Finding release
Brendan Murphy
bmurphy@hour.ca
While I'd like to point you first towards My Brightest Diamond (touring and recording partner of Sufjan Stevens), who hits the Sala Rossa on Nov. 7, this week we're going to reach into the recesses of the (highly organized) home filing system and review some locals to keep an ear open for. The score, for those keeping score, is entirely based on the music and not my incredibly limited knowledge of CD design. 
Frenchi Blanco Haute Surveillance (FP International/DEP)
Music: A very strong effort from one of the FP Crew's finest, Franco Whitey drops a big league album of French hip-hop that may even bring in some anglo heads. Certainly, scoring a collabo with Wu-Tang's Inspectah Deck is a smart move, and the two sound remarkably good together. Blanco is a tight lyricist and knows how to make the rap song setup work, but I don't actually know what he's talking about a lot of the time. Which, come to think of it, happens with a lot of English hip-hop, so I guess I can't hold that against him.
Best songs: Appel tes connex with Inspectah Deck, Blowmind, 24/24.
Package: Slick packaging makes this look like a major label release, which always seems to be the
goal in rap. Photos on the inside show Frenchi and crew hanging out, apparently waiting on a phone call, plus the requisite pit bull shot. The highlight, though, is the gangster/girl/poutine photo.
(www.frenchiblanco.com) 4/5
There Were Valleys Night Wars (Independent)
Music: How do Mathilda Perks and Marc St. Louis and friends distinguish themselves from the other moody indie bands running (shyly) rampant around this city? Two words: sound sprawl. Layer upon layer of sound and feedback fill the (mostly) quiet indie rock or, to use their term, "sissy rock" songs. A closer listen to the lyrics reveals a sly sense of humour, but for the most part you want to lend them a sweater and bus fare and let them stay precious.
Best songs: Night War, Trouble.
Package: I'm a big fan of simple. While not mind blowing, the fold-over CD wrap is neat, functional and contains all the info one could need, though its slim size may be the reason I lost it in my room a couple months ago. (www.myspace.com/therewerevalleys) 3/5
David MacLeod Strange Biology (Ships at Night)
Music: MacLeod packs up the sound of his indie folk rock group, Timber, and takes it on a tour of his subconscious. With help from the extended Ships at Night posse, this pared-down solo effort touches on a wistful, at times defeatist, view of the human condition - the type of stuff that guys nearing the ass end of their 20s think about. It's the arrangement and execution of this guitar wonderful album that most impresses.
Best songs: One by One, Books About the Past with Katie Moore.
Package: The fact that my girlfriend designed this CD case means that if I tell you its clean, simple and elegant design is the best of the bunch, you might be suspicious. But I'd never date a shitty designer, so... (www.shipsatnight.com) 4/5
The Dress Whites The Dress Whites [EP] (Vibrolux/Independent)
Music: For a group just coming together, this EP is an early view of a band you might start hearing a lot about. Upbeat indie pop, not rock, which sounds too free of cynicism to be from Montreal. More Sam Roberts than Wolf Parade, these are thoughtful, well-arranged songs from a group of guys who probably have a backup plan if the music thing doesn't happen. Remember the name, they may not need it...
Best songs: Brothers and Sisters, All That I Do
Package: The EP package is, for good reason, often more scaled down than for a full album. This one looks only slightly better than a Kinko's jobby, but since they wrote me a nice handwritten note, I'll overlook it. Providing they find a better name for their label than Vibrolux. (www.myspace.com/dresswhites) 3.5/5
