I’ve been a bit remiss in my responsibilities – debatably derelict in my duties you could say. Over the last long while a number of local releases have managed to evade this music critic’s omniscient eye (think the Eye of Shiva, or Third Eye, only with little round glasses) by secreting themselves ever more deeply in the craggy recesses of my desk. Well, I’m happy to report that I’ve routed a number of the little buggers out and parade them here for your inspection pleasure. In the interests of economy and expediency, all reviews have been kept to a nice round 49 words or less (appropriate here because, in biblical terms, the number 49 represents the Feast of Weeks, which is how long a lot of these things have been lying around), commencing with…

Crash Delicate A Canyon Between (Hitmen Musique) A boy/girl story. He should play guitar. Lower. She shouldn’t let him sing. Together they shouldn’t listen to so much ’80s pop – super-saturated reverb is hard on the arteries. On a related topic: They must relinquish all Massive Attack albums. Easily applied, but if rash occurs, discontinue use. 2/5
Crash Delicate with In This Life at Petit Campus, July 9

Gwenwed Le Retour du bleu métalique (Proxenett/Local) Off kilter, pretty much hopping on one leg, electro-pop guitar rock that’s both big bouncy fun and kookily concentration intensive. This is melody spaghettini! This is hardcore pogo! This is franco scene whip cream on your waffles! Manger la nuit! Yum. 4/5

Gwenwed play the OFF Festival, July 15

Chris Velan It’s Not What You Think (Independent) Local troubadour enlists hired guns to complete dreams of being a Paul Simon to the Dave Matthews generation. Or vice versa. Talent bleeds all over this razor sharp, funky folk-rock recording. But not entirely my bag, unless my bag smells like the afternoon programming at FM 96. Actually… 3/5

Globe Glotters Garg (Independent) Four guys on "gorge," mouth harp, theremin, banjo and mandolin doing Inuit, Mongolian and Tuvan throat singing to Arctic bluegrass, underground flamenco metal, progressive Afrobeat, among other things. If it’s a joke, it’s the best one ever. If it’s not, it’s still funny. In a word? Awesome. 4/5 1/2

Globa Glotters launch Garg at Lion d’Or, July 9

Various artists 2 Tongue 5 Compil anar des differences solidaires (Disques Sapristi/Local) Here’s all the evidence you’ll ever need to convict Montreal of first-degree diversity on charges of having a much bigger music scene than anyone realizes. Or maybe just proof that anyone can write a ska tune. A 26-band, bicultural hit-and-miss fest with its heart in the right place. 2.5/5

Floating Widget Praises to the Riff Monolith (Local) Praises to the spliff monolith methinks instead. This big-bottom-ended stoner band blissfully exists in the purple haze betwixt Sabbath and Queens Of The Stone Age. Floating Widget? Heavy Lethargy, more like. But power of purpose and ability cuts the buzz with surprising focus. And, man, I loooove that Cheeseburger. 3.5/5

KG Solace and Apologies (Independent) "Often compared to Elvis Costello, Radiohead, Duran Duran, Coldplay, the Doves, Jeff Buckley, The Thompson Twins, The Psychedelic Furs, No Doubt, Dave Matthews." Yeah? By who exactly? Anyway, on listening, I’ll trade you all of those for one Moist. 3/5

Les Junkyard Dogs Les portes barrées (Indica) You’d expect to find Quebec’s Junkyard Dogs doing a life sentence residency at a fourth rate Bar Blues Rock for failed bikers, though it would likely be the bikers who felt like they were doing time. Plodding. Grating. Depressing…. Summed up best by track 11: N’importe quoi. 1/5

ELE_K* ELE_K* (Sinistresound/Fusion III) Despite a name that’s just a couple of punctuation points short of bull$#&!, there’s a reason ELE_K* took top band honours at the 2004 Fringe: This former Doppelganger hooks hard with a fuller guitar sound that recalls the slinky rockosity of Lush, Belly and Juliana Hatfield. Going places. Fast. 4/5

ELE_K* and The Social Register at Swimming’s 3-Buck Thursday, tonight, July 1

The Frenetics Grey Veins to the Parking Lot (Union 2112) This is hungry. A bit desperate. Slightly sleepless and agitated. Isn’t it nice to hear The Frenetics playing like their name? And while I’d love to know how the band would sound if they’d never laid an eardrum on Strummer, this is punk pop at its full potential nonetheless. 4/5

Dana Edmonds Dream Sequence (Hotcomb Music/’Nuff Entertainment) Yikes! Dana got hot! This former (and honorary) Montrealer – one-time bassist for P.E.Z. and Rise – comes out smokin’ in all senses on this solo debut. R’n'B teased pop is the new vocal MO, and she rocks it on all fronts, from soulful bottom to the hip-hop top. Congrats, girl! 3.5/5

Last writes The mighty Nutsak (a name I never get tired of ever) swing into Casa del Popolo tonight, July 1, for what band members claim will be the last show for some time to come due to writing and recording aspirations. These shows come with built-in (sw)ill repute, so bring yourself and five bucks for the first of two sets starting at 10 p.m…. Original Beatles drummer Pete Best plops his stool in Foufounes of all places, July 5 at 8 p.m., for what is being billed as "best of The Beatles 1960-1962." What that means is anyone’s guess, but I’ll tell you one thing for certain: Don’t miss Peterborough-based openers Money Money, who two weeks ago killed at the outdoor Fringe stage with a sound that somehow sidesteps the claustrophobic trendiness of the New York cold wave and garage rock resurrections while making off with their spirit… And old fans of Toronto’s Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet will note that a new project of guitarist Brian Connelly, Atomic 7, will pull into Swimming, July 2.