MarKamusic
Acoustic Ancestor
(independent release)
If zampoña—the traditional panpipe given a bad name by Zamfir's late night TV album offerings—is your bag, MarKamusic has just what you need. This local six-member band plays music steeped in Latin traditions, but peppered with influences from other destinations. Their offerings conjure an unhurried atmosphere, driven by acoustic guitar, layered harmonies and the soft call of the panpipe. Not all of Acoustic Ancestor escapes a sense of melodrama, but songs like "Atahualpa" walk an entertaining line between propulsive Latin pop sounds and an interesting rhythmic style that seems to owe as much to Oliver Mtukudzi as to Andean players. MarKamusic's soft touch won't likely be to rock fans' tastes, but the band's intriguing combinations offer a fruitful listen. —James Heflin
Dead Moon
Echoes of the Past
(Sub Pop)
Local legends in the Pacific Northwest, Dead Moon have unleashed a slew of primo garage rock over the past decade. Sub Pop's Echoes of the Past cherry-picks their best tunes from a host of rare singles and hard-to-find albums. The trio deals in vintage '60s punk stomp, three-minute bursts of fuzzed-out riffs and lo-fi snarl. In many ways, they're a workingman's version of The Cramps, serving up their dark tales of misanthropy without the campy relish. What ultimately makes Dead Moon special are the quavering vocals of Fred and Toody Cole and the impressive variety they concoct from a two-chord menu. And while this 49-song collection could've been distilled to a single killer disc, garage rock fans will savor the sprawl. —Jeff Jackson
Paul Anka
Classic Songs My Way
(Decca)
Sure, he covers the Killers' "Mr. Brightside," and he jumps Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time" like it was an Ellington riff. But Anka's last album, Rock Swings, was even weirder. On that prior crazed rearrangement of modern rock, the one-time teen idol adapted Bon Jovi's "It's My Life"; on this one, he and Bon Jovi merely duet on Anka's own "My Way." The big-band sound and Anka's seemingly out-of-it vocals confound at first, but before long you think they're brilliant and certainly no stranger than all those crooners who co-opted Beatles and Stones tunes in the '60s. —Christopher Arnott
The Alternate Routes
goodandrecklessandtrue
(Vanguard)
The Alternate Routes have chops, a few MTV vids, and a Vanguard record deal. Whether they're around for dinner or just a beer depends on whether future releases serve meat or filler snacks. The band's debut has too many of the latter, with the opening three songs living down to the "Ordinary" tag of track one. Suddenly, though, there's the crashing power and lushness of "Aftermath," followed by the gritty Led Zep-like threaded riff of "Going Home With You," and the jangly and memorable "Time is a Runaway." But the band never determines whether it wants to be power rock, alt-country or folk-rock. There's enough attention-grabbing material to warrant a second chance, but not a third. The Alternate Routes play the Iron Horse on Sept. 28. —Rob Weir
