Gordon Lightfoot Book, Music and More!

Another way to put a new spin on holiday classics—literally, in this case—is to for DJs and remixers to deconstruct and reassemble them, complete with scratches and breakbeats. Rise Ashen’s Brazilian mix of Johnny Mercer’s “Winter Wonderland” injects a sunny samba flavor into the old snowy favorite, while Attaboy’s thudding house party take on Bing Crosby’s “The First Noel” and Robbie Hardkiss’ rocking remix of Duke Ellington’s “Jingle Bells” are guaranteed to liven up the dullest office party. Cool yule.

Along with Rake and Theory of a Dead Man, Default is one of several baby Nickelbacks—spawned by Chad Kroeger’s hoser-rock empire. The Vancouver band’s second CD repeats the formula of its hit single, “Wasting My Time,” mixing bone-crunching riffs with Dallas Smith’s hyper-emotive vocals. Produced by Rick Parasher (Pearl Jam), Butch Walker (Sevendust) and Kroeger himself, it features more songs like “Taking My Life Away” and “All She Wrote” that mistake histrionics for passion.

Minesing, Ont. native Jason McCoy sounds like the genuine article with his brand of country music. Unlike some of his cowboy-hat-wearing contemporaries in Canada, McCoy puts a convincing spin on rugged honky-tonk numbers and bittersweet hurtin’ songs. McCoy’s latest, co-produced with Colin Linden (Bruce Cockburn, Blackie & the Rodeo Kings), features such first-rate originals as the playful “Please Please” and the smoldering “Still” as well as a fine cover of Billy Joe Shaver’s “Old Chunk of Coal.”

With this eight-track EP and his excellent, recently released Rock ’n’ Roll album, Ryan Adams has suddenly flooded the market with his music. And it’s not over yet: there’s Part 2 of this project and two more unreleased albums, 48 Hours and The Suicide Handbook, due to appear on an upcoming box set. Love is Hell puzzled his record label which, according to Adams, found it “too depressing.” It’s pretty somber stuff, but piano ballads like “World War 24” and “Avalanche” rank with some of Adams’ best work.

The much-anticipated followup to Keys’ debut album, which earned five Grammy Awards, mixes classic soul sounds with contemporary hip hop. The first single, “You Don’t Know My Name,” is produced by Jay-Z collaborator Kanye West and evokes lush, “What’s Going On”-style r&b. And “Streets of New York” features guest spots from Nas and Rakim and samples Nas’ “NY State of Mind” for a decidedly anthemic track. With this superb sophomore release, the 21-year-old Keys proves she’s no flash in the pan.

Guitarist Pat Martino is a modern jazz miracle: he relearned to play his instrument by listening to his old records after a 1980 brain aneurysm caused him to forget everything. Now back in form, Martino has attracted an all-star cast with tenor saxophonist Joe Lovano and Cuban piano star Gonzalo Rubalcaba for his latest album, which includes such bluesy gems as John Coltrane’s “Africa.” But the highlight is the ballad “Sun on My Hands,” featuring Martin and Rubalcaba in gentle but stirring call-and-response.

Brazilian music, full of sensuous voices and stirring rhythms, may be the sexiest sound around. The languid style fits easily with lounge and electronic dance music, which is where the remixes on this collection are aimed. Bebel Gilberto, daughter of bossa nova master João Gilberto, and Suba, the late producer-turned-recording artist, are the best-known artists here. But the discoveries, including the playful jazz of Bossacucanova and the giddy acoustic jam by samba-rockers Trio Mocotó, are the album’s true delights.  

One-man band Bob Log III comes across like a creative loose cannon, firing off in so many directions—back-porch blues, trailer-trash boogie and junkyard rockabilly—that it’s impossible to dismiss him as novelty. With crude slide guitar (accompanying himself on bass drum and cymbal while wearing a microphone-equipped motorcycle helmet) and uttering ravings like “Hey, you’ve got your boob in my scotch,” he’s Mendelson Joe mixed with the inspired lunacy of Wild Man Fischer. No wonder Tom Waits is a fan.

It is said that jalis, the hereditary musicians of West Africa also known as griots, are like walking libraries because they carry centuries of tribal stories, proverbs and praise songs wherever they go. A Manding jali from Mali, Diabaté rivals Salif Keita for his mellifluous voice and majestic tones. But he’s never enjoyed Keita’s crossover success. Which is a shame since his joyful music has a sunny warmth that can soothe the soul. You could even say, as Blur’s Damon Albarn did, that it “smiles out of the speakers.”

Why issue a two-CD set based on horror author Edgar Allan Poe? “Obsessions, paranoia, willful acts of self destruction surround us constantly,” explains Reed.  “Poe is a writer more peculiarly attuned to our new century’s heartbeat than he ever was to his own.” To pay homage to his hero, the former Velvet Underground frontman has combined new rock songs performed by David Bowie, Ornette Coleman and his wife, Laurie Anderson, with Poe’s stories read by Willem Dafoe, Amanda Plummer and Steve Buscemi. Scary.