Mileece
Formations (Lo Recordings/Fusion III)
I was given explicit instructions to listen to this album before going to bed because it would give me “sweet dreams.” I did, and as I lay mesmerized listening to it, I slowly realized that no dream could rival the delicate and complex beauty found on Formations. Inspired by nature, Mileece’s melodies grow and spiral to life like blossoms on a cherry tree, forming rich, undulating and unexpected harmonies. Partially composed using a self-generating music program (written with the experimental music software Super Collider), Formations is a wonderfully balanced album that adds a gentle humanity to the cold calculations of minimal composition. Perfect for a quiet listen alone curled up by the fire. For best results, just add camomile or ginger tea. Bliss on disc. 10/10 (Raf Katigbak)

Primal Scream
Evil Heat (Epic/Sony)
Coursing through the same diseased vein that shaped their last two albums, Primal Scream offer more kraut-informed electro-rock, aided here by esteemed producers Kevin Shields and Andrew Weatherall. Guest vocalists Jim Reid (Jesus & Mary Chain) and Kate Moss each join in on one of Bobby Gillespie’s post-apocalyptic, heavily leftist rants (“Rise,” for example, originally appeared in pre-9/11 live sets as “Bomb the Pentagon”) but several instrumentals leave the synths, drones and beats at centre stage. Aside from brief ventures into Scandi-Strokes aping and ’90s Depeche Mode hell, this is sinister tech-punk at its peak. 8/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

Big Two Hundred
Your Personal Filth (DC/Fusion III)
The U.K.’s Andy Meecham and Dean Meredith have already planted a flag on the dancefloor with their punky breakbeat project Chicken Lips. With BTH, the pair get deeper, weirder and sneakier, and it works. Opener “UK Decay,” the title track and the ESG-ish “Let It Bleed” suggest that en-vogue NYC disco dub-punk, past and present tense—only not quite so tense. The lazy pulse of the rhythm section carries percussive clatter, eight-bit laser zaps, jarring guitar squawks and three-dimensional dubnosis. Other tunes like “Doorstep Discovery” and “Kog,” with their sustained Moog buzz and schizoid vocal peps, lean towards the monolithic drone jams and cacophonic art-funk of krautrock’s mid-’70s heyday. Filthy, no, but down ’n’ dirty? Oh yeah. 8.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

Death From Above
Heads Up (Ache/Scratch)
Not to be confused with NYC producer team/label DFA (although both are duos who favour rock’s bottom end), these members of Toronto’s Femme Fatale and Black Cat #13 debut with 14 minutes of truly raw, pummeling rock ’n’ roll. Organized but unforgiving slabs of frantic bass and speedfreak drums are topped with distorted vocals, occasionally giving way for handclaps, vocoder voices and (sampled?) electro intros. The pacing and intensity is relentless, but not at the expense of melody and songs, allowing T.O.’s DFA to eloquently out-run and out-heavy most of their fellow rock ’n’ rollers. 9/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

Various
A Tribute to the King (Capitol/EMI)
This is well timed, not just because of this year’s massive 30 #1 Hits release, but also because the big boys at Graceland have backed off on their ill-advised proscription against Elvis impersonators—what were they thinking?! Everyone’s got a little Elvis in ’em, a fact this collection of kingly karaoke proves with renditions by Elvis’s contemporaries Eddie Cochran and Jerry Lee “the Drunk, Misogynist Murderer” Lewis, soul figures Lou Rawls and Candi Staton, C&W characters Willie Nelson and Kenny Rogers and half the Beatles too. Paul McCartney’s glam-rock shakedown of “All Shook Up” makes up for Bryan Ferry’s boutique-funk Casanovation of “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” Highlights are the bong-crud thickness of Canned Heat’s heavy “That’s All Right Mama” and of course Fine Young Cannibals’ “Suspicious Minds.” 6/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

Tahiti 80
Wallpaper for the Soul (Minty Fresh/Fusion III)
Is Stereolab just too edgy for you? Then indulge in the lush arrangements of strings, keys, horns and beats that colour the summery second album by this French five-piece. Guitars and drums lightly beef up indie pop moments, while ’60s-styled vocals, melodies and fluffy lyrics keep things breezy. Producer Tore Johansson (the Cardigans, Saint Etienne) is responsible for the easy mesh of sounds, which sometimes flirts with ’70s TV theme songs, e-lounge and whitewashed French groove. But hey, for a band named after T-shirt fromage, I guess homogenized pop is the way to go. 7/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

Various
Non-Stop Cuisine (Luaka Bop)
David Byrne’s latest venture in ethnomusicology has taken him to France, where he scrounged up tracks from numerous purveyors of what you might call musette moderne. The French never could pull off the pop-rock thing (excepting perhaps Jacques Dutronc and les Ritas), but pop-rock’s just Anglo imperialism anyway. The artists here do what the French do best: gritty real-life narratives served up on a platter of sexy, smoky, accordion-laden jazz-folk with touches of tango, waltz, Gypsy and North African flavours and, in recent years, pinches of punk, dub, rap, funk and reggae. In other words, the likes of les Têtes raides, Louise Attaque, Mickey 3D, les Pires and of course the amazing Arthur H create truly French music that’s both timeless and right on time. But where’s Yann Tiersen? 8/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

Talib Kweli
Quality (Rawkus/Universal)
Cover your ears. The ever conscious but never preachy Talib Kweli has a whole song about guns up in this piece, and it’s pretty good. Much like any growing artist, you’ll find that Kweli is trying out some new things here, with a variety of beats and the usual lyrical rushes, but I’m not completely sold on the cohesive vibe of this record, something that we usually don’t have to worry about with Kweli. It sounds like the emphasis was put on an individual approach to songs, thankfully with lyrical integrity intact, and some nice lines to inspire your next masterpiece. 7.5/10 (Scott C)

Mike Shannon
Sleight of Hand (Force Inc./Fusion III)
Arguably one of the best DJs in Montreal, for the past several years Mike Shannon has been busy establishing himself as one of Canada’s premier electronic music ambassadors. Releasing several excellent 12-inches for various local and international labels (including his own Cynosure imprint), Shannon also co-manages the Remote booking agency (whose roster includes acts like Safety Scissors and Ellen Allien) and continues to freak people the fuck out on a regular basis, DJing some of the hottest clubs and festivals the world over. With influences ranging from the soulful sound of Detroit to the proto-dub of Berlin, Sleight of Hand is 11 tracks of balls-deep minimal tech house guaranteed to get the party bumpin’ inna sexy style. Playful and funky, this is essential, sleek party music. 9/10 (Raf Katigbak)

The New Deal
Live in NYC (Sight and Sound/Outside)
I have to say that for the first time since the New Deal emerged as Toronto’s answer to the jam band, I’ve been really blown away by what these three great musicians are able to accomplish live on stage. This double CD is the perfect combination of two NYC shows at the Bowery Ballroom, and they don’t hold back. This goes from quiet complexities to tumultuous grooves hell-bent on the horizon, and you sometimes forget that this is bass, drums and keys. But this is also seriously concocted electronic music for the next-level listener. 8.5/10 (Scott C)

Syleena Johnson
Chapter 2: The Voice (Zomba/BMG)
R&B vocalist Syleena Johnson is on the positive tip on her sophomore set. The Voice celebrates love’s benefits with a string of well-crafted mid-tempo jams, including a trio of tracks all devoted to “you”: “Faithful to You,” “Now That I Got You,” and “Dear You.” The R. Kelly-produced “Guess What” is a whip-smart lesson for a slack brother and easily the set’s strongest track. Also earning props is the Spanish-tinged “Guitars of the Heart (Happy)” and the “Tonight I’m Gonna Let Go” remix featuring Busta Rhymes. 8/10 (Gerard Dee)

Various
Treasure Isle Showtime (Heartbeat/Universal)
When the subject of Jamaican pop in the ’60s (meaning ska and, later, the chilled and soulful rock steady sound) is broached, Coxsone Dodd’s Studio One hogs the spotlight. Fair enough, Sir Coxsone’s operation brought the world much unforgettable music. But this comp gives time to the “other” rock steady label, Treasure Isle. Founder Duke Reid was Dodd’s closest competitor on the dancehall circuit and later, with first-rate acts like the Paragons, the Melodians, John Holt, U Roy and Alton Ellis, in the label game. This comp gives Treasure Isle catalogue its due, with such sweet, choice numbers as Hopetown Lewis’s “Boom Shacka Lacka” and Justin Hinds’ “Carry Go Bring Come” (later revived by two-toners Selecter). 9/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

McGill Jazz Orchestra
Conundrum (McGill Records)
The seventh in this series, this outing has director Gordon Foote leading McGill students from the academic years 1999–2000 and 2000–2001 in some pretty heady material. The former band tackles Bill Holman’s “A View From the Side,” Chick Corea’s “La Fiesta” and a pair by Coltrane, “Central Park West” and “Giant Steps.” The latter does a great job with Hank Levy’s arrangement of “A Time for Love,” as well as on “Lickety Split,” a forward-looking piece by Jim McNeely. Among the many fine soloists are Donny Kennedy, Sean Craig, the Doxas Brothers (Jim and Chet), Cam Wallis, Al McLean and Chad Linsley. A perfect gift for the big-band fancier on your gift list. 9.5/10 (Len Dobbin)

John Coltrane Timeless (Savoy/Koch) » A 20-bit digital reissue of the 1958 material Trane did with Wilbur Harden. Tommy Flanagan and Curtis Fuller solos are added bonuses. 10 (LD)

Osunlade feat. Erro “Roc Wit You” 12” (BBE) » Can’t front on the deep vibes hummin’ out of this one. I dare you to stand still. 9 (SC)

The Gay self-titled (Mint/Outside) » The name, the inverted Bay logo, the harmonies and the tunes make a sweet little package from this four-fifths-female indie-pop supergroup. 8 (LC)

John B Brainstorm Mix (Beta) » Ex-D&B prodigy John B blends drum & bass, electro and trance in the most painful example of musical mutation since Hulk Hogan’s rock-rap album Hulk Rules. 4 (RK)

Ok Go self-titled (Capitol/EMI) » More dull-witted sludge to dumb kids down. [In Ontario “valley” accent] “Uh ma Gawd! Theh said tha F-ward!” 3 (LC)

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