With the Beastie Boys’ Adam Yauch on board as producer, these DC hardcore legends returned to the studio, for the first time in over a decade, to recapture their successful punk and reggae blend.
Reminiscent of their seminal early ‘80s records, Build A Nation opens with “Give Thanks and Praises,” which moves back and forth between head-banging and frantic hardcore riffs. “Jah People Make the World Go Round” keeps true to the original hardcore format (which they helped create) with fast verses — made more intimidating with Yauch’s bass-line production — and breakdown choruses. Several relaxed reggae tracks give the album a unique pacing.
Megaforce: www.megaforcerecords.com
After completing (A) Senile Animal with their other band, the Melvins, and finishing an exhaustive touring schedule including double sets every night, this Los Angeles duo released one of the year’s earliest masterpieces.
Taking cues from Queen, singer/bassist Jared Warren and drummer Coady Willis created a hard-rock epic. The journey begins with the tremendous “Just as the Day Was Dawning,” ends with the sludgey instrumental “Another Beautiful Day in the Pacific Northwest,” and pummels listeners with swampy, energetic bass riffs and explosive drum beats every step of the way.
Produced by Phil Ek (Band of Horses, Built to Spill), Here Come the Waterworks is a heavy hitter.
Hydra Head: www.hydrahead.com
A powerfully crafted album, The Undisputed Truth is the year’s best hip-hop release. There were other solid efforts (I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead by El-P) and a plethora of great singles, but The Undisputed Truth deals with, in great balance, the three elements of angst-fueled music: righteous and rebellious lyrics, the inducement of fist pumping, hand throwing, and head banging, and enormous egos that carefully bob from insecure to forcefully inflated.
The album opens with a thumping beat on “Watcha Got,” and the opening lyrics “I came in the door, 1984” are likely to become this generation’s “bring the motherfucking ruckus” as rapped on Wu-Tang Clan’s “Bring Da Ruckus.”
Rhymesayers: www.rhymesayers.com
The inaugural Exploding Star Orchestra album is the brainchild of Rob Mazurek, a tireless composer/cornetist/collaborator and the man behind Thrill Jockey’s Chicago Underground collective. With a stellar ensemble, his work on We Are All from Somewhere Else is a dense, serpentine concoction of cross-metered jazz.
Looping rhythms, typically played by upright bass, vibraphone, and brass or woodwind instruments, set the foundation for runs and improvisations by Mazurek and the other players on trombone, saxophone, flute, clarinet, and piano. At times, the album is evocative of composer Leonard Bernstein’s work. Its compounded melodies and droning roots make We Are All from Somewhere Else one of the year’s finest albums.
Thrill Jockey: www.thrilljockey.com
A side project for Nick Cave and Bad Seeds members Warren Ellis, Martyn Casey, and Jim Sclavunos found the foursome embracing rock ’n’ roll at its rawest, resulting in an album akin to The Stooges or Cave’s The Birthday Party without being merely a revival act.
Whether crooning or screaming, even at age fifty, the sound of Cave’s voice is enough to inspire listeners to do naughty things with the one they love, or at least the one they lust. The snarling “No Pussy Blues,” with Ellis’ wild psychedelic guitar fills, is infectious and unforgettable.
Fun and intelligent rockers such as “Honey Bee (Let’s Fly to Mars)” and “Depth Charge Ethel” are balanced by the more subdued “Man in the Moon” and silky “Electric Alice.” Hopefully, the success of Grinderman’s debut will lead to a follow-up in the not-so-distant future.
Anti: www.anti.com
Jon Spencer is among the best rock showmen of the last two decades. That’s evident on Going Way Out with Heavy Trash, his second collaboration with guitarist Matt Verta-Ray as rockabilly/roots-rock act Heavy Trash.
The duo’s sophomore album, with a pulsing, twangy backdrop, cranks its reverberation, solos, and salaciousness well beyond its self-titled predecessor. “That Ain’t Right” stands out as an especially cruel declaration in a sea of bad intentions, which isn’t easy given that Spencer demands asphyxiation in the bawdy title track. The raunchiness isn’t always blatant, but the songs are always steeped in ‘50s revivalism.
Yep Roc: www.yeproc.com
Joining forces with producer extraordinaire Jack Endino (Nirvana, Hot Hot Heat), High on Fire unleashed the colossal Death is This Communion this fall. The follow-up to 2005’s critically acclaimed Blessed Black Wings, Death is… displays the enormity of the trio’s talent and depth, from speedometer-busting “Turk” to the slow, hypnotic title track and enchanting acoustic interludes on “Khanrad’s Wall” and “Cyclopian Scape.”
Guitar legend Matt Pike’s muscular riffs are matched by his growly vocals and drummer Des Kensel’s ferocious yet restrained beats. With the intense bass lines of former Zeke member Jeff Matz rounding out the trio, High on Fire has further solidified their reputation as one of the best and most influential heavy bands of recent years.
Relapse: www.relapse.com
Songwriter Matthew Houck, the man behind the Phosphorescent alias, delivered a marvelous folk record in Pride. The album, his third, presents eight beautiful, eerie tracks that succeed with minimal instrumentation.
Different octaves of Houck’s voice paint “A Picture of Our Torn-Up Praise,” the album’s gorgeous opener, while distant, booming drums pound along with a tambourine and shakers. Pride stretches through powerful melodies, epic harmonies, and musical styles ranging from Appalachian to gospel.
With four songs whose durations are six minutes or more, the album distributes long-form beauty straight from Houck’s mouth.
Dead Oceans: www.deadoceans.com
The members of Tinariwen, a musical collective formed among the nomadic Touareg people, have been through arduous journeys. Having their music reach the Western world is an accomplishment in its own right, albeit one that pales in comparison to overcoming exile and internment.
Aman Iman (Water is Life), sung in French and Tamashek, chronicles those hardships as well as death and drought, political ignorance, and tribal rivalries. Some songs are haunting and slow, some sound almost like American blues, and some are vigorous folk-rock songs that never stray from their African roots. All songs have a steady beat of hand drums and a chorus of women and children in the background that leave listeners crestfallen for tribes snuffed out by the modern world.
World Village: www.worldvillagemusic.com
The third album from Tomahawk, the super-group featuring vocalist Mike Patton, guitarist Duane Denison, and drummer John Stanier, is a collection of unaccredited Native American songs given a bruising sonic makeover. The songs are rhythmically complex, combining dance-inducing guitar lines, huge, reverberated drums, electronics, and Patton’s ghostly voice to create stark, distinct material.
Marching snares and polyrhythmic interludes weave indigenous and original moments together; chanting, samples, overdubs, and electric guitar provide additional harmonic layers. The end result makes Anonymous a firm balance between homage and innovation.
Ipecac: www.ipecac.com