Poxy
self-titled (Dusty Tracks/Dep)
Xavier Caféïne's glammy puss front and centre on the cover makes sense as this seems to really be his baby, what with him playing almost all of the instruments. Poxy continues in the direction of his previous band Caféïne's Pornstar but production is crispier, songs are more realized and there are some serious diamonds in this bunch. Poxy are setting their sights high with pop-driven rockers - "I Am Chemical" and "Sweet Tooth" seem like A&R bait and should be a no-brainer for radio programmers. It's not all bubblegum here, either, as the Alice Cooper-esque "Bad Habits" and "Punk Rock Samurai" rock like the dickens, and a cover of Leonard Cohen's "Suzanne" proves Caféïne is no new kid on the block. Poxy expect big things and this debut should give them everything they want. 9/10 (Johnson Cummins) CD launch at Café Campus, Mon., March 1, 9pm, $10
Goldenhorse
Riverhead (Siren/Aquarius)
Despite its remoteness, or maybe due to it, New Zealand generates pretty pop bands the way the Swiss make watches. Precise, tasteful, durable, real top-shelf stuff. Like the Chills, the Mutton Birds and the more high-profile Crowded House before them, this Auckland quintet bang out tunes that are ambitious yet inviting, richly textured and blessed with a certain bucolic ease. Strings and such abet the jangle and glimmer when need be, all wisely assembled. Tying it all up nicely is singer Kirsten Morelle, who sounds, at times, like the Cardigans' Nina Persson but with that super-cute Kiwi accent. 8/10 (Rupert Bottenberg) With Metric and Death From Above at La Sala Rossa, Wed., March 3, 9pm, $15
All Night Radio
Spirit Stereo Frequency (Sub Pop)
If you held a mirror to the sound of this debut album by Beachwood Sparks' Dave Scher and Jimi Hey, the reflection would surely come close to its ultra-trippy artwork. Luckily, though, more time and money were spent on the music. The duo is depicted beaming from a patch of L.A. skyscrapers to a lush green hill as winged radios swoop down nearby. Meanwhile, behind the disc, disembodied cat heads orbit a crude, mecha-organic tangle, a math class-worth of stoner doodling. Yes, it's verdant mid-'60s pop ripe with garbled psychedelia, or the Shins merrily immersed and somehow breathing underwater. 8/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)
controller. controller
History (Paper Bag/Outside)
Okay, at this point the disco-punk revival is all but played out. But the latest (this Toronto quintet) join the greatest (Radio 4 and, well, Radio 4) in doing it well enough to have legs well past the wave. The capable assembly of the obvious elements - shrill guitar jags, trampoline basslines and crude but effective battery - back up the band's strongest card, singer Nirmala. Her steadfast delivery favours conviction over decoration and never overstates the point. Closing on the fierce and tenacious "Watch," this solid six-pack suggests that controller.controller won't be history in six month's time. 8/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)
Greg Davis
Curling Pond Woods (Carpark)
From the guy who, for better or worse, pretty much defined the term "laptop folk" comes a solid album of pop-tinged experimental electronics. While other folktronic artists are still busy recording the same granulated acoustic-guitar sounds over fractured hip hop beats, Greg Davis stays ahead of the curve by delivering a lushly arranged and sonically varied second album. Sure, some folky elements are there, but there's also a touch of psychedelia and pop thanks to his covers of the Incredible String Band's "Air" and Brian Wilson's "At My Window." All in all, it's a wonderfully rich listen from start to finish. 8/10 (Raf Katigbak)
Various
Electroclash Vol. 2 (Mogul Electro)
The Brooklyn cabal is back, namely Larry Tee and his latest batch of electro superstars, along with a few familiar names from yesteryear. Freezepop is one such band, a Boston combo whose airy synth exercise, "Parlez-vous Freezepop," just barely beats out Gater's deadpan sleazoid offering "Water" for best-of-the-bunch. But roughly half of these 18 tracks are little more than cheap, paltry house, so fans of funky electro will find the comp cold and bulimic. Those who lap up that synthetic New York sound, however, are likely to lick the bowl clean. 6.5/10 (Lorraine Carpenter) Larry Tee DJs with Frigid at Unity II tonight, Thurs., Feb. 26, 10pm
DJ Koze
All People Is My Friends (Kompakt/Forced Exposure)
Chalk up another must-have release from German techno label Kompakt. This time, DJ wunderkind Stefan Kozalla, aka DJ Koze, whips up a mix CD in the tradition of a classic mix tape. Eschewing the crossfader on the first third of the release, Koze starts off softly with tracks by Weschel Garland and the brilliant cover of "The Long and Winding Road" by Langley Schools Music Project. From there, Koze brings the listener from den to dancefloor with an up-tempo, four-on-the-floor mix of Isolée, Mr. Oizo, Mathew Jonson, Ricardo Villalobos, Jackmate and Thomas Brinkmann. Combine Koze's skill on the decks with a selection that's as forward thinking as the music itself and you've got one hell of a good mix CD. 8.5/10 (Raf Katigbak)
Kanye West
College Dropout (Def Jam/Roc-a-Fella)
He got his foot in the door sampling eight-bar loops on 45, and has managed to steal some shine from Just Blaze for more than a minute. Kanye West has had great success in the narrow field of the new-school banger, thanks to fruitful production gigs with Jay-Z, Alicia Keys and Ludacris, but it's Kanye himself grabbing the mic on College Dropout. This young lion has come up with a welcome offering in the declining "producer as rapper" category, solidifying himself as a talented soul with a definite handle on the finer points of duality. Following on the heels of "Through the Wire," Kanye's tale of a life changing car accident, and recording with his mouth wired shut, you should watch this dude for future power moves and some really great music. 8/10 (Scott C)
Savath & Savalas
Apropa't (Warp/Outside)
Those of you familiar with the punchy sample butchery of Prefuse 73's Scott Herren might be interested to know that not all of his productions are amazingly succinct chop-and-dice excursions. A collaboration with Barcelona-based Eva Puyuelo Muns, Apropa't finds the two calmly meandering through some beautifully harmonious Latin passages teeming with guitar, accordion, concertina, harp and the serene voice of Muns. This relaxed masterpiece of comfort couldn't be further away from the busy sequences of Prefuse 73, but still offers another insight into the talented musical mind of Scott Herren. 8.5/10 (Scott C)
Terence Trent D'Arby
Wildcard! (Sananda/ Universal)
D'Arby now goes by the moniker Sananda Maitreya and dedicates this disc to "humanity." I guess it's not surprising from the guy who said his debut ('87's The Hardline) would be bigger than the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's. To his credit, his debut and the three albums that followed did have moments of brilliance. His latest has interesting moments too, though it would have been tighter at less than 19 cuts. Bookended by the bass-driven "Designated Fool" and equally catchy "Shadows," the set borders on tedious and then throws in quirky songs like "SRR-636." It's proof positive that D'Arby's still not playing with a full deck. 7/10 (Gerard Dee)
Keb' Mo'
Keep It Simple (Epic/Sony)
Keb may use traditional blues as his touchstone, but by putting in elements of lounge jazz and modern R&B while penning lyrical pearls with catchy arrangement work, he proves to be more than just another blues hack leaning heavily on tradition. The gospel sound on "Let Your Light Shine" provides a great platform for his exquisite dobro slide playing, and in the bluesy ode to B.B. King, "Reilly B. King," guitarist extraordinaire Robben Ford proves he is the best blues six-string slinger around right now. As eclectic as Keb' Mo' gets, when he sings the line, "She ripped my heart to pieces/and tore my soul apart" in "Walk Back In," he the lines like a true bluesman - straight from the gut. 8/10 (Johnson Cummins)
Yoron Israel
Basic Traneing (Ronja)
Lewis Nash
Rhythm Is My Business (Evidence)
Two excellent drummer-led bands here. Israel salutes John Coltrane with his musical buddies who include Jay Hoggard on vibes, reedman Billy Pierce and guitarist Ed Cherry. The music includes "Syeeda's Song Flute" and "Afro Blue." The Nash outing also has great vibes playing in the hands of Steve Nelson, and Mulgrew Miller and Peter Washington join the leader to form a great rhythm team. The music is "Monk's Dream" and Harold Arlen's "My Shining Hour" plus originals by people like Roland Hanna, Walter Davis Jr. and Don Pullen. Both CDs have plenty of music worthy of repeated hearings. Israel 8.5/10, Nash 9/10 (Len Dobbin)
Mini CD Reviews
Marlene VerPlanck It's How You Play the Game (Audiophile) An under-appreciated singer, 16 well-chosen songs, "Cocktails at Dawn" and the title track, great new ones by her husband Billy. 9.5 (LD)
Four Tet "As Serious As Your Life" 12" (Domino/Outside) Jay Dee flips Tet Detroit style with the help of Guilty Simpson. Running guitar + hot drums + crazy overdubs = classic shit. 9 (SC)
Caro "Super Contact Danse" 12" (Orac) A bouncy, Super Collider-esque tech-house workout from this Washington label, inspired by one of Montreal's proudest attractions (check the stompin' Ben Neville remix). 7.5 (RK)
Grant-Lee Phillips Virginia Creeper (Zoë/Rounder) Indie-glam man goes roots, slowly spinning antique yarns with silken vocals and rustic arrangements. 7 (LC)
The Flatlanders Wheels of Fortune (New West) You kids stop playing in the middle of the road, you're gonna get run over. 6.5 (JC)
Eric Clapton Me and Mr. Johnson (Reprise/Warner) I don't know if it's all the aluminum in my diet but for the life of me, I can't remember Slowhand and I laying down these tracks. 6 (JC)
The Mountain Goats We Shall All Be Healed (4AD/Select) U.S. cult act base their stark, dark and angry tenth album on old speed-freak friends who "are probably dead or in jail now." Unpleasant on many levels. 6 (LC)
Kylie Minogue Body Language (Capitol/EMI) I'm digging the featherweight robo-funk and the crypto-Bardot makeover, but Kylie's whiny, pseudo-sistah vocal stylings truly grate. More body talk, less gaudy squawk. 4 (RB)
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