Cave In: Planets of Old EP (Hydra Head)
The bizarre journey of Cave In is lengthy but important. The "brief" version: the Boston band's Until Your Heart Stops album was one of the best hardcore/metal efforts of the 1990s, weaving spacey psychedelia and metallic melodies into a full-blown riff assault.
After a foray into prog-rock balladry and a poorly received major-label attempt at radio pop, the group returned to Hydra Head for Perfect Pitch Black, a return to riff-driven rock tunes that benefited from the contributions of Old Man Gloom bassist Caleb Scofield.
Following an indefinite hiatus, the group's members branched to other projects. But after four years, the beloved yet maligned quartet has resurfaced with a four-song EP that is awfully heavy and awfully exciting.
Planets of Old maintains a great mix of Stephen Brodsky's singing and Scofield's crushing screams. Behemoth bass grooves are in full effect (also heard in Scofield's Zozobra); Brodsky employs his crooning in a cohesive and low-key manner; "Retina Sees Rewind" emphasizes elements of garage rock (as heard in second guitarist Adam McGrath's Clouds). "The Red Trail" is a throttling thrash-punk assault.
In short, the members have fused their seemingly divergent preferences into a new Cave In sound. Old-school fans should be really fucking pumped.
A sequel to the outstanding album The Dreamers from last year, O'o continues one of John Zorn's most accessible, straightforward projects, one that retains the beauty and diversity that is especially prevalent on recent Zorn releases.
Covering Tropicália and other exotic styles, the disc is fueled by the all-star cast of guitarist Marc Ribot, bassist Trevor Dunn, organist Jamie Saft, percussionist Cyro Baptista, and vibraphonist Kenny Wollesen. The result is another gorgeous album that shouldn't be missed.
Bill Frisell: Disfarmer (Nonesuch)
Inspired by the folksy 1940s black-and-white photos by Michael Disfarmer, the latest soundtrack by Bill Frisell is a multimedia venture that sets the dynamic guitarist's country-steel creations as a touring backdrop.
Full of instrumental country, lap-steel blues, and twangy Americana, Frisell's beautiful pieces are pared with interpretations of legendary artists such as Hank Williams Sr. and Arthur Crudup. The 26 musical vignettes present aren't particularly new for Frisell, but with the aid of guitarist Greg Leisz and violinist Jenny Scheinman, they make a beautiful and pensive soundtrack.
Bill Frisell: "Disfarmer Theme"
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Sax Ruins: Yawiquo (Ipecac)
For nearly 25 years, tornado-ish drummer Tatsuya Yoshida has been the rhythmic foundation of Ruins, a heavy Japanese bass/drums duo that has cycled through four bassists over its tenure.
Touring alone under the name Ruins since 2004, Yoshida now grabs saxophonist Ono Ryoko for new songs and a frenetic reimagination of preexisting Ruins material. The wild, stop-start rhythms remain, but now overdubbed sax allows Ryoko to carry the main melodies and squealing leads, creating a new sonic texture and doing away with the often-obnoxious vocals of the bassists.
