The Rasmus
Hide From the Sun
(Universal)

C-

Website: www.therasmus.com

David Knopfler
Ship of Dreams
(Justine Time)

C+



Website: www.knopfler.com

Have you ever wished Dire Straits would drop the theatrics and cut a simple record more in keeping with the classic Sultans of Swing? Well, David Knopfler, original Dire Straits member and brother of Mark, has released a moving collection of well-written tunes titled Ship of Dreams. David’s voice is a mirror image of that of his more famous brother, and he sings with conviction and passion. There’s no firebrand guitar player here, just elegant tales of the devil, a green-eyed goblin, God’s mockingbird and other vivid mental images. The musicianship is outstanding but understated, allowing the songcraft to take centre stage. Standout track is Going Down With the Waves. It’s nice to have David back, even he only teases us with hints of what Dire Straits might have become had the two talented brothers remained in the same band.
Chris Brown

Cherish the Ladies
Woman of the House
(Rounder Records)

B+

In a genre dominated by men, it’s quite something to have a band made up entirely of women. Oh, there are any number of Celtic bands fronted by a female singer or featuring a female instrumentalist, but for the most part the men dominate both the more traditional and more innovative sides of things. Enter Cherish the Ladies, a band in which women do all the playing and play well enough to match the big boys note for note. Produced by journeyman Scottish musician Phil Cunningham, this effort is a largely traditional and highly listenable set that only occasionally ramps up into the full scorching mode of the tradition at its untamed best. But what’s with the name, ladies? It conjures images of some tame little ensemble on a Rita McNeil Christmas special. Trust me: you’d be happier playing an Edinburgh pub on Hogmanay.
Jamie Howison

Buckle up for your flight into paradise. No need for a sickie bag. The debut disc from Swedish-based writers and producers Adil Fadi and Jonas Persson is full of soothing beats and soulful voices that would help even the queasiest passenger enjoy flight. After several solo efforts, the boys combined their talents in 2001 to blend jazz, lounge and soul into a disc worthy of the spot next to your favorite chillout discs (think Tosca or Thievery Corporation). The winter blues disappear as vocalist Kajsa Karlsson sings about enjoying wine and good friends on the upbeat Life is Good, and you can imagine the sun warming your face as the Moroccan influences on Camel Ride drift through your mind. Horns and dubby beats collide and become a force to be reckoned with on Rastafari Karma Space Dub. Get this.
Shannon Ander

Tom Wilson of Blackie and the Rodeo Kings and Bob Lanois set out to make a recording similar to the ‘field recordings’ of blues and folk singers done in the ’30s and ’40s — old gear, no mastering, just voice to tape. The duo recorded in a shack in a forest somewhere in Ontario, and Wilson and Lanois are looking for each of these nine songs to speak directly without embellishment or overdubbing. Dark, sombre and lit by the fire’s glow, these tunes seep out of your speakers and surround you. Each cut is honest and unflinching, telling tales of pain, sorrow, loss, love and redemption. A cover of Bob Dylan’s Girl From the North Country closes this set, and Wilson does a fine job of evoking the loss and yearning at the heart of the song.
Chris Brown

Allele features former Cold guitarist Kelly Hayes, and Allele might as well be Cold. Both bands play the same sort of heavy, melodic post-grunge, and Allele frontman Wally Wood sure sounds a hell of a lot like head Cold-ster Scooter Ward. Point of Origin is the band’s debut, and it’s mined from the same vein that produced post-grunge albums by Staind, Sevendust and others. Hayes and Lane Maverick (formerly of Otep) can lay down some grooving riffage, as on sections of Lost in Your Words and Fake, and Wood’s vocals are strong throughout. Nevertheless, albums such as this just seem unimaginative, as if these guys are waiting for Staley or Cobain to appear and tell them how to make misery their muse. If you’ve got anything by Staind or Cold, you don’t need this.
Mike Warkentin

Venerea started off as a Swedish punk cover band playing songs from Bad Religion, Gang Green and the Ramones, and these influences definitely come through in its new album, One Louder. This is a good, fast, loud punk album. I have always said I would like Millencollin a lot more if its music was a bit harder, but now I don’t need to hope — I’ve found Venerea. Songs such as St. Christopher and the opener, Calling Card, are really great tunes that invoke the feeling of a Bad Religion concert — but without the pretentiousness that often comes along with the old-school punk crowd. For any fans of NOFX, Bad Religion, Stiff Little Fingers, Rancid, Anti-Flag, etc… this album is definitely a must-have.
Brodie Sanderson

Like a chirpy mix of Björk-like oddness and Kate Bush-esque orchestrated weirdness, singer/composer Regina Spektor definitely flies her own special freak flag high on her eccentric-sounding new CD/DVD combo. Music this artful takes a few listens to sink in. At first Spektor’s spare arrangements — some feature only her voice and sparse piano drifts — are more curious than entertaining. Soviet Kitsch references the artist’s own cluttered yet wonderfully creative mind, Us has a sort of simple yet mournful piano and strings arrangement that will tickle the fancy of any Philip Glass fan, and Your Honor finds Spektor working her distinct magic in a more traditional indie rock arrangement without missing a beat. Altogether it proves that this gal is worth watching for all the best reasons. The included DVD is as wild and wonderful as the CD.
Jeff Monk