Dianogah

Dianogah: Dueling Basses and Melodic Distortions

On its most recent album, Chicago’s Dianogah ventures into harsher sounds, while simultaneously collaborating with local artists Andrew Bird and Stephanie Morris to incorporate melodic, subtle sounds.

DeVotchKa

DeVotchKa: New Direction from Rejection

Led by songwriter Nick Urata, DeVotchKa takes its wildly inventive Balkan pop in new directions on 100 Lovers — an album born of filmic discards and endless tinkering.

Generation Bass

World in Stereo: Generation Bass Presents Transnational Dubstep

Each week, World in Stereo examines classic and modern world music while striving for a greater appreciation of other cultures.

Various artists: Generation Bass Presents Transnational Dubstep (Six Degrees Records, 2/1/11)

Fleck & Fish Finger: “Rude Profile” (Pan Agnostix flamenco-step remix) [bonus cut, not available on album]

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Originating in East London at the turn of the century, dubstep loosely teeters between the electronic styles of garage, dub, and drum-and-bass.  Distinct in its aggressive, bass-heavy qualities, it’s a fascinating genre that has blown subwoofers on both sides of the Atlantic.  Though the music’s meditation on complex rhythms and cerebral twists make it all the more attractive, it is dubstep’s grimy, low-frequency synths and wobbly, soul-shaking bass riffs that have made it a movement.

Transnational Dubstep, a compilation by Generation Bass blog co-founders / editors DJ UMB and Vincent Koreman in conjunction with Six Degrees Records, is one of the first major releases to document the fusion of dubstep and global roots music.  As something of an infant genre, a surge of electronic producers and DJs from all over the world are taking it in all kinds of different directions.  From Latin American to Balkan, Chinese to Indian, and Middle Eastern to Japanese — the sounds are extremely diverse, giving first-time listeners an amazing introduction and long-time fans a mine full of new gems.

Smith Westerns

Pop Addict: Smith Westerns’ Dye It Blonde

Every Thursday, Pop Addict presents infectious tunes from contemporary musicians across indie rock, pop, folk, electronica, and more.

Smith Westerns: Dye It BlondeSmith Westerns: Dye It Blonde (Fat Possum Records, 1/18/11)

Smith Westerns: “Weekend”

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Known primarily for its lo-fi blend of ’70s glam and Nuggets-era garage rock, Smith Westerns has discovered a sweeter, cleaner sound on Dye It Blonde, its sophomore LP on Fat Possum Records.

A hearty leap in production value is the most significant shift from the band’s 2009 self-titled debut. Gone are the fuzzy, washed-out melodies and underwater vocals of early recordings. Yet Dye It Blonde feels just as youthful and energetic as anything the band has released to date.

Though Smith Westerns has largely abandoned the murky, homespun sound that ignited the blogosphere only two years ago, fans of the band need not worry – Dye It Blonde is filled with jangly guitar hooks and young heartbreak. With the help of producer Chris Coady and an increased studio budget, however, Smith Westerns delves even further into the Brit-pop canon, culling inspiration from the likes of Suede, David Bowie, and T. Rex.

Morrow vs. Hajduch

Morrow vs. Hajduch: Faun Fables’ Light of a Vaster Dark

Scott Morrow is ALARM’s music editor. Patrick Hajduch is a very important lawyer. Each week they debate the merits of a different album.

Faun Fables: Light of a Vaster DarkFaun Fables: Light of a Vaster Dark (Drag City, 11/16/10)

Faun Fables: “Light of a Vaster Dark”
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Morrow: Borne of principal songwriter Dawn McCarthy, Faun Fables is a powerful, somber, and multifaceted brand of neofolk songs and theatrical performance.  The group’s works also are developed by co-conspirator Nils Frykdahl of Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, and their breadth of instrumentation comes courtesy of assorted guests.

Light of a Vaster Dark is Faun Fables’ first album in four-and-a-half years, and it again is led by the dynamic vocal interplay of McCarthy, Frykdahl, and others — blending elements of the 1950s/’60s American folk revival, medieval and Celtic music, and the catchall “psychedelic folk.”

Though McCarthy’s clear intonation and wavering vibratos are the real star, Frykdahl’s backing vocals add a necessary baritone presence, and the album’s range of sounds is just as vital.  Guitars, violin, flute, bass clarinet, autoharp, Theremin, and homemade instruments all offer different sonic flavors behind a vocal presence that can sound a little homogenous from time to time.