No Means No
The People's Choice (AntAcidAudio)
No simple task, gathering the finest of No Means No's shining moments onto one measly CD, but this retrospective does a good job, covering a lot of ground from early stuff like "Body Bag" to "Angel and Devil." What many would call a lack of cohesion throughout is actually No Means No's secret weapon. Like all truly great bands, they never settled for a formula sound and have constantly evolved despite the infrequency of their releases. Of course, you'll wonder why gems like "Manic Depression," anything off their original Mama demo or their work with Jello Biafra aren't represented, but I don't think that's really the point here. Hopefully The People's Choice is going to get folks digging up the old stuff, as their career is too great to fit into 45 minutes. If these guys aren't Canada's greatest band, I don't know who is. 9.5/10 (Johnson Cummins)

M. Ward
Transfiguration of Vincent (Merge)
This Portland-based singer-songwriter strikes a rare chord on his sophomore LP, blending starry-eyed folk, visceral blues and Tin Pan piano with aa timeless bittersweetness. Backed by San Francisco's Old Joe Clarks (sadly, not a reference to our two-minute PM), Ward sings about dead men, decapitation and undertakers in sultry velvet tones and fragile falsettos that suggest romantic intimations rather than morbid, mournful elegies. With touches of rock guitar and vintage synths - and an amazingly tender cover of Bowie's "Let's Dance" - this is a casual roots record, not a purist retro one, a record that will appeal to fans of Tom Waits, Nick Drake, Brook Benton, Grandaddy and all stops in between. 9/10 (Lorraine Carpenter) With My Morning Jacket at Café Campus, Sat., May 29, 7:30pm, $18.50

The Dresden Dolls
self-titled (8ft./Universal)
Boston duo the Dresden Dolls - drummer Brian Viglione and singer/pianist Amanda Palmer - arrive in a flurry of makeup, meds and mayhem. Their debut album balances an elegantly sleazy Weimar-cabaret sensibility with the dark, damaged romanticism of Goth and the snarling crash-bang-clatter of punk. While Viglione's no slouch at the kit, it's Palmer who carries the show with her grim but amusing lyrics and her way with a keyboard - sparse and haunting one moment, fierce and furious the next. The latter's typified by the letter-of-introduction track "Girl Anachronism," as funny as it is violent. 8.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

Rhythm King and Her Friends
I Am Disco (Kitty-Yo/Fusion III)
Between their knack for melody and their ease on the keys, these fraüleins fuel their loose-limbed electropop with fun, and without stooping to tired bimbo tactics. Berlin-based Linda Wolfel, Pauline Boudry and Sara John also carry on the electro tradition of multilingualism, singing, speaking and yelling through megaphones in English, French and a touch of Bulgarian. Despite a slightly shambolic lo-fi aesthetic, they build a rich sound with simple guitar and keyboard lines and an array of bouncy beats and cool samples, like butch Go-Go's of the 21st century. 8/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

Felix Da Housecat
Devin Dazzle and the Neon Fever (Emperor Norton/Outside)
Before you push play on this album, you need to try and forget two things. The first is the horde of vapid sub-par acts that have all but killed the electropop sound (WIT who?) and the next thing is the lyrical content on most of this album (fashion, sex, technology and neon lights - again). Ready? Now listen. After changing the electropop game with his Kittenz and Thee Glitz album three years ago, Felix has crafted another musically rich technopop album that teeters between post-punk disco funk and icy-cool, polished synthpop with the help of DFA's James Murphy, Tyrone "Visionary" Palmer, Kate Wax and his Vanity 6-inspired girl group Neon Fever (formerly known as Glamarama) on vocals. Give it a chance, it'll grow on ya. 8/10 (Raf Katigbak)

Various
Post Office 2 (Telegraph)
With this second installment of their Post Office compilation series on minimal sub-label Telegraph, Detroit-influenced French techno imprint Logistic is quickly establishing itself as a label to watch in the coming year. With some established names (Perlon's Ricardo Villalobos, Dandy Jack) and up and comers (Fym et Diane, Ultrakurt) rounding out the roster, Post Office 2 drops a mix of bouncy, minimal tech-house that will no doubt appeal to the slick post-rave set. Highlights include the digitally skronky "Yaki Soba" by young duo Luciano and Serafin and the Chicago-house tinged "Suck My Christmas" by Run Stop Restore. 7/10 (Raf Katigbak)

Talib Kweli
The Beautiful Mix CD (Okayplayer)
If Kweli was thinking that releasing a mix CD just prior to the arrival of his new album The Beautiful Struggle would somehow distract people from trying to get their hands on advance downloads, he was wrong. This mix CD is hot, pairing Kweli up with some of his faves, like Jean Grae, Common, Kanye, Busta and Black Thought, bringing nuff freestyle pressure and some choice moments into the cut. Alas, the beautiful struggle continues, as the aforementioned album was indeed leaked on the Internet shortly after the release of this mix. No worries, though, as Kweli underestimates his own pull and the lyrical stranglehold he has on his fans. 8.5/10 (Scott C)

Mossman & Bunny
Message in the Dub (Dispensation)
"Ghetto politicks" are what have kept this message in a bottle for five years, but here it is at last. This was in fact the first full dub album produced by Montreal's Mossman, with sage advisor Bunny at his side. Singer Judah and Jah Children Band's A Message to the World, a competent if not outstanding local reggae release, served as the raw material for Mossman's first big steps at the board. The dub work is fairly restrained - Mossman's skill and confidence have rocketed forward since then - but it's capable throughout, making for not just an archival insert but a solid listen on its own. 7/10 (Rupert Bottenberg) CD launch at le Swimming, Fri., May 28, 9pm, $7

Hill St. Soul
Copasetik & Cool (Shanachie)
The combined talents of Zambian-born vocalist Hilary Mwelwa and writer/producer Victor Redwood-Sawyerr make this London-based band one of the most exciting imports to hit the urban scene this year. Like Philly's Kindred the Family Soul, this group specializes in sophisticated soul that transcends generic R&B/hip hop beats and subject matter. A prime example of the album's diversity is "All That (+ a Bag o' Chips)," featured here in its original jazz-tinged version, and the irresistible bhangra-flavored remix. Elsewhere, Mwelwa's honeyed vocals do the Isley Brothers' "For the Love of You" proud, while the deep-soul, mid-tempo "Pieces" is a seductive relationship post-mortem. Hill St. Soul can even make breaking up sound copacetic and cool. 9.5/10 (Gerard Dee)

Michelle Samuels
Across a Crowded Room (independent)
The impressive debut by this NY-based singer boasts both excellent accompaniment and song selection. The backing is just right on all eight tracks. Oscar Hammerstein was responsible for the opening and closing items. In between, we have Richard Rodgers' "Sweetest Sounds" (with great guitar from Paul Meyers), the Gershwins' "It Ain't Necessarily So" (a duo with bassist Steve LaSpina), Victor Young's "My Foolish Heart" (with a great intro by pianist Adam Asarnow), Oscar Brown Jr.'s "Hum Drum Blues" (another duo, with drummer Rich DeRosa), and a pair of lesser known items, "So Many Stars" (with more beautiful guitar and piano) by Sergio Mendes and "I Could Marry the Rain" (from the Broadway show The Boy From Oz). 8.5/10 (Len Dobbin)

Merle Haggard
40 Greatest Hits (Intersound/Koch)
It's about time an extensive best-of package for one of the original outlaws came 'round, and, given the weight of his work, a box set is only fitting. Giant, informative CD booklets aside, we get not only obvious picks like "Mama Tried," "The Fightin' Side of Me" and "Okie From Muskogee" but also dusty jewels like "I Think I'll Just Stay Here and Drink," "Misery and Gin," "The Bottle Let Me Down" and "I Take a Lot of Pride in What I Am." Haggard's voice gives away his whiskey-soaked hard life and, after four decades, he continues to be one of country music's best storytellers - when he is caught searching for salvation, he's unbeatable. 9/10 (Johnson Cummins)

Mini CD Reviews

John Stetch Exponentially Monk (Justin Time/Fusion III) A brilliant solo piano outing. Stetch and a baker's dozen cooked up by Thelonious = great listening! 9 (LD)

Les Junkyard Dogs Les Portes Barrées (Indica/Outside) Some seriously swampy shit. Beefheart fronting Parliament? Butthole Surfers jamming with Grand Funk? Watch this band! 8 (JC)

Ripcordz Are Go! (Mayday) The true audience for Paul Gott's bristling "kidnoise" was toilet training when this album first came out in '88, but this pugnacious party punk ages well. 8 (RB)

The Catheters Howling…It Grows and Grows!!! (Sub Pop) It's third album lucky and down and dirty for this Seattle four-piece. 7.5 (LC) With Glass Candy and Duchess Says at la Sala Rossa, Tues., June 1, 9pm, $10

Michael Reinboth Soul Elektrisch (Trust the DJ/Fusion III) Compost and JCR honcho Reinboth puts his foot in his mouth, surprisingly, with this awkward/trendy mix. 6 (SC)

Tangiers Never Bring You Pleasure (Sonic Unyon) These T-Dot rock stars may be mediocre, but at least they're honest. Album title: 8.5, Album: 6 (LC) With Von Bondies and Sunday Sinners at Café Campus, Wed., June 2, 9pm, $15

Avril Lavigne Under My Skin (Arista/BMG) More faux-punk for the food court, earnest, overproduced and empty in the excruciatingly Canadian way. 5 (RB)

Afterlife Speck of Gold (Subatomic/Fusion III) For some reason, every time I hear this kind of generic, inoffensive chill-out music, I always think, "Soundtrack to Community Calendar listings on public television in 2010." Go figure. 5 (RK)

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