My Brightest Diamond: All Things Will Unwind (Asthmatic Kitty, 10/18/11)

My Brightest Diamond: "Reaching Through to the Other Side"

Detroit-based singer/songwriter Shara Worden has long made a career as an indie-pop mercenary. Over the past decade or so, she has lent her talents to Sufjan Stevens’ Illinoisemakers, collaborated with The Decemberists, covered Radiohead for an OK Computer tribute album, appeared on numerous compilations (including her excellent cut on Dark Was the Night), and contributed to the chamber ensemble yMusic (which also includes Bon Iver, Antony & the Johnsons, the New York Philharmonic, and Rufus Wainwright).

Clearly, Worden has no problem keeping busy. But even in the midst of her many endeavors, Worden has found time for her indie-pop pet project, My Brightest Diamond, without ever skimping on musical quality or integrity.

Such is the case on All Things Will Unwind, My Brightest Diamond’s third effort on Asthmatic Kitty, as Worden’s talents are as focused and as strong as ever. Indeed, the most engaging aspect of My Brightest Diamond is undoubtedly Worden’s voice. With such grace and skill in tow, it’s no wonder that so many acts enlist Worden as a hired hand. Her voice is so pure, so strong yet delicate, so confident and dynamic, that there is no denying the presence of an immense talent. Swaying between sweet, soft-edged crooning (“She Does Not Brave the War”) to full-on, forceful belt-outs (the latter half of “Be Brave”), Worden knows exactly what she’s doing. The songs swell and sway, kept adrift — and often take flight — thanks to Worden’s cosmic vocal work.

But for people familiar with My Brightest Diamond, this isn’t much of a surprise. Worden’s success came because of her spine-tingling vocals. Her new album, however, also boasts refined musical and instrumental qualities. All Things Will Unwind is suspended by quirky arrangements and orchestrations, serving as a backdrop to Worden’s ever-present voice. And Worden — an educated composer who has turned out several scores for off-Broadway productions — intertwines vocals and music together flawlessly, devising a kind of majestic, orchestral masterpiece.

Yet even with the heavy orchestral influence, there is still much room for variation and experimentation on All Things Will Unwind. “In the Beginning” starts with Andrew Bird-esque finger-picking before breaking into fluttering wind instruments and Sufjan-esque arrangements. And “Ding Dang” experiments with varied percussive approaches. Even vocal themes vary, from political musings on the excellent, faster-paced “High Low Middle” to the endearing “I Have Never Loved Someone,” written for her newborn son. There are dueling vocals on “Everything is in Line” and elegant, sweeping strings on standout track “Escape Routes.” All of these variations keep you guessing what surprise the next track will bring.

When all is said and done, All Things Will Unwind clearly stands as a thing of beauty. There is a heartfelt genuineness permeating each song, and the culmination of strong musical prowess, intense lyrics, and vigorous vocals make it My Brightest Diamond’s best effort yet. With talents like these, Worden should remain a very busy woman for years to come.

Dosh: "Subtractions"

Percussionist and multi-instrumentalist Martin Dosh, better known as simply Dosh, is known both for his electronic-based solo venture as well as his work with Andrew Bird, with whom he's toured and recorded. The instrumental track is Dosh's specialty; "Simple Exercises," which first appeared on Dosh's 2004 release, Pure Trash, reappeared on Bird's Armchair Apocrypha in 2007 as "Simple X" with an addition of lyrics. In the piece below, Dosh explains what drew him to instrumental music and how a few classic, lyric-less tracks continue to inspire his own music.

The Alchemy of Instrumental Music
by Dosh

I think my interest in music and sound really began when i was around nine or 10 years old; that is to say, that is when I really began LISTENING to music, to the ways instruments and voices worked together, trying to separate the sounds in my mind, trying to understand which sounds were being made by which instruments, and even what the people that played the music may have looked like. I can't recall what the first song that really captured my imagination was, but it was likely by Devo or The Cars, maybe Billy Squier. I've always listened to the music first and digested the vocals and lyrics later. When I first discovered Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin, I found the vocals to be distracting. I couldn't understand why they were there; they seemed like an afterthought.

Once I started playing drums, when i was 15, that was all I really heard when I would listen to a song: the drums. And I played a little bit with some friends, but I didn't truly discover the joy of volume until I went to college two years later.  I spent more time listening to music in my first two years than I spent doing anything else — usually as loud as possible.  I was lucky enough to have a few friends who had massive record collections, and I listened to everything.

There is a certain alchemy in a song that doesn't have words. A good song with no words commands your attention in a different way than a song with words does. It can mean whatever you want it to mean. There aren't words to sing along with or to tell you what the song is about or to tell you how to feel.

In compiling this list of songs and listening back to it, I've been trying to find the common denominator; some of these songs would be classified as jazz, some would be classified as funk, some would be classified as post-rock, some would be classified as electronic, and some would be classified as fusion. To me, all these labels don't help the listener. Each classification has baggage: fusion is uncool, funk is passé, post-rock is pretentious. But what they have in common (with two exceptions) is probably the presence of the electric guitar, often distorted, and varying degrees of studio trickery.

Anyway, these 10 songs are not meant to be a "best instrumental-rock songs of all time" list, just 10 songs that mean a lot to me and have greatly influenced the music that I make.  This music is joyful and thrilling, and it speaks for itself. These songs never get old, and they continue to inspire me.

I realize there are a few vocals on here — Jimi's strange story on "Third Stone From the Sun" and all the crazy baby shrieks on Funkadelic's "Wars of Armageddon" — but that wasn't enough to knock them off the list.

Jeff Beck: "You Know What I Mean" (1975)

Herbie Hancock: "Steppin' in It" (1975)

Sonny Sharrock: "Promises Kept" (1991)

Tortoise:  "TNT" (1998)

Jimi Hendrix: "Third Stone from the Sun" (1966)

Miles Davis: "Spanish Key" (1968)

Frank Zappa: "Big Swifty" (1972)

Funkadelic: "Wars of Armageddon" (1970)

Boards of Canada: "Sixtyniner" (1995)

Squarepusher: "A Journey to Reedham (7AM Mix)" (1997)

Dianogah: Qhnnnl (Southern Records, 8/12/08)

Dianogah: "A Breaks B"

Essayist and self-proclaimed “dean of American rock critics” Robert Christgau once wrote, “Great bands keep creating from what they know, and figuring it out as they do.”

Chicago’s Dianogah (consisting of bassists Jay Ryan and Jason Harvey and drummer Kip McCabe) has spent the last 12 years crafting unique compositions primarily from its two basses and drums, incorporated minimal guitar, or keyboards when the situation called for it. On its newest album, Qhnnnl, coming six years after its most recent album (the John McEntire-recorded Millions Of Brazilians), Dianogah is branching into new territory, using its bass-centric background in exciting new ways.

“We’ve been a band for a really long time, and I think now we’re trying to shrug off how captive we are to our instrumentation," McCabe says. "We’ve explored a lot of what we can do rhythmically and melodically. I think our next step was breaking away from what seemed easier to do with our instruments and trying to do something different."

Dianogah formed in 1995 and quickly became a staple of the vivacious Chicago independent music scene. “You had all these vibrant labels working here," Ryan says. "You had bands that were operating on a really small level, like ours, all the way to the more popular indie-rock bands, like Shellac, Tortoise, and The Sea And Cake. There was very much a “do-it-yourself” attitude. That was the thing people said about Chicago."

Now, in 2008, Dianogah is operating in largely the same self-sufficient manner, but in a changing scene. Harvey comments, “The whole point of this was to have fun, and the fact that anyone would come to see us play, the fact that anyone would still put out our record, is great because it’s just our fun thing to do. Now every Tom, Dick, and Harry band has a booking agent, a PR guy, a label, a manager. When we started out, we felt lucky that we would have a label to release our record.”
 

“We’ve been a band for a really long time, and I think now we’re trying to shrug off how captive we are to our instrumentation. We’ve explored a lot of what we can do rhythmically and melodically. I think our next step was breaking away from what seemed easier to do with our instruments."

Ryan, who also runs his own screen-printing studio, The Bird Machine, adds, “I think it’s fair to say we’ve always had super-low expectations of the band. We can probably go to any city in America and a dozen people will come out, and maybe four of them will have heard of us, and that’s cool. We don’t expect 300 people to come out, and we don’t get frustrated when 300 people don’t show up.” The rampant careerism of current Chicago bands is somewhat at odds with the community from which Dianogah arose. Still, Dianogah perseveres, and, in 2008, the band is shaping up to be stronger than ever.

Dianogah's first three albums are in-depth explorations of bass guitars, seductive rhythms, and intertwining melodies. By the time Millions of Brazilians was released, the wandering melodies threatened to drift away entirely. “I think we realized after the last couple records," Harvey says, "that the quieter songs don’t end up making it into our live set very often because they seem to be the things that bore people when we’re playing them.”

The new Dianogah is a different beast. “We all bought a distortion pedal,” McCabe explains. Ryan adds, “To name names, we all got into Meshuggah a lot. I finally got around to discovering the Melvins, and listened to them a lot, which is really late in the game. Our musical tastes have continued to develop and have tended towards some heavier stuff.” Which isn’t to say that Dianogah has gone metal. But on several new songs, there is a rock-oriented, often noisy approach that was only vaguely hinted at on previous albums.

On the other hand, several new tracks rank with the most beautiful work it has made. Chicago violinist Andrew Bird appears on four new songs, adding subtle counterpoint to the most direct and intensely melodic songs of Dianogah’s intensely melodic career. “A year or two ago, he came and played a show with us and just played on some older songs,” Harvey says. “He reinterpreted guitar parts or keyboard parts, and did them on the violin in his own way. We were all floored by what he had done, just really excited, and agreed that we have got to get him, if he’ll do it, on the new record. So we gave him a tape of everything, and he picked the ones that he wanted to write stuff for.”

The high point of this collaboration might be “A Breaks B,” which not only features Bird’s poignant string work but also a vocal duet between Jay Ryan and Pawner’s Society singer Stephanie Morris. Millions Of Brazilians was the first Dianogah album to feature no vocals at all, and on prior albums As Seen From Above and Battle Champions, vocals were already scarce. On Qhnnnl, Dianogah has brought singing to more songs than ever before.

McCabe says, “We’re a bit challenged tonally, in that we have two basses and drums, and there’s a lot of room. One of the things that interested me about adding a female vocalist was the tone.” Indeed, Morris adds a distinctive character to several songs in the same way that Bird’s violin enhances others. “Stephanie has just a really genuine, ego-free, unaffected voice that’s quite beautiful and also super subtle. I think that they’re the vocals that a band like [ours] need[s]. They’re very timid, almost like an instrument.”

It all adds up to what may be one of the most exciting, diverse, and satisfying albums of the coming year. “I think collectively we can say that we think that it is our best record," Harvey says. "I know that every band that puts out a new record probably says that. I think that [it applies to us] in terms of having an idea of what you want something to be and then having it turn out the way you hoped." Dianogah has made several worthy albums — now the band is preparing to release a potential Chicago classic.

“On the last couple records, we would end up having songs for the record, and not songs for shows," Harvey says. "So we wanted more songs for shows that were fun for us to play. 'Qhnnnl' and 'You Might Go Off,' which are songs we’ve been playing for years, are some of our favorite songs to play live because they’re fast and loud." “You Might Go Off” might be the key to the new record’s code. It is beautiful in its simplicity, and quintessentially Dianogah in its swirling melodicism, yet it is the most punk-oriented song that the band has written. For the rousing finale, the whole group shouts, “This is how we fight!”

Contributing photographers Sanchez and Kitahara captured these images of the December 15 performance.

Download the podcast for This Week's Best Albums: October 26, 2010 and subscribe to This Week's Best Albums for free with iTunes.

The Octopus Project: Hexadecagon (Peek-A-Boo)

The Octopus Project: "Fuguefat"

Over the past decade, Austin's The Octopus Project has built a solid portfolio of electronics-infused post- and indie rock, with each of its four multi-instrumentalists (the eight arms of the octopus) contributing in different ways for each song.

The best way to experience the band, however, has been in a live setting, where the looping and instrument switching is most evident and appreciated. And Hexadecagon, the band's fourth full-length, has taken that live appreciation to a new level. It's not an album but rather a multi-sensory audio-visual experience, with eight-channel audio to accompany eight synchronized video projections of kaleidoscopic video montages.

The foursome debuted the new live show at this year's SXSW and has since taken it on the road, but even if you couldn't catch the tour, the Hexadecagon album shouldn't be missed.  The repetitious polyrhythms and dense layers of minimalist composers Terry Riley and Steve Reich were major influences on this material, and those elements mesh excellently with the band's rock grooves, making something distinct and new that works without the intended visuals.

Whether or not you've heard the band's old material, this is a fine place to start.  Hexadecagon is The Octopus Project's best and most ambitious effort yet.

Dååth: s/t (Century Media)

Dååth: "Indestructible Overdose"

Now on its fourth full-length album (and third in the past three-and-a-half years), Atlanta's Dååth came to prominence with a balanced blend of thrash and death metal with progressive elements.  Original member and keyboardist Mike Kameron departed before the band's 2009 album The Concealers, and many of the band's synthesizer accompaniments and melodic guitars were reduced to brief intros or interludes.

Following that change, Dååth is the band's most thoroughly metal album, leaning on the dueling riffs of guitarists Eyal Levi and Emil Werstler.  It's furious and intricate, and despite a few Meshuggah-style complexities, nothing is too technical for mainstream metal enthusiasts.

Watching where Dååth goes from here will be even more interesting, whether it's further into extreme metal or augmenting its style with new instruments or genres.  Either route figures to be well executed.

Kylesa: Spiral Shadow (Season of Mist)

Kylesa: "Tired Climb"

Savannah sludge-rock quintet Kylesa has garnered a respectable following by combining its core genre with a touch of Southern psych rock and a three-pronged vocal attack.  In 2006, the group added a second drummer/percussionist, bulking up the rhythm section and ratcheting up its live intensity.

Spiral Shadow is Kylesa's fifth studio album and first on Season of Mist.  It follows the same basic guidelines as its predecessors, but it's a little more melodic and structured like a rock record.  Long-time fans will pick up the nuanced differences, but regardless, any psych-metal listeners who enjoy straightforward riffs and songwriting should dig Spiral Shadow.

Andrew Bird: Useless Creatures (Fat Possum)

Andrew Bird: "Hot Math"

At the start of 2009, indie-folk darling Andrew Bird released his eighth studio album, Noble Beast, to the usual buzz and fanfare.  Though it didn't recapture the standout form of his 2005 album, Andrew Bird & The Mysterious Production of Eggs, it was another sound mix of classically informed pop songs.

The most interesting aspect of Noble Beast, in fact, was that the deluxe edition came with a second album of new material.  That collection of songs was dubbed Useless Creatures, which now gets a separate release via Fat Possum and a chance for more casual fans to hear it.  (Useless Creatures also was available on Bird's website for a stretch.)

The nine tracks are almost entirely instrumental, with Bird's vocals appearing just as another instrument or flavor.  The tunes are longer too, and either have semi-regimented forms or float in and out of with calculated ambience.

The music is much heavier on classical melody as well, reflecting his degree in violin performance and very early solo material.  It's nice to again hear this side of Bird, who has come a long way from his early swing- and Gypsy-jazz-influenced style.  It would be ideal to hear more pieces like those of Useless Creatures spread among his usual albums.

Honorables Mentions

Avey Tare: Down There (Paw Tracks)

Bot'Ox: Babylon by Car (I'm a Cliché)

Juliette Commagere: The Procession (Manimal Vinyl)

Cough: Ritual Abuse (Relapse)

Herculaneum: Olives and Orchids (EF)

Melechesh: Epigenesis (Nuclear Blast)

Alan Moore: Unearthing (Lex)

Texture and muted color schemes create the gritty but expensive feel of Garrett Karol’s work. “I really like to print on cream paper and off-white paper too,” the Missouri-based designer says. “It looks nice.”

Beginning his artistic career as the creative director for the Design Center at the University of Missouri, Karol graduated with a degree in graphic design in 2006. During this time, he developed a relationship with Columbia music venue The Blue Note, where he was able to print gig posters for touring musicians such as Andrew Bird, Ratatat, and Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks. By getting his name out there, he was then able to design tour posters for others such as Brother Ali, José Gonzalez, and Jackie Greene.

Using a strictly DIY setup, each project begins with a rough sketch or idea, which is either created on the computer or scanned in later. The posters are then screen printed by hand using a combination of screen-printing ink and the occasional house paint.

Designing with the intention to “have the image match the music,” Karol constructs illustrations from an obscure lyric or attempts to capture the essence of the band and its music. Whether that means a disco-ball hot-air balloon or a mustached woman with a top hat, the end result is a grimy, vintage-esque poster with dimension, typography, and simple yet eye-catching graphics.

“Texture plays a large role in a lot of my design work,” Karol says. “I really enjoy the added depth it can add to a design.”

Whether intentional or not, Karol’s use of subdued color palettes paired with dark overlays of texture has become his brand and can largely be attributed to the young designer’s success.

But other than creating your own style, what advice does the established designer have for newcomers? Ask for projects.

“Whenever a band that I’m interested in comes to town, I’ll ask to see if they’re in need of a poster to hang up around town,” Karol says. By the looks of it, he isn’t turned down too often

Poster Art is a biweekly column about today’s independent poster art and the artists who create it.

Percussionist and multi-instrumentalist Martin Dosh spent much of the past decade establishing himself as a skilled designer of electro-infused, loop-laden ambience and melody.

Over that time, his arrangements have become more complex, with instrumentation that has gotten progressively more diverse, often thanks to high-profile guests such as Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Andrew Bird, Odd Nosdam, and Fog.

For a good portion of his latest effort, variegated sounds create thoroughly layered material atop jumping drum kits and looped beats alike. Harpsichord, slide guitar, piano, and saxophone complement the usual armaments of Fender Rhodes, marimba, and samples, as tracks such as "Subtractions," "Number 41," and "Call the Kettle" (as well as the album's distorted conclusion) present new sides of Dosh. Tommy eventually settles into the down-tempo electro-acoustic tunes of yore, but never is the album dull or repetitive.

Dosh: "Subtractions"
Dosh: \"Subtractions\"

The Nels Cline Singers: Initiate (Cryptogramophone)

Gifted guitarist Nels Cline may be best recognized as "that really tall guy in Wilco," but his accomplished career spans decades as well as ravines of style. Free jazz, avant-rock, country, experimental — there aren't many modern guitar-heavy styles that Cline hasn't touched.

For his "full-time" group, The Nels Cline Singers (a purposeful misnomer), Cline commonly has traversed improvised terrain, but recent albums have presented a beauteous (and often acoustic) compositional side.

Initiate, a two-disc release that includes a live album, further angles The Singers towards accessibility. But fans of Cline's off-the-cuff abilities and technical prowess won't be disappointed, as the album strikes a perfect balance for the group, alternating between progressive jams, effect-laden tranquility, and alien "out-ness."

A squiggly, ambient, looping intro leads into a track of circular grooves that keep it steady for Cline's noodling solos and riotous effects. Other atmospheric pieces utilize Cline's playing in a lounge or jazz style, or simply use him as a swelling accompaniment to the endowed bass lines of Devin Hoff and percussive dynamics of Scott Amendola. All told, Initiate might be the trio's best and most symmetrical release to date.

The Nels Cline Singers: "Floored"
The Nels Cline Singers: \"Floored\"

Omar Rodriguez Lopez: Solar Gambling (Rodriguez Lopez Productions)

Released digitally late last year, the 13th solo album by The Mars Volta's mastermind sees a physical release this Saturday for Record Store Day. Ostensibly, Solar Gambling is a supplement to last year's Xenophanes, a masterful and approachable vocal-intensive album that featured the deft piano work of sibling Marcel Rodriguez Lopez.

This collection contains a familiar brand of progressive psych jams, and fans of Omar's monstrous output aren't likely to be surprised. However, whereas Xenophanes was a striking vocal "debut" by Omar, Solar Gambling fully features vocalist Ximena Sariñara, who supplied backups on the predecessor.

It's hard to believe that one man can produce so much quality music like clockwork, and Solar Gambling attains a perfect counterbalance — alluring vocals and rock grooves vs. polyrhythmic overdubs and exotic effects. Be sure to stream the whole album while you can.

Omar Rodriguez Lopez: "Un Buitre Amable Me Pico"
Omar Rodriguez Lopez: \"Un Buitre Amable Me Pico\"

Child Abuse: Cut and Run (Lovepump United)

A band as consistent in its own sound shouldn't be as indescribable as Child Abuse, which might be considered something to the effect of "death math punk." But that description, like many, is insufficient.

On top of punishing, Meshuggah-style beats, the trio heaps beastly fuzz bass, wailing keyboard noise, growls, and vocal weirdness. The most apt contemporary comparison might be Italy's Zu (also a three-piece) or Lightning Bolt (only a duo!), but these counterparts are actually easier to digest and easier for grooving along.

Cut and Run will strike many as abrasive and difficult, but for fans of complexity and noise, it will be another great disc from 2010.

Child Abuse: "Bebe"
Child Abuse: \"Bebe\"

Honorable Mentions

An Autumn For Crippled Children: Lost (ATMF)

Clutchy Hopkins: The Story Teller (Ubiquity)

Chris Burton Jácome: Levanto

Kaki King: Junior (Velour)

Th’ Legendary Shack Shakers: Agridustrial (Colonel Knowledge)

Lowness: Undertow (Ant-Zen)

Stanton Moore: Groove Alchemy (Concord)

Rafter: Animal Feelings (Asthmatic Kitty)

Coheed and Cambria
Ben Folds
Rise Against
Andrew Bird
TV on the Radio
Dan Deacon
Lou Reed
Ben Harper
Thievery Corporation
Snoop Dogg
Vampire Weekend
The Decemberists
Neko Case
STS9 (Sound Tribe Sector 9)
Animal Collective
Band of Horses
Of Montreal
Arctic Monkeys
Fleet Foxes
Silversun Pickups
Kaiser Chiefs
Crystal Castles
Bon Iver
Santigold
Atmosphere
Dan Auberbach
Cold War Kids
Deerhunter
Lykke Li
Robert Earl Keen
Peter Bjorn and John
Heartless Bastards
Gomez
Glasvegas
Federico Aubele
Passion Pit
The Raveonettes
The Gaslight Anthem
The Airborne Toxic Event
White Lies
Ra Ra Riot
No Age
Asher Roth
Los Campesinos!
Bat For Lashes
Chairlift
Gang Gang Dance
The Virgins
Amazing Baby
Portugal. The Man
The Knux
Ida Maria
Delta Spirit
Friendly Fires
Manchester Orchestra
Constantines
Ezra Furman & The Harpoons
Hockey
Miike Snow
Alberta Cross
Hey Champ
Sam Roberts Band
The Henry Clay People
Davy Knowles and Back Door Slam
Cage the Elephant
Living Things
The Low Anthem
Blind Pilot
Langhorne Slim
Other Lives
The Builders and The Butchers
Eric Church
Joe Pug
Kevin Devine
The Green Cards
Carney
Thenewno2

DJ sets and performances at Perry's Place:
Bassnectar
MSTRKRFT
Simian Mobile Disco
DeadMau5
Boys Noize
KiD CuDi
Crookers
A-Trak
Hercules and Love Affair (DJ Set)
The Bloody Beetroots (DJ Set)
LA Riots
Kaskade
The Glitch Mob
Hollywood Holt
Rye Rye
He Say, She Say
Car Stereo (Wars)
Dark Wave Disco
Moneypenny
Yello Fever
Animal Collective (DJ Set)

The Jesus Lizard

With its first performances since 1999, pummeling mid-tempo rock icons The Jesus Lizard will briefly reunite to play at the All Tomorrow's Parties festival in Minehead, UK in May of 2009. The group's original lineup will be present and play a short series of additional dates that culminates in Chicago next November.

Idiosyncratic rapper Busdriver performs live with a jazz-crossover band called Kneebody tonight in Los Angeles. Pigeon John also performs and tickets are only $10, so don't miss it!

Instrumental violin-centered trio Dirty Three will perform its beautiful fan-favorite album Ocean Songs at All Tomorrow's Parties in New York in 2009.

Comprised of vocalist J. Bannon (Converge), Dwid Hellion (Integrity), and Stephen Kasner (Blood Fountains), Irons is billed as an artistic, nonlinear expression of melancholy through electronics, guitars, and vocals. The trio has announced the impending release of a split 12" with Pulling Teeth.

Minimalist folk group Phosphorescent has recorded a full-length covers collection of Willie Nelson tunes titled To Willie. The group will tour this winter and spring.

One-man grind project Toxic Holocaust will assemble in band form for January tour dates with 3 Inches of Blood and Early Man. Currently, Toxic Holocaust is touring with GWAR.

Andrew Bird's deluxe edition of Noble Beast, due out on January 20, is available to pre-order through Fat Possum Records. The deluxe edition includes a second disc, Useless Creatures, that includes new instrumental works.

Rhymesayers has posted the video for "The Truth," the single from Jake One's great new album, White Van Music, that features Freeway and Brother Ali.

Beginning today, you can download the Christmas single "Beam Mig Op, Jesus" by Danish rockabilly weirdos Powersolo via iTunes or Clicktrack.

Groove trio Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey is playing a New Year's Eve show in Tulsa in which the featured performers play the tunes of Prince, Lionel Richie, and Michael Jackson. Get down.

Ennio Morricone

Legendary film-score composer Ennio Morricone will write music for Inglorious Bastards, Quentin Tarantino's next film. Whether he has enough time to score the whole film remains to be seen.

Undefinable folk/hip-hop crossover artist Tim Fite has posted a video for "Big Mistake," his single from Fair Ain't Fair (Anti-). Watch it here.

Fellow Anti- artist and somber, raspy crooner William Elliot Whitmore now has "Old Devils" posted on the label's website. "Old Devils" is a track from Animals in the Dark, his new album due in February.

In promotion of its five-part series of remix records, electro-grind trio Genghis Tron has posted a track from the third volume. Head to the group's remix-specific MySpace page to hear Danny Lohner (of Nine Inch Nails) remix "Board Up the House."

Gorgeous electro-acoustic duo Lymbyc Systym has announced dates for its first European tour. The dates span two weeks and can be seen at its MySpace page.

Ambient horror soundtrack artists Zombi have released the cover artwork for their upcoming album, Spirit Animals, which will be released on February 3, 2009. The cover art is pretty freakin' awesome.

Multi-talented folk artist and loop specialist Andrew Bird has posted US tour dates for January and February in support of Noble Beast, his upcoming full-length due in winter. For now, fans can listen to "Oh No," the album's first track. Melodic genre masher Dosh opens for Bird at Carnegie Hall.

Blistering metal maniacs Burnt by the Sun have posted the first demo track, "F-Unit," from their long-awaited third full-length. The track, which will be on the group's first album since 2003, can be heard at its MySpace page.

Danish psychobilly/alt-country/surf-influenced trio Powersolo has uploaded "Murder in SFAX" to its MySpace page. The song will be on the group's upcoming album, which will be available in March.

Indie hip-hop label Anticon has announced a 10th anniversary show in New York City. The event will be held at The Knitting Factory and feature Themselves (Doseone, Jel), Yoni Wolf of Why?, Sole, Alias, Buck 65, Odd Nosdam, and more.

In a total no-brainer, GQ has named Nick Cave its "Rock 'n' Roll Badass of the Year."