YESTERDAY'S NEW QUINTET - Yesterday's Universe

Underground hip-hop producer Madlib has proven one thing beyond second guessing; his record collection is much better than yours. What makes him so compelling is that he is able to parlay this encyclopedic knowledge into recorded works that are more than just genre studies or carbon copies. Simply put, the man makes endlessly playable albums. Yesterday's New Quintet's latest offering, Yesterday's Universe, is by turns crisp, driving, mellow, spacious and all while fitting into the parameters of top-notch funk and jazz grooves that hip-hop artists have been sampling for decades.

JENNIFER GENTLE - The Midnight Room

Neither a solo artist nor female, this duo comes from one of the more unlikely places for indie rock: Italy. Listening to The Midnight Room, however, the benefits of their Italian music heritage are clear. Like the soundtrack work of Morricone, the music of Jennifer Gentle is simultaneously accessible and deeply weird. As such, it brings to mind other fractured psych-pop writers like Captain Beefheart and Syd Barrett. The Midnight Room requires patience and an open ear for the unexpected, but its wheezy, sighing, whimsical, morphing qualities make for a fascinating listen.

LEE MOSES - Time & Place

Combine the raw, deep soul of Eddie & Ernie with a dash of the psych-funk of Baby Huey and you get the unique power of Lee Moses. I was first exposed to Lee upon hearing "How Much Longer Must I Wait" on the first volume of Dave Godin's Deep Soul Treasures (Kent), the best collection of overlooked soul ever released.  Now we are blessed to hear all the sides released by this talented artist, impassioned ballads like "My Adorable One" next to a funky cover of "California Dreaming".  Only on import from the UK so it's expensive but worth every cent!  

THIS HEAT - Deceit

Finally available separately (the Out of Cold Storage box set having been released over a year ago), we can pay This Heat's second (and final) full-length its proper respects. More melodic than its self-titled predecessor (opener "Sleep" features keening vocals akin to fellow Cold Storage sessioner Robert Wyatt) while retaining, if not surpassing, the first record's ferociousness ("Makeshift Swahili"'s sandpaper-hoarse barking, the finely-honed aggression of "A New Kind of Water"), Deceit is a defining moment for British post-punk. A truly original, influential group way ahead of their time.

MIRACLE FORTRESS - Five Roses

The new project of Montreal multi-instrumentalist Graham Van Pelt, Miracle Fortress is primed to be a true sleeper hit. At face value, Five Roses is a spot-on combination of the usual indie-pop influences: Beach Boys, My Bloody Valentine, Phil Spector, etc. Nothing new right? Well, in the grand scheme of things maybe not, but a great pop song remains a great pop song and Five Roses has twelve of them. Boasting a sound that is both full and fragile, there is much intelligence in the arrangements and writing on this record. A lot more people will know about this album as the year grows.

JOAN AS POLICEWOMAN - Real Life

Joan As Policewoman is the nom de plume of journeywoman Joan Wasser. After spending the 1990s in The Dambuilders and Those Bastard Souls, she played with such revered singers as Rufus Wainwright and Antony Hegarty (of the Johnsons). Oh, and she was Jeff Buckley's girlfriend. It was inevitable that this talented singer, violinist, guitarist put together a great album of her own. Fans of the Buckley/Wainwright/Antony triad will appreciate Real Life's sense of drama, but Wasser is her own artist. After much 2006 buzz in the UK, it gets the domestic release it deserves.

QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE - Era Vulgaris

After a solid album whose only true flaw was a lack of editing (2005's Lullabies to Paralyze), QOTSA return fully trimmed of fat. Era Vulgaris is lean, taut, and surprisingly low on guitar solo freakouts. In fact, it's one of the closest things to a pop album that mainman Josh Homme has done. Even the trademark list of guests has been kept to a minimum. The hooks are more subtle this time, especially for a band with as much jackhammer riff power as the Queens. Drummer Joey Castillo's smartly driven groove is the MVP, providing the disc's no-nonsense, danceable backbone.

THE TRAVELING WILBURYS - Collection

Hard to believe this has been out-of-print for over a decade. The casual coming together of George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne to record a 1988 B-side led to a debut of such easy beauty that it still moves the hardest of hearts. Volume 1 remains impossible to deny, full of great singles ("End of the Line", "Handle With Care") and Bob Dylan at his off-the-cuff best ("Tweeter and the Monkey Man"). While follow-up Volume 3 is a shadow of its predecessor, having both packaged together here alongside a documentary DVD is a solid package.

ORIGINAL SILENCE -The First Original Silence

This is loud, skronky, jazzy, out there, feedbacky, loud, noisy, loud, etc. Original Silence includes Jim O'Rourke (producer of many great things and member of many great bands), Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth), Terrie Ex (the Ex), Mats Gustafsson and Paal Nilssen-Love (of free jazz group the Thing) and Massimo Pupillo (of Italy's Zu). This cd has two tracks, both of which are a heavy fusion of experimental rock, free-jazz, noise. I like the first track more as it is more fierce.

BORIS with MICHIO KURIHARA - Rainbow

Boris' willingness to collaborate and play with expectation make them one of the most exciting and prolific bands around. Last year alone, the Japanese trio created Altar, an album of deep-drone bliss with Sunn O))), and the furious riffage of Pink. Rainbow continues the spirit of joining forces with their peers; with guitarist Kurihara in tow, the results do not disappoint. Neither as frenetic as Pink nor as ambient as Altar, Rainbow is, as the title suggests, a sun-kissed trip that has its feet planted in both the kaleidoscopic past and the bone-crushing present. Heavy and beautiful.

SHELLAC - Excellent Italian Greyhound

A new Shellac album was one of the last things we expected from 2007, but given how packed the year has been thus far, it's not surprising the seven-year wait ends here. Although far better known and prolific as engineer/producers, Steve Albini and Bob Weston prove they haven't forgotten how to kick the dissonant, math jams like it's 1994 all over again. Stop-start metallic guitar, drums that are both precise and wandering, and speak-scream vocals remain the keys to Shellac's sound. A welcome confirmation of their status as a singular, influential sound in indie rock.

MATTHEW DEAR - Asa Breed

Matthew Dear had a breakthrough release in 2003, Leave Luck To Heaven, that saw him make electronic music that flirted with the world of pop. Asa Breed is the full-blooded step into that field. Though his low-key tenor won't have anyone mistaking this for the Beach Boys, there is a directness and hooky feel that premeates the album. A nice companion to the Junior Boys or even a digital take on the recent pop-noir of The National, Asa Breed is a sleeper in every way: unassuming, seemingly innocuous, but capable of touching the rear nook in your brain with ease.

THE CINEMATIC ORCHESTRA - Ma Fleur

After a lengthy hiatus, Cinematic Orchestra return with another stunning combination of jazz, electronics and slow-burning torch song flair. These guys are one of the few acts to survive the "chill-out" craze, mainly because their music was always evolving and challenging regardless of whether or not it sounded good in a restaurant. Complete with vocal turns from Montreal's Patrick Watson, Lamb vocalist Lou Rhodes and the ensemble's mainstay, the exceptional Fontella Bass, Ma Fleur is ideal for those who like their music smooth and accomplished, but never bloodless.

DUNGEN - Tio Bitar

Sweden's Dungen is one-man recording project whose 2004 release, Ta Det Lungt, felt more like a 70s time-capsule than a modern release. Tio Bitar continues in this vein, mixing psych-rock power with folk melodicism. Unlike the live band's jammy shows, the disc displays more of an affinity for mellow romps and well-written songs. All the same, it's no snoozer, with fierce drumming a constant source of kinetic energy. Dungen just seem to be aware that endless guitar solos are more fun live than on album.

BATTLES - Mirrored

Say hi to the new prog-rock! Boasting members whose alma maters include such 90s experi-metal luminaries as Don Cabellero and Helmet, Mirrored is a full-length debut whose sound finds four players woven into each other's fabric with the most careful precision. Despite the premium paid toward virtuosity and exact electronics, Mirrored is highly playful and unpredictable. Complex and polyrhythmic but still catchy, it may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it rains like manna from heaven on those who can't stomach yet another introspective singer-songwriter.

VARIOUS ARTISTS - Cult Cargo: Grand Bahama Goombay

The Numero Group's dedication to hunting down the forgotten of music's past has led to a flawless run of surprises. Their 14th release, Grand Bahama Goombay, retains the chief characteristics of most of their titles: crisp, wide-eyed soul music made with equal parts sweat, humour and naivete.  All but the most scholarly of listeners will be hearing this blend of soul, funk, calypso and reggae for the first time. Fresh versions of "Take Five" and "Theme from Shaft" pair with Sylvia Hall's ode to abstinance, "Don't Touch That Thing", to make a collection that is unpredictable and damn fun.

COLLEEN - Les Ondes Silencieuses

The albums of French ambient musician Cecile Schott, AKA Colleen, have all retained the common theme of old-world instruments processed through electronic loops and composition. On Les Ondes Silencieuses, Schott's writing style remains distinctly modern and minimal, but the performances are all in real time: no loops or electronics. Most tracks feature only one instrument, including crystal glass, a spinet (miniature harpsichord), and the viola da gamba (a seven-string cello). If Eno was to have written for the court of the Sun King, this would be the sublime result. 

VARIOUS ARTISTS - World Circuit Presents

With a near-perfect 20-year history of stellar releases from mainly African and Cuban artists, this label digs deep to put together World Circuit Presents, a 2CD compilation that is an embarrassment of riches. Considering this label helped introduced the world to Buena Vista Social Club, Orchestra Baobab and Ali Farka Toure (just to name a few), the quality here isn't surprising. But the real draw of this collection, aside from great unreleased material, is that it allows you to easily absorb a catalogue whose lesser-known talents are just as worthy of your ears as their "stars".

HANDSOME FURS - Plague Park

Montreal darlings Wolf Parade have their fair share of side projects (Sunset Rubdown, Swan Lake), but Handsome Furs is the first by songwriter Dan Boeckner. This duo features his fiancee, Alexei Perry and yes, they look extremely cool together. Their album is pretty strong as well. Boeckner's style was always the workman foil to Parade's more arty writer, Spencer Krug. Plague Park allows those impulses to grow, creating a concise, minimal album of strummed guitar and fractured drum machine. Its simplicity is a strength and flaw, but its honesty has its way with you over time.

THE NATIONAL - Boxer

After several under-the-radar releases (not to mention a slow-burning indie hit with 2005's Alligator), it seems the time is finally nigh for The National. Boxer should be the one to nestle these Ohio-by-way-of-Brooklyn boys firmly in your adoring bosom. Stark and dark are the main order of the day with singer Matt Berninger's rich delivery and poetic lyrics keeping an air of mystery as thick as the smoke from Humphery Bogart's cigarette. Boxer may be a bit more of an autumn disc than summer hit, but the good news is that you won't be sick of it by then so everything evens out.