Dillinger Escape Plan with Mike Patton Irony Is a Dead Scene (Epitaph)
Two of experimental/extreme music’s heavy hitters join forces on... Epitaph? Maybe there is hope yet. This seems a marriage set in the stars as Patton’s vocal gymnastics and cut-and-paste arranging—so perfectly done in his Fantomas project—sits well with Dillinger’s jazz/noise/prog/hardcore. Although only 18 minutes long, this project packs it all in with some of the tightest, most fierce playing you will ever hear. Easily the extreme release of the year, and the cover of Aphex Twin’s “Come to Daddy” is one of the most pleasantly disturbing listens ever. 9.5/10 (Johnson Cummins)

Frank Black and the Catholics Devil’s Workshop
Frank Black and the Catholics Black Letter Days (both Sonic Unyon)
Country, rockabilly and glam rock rise to the surface on these simultaneous releases by that old workaholic Pixie man. Teamed once again with his ace team of Catholics, Black lets loose those distinctive whines, growls, oddball character sketches and punk-schooled pop on Devil’s Workshop, a disc with its hits and plenty of near-fouls. The darker, more downhome Black Letter Days follows suit with a similar, constantly undulating quality level. Kicking off with a throwaway number, the disc gets into nice twang-pop, old tyme rockabilly and deep-fried ballads, with some alt-rock and post-punk curve balls. Each with its sweet middle, each with its crap closing track, both 7.5/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

The Black Crowes Live (V2/BMG)
While one of the best rock ’n’ roll bands around remains on hiatus, this live collection should hold fans over until they regroup. This official live collection documents what everyone who has had the pleasure of seeing them already knows. The Crowes excel as a live band, never afraid to take chances and improvise while letting old nuggets like “Sometimes Salvation” and “Hard to Handle” swing with a new groove and urgency. Monolithic new tune “Title Song” will have you chewing for a while, but where is “Jealous Again,” “Blackberry,” “Bad Luck Blue Eyes,” “Go Faster” and “Stop Kicking My Heart Around”? 9/10 (Johnson Cummins)

Sleater-Kinney One Beat (Kill Rock Stars)
Corin Tucker’s acerbic, cutting vocals, Tucker and Carrie Brownstein’s tight, twin guitar action and Janet Weiss’s tense beats have always distinguished Sleater-Kinney from their musical peers and foes alike. Crafting their punk rage into increasingly neat packages , the trio pumps album five with very public issues—“Faraway” is the best 9/11 song so far, while “Combat Rock” is a no-bones Bush attack—and deeply dark personal ones, like suicide and dying children. The joint musical/lyrical heaviness is happily undercut on both fronts by pristine pop moments, love songs and (I hate this word) empowering imagery. 8/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

Interpol Turn on the Bright Lights (Matador)
NYC’s Interpol wear their British influences on their finely tailored sleeves, their part pulsating, part melancholic “mope rock” recalling the likes of Joy Division, early Smiths and early Cure. The wired, off-the-handle intonations of Ian Curtis and David Byrne come through loud and clear in singer Paul Banks’ voice on both the dark, hollowed out ballads—including the latest New York song, a chilling mood piece called “NYC”—and the heavily rhythmic, caffeinated numbers that dominate. A notable debut from these “next big thing” contenders. 8/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

Martin Léon Kiki BBQ (La Tribu/Select)
This is the latest horse in the stable of La Tribu, the local label that’s also home to Les Cowboys Fringants and Jérome Minière. Léon’s particular spin on the neo-chansonnier formula comes off well, a folksy bluespop moderne with a sly groove and sly wit. A confidential, you-me-and-the-bedpost tone informs his delivery, almost whispered at times, of a lyrical stance halfway between thinking man and wise guy. In fact, the most earnest piece here is the nonsensical “Somelaihen” (the rest sport jouale so thick that the lyric book is a soup of apostrophes). Filled out with some spacey atmospherics and a little Beatles flavour (as on the title track), Kiki BBQ sizzles with slow-burning goodness. 8/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

Kid606 vs. Dalek Ruin It EP (Tigerbeat6)
When the New Jersey experimental hip hop trio known as Dalek remixed/reinterpreted Kid606’s track “Ruin It, Ruin Them, Ruin Yourself Then Ruin Me” off his seminal Down With the Scene album, it was so good, the Kid pooped his pants. Mr. 606 promptly took that remix, twisted the fuck out of it (twice), slapped on a new track (and one from Dalek), and this EP was born. From the glitchy cut-up brilliance of the original, to the neo-industrial lyricism of the Dalek remix, back to the breaky booty bounce tempo of the re-re-remix, this release covers a lot of future listening ground on six tracks. Definitely worth a listen. 7/10 (Raf Katigbak)

The Octopus Project Identification Parade (Peek-A-Boo)
This Austin, Texas, trio debuts with a very impressive, self-produced album. Shifting from heady Chicago-style incidental guitar manipulations and melodies to a pounding four-on-the-floor workout, Identification Parade is nine tracks of solid, loopy, DIY electronic rock. The rock and techno elements may seem slammed together in a sort of half-assed way, but the rawness and energy that results is definitely part of the charm. Think a low-budge Stereolab meets Tortoise and Rinoçérose completely drunk on the dancefloor. Indie kids unite! Dance like no one’s looking! 8/10 (Raf Katigbak)

Various Spundae Presents Cass (Mute)
With tracks from Plastikman, Mr. C, Bushwacka!, Mekon, Terry Francis and 16B, this comp has it all. Unfortunately, it’s this very same diversity that is the ultimate downfall of this double CD mix. Instead of taking listeners on a slick journey from point A to point B, DJ Cass seems to prefer the dyslexic route, jerking around from progressive techno, to tech-y nu skool breaks, to deep organic tech-house and back again. I’m all for mixing it up every now and then, but this comp takes it too far (or maybe not far enough). 5/10 (Raf Katigbak)

Jazzy Jeff The Magnificent (BBE/FusionIII)
Finally, an LP to take the place of Eminem blasting from cars up and down the strip. Philly’s finest has come up with an ear-opening array of sumptuous jams that run from the neck-breaking hip hop variety, to the Touch of Jazz R&B blueprint, and even a house joint with Masters at Work. Jeff’s been working hard to take production to another level, and this disc proves not only his versatility, but his dedication to soulful music. Guests include Jill Scott, J-Live, Freddie Foxx, Baby Blak and Pauly Yamz, Flo Brown, all adding to the laid-back, summer vibe. Enjoy it while it’s still hot. 8.5/10 (Scott C)

Slum Village Trinity (Capitol/Barak)
Deep down, MCs T3, Baatin and newest addition Elzhi probably know that producer Jay Dee was largely responsible for the sound that put SV on the radar, and now they’re trying their best to make moves without him. Detroit’s new trinity scored points with the first single “Tainted,” but mediocre tracks like “One” and “Get Live” show almost no connection to the SV we know. I’m sure there’s more to come, but it seems the rugged tranquility of hard-up, bootlegged, independent Slum Village is hard to come by. Somewhere, Jay Dee’s sitting with his feet up saying, “I told you so.” 7/10 (Scott C)

Amerie All I Have (Sony)
Like the waning days of summer, the debut release by Amerie offers playful, simple songs, nothing too serious. The breezy lead single “Why Don’t We Fall in Love,” is typical of her tracks, using plenty of strings and piano chords to produce much “happy-happy” harmonies. Amerie’s pretty voice is the perfect vehicle for producer Rich Harrison’s R&B-lite sound, making even man-bashing tracks like “Hatin’ on You” feel like a Sunday stroll through the park. Perfect backdrop to summer barbecues. 7/10 (Gerard Dee)

Oscar Peterson A Jazz Odyssey (Verve/Universal)
This cross section of recordings, done between 1950 and 1964, coincides with both the release of Peterson’s autobiography and his 77th birthday on Aug. 15. The set begins in NYC with “Get Happy,” a duet with superb bassist Major Holley, and ends with a Toronto session wherein Clark Terry gives us the wonderful nonsense he calls “Mumbles.” In between, Peterson adds much to sessions with Billie and Ella, Dizzy, Roy, Sweets and Charlie Shavers, Pres, Bean, Flip, Getz and Stitt, as well as the many trios he led during this phase of his career. A great place to begin for those unfamiliar with this prolific recording artist! 9/10 (Len Dobbin)