The Silver Hearts
Our Precious City (Killer)
Maybe it's a collective body heat issue, but the Canadian indie scene keeps generating these alt-cool orchestras with odd instruments and head counts in the double digits. Peterborough, Ontario's Silver Hearts fit that bill, though they pass on the Pet Sounds and neo-classical elements present in so many of the rest. Their bag is roots music, composed and played with care, creativity and a bit of a smirk. The mood in their haunted honky-tonk runs from lugubrious laments to boisterous boogies, drawing in touches of ragtime, country, blues and cabaret. Alternately eerie, exuberant, earnest and snarky (they titled a tune "Wow! Look at Jesus Go"), but solid and engaging throughout. 8.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg) At la Sala Rossa tonight, Thurs., April 15, 9pm

Muse
Absolution (Warner)
Those who miss the theatrical swirl of Britrock, pre-trad/dad takeover, are probably already fans of Muse. Newcomers will need to get over Matt Bellamy's doppelgänger voice (I won't drop that name again), as rich and versatile as it is, and ride with the grandiose guitars, stately orchestral manouevres and feverish piano work that blow the roof off this third album, a project fuelled by leftist fervour. There's relief from the dramatic furor in tranquil orchestrated passages and electronic interludes, a necessary device in any rock opera, which is essentially what this is. 8/10 (Lorraine Carpenter) With the Exit at the Spectrum, Sun., April 18, 8:30pm, $15

The Wildhearts
Riff After Riff (Gearhead)
These U.K. riff-slingers have always enjoyed success at home and in Europe and Japan, but never got solid footing on this side of the pond. After years of misfires due to "dancing with Mr. Brownstone," the Wildhearts are cleaned up and firing on all cylinders again. This album definitely coughs up riff after glorious riff, but the nods to melody and harmony make it a memorable affair. If you enjoy your Cheap Trick mixed up with your Motörhead, the Wildhearts are your band. 7.5/10 (Johnson Cummins)

The Defectors
Turn Me On! (Bad Afro/Fusion III)
The Defectors make no bones about where their roots lie - these Danish longhairs stomp out garage played at its snottiest, touching occasionally on some heavy psychedelia with the mindbenders "Sleepwalking" and "The Zoom Out." Farfisa organ and fuzzed-out guitars take the forefront as the band cranks out songs that would have Little Stevie's legion fruggin' out. Despite being a middle-aged guy from Aarhus, Denmark, singer Mort Harder perfects the mid-'60s, middle-American teen-angst howl, and you have to give the band extra cool points for having the cojones to rip off the Moving Sidewalks' classic "99th Floor" almost note for note. 8/10 (Johnson Cummins)

Tortoise
It's All Around You (Thrill Jockey)
There are no major departures or arrivals on this LP, number five for the renowned Chicago quintet, who clearly strive to hone and refine rather than branch out. A few "oohs" and "ahs" by singer Kelly Hogan ("The Lithium Stiffs") and a spot of fantastic, turbulent dub ("Dot/Eyes") barely upset the flow of their trademark sounds: the smooth union of melody and groove, the patter of little polyrhythms, the politely intersecting guitars, vibes and xylophones, the cinematic surge of strings and the understated electronic gurgles, all spaced and layered to achieve a thoroughly comfortable voyage for the neo-boho set. 8/10 (Lorraine Carpenter) With Four Tet and Beans at Club Soda, Sat., April 17, 8pm, $20, all ages

Coral Egan
My Favorite Distraction (Justin Time/Fusion III)
Daughter of Karen Young, collaborator with Charles Papasoff, Upstairs regular and Juno nominee for her debut collection of standards - Egan has her jazz credentials locked down. But they don't lock her down, as this second album (all original material) deftly displays. She weaves together jazz, folk, soul and soft rock into a whole greater than the sum of its parts, something distinctly her own. Papasoff's production here is lush yet precise, like Egan's full-bodied vocals. If there's a weakness, it's in the lyrics, a little too obvious and spelled out. But the music's solid, beautiful and complex without being - um, distracting. 8/10 (Rupert Bottenberg) With Paul Cargnello, at Cabaret, Fri., April 16, 8:30pm, $23

Battery Operated + Made
Aprotic (Cocosolidciti)
While Battery Operated have retained much of their abstract melodies and digital found-sound manipulations on this third release, Aprotic is certainly their most accessible. This is probably due in no small part to the heavy beat trickery of Manchester's Mike Williamson, aka Made, whose twisted rhythmic structuring perfectly complements Battery's atonal melodies, gurgling synths and ill soundtrack feeling, giving the record a dark yet playful carnival feeling. A great haunting listen for heady electro types, electro-acoustic punters or even hip hop heads looking for out-there sounds. 8/10 (Raf Katigbak)

To Rococo Rot
Hotel Morgen (Domino/Outside)
Sounding much like their excellent effort The Amateur View, the German trio's first album on U.K. post-everything label Domino is a blissed-out sweep of rainy-day melodies and quiet-time atmospheres. While the first half is perfect headphone-nodding-wandering-the-streets-at-6-a.m. music, the middle section picks up with an emphasis on more techy beats and grooves, only to return to the smooth ambiences again after two tracks. Fuse the loopy ambient symphonics of Cologne's Gas, the haunting vibes of Chicago's Tortoise and the German über-cool of Tarwater and Mapstation and you've got yourself Hotel Morgen, one heck of a warm listen. 8/10 (Raf Katigbak)

Nas
10 Year Anniversary Illmatic Platinum Series (Columbia/Sony)
The prodigious gift bestowed upon Nasir Jones is more than apparent on this instant classic, first released in '94. Nas silenced all the critics, speaking volumes about "trife life" in the projects, bringing a new grit and reality to topics that had become commonplace. He spat ultra-vivid scenes that many heads could visualize and poetically broke down the frustration and elation of life in Queens, New York. This re-issue also includes four remixes and two unreleased tracks, not really enough to get excited about but enough to peddle past work of this young genius to a whole new generation. If you don't already have this album in your hip hop collection, you know what to do. 9/10 (Scott C)

4Hero
The Remixes (Raw Canvas/Vital)
The long and fruitful musical résumé of 4Hero reads like the makings of one really great compilation, making this first volume of key remixes essential. Two discs here, one of remixes they've done for Metalheadz, Terry Callier, Nuyorican Soul and others, the other of 4Hero remixes by people like Bugz in the Attic, DJ Spinna and Masters at Work. This collection of only some of the many re-interpretations that Marc Mac and Dego MacFarlane have produced and inspired captures some of the genius that has made this duo two of the most important and prolific producers of contemporary black music. Moving from D&B to house, hip hop, lush string arrangements and percussive heaven, this double LP comes highly recommended. 8/10 (Scott C)

Marques Wyatt
Horizons (Om/Fusion III)
Since '84, DJ Marques Wyatt has emerged as Los Angeles's reigning duke of uplifting dance music. At Deep, L.A.'s best venue for the hottest in soulful house, Wyatt built a rep over the years that has brought him to global in-demand status. With his extensive remix and DJ comp work, Wyatt's turns at the console haven't been too shabby either. On Horizons, Wyatt maps out an excursion through what makes him tick with an array of emotionally charged housers ranging from gospel to R&B to Afro-Latin in style. Osunlande, Kathy Brown, Louie Vega and E Man are all enlisted for this inspirational groove parade as Marques makes his mark. 9/10 (Peter Lightburn)

Goapele
Even Closer (Skyblaze/Sony)
It's been a long road for San Francisco-based soul singer Goapele (pronounced "gwa-pa-lay"). Her debut was released on an indie label as an EP in 2001 under the name Closer. Now a major-label release, this version adds five tracks to the original set list. Steeped in a mixture of contemporary soul and jazz, with a touch of blues, Goapele's laid-back style is occasionally punctuated with more upbeat flavour, like the fatalistic, reggae-driven "The Daze." But mainly she favours a subdued musical approach, even when her subject matter gets more urgent ("Salvation," "Childhood Drama"). On the intriguing anti-war "Red, White & Blues," she lets her political edge shine through. 7.5/10 (Gerard Dee)

Bill Charlap
Somewhere (Blue Note/EMI)
Fred Hersch Trio
+ 2 (Palmetto/Fusion III)
Two very different pianists with exquisite taste - both lead trios that are among the best working on today's jazz scene. The former is joined by the (unrelated) Washingtons, Peter and Kenny, the latter Drew Gress and Nasheet Waits (following in the footsteps of his father, drummer Frederick). Charlap is heard on a dozen compositions by Leonard Bernstein, with "Jump" and "Glitter and Be Gay" good starting points for the listener. As the title suggests, Fred adds Tony Malaby (tenor sax) and Ralph Alessi (trumpet) on a set that is made up of nine originals and the Beatles' "And I Love You." Try "Lee's Dream," a Hersch tribute to Lee Konitz, and his ideas on "You Stepped Out of a Dream" changes. Both sessions work well and will appeal to two different audiences. Both 9.5/10 (Len Dobbin)

Mini CD Reviews

Rabih Abou-Khalil Morton's Foot (Enja/Justin Time/Fusion III) Another gem with Mirabassi, Biondini and titles like "Waltz for Dubbya" and "Lobotomie Mi Baba Lu." 9 (LD)

Hella/Four Tet Divorce Series 7" Number One (Ache) Sacramento guit/drum duo Hella give a calculated melodic noise blast while Kieran Hebden provides further proof that he's a fucking organic sampling genius. 8.5 (RK)

Satyricon Volcano (Kaliedoscope/Sony) Just when you thought black metal was dead, Satyricon come along and redefine the genre. 8 (JC)

Various Thingmaker (Gearhead) Gearhead is the new Sub Pop of underground rock 'n' roll. Get on board, you hipster you! 8 (JC)

Tony Ezzy Outer Space Fantasy (independent) Ezzy's back! Rockin' joints like "Luck Tony" and "Crazy M.F.' - wake up! 8 (SC)

Elf Power Walking With the Beggar Boys (Orange Twin) Athens, GA, characters cram hyper college pop, acid-washed rock, dark electronics and waltz time into one easy-going indie sing-along. 7.5 (LC) With Zum Zum at Café de la Petite Gaule, Tues., April 20, 9pm, $10

The Butchies Make Yr Life (Yep Roc) Bubblegum rock that's palatable (for the ladies and the fags et al.), but not quite digestible. 6 (LC)

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