The Gazette from Montreal, Quebec, Canada • 34

I' 'M If i I 'ly (2 ARTS THE GAZETTE montrealgazette.com THURSDAY, APRIL 8, 2010 NEW MUSIC REVIEWS Unlikely pairing for an unlikely album fi Jesse Cook is at the Metropolis EQUIPE SPECTRA tonight and tomorrow. WHAT'S ON YOUR IPOD? (David (Byrne cL'at6oy Sfim Jfere Lies Love son) cycle about ImeUa 'Marcos Cumpas i JESSEC00K Wainwright coos a tune of childhood innocence on The Rose of Tacloban, while Lauper digs into a clubby, classic rock-infused account of future-husband Ferdinand's courtship on Eleven Days; Roisin Murphy examines her early political manoeuvrings on Don't You Agree; and Jones celebrates the high life with gusto in Dancing Together. A male presence is heard in the voice of Steve Earle, as the young Ferdinand on a Perfect Hand, and Byrne himself as the dictator in his later years, on American Troglodyte. It is in the latter song that Byrne is most recognizable, singing about the contradictions of modern America are surfing that Internet Americans are listening to 50 Cent Americans are buying that modern art Americans are driving gigantic over Slim's understated dance track. The rest of the time, this plays out like an elaborate, tongue-in-cheek lark.

Though the concept eventually bogs things down, it is an engaging listen nonetheless. Podworthy: Every Drop of Rain, featuring Candie Payne and SL Vincent tdunlevy thegazette.canwest.com David Byrne and Fatboy Slim Here Lies Love NonesuchWarner T'CHA DUNLEVY GAZETTE MUSIC CRITIC Yup, you read right. David Byrne and Fatboy Slim. Certainly one of the more unlikely pop pairings in recent years. And yet, for the most part, it works.

Former Talking Heads leader Byrne has continued to keep himself busy in recent years, whether through his world music-leaning label Luaka Bop, solo albums or other musical pairings. His last album was a long-awaited reunion with producer Brian Eno on the evocative Everything That Happens Will Happen Today Here, the man who has been known to cover Whitney Houston's I Wanna Dance With Somebody live turns his focus to former Philippines first lady Imelda Marcos. Originally planned as a musical theatre piece to be performed in a nightclub, this double-CD concept album focuses on Marcos's life journey, socio-political and fash-ionista ambitions, and her lifelong relationship with family caretaker Estrella WARNER MUSIC CANADA As guitar virtuoso Jesse Cook's iPod list shows, he's a man of many musical interests and a lot of them come out in his playing. Call it rumba flamenco if you like, but anyone at Cook's Metropolis shows tonight and tomorrow will hear everything from jazz to Latin and world music. Here are his current picks.

Album focuses on relationship of former Philippines first lady Imelda Marcos and family caretaker Estrella Cumpas. 1. MujerAjena Novalima 2. AzulesYCorinto Vicente Amigo 3. Dreamer K'naan 4.

Ne me quitte pas Nina Simone 5. La Tormenta Amanda Martinez 6. Turu Turai (Tangos) Remedios Amaya 7. Scar That Never Heals Jeremy Fisher 8. Father and Son Cat Stevens 9.

Blue In Green Miles Davis 10. De cara a la Pared Lhasa De Sela Jesse Cook performs tonight and tomorrow night at 8 at the Metropolis. Tickets cost $42.40 for the standing area and $47.50 for seats. Phone 514-790-1111 or go to www.ticketpro.ca BERNARD PERUSSE Cumpas. To translate all of the above with the requisite blend of humour, flourish and funk, he turns to Fatboy Slim.

The British DJ is no longer as relevant as he once was, but he does an admirable job of keeping things moving with groove and restraint. Only occasionally (as on the opening title track) do his beats sound tacked on. Podworthy: 22 Below T'CHA DUNLEVY Melissa Auf der Maur performs July 24 as part of Heavy MTL. Call 514-790-2525 or visit www.heavymtl. com Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings I Learned the Hard Way Daptone With all the young starlets jumping on the retro-funk-soul bandwagon, it's a treat to hear one of the music's true originals, Sharon Jones, performing with her band of era-faithful musicians the Dap-Kings.

And guess what? They're getting better. This album succeeds not with bang-you-over-the-head fireworks but by digging into some wonderfully understated, heartfelt grooves. The title track uses reverb, horns and Motown-inspired arrangements to great effect. Better Things GET MORE ONLINE Read from performers we've featured THE BIG PICTURE The real stars of the show are Byrne's numerous female guests. From current indie-pop darlings St.

Vincent and Martha Wainwright to veterans Cyndi Lauper, Tori Amos and the B-52s's Kate Pierson, passing through funk dames Sharon Jones and Alison Russell to electro-pop upstart Santigold, he lets his leading ladies represent the different parts of Marcos's past. sounds like an instant classic, riding a hypnotically spare guitar line as Jones belts out her lines with effortless sass got better things to do than remember And you have no soul if you don't bob your head to closing number Mama Don't Like My Man. Podworthy: Better Things T'CHA DUNLEVY Angelique Kidjo 0y5 Proper Let's start with the team-up with Bono and John Legend on Curtis Mayfield's Move On Up. If that doesn't give Angelique Kidjo a much-deserved cross-over boost, what will? The veteran West-African chanteuse shows many faces on this covers album of songs that have influenced her, from Aretha Franklin's Baby I Love You (re-titled as Monfe Ran gain a steady regional following. Now, as it embarks on its first North American headlining tour after a European jaunt, an appearance on The Late Show With David Letter-man and packing its South By Southwest showcase, reality is sinking in.

"We used to only play to people we knew back in Providence with some notice in Boston, too, going from coffee shops to small venues," says Prystowsky "Once the Crow record played out, our game plan was just to release the Darwin record on our own the same way, painting our covers and handmaking the booklets. "Then everything came rushing in and we suddenly had a booking agent and couldn't keep up with demand. So we were enlisting rig Anthem's success came in a rush with Diane Reeves) and James Brown's Cold Sweat, to Myriam Makeba's Mbube and lovely Lakutshon Llanga, and Sydney Bechet's Petite Fleur. Though marked by Kid-jo's mighty, arresting voice, the album suffers from trying to be too much at once. A consistent aesthetic is never given a chance to take hold.

But her prodigious talent ensures there is still enough to make this worthwhile. Podworthy: Kelele T'CHA DUNLEVY Not if they paid you Don't bother Borrow from a friend Worth the money Wonderful Instant classic NOW LISTEN HERE Check our music web page for other recent album reviews. friends to help silkscreen the album covers. Labels started calling." Media as diverse as Pitchfork and Folk Roots posted rave reviews of the album. Comparisons to flavour-of-the-month crews such as Fleet Foxes and Bon Iver further fuelled the fire.

The truth is this is a group a great deal more depth than either of those acts and one with far deeper authentic folk roots. Before hitting the road, the group released a limited-edition seven-inch of the album's title track with a cover of Rev. Gary Davis's Sally Where'd You Get Your Liquor From and Blind Willie McTell's Don't Let Nobody Turn You Around. "We realized we were in a unique position, appealing to two very different crowds, so we tailored sets to suit them," says Prystowsky "We've got all-acoustic ones and more barnstorming electric ones, depending on the scene. The plugged-in ones really developed in the Boston sports bars, where competing with Red Sox games is nearly impossible." The Low Anthem performs Monday at the Cesu Centre de Creativity 1200 Bleury with The Barr Brothers.

Tickets are $17.50 (plus service charges) and are available via Admission at admission.com or 514-790-1245. VANCOUVER SUN Melissa Auf der Maur Ooom Phi Croup The prodigal Montreal daughter returns with a second album that is better than her first. Inspired by witches, Vikings and time travel and part of a multi-media assault that includes a short film, comic book and interactive website the music is far from an afterthought. It finds Auf der Maur more assured, in stronger voice, and less anxious to prove her hard-rock credentials. Mood reigns supreme as she lets her Cure influences shine through, and Sabbath, too.

Grinding guitars meet suspense and drama in this murky affair, carried by her more confident wail. The mythical concept actually helps her cause, lending the final product an overarching thread that makes it greater than the sum of its parts. 12 The Low STUART DERDEYN CANWEST NEWS SERVICE Seemingly out of nowhere -okay, Rhode Island the trio The Low Anthem arrived with one of last year's most pristine albums. Re-released on Nonesuch, 2008's Oh My God, Charlie Darwin is an album truly deserving of the descriptions "haunting," "timeless" and "mood-altering." After being formed in 2003, the band's first EP, What the Crow Brings, garnered some local attention. But the fuse on its full-length debut was a long one, blowing up almost two years later.

Hey, it takes time to master the 27 different instruments played on the recording. Jeff Prystowsky, Ben Knox Miller and Jocie Adams met at Brown University and come from diverse musical backgrounds. Adams is a classical clarinetist, Miller the principle songwriter, singer and guitarist is a folkie and bassist Prystowsky is a jazz guy Miller and Prystowsky discovered mutual interests via Jing at the college radio station. Their music majors required classical studies and that's where Adams entered. Prystowsky figures this path of encounter led them to not being just another emo band from the East Coast "We began playing with another guy named Dan Lefkowitz, who brought this really old-timey, acoustic- more iPod playlists in the past.

Lang, Bill Garrett and Sue Lothrap, Petit Campus, $30. Phone 514- 524-9225 or go to www.hellodartin- productions.com. April 24. Susana Baca, Astra April 24. Yoav, Le National, $25.

(A) April 25. Stars On Ice, Bell Centre, $29.50 to 125. (E) April 27. Harlem.The Green Room, $12. (A) April 28.

Corinne Bailey Rae, Club Soda, $29.50 in advance, $33 at the door. (T) April 28. Marcus Miller, L'Astral, April 28 and 29. Peter Gabriel, Bell Centre Theatre, $50 to $199. (E) April 29.

Little Boots, Club Soda, April 29 and 30. Arthur L'Astral, April 29. The Album Leaf, Cabaret Juste Pour Rire, $15 in advance, $16.50 at the door. (A) April 30. Mark Knopfler, Salle Wil-frid-Pelletier of Place des Arts, $77.50 to $127.50.

514-842-2112; www.laplacedesarts.com. April 30. Barenaked Ladies, with special guest Joel Plaskett, Metropolis, $42.50 in advance, $48 at the door. (T) April 30. Band of Skulls and the Whigs, Studio Juste Pour Rire, $15.

(A) MAY May 3. Frightened Rabbit, Petit Campus, $15. (A) May 5. Andrew Jr. Boy Jones, L'Astral, May 5.

The Joy Formidable, Green Room, 10 in advance, 12 at the door. (A) May 14. Danko Jones, Cabaret Juste Pour Rire, $15.50 in advance, $18 at the door. On sale today at noon. (A) May 30.

Angus and Julia Stone, LAstral, $16.50 in advance, $18 at the door. (7) JUNE June 6. This Will Destroy You, Petit Campus, $15. On sale today at noon. (A) June 9.

Andy Kim, LAstral, $35 in advance, $40 at the door. On sale today at noon. (7) June 26. Scorpions, with special guests Cinderella, Bell Centre, $54.50 and $69.50. On sale Saturday at noon.

(E) June 28. Lady Gaga, Bell Centre, $49.50 to $175. On sale Saturday at 10 a.m. (E) On the web: To get the full list of upcoming concerts on our main arts web page, click on Big Picture at montrealgazette.comarts A selective look at coming shows. A indicates Admission (51 4-790-1245; www.admission.com); indicates Evenko (514-790-2525; www.evenko.ca); indicates Ticket-pro (514-790-1111; www.ticket-pro.ca) or call the number given or the venue.

APRIL Tonight Gordon Lightfoot, Salle Wil-frid-Pelletier of Place des Arts, $54.50 to $79.50. Phone 514-042-2112; www.laplacedesarts.com. Tonight and tomorrow. Jesse Cook, Metropolis, Seated: $47.50, Standing: $42.40. (T) Tomorrow.

Nickelback, Bell Centre, $44.50 to $89.50. (E) Tomorrow. Paul Piche, Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier of Place des Arts, $3 1.38 to $51.38. Phone 514-842-2 112; www.laplacedesarts.com. Tomorrow.

Parallels, Petit Campus, $12. (A) Saturday. Fanfarlo, Studio Juste Pour Rire, $15 in advance, $18 at the door. (A) Saturday. Woodhands, Club Lambi, $10.

etix.com Sunday. King Sunny Ade, Le National. CANCELLED. Refunds at point of purchase. Sunday.

Wow, Club Soda, $18. (T) Monday. The Low Anthem, Gesii, $17.50. (A) TUesday. Keith Emerson and Greg Maisonneuve of Place des Arts, $49.50 and $69.50.

Phone 514-842-2112; www.laplacedesarts.com. April IS. Jason Collett, Zeus and Bahamas, Petit Campus, $15.50 in advance, $17 at the door. (A) April 15. The Morning Benders, La Sala April 16.

Hawksley Workman, La Tulipe, $22.50 in advance, $25 at the door. (A) April 16.TheTallest Man on Earth, Petit Campus, $13.50 in advance, $15 at the door. (A) April 16. HunterValentine, Green Room, 10. (A) April 18.

Gogol Bordello, Metropolis, $25 in advance, $27 at the door. April 19. Adam Green, Petit Campus, $15. (A) April 21 and 22. Luce Dufault, Club Soda, $36.

(1) April 22 and 23. Molly Johnson, L'Astral, $28.50. (T) April 23. An Morse, La Sala Rossa, $13. (A) April 23.

Dead Meadow, Club Lambi, $15. (A) April 23 and 24. Charlotte Gains-bourg, Olympia, $32 in advance, $35 at the door.Tickets for the postponed Jan. 28 show will be honoured April 23 only, or refunded at point of purchase. (A) April 24.

Bruce Murdoch, Penny TP CMOfll Text BIGPICTURE123 save or share it. Standard SNEAK ATTACK MEDIA Ben Knox Miller, Jeff Prystowsky and Jocie Adams of The Low Anthem, which performs Monday in Montreal. blues vibe into the band," says Prystowsky. "So Ben and I added that into what we already had in mind from playing together for four years. Then when Jocie came in, so did the crotales (tuned bells), pipe organ and so on and on.

When we decided to finally put it all down for the album, a lot of ideas were around." Decamping to Block Island, accessible only by ferry, the trio set up shop in the basement of a house foe a few weeks. Along with producer Jesse Lauter and a few good friends, the trio expanded its orchestration to include everything from oil drums to old-time medicine-show pump organs. Touring with Ray Lamon-tagne, Elvis Perkins in Dear-land and Langhorne Slim as openers, the group began to to 11-2-11 to get the full list and text messaging rates apply..