Music

Killer Mike

Video: Killer Mike’s “Reagan”

Killer Mike: RAP MusicKiller Mike: RAP Music (Williams Street, 5/15/12)

In May, Atlanta MC Killer Mike released one of the year’s best hip-hop albums — “rebellious African people’s music” — in collaboration with producer/rapper extraordinaire El-P.

“Reagan” is one of the album’s most fiery tracks, addressing the former president’s “war on drugs” and how it disproportionately targeted African Americans while actually making black neighborhoods more drug-infested. Mike ultimately proclaims, “I’m glad [that] Reagan[‘s] dead,” but he lumps all recent presidents together as serving the same unseen forces, launching overt and covert wars to make the rich richer.

Muse

Review: Muse’s The 2nd Law

Muse: The 2nd LawMuse: The 2nd Law (Warner Bros., 10/2/12)

“Survival”

Muse: “Survival”

By working across a broad spectrum of styles, Britain’s Muse evokes a wide range of reactions. Indisputably, however, it’s one of the few remaining mainstream rock acts to pull off bombast with a real degree of success.

Flying Lotus

Review: Flying Lotus’s Until the Quiet Comes

Flying Lotus: Until the Quiet ComesFlying Lotus: Until the Quiet Comes (Warp, 10/2/12)

“Putty Boy Strut”

Originally sharpening his teeth with bumper music for Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim, electronic producer Flying Lotus garnered notoriety that bolstered the success of his 2006 debut, 1983. Now with four full-length albums, seven EPs, and countless singles and collaborations, it’s clear that, in retrospect, Steven Ellison has skills that only can be inherited, not taught.

Menomena

Video: Menomena’s “Plumage”

Menomena: MomsMenomena: Moms (Barsuk, 9/18/12)

As the opener on Menomena‘s Moms — possibly the best pop album of 2012 — “Plumage” is a stark announcement of a resurgent duo. Down a key component when multi-instrumentalist/co-singer Brent Knopf left the quirky former trio, Menomena has come out no worse for the wear — and, in fact, has delivered some of its finest material ever.

Enjoy the video as Danny Seim and Justin Harris escalate an ever-advancing four-minute showdown.

Soulsavers

Interview: English production duo Soulsavers captures an intimate, evolving Dave Gahan

Soulsavers: The Light the Dead SeeSoulsavers: The Light the Dead See (Mute, 5/22/12)

“Take Me Back Home”

Soulsavers: “Take Me Back Home”

For more than two decades, Depeche Mode front-man Dave Gahan was content being the impassioned voice behind the songs of bandmate Martin Gore, whose edgy, genre-stretching synth pop dominated the ’80s club scene and landed unapologetically on ’90s alternative-rock radio. But since 2003, the singer’s distinctive baritone also has served a more personal purpose, fueling the release of his first two solo albums and, in May, his first collaboration with English production duo Soulsavers.

For Gahan, the evolution may have been inevitable.

Dark Dark Dark

Review: Dark Dark Dark’s Who Needs Who

Dark Dark Dark: Who Needs WhoDark Dark Dark: Who Needs Who (Supply & Demand, 9/25/12)

“Tell Me”

Dark Dark Dark: “Tell Me”

It’s true that breakups can be a catalyst to endearing music. Much like it sounds, Dark Dark Dark’s Who Needs Who carries a heavy heart, written during the parting of singer/pianist Nona Marie Invie and bandmate/multi-instrumentalist Marshall LaCount. And though challenging under the circumstances, each member manages to translate mixed emotions into a musical synergy that’s deeply private and revealing. Who Needs Who shows the group not only maturing as a band, but also as long-time friends rediscovering common ground with one another.

The Bad Plus

Review: The Bad Plus’s Made Possible

The Bad Plus: Made PossibleThe Bad Plus: Made Possible (E1, 9/25/12)

“Seven-Minute Mind”

Following its all-covers vocal album in 2008, jazz-rock trio The Bad Plus has made a point to remind fans just how unique and dynamic its original material is. Of course, that material always was a majority and a focal point, but certain albums (such as 2007 release Prog) skewed the “cover ratio” and featured more pop interpretations.

Kid Koala

Review: Kid Koala’s 12-Bit Blues

Kid Koala: 12-Bit BluesKid Koala: 12-Bit Blues (Ninja Tune, 9/18/12)

“2-Bit Blues”

Kid Koala: “2-Bit Blues”

Canadian DJ/turntablist Eric San, better known as Kid Koala, has long been known for his eclectic collection of records. Cartoon TV specials, old comedy sketches, bodily functions — you name it and he has chopped, scratched, or spliced it into his work. Now, for his latest studio album, he takes on the blues.