Khan Who Never Rests ½ ITUNES MYSPACE When musicians become what they once tried to destroy

Remember the late ’90s, when electronic music was going to rescue us from boring rock’n’roll? Who would have figured that a decade on, some of techno’s would-be saviors would be making boring rock’n’roll? Khan still does plenty of synth-tweaking, but here he adopts some more traditional guitar/bass/drums instrumentation to no special end. When he sings, “I lost my voice in the machine,” over twittering keyboards in “B-Movie,” it’s merely a reminder that machines still provide what little voice he has. MICHAELANGELO MATOS

Lifesavas Gutterfly: The Original Soundtrack ½ ITUNES MYSPACE Cinematic hip-hop soliloquies from streetwise thinkers For the follow-up to their promising 2003 debut, Spirit in Stone, this indie-rap duo reinvent themselves as ghetto superheroes, rechristen their Portland, Oregon hometown “Razorblade City,” and invite George Clinton, Fishbone, dead prez, Smif N Wessun, and others to join the fun. The blaxploitation concept allows Jumbo the Garbage-man and Vursatyl to ruminate on the war in Iraq (“Long Letter”), fresh MC’ing (“Double Up”), spirituality (“Take Me Away”), and urban pathology (“Dead Ones”) from a myriad of perspectives. But no matter how esoteric the narrative gets, Jumbo’s bulbous, bassy, and soulful beats keep the party grounded. MOSI REEVES

Lil’ Flip
I Need Mine

ITUNES MYSPACE

The formerly sunny baller
wants to be an armed badass

Lil’ Flip was once known for blithe concoctions like 2002’s “The Way We Ball” and 2004’s “Game Over (Flip),” which sampled the Pac-Man theme.

Both singles were great
fun, but after emerging
on the wrong end of
a career-threatening
beef with T.I. over
who was “king of
the South,” the
Houston native
has unfortu-
nately tried to
toughen up.

The Moonbabies:
Spaced out
Land of Talk
Applause Cheer
Boo Hiss ½

ITUNES MYSPACE

Scrappy female-led trio kicks
up a seductive fuss

Coming up through the same scene as other Québécois notables like the Stills, the

Dears, and Arcade Fire (some of whose members were onetime roommates of singer/guitarist

Elizabeth Powell), Land of Talk
offers more proof that Montreal
endures as the epicenter of in-
die rock. On this superb seven-
song mini LP, Powell’s chirpy but
raw-edged voice and
roiling guitar call
to mind PJ Har-
vey’s finest
moments,
especially
the hooky,
high-roman-
tic “All My

Friends” and

“Sea Foam.”

J. NIIMI

His lackadaisical flow sounds awkward over the hostile bounce of “Can’t U Tell,” and the subject matter is even more troubling: On “Busta Clip,” Flip boasts, “I be in the gun range every day.” THOMAS GOLIANOPOULOS

M ando Diao Ode to Ochrasy ITUNES MYSPACE Timeless guitar rave-ups straight from a Swedish beer blast

As joyously empty-headed and spunk-filled as an ode to rock-life hedonism and confusion ought to be, the Swedish garage rockers’ third album makes up in undeniable choruses and fully lubricated production what it lacks in originality (though sometimes just barely). Mando Diao take nips down to the pub with Britpoppers and their mod forebears, returning

to the studio with the most memorable aspects of each. You’ll immediately recognize the masterful melodies and rock’n’roll sentiment, for better and worse. JOSH MODELL

Lil’ Flip:
Shamrocks,
gangsta or no?

Maxïmo Park Our Earthly Pleasures ITUNES MYSPACE Anxious new wavers are back, still dancing as fast as they can

Though potentially loseable among the crush of skinny-tie, punk-inspired Brits (Kaiser Chiefs, the Futureheads), Maxïmo Park bring plenty of recognizable spark and smarts to their second album. Peaking quickly, the record barely pauses for breath—a good idea, considering that hyperenergetic frontman Paul Smith’s lyrics skid from insightfully Paul Weller–ish (the Jam is clearly a spiritual guide) to hammy and over-reaching. But even with the occasional middling moments, it’s hard to deny the band’s clever, boisterous spirit. JOSH MODELL

Midnight Movies Lion the Girl ½ ITUNES MYSPACE Stylish spooky kids drift off into noirish nothingness With their second album, these Los Angeles malcontents come on with a dark dance-rock allure but never generate any big heat. Lion the Girl cycles through dirgelike, hallucinogenic guitar breaks and New Age synth-pep, forever constructing an eerie tension that never resolves. Husky alto Gena Olivier, an ably stoic successor to Siouxsie and Nico, casts a ghostly pallor on youthful innocence, fluttering beautifully on “ Ribbons.” But the moody effects and oblique lyrical affectations quickly wear thin. STACEY ANDERSON

Mika Life in Cartoon Motion ½ ITUNES MYSPACE Not trapped in the closet, giddy fop feels like dancin’

From the Beatles at their campiest to Scissor Sisters at their catchiest, this Lebanon-born Lon-

FROM TOP: ANDREAS LARSSON/COUR TESY HIDDEN AGENDA/PARASOL; MARK MANN/COUR TES Y AS YLUM/ WARNER BROS.