Various
Dimitri From Paris: In the House (Defected/ Fusion III)
To wide acclaim, Dimitri has stupefied global audiences with dynamic DJ sets and well-crafted albums (Sacre Bleu, Playboy Mansion). On this latest outing for dancefloors, the goods are delivered once again in blistering fashion. Afro-house workouts, '70s disco flavours and other cuts bearing Dimitri's remix handprint barrel by in a heady onslaught. Eschewing predictable big-room anthems, the Parisian sticks with more timeless cuts that resonate emotionally. Lil' Louis's "New Dance Beat" is one example. Rounding out this three-disc package is a bonus CD-ROM which features Dim working the decks and conversing about his turntable MO. In the House is a runaway blockbuster as Dimitri shows who's da man. 9/10 (Peter Lightburn) At Living tonight, Thurs., March 11, 10pm, $10

Les Mod's
Bang Sister Bang (Atlantis)
You won't see these Montrealers on any scooter runs, decked out in parkas or any of that shit. This is an unadulterated rock experience, one foot in the garage and the other in the gutter, but these sludge slingers keep things interesting with a little '70s R&B and country thrown in the mix. Standing somewhere between the Spaceshits and Tricky Woo, les Mod's fire out some vicious rockers like "Let Me Tell Ya," but switch gears with the Stevie Wonder shuffle of "Stone Fox" and the psychedelic closer "The Player." Nice to see Factor spilling taxpayer cash on good local rock 'n' roll releases instead of the tepid singer/songwriter crap they usually back. 8/10 (Johnson Cummins) MiMi showcase with Starvin Hungry and les Pugilists at la Sala Rossa Fri., March 12, 9pm, $6

Various
Zombie Night in Canada (Stumble)
The track list's stacked with more zombies than the forthcoming, dubious-looking Dawn of the Dead remake, suggesting a hair-raising, horrorizin' psychobilly shakedown. That facet of Canadian retro rock 'n' roll is certainly represented here, but this comp makes a point of showing how varied the punk-surf-rockabilly axis is this side of the border. Just the Montreal selections - which make up a third of the CD - range from the tough-as-leather traditionalism of the Alley Dukes and the knowledgeable, nice-guy stylings of the Howlin' Hound Dogs to the borderline hardcore bite of the Brains and stripped-down, one-man racket of Bloodshot Bill. 7.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg) CD launch with Crazy Rhythm Daddies, Gutter Demons, Alley Dukes, Bloodshot Bill, Flesh and the documentary Psychobilly: A Cancer on Rock 'n' Roll at Missy Bar, Sat., March 13, 9pm, $7

Various
Shite 'n' Onions Vol. 1 (Omonium)
Celtic-inspired punk rawk, to help you along with your St. Paddy's Day celebration of inebriation. Canada's own Mahones head it up with a couple of crusty numbers about booze, complete with penny whistle, accordion and vocals that betray a pint o' Guinness too many. Hey, hold the phone a minute, that actually describes all of the 15 bands here. All 22 songs touch on only three subjects - getting wasted at the pub, nationalism or the green-eyed lassy that got away - and all of them are sent home with a sped-up Pogues beat and a soccer chant chorus that just makes this sound like one long song. No thanks. Being the good, rosy-nosed mick that I am, I'll be spending St. Paddy's getting hammered to the sounds of the Clancy Brothers. "Oh, the whisky's in the jar, oooooooh!" Cough, cough. 4/10 (Johnson Cummins)

Xiu Xiu
Fabulous Muscles (5 Rue Christine)
This San Jose gang can't seem to climb out of the dumps, particularly singer, guitarist, and synth-player Jamie Stewart, whose life has been more bitter than sweet lately. The songs on this dazzling downer of a third album deal with war, suicide, molestation and new love, but even the lone love song, with its genteel acoustic guitar, is a twisted, morbid mash note. Contrast is high, with near-dance beats, screeching electronics and raw howls on one end, and soft, supple melodies, half-whispers and synth crackles 'n' fuzz on the other, all exquisitely thrown together in an orgy of depression. 8/10 (Lorraine Carpenter) With Little White Lights at la Sala Rossa, Tues., March 16, 9pm, $10

Laval
Memory Folder (independent)
Laval gets a bum rap. Okay, so a few tanorexics with one-piece glittery spandex peek-a-boo jumpsuits give the town a bad name, but let's not forget all the great things that come out of there too. The mind-bending acid wonderland that is the Cosmodome is one, and this band is another. The duo of Martin Robillard and Jason Sanchez has put together a solid math-rock record that unfolds like a story. With the sweet intimacy and creative arrangements of a Jim O'Rourke or Polvo, each track plays out like a separate musical chapter replete with morphing time signatures, delicate instrumentation, and emotive, introspective melodies. Excellent! 8.5/10 (Raf Katigbak)

Lucien-n-Luciano
Blind Behaviour (Peacefrog/ Fusion III)
Anyone who was witness to the vulgar display of ass-shakin' at his Mutek performance last year will know that 26-year-old Swiss-born Chilean producer Lucien Nicolet is the balls. Like his Euro-Chilean peers before him (Atom Heart, Dandy Jack, Ricardo Villalobos), he combines the upbeat melodies and rhythms of South America with the futuristic pulse of techno. On the opener "Alain Brito," monotone Kraftwerk robot vocals in Spanish meet heavy dub bass and head-bobbing keyboard skank. "La Ondita" is a downtempo nugget featuring the sweet vocals of Cassy Britton, while light touches of Autechre-ish glitchery comes through best on the eighth track "Coquillage." 8.5/10 (Raf Katigbak)

Mossman Meets Vander
self-titled (BassMaBoom/Local)
Naysayers beware! The busy hands of Mossman have returned to team up with Colocs bass player Vander for the next exploration into the Montreal Dub Sound System studio sessions. Moss continues to man the boards, collaborating with yet another band of capable musicians, headed by the multi-talented Vander (guitar, melodica, keyboards, xylophone and vocals). Your love of reggae music will never be the same after you hear Moss singing on "It's All About You," never mind the flute-laden sounds of the lead-footed "Elephantasmagoria." As long as these studio collaborations continue, the reputation and scope of the Montreal Dub Sound System can only broaden. 7.5/10 (Scott C) At Quai des Brûmes, Sun., Mar. 14, 10pm, free

JC Chasez
Schizophrenic (Jive/BMG)
Hmmm. Maybe a better name for this would have been "chameleon." Don't get me wrong, I like the first solo outing from this 'NSync alumnus. It's just that listening to it fills my head with memories of Prince, Jamiroquai ("She Got Me"), Gary Numan, Donna Summer, Lenny Kravitz ("If You Were My Girl"), Eurythmics, KC & the Sunshine Band and a bunch of other artists that Chasez no doubt wants to emulate. Maybe he's just a little too good at it. No matter, he delivers a set of mainly upbeat, catchy-as-hell dance grooves that are definitely a step up from anything he did with his former boy band. 7.5/10 (Gerard Dee)

Amp Fiddler
Waltz of a Ghetto Fly (Genuine/Select)
Detroit's Joseph Anthony "Amp" Fiddler is one of those guys whose love for jazz, R&B, soul, funk and hip hop have translated into a versatile grasp on music production across the board. Waltz of a Ghetto Fly contains collaborations with George Clinton, Raphael Saadiq and Jay Dee, to name a few of the people that he's been able to sit beside in the studio. Although Amp's singing voice is raspy and slight, perhaps not as strong as those of some of the vocalists he works with, he still belts it out throughout this record, completing the circle as performer and producer. Hot picks include the classic "Eye to Eye" and the interpolated Jay Dee beat on the title track. 7/10 (Scott C)

The Bad Plus
Give (Columbia/Sony)
How often does jazz genuinely kick ass? This bass-drums-piano trio from the American Midwest brings the hard touch, loading up their complex, crafty, anarchic tunes with a crunch, a punch and a dynamic ferocity rarely witnessed in the jazz world. Thus it's the rock kids who've caught on to the Bad Plus and their balls-out boogie-woogie ("Layin' a Strip for the Higher-Self State Line"), Latin left hooks ("Cheney Piñata") and jackhammer lounge anthems ("Dirty Blonde"). The favour's returned as the Ornette Coleman cover cohabits with takes on the Pixies and - sweet Jesus, have mercy - Sabbath's "Iron Man." No bad, all plus. 8.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

Norah Jones
Feels Like Home (Blue Note/EMI)
Feels like a long ride in a mule-driven elevator, actually. I'm tempted to call Jones the adult-contemporary Britney Spears. Hear me out. A fetching kid of acceptable if unremarkable talent, competent backing (the Handsome Band, here) and interesting guests (Dolly Parton, Levon Helm, a tune from Tom Waits) to prop her up and, well, the obscene quantity of units moved. Millions of human beings seem to crave this sort of bank-lobby country-jazz-pop, this bland, uninspired, unthreatening mediocrity. I'm glad they're happy. Me, I'm waiting for Diana Krall's tongue down her throat on live TV. 2/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

Johnny Griffin Quartet
The Kerry Dancers (Riverside-OJC/ Universal)
Subtitled "and other swinging folk," this is, just in time for St. Paddy's day, a reissue of sessions done in NYC in late '61 and early '62 by a quartet led by tenorman Griffin with superb backing by Detroit pianist Barry Harris, bassist Ron Carter (also from the Motor City) and drummer Ben Riley, a native of Savannah, GA. The "Kerry Dancers" are here along with "Danny Boy" and the interesting program also includes a pair, "25 * Daze" and "Ballad for Monsieur," by the overlooked Sara Cassey, an important composer. A topnotch outing from the man they once called "the fastest tenorman in Chicago." 9/10 (Len Dobbin)

Mini CD Reviews

Nas "One Love" (Sikh Knowledge edit) (Burbs) Anit licks shots, but gets caught holding half the bag. Serious rework here, but I need it all. 9 (SC)

Martha Raye Sweetheart of Song (Collector's Choice) These wartime air checks show the comedienne to be the founding member of a school of jazz singing that includes Anita O'Day and June Christy! 9 (LD)

Soltero Defrocked and Kicking the Habit (Handsome) Really stunning and bummed-out stuff. Kind of like Calvin Johnson singing Nick Drake songs. 8.5 (JC)

Numbers In My Mind All the Time (Tigerbeat6) Picking up where their debut Life left off, this is more high-energy, off-kilter keyboard skronk, jagged guitar, disco-punk drums and angry vocals. Awesome! 8 (RK)

Preston School of Industry Monsoon (Matador/Beggars) A pleasant singer-songwriter sophomore disc that dwells in the pasture and lingers too long in the M.O.R. 6.5 (LC)

Clearlake Cedars (Domino) Like a shit sundae, this Brit-rock album has a sweet cherry on top ("Almost the Same") but instantly turns so foul you may need medical attention. 4 (LC)

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