG)
The slow-burning buzz on Detroit’s back-to-basics brother ’n’ sis duo, and its resulting major-label deal, indicates a post-Strokes realization that both kids and critics like their rock ’n’ roll simple. Album three is a stark, charismatic combo of blues rock, garage punk and folk, using picked acoustic or rough rawk guitar, drums, dramatic piano and Jack White’s voice, part soulful moan, part chattering whine. But for every full, frenetic pop tune, sing-song ditty or pained blues number, there’s a difficult, redundant filler track keeping the red, white and black flag from flying full force. Or maybe that’s just personality. 8/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

Tony Levin Pieces of the Sun
(Narada/EMI)
Levin is probably best known to progheads as the occasional bass and stick behind King Crimson, and better known to the non-prog peeps as “that bald guy” with Peter Gabriel (who incidentally pens a tune here). Levin answers the call here and is guaranteed to win over guitar-store employees throughout the world with this wankathon. “Wankathon” is not bad in this case because Levin does it so well. The big surprise is how Levin can pull back the reins, leaving room for other musicians to wander in crooked time signatures. Levin takes wanking out of the dark corners and back up on the stage where it belongs. 7/10 (Johnson Cummins) At Cabaret, Sun., Mar. 31, 8pm, $23.50

Gomez In Our Gun (Virgin/EMI)
As is their schizo way, Britain’s Gomez zig-zag all over the map on their third album, staying within the loose confines of Beck, recent Radiohead and the Beta Band’s mix-and-match electronic-psych-prog-pop-rock. Several straight acoustic ballads intertwine loopy mecha-tracks featuring slices of ’80s keys as well as nouveau-tech beats and effects. Many songs wander back to the band’s groovy hippie beginnings, but the constant stylistic shifts and mergers stay smooth. The three-vocalist format allows for this, and if not every track is brilliant, at least the album’s multi-textured, variety bag nature keeps it interesting. 7.5/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

The Gadjits
Today Is My Day (Thick)
Once the Kansas City kiddies of ska, the Gadjits have done all grown up. Not an offbeat upstroke or punchy “piddup!” to be heard here, but the Phillips Bros. and friends remain the Midwest’s mod mafia all the same. Today is largely an organ-driven, white-kid soul shakedown, with purple heart clearly on sleeve (the title “Talkin’ ’Bout my Demographic” slays me). But then they dare to carry the soul-rock routine through to a contentious, classique-roque conclusion. My money says the nod to Steppenwolf on “Someday Driver” alone led Time Armstrong’s Hellcat label to, er, give them the boot. Whatever—now they’re thick with Thick, and old enough to grow handlebar ’staches. So rock on. 8/10 (Rupert Bottenberg) At Café Campus, Tues., April 2, 8:30pm, $8

Town and Country C’mon
(Thrill Jockey)
Still relatively epic in length, the latest compositions by Chicago’s Town and Country remain understated, even restrained, an achievement considering the options open to these classically-trained, improv-experienced musicians. But such is their style, and this third album paints subtle shades rather than big, contrasting colours. On “I’m Appealing,” a hypnotic, undulating effect is created by rolling acoustic guitar strums, while “The Bells” joins cornet and bass clarinet in flat, comatose union. On other tracks, harmonium, hand chimes and celeste keep the atmosphere light and sweet, producing a minimal, ethereal soundscape. 7.5/10 (Lorraine Carpenter) At la Sala Rossa, Tues., April 2, 9pm, $12

Ashtray Heart
Rags to Rock and Roll (Ass)
In case you didn’t already know, Ashtray Heart are Montreal’s best kept secret. Considering that this disc was recorded almost two years ago, it seems that this band has had a hard time getting it together, but thank God they finally did. The occasional nod to Jesus Lizard and No Means No get the rock ’n’ roll treatment, but it seems that this is more like a dusty jewel plucked from the old Amphetamine Reptile roster. Singer/guitarist Ashan Rahman works out the kinks of being a barstool misanthrope to the skewed beat of some serious rock damage. Hope we don’t have to wait two years until the next one—or better yet, why don’t you bums try and actually get a show? 9/10 (Johnson Cummins)

K-OS Exit (EMI)
After Chocs, Kardi and Saukrates all managed to put the majors to work for them after years of paying dues, it’s only fitting that K-OS gets his chance to hit the masses with his conscious vibes. This T.O. MC/vocalist was much more visible a few years back, took an extended break from the game, and came back with Exit, his debut LP. Now, this sort of rootsy, organic hip hop with sing-song verses and guitar flourishes is hard to come by these days, but it’s also hard to do right. As an articulate MC, K-OS rhymes passionately about inner wisdom and higher power, while offering a melodic and ultimately soulful departure from your average production. You have to remember that there aren’t too many double threats (MC/vocalist) out there who can actually put the music where their mouths are, so this is quietly impressive. 8.5/10 (Scott C)

Sixtoo Duration (Cease and Desist)
I guess the most unfortunate thing about Duration is that, if you have the CD to listen to, you’re really only getting half of the picture. This record was made with a combination of bedroom production, open-air audio and live musicians. Then there’s the self-produced video showing a determined Sixtoo “borrowing” all kinds of public fixtures, taking them to his lair to be painted, and then returning them. Somehow the sombre, melancholy beats lend themselves to this exercise in environmental reclamation, and serve as some sort of window into the wandering mind of this displaced Maritimer. This record is not for boomin’ in your jeep, but it might make you stop and think about what you miss every day if you don’t pay attention. 7.5/10 (Scott C)

Various
I:Cube Remixes
(Versatile/Fusion III)
Named Nicholas Chaix by his mom, I:Cube is part of an infamous vanguard of French rhythm alchemists who turned the world of electronic dance music on its ear in the late ’90s. Like Motorbass and Daft Punk, I:Cube draws heavily on Motor City techno and funky, minimalist Chi-town house for his unique modus operandi in the studio. Hot on the heels of the acclaimed long-player Adore, I:Cube reached for his tool bag of digi-soul and stripped-down techno to reconstruct some erstwhile tunes that cover a broad scope, from the old-school references of Tom Tom Club’s “Genius of Love” to Bossa Nova to dreamy house. 8/10 (Peter Lightburn)

Dimitri from Paris After the Playboy Mansion (Astralwerks/EMI)
Time to bust out the silk sheets and Baileys, babies, and languidly shake that moneymaker to the sensual soundtrack of a sweaty Sunday afternoon comedown. Yes, After is that much more mellow than disco-ballistic A night at… as Dim splits it into two CDs: “Uplifting” and “Laidback.” Of course, 100 per cent disco is the boogie’s backbone here, but more dreamy, less frenetic, with sweet Latin rhythms, blues, vocal house, Afro-beat and ’80s attitude (two gems: Grace Jones’ “Feel Up” remixed by Danny Tenaglia, Larry Levan’s remix of Gwen Guthrie’s “Peanut Butter”). Music to make love in pink velvet slippers to. 8.5/10 (Penny G) At Newtown, Sat., Mar 30, 10pm, $15

Jaguar Wright Denials, Delusions and Decisions
(Universal)
I don’t know what’s up with Philly, but artists like the Roots, Jill Scott, Bilal, Musiq Soulchild and now Jaguar Wright are turning the city of brotherly love into Soul Central. So much more than a product of her environment, Wright is a stand-alone artist whose writing abilities are matched only by her deep-down-to-the-bone vocals. Guests Bilal (“I Can’t Wait”) and Black Thought (“Ain’t Nobody Playin’”) only add fire to this smokin’ debut that allows Wright to shine on tracks like the soon-to-be-classic “Same Shit, Different Day.” Essential. 9/10 (Gerard Dee)

John Hicks Music in the Key of Clark (HighNote/Fusion III)
Pianist Hicks, who resided in Montreal in the early ’60s, is back with another in his tribute series. This time around it’s the late Sonny Clark, an unsung pianist and composer who died in 1963 at the age of 31. Clark, in the mid ’50s, played the Latin Quarter on Mountain Street with Buddy DeFranco. As in the other items in this series, John is joined by bassist Dwayne Dolphin and drummer Cecil Brooks III. The leader adds five of his own compositions to Clark’s on this 13-track outing. Try Sonny’s “My Conception” for the origins of Bill Evans’ “Waltz For Debby.” Swinging! 9.5/10 (Len Dobbin)