Calibro 35: Any Resemblance to Real Persons or Actual Facts is Purely Coincidental (Nublu, 7/10/12)
“Uh Ah Brr”
Film scores have seeped into the collective consciousness of musicians since they were first introduced to cinema. Their influence is widespread and unmistakable, but few artists have derived so much of their aesthetic from this sub-genre as Calibro 35, an Italian instrumental five-piece that works to pay homage to the Golden Age of Italian cinema.
Dirty Projectors: Swing Lo Magellan (Domino, 7/10/12)
“Gun Has No Trigger”
Dirty Projectors: “Gun Has No Trigger”
Earlier this year, when Dirty Projectors offered a stream of the new song “Gun Has No Trigger,” it felt like the band was fending off fans, critics, and music blogs with a stick — keeping them at bay, buying more time to wrap up more songs. Ever since the release of its schizo-indie breakthrough, Bitte Orca, in 2009, the band has become a bearer of the “most anticipated album” tag, as the expectations for follow-up Swing Lo Magellan have swelled to ridiculous proportions.
Mike Patton & The Ictus Ensemble: Laborintus II (7/3/12, Ipecac)
Recorded live with The Ictus Ensemble in 2010 at the Holland Festival, Laborintus II is the latest recording credit from the eternally unpredictable Mike Patton. The three-part offering, written to celebrate Dante’s 700th birthday, is a new take on the work of experimental Italian composer Luciano Berio (as inspired by poet Edoardo Sanguineti).
Primate: Draw Back a Stump (Relapse, 7/3/12)
“Silence of Violence”
Featuring members of Mastodon, Brutal Truth, and The Despised, Atlanta’s Primate is a new hardcore super-group — a furious bastard child birthed by hardcore, punk, grind, and metal. Heavy-music geeks quickly will recognize the names of vocalist Kevin Sharp and guitarist Bill Kelliher, but the rest of the lineup is no less impressive or important in crafting the band’s maiden opus.
Nile: At the Gate of Sethu (Nuclear Blast, 7/3/12)
Nile: “The Inevitable Degradation of Flesh”
Nile_The_Inevitable_Degradation_of_Flesh
Nile guitarist and occasional vocalist Karl Sanders has been living death metal for as long as the genre has existed. From a brief but storied stint living with Morbid Angel to Nile’s breakthrough in 2000 with Black Seeds of Vengeance, Sanders has been there. It is then all the more remarkable that his songwriting and lead playing have been ratcheted up another notch for Nile’s newest full-length, At the Gate of Sethu.
Gangpol & Mit: The 1000 Softcore Tourist People Club (Ipecac, 3/29/11)
Gangpol & Mit is a French audio/visual duo creating quirky electro-pop that draws from myriad influences, including funk, digital, noise, and cartoon and video-game worlds. Gangpol handles the boops, blits, and whirs, while Guillaumit contributes his equally bizarre animations that feature colorful geometric shapes and characters. The result is a whimsical, humorous romp through the absurd.
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.