Marlowe
He Is There and He's Funny (Either-Or/Universal)
It's been six quiet years since this local quintet's debut, Galax-Sea, but with a triple shot of new blood (their drummer, bassist and keyboardist), more diverse influences (post-rock, ambient IDM etc.) and loftier goals, this album essentially buries its predecessor. The rich, epic "Roman Empire" harks back to Spiritualized's better days, but, apart from the mellow Britpop appeal of "Labour Day," it's something of an anomaly. The remainder of the disc deals in beautifully orchestrated, melodic minutia, patient guitar riffs, keyboard lines and vocals dropped and layered delicately and sparingly. The minimal approach never mutes or confines the songs, and that's this album's power. 9/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

The Evaporators
Ripple Rock (Mint-Nardwuar/Outside)
Here's a belated Xmas stocking for you. B.C.'s longstanding garage punk goofs the Evaporators return with a fat, fun batch of noisy new crap, supplemented with an EP's worth of pseudo-Jamaican cheese from Thee Dublins (alter-ego band of Thee Goblins, which is, uh, the alter-ego band of the Evaporators). But the clincher is the "journalistic" exploits of the band's intrepid, idiot/savant "singer," Nardwuar the Human Serviette. Audio and video clips catch him hassling celebs like Snoop Dogg and Jello Biafra, and politicians like Gorbachev and Chrétien, with really, really dumb questions (except Dan Quayle, who really should have known who our Prime Minister was). Hours of stupid fun! 8/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

A.S. Dragon
Spanked (Tricatel/Fusion III)
Formed in 2001 to back singer and Tricatel boss Bertrand Burgalat on tour, this band later adopted Natacha, a bilingual singer with a voice for every mood and style that courses through this restless debut album. While her ground shifts from soulful nu-rock to lush, radio-ready pop to banging punk to classic rock to psychedelic electropop, Natacha plays the cool chanteuse française, the commanding rock goddess, the impassioned orator, the gruff, smokey punk and the theatrical extrovert. Beyond versatile, diverse or eclectic, A.S. Dragon balance four bands' worth of gear, ideas and rock sonics and, in the end, still manage to sound like one great band. 8/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

Dirty Tricks
Bloody Breakfast (Grabuge)
With a rash of recent releases, Montreal has led the charge of Canada's underground rock scene as of late, and this five-song tease shows this local band's superior export appeal. Ex-members of Suck La Marde and Born Dead Icons, Dirty Tricks make no bones about their punk rock background, but manage to rock like the dickens while shedding all of the cock-rock posing clichés. The title track is Scandinavian-fuelled and relentless, and "Rebound" does bring Turbonegro to mind, but it's songs like the charged-up "Gascon" and "Yellow Patient, Wristband" that distance them from the throngs of rehashed Motörhead riffs. Can't wait for the full-length, and kudos to Seripop for the kick-ass package. 8.5/10 (Johnson Cummins)

The Fallout Project
Architecture Breeds Rust (Dare to Care)
Armed with the discordant pain and panoramic vision of early Neurosis, Quebec City's Fallout Project yank out a brutal affair on this second effort. The droning Kyuss psychedelia pulls you in on "An Open Wound Bleeding Loose" and "When the Cure Becomes the Disease," as extraneous noise and sampling loom over top, before imploding into metal dirge. Lyrically, the band provoke thought but don't fall into P.C. traps, ringing through with heartfelt misanthropy, dissent, honesty and rage. The Fallout Project's expert use of dynamics let the songs breathe, taking in the journey between destinations. Absolutely crushing - fans of Neurot records are going to be all over this like a fat kid on a Smartie. 9/10 (Johnson Cummins)

Shalabi Effect
Pink Abyss (Alien8)
Ostensibly an exploration of pop music, the latest from Montreal's Shalabi Effect is as comparable to the catchy sunshine jams of classic pop as their previous efforts were to the hoary spacerock of Hawkwind and such. That is to say, the group (a capable who's-who of the local avant-garde) creates a fucked-up, funhouse-mirror reflection of the subject, in this case grand orch-pop, early art-rock and sundazed witch-hippie folk. While Pink Abyss has the vocals and more melody than previous SE joints, tenebrous textures - fine-tuned fog and fizzle - take precedence over sugary hooks. What "pop" pops through, though, sticks with an eerie, patient tenacity. Mysterious, moving, but never maudlin. 8/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

Total Shutdown
The Album (Load)
With their 90-second blasts of punk-metal-jazz-spazcore, this San Fran five-piece ups the ante for fellow noise-core bands like Lightning Bolt and the Locust with a solid album of freaky-deaky sonic treachery. What sets TS apart from the rest are the calmer, droning passages that meld broken and bent electronics with ambient guitar tones. But don't be fooled into thinking this is some kind of arty ambient shit "cause Total Shutdown bring the noise in a big way - imagine John Zorn and early Boredoms invading a Radio Shack as Napalm Death, the Tasmanian Devil and Cookie Monster provide three-part harmonies. 8/10 (Raf Katigbak)

Rcola & Jackie Murda
21 Murda Shots (Chopstick Dubplate)
Ring the alarm! Montreal's Chopstick Dubplate crew has just dropped 21 reasons to expect huge things from these guys this year. The deviant duo of Jackie Murda and Rcola come hard with digital Sleng-Teng/Stalag bass and Amen breaks a-flying as ragga junglists all over the city rejoice. If you're a fan of the old-school jungle sound or even part of the new breed of Sean Paul fans, pick up this mix to experience the rawness of the Chopstick sound. Deejays like Pinchers, Junior Reid, General Pecos and BK3 are all given their due on this expertly mixed and produced hour-long mix. 7/10 (Raf Katigbak)

Various
Gommagang Zwei (Gomma/Fusion III)
Looking both back through "03 and forward to the new year, this second label overview from Bavaria's Gomma covers a lot of ground. Kicking off on some rigid e-funk for the fashionistas and quasi-rap for the queasy-listening set, the comp carries on to a taste of the alte Schule German no-wave and bedroom art-pop (from the Teutonik Disaster comps) and, notably, the deutsche dada gypsy rock of Kamerakino. That's capped by sweet, lazy loungecore from Poets of Rhythm and a pair by guerilla goofball Mocky. Toll! 7.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

Billy Nova
Heartcore (HLM/Local)
Local head Billy Nova builds on the hometown momentum of High Life Music with the release of his first album on the Montreal label. Nova rhymes bold and confident, with a tonality that finds him holding company with Ludacris, Roots Manuva and Chali Tuna, exploring both the club and some more personal moments. Producer Al-Bored provides a superb variety of beats, giving Nova more than enough space to display the many directions from which he's coming. "Champion Lova" sticks nicely in the brain while "Money" and "Where Do We Go?" both enjoy definite staying power. A tightly woven debut from a local MC to watch. 8/10 (Scott C)

Chris Tarry
Project 33 (Black Hen/Maximum Jazz)
In the continuing creative saga of Juno-winning bass player Chris Tarry comes a recording with a strong ability to exist outside the confines of progressive jazz and all of its entanglements. Tarry is no stranger to this world, having successfully released several albums with equally ambitious intentions. Along with saxophonist Kelly Jefferson, Chris Gestrin on piano and Jesse Zubot handling the drum programming, Tarry nabs percussion king Mino Cinelu to help things along. Although Zubot's programming might leave some knob-twisters wanting, the skills of the other players are enough to overlook this minor speed-bump. All in all, I hope Tarry continues to venture outside of the walls built between modern jazz and popular music. 7.5/10 (Scott C)

Alicia Keys
The Diary of… (J/BMG)
Keys' career began as a paradox: a classically trained pianist of the hip-hop generation who sang sophisticated R&B songs twice her age. Her second effort puts that paradox and any question of a sophomore slump to rest as she delivers a confident set of tracks, and assertively steps into her own. It was convenient to dismiss Keys as a "70s pretender solely based on her "01 debut, but with the kinds of riffs and song structures that mark the title track and the emotive "If I Ain't Got You," it's clear that the retro vibes in this diary are all her own. 8.5/10 (Gerard Dee)

Mike Kaplan
How's That (Semi Sweet)
This big-sounding nonet would make a great initial purchase for 2004. The tenor-saxophone-playing leader is joined by players such as trumpeter Bill Mobley, Ed Xiques on baritone and soprano and bassist Doug Weiss, with guitarist Rick Langmaack guesting on four of the nine tracks. The arrangements are by Kaplan and altoman Bob Hanlon and we have six originals plus "Bye-Ya" by Monk, "Firm Roots" by Cedar Walton and "The Crawl" by Mickey Tucker. A fine outing by a new name. 9/10 (Len Dobbin)

Mini CD Reviews

Paul Hindemith Hindemith Conducts Hindemith (Deutsche Grammophon/Universal) A superb three-CD reissue box including "The Four Temperaments." 10 (LD)

Roy Ayers "Searching"/'Brand New Feeling" 12" (BBE) BBE releases the first of a cache of Roy Ayers goodies that never saw the light of day! 10 (SC)

Boban Markovic Orkestar Boban I Marko (Piranha/Fusion III) The Serbian Gypsy brass-master in the studio this time, with guests including his 15-year-old son Marko and Frank London's crew. Talk about horns of plenty! 9 (RB)

The Unintended self-titled (Blue Fog/Sonic Unyon) Blue Rodeo's Greg Keelor and the Sadies roll up some banana peels with Elevator's Rick White to record a disc that sets its controls for the heart of the sun. Freak out! 8 (JC)

Crack WAR Cosmic Mind Flight (Tigerbeat 6) Myth is officially in for 2004! Forget the cold, blasé, Eurotrash übercool of electronic bands past. It's all about songs with titles like "Sparrow Hawkman" and "Black Horse Rise." 7 (RK)

Buffseeds Sparkle Me EP (Fantastic Plastic/BMG) Following Placebo and Muse's trail with their androgynous tongue and emo drama, this new U.K. quartet veer from rocky terrain for more verdant pastures. 7 (LC)

Dutch Oven Now Serving (Drunk Rock) Local bong-bubblers worship at the altar of Tony Iommi and Labatt 50. You likee! 7 (JC)

Earl Slick Zig Zag (Sanctuary/ BMG) Bowie's guitarist (mid-'70s, currently) lets his fingers do the talking on half-hearted rock instrumentals, interspersed with so-so songs co-written and sung by Robert Smith, Joe Elliot, Bowie etc. 6 (LC)

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