Comets On Fire
Blue Cathedral (Sub Pop)
When you've got acid aficionado Julian Cope writing your bio, you know you're on to something good. Comets on Fire can play nihilistic Stooges riffs, stick them through Hawkwind delay and let the shrapnel fall as it may, and can also easily gear down into proggy Grateful Dead or get Pink Floyd-level grandiose. If "stoner rock" wasn't associated with testosterone and cliché, this could be its ultimate definitive band. C.O.F. are definitely trucking down the expressway to yr. skull and, like any psychedelic band worth their salt, easily push past the five-minute mark on most songs without ever sounding uninspired. Freak out! 9/10 (Johnson Cummins)

Le Nombre
Scénario Catastrophe (Blow the Fuse)
One of Montreal's more exciting, high-energy rock bands prove themselves again on this sophomore release. "Tous ceux de ma race" sets the pace, while "Perdu la solution" provides the perfect one-two combo. Producer extraordinaire Ian Blurton pulls no punches, letting this rock 'n' roll juggernaut ride in the red while helping to provide the lead foot-on-the-excelerator pedal throughout. But it's not all smash-and-bash, as the boys prove they can knock out grade-A melodies over the massive rock attack, as in "Flocon de métal." If there was ever a francophone record that could cross over to the blockheads, this is it. 9/10 (Johnson Cummins) Record launch at the FrancoFolies's Zone Bleue stage on Mon., Aug. 2, 10 p.m., free

Static-X
Beneath… Between… Beyond (Warner)
Ah. Now I remember why my heart sunk when I got this CD: singer Wayne Static. His flow is so '80s-hair-rock-attempting-to-rap cheese. Processed cheese. And, unfortunately, there are also shades of Korn in his voice. Musically, it seems like Static-X are on the cusp of something interesting when samples are thrown into the mix, as on the meaty, break-beaty track "Crash," but they invariably flop back into generic anger-riffage. Then the cheese factor is raised a notch on JB's death-trance remix of "Push It," which sounds like an industrial-loving Tae-Bo instructor's wet dream. 5/10 (Lateef Martin)

Doctor Mix and the Remix
Wall of Noise (Acute/Mordam)
This final installment in Acute's Métal Urbain trilogy is a re-release by Eric Débris's spin-off act, established shortly after the French punk band's breakup in 1979. Paying tribute to the likes of the Seeds, the Stooges, David Bowie, the Clash and Jimi Hendrix, Débris sounds like he's singing (sneering? seething?) in a far-off dungeon, where synths, guitars and drum machines rise up through cracks in the floor. This bonus-heavy disc also includes a few (bilingual) originals, gutter synthpunk tunes cut from the same gritty cloth as its remoulded rock 'n' roll classics. 8/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

Ramachandra Borcar
Camping Sauvage (Canusa/Select)
Upon the release of the El Pipo del Taxi EP from his Ramasutra project last year, Montreal's Borcar (aka DJ Ram) promised a full sophomore album before long. This ain't exactly it, but I'll be damned if it won't do in a pinch. Borcar's original score to the hit Québécois film doesn't just include a sweet reworking of El Pipo's "Magma Mama," it's got everything a Ramasutra record should. The Camping Sauvage CD offers a rich and carefully realized brew of lurid kitsch and cool-as-ice funk, worldly nods to tango, surf and Balkan brass, spaghetti-western echoes and faux-native chants. Wicked, witty and very sexy (add your own pitch-a-tent joke here). 8.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

Akufen
Fabric 17 (Fabric/Fusion III)
Boasting a roster that includes Michael Mayer, John Peel and Stacey Pullen, you can always count on mixes from the legendary London club Fabric for something special. Local luminary Akufen's contribution to the now 32-disc strong catalogue is no exception. From the looped hypnotic brilliance of Philippe Cam, to Señor Coconut's Latino rendition of "Smoke on the Water," to tracks by fellow Canucks Crackhaus, Mossa, Mike Shannon, Jeff Milligan and Steve Beaupré, Akufen's playful mix moves quickly from cerebral to funky and all points in-between, with a sense of humour seldom heard on minimal tech mixes. Fun! 8.5/10 (Raf Katigbak)

Radian
Juxtaposition (Thrill Jockey)
This aptly named album contrasts the cold accuracy of digitally stuttered microsamples and processed found sound with organic textures and loosely played live instruments like bass, drums and tuned percussion. The result is a gorgeous meeting of the sequenced and spontaneous, of binary and biological. Through careful layering, Radian often build a slow tension that explodes in a fury of squelching digital distortion, only to break off into a pensive minimalism that teases the listener. Capturing the urgency of their live shows and the introspectiveness of studio sessions, the Viennese trio pull another hauntingly beautiful record out of their collective hat. 8.5/10 (Raf Katigbak)

Robertson
Deeper Shade of Green (StudioGarage/ Outside)
You know Mark Robertson. After years as the big brain behind Bullfrog, this singer-songwriter/guitarist has dropped a Montreal nugget, teaming up with the Bullfrog gang for a truly soulful and subdued six-song EP. Robertson's humble, self-deprecating soul is bared for all to see, evoking the spirit of Shuggie Otis and Sly Stone. This record - one of the best local productions I've heard all year! - is quiet and deep, representing the essential raw and smooth sides of garage-band soul. The band is the perfect complement to Robertson's modest voice and Kid Koala's accompanying scratching. Look for this one live. 8.5/10 (Scott C)

The Roots
The Tipping Point (Okayplayer/Geffen)
The Roots, whether self-important or self-effacing, have much experience making albums that not only appeal to hungry music lovers everywhere, but also present hip hop in a framework of creativity and evolution. The Tipping Point is equal parts soul-infusion, status-quo commentary, old-school renaissance and future classic, a formula that almost seems content with making heads scratch. As always, there are tight drums, crisp lyrics, hip-pop fingering and joints busting off in all directions. Is this where hip hop turns a corner? Probably not, but the Roots certainly know how to keep them listening. 8.5/10 (Scott C)

Ricky Fanté
Rewind (Virgin/EMI)
It's easy to be seduced by this newcomer's old soul vocals, easier still to compare him to legendary singers like Sam Cooke and Wilson Picket. Fanté's style is genuinely reminiscent of the great soul men, but what's not so genuine is the bulk of the material here. Fanté has that old Stax Records sound down to a T - problem is the whole disc sounds like it's lost in a time warp, more concerned with imitating the originals than being original itself. Fanté would have perhaps been more successful simply covering the classics outright, like fellow nouveau soul crooner Joss Stone. Next time around, maybe that's the way to go. 7/10 (Gerard Dee)

Dave Van Ronk
...And the Tin Pan Bended and the Story Ended (Smithsonian Folkways)
Dave Van Ronk could be one of the greatest folk singers you've never heard. This is taken from his final concert in 1991, but shows him in prime form, capturing his amazing finger-picking guitar style, a selection of songs spanning his 50-year career and the between-song banter that proves Van Ronk a master storyteller. Weighing in at a whopping 79 minutes, this is already one hell of a package, and a bonus 30-page booklet gives you an extra glimpse into this man's fascinating career, making it that much more of a treat. 9/10 (Johnson Cummins)

Moonlight Girls
self-titled (Artic/Select)
It's been seven years since this Québécoise trio came together to cover the Andrews Sisters, and this debut recording captures their homage to America's singing sweethearts as well as the local gals' French twist. Sticking with the light and bouncy arrangements of wartime swing, Isabelle Gagné, Natalie Albert and Mylène Gauthier harmonize their way through standards like "Blue Moon," "In the Mood" and "Rum and Coca-cola," adding a touch of Trenet, Aznavour and, yes, Beau Dommage. The classic Québécois band's unpublished "Rue Ste-Catherine" makes a surprisingly swell bookend to that other ode to metropolitan glamour, "Lullaby of Broadway." 8/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

Dave Pike
Manhattan Latin (Decca/ Universal)
I interviewed this vibraphonist, who was at the Casa Loma with Herbie Mann, for CODA magazine 40 years ago, and he was excited about a Latin session he had recently recorded. Well, it certainly has stood the test of time and will be a welcome addition to the collection of any lover of Latin jazz. Twelve tracks, six by the leader, two by Rudy Stevenson, and both Chick Corea and (now) Montreal-resident Bobby Thomas contributed one each. Among the musicians adding to the success of this one are Corea, Ray Copeland, Don Friedman, Hubert Laws, Attila Zoller and percussionists Thomas, Carlos "Patato" Valdes and Willie Bobo. The leader, a much under-appreciated musician, is heard on both vibes and marimba. Beautifully recorded! 9.5/10 (Len Dobbin)

Mini CD Reviews

The High Dials Fields in Glass EP (Rainbow Quartz/Fusion III) Tidy remixes of the title track and a pair of exclusives that suggest indie rock inroads, paved with psychedelia. 8 (LC)

Various Here Come the Boys (Maximum Jazz/Universal) Over a dozen of Canada's best crooners collected on one CD, which includes Montreal's Adam James (né Broughton). 8 (LD)

San Serac Ice Age (Frog Man Jake) Okay, so '80s easy-listening lounge (Phil Collins) vs. '80s black disco (Evelyn King) vs. Kraftwerk vs. Assault from Precinct 13. Weird but good. 7.5 (RK)

Faithless No Roots (BMG) Sinister lyrics straight outta the headlines, dubbed-up love songs (one feat. Dido) and dancefloor escapism are smoothly fused, but this band's U.K. stardom is slightly mysterious. 7 (LC)

Beatfantic Adventures in the World of No-Fi Beats (Raw Fusion) Beats, breaks and edits, edits, edits. Nuff stuff for the B-boys here. 7(SC)

Kittie Until the End (Artemis) Surprisingly uninteresting, Until the End tends to stay middle of the road, blocking traffic for better grrrl rockers. 6 (LM)

The F-Ups The F-Ups (EMI/Capitol) If you thought the name was lame... 5.5 (JC)

Stiff Little Fingers Guitar and Drum (Kung Fu) Even the inclusion of the Jam's Bruce Foxton can't help this Geritol-fuelled punk. Just stick to Inflamable Material and call it a day. 5 (JC)

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