Rock/pop

The latest releases reviewed.

LE LOUP The Throne of the Third Heaven of the Nations' Millennium Assembly Hardly Art ****

Go beyond that mouthful of an album title - initially coined by outsider artist James Hampton for his gigantic sculpture made from discarded materials - and you'll find an ear-popping set of electro-folk adventures. While the Washington DC collective now number seven, all the songs here are the work of lead Louper Sam Simkoff. He owes a debt to Sufjan Stevens, but there are still unique ideas aplenty in these pastures. You'll find these especially in the delicate structures and intricate, brittle arrangements that keep the instrumentation and voices on the same page for each track's mesmerising passage. More than that, though, it's the beautifully mannered atmospheric drift of Planes Like Vultures or the euphoric sweep of We Are Gods! We Are Wolves that resonate most. www.leloupmusic.net JIM CARROLL

Download tracks: Planes Like Vultures; We Are Gods! We Are Wolves

LED ZEPPELIN Mothership Atlantic **** *

Since Zep called it quits in 1980 after the death of drummer John Bonham, their shadow has ballooned to planetary proportions. Ten years after their colossal Remasters set, the band is releasing this 24-track compilation to coincide with their imminent reunion gig (postponed until December 10th due to Jimmy Page's fractured finger). The songs remain the same, although newly remastered, and include such classic tracks as Communication Breakdown, Dazed and Confused, Whole Lotta Love, Immigrant Song, Rock'n'Roll, Kashmir, Trampled Underfoot and, of course, Stairway to Heaven, in chronological order, so you can track the rock rakes' progress through blues-rock, blues-metal, folk-blues, prog-blues and, finally, AOR blues. Yeah, I know, you already have all their albums on vinyl, CD and maybe even 8-track cartridge, but you're still gonna lay your money down for this one, aren't ya? www.ledzeppelin.com KEVIN COURTNEY

Download tracks: all of them

HOLY FUCK LP Young Turks ***

A name like that smacks of juvenile attention-seeking, which is a bit of a shame because this Toronto band have considerable musical smarts. What's immediately arresting about Holy Fuck is their swagger along that line where DIY punk and electronics meet for a bit of a shuffle. A live take on Super Inuit shows they have plenty of Krautrock energy to burn, but it's the way they mesh white noise, high-velocity wig-outs, grooves and psychedelic notions on Royal Gregory and Safari that is most telling. Add in ubiquitous Canuck Owen "Final Fantasy" Pallett and his fiddle on the cascading, tormented Lovely Allen and you've got all the makings of an album that is forward-thinking in most regards. www.holyfuckmusic.com JIM CARROLL

Download tracks: Safari, Super Inuit

SALIM NOURALLAH Snowing In My Heart Tapete Records ***

Despite being told by a Los Angeles publicist that his Middle Eastern name was a "tragic liability", Nourallah is heralded in his hometown (Dallas, Texas) as a "cornerstone" of the local music scene. Now, two albums and an EP later, he has producing credits to boot. Snowing in My Heart wears its delicate heart on its sleeve. The sadness of the this album, created after the suicide of a close friend, is palpable but unselfconscious - especially when contrasted with upbeat tempos that imbue the album with a sense of hope. Overall, Snowing does have its pedestrian moments, but its Beatles sparkle and Sean Lennon sheen increase its carat. "It's okay to be sad," he says. Apparently it is. www.salimnourallah.com DEANNA ORTIZ

Download Tracks: Hang On, This Soft Existence, I Miss You

HOLOGRAM hologram+ n5MD ***

From incandescent and beautiful to self-indulgent and aimless, there is a fine line between good and bad post-rock. Fortunately, Japanese band Hologram have avoided the many potential pitfalls on this fine sophomore release. Simplicity is the name of the game here; repeated guitar motifs, delicate vocals and the occasional electronic flourish contribute to a haunting, ethereal atmosphere. Sounding like a cross between their compatriots Mono and CODY-era Mogwai, the four-piece dispense with any need for noise, and in Uano-Sora and Haru settle for subtle melody over ear-splitting distortion. Asagiri is stunning in its directness - guitar, bass, drums and glockenspiel combining to gorgeous effect. At times Saori Yokoyama's voice tends to detract from rather than embellish the overall sound, but the spacey, dreamlike quality of XX and Union help make this a captivating listen. http://hologram.velvet.jp BRIAN KEANE

Download tracks: XX, moon, asagiri

HERBIE HANCOCK River - The Joni Letters Verve ***

Not so much a tribute album as an exercise in creative synergy, jazz keyboard maestro Herbie Hancock doffs his cap to Joni Mitchell's jazz leanings with an album of choice interpretations. There are many surprises here, not least Tina Turner's graceful vocal on Edith and the Kingpin, Corinne Bailey Rae's fluttering notes on River and Leonard Cohen's solemn gravel voice in The Jungle Line. Other vocal guests include Norah Jones, Luciana Souza and Mitchell herself. The real pleasure, however, is in Hancock's gentle moulding of Mitchell's tunes, accompanied by saxophonist Wayne Shorter and bassist Dave Holland. Two non-Mitchell numbers (Duke Ellington's Solitude and Shorter's Nefertiti) hang in there, somewhat adrift, leaving you wonder why Hancock didn't go the whole hog. Conundrum aside, a post-prandial treat. www.herbiehancock.com TONY CLAYTON-LEA

Download tracks: Edith and the Kingpin; The Jungle Line

THE SPICE GIRLS Greatest Hits Virgin/19 **

The old dogs are getting back up on stage and the fans are panting for tickets. But enough about Led Zep. The Spice Girls are back together, with a saucy new video for their single Together (Friendship Never Ends), and a world tour in which they promise to perform one song naked. With Girls Aloud dishing out the glam and Sugababes pouring out the hits these days, the prospect of seeing Posh, Scary, Sporty, Baby and Ginger pouting their way around the world is about as welcome as the upcoming Sex and the City movie, although I'm sure Becks will relish the idea of having the gaff to himself while the missus is on the road. This greatest hits collection features such girl power classics as Wannabe, 2 Become 1, Who Do You Think You Are and Spice Up Your Life: songs that inspired a generation - to try their luck on TV talent shows featuring Simon Cowell. Say you'll be there. You know you wanna be. www. thespicegirls.com KEVIN COURTNEY

Download Tracks: Wannabe, Who Do You Think You Are

VARIOUS Sci-Fi Lo-Fi Soma ****

Maverick moves have always served Andrew Weatherall well. His latest holiday from his usual electro and techno stomping grounds is a mix album loaded to the brim with razorsharp rockabilly cuts, roofraising psychobilly, dusty primal rockers and The Fall. One hopes that dashing electronica label Soma were expecting this when they made the call. While Weatherall will always be associated by many with turning Primal Scream into a groove machine, his subsequent Sabres of Paradise romp provided an opportunity for sleazy jousting, and Sci-Fi Lo-Fi sees the DJ and producer revisit some well-worn sources of inspiration. Gene Vincent's pouting and Link Wray's howling sit easily alongside prime cuts from Charlie Feathers (Jungle Fever will rattle your bones), Tav Falco's Panther Burns, Johnny Burnette's Wampus Cat and The Milkshakes. www.somarecords.com JIM CARROLL

Download tracks: Charlie Feathers, Jungle Fever; Gene Vincent, Crazy Beat