ALARM leaves no genre unloved in our round-up of 50 albums that didn’t receive enough attention in 2009.
Our list of favorites from last year includes devastating dub metal, organ-fueled psychedelic grind, a re-released classic-rock gem from nearly four decades ago, an international assemblage of punk-infused field recordings, and an Indian/surf/metal take on John Zorn‘s Masada material.
Details emerge about new albums from Isis, Tortoise, Akron/Family, and Stinking Lizaveta; Zu announces some dates for a world tour (a pair of which are with Mike Patton); Dark Meat will go on tour with its 17 members; the Scion Rock Fest hosts a spate of crushing metal bands in Atlanta on February 28.
Keep readin’…
It would have been killer to see Femi Kuti & Positive Force on Saturday, but the Afrobeat star’s US tour has been postponed until he recovers from illness.
The cancellation, at least, gives us a chance to catch two other strong options: the heavy, beat-driven jazz-rock of Doppler Shift and the keyboard-fueled Led Zeppelin covers of Bustle in Your Hedgerow.
A tentative lineup for Zorn Fest 2009 is posted; math metallists The Dillinger Escape Plan have another new drummer; rock cellist Helen Money just finished a new album; tour dates have been announced for Lymbyc Systym, the Alex Skolnick Trio, and the Extra Action Marching Band.
Read about this and more in our roundup.
Enlisted by John Zorn, Bobby Previte, Merzbow, Dave Douglas, Bad Brains, the Beastie Boys, and dozens of other influential and notable artists, Jamie Saft is a massive talent. His work on assorted guitars and keyboards transcends countless genres, and his next solo release — Black Shabbis on Zorn’s Tzadik label — combines traditional Jewish music with metal.
Dillinger Escape Plan guitarist Ben Weinman posts footage of his solo performance; Black Moth Super Rainbow won’t be playing for a while; MTV Iggy posts a clip of Yo-Yo Ma and Andrew Bird jamming. This and much more…
With a demolishing dose of horn-heavy chug metal, Jerseyband stands as the logical result of loose forerunners such as John Zorn’s Naked City, Mr. Bungle, and Estradasphere. The seven-piece band’s progressive fusion touches on jazz, groove, big-band flair, and math rock, making a sonic concoction as wild as its live shows.
Scott Rosenberg of P.A.F. fame brought together a motley crew of musicians to form Pink Mountain. What resulted was something no one could have expected: a sprawling twelve-song marriage of psych, prog, krautrock and freeform jazz that is fueled by a synergistic array of influences.