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# 200 - 252 E 1st St

Vancouver, BC

V5T 1A6

Various Artists

Plague Songs

4AD

Holy calamity, scream insanity! Just in time for the holiday season comes this festive compilation based on another favourite story lifted from the Good Book: the ten plagues from the book of Exodus! Gather í¢â‚¬Ëœround for Brian Eno and Robert Wyattí¢â‚¬â„¢s dizzying í¢â‚¬Å“Fliesí¢â‚¬  (Plague of Flies), Stephen Merrittí¢â‚¬â„¢s infectious í¢â‚¬Å“The Meaning Of Liceí¢â‚¬  (Plague of Lice), Scott Walkerí¢â‚¬â„¢s brooding í¢â‚¬Å“Darknessí¢â‚¬  (thatí¢â‚¬â„¢s right, Plague of Darkness), and seven other gloomy and heavy-handed numbers from a cast of disparate acts from both sides of the Atlantic. While the concept is definitely ambitious, the album doesní¢â‚¬â„¢t really amount to much else. Most of the tracks here follow the grand concept lyrically, but fail musically. Rufus Wainwrightí¢â‚¬â„¢s í¢â‚¬Å“Katonahí¢â‚¬  sounds like a leftover tune looking for meaning, while Cody ChestnuTTí¢â‚¬â„¢s í¢â‚¬Å“Boilsí¢â‚¬  doesní¢â‚¬â„¢t quite rise to the occasion. A novel gift for religious studies majors, but the rest of us may want to steer clear from this contained epidemic.

-Adam Simpkins

Tour de Fours

Atlantis

Totally SquareThe debut album from Tour de Fours, Atlantis, plays much like a wonderful dream that yearns to avoid lucidity. Fourteen ethereal electro-pop tunes that float by seamlessly with very few signs of a bad trip. Masterminded by Vancouverí¢â‚¬â„¢s own Chris von Szombathy (also of Audio Ahdeo Awdio), with the assistance of the lovely chanteuse Tyler Greentree, the duo manages to create a surprisingly original piece of work in this current climate of dirge rock and lifeless techno. Often sounding akin to Combustible Edisoní¢â‚¬â„¢s latter-day foray into space-age bachelor-pad music, but without the singular and painstaking vision, Atlantis weaves a rich tapestry of airy delights and sultry come-ons. For you night-owls, this collection of soothing nocturnes is a highly recommended companion for your next journey to Slumberland.

-Adam Simpkins

Josef K

Entomology

Domino

Like most bands from the Postcard era, Josef Kí¢â‚¬â„¢s career ended almost as quickly as it began. These Scots recorded some singles, released a full-length, met John Peel and called it a day in less than three years. But in this time, they fashioned a sought-after formula of post-punk guitars injected with twisted disco beats, which yielded numerous imitators such as Franz Ferdinand. Now Domino has released Entomology, a compilation of Josef Kí¢â‚¬â„¢s finer moments, which marks the bandí¢â‚¬â„¢s only domestic release. On the compilation is a cross-section of tracks from Josef Kí¢â‚¬â„¢s only full-length, The Only Fun in Town; their scratched attempt at a debut, Sorry for Laughing; some singles and a trio of Peel Sessions. Unfortunately, for those who already possess one of their collections, Entomology will be a bit redundant. But for those who have yet to own a piece of Josef K, Entomology is a stunning document of a great band that shouldí¢â‚¬â„¢ve been huge but wasní¢â‚¬â„¢t.

- BRock Thiessen

Count Bass D

Act Your Waist Size

Fat Beats

If you doní¢â‚¬â„¢t have time to read this review, then hereí¢â‚¬â„¢s what you need to know. Fans of Stones Throw, MF Doom, J Dilla, etc. will love this record. Wanna know more? Count Bass D is the kind of artist that always gains critical acclaim, but mass appeal has eluded him unlike the aforementioned. Dwight Farrell has been in the hip-hop game for a decade, and this is his fourth release. If you picked up MF Doomí¢â‚¬â„¢s Mmmí¢â‚¬ ¦Food, youí¢â‚¬â„¢ve heard the Countí¢â‚¬â„¢s production on í¢â‚¬ËœPotholdersí¢â‚¬â„¢, so you get the idea of this artistí¢â‚¬â„¢s caliber. But as fine a musicianí¢â‚¬”heí¢â‚¬â„¢s much touted for playing all the instruments on his releasesí¢â‚¬”and producer as the Count is considered to be, his singing voice leaves a lot to be desired. If youí¢â‚¬â„¢re downloading the album to your hard drive, skip the to two gospel tracks Count sings on. If youí¢â‚¬â„¢re stopping by the record shop, buy the vinyl, and youí¢â‚¬â„¢ll be picking up some hip-hop cred and supporting a fine talent at the same time.

Robert Robot