Lemon Jelly Lost Horizons (XL/Select) » The London duo of Nick Franglen and Fred Deakin caught both my ear and eye with their first “album” Lemonjelly.ky (which collected three snazzy 10” EPs, actually). Deakin’s ambitious design skills are again wowing me on this proper LP, and musically, the pair have topped themselves. Deakin’s ability to scare up weird vinyl like a prize pig after truffles and Franglen’s more-than-mere-session-man knack for cool tuneage (he’s backed Björk, Primal Scream and Pulp) make for a whole greater than its parts. Their crafty, easy-delic beat-pop numbers have a way of patiently unfolding—you don’t know you’re socks have been knocked off until they’re across the room. Plus, they can balance laffs, grooves and real beauty in a way few others can. Like the astronaut says on the gorgeous lead single “Space Walk”: “Aw, it’s tremendous.” 9/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

The Flaming Sideburns Save Rock ’n’ Roll (Jetset) The Datsuns self-titled (V2/BMG) » In one corner, we have the Flaming Sideburns, middleweights from Sweden, where saving rock ’n’ roll seems to have replaced suicide as the national pastime. Muscular riffs are pumped out under Argentinean singer Eduardo Martinez’s unhinged, echo-laden vocals, their hot tunes recalling the macho glam of the Stooges, the Stones and, in their calmer moments, Lou Reed. Little calm in the other corner, where Kiwi heavyweights the Datsuns spill hairy, horny rock in the spirit of AC/DC and Led Zep, with song titles like “MF From Hell” and “Lady.” This longhaired quartet—all named Datsun, Ramones-style—make unironic, V-shaped rock with howling riffs and a touch of glam pomp, with the bonus of backup vox by Detroit’s Von Bondies ladies. Australian bands almost always suck (see the Vines) but maybe New Zealand’s got something here. Both 8.5/10 (Lorraine Carpenter) The Datsuns with the Warlocks and Electric Eel Shock at la Sala Rossa, Tues., Nov. 5

Rocket From the Crypt Live From Camp X-Ray (Vagrant/Universal) » Despite the title, it’s a studio album, not a command performance for demoralized Taliban types. That said, the political venom is cranked up on the latest from San Diego punk ’n’ roll powerhouse RFTC (check “Bring Us Bullets” and “Outsider”), the guys who wrote the book that the Hives and Intl. Noise Conspiracy live by. Musically, they’re in top form—the lacerating guitarorrism, the bulldozer brass, the bitter sneer of frontman Speedo, all present and accounted for. Clocking in at under a half-hour, Live From Camp X-Ray is as fast, proud and volatile as anything RFTC have done. “Outsider,” “I Wanna Know What I Wanna Know” and “Can You Hear It?” clock in as classic Rocket shit, and that can’t be beat. 9/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

Chris Robinson New Earth Mud (Redline/EMI) » Black Crowes crooner Robinson is the first out of the gate while the band is on hiatus and after a listen, you will be praying for him to get the band back together again. Robinson is a stoned hippie in love and the results are some listless, acoustic-based yammerings about his famous wife Kate Hudson. Robinson can sing with the best of them but without his brother Rich penning the tunes, he just comes across as another self-serving singer/songwriter. Okay, maybe I’m being a bit harsh here, but this really doesn’t come close to the expectations. 6/10 (Johnson Cummins)

Bionic Deliverance (Sound King) » The title suits the homeless-hillbilly chic that guitarists Jonathan Cummins and Ian Blurton insist on perpetrating, but no duelling banjos here. On their second album, Montreal’s Bionic have fused the violent precision of Am Rep/Touch & Go heaviosity with the bump ’n’ boogie of classic FM hair rock. Opener “Turn You Out” hits like a kidney-load of rubber bullets in the prison yard, “Bad Times” follows with more punch, and the juice keeps flowing from there. I like how the judicious use of sunny harmonies keep things from getting too oppressive, but at the same time, this shit is engineered to knock you down. Squeal like a pig! 8/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

Saint Etienne Finisterre (Mantra/Beggars Group) » Emerging from the grey e-pop of Sound of Water, Cracknell and co. offer an upbeat, somewhat unfocused sampling of cold electro, sugary dance, bachelor-pad lounge and classic, classy Saint Etienne. The exquisite, orchestral electropop of “The Way We Live Now” is a highlight, the low point being “Soft Like Me,” a cheesebag tune with a guest rapper, reminiscent of third-gen “trip-hop” like Mulu. PSA parodies awkwardly preface most tracks, as if compensating for the lack of natural linkage, but, as ill-conceived as this disc is as a whole, the sum of (most of) its parts make it worthwhile. 7.5/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

Bon Voyage The Right Amount (Tooth and Nail) » Combining Julie Martin’s feather-weight coo with the solid songwriting talents of her husband, Starflyer 59’s Jason Martin, and the subtle synth work of his brother, Joy Electric’s Ronnie Martin, the third album by this family-run outfit is best described as heaven-bound pop with a stopover in space. Ethereal in its layers of vocals, neat yet resonant guitars and faux strings, this slightly zoned-out pop has a timeless quality despite its shades of ’80s/early ’90s British fare, recalling the likes of Cocteau Twins, the Pale Saints and New Order. A good trip indeed. 8/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

The Baldwin Brothers Cooking With Lasers (TVT/Universal) » No, it isn’t Alec, Adam, Stephen, Daniel and Billy—thank God for that. This tastefully attired Chi-town quartet fall somewhere between the jam-band and trip-hop categories, sparing us the goofy convolutions of the former and the empty emoting of the latter. The funny gen-X references to Sanford & son, the Bionic Man and Evel Kneivel aren’t overdone either. The centrepiece in my book is the stylish Rhodes action of T.J. Widner, though the others (on decks, drums and upright electric bass) are no slouches. Cooking With Lasers (good title!) is largely instrumental, though guest chantoozies like Cibo Matto’s Miho Hatori (on the sweet “Dream Girl”) bring some flavour to the proceedings. 8/10 (Rupert Bottenberg) With Supreme Beings of Leisure and Ben Neil at Cabaret tonight, Thurs., Oct. 31, 9pm, $20

MC Paul Barman Paullelujah! (Coup d’Etat) » I’m not exactly sure what J-Live was thinking when he decided to put out Paul Barman’s new LP on his Coup d’Etat label, but if I were him, I be regretting that shit right about now. Paul Barman is a clever, well-informed anomaly who’s realized that there are people out there so jaded by hip hop these days that they’ll listen to just about anything that everybody else hates. You will laugh the first time you here songs like “Burping and Farting,” or “Vulture Shark Sculpture Park.” Even “Cock Mobster” or “Bleeding Brain Grow” might get your attention, but it’s the second and third listens that are excruciating. Paul has accidentally stumbled onto a great new invention—CDs you can listen to once, and then throw away. 6.5/10 (Scott C) With Whirlwind Heat at la Sala Rossa, Sun., Nov. 3, 9pm, $10

Various Red Hot + Riot (MCA/Universal) » This is the 14th record from the U.S.-based production company that makes albums, videos and multimedia projects to raise funds and awareness to fight AIDS. Most people have some knowledge of the powerful musical legacy that Fela Anikulapo Kuti left behind, but many do not know that he died of AIDS-related causes in 1997. This is the pinnacle of an all-star assembly working their way through various Fela interpretations, adding to his old ideals and messages, and in some cases letting them speak the volumes they were meant to. Guests include Mix Master Mike, Blackalicious, Dead Prez, Jorge Ben, Talib Kweli, Bilal, D’Angelo, Femi Kuti, Macy Gray, Meshell Ndegeocello, les Nubians, Chateau Flight, Bugz in the Attic, Money Mark and, believe it or not, many, many more. Nice to hear so many different artists working on that West African vibe. 8/10 (Scott C)

Von Freeman The Improvisor (Premonition/Fusion III) » If big-sounding tenormen are your cup of tea, you’ll love this outing by this Chicago-based musician who turned 80 on Oct. 3. 9 (LD)
Various Pushing Scandinavian Rock to the Man III (Bad Afro/Fusion III) » Wondering what the hub-bub is? Check it out, it’s well worth it. 8.5 (JC)
Theory of Ruin Counter-Culture Nosebleed (Escape Artist) Ex- Fudge » Tunnel/Nailbomb dude and co. revisit the glory days of Amp Rep. 8 (JC)
Skhool Yard A New Way of Thinking (Threshold/Fusion III) » Planet Asia, Kut Master Kurt and the gang don’t unleash a new way of thought so much as they do shit that bumps. 7.5 (SC)
Mick Turner Moth (Drag City) » Moody, minimal urban blues by a man and his guitar in love. 7 (LC)
Suicide American Supreme (Mute/Fusion III) » Still drunk and difficult after all these years, now with (unintentional) humour! 5 (LC)

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