Remedy

A set of incredibly diverse tracks, 'Remedy' is indebted to the raw American house of Todd Terry and Masters at Work, and even shares the NuYoricans' penchant for Latin vibes (especially on the horn-driven 'Bingo Bango' and the opener, 'Rendez-Vu,' which trades a bit of salsa wiggle with infectious vocoderized disco). 15 tracks, including 'Red Alert' and 'Rendez-Vu', on this Astralwerks release.

Finally, Basement Jaxx's long-awaited full-length, Remedy, has been issued in the U.S. It's aptly titled, to be sure: the production duo's record is a remedy to the dull, faceless house and techno that populates dance floors. The duo are unrepentantly pop savvy, bringing vocals and lyrics to their unique blend of electro, house, hip-hop, salsa, and soul. It's a weird combo, but like the best of all pop songs, Basement Jaxx tracks stick like putty to the ears within a few listens. In fact, you may feel that you've already heard much of Remedy when you give it a spin on your CD player. With their boisterous samples, vocal hooks, and funked-out, catchy bass lines, the songs "Rendez-vu," "Yo-Yo," and "Red Alert" seem like familiar friends, rather than just the next big thing. --Tricia Romano