Today Is the Day Sadness Will Prevail (Relapse/Koch) » Today Is the Day have become the true artists of torment and pain. If you ever wondered how far extreme music can go, look no further than here. This two-hour-long, two-CD set has put frustration, distortion and violence on a new musical pedestal. Main guy Steve Austin has perfected noisescapes like “The Decent” or “Maggots and Riots” and even further confuses by trying his hand at the ballad “Voice of Reason,” but by the end sends it hurtling back down to earth. This is all stellar, but it’s the crushing blows delivered with deadly precision on songs like “Crooked Butterflies,” and “Christianized Magick” and its ensuing maelstrom, that makes Today Is the Day such an important band. Perhaps Steve Austin hits the nail right on the head when he reviews his own record—“Forget everything you know, this is freedom, power and violence.” This guy is serious. 9.5/10 (Johnson Cummins)

Broken Social Scene You Forgot It in People (Paper Bag) » Led by Kevin Drew (KC Accidental) and Brendan Canning (ex-By Divine Right), this Canadian indie collective—whose revolving lineup has also included members of godspeed, Stars, Metric and Do Make Say Think—put all their heads together for a warm, bold, dynamic debut LP. With guitars, synths, strings, horns, unisex vocals, live drums and mecha-beats, the sound flitters from slathered noise rock to New-Order-influenced pop to delicate, orchestral passages and back to dancefloor indie, visiting the most atmospheric, melodic, harmonious levels in between. Supergroups can be messy and uneven, but this one is smart, neat and focused, essential listening for the well-rounded indie-ite. 9/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

Atomic 7 Gowns by Edith Head (Mint/Outside) » The instrumental quasi-surf band Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet were arguably the coolest thing going in ’80s Canadian indie-rock culture. With the sad passing of bassist Reid Diamond in February of ’01, any hope of a Shads reunion vanished. But with his new band Atomic 7, guitarist Brian Connelly brings the next best thing. Still lyric-free, these crafty surfabilly numbers (with a little lounge, cha-cha and cinematix tossed in) recall the Shads at their best, both musically and in the sly, wry humour that comes through loud and clear—no vocals needed. Cheers. 8/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers The Last DJ (Warner) » On Petty’s new one, he puts major labels, lip-synching rock stars, the sad state of radio and sleazy CEOs in the crosshairs—but there is a bit of a problem here. If he looked in the mirror long enough, he would see a major-label, lip-synching video star who is played constantly on the radio and makes tons of money. His protests do sound like whimpering, but that said, damn, can he ever pen a tune. Just check out the Lennon-esque “Like a Diamond.” Petty’s murmurings about “the man” are set to pop songs that are delivered with heartfelt honesty (at least to him), and on songs like “Joe” or “Lost Children,” Petty proves he can still rock with the best of them—or at least better than the current round of veteran radio stars. 8/10 (Johnson Cummins)

Hot Hot Heat Make Up the Breakdown (Sub Pop/Sonic Unyon) » Built on snotty, caffeinated vocals, angular melodies and quietly duelling keys and guitars, Hot Hot Heat’s twitchy new-wave stylings have recently scored the Victoria quartet a deal with Warner, who’ve clearly heard the “Canadian Strokes” proclamations from both sides of the border. Drawing from XTC and Elvis Costello, the band delivers more jarring, punk-infused, danceable tunes, a decent debut LP that’s high on presence but sadly low on ideas. What worked on the Knock Knock Knock EP becomes irritating and repetitive in exactly double the time, only 32 minutes. In this case, more is too much. 7/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

Knowledge & Friends Eastern Head Raps (independent) » Oh, shit. Here comes Sikh Knowledge with the confidence, style and skills that every emerging hip hop artist in Montreal should have. Taking on the task of producer and MC can be too much for some, but Sikh Knowledge seems to have a handle on both. His production incorporates a refreshing use of musicality and a wide array of East Indian arrangements, tablas and percussion. As an MC, his flow is easy, unassuming and real. Guest MCs like Lotus, Brite, Ill Mestizo, Karma, Dynasty and United Minds will make you say, “Where are these guys?” Straight up, this is some basement gold, and I certainly hope these guys plan to do more in the near future. Available at Tabou. 7.5/10 (Scott C)

Amon Tobin Out From Out Where (Ninja Tune/Outside) » Looking back now, it’s hard to really qualify most of Tobin’s work as drum & bass so much as this fractured, biomechanical helljazz that’s all his own. That edgy, ominous tone is retained on a lot of this new album—more mech, perhaps, but that’s offset by his sussing new sound sources (strings, bansuris, unidentified clattering objects). Scary stuff as always, but the chill factor drops on the lead single “Verbal,” which MC Decimal R.’s woodchipper scatter-rap and a tasty guitar lick further brighten. The dusky psych-rock groove of “Hey Blondie” and the nanobot disco of “Cosmo Retro Intro Outro” also add to a nice balance of the familiar and the unanticipated. 8.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

Montag Are You a Friend? (Gooom) » Collecting sweetly organic, picturesque soundscapes, this debut album by Montreal’s Montag (aka Antoine Bédard/DJ Jetboy) is a quaint aural delight, drawing from the atmospheric pop of Stereolab and Broadcast as well as the programmed manoeuvring of Boards of Canada and Plone. The often minimal, yet frequently melodic, light and dark arrangements employ piano, organ, Farfisa, autoharp, melodica, violin, various percussive devices and the subtle pitter-patter of little beats. Running water and soft, tech-junk washes form a delicate bed of textured sound from which to bounce these rhythmic twists, personable bleeps and easily endearing tunes. 8/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

Spring Heel Jack Amassed (Thirsty Ear/Outside) » In 1994 ex-Spiritualized guitarist John Coxon and Ashley Wales burst onto the jungle scene with their melodic and atmospheric take on drum & bass fundamentals, the Sea Lettuce EP on Rough Trade. In the eight years since, the duo have been slowly drifting into more ambient, free-improv jazz territory. With Amassed, the duo’s frantic breakbeat sound is all but forgotten as they gather an all-star jazz lineup, including Evan Parker, Paul Rutherford, Matthew Shipp and Kenny Wheeler, plus the shoegazing guitar of Jason Pierce of Spiritualized. Sounding at once alien and familiar, Amassed’s eight recorded “mini-concerts” collide and stew melody, rhythm, texture and incidental sound into a sonic brew that would sound right at home behind a David Lynch movie. 8.5/10 (Raf Katigbak)

Identification Identify (Cocosolidciti) » Montreal’s DJ Luv finally emerges from the underground lair where he’s been secretly crafting shifting beats and catchy, angular melodies for the last few years. Culled from a hodgepodge of vinyl sources, the producer, DJ, Ninja Tune soldier and admitted sample-holic has pulled off a solid album, a great listen for beatheadz and experimental chin-strokers alike. On “Inescapable,” analog synth lines are juxtaposed against plodding, underwater beats as alien devices beam down information straight to the listener’s cerebral cortex. With “Oh Loathsome Me,” Luv manages to bring hope and despair together through reversed melodies and dissonant frequency manipulations. “Possibility” takes a sampled swing jazz loop and the tiny tinkling of a music box and dubs them out with massive delay over the lonesome chords of a solo piano and strange sonic textures. 9/10 (Raf Katigbak)

Los Hombres Calientes New Congo Square (Basin Street) » Forget Shakira and the rest of the Latin-pop invasion, this is the essence of Latin rhythm. Backed by a kick-ass ensemble, hombres Irvin Mayfield and legendary jazz man Bill Summers fuse the sounds of New Orleans with rhythms that extend south to Cuba, Brazil and the rest of the Afro-Latin diaspora. It’s an easy blend of complex grooves like “Brother Gettin’ Caught (Mark’s Groove Part 2),” and straightforward waist-shakers like “New Second Line.” Not just caliente—muy caliente. 8.5/10 (Gerard Dee)

Sugarman 3 & Co. Pure Cane Sugar (Daptone) » Neil Sugarman and the whole Daptone gang sure seem to know how to get the sound and feel that people need to hear. This 11-track selection of funk and soul sounds ancient, laden with sweet shit from the “Honey Wagon” to the “Promised Land.” Session guests include Lee Fields, Charles Bradley, Naomi Davis and king of the skins Bernard Purdie on the drums. Recorded in Duke’s basement by label mastermind Gabe Roth, this latest Daptone offering is a very strong follow-up to the Sharon Jones LP. 9/10 (Scott C)

Rob McConnell Thank You, Ted (Justin Time/Fusion III) / Kenny Wheeler Moon (Egea) » New items from two Ontario-born musicians, one very popular, one very influential. McConnell, a valve-trombone player and arranger, has successfully scaled his “Boss Brass” down to a tentet and this, his second outing with the smaller group, is dedicated to Ted O’Reilly, a mover and shaker on the Toronto scene for many years. Wheeler, who has made England his home since 1952, has become an influence as both a player (trumpet and flugelhorn) and an arranger/composer. The lively McConnell 10 includes such world-class soloists as Guido Basso, P.J. Perry, Mike Murley and Dave Restivo. The Wheeler is more pensive (cerebral?) and in the main consists of duets with pianist John Taylor. There is a bonus here—Gabriele Mirabassi, one of the great jazz clarinetists, joins them on a number of cuts. These items will appeal to two very different jazz audiences and that’s the beauty of this music—very personal creations by a great variety of musicians. Both 10/10 (Len Dobbin)

Alex Pangman Can’t Stop Me From Dreaming (Sensation) » Ms. Pangman again successfully seeks out excellent, obscure songs from another time. “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Love” is an example. Jeff Healey is among those joining her here. 8.5 (LD) At Maison de la Culture Frontenac tonight, Thurs., Oct. 24, 8pm

Jim Dickinson Free Beer Tomorrow (Artemis/Sony) » After one listen, you can’t help but wonder why this famed producer didn’t jump in front of the microphone sooner. 8.5 (JC)

Cabaret Voltaire The Original Sound of Sheffield ’78/’82: Best of... (Mute/Fusion III) » Both proto-industrial and proto-electropop, these noisy Northerners were heavily ahead of their time. 8 (LC)

Coal Beautiful Afterburn (independent) » From B.C., this is beautifully rustic, dreamy pop noir, like a lit torch in pitch darkness. 8 (LC) Singer Nicole Steen w/ Bad Flirt, Malcolm Bauld at Barfly, Mon., Oct. 28

Specifix self-titled (LP) » Yo. Look out, MTL. I think we have some cats who might just “rise above” on the set. Real hip hop love. 8 (SC)

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