Solomon Burke Don’t Give Up on Me (Anti/Epitaph)

Solomon Burke has always stood shoulder to shoulder with giants like Al Green and Otis Redding as one of the greatest soul singers of all time. With this new one, it seems like he’s just getting better with age. The real treat here, of course, is Burke being coaxed out of retirement, but with this team of songwriters, it doesn’t seem like he had a choice. Tom Waits, Van Morrison, the great Dan Penn (“Do Right Woman,” “Dark End of the Street”), Elvis Costello and even Bob Dylan contribute exclusive tunes. Furthemore, with guest musicians like Daniel Lanois and the Blind Boys of Alabama, how could he say no? If you’re just getting turned on to the Stax/Volt sound or Atlantic’s glory years, you must have this. Easily the best soul record of the past 20 years. 10/10 (Johnson Cummins)

Bis Plastique
Nouveau (spinART)

It’s official. These Scots punk upstarts, these Grand Royal brats, these Powerpuff Girls themesters have finally taken their ’80s obsession to its logical, trend-driven conclusion with a full-fledged electro disc. Remixes by Detroit revivalists Adult. and Ectomorph, as well as Chicago’s Tommie Sunshine of Thee Glitz fame, provide that familiar, frosty sheen. Their untouched tracks follow suit, equally ’80s dance-driven, if a tad warmer and more vocal. Recalling the likes of Gary Numan, the Pet Shop Boys and newbies Fischerspooner, this mini LP is bound to please, at least as long as this throw-away electro vibe stays vital. 7.5/10
(Lorraine Carpenter)

The Local Rabbits This Is It Here We Go (Brobdingnagian/Outside)

It’s been four years since Basic Concept, the last Rabbits album, and I’d all but figured these locals (now largely T.O. types) for done with. Not so. In fact, while less a band than a project at this point, the lads have delivered what’s easily the most focused work of their career. Listening back, one can hear the groundwork for this haute couture roadhouse rock on previous discs, but here it has gelled. Ben Gunning’s piercing, feminine vocals and Pete Elkas’s meaty Rhodes work take centrestage, nestled in a bed of clean riffage and vacuum-sealed rhythms (“Spelling Mistake” states the new-jack R&B influence out loud). This may be their last and, frustratingly, also their best. 8.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

Halifax Pier
Put Your Gloves on and Wave
(Temporary Residence Ltd.)

The second album by this Louisville, Kentucky six-piece is crafted with a majestic simplicity that’s ultimately soothing, rarely tiresome. Described as a mix of gothic folk and backwoods chamber music, the arrangements highlight cello, violin, bass, drums and acoustic guitar, with slide and electric guitars and vocals filling the backseats. With a bit of that old Kentucky, Stephen Foster spirit, and touches of post-rock and roots pop for our modern ears, this one’s a quaint little keeper. 7.5/10 (Lorraine Carpenter) With the Shins and Beachwood Sparks at La Sala Rossa tonight, Thurs., July 25, 9pm, $15

Overbass Revolución (Discos del Toro/Local)
Colectivo Hasta la Fiesta ... Siempre (Discos del Toro/Local)

Revolución, the third album from Montreal’s multi-culti prog-core act Overbass, sees them not only reaching farther, but, with Basque poli-punk Fermin Muguruza behind the board, sounding better. Bizarro vocal phase-jobs, crypto-Arabic and badass baroque melodic touches c/o key-man Miguel Perez, twin bass-guitar grind and trilingual vox from fierce frontlady Shantal Arroyo all benefit from Fermin’s firm touch. Hidden at the end is a frenzied take on “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun”-a nice lead-in to the more fun-oriented (which is not to say politically apathetic) Colectivo disc. With roughly 15 members in a mega-side-project context (including Arroyo and Grim Skunk’s Joe Evil), the thing is surprisingly coherent. Mixing up mariachi madness, ballsy salsa, Bay Area Chicano roca clásica, punky reggae and Fishbone-flavoured funk, Colectivo prime themselves to become Montreal’s pre-eminent party band. Both 8/10 (Rupert Bottenberg) Overbass and guests at le Spectrum tonight, Thurs., July 25, 11pm, $8.50

Papa Roach Lovehatetragedy (Dreamworks/Universal)

Chino from the Deftones and the omnipotent Mike Patton have shot words into mics with a rap aesthetic, prompting a whole generation of singers to think they could pull it off. Note to Papa Roach’s Jacoby Shaddix: leave MCing to those who are either MCs or those who take it to new levels. Vocal half-assery is bloody annoying. Add in teen-sized lyrics, coupled with those you-know-how-they’re-gonna-sound choruses, and there you have it-nothing to love, little to hate, just a vague sense of tragedy. A slight (and I mean, like, slight) notch better than their last album. 5/10 (Lateef Martin)

Roots Manuva Dub Come Save Me (Ninja Tune/Outside)

Those familiar with the far-reaching talents of Rodney Smith (aka Roots Manuva) will not be surprised in the least that he alone is responsible for this fit mixdown of dubs and unreleased material from his LP Run Come Save Me. It seems the son of a preacher man may have another calling twisting the knobs behind a recording desk if this record is any indication. Check tunes like “Revolution 5,” featuring Chali Tuna from the J5, “U.K. Warriors” and “Highest Grade Dub” for serious Manuva-ability. Rodney should be proud, because he has engineered his own sound with rootical success. 8/10 (Scott C)

Gold Chains Straight From Your Radio (Tigerbeat6)

Straight from Kid 606’s Tigerbeat6 label comes the one-man mutant hip hop techno-punk known as Gold Chains. With tracks like “I Treat Your Cootchie Like a Maze” and “Mountains of Coke,” the husky raps on this five-song EP may be raw like sushi, but they fall a little short in that sketchy-Provigo-sushi-that’s-just-a-bit-off kinda way. But what the San Franciscan MC lacks in lyrical skills he more than makes up for in beats and production. Using his laptop and some of that futuristic, cutting-edge DSP experimental electronic music programming stuff, Gold Chains proceeds to tear most other hip hop producers a new a-hole with his infectious, booty-pumpin’ beats and twisted digital sound contortions. Oh yeah, did I mention the sick cover of Samhain’s “Human Pony Girl”? 8.5/10 (Raf Katigbak)

Various Fabriclive.04: Deadly Avenger (Fabric/Fusion III)

As one of the buzzword super-clubs known across the U.K., Europe and around the world, London’s Fabric drops another mix from their bi-monthly Fabriclive sessions. DJ Deadly Avenger is a supreme oxymoron in more ways than one. This CD is excessively packaged, with a cardboard box, a stush metal tin, an artsy card-piece and liner inset, but the actual mix is as generic as five-dollar flip-flops from Chinatown. This dude mixes an hour of the saddest, run-of-the-mill, dime-a-dozen hip hop party cut-ups that you ever heard. Not one actual song is played in its entirety, in favour of “Put yo hands up! Put yo hands up! Put yo hands up!” and “Where da ladies at?! Where da ladies at?!” Every song’s a medley, so if you like filler, get your fill. 6.5/10 (Scott C)

DJ Serious feat. Nish Rawks “Frostbite” 12” (Audio Research)

If you haven’t already copped the Serious LP Dim Sum, then you can work backwards from this release. Nish Rawks knows how to deliver on more than one verse, while Serious vibes in the background on “Frostbite.” These two seem to work well together, and it shows on the flip with the remix of “The Enlightening,” where Nish is let loose once again on a slight beat variation. Serious has no problem cranking out beats to stand toe to toe with some great MCs, and I hear great things coming from him and Nish in the future. 7.5/10 (Scott C)

Various Mundial Muzique v2
(Guidance/Fusion III)

The first volume of this series, which appeared some years ago, really grabbed me at the time with it’s finicky, Afro-zillian broken-house vibe. This belated second one’s pretty hit and miss, but when it hits-wow. The first third, on the African tip, offers a killer triple play of Helsinki Nuspirit, a Tony Allen jam and Femi Kuti dubbed out by Faze Action. The rest of the disc is strictly Brazilian, with Buscemi’s remix of the late Suba’s take on the bossa classic “Felicidade” and Butti 49’s “Samba Olympo” shining through. Unfortunately, some folks are too forgiving of the kitsch factor present in so many sambas and bossas (Easydelic’s “Berimbau de Osahna” is cute, anyway…), and no, gooey synths don’t help (Antenna’s “Going Out” shouldn’t have gone in). 6/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

Carolyn Mark and Her Room-mates Terrible Hostess (Mint/Outside)

Country pop party tunes and classic, Cline-style criers come together on this sophomore album by Vancouver’s other indie country heroine, Carolyn Mark, too often in the shadow of Corn Sisters compadre Neko Case. Her refreshingly dark, modern sense of humour-part self-deprecation, part coy slamming of archaic etiquette (plus a welcome dig at Nelly Furtado)-folds in smoothly with country arrangements that borrow from jazz, bluegrass, pop and classic rock ’n’ roll. And the album’s closer, “Country in the City,” could be the theme song for that whole West Coast cow-tipping scene. 8/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

Ian McDougall Burnin’ the House Down (Barbarian)

Veteran Canadian jazz drummer Jerry Fuller died in Toronto last weekend at the age of 63. He sparks this live recording done in May, 2000, in staid Victoria, B.C. Two days later Hermann’s Jazz Club, where the session took place, burned to the ground-hence the title. This is indeed a smokin’ sextet, led by trombonist McDougall, with Ross Taggart, Oliver Gannon, Ron Johnston, André Lachance and Fuller helping fuel the fire. Seven tracks, a mix of the original and the familiar, try Bronislav Kaper’s “Hi Lili, Hi Lo” or Gannon’s “Strivin’ for a Riff.” 9.5/10 (Len Dobbin)