NEW ORDER
Back to Mine (DMC/Fusion III)
In the hyper-saturated world of the mix CD, it seems that the genre-hoppin'-est are turning out to be the party-rockin'-est (eg. last year's amazing As Heard on Radio Soulwax Pt. 2 from bootleg heroes 2ManyDJs). Now, Manchester legends New Order step up to the plate with an eclectic electro-rock smackdown of rock, hip hop and funk. It includes Missy Elliot, Velvet Underground, a sick, old-school, hard electro hip hop jam by Mantronix and the craziest Cat Stevens song you never heard. The whole thing finishes off with the best outro song ever put to wax, Giorgio Moroder's "E=MC2," a plodding synth-pop ditty where Moroder overdubs the album credits in a vocoded voice at the end. An inspired mix from an inspiring group. 9/10 (Raf Katigbak)

BUZZCOCKS
self-titled (Merge)
At the end of the '70s, this Manchester quartet laid down the template for the pop-punk sound with moments of roaring perfection like "Ever Fallen in Love With Someone" and "Harmony in My Head." A quarter century later they're still at it. Singer Pete Shelley's nasal whine has lost some of its incisive snottiness, but the balance of meaty crunch and clean, streamlined pop tone is still there. Nothing here has the indelible quality that makes their unforgettable early singles sound like they were recorded 10 minutes ago, but neither is it a disappointment or an embarrassment. It's just a good listen. 7/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

THE CARDIGANS
Long Gone Before Daylight (Stockholm/Universal)
Solo projects have passed the time for most of the Cardigans since 1998, and this album sounds more like Nina Persson's depressed, down-home A Camp than anything by the Cardigans. No more sugar pop, no more alt-rock or electronic flirtations, just a series of desperate, broken-hearted ditties. Fluid strings, country rock-coated guitars and minute piano move at a pedestrian pace, with touches of excessive '80s production really sullying matters. Hives and Soundtrack singers lend some backup to their fellow Swedes, but even that is handled clumsily. With only a few meager exceptions, this is a joyless, tuneless album. 5/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

A.R.E. WEAPONS
self-titled (Rough Trade/BMG)
They've got the '80s dance party sounds, cheesebag rock guitars, dumbass jokes, gratuitous NYC references, tinny hip hop and dancehall rhythms and a "socially conscious" closing track called "Hey World." No wonder Vice loves it. This fast, cheap trio offers an electroclash antidote, a grab-bag of kitschy sounds and jokey lyrics that work most of the time. I question this album's shelf life but, this very minute, songs like "Don't Be Scared," "Fuck You Pay Me" and "Bad News" sound like good party music, in a "Fight for Your Right to Party" kind of way. 7/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

SET FIRE TO FLAMES
Telegraphs in Negative/ Mouths Trapped in Static (Alien8/Sonic Unyon)
Yep, they have godspeed! members too. Now let's get to the record, shall we? This two-CD set takes its time and for the most part lets the musical destinations remain obscured. They play with dynamics by utilizing field recordings set against dense strings and slide guitars, playful and cacophonous noise, experimental blips and drones, all of which is washed up in a nice room ambiance (or, in this case, a barn, where this was recorded). Montreal's own Alien8 are resting comfortably alongside Hydra Head, Ipecac and Fat Possum as one of the most important labels going, as this release further proves. 8/10 (Johnson Cummins)

LOUSNAK
self-titled (Mille-Pattes/Dep)
For four years now Armenian Montrealer Lousnak has spearheaded an annual concert commemorating the genocide against her people and celebrating their cultural traditions that have survived. Her debut CD continues the theme on tracks like "Le Baiser de la Terre" or "La Montagne," which carry a palpable sense of tragedy and loss. Elsewhere, though, the mood shifts to the personal and even the playful. Lousnak's full and husky voice, shifting from Armenian to French, rests on a bed of ancient Middle Eastern sounds supplemented by a world of possibilities - marimba, kora, flamenco guitar and more, care of a short who's-who of local talent. 8/10 (Rupert Bottenberg) With guests at Lion d'Or tonight, Thurs., April 24, 8:30pm, $15

RISE ASHEN
Earth Dragon (Fossil Fuel)
The Ottawa contingent (Eric Vani and Trevor Walker) have been anything but sleeping the last little while, working overtime to get some new sounds to the people. Vani continues to contribute with this new album under the name Rise Ashen, a worldly romp that globetrots with ease and conviction. While this record breathes with rhythms and movement, I found that overall, it has a more traditional or indigenous feel than a call to the dancefloor. Perhaps I need to listen further and free up some dead weight, but it still sounds good from where I'm sitting. Watch this guy, 'cause I know he's got more to come. 7.5/10 (Scott C)

SPACEK
Vintage Hi-Tech (K7/Fusion III)
I'm almost certain that most of the people that should have heard Spacek's debut LP Curvatia didn't even know that it was out there. The understated and subtle soul of their second, Vintage Hi-Tech, is ripe with minimal-tech sounds and the airy vocals of Steve Spacek holding it all together. Some songs are so sparse that they require focused listening just to grasp the hint of a musical progression, only to be clarified by Spacek's trademark voice. This is a truly original group right now, combining the head-bop and new soul with sounds and textures usually associated with musique actuelle and granular synthesis. Two worlds collide for an anything but dramatic, yet balanced LP. 8/10 (Scott C)

COIN GUTTER
All Your Dreams Are Meaningless (No Type)
Burgeoning local leftfield label No Type comes on strong with the second release in their "abstract" series, proving that they are certainly a label to watch out for. On the first track, the half-hour long ambient epic "Lift With the Knees," Canadian duo Coin Gutter (Emma Hendrix and Graeme Scott) manage to straddle the line between noise and ambient/concrete electronic music favouring mood over melody. Bursts of noise interrupt echoed and pitched-down classical string samples as operatic vocals and conversation samples are glitched and stuttered. Coin Gutter manage a restrained density that, at the same time, sounds pleasing to the ear. 8/10 (Raf Katigbak)

CHRIS WHITLEY
Hotel Vast Horizon (Messenger)
Whitley continues to be America's greatest unsung writer since the great Towne Van Zant, but Hotel Vast Horizon finds him quite comfortable residing under the radar. Whitley seems as inspired as ever and continues to keep things sparse, this time utilizing the German rhythm section of Heiko Schramm and Matthias Macht. He croaks his words while hugging tightly onto his angular guitar style which really sends this. Whitley doesn't need density to dress up songs this good and can easily walk the rope without a net. 9/10 (Johnson Cummins)

THE CRUSADERS
Rural Renewal (Verve/Universal)
Their first new album in 20 years finds these venerable jazz masters picking up the crusade at full speed. Their trademark blend of jazz, blues, funk and, in this instance, gospel, remains vital, aided here by guests Eric Clapton (whose expert guitar licks light up "Creepin'" and the title track) and gospel powerhouses the Sounds of Blackness and Donnie McClurkin. "A Healing Coming On," the centrepiece of this set, finds the Crusaders' seasoned musicianship providing solid foundation for McClurkin and SOB's roof-raising praise. Elsewhere, the funky "Shotgun House Groove" and the telling "Goin' Home" serve notice that the renewal is complete. 7.5/10 (Gerard Dee)

JILL TOWNSEND
Tales From the Sea (Pagetown)
BILL COON
Speakeasy (Pagetown)
A pair of former Montreal residents now in Vancouver, another Canadian husband and wife team. Townsend, a former trombonist, is now focusing her career on composing and arranging. Her CD is an outing by her big band with music from the pens of Jim Hall, Grant Green and Coon alongside the title piece, her three-part suite. Soloists included Coon, Mike Allen, Brad Turner, Cam Ryga and Dave Robbins. The latter is surprisingly Bill's debut as a leader - his trio with Robbins and Darren Radke joined on selected cuts by Ross Taggart on tenor. A mix of standards and originals like the leaders "Libation with Nation" dedicated to the hard-working Brian Nation. Both have much to offer. Both 9/10 (Len Dobbin)

Mini CD Reviews

JOHN STETCH Standards (Justin Time/Fusion III) » A classy solo outing from another Canadian. The standards included items by Monk, Bird and the pianist himself. 9.5 (LD)

GREENS KEEPERS Present the Ziggy Franklin Radio Show (Classic/Fusion III) » Laidback, late-'70s grooves meet swinging house with enough playful dancefloor bombs to make it worth checking out. 8 (RK)

NATURAL SELF "Solomon" 7" (Tru-Thoughts) » Where do these guys record this shit? Sounds good 'n' dirty... 8 (SC)

UNDER ELECTRIC LIGHT self-titled (independent) » Classic synth pop sounds and modern tones converge on this lovely instrumental EP by Montreal-based Danny Provencher. 8 (LC)

ELECTROCUTE A Tribute to Your Taste EP (Emperor Norton/Outside) » An Austrian and an American walk into a bar and play some cheapo electro-billy about freaks and sugar buzzes. The punchline is that it's not half bad. 7.5 (LC)

GIGI Illuminated Audio (Palm) » Bill Laswell's reconstruction of the breakout CD by Ethiopia's 21st-century pop diva stands satisfactorily on its own. 7.5 (RB)

WHIRLWIND HEAT Do Rabbits Wonder? (Third Man/V2/BMG) » A sharp shock of goofy punk funk in the key of no wave from a Detroit trio produced by citizen Jack White. 7 (LC)

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