New Fries
More, Telephone Explosion, telephoneexplosion.com
This Toronto quartet is all over the map, and there’s no clear indication what the map is depicting. There’s definitely some Kills in New Fries, circa Keep on Your Mean Side, and also some of Calgary band Women’s fondness for throwing you off balance with out-of-left-field noise that sounds cacophonous at first, but begins to cohere after repeated listens. Though chaos rules, there’s evidence of intelligent design in More, and a little playfulness too (amusing song titles include “Gertrude Stein Greeting Card From Pape/Danforth” and “Mary Poppins Pockets”). This can be addictive, if you’re into weird, jarring melees. (Scott Bryson)