Janelle Monique
You Go to My Head
By Jonathan Rothman

The smooth vocal presence behind Toronto dance floor Latin jazz and groove acts Plan C and Methodology (and formerly of disco funk soul freaks King Sunshine), Janelle Monique (and her pipes) deserve a chance to sail under her own steam. So why did she make her solo debut a record comprised of covers? Monique does do her jazz diva thing well, however, and this is a confident, honey-voiced solo effort in sultry Spanish, Portuguese and English tones, no less. A powerfully arranged rendition of Thelonius Monk’s “’Round Midnight” earns top points here and Kansas’s “Dust in the Wind” (seriously) gets a curious touch of jazz funk-lite. Several of the stronger tracks include saxophonist/composer Oliver Miguel, Monique’s main collaborator on the project. Samba/Latin jazz standards — classics like Jobim’s “Garota de Ipanema,” “Besame Mucho” and “A Felicidade,” a chestnut from the ’50s Black Orpheus soundtrack — stay listenable with Monique’s peppy, soulful delivery. (ZaFéMuzik)
Chica Libre - Sonido Amazonico
Following the revelatory compilation The Roots Of Chicha last year comes a new band led by compiler Olivier Conan dedicated to reviving the Peruvian psychedelic cumbia sound of the ’60s and ’70s. Conan, the proprietor of Brooklyn’s Barbes bar and music label, has dialled the energy back with ...Read More
Beady Belle - Belvedere
It can be an exciting experience watching artists you truly enjoy and respect develop through the years, especially when that artist bubbles below the radar, away from the accelerating pressure of mass media attention. For the past eight years, stalwart Norwegian trio Beady Belle have been slowly st ...Read More
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Andru Branch - The Only Constant
Babylon Circus - Dances of Resistance
Brownout - Homenaje
Cultural Roots - Hell A Go Pop
DJ Dolores - 1 Real
Eddie Bo - In The Pocket With Eddie Bo
Eric Lau - New Territories
Hadouko - Baldamore
Idlers - Corner
La India Canela - Merengue Tipico from the Dominican Republic
Les Embassadors - Healing The Music
Maceo Parker - Roots & Grooves
Mariah Carey - E=MC2
Marie "Queen" Lyons - Soul Fever
Perunika Trio - Introducing Perunika Trio
Steel An' Skin - Reggae Is Here Once Again
Toumast - Ishumar
Various - Don't Stop: Recording Tap
Various Artists - The Mighty Striker Shoots At Hits
Various Artists - This Is Lovers Rock
Various Artists - Umalali: The Garifuna Women's Project
Various Artists - Umalali: The Garifuna Women’s Project
Various Artists - In The Name of Love: Africa Celebrates U2
Various Artists - Rough Guide to African Street Party
Vinicius Cantuaria - Cymbals
Arty For the Ages
There's been a longstanding debate over whether or not videogames can be art, but even infamous critic Roger Ebert admitted: "That a game can aspire to artistic importance as a visual experience, I accept."... Read More
Cory Weeds - The Many Deeds of Cory Weeds
Not only does he run a jazz label and the best mainstream jazz club on the west coast of Canada, Cory Weeds is also one gutsy tenor player. Able to bring off those feel-good riffs we've heard Hank Mobley and Stanley Turrentine deliver, as on Mobley's "Boss Bossa," Weeds can knit together motifs with... Full Review
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game [PS3 / Xbox 360]
Scott Pilgrim may be targeting today's 20-something hipster, but the videogame-inspired book-turned-movie-turned-videogame franchise is embedded with references to creator Bryan Lee O'Malley's late '80s and early '90s youth.

So no surprise then that the game adaptation, which f... Full Review
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