B. Dolan: Fallen House, Sunken City (Strange Famous)
Going way back with Sage Francis, rapper B. Dolan is a like-minded MC and slam poet whose style isn't terribly dissimilar to that of his long-time friend. The two co-founded knowmore.org, a resource for raising awareness about corporate practices, and his inclusion on Francis' label is fitting.
Fallen House, Sunken City is Dolan's second full-length for Strange Famous, and it's full of the sociopolitical themes (if often in quick blasts or asides) and contentious delivery for which he's known.
What combines to make the album a great hip-hop disc is the A-list production by Alias, whose ability to shift gears keeps Fallen House, Sunken City fresh. This is particularly true when it shifts gears to jams like "Border Crossing," a tune that evokes a group like Slavic Soul Party with Balkan-flavored horn cuts and marching-band accoutrement.
In addition to some seemingly personal lyrics, Dolan takes passing shots at big business, taxation, the pharmaceutical industry, the concept of ownership of natural resources, the Israeli razing of Palestinian developments, and, among many other things, the so-called new world order — dropping clips of Dick Cheney and George H.W. Bush in "The Reptilian Agenda."
On top of these strengths, P.O.S and Cadence Weapon appear on “The Fall of T.R.O.Y.” When 2010 is said and done, Fallen House, Sunken City should stand as one of the year's best hip-hop releases.
B. Dolan: "The Reptilian Agenda"
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Mortemia: Misere Mortem (Napalm)
Norwegian one-man band Morten Veland has decades of experience in the Scandinavian metal scene, notably with goth-metal groups Tristania and Sirenia. Now, after beginning a new solo endeavor as Mortemia, Veland delivers an epic fusion of black metal and classical, with vocals that alternate between his growls and grandiose choirs.
On the heels of great releases by Japan's Sigh, Norway's Shining, and Greece's Rotting Christ, Mortemia adds to what already was a great winter for soaring, adventurous metal. The project maintains some of the gothic influence of his former groups, and at times, especially with Veland's vocals and piano lines, it draws parallels to Cradle of Filth.
Absent are the female lead vocals of the older projects, which often came off as melodramatic. Many also will dub Mortemia as campy, but there's no denying the striking musicianship of Veland, who remarkably performs and programs every instrument on Misere Mortem.
Mortemia: "The New Desire" (edit)
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Architect: Consume Adapt Create (Hymen)
Many electronic artists prefer to record under an assortment of aliases, and Daniel Myer is no exception. Operating as half of German live-IDM duo Haujobb, Myer owns a rap sheet of solo and group projects, and one notable credit — in addition to his soundtrack work for XBox game Tao Feng: Fist of the Lotus — is Architect.
Each track is different, but Consume Adapt Create is best defined by its hard-hitting breakbeats and synthesized industrial. Still, there are plenty of dance and groove elements, and like other Architect releases, this should appeal to different segments of the electronica crowd.
Architect: "Fast Lane (Freeze Frame)" (excerpt)
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Honorable mentions
Jaguar Love: Hologram Jams (Fat Possum)
Loscil: Endless Falls (Kranky)
Motorpsycho: Heavy Metal Fruit (Rune Grammofon)
Rogue Wave: Permalight (Brushfire)
The Ruby Suns: Fight Softly (Sub Pop)
Stake Off the Witch: Medusa (Fuzzorama)
V/A: Next Stop…Soweto (Strut)
Josiah Wolf: Jet Lag (Anticon)
Yellow Swans: Going Places (Type)
