Afrodizz
Kif Kif (Do Right/Fusion III)
I can't think of one Montreal band in recent memory that has caught the attention of people at home and abroad with musicianship and soul like Afrodizz has. Cradled in the raw rhythm and power of Fela Kuti, Afrodizz is not a cover band but a tight and cohesive group of Québécois originals with a genuine take on Afro-funk. Kif Kif may look like a seven-song EP, but it's deep, rife with movement and tumultuous compositions that sail past the 10-minute mark with ease. Kudos to drummer Jean-Philippe Goncalves, who has done an exceptional job at keeping time. This is a sizzling debut clearly showing that these bulletproof Montrealers are just getting started. 9/10 (Scott C) At the FIJM's Bleue Légère stage, Wed., June 30, 10pm, free
Monster Magnet
Monolithic Baby (SPV/Fusion III)
After a four-year hiatus, Dave Wyndorf and co. come out swinging. Wyndorf's tongue-in-cheek lyrics are as sharp as a tack, and the Stooges and Hawkwind homages as stacked as ever, but that isn't what makes this band great. It's the riffs, and MM delivers the goods at every turn. Opener "Slut Machine" lays down the law right from the get-go, but they do occasionally take a shot at psychedelic bubblegum ("Too Bad") and krautrock/Berlin-era Bowie ("Master of Light"). The covers of obscure songs by Pink Floyd's David Gilmore and Captain Lockheed and the Starfighters are stellar, but the take on the Velvet Underground's "Venus in Furs" has to be heard to be believed. 9/10 (Johnson Cummins)
Gene Simmons
Asshole (Sanctuary/BMG)
Every time a new Kiss-related release comes out I shudder, knowing how bad it's going to be. Simmons confirms that on this one, sinking to an all-time low. Like on his first solo record, he's gone through his catalogue of songs co-written by big timers like Kim Deal, Trevor Horn and, believe it or not, Frank Zappa and Bob Dylan. Simmons has his finger on the pulse throughout - if you happen to think that one-hit wonders Prodigy are still the tits. Dear Mr. Simmons, we'll still buy the Kiss caskets and Kiss condoms, but ease up on the singing because you've turned into the God of Blubber. 3/10 (Johnson Cummins)
Badly Drawn Boy
One Plus One Is One (Twisted Nerve/ Select)
It's rare that an album opens with a statement of intent, but "Back to being who I was before" sums up Damon Gough's direction on his fourth album. If its predecessor, Have You Fed the Fish, was a messy bedroom coated in varnish, this disc tidies up and lets the homespun fabrics and rustic flooring breathe, despite two bouts of maudlin excess via a children's choir. With Andy Votel back at the helm (he produced BDB's debut), warm, quaint arrangements of piano, guitar, flute and strings let the simple strength of Gough's folk-faced pop shine through. 7.5/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)
Johnny Clegg
Best of Live at the Nelson Mandela Theatre (EMI)
As a mixed-race, mixed-language band during South Africa's apartheid era, Johnny Clegg's Juluka was a political statement in itself, while his second band, Savuka, was boldly anti-establishment. Both were censored in SA, but songs like "I Call Your Name" became international hits in the mid-'80s, blending big-band rock (guitars, keys and horns) with traditional Zulu guitar, vocals and dance, a celebratory union of black and white. Despite the chaos and poverty that remain, there's plenty to celebrate 10 years after apartheid, and this live comp captures SA's evolution in song, from raised fists to hands in the air. 7.5/10 (Lorraine Carpenter) With Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Lorraine Klassen at the FIJM's GM stage, Wed., June 30, 9:30pm, free
Ministry
Houses of the Mole (Sanctuary/BMG)
On their 11th album, Ministry remains one of the reliable warhorses of brutal music. Raw distortion and high-end tweak still allow for fast, relentless riffage, leaving the bass-heavy, generic metal types behind. With the exit of Paul Barker and addition of new guitarist Bryan Kehoe and guitarist/bassist John Monte, the boys haven't forgotten the ever-important ingredient, melody. Houses delivers a searing commentary on the world's sorry state, but what keeps Ministry industrial is their unwavering loyalty to the sample - this time around, news reports and Bush's idiocy are the victims. 7.5/10 (Lateef Martin)
Offsides
Foul Language (Urbnet)
It's kind of hard to believe that this Montreal crew has been jumping on stage with the best of them since 1996 and are only now releasing their first LP, but better late than never. Foul Language is a long listen, perhaps making up for lost time, offering multiple takes on the talents of MCs Malicious, Bailey and Lo'Key, but it's full of shining moments. My joint has to be "2:55," where the boys lay into a lax MTL hip hop group on a beat that best suits their ability to flip it, produced by City Parks. Along with "C.K.I.K." and "2Def," the only thing missing is a D.R. One solo track that showcases their technically superior DJ. Hennessy, y'all! 7/10 (Scott C)
DJ Bliss
Apesh!t: A Non-Stop Breakbeat Mix (independent)
The DJ-culture equivalent of ska, the breaks of big beat are widely regarded as best left back in the '90s. True, both genres were plagued with a glut of substandard wagon-jumpers devoid of spark or originality, but face it, they also generated some seriously cool music - and continue to do so. Montreal's lucky to have DJ Bliss, a competent and crowd-oriented master of the mix still hooked on breaks, to keep tabs on big beats variations of late. Bliss knows there's more to a hot track than just a solid drum track, and as such has fashioned a diverse and colourful mix. 8/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)
Various
Mutek 04 (Mutek_Rec)
Alain Mongeau and Eric Mattson, organizers and programmers of Montreal's yearly experimental electronic music festival, have assembled two CDs with tracks by 28 of this year's participants. From Egg's upbeat and jazzy "Presque Bleu" to the Followers' bouncy, squelchy "Powerpoint," the first CD's underlying playfulness makes it a welcome change from the usual minimal comp's pseudo-intellectual dreariness. The second CD begins with much of the festival's hyper-minimal acts providing tones, blips and clicks, but slowly moves into melody with Skoltz_Kolgen's subtle ambience and a nice digital collab between local artists I8U and Magali Babin, finishing in chaos with the incomparable Jamie Lidell. 8.5/10 (Raf Katigbak)
Ivan Smagghe
Suck My Deck (React/Fusion III)
As mix CD compilers, React Records has a long history of hits (Dave Clarke's World Service) and misses (Real Ibiza volumes one to 2,345 and counting). With Suck My Deck, Parisian DJ Ivan Smagghe (one half of electro duo Blackstrobe) inaugurates a new series showcasing some "more cutting edge, up and coming names." Unlike his last mix Death Disco on Eskimo, where he mixed original old-school tracks with newer sounds, Suck My Deck favours current tracks directly inspired by the past. The result is an admirable blend of classic acid, house, dance and electro with a twist that makes them sound fresh. Hints of the Orb, Stevie B and LFO ooze out of tracks by Zombie Nation, DK8, the Hacker, Millimetric, David Carretta and Scratch Massive. 7.5/10 (Raf Katigbak)
Keshia Chanté
self-titled (BMG)
This 16-year-old Ottawa native definitely came to play, with a debut disc that's as slickly produced as anything from south of the border. That's both the good news and the bad news - yes, this sounds good, but at times it runs dangerously close to being overproduced. Chanté's voice is adequate, if not remarkable, and all the prerequisite beats are in place. And with some help from guests like fellow Canadian hip hop upstart Shawn Desmond and rapper Foxy Brown, she actually pulls off a credible debut that will most likely strike a chord with the hip-pop demographic. Just don't expect anything beyond ear candy. 7/10 (Gerard Dee)
Chris Potter
Lift (EmArcy/ Universal)
John Scofield
En Route (Verve/ Universal)
Two live sessions done at premier New York Jazz clubs, Potter at the Village Vanguard and Scofield at the Blue Note. Both are cutting-edge and common to both is Bill Stewart, a most musical drummer. The latter reunites Scofield with everyone's favourite electric bass player, Steve Swallow. Besides pieces by the leader, this one has a great Swallow piece as well as "Alfie" and "Wee" (aka "Allen's Alley"). Potter, a Jazz Journalists Association winner this year, is joined by Kevin Hays and Scott Colley in a splendid release capped by an extended Mingus piece, "Boogie Stop Shuffle." Both 9.5/10 (Len Dobbin) John Scofield Trio are at le Spectrum, Thurs, July 1, 9:30pm, $35.50. Chris Potter Quartet are at Gesù, Thurs, July 1, 10:30pm, $32.50
Mini CD Reviews
Richard Gagnon Influence (XXI-21/SRI) An excellent trombone-tenor front line "in the tradition." 8.5 (LD) At Quai des Brûmes, Mon., June 28, 5pm, admission by donation
A.C. Newman The Slow Wonder (The Blue Curtain) The sound is lightweight next to his band, the New Pornographers, but Newman's hot pop jig and killer left hooks KO the competition. 8 (LC)
Black Box Recorder Passionoia (One Little Indian/Navarre) With a tendency toward deep irony, dense anecdotes and precious presentation, BBR's parlour electropop is an acquired but rewarding taste. 7.5 (LC)
Various Café Méliès Vol. 2 (Jajou/Select) The second comp for Ex-Centris's coffee joint covers much local ground - Patrick Watson, Monica Friere, LAL, Dumas and Martin Léon (remixed by Jérôme Minière). 7 (RB)
Various From Sunday to Saturday Vol. 5 (Clubstar/Fusion III) Another installment in John Acquaviva's tech-house adventure. While the first disc dabbles too much on the obnoxious side of techno, the second is a fun, punky house affair. 7 (RK)
My Morning Jacket Acoustic Citsuoga (RCA/BMG) Keep on dreaming your dreamy little dreams, fellas. 6.5 (JC)
Joseph Malik Aquarius Songs (Compost/Fusion III) I don't know, but Malik still sings off tune, and not in an endearing kind of way. 6 (SC)
The Dream Syndicate Ghost Stories (Restless/Outside) A re-release of these paisley punks' 1987 record. Unfortunately, they should have broken up in '86. 6 (JC)
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