Among the thousands of under-appreciated or under-publicized albums that were released in 2010, hundreds became our favorites and were presented in ALARM and on AlarmPress.com. Of those, we pared down to 100 outstanding releases — from the progressive-industrial madness of Norway’s Shining to the folk-hop rhymes of Sage Francis to the orchestral Italian oldies of Mike Patton‘s Mondo Cane project.
As usual, ALARM leaves no genre unexplored in our list of this year’s overlooked gems.
Presented in chronological order.
Sigh: “The Summer Funeral”
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With a history of fusing other revered genres to a doomy combination of black metal and thrash, Japan’s Sigh used its eighth studio album to deliver symphonic, epic metal that calls upon classical instrumentation to top its rock foundation.
Brass, woodwind, and string instruments — as well as organ and piano — accent as well as lead sinister melodies that take surprising turns through fanciful themes. Raspy, menacing vocals coat each track, resulting in a dramatic presentation that isn’t much at odds with its complex backdrop.
RJD2: “Games You Can Win”
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Following a divisive album that saw the introduction of poppy, soulful vocals, producer RJD2 returned with something of a split release — an album that leaves no shortage of accessible, vocal-driven tunes but that emphasizes some inventive instrumentals. Whether or not you dig the soulful RJ, there’s no doubt that the music on The Colossus is some of his best to date.
Chicago Underground Duo: “Spy on the Floor”
[audio:http://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Chicago_Underground_Duo_Spy_on_the_Floor.mp3|titles=Chicago Underground Duo: “Spy on the Floor”]For 15 years, the Chicago Underground Duo (and Trio, Quartet, and Orchestra) has been an avant-garde jazz outlet for prolific Chicago musicians Rob Mazurek (Exploding Star Orchestra, Isotope 217) and Chad Taylor. Boca Negra is an interesting dichotomy, as spiraling vociferation leads to upbeat grooves, shifting piano chords, harmonic electronics, and ambient samples.
Algernon: Ghost Surveillance (Cuneiform, 1/26/10)
Algernon: “Broken Lady”
[audio:http://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Algernon_Broken_Lady.mp3|titles=Algernon: “Broken Lady”]The brainchild of guitarist Dave Miller, Algernon walks a thin line between melodically driven post-rock and instrumental unconventionality. Ghost Surveillance places greater emphasis on synthesizers and sprawling song structures, but at its core is the combination of accessibility and technicality that has defined Miller’s style. Noisy, circular rock riffs transform to tranquil, wandering passages. “Timekiller,” the album’s fourth track, is a beautiful, buoyant number — and one of the band’s best creations to date.
Bei Bei & Shawn Lee: “East”
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In the hands of a marvel, the guzheng — a gorgeous Chinese zither — resonates with tactile beauty as its many strings are plucked with precision.
Bei Bei, a native of Chengdu, China, is one such musical technician. And this collaboration with Shawn Lee, a prolific producer who can man as many genres as he sees fit, is undoubtedly one of the year’s finest albums. Together, the two use Into the Wind to navigate through funky down-tempo jams, Kung-Fu flavor, hip hop, soul, and driving grooves.
Daníel Bjarnason: “Bow to String I: Sorrow Conquers Happiness”
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Best known as a conductor and arranger for indie groups such as Sigur Rós, composer Daníel Bjarnason also holds a lofty classical résumé. Processions, his proper debut, is, at many points, a challenging classical work. Powerful cellos scale and race with crackling percussions before settling into gently bowed and pizzicato string accompaniments; easily half a dozen strings battle for dominance in a sorrowful, harmonic piece that resonates long after hearing it. Undoubtedly, Processions is a daring and original debut.
Shining: “Fisheye”
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Beginning as an experimental acoustic jazz ensemble, Norway’s Shining — the brainchild of saxophonist Jørgen Munkeby — transformed to a progressive jazz-fusion outfit before delving into its darker side for a collaboration with black-metallists Enslaved.
Blackjazz pushes deeper into the band’s dark recesses, forging a progressive industrial sound for the young century. Big, complex rock riffs, twisted through gnarly distortion, form the foundation and support a mass of frantic, whirring synth lines and gut-wrenching black-metal screams. In all, Blackjazz is a new epic — and perhaps the best metal album of 2010.
Pillars and Tongues: “The Center of”
[audio:http://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Pillars_and_Tongues_The_Center_of.mp3|titles=Pillars and Tongues: “The Center of”]With just three members, Pillars and Tongues manages to craft powerful folk abstractions and interwoven, trance-inducing vocal dynamics. Both composed and improvisational, these shifting forms evoke spiritual vibes in their soulful essence, heavenly harmonies, and repeated patterns.
Dessa: “Dixon’s Girl”
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The only female member of Minneapolis hip-hop collective Doomtree, Dessa is a spoken-word vocalist, singer, and MC whose awaited full-length was finally released earlier this year.
On A Badly Broken Code, her true solo debut, Dessa’s vocal diversity is matched by its underlying music, ranging from hard-hitting beats and rhymes to lilting harmonic overdubs.
The Bastard Noise: “Mutant World of Shame / Underworld”
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A spinoff of treasured “power-violence” hardcore group Man is the Bastard, The Bastard Noise is approaching its 20th anniversary of creating noisy electro-doom brutality. For this split release with hardcore/punk experimentalists The Endless Blockade, the group utilizes the trademark drum-and-bass style of Man is the Bastard in combination with its far-out sounds. The Endless Blockade contributes three tracks to the release — one 14-minute epic and two avant-garde remixes.
Freeway & Jake One: “Know What I Mean”
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Continuing his life after Roc-A-Fella Records, former freestyle star Freeway now makes his debut on Rhymesayers, a fitting new home — if only temporary before a move to Cash Money. Fellow Rhymesayers standout Jake One provides a funky, malleable backdrop for Freeway‘s fiery delivery and lyrics that are alternately personal and light in content. And though Freeway deserves his accolades, Jake One’s production is the MVP of this collaboration.
Carolina Chocolate Drops: “Hit ‘Em Up Style” (Blu Cantrell)
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Beholden to the traditions of Americana and early African-American folk, the string trio Carolina Chocolate Drops continues blurring the lines of old and new. On Genuine Negro Jig, the group’s fifth album, a few original numbers and a trove of traditionals take root in banjo, fiddle, and percussion. Three-part harmonies shimmer on the famous folk tune “Trouble in Your Mind,” and simplicity shines on gripping renditions of “Why Don’t You Do Right?” by Kansas Joe McCoy and “Trampled Rose” by Tom Waits. Most surprisingly, Genuine Negro Jig includes an enjoyable rendition of “Hit ‘Em Up Style,” an unintentionally farcical pop hit by Blu Cantrell.
Mako Sica: “I’Itoi”
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A translation of the phrase “land bad,” Mako Sica has more than a nominal Native American influence; the trio’s distant vocal reverberations and dirge-inspired tunes recall the spirituality of America’s original inhabitants.
Between the vocalizations of Brent Fuscaldo, the melodies of guitarist Przemyslaw Krys Drazek, and the rhythms of drummer Michael J. Kendrick, Mako Sica maintains a strong balance of abilities — with a brooding combination of jangly guitars, reverberated vociferation, and instrumental dynamics.
High on Fire: “Snakes for the Divine”
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Stoner-metal trio High on Fire has built a devoted following over the past dozen years as fans fell in love with Matt Pike‘s gruff vocals and thunderous guitar riffs. On Snakes for the Divine, Pike uses his throat to channel Lemmy Kilmister; meanwhile, the band has picked up its pace and crafted an album that isn’t as outstretched. Hard-hitting riffery leads an effort that, though diverse at times, may be the band’s most driving release.
Jaga Jazzist: “One-Armed Bandit”
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Five years have passed since we’ve heard the powerhouse melodies of Norway’s Jaga Jazzist, the post-rock/”nü-jazz” conception of brothers Lars and Martin Horntveth.
One-Armed Bandit, immediately the group’s best album, resembles symphonic prog rock, arguably a few steps removed from parts of Frank Zappa‘s expansive catalog and closer to countryman Jono El Grande‘s diverse and theatrical style. This album, however, is much more cohesive than either of those comparisons suggest, and at times it is nearly overwhelming with grooves and harmonious refrains.
Rob Swift: “The Architect”
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Turntablist/DJ Robert Aguilar, formerly of the X-ecutioners, has long utilized his love of jazz, R&B, and other musical movements to create compelling hip-hop instrumentals while displaying his tight beat-juggling skills.
The Architect is Swift’s foray into the classical world. In addition to a multitude of sampled styles and sounds, classical cuts comprise a substantial chunk of this Ipecac debut. Rearranged strings, organ, and horns often make the foundation of a given track, occasionally evoking high-tension Italian Westerns, as Swift’s scratches dance atop banging beats.
Rotting Christ: “Aealo”
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For more than 20 years, Athens’ Rotting Christ has traversed different directions on the metal path. With its previous release, Theogonia, the group released a striking, original album that fused its dark sound to the ethnic sounds of its ancestors.
Like its predecessor, Aealo features female Benedictine chants, lingual pipes, and a medieval feel. Combined with dueling high-pitched harmonies and powerful guitar work, these new elements highlight an album that should be among the most original metal releases of the year.
Ali Farka Touré & Toumani Diabaté: “Ruby”
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As two of Africa’s most internationally renowned musicians, guitar legend Ali Farka Touré and kora phenom Toumani Diabaté have displayed impeccable abilities while integrating the styles of other cultures into their ethnic sounds.
Each Malian, the two collaborated for the acclaimed In the Heart of the Moon in 2005, shortly before Farka Touré’s passing in 2006. Fortunately, the two set aside time to record new material before touring for In the Heart of the Moon, and the result is another beautiful set of duets that sees a posthumous release.
Throughout Ali and Toumani, Farka Touré roots each creation in melodious African-blues pieces. Diabaté’s virtuosity accents each track in the form of fanciful scales, which at times evoke classical harpsichord passages, perhaps most notably on “Sabu Yerkoy.”
Fang Island: s/t (Sargent House, 2/23/10)
Fang Island: “Sideswiper”
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Mostly comprised of ex-Daughters, the good-time rock quintet Fang Island was one of the most quickly ascending bands of 2010, jumping onto tours with The Flaming Lips and Stone Temple Pilots following the release of its first full-length album.
The self-titled release is chock full of palm-muted and speed-infused indie-prog anthems, with über-layered vocal harmonies to go with a triple-thick guitar assault and distorted-bass bludgeoning. It’s one of those rare releases that feels absolutely radiant and thrashing at the same time.
B. Dolan: “The Reptilian Agenda”
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Going way back with Sage Francis, rapper B. Dolan is a like-minded MC and slam poet whose style isn’t terribly dissimilar to that of his long-time friend. Fallen House, Sunken City is Dolan’s second full-length for Strange Famous, and it’s full of the sociopolitical themes (if often in quick blasts or asides) and contentious delivery for which he’s known.
In addition to some seemingly personal lyrics, Dolan takes passing shots at big business, taxation, the pharmaceutical industry, the concept of ownership of natural resources, the Israeli razing of Palestinian developments, and, among many other things, the so-called New World Order — dropping clips of Dick Cheney and George H.W. Bush in “The Reptilian Agenda.” On top of Dolan’s socially conscious rhymes, A-list production by Alias makes this one of the year’s top hip-hop releases.
Archie Bronson Outfit: “Shark’s Tooth”
Archie Bronson Outfit: “Shark’s Tooth”
With its warbled vocals and driving percussion, British psych-rock trio Archie Bronson Outfit is like a more adventurous Wolf Parade — as comfortable burning up the dance floor with clean, bouncy riffs as it is turning up the reverb and rocking in a garage.
Coconut is the band’s first LP in nearly four years, and it kicks off with a crunchy, swirling guitar line and a hypnotic bongo-laden beat. Produced by DFA’s Tim Goldsworthy, Coconut gets spaced-out and drone-like at times, but it always offers a hint of pop accessibility amidst the static and haze.
Liars: “Scissor”
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Following lengthy stints in cities around the USA and abroad, adventurous art-rock trio Liars returned to LA and released an album that was inspired by the city of its origin.
Fans of the band have known to expect the unexpected, and Sisterworld is no different. “Scissor,” the album’s opener and successful single, morphs from harmonized wails to big rock action. Beautiful ascending strings, guitar, and piano highlight “Here Comes All the People,” which builds to a tension.
Imperium Dekadenz: “An Autumn Serenade”
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As self-described “intelligent black metal,” the music of Germany’s Imperium Dekadenz reflects influences from its Scandinavian counterparts, but with a stronger balance of melodies, epic arrangements, and acoustic passages. The result is an album that isn’t far removed from the dark beauty of At the Gates‘ classic Slaughter of the Soul.
Daughters: “The Hit”
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Daughters is a strangely grooving maelstrom, with dizzying fret work and guitar leads that sound like tornado sirens. Underneath the madness is a behemoth low end and series of gnarly rock riffs, not unlike Lightning Bolt at times. On top of that are spoken vocals in the vein of The Jesus Lizard, Cougars, etc.
With just its third “full-length” album since 2003 (and first over 25 minutes), Daughters has lengthened its songs a bit, pressing into three- and four-minute territory to expand and better realize its style. Powerful, progressive, and full of grooves, Daughters is the band’s best release to date — even if it’s the band’s final work.
The Dillinger Escape Plan: “Farewell, Mona Lisa”
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Now departed from Relapse Records, tech-core riff masters The Dillinger Escape Plan have continued to perfect the sound that has evolved since the exit of original singer Dimitri Minakakis (after Calculating Infinity) and original drummer Chris Pennie (after Miss Machine).
“Farewell, Mona Lisa,” the opener of Option Paralysis, is an epic jam that combines most of the band’s crucial elements — molten rhythms, jaw-shattering power chords, and harmonic choruses. After another half hour of assaulting riffs and chaos, Option Paralysis then closes with one of the band’s best songs, “Parasitic Twins,” which makes use of a piano-pop bridge and a hot-blooded rock-and-roll outro. Whether or not this vies to be the band’s best album, The Dillinger Escape Plan proves again that it is utterly peerless.
Autechre: “Known(1)”
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For years, many have remarked upon the esoteric nature of Autechre, an English electronic duo that has captivated as well as puzzled listeners, particularly as it evolved into its complex brand of IDM. Oversteps remains inaccessible to those not in search of otherworldly sounds and tricky rhythms. For those who can dig it, however, Autechre remains as genius and unique as ever.
Kenan Bell: “Good Day”
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Kenan Bell‘s presentation of live-band, indie- and electro-inspired hip hop is a unique blend of rhymes and style. However, Bell’s young career is just as noteworthy for other reasons — namely that he’s a former grade-school language-arts teacher who has achieved a remarkable level of buzz without the presence of an established label.
The buzz is deserved, however, as Bell’s band eschews samples to blend melodic guitars and buzzing bass lines with synthesizers and fat beats. His verses often riff on the same rhyme, but his flow and originality prevent things from going stale.
Daniel Bernard Roumain: “Sonata for Violin and Turntables, Part 4”
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Haitian-American violinist Daniel Bernard Roumain is a man of myriad talents, combining classical training with rapid-fire rock beats, DJ scratches, electronics, and funky bass lines.
Woodbox Beats & Balladry is a highly dynamic album, calling upon elements of IDM, piano balladry, and Vernon Reid-style wailing on top of Roumain’s standard amalgamation. It’s an outstanding album whose adventurousness perfectly fits the 21st Century.
Red Sparowes: “A Swarm”
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For its first full album in 3.5 years, atmospheric post-metal quintet Red Sparowes moves from Neurot to Sargent House and welcomes aboard guitarist Emma Ruth Rundle (of The Nocturnes) to replace Neurosis guitarist Josh Graham.
Like usual, resplendent melodies — courtesy of pedal-steel guitar as well as echoes and reverberations — top snare rolls and layers of harmony. On past albums, these movements have built to crescendos, but The Fear… more commonly alternates this with mountainous low end and steady, pounding rhythms.
Alex B: “You and I Both Know”
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Having built a reputation solely from production and remixes, Alex B now makes his full-length debut with a relatively unusual level of anticipation.
Throbbing electronics, hallucinatory synths, bouncing bass, and echoing piano are just the tip of the iceberg. Like Freud’s theory of the preconscious and unconscious, most of Alex B’s work is buried beneath the surface.
The Nels Cline Singers: “Floored”
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Gifted guitarist Nels Cline may be best recognized as “that really tall guy in Wilco,” but his accomplished career spans decades as well as ravines of style. Initiate, a two-disc release that includes a live album, further angles The Nels Cline Singers towards accessibility. But fans of Cline’s off-the-cuff abilities and technical prowess won’t be disappointed, as the album strikes a perfect balance for the group, alternating between progressive jams, effect-laden tranquility, and alien “out-ness.”
Judgement Day: “Cobra Strike”
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Known for its unique brand of string-borne heavy metal, Judgement Day proves that hardcore shredding is just as heavy and intense with a violin and cello as it is on guitar and bass.
Informed by brutal, driving force as much as classical training, the trio crafts hyperactive riffs, intricate arpeggios, and syncopated breakdowns on Peacocks / Pink Monsters, its second studio release. The album’s title is actually the name of the painting that adorns its cover, and in the nearly 20-page “making of” booklet — a one-of-a-kind “tome-pack” that accompanies the music — violinist Anton Patzner (also of Bright Eyes) discusses the important relationship of color and music.
Dosh: “Subtractions”
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Percussionist and multi-instrumentalist Martin Dosh spent much of the past decade establishing himself as a skilled designer of electro-infused, loop-laden ambience and melody.
For a good portion of his latest effort, variegated sounds create thoroughly layered material atop jumping drum kits and looped beats alike. Harpsichord, slide guitar, piano, and saxophone complement the usual armaments of Fender Rhodes, marimba, and samples, as tracks such as “Subtractions,” “Number 41,” and “Call the Kettle” (as well as the album’s distorted conclusion) present new sides of Dosh. Tommy eventually settles into the down-tempo electro-acoustic tunes of yore, but never is the album dull or repetitive.
Trans Am: “Heaven’s Gate”
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Began as a sci-fi soundtrack for a project that fell apart, Thing is Trans Am‘s most ambitious — and greatest — album to date.
The trio’s spacey synth rock is at its most dynamic and dramatic, and its jestful elements are all absent again. Infused with more Goblin or John Carpenter influences, Thing is darker than anything else Trans Am has done, but it never loses its head-banging MO. It marks a milestone for Trans Am and hopefully portends sounds to come.
Caribou: “Bowls”
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One of the bigger names under the “folktronica” umbrella, Dan Snaith has combined dense arrangements with dance elements and 1960s- and indie-pop vocals for his 10-year career as Manitoba and Caribou. On stage, the diverse material has been visually and aurally recreated by projections and a live band, with Snaith behind a drum kit, computer, synth, or bass.
Swim is Snaith’s third full-length as Caribou, and it accentuates the dance elements while his vocals are “clubbed out” with echoing loops. Fans of his gentler and more-organic material may be put off, but it’s another bold new step in a twisting career.
Nedry: “A42”
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With its debut full-length, London’s Nedry presents a level of craftsmanship that can take bands a decade to achieve.
A buzzing, semi-glitched electro base — with amorphous, synthesized bass lines — is accented by alternately canorous and distorted guitars. High-voltage drum-and-bass trades with careful balances of electro-acoustic indie elements. Any way that you slice it, this is one hell of a freshman effort.
Michael Leonhart & The Avramina 7: “Seahorse & The Storyteller”
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The biography of Michael Leonhart reads like a wünderkind’s ascension to power, with multiple Grammy awards and appearances on more than 100 albums.
His latest solo album contains elements of so many genres that it’s hard to keep count. Chiefly, Seahorse & The Storyteller might best be termed indie acid funk — a style that’s both heavy and dreamy, jazzy and moody. Swells of strings, tinkling percussion, haunting female vocals, toy pianos, and wandering, echoing horn solos complement a steady dose of brass grooves and high-register singing.
Cleric: “A Rush of Blood”
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For its full-length debut, the Philadelphia quartet Cleric specializes in demolishing tech-metal eruptions, savage math breakdowns, and grindcore blasts that give way to doom dirges, sinister atmospherics, nightmarish vocal distortions, and even the stray melody and piano line.
With nary a repeated passage and most major pieces measuring more than 10 minutes, Regressions sounds like a personalized soundtrack to death. Undoubtedly, Cleric’s music isn’t quite like anything else.
My Education: “Heave Oars”
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My Education is an Austin quintet whose dramatic and dense brand of instrumental post-rock is noteworthy for its exquisite harmonies and use of strings. Sunrise is the band’s homage to German director F.W. Murnau‘s Oscar winner, woven together over two years of live presentation.
Combining a traditional rock lineup with viola, cello, and vibraphone, My Education captivates with flares of tension and scrupulous melodies. Sunrise‘s most powerful and dynamic effort, “Oars,” follows a few tracks of post-rock bliss that is evocative of Dirty Three, Grails, and Tortoise.
Tribecastan: 5-Star Cave (Evergreene Music, 4/27/10)
Tribescastan: “Back When Tito Had Two Legs”
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The brainchild of accomplished New York based musicians John Kruth and Jeff Greene, Tribecastan synthesizes urban folk sounds from all over the world into a playful, eclectic mix. The duo travels across the musical landscape of the entire world with dizzying speed: one second you’re grooving to Turkish punk, then a banjo-led southern folk-funk jamboree, then an Afghan romp, and then a Caribbean jazz breakdown relocated to a Grecian island.
5-Star Cave succeeds by reinterpreting “world music” as “all the music in the world crammed into a Cuisinart and set to puree.”
Mike Patton: “Il Cielo in una Stanza”
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Early last decade, iconic vocalist Mike Patton moved to Italy and did his best to blend with the locals. He picked up Italian, fell in love with Bologna, and, at some point, realized that he needed to add something else to his never-ending list of projects.
That addition turned into Mondo Cane, a full-scale orchestral homage to Italian cantautori (singer/songwriter) tunes of the 1960s and ’70s. Fans of Patton’s wild exploits may be disappointed if they’re expecting something akin to the Fantômas Director’s Cut album, but lovers of emotion-packed ballads will embrace this disc of orchestral pop.
Flying Lotus: “Pickled!”
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Electronic producer Steven Ellison, known as Flying Lotus, made waves two years ago with his Warp debut full-length, Los Angeles, an atmospheric psych-hop affair that was augmented with white noise, blippy sci-fi scales, and a deep bass underpinning.
Cosmogramma is Ellison’s brilliant new collage, but the endowments of Los Angeles have been surpassed by an ever-burgeoning skill for composition. Beautiful and wild runs of harp, bass, and classical guitar are present from the start, contrasting but not conflicting with cuts of sharply buzzing guitars, train whistles, and deep-space synths. String swells and chopped vocals slide in and out of the mix, layering atop glitch, dance, and drum-and-bass beats; rubbery dance-floor passages disappear into symphonic swaths.
Sage Francis: “The Best of Times”
[audio:http://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Sage_Francis_The_Best_of_Times.mp3|titles=Sage Francis: “The Best of Times”]
Paul “Sage” Francis has built a career out of going against the grain, tackling thorny sociopolitical issues while embracing the limelight of poetry slams and rap battles. His idiosyncratic style garnered him underground buzz well before his Anticon debut in 2002.
Li(f)e, his most adventurous album, is a collaboration with a dozen different singer-songwriter and acoustic-music types, finding Francis at his most personal over styles that aren’t necessarily conducive to rappers. Folk, country, western, indie rock, and more — it’s all delivered via big names such as Calexico, DeVotchKa, Califone, Tim Fite, ex-Grandaddy frontman Jason Lytle, Chris Walla of Death Cab for Cutie, Mark Linkous of Sparklehorse, and producer Brian Deck (Modest Mouse, Iron & Wine).
Japandroids: “Darkness on the Edge of Gastown”
Japandroids: “Darkness on the Edge of Gastown”
Canadian rock duo Japandroids plays it fast and loose, with all fuzzed-out guitar riffs and anthemic choruses, yet its music chugs along with clinical precision. No Singles is a compilation of two pre-Post Nothing (its breakthrough 2009 album) EPs, All Lies and Lullaby Death Jams, which were originally released on CD-R in limited quantities.
On stage, the band captures the structure of its records while imbuing copious energy into its already amped-up, punk-inflected sound. It’s a balance that demands total commitment and sincerity to make it work, and Japandroids has both.
Solex vs. Christina Martinez + Jon Spencer: “Galaxy Man”
[audio:http://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/galaxy_man.mp3|titles=Solex vs. Christina Martinez + Jon Spencer: “Galaxy Man”]Known as Solex, Dutch electro artist Elisabeth Esselink has released her first album in five years, and it’s a doozy. Featuring the husband/wife team of Jon Spencer and Christina Martinez (ex-Boss Hog), Amsterdam Throwdown… is a spacey, funky, groovy disc of fun jams.
The grooves are supported by bangin’ beats and assorted instrumental accents — strings, horns, acoustic and dirty guitars, and much more. Lighthearted vocal interplay trades off with spoken-word passages and Spencer’s trademark “dirtbag” sound.
Tim Fite: “Someone Threw the Baby Out”
[audio:http://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Tim_Fite_Someone_Threw_the_Baby_Out.mp3|titles=Tim Fite: “Someone Threw the Baby Out”]
Multi-instrumentalist rapper/singer Tim Fite, who has been making unclassifiable collage-rock records for the past six years, uses his latest free digital album to deal directly with the recession, defaulted mortgage loans, inadequate healthcare, and bailouts.
Anyone familiar with Fite’s style will instantly recognize and appreciate Under the Table Tennis (another great title à la Over the Counter Culture), but new styles flash in and out of the melting pot — despondent Western motifs, French pop, reggae, and “crunk metal” akin to Otto Von Schirach. On top of its political and emotional relevance, the album is another fantastic patchwork of styles.
Secret Chiefs 3: UR: “Circumambulation”
[audio:http://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Secret_Chiefs_3_UR_Circumambulation.mp3|titles=Secret Chiefs 3: UR: “Circumambulation”]
Each orbiting the musical genius of Trey Spruance, the Secret Chiefs 3 satellite groups each represent a different sonic dimension of the band’s expansive, undefinable sound. Following Traditionalists‘ full-length take on Italy’s giallo movement, Satellite Supersonic Vol. 1 mostly collects seven-inch material from SC3 subgroups UR, Ishraqiyyun, and Electromagnetic Azoth.
UR, the Chiefs’ “suprasensory surf” squad, presents three tracks of heavily tremolo-ed rock guitar surrounded by synthesized sounds, Eastern instrumentation, and epic motifs. Spruance’s most Eastern-infused ensemble, Ishraqiyyun retains a masterful balance between each side of the globe, as psychedelic and electronic elements are entangled with the Indian sarangi and an electrified Persian setar.
Chrome Hoof: “Crystalline”
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Try to imagine gnarly doom funk from another planet, performed by a nonet that is dressed like a death cult at a space disco. That imagination in practice, London’s Chrome Hoof, is every bit as dark, wild, and fun as it sounds.
The brainchild of brothers Leo and Milo Smee, Chrome Hoof is built around an intuitive rhythm section: drummer Milo’s pounding pulses and overlapping time signatures and bassist Leo’s heavy, cataclysmic riffs. With just its third album in ten years as a group, Chrome Hoof delivers its most boisterous and complete release, full of dance-floor jams as well as cinematic math rock.
Qua: “Circles”
[audio:http://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Qua_Circles.mp3|titles=Qua: “Circles”]
Melbourne resident Cornel Wilczek might be an apt representation of today’s electronic artist, calling upon buzzing effects, analog synths, and field recordings as much as guitar, live drums, and acoustic instruments.
As Qua, he combines these sounds into a fun, blippy style that can hit hard, scale it back, or get bodies moving. Q&A, now with its official US release, marks Wilczek’s progress as a musician — while adding its name to the ever-expanding list of great electro-acoustic works. Key guest spots include James Cecil (Architecture in Helsinki) and Laurence Pike (Savath & Savalas, PVT, Triosk).
Melvins: “Evil New War God”
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Remarkably, the Melvins‘ umpteenth album isn’t quite like any of its predecessors. After nearly 30 years as a band, that’s still a fantastic achievement — to maintain such a high level of quality and experimentation while retaining its idiosyncracies.
On The Bride Screamed Murder, down-tempo sludge riffs again are elbowed out by hard- and classic-rock riffs. The tunes are as anthemic as ever, but this time they’re infused with elements like marching chants and whistles; avant-garde, squealing outros; a twisted take on The Who‘s “My Generation”; and soothing a cappela harmonies.
The Waitiki 7: “Similau”
[audio:http://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/similau.mp3|titles=The Waitiki 7: “Similau”]Though devoid of the ukuleles and slack-key guitars that may be most commonly associated with Hawaiian music, The Waitiki 7 — based on the island of Oahu — excel in capturing the “exotic” sounds that Martin Denny helped popularize.
The septet’s gorgeous melodies, however, do more than renew a bygone genre. Its radiant brand of exotica crosses into Latin jazz with just as much poise and dexterity, often melding the two with a lineup of vibraphone and xylophone, upright bass, flute, piano, violin, saxophone, vocal and bird calls, drums, and assorted percussion.
Integrity: “Simulacra”
[audio:http://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/simulacra.mp3|titles=Integrity: “Simulacra”]Integrity is one of the forebears of the “metal-core” sub-genre, but the band’s sound might be best recognized for its vocals — the hellish, pained screams of Dwid Hellion. With its first full album since 2003, Integrity has hit a new peak, with dive-bombing guitar squeals over blazing speed riffs and chugging breakdowns.
Fans will love The Blackest Curse, and younger metal-core addicts will discover a band that has influenced many of their contemporary favorites.
Trentemøller: “The Mash and the Fury”
[audio:http://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Trentemoller_The_Mash_and_the_Fury.mp3|titles=Trentemøller: “The Mash and the Fury”]
The new album by Danish electronic producer Anders Trentemøller, Into the Great Wide Yonder, is a dramatic departure from his previous work. The songs are more complex and heavier, with layer upon layer of robust orchestration.
But those instruments, most of which are performed by Trentemøller, fall to the wayside when confronted by the tremolo-swollen and overdriven guitar riffs. The guitar work, again performed by Trentemøller, sounds like surf rock during a hurricane, with the shudder of the whammy bar sending trembles through the music. And with a number of great vocal cameos, Into the Great Wide Yonder cements itself as one of the year’s most stunning albums.
Trash Talk: “Explode”
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With its sophomore “full-length” album — just more than 22 minutes — Sacramento quartet Trash Talk has come into its own as a hardcore powerhouse.
The band’s self-titled predecessor churned out potent thrash riffs, push beats, gruff vocals, breakdowns, and the occasional sludge part, but Eyes & Nines is a much stronger exercise in songwriting. The style isn’t groundbreaking, but the band executes it powerfully. Trash Talk will make you fall in love with hardcore all over again.
Ratatat: “Bilar”
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Ratatat‘s members, Evan Mast and Mike Stroud, have used their recordings to combine assorted electronics with guitar and bass. Each release has gotten denser and more diverse, but LP4 stands apart as the most dynamic — and possibly the best written.
In addition to the IDM elements and synthesized funkiness, LP4 features a string quartet alongside horns, piano, slide guitar, and harpsichord. High-pitched guitar harmonies occasionally steal the show, but the moody effect of the strings can’t be overstated.
Mikrokolektyw: “Running Without Effort”
[audio:http://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Mikrokolektyw_Running_Without_Eff.mp3|titles=Mikrokolektyw: “Running without Effort”]Mikrokolektyw (pronounced micro-collective) is the Polish duo of Kuba Suchar and Artur Majewski. Together, they make a very primal sort of experimental jazz, rooted in Suchar’s one-man rhythm section of drums and Moog. Atop this framework, Majewski adds restrained, thoughtful trumpet lines. The result is head-nodding and hypnotic — like classic Chicago jazz fusion, but with loops and electronics.
Georgia Anne Muldrow: “The Black Mother”
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The daughter of progressive-jazz parents, Georgia Anne Muldrow has attained acclaim — from critics, musicians, and listeners alike — for her loose, soulful vocals atop her own funky, jazzy creations. Drawing as much on spacey synths and hip-hop beats as jazz melodies, Ocotea keeps a steady pulse and groove as Muldrow utilizes a diverse sonic palette. It’s a far-out journey that has shown the young songstress in a new and compelling light.
David Karsten Daniels & Fight the Big Bull: “All Things are Current Found”
[audio:http://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/David_Karsten_Daniels_Fight_the_Big_Bull_All_Things.mp3|titles=David Karsten Daniels & Fight the Big Bull: “All Things Are Current Found”]
The pairing of neofolk songwriter David Karsten Daniels and big-band experimentalists Fight the Big Bull is a unique crossroads between two beloved genres. For this project, Daniels adapted poems from Henry David Thoreau to use in his sweeping style. Fight the Big Bull’s work is crucial but unobtrusive, weaving flourishes and accents in and out without feeling forced.
Seven That Spells: “Olympos”
[audio:http://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Seven_That_Spells_Olympos.mp3|titles=Seven That Spells: “Olympos”]Based in Zagreb, Croatia, Seven That Spells plays a powerhouse fusion of psychedelic rock, math and jazz influences, and full-tilt drumming assaults. The group, originally a power trio, is led by guitarist/keyboardist Niko Potočnjak but has undergone radical changes in its lineup over its relatively brief tenure, and its last album, Cosmoerotic Dialogue with Lucifer, was a noisy, progressive, multi-drummer attack on the senses.
Future Retro Spasm features the return of saxophonist Lovro Zlopaša (who appeared on Black Om Rising in 2008), but this time around, he steals the spotlight. His sax lines, often interwoven with each other, are the album’s driving melodic force, and their interplay with Potočnjak’s acid-soaked riffs is spectacular.
So Percussion & Matmos: “Needles”
[audio:http://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/So_Percussion_and_Matmos_Needles.mp3|titles=So Percussion & Matmos: “Needles”]Experimental electronic duo Matmos is a noted contemporary practitioner of musique concrète, a cut-and-paste art form that channels existing sounds into new and surprising pieces. And despite delving into what seems like a juxtaposition to electronic music, Matmos uses Treasure State to team with So Percussion, a Brooklyn quartet that brings to life the works of contemporary composers like David Lang, Iannis Xenakis, and John Cage.
On Treasure State, physical objects — ceramics and metal — are explored, and acoustic instruments play a substantial role on a number of tracks. The pairing sounds natural, and it’s surprising that it didn’t happen sooner.
Hans Zimmer: “Mombasa”
[audio:http://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/mombasa.mp3|titles=Hans Zimmer: “Mombasa”]Ranking 72nd on the Telegraph’s list of 100 living geniuses, German composer Hans Zimmer is a Grammy-winning soundtrack maven. And though blockbuster scores often all blend together with the same soaring, emotive motifs, Zimmer’s talents are unique, and his material for Inception stands out amid the typical Hollywood fare. The music here is dramatic and eerie — as one would expect for a dream-based, mind-bending movie — but its range is more dynamic, making use of Zimmer’s penchant for electronics.
Lloyd Miller & The Heliocentrics: “Pari Ruu”
[audio:http://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/pari_ruu.mp3|titles=Lloyd Miller & The Heliocentrics: “Pari Ruu”]A noted ethnomusicologist and incredibly gifted multi-instrumentalist, Lloyd Miller is a gem of the pre-digital age, a crate-digger’s favorite who infused traditional jazz with Persian and Asian influences — a result of time spent abroad in his youth and again in adulthood. This time around, funk/jazz/psych collective The Heliocentrics hooks up with Miller for another great Strut Records collaboration, resulting in throwback jazz with instrumental and harmonic accents from around the globe.
The Books: “Beautiful People”
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Employing a peculiar mix of acoustic instruments, electronics, samples, and splicing, The Books has managed to sound quite like nothing else while drawing upon sound collage, folk, glitch, and more. The Way Out, the duo’s first album in five years, is at times polyrhythmic; at others, it’s greatly minimalistic yet effective. There’s a well-balanced approach to the vocals, as the duo’s singing and spoken-word moments appear between harmonious guest vocals and abstract/chopped samples.
Menomena: “Queen Black Acid”
[audio:http://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/queen_black_acid.mp3|titles=Menomena: “Queen Black Acid”]With its Barsuk debut (Friend and Foe) three and a half years ago, Menomena came to indie-rock prominence thanks to a junior effort that stood out amid a sub-genre that was exploding in the mainstream.
Though Mines, its follow-up full-length, falls into “pop rock” categorization, each tune retains its own skewed sense of structure, and Menomena remains unclassifiable within the broader distinction. As on previous albums, the trio employs many wailing vocalizations, epic harmonies, and unique blends of instruments — including fuzzed-out bass grooves, rock-and-roll guitar leads, piano, stuttering brass riffs, string accompaniment, guitar slides, marimba, and keyboards.
William Brittelle: “Sheena Easton”
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A composer and former frontman of The Blondes, William Brittelle demonstrates the possibilities of pop when filtered through classical instrumentation and progressive song structures.
Television Landscape is only Brittelle’s sophomore effort, but it may prove to be his magnum opus. It’s a concept album based on a “media-saturated, pre-apocalyptic world,” with stated influences ranging from harmony champions The Beach Boys and Animal Collective to impressionist composers Maurice Ravel and Claude Debussy.
El-P: “Meanstreak (in 3 Parts)”
[audio:http://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/el-p_meanstreak.mp3|titles=El-P: “Meanstreak (in 3 Parts)”]It’s almost strange to think of Jaime Meline as a solo artist, but his bitter rap intonations, sci-fi rhymes, and dark hip-hop productions as El-P have become as beloved as his work for others.
This collection is his third “mega mixxx,” but unlike the first two that were released at shows, Mixxx3 is a different beast — a collection of full-length and vignette-length instrumentals, with a pair of remixes of Kidz in the Hall and Young Jeezy. Naturally, it doesn’t feel as complete his next rap-filled album likely will, but many of the same elements carry Mixxx3 — from dirty synth leads to ominous effects and big beats.
Dax Riggs: “Say Goodnight to the World”
[audio:http://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Dax_Riggs_Say_Goodnight_to_the_World.mp3|titles=Dax Riggs: “Say Goodnight to the World”]
Though Say Goodnight to the World is only his second “official” full-length album, Dax Riggs has been delivering powerful, blues-infused rock balladry for a decade. Say Goodnight to the World doesn’t quite have a standout like “Night is the Notion” from We Sing of Only Blood or Love, but it reflects a more integrated approach to songwriting, with tracks that aren’t as rigid in their structure.
A slow, intoxicating rendition of Elvis Presley‘s “Heartbreak Hotel” — more in tune with the suicide-inspired tune written by Tommy Durden and Mae Boren Axton — is just one of many highlights.
Asphalt Orchestra: “Electric Red” (Meshuggah)
[audio:http://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Asphalt_Orchestra_Meshuggah_Electric_Red.mp3|titles=Asphalt Orchestra: “Electric Red”]
Asphalt Orchestra is a 12-piece marching ensemble that performs brass-led covers of eclectic selections as well as commissions from esteemed songwriters. The group’s self-titled debut is a luminous romp, reimagining tunes from Frank Zappa, Charles Mingus, Meshuggah, and Björk with equal ease.
With matching uniforms and a diverse songbook, the group draws comparisons to Chicago’s Mucca Pazza. This NYC ensemble, however, employs choreographed moves and even more crowd interaction. If you get the chance, don’t miss them on your street.
PVT: “Light Up Bright Fires”
[audio:http://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/PVT_Light_Up_Bright_Fires.mp3|titles=PVT: “Light Up Bright Fires”]Formerly known as Pivot, Australia’s PVT was formed as an improvisational quintet in the late 1990s before transitioning to an electro-rock trio. The group maintained a number of experimental, freeform elements, but it focused on synth grooves and a mixture of live and digital beats.
Its new album, Church With No Magic, is its most composed yet, seemingly dropping the improv parts while delivering some major pop melodies and vocal hooks. the single “Light Up Bright Fires” mixes squiggly electronics with a pounding Phil Collins tom beat and a catchy chorus. “Crimson Swans” features epic choir sounds, and “Window” has a very 1980s feel – somewhere between Depeche Mode, Gary Numan, and Tears for Fears (but not corny).
Tallest Trees: “Aloutte!”
[audio:http://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Tallest_Trees_Alouette.mp3|titles=Tallest Trees: “Alouette!”]
Making an impressive debut on Other Electricities, Nashville duo Tallest Trees is the union of two separate projects — an expansive solo experiment by Thomas Samuel (who began as Tallest Trees) and the looped-cello project of Dabny Morris (dubbed Human Voice). Each element — whether a wash of distorted guitars, a toy piano, or hymn-like singing — combines with the others to create a well-meshed, unique whole. Glitches, found sounds, feedback, and more give The Ostrich or the Lark a warm, welcome feel. It’s a beautiful pop debut — one that has taken many by notice.
Tera Melos: “Skin Surf”
[audio:http://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Tera_Melos_The_Skin_Surf.mp3|titles=Tera Melos: “The Skin Surf”]With guitarist/keyboardist Nick Reinhart‘s newly sharpened vocal chops and a new tech-pop balance, Patagonian Rats marks the true arrival of eccentric math-rock trio Tera Melos. The album lands somewhere between the band’s old schizophrenic yet directed mayhem and the mathy yet melodic accessibility of Bygones, Reinhart’s band with drumming wiz Zach Hill.
The chaos is carefully controlled, erupting at opportune moments or manifesting itself in layers of outlandishness. Patagonian Rats is rooted in a punk energy as well, powered by spastic drums, guitar noodling, and driving bass distortions.
The Bad Plus: “My Friend Metatron”
[audio:http://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/The_Bad_Plus_My_Friend_Metatron.mp3|titles=The Bad Plus: “My Friend Metatron”]Built around piano, bass, and drums, the hard-hitting jazz trio known as The Bad Plus is beloved for its inimitable originals as well as its radically re-imagined covers. Now, after an entire disc of covers, the trio follows with its first full release of original tunes.
Never Stop embodies the assorted tastes that have been reflected in the trio’s cover selections — all filtered through a powerful jazz style. And though the explored territory isn’t particularly new — other than perhaps a few more accessible melodies and straightforward beats — Never Stop contains some of the group’s finest songs.
Buke & Gass: “Medulla Oblongata”
[audio:http://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Buke_and_Gass_Medulla_Oblongata.mp3|titles=Buke & Gass: “Medulla Oblongata”]Take an altered baritone ukulele (the “buke”) and a guitar-bass hybrid (the “gass”) and run them through thick, fuzzy distortion effects. Add homemade foot percussion and the strong, über-melodic pop vocals of Arone Dyer (the buke-ist), and you get the shockingly effective duo dubbed Buke & Gass. The material gets a bit sugary at times, but between the duo’s unique sounds, potent harmonies, and unconventional riffs, it’s hard for Buke & Gass to do much wrong.
Grinderman: “Heathen Child”[audio:http://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Grinderman_Heathen_Child.mp3|titles=Grinderman: “Heathen Child”]
With the help of the dynamic Bad Seeds, Nick Cave has championed a dark and unparalleled brand of alt-rock, and in 2007, he launched another lauded project, Grinderman, with the aid of longtime Seeds. Marked by raw lyrics and impassioned vocals, the garage-rock side project now takes a sharp turn for its second album, presenting a much more sprawling, diverse recording.
Layers of effects, noise, and backing vocals build each song into colorful stories of weirdness and absurdity, and all together, the album is a much greater studio labor than the twisted rock ballads of its predecessor. With 2, Grinderman has come into its own as a full-fledged group.
Das Racist: “hahahaha jk”
[audio:http://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Das-Racist-hahahaha-jk.mp3|titles=Das Racist: “hahahaha jk”]
With two free mixtapes under its belt, Brooklyn-based hip-hop trio Das Racist has cornered the market on hyper-literate slacker rap. Its sound is defined by above-average beats (from the likes of Diplo and Boi-1da) and an unmistakably blasé style laden with off-hand references to everything from philosophical texts to drunk texts.
On the surface, it’s easy to dismiss Das Racist’s music as joke rap or hipster rap, but there is serious thought and effort behind the façade of carelessness. Just try to keep up as the razor-sharp wit and rapid-fire, stream-of-consciousness rhymes draw parallels between seemingly disparate ideas and challenge traditional, mindless rap bravado.
Torche: “Arrowhead”
[audio:http://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Torche_Arrowhead.mp3|titles=Torche: “Arrowhead”]Over the course of two albums and a few EPs, Florida’s Torche has developed an appeal across genre lines, attracting stoner-metal fans as well as the sing-along crowd. The band (now a trio) earned some serious buzz from its 2008 full-length album, Meanderthal, which coupled a strong melodic emphasis with thick distortion, catchy riffs, and wailing vocals.
Songs for Singles, essentially, is more of the same two-minute tracks, each powerful yet approachable enough to be played on the radio. If you’re not familiar with the band’s signature combination of punk melodies and beats, guitar harmonics, and overdubbed vocals, you should get acquainted.
Victoire: “Cathedral City”
[audio:http://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Victoire_Cathedral_City.mp3|titles=Victoire: “Cathedral City”]Formed in 2008, Victoire is an all-female electro-chamber quintet that was founded by composer Missy Mazzoli. Cathedral City is Victoire’s proper debut, and it’s a striking album that marries emphatic string motifs to minimal yet clever accents of keyboards, clarinet, melodica, and rapturous vocals.
Other chamber ensembles have pushed boundaries in the 21st Century, but Victoire does so in a way that feels completely natural. Digitized hi-hat beats, looped/glitched vocals, and touches of electric guitar (courtesy of The National‘s Bryce Dessner) subtly complement a harmonious blend of violin, double bass, and the aforementioned elements. Cathedral City is an exciting arrival.
Rahim AlHaj: “Morning in Hyattsville”
[audio:http://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Rahim_AlHaj_Morning_In_Hyattsville.mp3|titles=Rahim AlHaj: “Morning in Hyattsville”]
Hailed as one of Iraq’s most paramount composers and an esteemed oud musician, Rahim AlHaj is a highly accomplished artist but also a former political prisoner. After a series of moves to seek refuge from his country’s oppression, he settled in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 2000 and begun new compositions.
Little Earth, AlHaj’s eighth album, presents his vision of a musical panorama where divergent ideas and concepts can flourish together. Over the course of two discs, he taps a hotbed of talented guest musicians to transcend the East/West dichotomy. Listeners will appreciate it for its musical underpinnings — the Iraqi maqam tradition, the instrumental juxtapositions, and wide range of sonar landscapes — as well as its desire for a shared peace.
Foetus: “Fortitudine Vincemus”
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Foetus is the best-known moniker of eclectic composer JG Thirlwell, whose multifarious recordings stretch across art rock, no wave, electronica, exotica, chamber music, big-band jazz, classical orchestrations, and much more. His later projects — Steroid Maximus, Manorexia, and the material for The Venture Bros. TV show — have expanded his exotic instrumentals.
Hide is his first studio album as Foetus since 2005, and it’s a dense collection of operatic/melodramatic vocals, baroque frills, bombastic arrangements, and even some metal drumming. Aside from a few electronic elements, nearly everything on Hide is organic and often performed by Thirlwell, who combines styles in a way that few others do.
Dark Dark Dark: “Daydreaming”
[audio:http://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Dark_Dark_Dark_Daydreaming.mp3|titles=Dark Dark Dark: “Daydreaming”]The vocal- and piano-driven chamber folk of Dark Dark Dark deftly balances commanding harmonies and melancholy melodies. The sextet’s music is beautiful and potent, but each tune has the potential to break hearts. Wild Go, the band’s second full-length, is another stunner, expanding on the instrumentation and breadth of The Snow Magic, the group’s debut LP.
John Zorn: “Warlock”
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In 2006, indefatigable composer John Zorn launched another of his countless ensembles — Moonchild, a sludgy power trio built around vocalist Mike Patton, bassist Trevor Dunn, and drummer Joey Baron. In the four albums that began with Moonchild: Songs Without Words, Zorn has used the group to explore heavy and spastic improvisations amid composed riffs and directed song structures.
The lineup has expanded a bit for a few releases, but that wild trio is the group’s heart, with Patton offering wordless shrieks, chants, and vocal spasms over Dunn and Baron’s distorted notes and progressive rhythms. Ipsissimus is the group’s fifth release in less than five years, and it’s the first to prominently feature the guitar work of Marc Ribot.
Shad: TSOL (Black Box / Decon, 10/5/10)
Shad: “Yaa I Get It”
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Born in Kenya of Rwandan parents, hip-hop artist Shadrach Kabango — better known as Shad — was raised in London, Ontario, where he has attained quite a deal of success on the Canadian charts.
TSOL is Shad’s third full-length album. His vocal style exudes a bit of a Kanye West vibe, but his delivery and rhyme scheme also are reminiscent of P.O.S — who put out one of the best hip-hop albums of 2009. This effort has similarities with some of the better radio rappers of the USA — Common, Mos Def, Talib Kweli — but Shad goes toe to toe and delivers another album with some indie appeal.
Intronaut: “Elegy”
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Intronaut has made its name in forward-thinking metal circles by understanding that pure metal moments hit harder by sandwiching them between other styles — in this case, passages that are closer to fusion or jazz. Rather than a guitar spotlight, the group reaches for a fretless bass solo; in lieu of a unison run, Intronaut deploys a spacey, percussive breakdown.
This non-linear school of songwriting isn’t for the unadventurous, but there are plenty of overlapping, Meshuggah-style grooves for listeners to latch onto. And ultimately, Intronaut’s willingness to think differently gives rise to a highly unique, thoroughly compelling album.
Circle of Animals: “Poison the Lamb”
[audio:http://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Circle_of_Animals_Poison_the_Lamb.mp3|titles=Circle of Animals: “Poison the Lamb”]Circle of Animals is a new project by multi-instrumentalist producer Sanford Parker (of Minsk) and saxophonist Bruce Lamont (of Yakuza). It’s a tribute of sorts to Chicago’s industrial scene of the late ’80s and early ’90s, although it ties in influences from other heavy experimentalists such as Swans and Godflesh. You have to dig songs that build in layers to enjoy this album, but it’s well executed, and any given track might really pay off four minutes in.
Sufjan Stevens: “Too Much”
[audio:http://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Sufjan_Stevens_Too_Much.mp3|titles=Sufjan Stevens: “Too Much”]n 2005, singer/songwriter Sufjan Stevens scored a major hit with Come On Feel the Illinoise, his most detailed album and the second installment in his “50-state project.” Last year he released The BQE, an instrumental soundtrack to his film of the same name, and it was even more elaborate and orchestrated than Illinois.
The Age of Adz (pronounced odds) is his first vocal-based release since Illinois, and longstanding fans should appreciate this more for being a great cross-section of Stevens’ career, mixing the electronic embellishments of his earlier material with the sophisticated folk of his latter. It’s well balanced, with enough pop nuggets and layered complexities to attain a happy medium.
Free Moral Agents: “North is Red”
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Mars Volta fans know Isaiah “Ikey” Owens as a master keyboardist, also lending his talents to the related experimental dub/reggae side project De Facto. But Owens’ own one-time side project, Free Moral Agents, has transformed into a full-time band with a second studio release, Control This.
Over a combination of ambient pop and trip hop, crunchy guitar riffs and avant-garde fusion motifs construct a critical foreground, and the esoteric vocals of Mendee Ichikawa make for a strong and fitting melodic element. The music here is an eclectic collection of tastefully clashing sounds.
Julian Curwin: “The Mango Balloon”
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Led by multi-instrumentalist Julian Curwin and buoyed by a healthy eclecticism, The Tango Saloon is a Western-, Gypsy-, and jazz-inflected tango juggernaut.
The Mango Balloon is Curwin’s exploration of this material as a chamber set, providing a glimpse into the band’s quieter moments. With klezmer intricacies, accordion and guitar movements engage in a close-knit dance on the title track; elsewhere, Spanish guitar rhythms join a melancholic trumpet touched by counter melodies. The songs give better access to their players’ unique voices, in arrangements centering on more isolated compositional elements.
White Moth: “Shoot the Clock” (f. Dälek)
[audio:http://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/White_Moth_Shoot_the_Clock.mp3|titles=White Moth: “Shoot the Clock”]Released one week after the Sailors with Wax Wings debut, White Moth is one of the two new solo projects from Pyramids head honcho R. Loren, who enlisted many notable guest spots for each.
White Moth bests fits in atmospheric post-metal, but its tracks are more compact and structured more like traditional songs. There also are much stronger glitch and digital-hardcore influences, and the latter is at least partially thanks to contributions from Alec Empire of Atari Teenage Riot and Ashley Scott Jones of Evol Intent.
Yann Tiersen: “Dust Lane”
[audio:http://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Yann_Tiersen_Dust_Lane.mp3|titles=Yann Tiersen: “Dust Lane”]Dust Lane is the first solo studio album in five years from Yann Tiersen, a folksy French composer whose lighthearted pieces use a lot of accordion, violin, and piano but also glockenspiel, harpsichord, and toy piano.
His earlier work was always very melodic and accessible, but this Anti- debut is a push in a much poppier direction, one that maintains some of the intricate accents but wraps them around basic hooks, often built with synthesizers and guitars.
Dimmu Borgir: “Gateways”
[audio:http://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Dimmu_Borgir_Gateways.mp3|titles=Dimmu Borgir: “Gateways”]Norway’s Dimmu Borgir is one of the preeminent names in symphonic black metal, and it garnered particular fanfare from two of its most string-infused albums, Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia in 2001 and Death Cult Armageddon in 2003.
Abrahadabra, the band’s first album in three years, is its most spectacular and elaborate release to date. It features one hundred guest musicians – ensemble players and choir singers – helping make this a symphonic-black-metal masterpiece. If you enjoy black metal with orchestral additions — or just dark music in general — be sure not to miss this.
Squarepusher: “Megazine”
[audio:http://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Squarepusher_Megazine.mp3|titles=Squarepusher: “Megazine”]Bass/electronic guru Tom Jenkinson has covered astounding turf in his 15-year career as Squarepusher, fluctuating between fusion-filled drum-and-bass, jazzy IDM, classical-guitar pieces, pure dance tracks, and experimental electronica.
There isn’t too much that he hasn’t done with his bass, synthesizers, and drum sequencers, but d’Demonstrator is new territory — a new, funky “space band” project as Shobaleader One. And though it’s not an unadulterated riff bonanza as on albums past, the album has enough of Jenkinson’s technical skills peeking from behind the grooves. It’s another new turn in a constantly twisting career — and one that makes for a slinky good time.
Zach Hill: “Memo to the Man”
[audio:http://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Zach_Hill_Memo_to_the_Man.mp3|titles=Zach Hill: “Memo to the Man”]In 2008, drumming dynamo Zach Hill took time from his impossibly crammed itinerary to release his first solo album, Astrological Straits. Packed with friends and guest musicians, it showcased his pop side — albeit one with crazy beats, complex polyrhythms, and weird vocals.
Face Tat is the second in what should be a long line of solo releases, despite Hill’s renewed activity in Hella and more releases with Marnie Stern, Bygones, and others on the way. Though still intricate, noisy, and strange, it’s a little easier to follow than its predecessor, with a few more parts being focused on a single melody, rhythm, or vocal line.
The Octopus Project: “Fuguefat”
[audio:http://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/The_Octopus_Project_Fuguefat.mp3|titles=The Octopus Project: “Fuguefat”]Over the past decade, Austin’s The Octopus Project has built a solid portfolio of electronics-infused post- and indie rock, with each of its four multi-instrumentalists (the eight arms of the octopus) contributing in different ways for each song.
Hexadecagon, the band’s fourth full-length, is not an album but rather a multi-sensory audio-visual experience, with eight-channel audio to accompany eight synchronized video projections of kaleidoscopic video montages. The repetitious polyrhythms and dense layers of minimalist composers Terry Riley and Steve Reich were major influences on this material, and those elements mesh excellently with the band’s rock grooves, making something distinct and new that works without the intended visuals.
Kylesa: Spiral Shadow (Season of Mist, 10/26/10)
Kylesa: “Tired Climb”
[audio:http://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Kylesa_Tired_Climb.mp3|titles=Kylesa: “Tired Climb”]Savannah sludge-rock quintet Kylesa has garnered a respectable following by combining its core genre with a touch of Southern psych rock and a three-pronged vocal attack. In 2006, the group added a second drummer/percussionist, bulking up the rhythm section and ratcheting up its live intensity.
Spiral Shadow is Kylesa’s fifth studio album and first on Season of Mist. It follows the same basic guidelines as its predecessors, but it’s a little more melodic and structured like a rock record. Long-time fans will pick up the nuanced differences, but regardless, any psych-metal listeners who enjoy straightforward riffs and songwriting should dig Spiral Shadow.
Brian Eno: “2 Forms of Anger”
[audio:http://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Brian_Eno_2_Forms_of_Anger.mp3|titles=Brian Eno: “2 Forms of Anger”]Long credited as a pioneer of ambient music, Brian Eno is back with his first album in five years and his first for Warp Records.
Small Craft on a Milk Sea is a collection of 15 short, sullen instrumentals that achieve simultaneous beauty and creepiness. Pieces may build from a slight, elongated intonation or assemble more quickly, but something is always appearing, changing, or disappearing. Eno is credited for synthesizers, production, and (hard-to-discern) vocals, but the album couldn’t deliver greatness without co-conspirators Jon Hopkins and Leo Abrahams.
James Falzone’s Allos Musica: “The First Lament: Raqs al-Janub”
[audio:http://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/James_Falzone_The_First_Lament_Ra.mp3|titles=James Falzone’s Allos Musica: “The First Lament: Raqs al-Janub”]Composer and clarinetist James Falzone has written a small library of intricate pieces for his own ensembles and countless other groups, covering chamber, jazz, world, folk, and classical music in the process. His Allos Musica ensemble has served as a conduit to many of those genres, and its newest release, Lamentations, reflects Falzone’s appreciation of Arabic music.
The album, in fact, reflects Falzone’s troubles with the second US invasion of Iraq, and as a result of these troubles, he sought Arabic neighborhoods around the time that the war began in order to study Mesopotamia’s rich musical history. Lamentations is a collection of songs performed by trio (clarinet, oud, and hand percussion), and it’s a beautiful effort — one that hopefully is effective in humanizing victims of war.
Maserati: “We Got the System to Fight the System”
[audio:http://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Maserati_We_Got_the_System_to_Fight_the_System.mp3|titles=Maserati: “We Got the System to Fight the System”]Nearly one year prior to the release of Pyramid of the Sun, Maserati and !!! drummer Jerry Fuchs died in a tragic accident. His loss, naturally, was a devastating blow for his many bandmates, who have cited him as the propulsive energy behind each outfit’s work ethic and driving rhythms.
So it was with heavy hearts that the remaining members of Maserati decided to finish Pyramid of the Sun, an album that Fuchs was helping to record when he passed. The music continues the direction of the past few releases, combining spacey dance rock with old synth sounds and and elements of campy 1970s horror scores (partially, at least, thanks to contributions by Steve Moore of Zombi). It also retains a great 1980s dance-rock vibe, and when it’s all combined, it creates the band’s release yet.
Harmonious Bec: “Progress”
[audio:http://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Harmonious_Bec_Progress.mp3|titles=Harmonious Bec: “Progress”]With members who go by ZaMaRoo and From Vapor to Water, Harmonious Bec is a relatively mysterious Japanese duo that makes exotic, far-reaching IDM. Her Strange Dreams is the duo’s debut, and it’s a marvelous first effort.
The material is packed with hyperactive melodies, glitchy cut-ups, atmospheric effects, and sporadic dissonance. When put together, it channels more than a dozen electronic sub-genres — it builds upon some of the best genre-smashing artists that electronic music has to offer, such as Aphex Twin. Undoubtedly, Her Strange Dreams is one of the best electronic releases of the year.
Soviet League: “Shylight”
[audio:http://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Soviet_League_Shylight.mp3|titles=Soviet League: “Shylight”]Singer/songwriters Ben Eshbach and Matthew Kelly have separate histories in the LA underground, but from their recent collaborative project, Soviet League, the two have created a dense and masterful indie opus.
With the help of countless guest musicians, the self-titled debut presents 12 meticulously crafted tracks, tapping into orch-pop, electronica, and Western music. There are oodles of pretty guitar tones, big bass tones, and overabundant harmonies, and the music routinely crosses into baroque pop. Despite its lack of name recognition, the Soviet League debut threatens to be one of the best indie-rock albums of 2010.
Gregory and the Hawk: “Landscapes”
Gregory and the Hawk: “Landscapes”
Meredith Godreau is Gregory the Hawk, and on this, her third album, the singer-songwriter makes a delicate racket with her high-pitched voice and cinematic strings. It’s a formula familiar to fans of Joanna Newsom and Mirah, and will undoubtedly give rise to comparisons, but Godreau carves a niche all her own within the folk-pop genre with smart, biting lyrics, and myriad highs and lows of volume and emotion.
Gangrene: “Chain Swinging”
[audio:http://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Gangrene_Chain_Swinging.mp3|titles=Gangrene: “Chain Swinging”]Gangrene is the new hip-hop duo of The Alchemist and Oh No, each an esteemed producer-slash-rapper. Gutter Water is their first collaboration, and it calls upon a number of friends and guest MCs too, including Raekwon, Evidence, and Planet Asia.
The material has ample rawness, with hard-hitting beats and rhymes, but there’s an underlying sophistication, whether from string, piano, and flute samples or from quick references to conspiracy theories.
God of Shamisen: “Last Shamisen Master Attack”
[audio:http://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/God_of_Shamisen_Last_Shamisen_Master-Attack.mp3|titles=God of Shamisen: “Last Shamisen Master Attack”]Featuring a pair of members from genre annihilators Estradasphere, God of Shamisen is a boundless project of East/West fusion combining heavy metal, improvised Japanese folk, and much more. The band’s music is built on Kevin Kmetz’s mastery of the shamisen, a slender, striking, three-stringed Japanese instrument, but it has drawn the ire of some traditional shamisen masters for adding thrash riffs and rapid-fire metal beats.
Smoke Monster Attack, the band’s digital-only second release, accentuates that mix. It features a few unreleased originals as well as a handful of video-game and movie covers, including wild renditions of the themes to Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, and Star Wars, and co-production by Billy Anderson makes Smoke Monster Attack that much stouter.
Killing Joke: “In Excelsis”
[audio:http://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Killing_Joke_In_Excelsis.mp3|titles=Killing Joke: “In Excelsis”]Over the past 30 years, England’s Killing Joke has helped shape the industrial-rock and post-punk landscapes. Absolute Dissent is the band’s first new album in four years, but remarkably, it’s Killing Joke’s first with its original lineup since 1982.
The album is another great mix of heavy riffs, synth-rock influences, and epic choruses – and more importantly, it’s more protest music, with themes about omnipresent surveillance, microchipped populations, shadowy international powerbrokers, and never-ending wars. Like the band’s 2003 self-titled album, it’s another powerful return to form.
Shawn Lee’s Ping-Pong Orchestra: Hooked-Up Classics (Ubiquity, 12/7/10)
Shawn Lee’s Ping-Pong Orchestra: “Swan Lake”
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Shawn Lee is a highly productive multi-instrumentalist and producer known for applying his funky, soulful style in myriad ways, and as Shawn Lee’s Ping Pong Orchestra, he has tackled assorted world styles, famous pop songs, cinematic string pieces, and even Christmas songs.
His latest release, Hooked Up Classics, is a collection of rock, funk, and dub covers of classical favorites, including Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” and “Swan Lake,” Richard Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries,” Edvard Grieg’s “In the Hall of the Mountain King,” and Richard Strauss’ “Also Sprach Zarathustra.” If you love these classical hits and want to hear them in a new way, or if you’re not familiar and want an entry point to the expansive genre, pick this up.
Igor Boxx: “Alarm”
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Polish electronic artist Igor Boxx, also known as Igor Pudlo, is one half of electro-jazz duo Skalpel. Skalpel explored Polish jazz from the 1960s and ’70s while reconstructing it with modern aesthetics, and though Igor Boxx’s solo debut has sonic similarities, it’s a weighty concept album about the Soviet Red Army’s 1945 Siege of Breslau.
It’s a sort of a reflection on the consequences of war, including the tension that was felt in Breslau in the decades following WWII, with music that’s a head-nodding collage of woodwind melodies, percussive clangs, and atmospheric samples. There are hooks and grooves, but it’s not nearly as lounge-y or dance-y as Skalpel’s material, and it’s an exciting new part of Igor’s career.