Buddy Miller
Midnight and Lonesome (High Tone/Festival)
Much like Steve Earle, Miller throws his greasy, web-back baseball cap in a lot of roots-music rings, without ever sounding forced. On the Everly Brothers’ “The Price of Love,” Miller goes honky-tonkin’. On “Wild Card” he conjures up the ghost of Hank Williams, and even tackles some zydeco and Tex-Mex on “Oh Fait Pitie d’Amour.” Despite the different styles on Midnight and Lonesome, Miller manages to keep a natural flow throughout. The great Emmylou Harris even guests on “Showman’s Life,” which was written by Montreal’s favourite draft dodger Jesse Winchester. With a lot of pop stars hiding under 10-gallon lids these days, it’s nice to hear the real thing every now and again. 9/10 (Johnson Cummins)

Pas/Cal
The Handbag Memoirs (Le Grand Magistery)
From Motor City, from Rock City, from that crime-ridden casualty they call Detroit, comes a group of rebels in spectacles, tweed and grandma’s sweaters - Belles and Sebastians with a cause. When they’re not hauling their vintage keys and amps around town, you might spot them in a library, a used record store, or drinking spirits in each other’s apartments, studiously listening to Beach Boys, Smiths and early Bowie records. This debut mini-album contains sweetly poetic, pristine pop with ball-wrenched boy vocals, cameo strings, horns, beats and hard guitars - a beautiful, thoughtful addition to the Detroit’s grand canon. 8.5/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

Granada
Takes a Lot of Walking (Look Left/V2/BMG)
Riding a different track than their shouty, shaggy countrymen, this Swedish band conjures images of a sprawling, desolate countryside, much like Mazzy Star’s desert or the Cowboy Junkies’ snow-covered Canada. Led by Anna Järvinen’s girlish vocals, often in harmony or counterpoint with one of her male bandmates, Granada’s sparse folk is shaped by piano, drums, acoustic guitar and, for that rural drawl, harmonica and slide guitar. The moods range from fragile, lovelorn ballads to haunted, echo-laden numbers to more carefree tunes verging on pop, all based in a leisurely, ethereal space. 7.5/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

Sharko
Meeuws 2 (Bang!/Fusion III)
Subtly surreal and oddly uneven, this is the third release by Belgium’s Sharko, aka David Bartholomé. His fondness for naïve indie rock seems to be matched only by his fascination with the plight of Amerindians, as explored in his album’s liner notes. The sleeve also features one of the worst visual puns going, a boiled egg wearing horns and a tail - devilled, get it? As for its content, this is essentially Sharko’s second record, remixed by Bright Eyes associate Mike Mogis. The, um, Amer-indie sounds are nicely merged with mecha-beats and vocal loops, but occasionally veer off in wild directions, or head nowhere at all. 6/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

Marky Ramone & the Speed Kings
Legends Bleed (Thirsty Ear)
Ramones fans might want to stay away from this one. Come to think of it, fans of good music altogether may not want to approach this with a 10-foot pole. Marky’s drumming, believe it or not, has actually sped up, but his trademark oompah beat alone is not going to save this thing from just sounding like Electric Frankenstein with a head cold. The four live Ramones covers at the end are just deplorable. Marky, leave our memories alone - if you insist on this tripe, at least drop the Ramones name, okay, Mr. Bell? 5/10 (Johnson Cummins)

Various
Teutonik Disaster (Gomma/Fusion III)
Gomma Records - who’ve already got one solid retrospective comp under their belts, the excellent Anti-NY - are about to unleash another no-wave compilation gem on unsuspecting ears. This time the DJs Munk, the masterminds behind Anti-NY, mine the fertile territory of Germany’s experimental music scene circa ’77–’83. After Can and Kraftwerk (in Northern Germany) and Giorgio Moroder and Amon Düül (in Munich) showed the world what the future was gonna be, masses of new German bands began experimenting with different styles of music. Psych-rock freaks jammed together with electro/new-wavers and early punks played along with disco kids, creating some of the best German new-wave funk, lo-fi trash-disco and hobby-rock that side of the Mudd Club. Highlights here include “Schlaraffenland” by Carmen (a synth-pop version of the Archies’ “Sugar Sugar”), Explorer’s Devo-esque “Rabbits” and the no-wave brass attack of Klick’s “Blauer Lumumba.” Some filler, mostly killer. 8/10 (Raf Katigbak)

Goa!
self-titled (Robosapien/Fusion III)
Formerly Goa Gajah, this unruly act brings together some remarkable local talent. Props to the dual drummers Will Glass and Alex McSween, of course, but the strength of Goa! is in the collision of Robosapien main-brain Jon Asencio at the keys and (0), aka Monstre, Montreal’s walking verbal clusterbomb. For his part, Asencio lays down the astral prog projections and zippy e-pop, something he’s been perfecting for ages now, from Starbean through his Electronic Humans Guild. Playing off this is (0)’s manic mouth music, rapid-fire barks, shrieks and hiccups that he ropes into a rhythmic barrage. The results are far more fun and accessible than you might think, with “Biyah” standing out as a perverted pop gem. 8.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

Common
Electric Circus (MCA/Universal)
While Common’s recorded run up to this point has allowed him to exemplify the evolution of a formidable MC, Electric Circus combines his lyrical strengths with perhaps the weirdest musical shift that any fan could’ve imagined. The concept basically asks the question, “What is hip hop?” and, before you can answer, has dropped several brave offerings in your lap. I’ve got no problem with Common, Erykah and the new bohemians, but this record is a circus. Executive producer Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson must’ve figured Com was ready for the same ballsy leap as the Roots’ latest LP, which could act as a companion to this record. This is an album that is definitely growing on me, but is it worse to lose Common to Gucci and Cristal than it is to lose him to second-hand bellbottom cords and patchouli? You be the judge. 7/10 (Scott C)

Various
Wanna Buy a Craprak? (Carpark/Fusion III)
For the last few years, New York’s Carpark label has been at the forefront of the IDM/folk-tronic movement, bringing us great releases from artists like Marumari, Casino vs. Japan and Kid606. Carpark has decided to kick off the new year with a solid compilation featuring 13 past and future tracks (plus four videos) from their roster of audionauts, including Marumari, Greg Davis, Kid606, Dinky, Ogurusu Norihide and Signer. While a few numbers, like the Kit Clayton vs. Safety Scissors and Freesch’s tracks, are upbeat and rambunctious, most of the tracks are a nice blend of the electro-organic folk-tronica that Carpark has championed since its start. Specially priced to move, if you haven’t already picked up any of Carpark’s past catalogue, this is a great chance to discover a great label. 8.5/10 (Raf Katigbak)

Daedelus
The Quiet Party (Plug Research/Fusion III)
It’s funny how, when you’re not sure you like something, you continue to listen to it, convinced that things will become clear eventually. This EP is exactly that, walking the fine line between “huh?” and “what?” Daedelus is in good company too, with prolific left-fielders like Abstract Rude and Busdriver giving you something to think about on “Girls.” Madlib contributes a remix to “Playing Parties” as well as lacing a freestanding bonus track featuring no one but him. D makes muddy beats with soul and humour, but this is only an EP after all, and worth some additional study. 6.8/10 (Scott C)

K-Ci & JoJo
Emotional (Universal)
On their latest set, the brothers Hailey continue to mine the familiar, emotion-filled love songs that have become their trademark. To be sure, they continue to bring almost church–like passion to all of their songs, but what’s lacking here is material for them to sink their chops into. When the material does rise to the occasion, like on the gospel-fuelled “How Long” or the emotive “This Very Moment,” they show why they were the better half of Jodeci. Unfortunately those moments are the exception and not the rule here. 6/10 (Gerard Dee)

Norman Granz’ JATP
Carnegie Hall, 1949 (Pablo/Universal)
Run, don’t walk to a store near you. This is like finding the holy grail, over an hour of previously unreleased concert material featuring two groups. One is a Coleman Hawkins Quintet with the influential Fats Navarro on trumpet and a rhythm team of Hank Jones, Ray Brown and Shelly Manne. The other is an all-star set with the same rhythm section, Navarro, both Charlie Parker and Sonny Criss on altos, Flip Phillips on tenor and Tommy Turk on trombone. It boggles the mind that this material sat in some vault for over 50 years. One of the most important finds in recent memory! 10/10 (Len Dobbin)

Pham Duc Thanh
Vietnamese Traditional Dan Bau Music (Oliver Sudden/Festival)
The dan bau is the Vietnamese variation on an Asian musical standard, the single-stringed lap lute. The sharp, wavering tone of the instrument offers more possibilities than one might think, particulary in the capable hands of a player like Montrealer Pham Duc Thanh. A dan bau jockey since the age of six, he breathes life into a series of traditional Vietnamese tunes celebrating life and love. He’s heard here both solo and backed by zither and percussion. For Westerners, the dan bau has a sound that takes a little getting used to - good thing this guy’s on the job to make it an easy and inviting process. 8/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

Katie Bull Conversations With the Jokers (Corn Hill Indie) » No hype! The real thing, a genuine jazz singer who deserves to be widely heard. 10 (LD)

The Heptones Suspicious Minds (Burning Bush/Fusion III) » The Elvis tune and more on this delicious, late-period reissue from Leroy Sibbles & co., lords of sweet soul-reggae. 9 (RB)

Kotai s/t (Elektro Music Dept.) » Dark, processed vocals. Superb, driving, minimal production. What Underworld’s last album should’ve sounded like. 9 (RK)

Stakker Eurotechno (Rephlex) » The squelchy, 303-drenched acid techno soundtrack to the classic 1988 video (that itself inspired a legion of bedroom VJs), available for the first time on CD and vinyl! 8 (RK)

Jets to Brazil Perfecting Loneliness (Jade Tree) » JTB finally shake the emo tag and get around to some pop mastery. 7.5 (JC)

Willie Nelson & Friends Stars & Guitars (Lost Highway/Universal) » Nelson has been inconsistent lately but with help from Keith Richards, Ryan Adams, Aaron Neville, Hank Williams III, Sheryl Crow etc., how could he go wrong? 7.5 (JC)

Valvola Plug-in City Universe (S.H.A.D.O./Triage) » Electroclash presso capella Italiano e DJ ospiti, ogni canzone simile Ladytron, Miss Kittin e the Hacker, Suicide, etc… Bene, ma tipico. 7 (LC)

GZA/Genius Legend of the Liquid Sword (MCA/Universal) » MCA nudges out this lacklustre LP for the Genius with no fanfare, and rightly so. “Did Ya Say That” is dope, though. 6 (SC)

Holopaw self-titled (Sub Pop) » It’s meagre beginnings for these folksy Floridians and Ugly Casanova affiliates, producing little more than a paw-full of hollow. 5 (LC)

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