David Adamson, who went by Grampall Jookabox on 2008’s messy but promising Ropechain, has made some changes since his last outing. This time around things are consistently darker, percussive and industrial. Of course, Adamson’s sound is still hard to pin down. He dabbles in hip hop, folk and electronica, kind of like Beck with more backbone and a shorter attention span. And although his songs have more coherence on Dead Zone Boys, he’s still as unpredictable and spastic as he was on Ropechain. Jookabox offers a more cinematic approach: instead of a random smattering of ideas, what we have here is a low budget horror-movie soundtrack. Dead Zone Boys starts strong. The bombastic “Phantom Don’t Go” and its doppelganger “Don’t Go Phantom” are an appropriately off-kilter beginning for an album devoted to the living dead. But midway through the album the quality of Adamson’s material begins to wane. The flat “Zombie Tear Drops” is uncharacteristically boring, and Adamson is still stuck on Alvin and the Chipmunks-style vocal manipulation for some reason. Jookabox still has a lot of wild, unharnessed energy, but it could be better spent. (Asthmatic Kitty, www.asthmatickitty.com) Jonathan Dyck
Review: Hollerado – Record in a Bag
Hollerado is one of those bands. The kind that you’re never really sure how to feel about—they’re good, but not special. Not quite guilty pleasure material, but their simple, familiar brand of no-frills indie rock leaves quite a bit to be desired. And that’s much of what the Ontario quartet’s debut full-length, Record in a Bag, is: the feeling that these boys could be doing so much more. Each track is undeniably fun, and principle songwriter Menno Versteeg has a knack for writing earworm hooks, catchy refrains, and even the occasional skybound chorus (see lead single “Juliette”). The songs are all high energy and easily digestible, but in the end, quite shallow. Lyrically, things get a little weak, with lines like “Fake drugs make you feel all right” not doing much to help propel the band past their cheery plainness. As far as songwriting is concerned, expect to hear a lot of the same verse-chorus-verse-chorus-breakdown performed on the standard arrangement of two guitars, a bass, and a drum kit. Hollerado does manage to throw one or two curve balls, including a slow-burning organ on “Got to Lose,” but this the exception to the rule and usually only is little more than novelty. It wouldn’t be fair to say that Record in a Bag is undercooked, because it’s not—even despite its completely ordinary nature, it still manages to be cohesive. Rather, Hollerado is underdeveloped as a band. Fun, approachable, but ultimately uninspired and teetering on the edge of forgettable. (Royal Mountain, www.royalmountainrecords.com) Kevan Hannah
Review: Arrington de Dionyso – Malaikat dan Singa
Did Frank Black and Alice Coltrane have a secret lovechild? If they did, they probably named him Arrington de Dionyso. Seriously, Malaikat dan Singa, the third disc from the former front man from Old Time Relijun, is equal parts “Debaser” and “Ptah el Daoud,” bringing together the spastic movements of late ’80s grunge and the disregard for musical form of the outermost avant-garde jazz. The result is a record that is extremely playful, albeit irritating at times. Malaikat features Dionyso performing on a multitude of instruments, along with label-mate Karl Blau on bass and drummer Andrew Dorsett—and while the instrumentation is quite strong throughout the record, it’s Dionyso’s vocals that holds everything together. Sounding like gibberish, the lyrics throughout the record are actually Indonesian translations, sung with a fierceness that is without parallel. This, coupled with song-structures that sound like a hybrid of worldbeat, Albert Ayler, and the weirder moments of the 1980s American underground, Malaikat dan Singa ends up being a most rewarding listen. (K Records, www.krecs.com) Jeff Friesen
Review: Citay – Dream Get Together
Considering how many modern bands lean on synths and digital effects to craft their sound, it’s easy to forget how charming the guitar-rock album can be. Citay are a band that’s been in on this secret for a while now—their first two albums demonstrated a commitment to joyous, fuzzy jams that captured much of the charisma of many 1970s rock acts. Their third album not only continues this trend, it manages to expand upon it considerably. Dream Get Together still puts the guitar in spotlight, but bolsters it atop soaring strings, flutes, and a wall of keyboards. Instrumental flourishes elaborate upon Citay’s sound, pushing their extended rockers into a territory that at once seems epic and effortless. Opener “Careful with That Hat” starts out as a simple and breezy number that quickly transforms itself into a crashing anthem, held together by tight, interlocking instrumentation and some strong vocal harmonies. Characteristic of the album, it manages to be lavish without ever becoming overblown, even as it crosses the seven-minute mark. Citay’s energy and expert songwriting carry them far beyond simple guitar rhythms, and on to a more explosive, daresay Arcade Fire-esque level. And what’s more: they make it sound easy. (Dead Oceans, www.deadoceans.com) Kevan Hannah
Review: Brasstronaut – Mt. Chimaera
So, just to let you know, bands like Vancouver’s Brasstronaut are why we have umbrella terms like “indie.” The guitar isn’t front and centre for most songs—it’s a pretty even blend of guitar, piano, clarinet and trumpet. Yeah, really. They aren’t a jazz band, though the middle of “Lo Hi Hopes” gets pretty Dixieland. The closest thing we could put them beside are Clues or Islands (though they strangely don’t resemble a spec of the Unicorns); they have sometimes quirky, sometimes intimate, and sometimes self-effacing lyrics over overreaching chord progressions, heavy emphasis on acoustic instruments. With a stand up bass too, yet. The thing sounds like it could flip to a cheesy adult-contempo record around any bend, but Edo Van Breemen’s indie rock voice keeps things in check and instead, every song becomes a tiny journey. “Hearts Trompet” becomes a more grandiose ballad with every passing minute; “Slow Knots” ventures into sassy (I almost want to say French touch) territory; “Ravan” walks a tight-rope of tension but plays it smooth by the end. So yeah, it’s recommended if you like indie or that one indie rock band—what was their name again? Oh yeah, Arcade Fire. (Unfamiliar, www.areyoufamiliar.com) Taylor Benjamin Burgess
Review: Baby Dee – A Book of Songs for Anne Marie
Baby Dee has a substantial list of famous (and infamous) professional associations, from Antony Hegarty (of Antony and the Johnsons) to Andrew WK to Will “Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy” Oldham. And while she’s credited her rise in visibility to Antony’s success, listen to her music and it’s clear that high-profile boosters are only a bonus. The richness and complexity of her music are more than enough. Her androgynous voice sounds much like Antony’s, but with measures more clarity and a greater range—her voice soars and dips, resonant and full, accompanied by the whimsical but timeless harp and soulful piano. There are strong echoes of her work in church music (the church she left in the process of her gender and sex transition). The church may not have a place for a transsexual musician/prophet, but it’s as sure thing that her release into the rest of the world has made us all richer. Many of her songs sound like hymns for the new millennium—like “Lilacs,” which lies on a bed of gentle piano and woodwinds. The angel metaphors are perhaps too easy when writing about the harp (just as they have been for Baby Dee’s labelmate and musical cousin, Joanna Newsom). But how can you write about “Black but Comely” without invoking the concept of heaven? The real heaven, a place where all are welcome, love is unconditional and peace abides. Get ready, Winnipeg—a piece of heaven is coming to us on April 20, at the West End, which, as we all know, occupies remains of a church. (Drag City, www.dragcity.com) Jenny Henkelman
Review: Animal Collective – Fall Be Kind EP
On the tails of their coherent 2009 masterpiece Merriweather Post Pavilion, Animal Collective continues down their merry path of unbridled, joyful psych. Less abrasive than previous efforts, Fall Be Kind begins with a gentle swaying aural landscape created with teasing sounds and angelic lines like “Let Light In” before morphing into a silly, flute-heavy Putumayo-like folk tune. Their cheekiness continues with “What Would I Want? Sky,” a densely remixed sample of Grateful Dead’s “Unbroken Chain” surrounded with majestic swirls and bleeps and rousing lyrics. “On a Highway” sheds some of the instrumental layers focusing on the lyrics instead, while the final cut on the EP “I Think I Can” is both strange and wonderful—thumping around with primal percussion work, Beach Boys choruses and celestial strings. (Domino, www.myanimalhome.net) Kent Davies
New Music Tuesday Review: Elizabeth Shepherd, Heavy Falls the Night
ELIZABETH SHEPHERD
Heavy Falls the Night
Elizabeth Shepherd manages to make music that’s eminently listenable without ever verging into easy-listening territory. Mixing pop sensibility in with strong jazz roots often leads to that land of watered-down sound, but Shepherd’s latest takes us along for the ride to a new, undiscovered country. Album opener “What Else” starts out percussive and bright, giving way to smooth vocal bridges. Title track “Heavy Falls the Night,” with it’s thrumming double bass, is a showcase for Shepherd’s vocal prowess—her voice is equally sure in a throaty, low register as it is scatting octaves higher. “High” loops vocals over electronics and compelling electric guitar, ending with Shepherd’s spritely piano. And then there’s her slowed-down, fresh take on the Anne Murray classic “Danny’s Song.” When she sings, “Even though we ain’t got money/I’m so in love with you honey,” it feels like the first time you ever heard that easy rhyme. The record is eclectic but completely cohesive. Spring’s arriving early in Winnipeg, and despite the title, this record is a perfect accompaniment for any and all seasonally-induced exuberance. Mark your calendars: Elizabeth Shepherd rolls into our town on Wednesday, May 26 at the Park Theatre. (Do Right Music, www.dorightmusic.com) Jenny Henkelman
Review: Besnard Lakes are the Roaring Night
THE BESNARD LAKES
Are the Roaring Night
Three years was maybe a little too long for one of Montreal’s grandest rock bands to follow up their magnificent Are the Dark Horse, but Are the Roaring Night still has all of the touchstones that made the Besnard Lakes’ last album stand out—dreamy harmonies, My Bloody Valentinesque vocals, catchy choruses, and mind-blowing walls of sound. The core of the band is guitarist Jace Lasek and bassist Olga Goreas, a married couple who supply all of the wonderfully interweaving melodies. They own a recording studio in Montreal, and no doubt they’ve used the studio as integral part of Are the Roaring Night. There’s the constant harmonic feedback in “And This is What we Call Progress;” the soundscapes that are “Like The Ocean, Like The Innocent Pt. 1” and “Land of Living Skies Pt. 1;” and the pristine reverb of “Light Up The Night.” Because of its front and centre vocals, and its thundering conclusion, the lead single “Albatross” is a standout track, but only one of few. However, taken as a whole, Are the Roaring Night is a platter of sounds for your ears, because that’s what the Besnard Lakes designed with in mind. (Jagjaguwar, www.jagjaguwar.com) Taylor Benjamin Burgess
Review: Dead Man’s Bones
DEAD MAN’S BONES
Dead Man’s Bones
Released right around Halloweentime, Dead Man’s Bones could be considered gimmicky if it wasn’t so unexpectedly good. Celebrity heartthrob Ryan Gosling and filmmaker Zach Shields manage to combine all the right elements of vintage spooky sounds, raw indie cabaret tunes and the charm of an elementary school play. Featuring the Silverlake Conservatory of Music children’s choir, Gosling and Shields guide the kids through songs about ghosts, werewolves and losing one’s soul. The album often fringes on creepy macabre material with standout tracks like “My Body’s a Zombie for You.” While it might be easily dismissed as a quirky for the sake of being quirky it often strikes the right balance of creative atmosphere and rawness that is lacking in most, if not all, actor-turned-musician celebrity projects. (Yes, I’m talking to you, ScarJo.) Whether it’s the rumblings of out-of-tune children or actors not being able to play their instruments, this project has managed to summon the perfect balance of morbid allure and resourceful conception. (Anti, www.deadmansbones.net) Kent Davies