Meaghann Korbel 
Aesop Rock: Skelethon (Rhymesayers, 7/10/12)
Iconic wordsmith Aesop Rock’s latest effort, Skelethon, hasn’t been released yet, but the video for the album’s new single, “ZZZ Top,” was worth the wait. In it, Chinese martial artist Hao Zhi Hua — better known as Patti Lee — holds her own against a horde of misguided attackers. Check out some formidable knife-slinging / general bad-assery below.
Beastwars: s/t (9/11/12)
Hailing from New Zealand, stoner-sludge outfit Beastwars has been making music that’s as much an assault on the senses as an assault on nature, borne and bred out of isolation at the bottom of the earth. Without regard for classification, these dudes are playing heavy tunes for heavy times, contributing to a musical landscape built around social and political commentary.
Castratii: Eora (Time No Place, 6/26/12)
“Kingdom”
Borne out of Australia’s Blue Mountains in 2007, dream-pop duo Castratii forged for itself an aesthetic shrouded in hazy, haunting wonder. For three years, visual artists Beauvais Cassidy and Jonathan Wilson crafted textured soundscapes of doom and gloom that, combined with ambient and shoegaze undertones, seemed to reflect the expansive wilderness that surrounded them. Yet in 2010, the addition of The Duke Spirit’s Leila Moss and her ethereal vocals only enhanced the group’s already complex and haunting sound.
Every Time I Die: Ex Lives (Epitaph, 3/6/12)
Earlier this year, NY metalcore outfit Every Time I Die returned with Ex Lives, its first full-length since 2009. The video for its latest single, “I Suck (Blood),” is a disturbing exploration of Stockholm Syndrome-esque victim-hood and attraction. Naturally, it involves excessive stalking and gifts containing once-beating hearts.
The Invisible: Rispah (Ninja Tune, 6/12/12)
On Tuesday, London-based pop-rock trio The Invisible released its sophomore album, Rispah, which finds guitarist / vocalist Dave Okumu in an existential crisis following the loss of his mother, the album’s namesake. The video for “Wings” contains kaleidoscopic imagery of butterflies trapped in flight, with their glass-jar prison shattering — liberating them —near the end.
B. Dolan: House of Bees Vol. 2 (Strange Famous)
“Still Here”
[audio:https://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/B_Dolan_Still_Here1.mp3|titles=B. Dolan: “Still Here”]In 2005, indie rapper / poet B. Dolan, with a self-released full-length under his belt, hooked up with Strange Famous Records after gaining notoriety among New York City’s slam-poetry scene. His first record, The Failure, was re-released in 2008 through his new independent home with the welcome addition of such names as Sole and label head / fellow Epic Beard Man Sage Francis. Since then, he has pushed deep into foreboding hip hop and sociopolitical commentary on another full-length as well as a mixtape titled House of Bees.
Green Carpeted Stairs: s/t (Fake Four, 6/12/12)
“Midwestern”
[audio:https://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Green_Carpeted_Stairs_Midwestern.mp3|titles=Green Carpeted Stairs: “Midwestern”]Though Colorado-based Neil Ewing has found himself among underground hip-hop circles with his project Swimming with Models, he’s been making a name for himself in Denver’s experimental scene via indie venue Rhinoceropolis. And though his new Fake Four label-mates include such names as Busdriver and Sole & The Skyrider Band, his latest project, Green Carpeted Stairs, does not limit itself to any genre. Ewing instead crafts an aesthetic for himself that’s influenced as much by hip hop and R&B as experimental electronic music — something like a collaboration of 2012 Busdriver, The Postal Service, and Ritualz.
Scott Lucas & The Married Men: Blood Half Moon (The End, 6/5/12)
“Blood Half Moons”
[audio:https://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Scott_Lucas__The_Married_Men_Blood_Half_Moons.mp3|titles=Scott Lucas & The Married Men: “Blood Half Moons”]In 2009, Local H front-man Scott Lucas found himself with a batch of songs — intended to win back an ex — that didn’t seem to fit within the Chicago two-piece’s hard-rock repertoire. So, rather than let the material go unreleased, he did what many musicians with a secret soft side are wont to do: he went solo.
Fresh on the heels of its self-titled, full-length debut, Off! has just released a video for “Cracked,” the first part of a trilogy to be completed in the coming weeks.
Directed by Whitey McConnaughy (Superchunk, Red Fang, The Thermals) and featuring comedians Randy Babcock and Andre Hyland, the video highlights the competitive world of sign-spinning gone awry.
Cock and Swan: Stash (Lost Tribe Sound)
“Sneak Close”
[audio:https://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Cock_and_Swan_Sneak_Close.mp3|titles=Cock and Swan: “Sneak Close”]With its fourth album, Stash, Washington duo Cock and Swan makes a sharp departure from the sound of its previous records. Whereas the band was once rooted in haunting, trip-hop-ish electronic music, Stash sees it in a new direction towards a more stripped-down, acoustic aesthetic.
