Stop.Die.Resuscitate

  • Bad Night (S.L.U.)

“I see zombies on the dance floor!” is Stop.Die.Resuscitate’s rallying cry for people to stop swaying back and forth (as if they were working up an appetite for brains) and bust a freaking move, already. The line comes from SDR’s hot apocalyptic hip-hop track “Bad Night,” a song that gets no less than four different treatments on this vinyl-only gem. “MAL Nuit” is the first remix to appear after the original version leads things off, and comes courtesy of Parisian MC/remix artist Teki Latex, one fourth of the French hip-hop crew TTC. Featuring an amazing lead synth solo and Teki’s own trademark rough and aggressive vocals on top (“When the night falls on the streets of new Paris! Zombies on every dancefloor!”) this reimagination really takes on a life of its own, which is exactly what a killer remix treatment should do. The B-side to “Bad Night” is “Bounce” a hypnotic track with a gets-stuck-in-your-head-for-days execution that highlights SDR’s backbone: genius on-the-fly producer Lyle Crilly and rock-solid live drummer Josh Van Tussle. Also worth a listen is Leif’s remix of “Bounce,” a feverishly cool take on the original and a great start for this up-and-coming artist. The Stop.Die trio is rounded out by frontman/MC Cool Hand Luke, whose unassuming persona still dominates the stage and their sound without seeming cocky or self-aggrandizing. His lyrical style is dark, paranoid and catchy as fuck. Basically, if you’re at a club, and any of these tracks hit, and you find yourself not dancing, you’d better check your pulse, cause you’re probably dead.-J.B.

Rating: VVVVv

Consequence- Don’t Quit Your Day Job (G.O.O.D. Music)

A more-than-experienced emcee effort for a dude dropping his first polished LP, Consequence’s first G.O.O.D. (Getting Out Our Dreams) Music-backed project comes with an expected gift and a curse: although Quence’s music will more than likely catch the immediate attention of many Kanye West fans (and the West production that comes along with the G.O.O.D. badge), Don’t Quit Your Day Job doesn’t quite measure up to the music of labelmates Common, John Legend, and West himself.

The Kanye- approved album, Consequence’s first in three years, comes with a sense of expectation, and Cons-to-the-Quence delivers a solid effort, but one which leaves much room for tweaking.

The most glaring problems on Quence’s sophomore disc are the predictable vibes and songwriting on several of the cuts. While West (one of several producers) is well-known for his inventive takes on old-school samples, large portions of Consequence’s work comes off as rehashed versions of some of Kanye’s more mediocre work.

But this isn’t about trying to live up to Kanye-through his work on the underground mixtape circuit, Consequence has proven himself an impressive lyricist with effortless flow. and while the flow and lyrics on Don’t Quit Your Day Job are far better than average, you can’t help but feel that Quence is playing it safe, and falling short of the lyrical display he’s capable of mounting.

Lighthearted joints like “Da Job Song” and West collab “The Good, The Bad & The Ugly” are examples of why Quence’s vision for the album works, as his easy-to-relate-to verses (about balancing 9-to-5 employment with his rap dreams) come across effectively in the production, which uses a calming, up-tempo vibe backed by flutes, low-key piano solos, and smoothing soul backup vocals.

“Feel This Way” with John Legend is another example of Cons’ more natural daily-life rhymes, which give unique, comical insight into his life experiences. “Uncle Rahiem” details the return of a jailed family member, reminiscent of “Family Business” (The College Dropout). But in contrast to these better cuts, uninspired efforts like the corny “Pretty Little Sexy Mama” and the surprisingly boring in-house collab “Disperse,” with guest verses from Really Doe and GLC, do little to compliment the smooth backdrop.

At 12 full tracks, Cons delivers a well-focused album with very few throw-away cuts and a few songs sure to grow on his audience, but for a rapper many touted as one of the next wave of “emcees to watch,” you can’t help but feel that Consequence is…maybe a little watered-down.-S.S.

Rating: VVV

Germans – Cape Fear
(Arena Rock)

Toronto’s own Germans kick off their debut LP Cape Fear with a bouncy, distorted rock ditty cryptically titled “Tiger Vacuum Bottle,” which sports sing-along, stop-and-go slacker vocal hooks reminiscent of the best of early 90s jangly proto-grunge. The quintet continue in this vein on the second track “No Job,” which starts off sounding like a fuzzed-out version of “Nightmare Patrol” by October Guard but quickly comes into its own, taking certain cues from Broken Social Scene’s more turbulent tracks. While the Germans never surrender their hook-conscious songwriting, they never trade in their balls, either. For every acoustic guitar and accordion breakdown, there’s a monster chorus driven by huge guitar riffs in the vein of Archers of Loaf, but turned up to 11. While the whole band is obviously talented, Germans’s vocals stand out as exceptionally catchy. Tunes like “I am the Teacher” and “Franchise” definitely benefit from this, though they would be strong songs anyway. Plus, anyone who names a song after a character from Street Fighter (“M. Bison”) automatically rocks.-J.B.

Rating: VVVV

Albert Hammond Jr. – Yours to Keep (Scratchie/New Line)

To many, the Strokes are as famous for their gang mentality as they are for tapered pants and tense, 70s-style guitar work. So the announcement of shaggy-haired guitarist Albert Hammond Jr.’s debut solo album Yours to Keep was surprising at first, because it represents the first step away from the Strokes’ famously exclusive group bond. But ultimately it was a predictable move-nearly every huge band spawns at least one solo career.

The son of Albert Hammond, a 1970s pop hitmaker, Hammond the Younger displays excellent songwriting ability of his own, which has been overlooked under the strict creative control of Strokes’ frontman Julian Casablancas. If his bandmates denied Hammond a chance to contribute creatively before, this album is a clear indication that the Strokes have been wasting some considerable songwriting talent.

A far cry from the constant, palpable tension of the Strokes’s sound, Hammond’s beautifully-crafted album is packed with sweet melodies and lyrics that border on sugary. His trademark guitar work is most evident on the standout tracks “In Transit” and “101,” but he steps out of the spotlight a bit to tip his cap to 60s influences like John Lennon and Brian Wilson.

I’m not worried about the Strokes breaking up just yet. Though they might not do everything together anymore, all indications point to them settling down to make their fourth album, once Albert finishes touring this engaging, if predictable solo effort.-R.D.

Yours to Keep was released in the U.K. last October, and it hits shelves in North America on March 6. Albert Hammond Jr. plays Toronto’s Kool Haus on March 25 with Bloc Party.

Rating: VVVV