Nada Surf: The Stars are Indifferent to Astronomy (Barsuk, 1/24/12)

Nada Surf: "Waiting for Something"

The first thing that people usually think of when they hear words “Nada Surf” is the mid-’90s post-grunge gem “Popular.” The track seemed to encapsulate everything that alternative rock in the ’90s stood for into a three-minute radio hit: humor, irony, hooks, cheekiness, and distortion. (It also helped that MTV played the music video nonstop.) And the band deserved the, well, popularity. The song was clever and catchy as hell. But, as is the case with many bands of that era who still had good songs/albums besides their hit (see: Superdrag, Better Than Ezra), Nada Surf has spent the rest of its career trying to get as far away as possible from that song.

To belittle the entire career of Nada Surf to a mere three minutes of one hit in the ’90s is completely unfair, though. Even though the band has lived in the shadow of “Popular” for the majority of its career, Nada Surf has quietly and steadily been putting out an array of solid garage-rock/power-pop-infused records. The Proximity Effect, from 1999, still hinted at the humor that “Popular” touched upon, but the album showed natural growth, with lyrics revolving around more “adult” problems, like seeking out a therapist or the emotional bankruptcy of living too fast. The album’s lyrical honesty and vulnerability is on par with Weezer’s Pinkerton.

By the time Let Go rolled around in 2003, Nada Surf had completely detached itself from the snot-nosed teenage angst of its lone hit single. Instead, a matured, weathered, broken, and fixed Nada Surf was at the helm, endorsing the same power-pop sensibilities it had on previous records, but now with added layers of acoustics, synthesizers, harmonies, and deeper, more meaningful songwriting. The Weight Is A Gift (2005) and Lucky (2008) followed in a similar (though slightly more watered down) fashion.

And that brings us to The Stars are Indifferent to Astronomy. Once again, the New York-based trio has found its voice in a barrage of ’90s nostalgic alt-rock, fused with more refined musical techniques and textures. The appropriately titled “Teenage Dreams” treads familiar water with its distorted, minor-chord arrangements, reminiscent of the band’s roots, while “When I Was Young” features a delicate finger-picking pattern. The album also showcases the band’s signature wall of sound, which is a staple of the band’s live shows.

But there aren’t any Trojan horses here. There aren’t any mazes or trap doors. This album confirms that Nada Surf knows what it’s doing, and it’s been doing it all along: churning out up-tempo, hook-riddled rock songs. The tracks more or less blend together into one nostalgic heap of ’90s bliss and misery, but the album moves along smooth and steadily, anchored by singer/guitarist Matthew Caws’ distinctive tenor.

The Stars are Indifferent to Astronomy might not be the breakout comeback to take Nada Surf to the top of the charts like its debut did, but the band seems content with that. It knows its territory, and it knows it's good at it. It’s refreshing to hear an album every now and then that isn’t trying to turn genres on their head, or revolt against convention out of boredom. Above all, the album feels genuine. Honesty has always been a strong suit of Nada Surf, and that quality is once again present on The Stars.

But what it really boils down to is this: If you’re familiar with the band’s last few albums, you know what to expect (poppy rock songs that can every now and then snap your heart strings in half). If all you know is “Popular,” maybe it’s time to give the band another shot. Nada Surf has much more to offer than you might think — and much more to offer than it gets credit for.

Phantogram: "Don't Move"

A few years ago, Josh Carter and Sarah Barthel took to recording their own music in a barn in upstate New York. Though it was never intended for the masses, the music made an auspicious debut via the 2010 album Eyelid Movies on Barsuk, and a loyal Phantogram following materialized — and continues to grow ever larger. In addition to praise from unexpected sources (Questlove, Big Boi, Fitz and the Tantrums, Kings of Leon), the duo's popularity has risen from a years-long tour stint, loaded with sold-out shows, international bookings, and major festival appearances.

And in the midst of the tour hustle and bustle, Phantogram has managed to pull off yet another standout release in the form of Nightlife. Carter’s minimalist guitar lines, hip-hop beats, and assorted loops and samples weave the perfect melodic backing for Barthel’s breathy singing and, at times, his own reverb-laden vocals. The synths and drum-machine beats draw similarities to Eyelid Movies, but the new record holds its own as a mini-LP — and also holds fans over until the next full-length release.

Here, ALARM speaks with Carter about performing live, his collaboration with Barthel, and Nightlife.

What do you like about recording in a barn versus a recording studio?

It was circumstantial, really. We lived up in the country in upstate New York, and it’s what we had. My parents had a barn on their property, and I had been collecting a lot of recording equipment and learning how to record myself. Instead of having to pay a lot of money to go into a studio, we just did our first album ourselves, and the new record as well.

You have a long, diverse list of musical influences. What non-musical influences impact your songwriting?

Dreams definitely impact my lyric writing and our songwriting. Often when Sarah and I get together to work on music, we kind of come up with imaginary plots that would be in a movie. We think very visually when we’re writing.

What are your roles in songwriting?

I write the lyrics. I make the beats and I write most of the music, but often Sarah and I get together and write. Sometimes she’ll come up with something on the piano or guitar and bring it to the table, or I’ll make a beat or write something on guitar or piano, and we’ll bring it together.

Sometimes we just jam over a basic drum-machine rhythm and vamp for a few hours and write that way. Often when I write lyrics too, I’ll bounce them off Sarah and see what she thinks of it; so, sometimes even though she isn’t writing the lyrics, she’s connected to them anyway because she’s there while I’m writing them.

Aside from the fact that you wrote Nightlife while on tour, how was the writing and recording process different between this album and Eyelid Movies?

Some of the ideas for Nightlife were old ideas. “Don’t Move” was a beat I made a couple years ago that I fleshed out into a song; I wrote the lyrics, and then Sarah wrote the vocal melody for it. “Nightlife” was an idea that we had written together a couple years ago, before Eyelid Movies came out. Sarah wrote the beginning guitar line, and I ended up laying down the guitar and recording all the instruments, and then we wrote the rest together.

“16 Years” was a song that I had written a couple years ago and sang gibberish on with autotune on my voice; then, when we were on the road, I kind of translated what the gibberish sounded like. The first line in the song was “16 years…” when I was singing gibberish, but then I started reading this article online about these two women in Mississippi who got arrested for petty theft and went to prison for 16 years, which is really crazy. So I started translating the gibberish into my feelings about the story that I read, and it just started to make a lot of sense to me.

I wrote “Turning into Stone” in March, and then I finished it this summer when we were on tour. “A Dark Tunnel” was a song that Sarah was really pushing for that I had written on tour. She wrote the chorus vocal melody, but it was really a pain in the ass writing that song. I really didn’t want to finish it, but she really loved it, so I said okay, and I just finished it in Seattle, actually, when we were playing Bumbershoot. “Make a Fist” was supposed to be on Eyelid Movies, and I originally sang on that, but for some reason, sonically, we didn’t think it should go on the record. Then we went back and worked out a big dramatic ending together for the song and rerecorded it with Sarah singing.

Why did you choose to make Nightlife six songs instead of extending it to a full-length? How did you decide on the "mini-LP" concept?

We’ve been touring so long on Eyelid Movies, and it’s been doing really well, but we know that our fans want more music, and we wanted to put out more music to keep ourselves happy. To me, often when I think “EP” I think two or three songs and a remix. For us, Nightlife is a body of work that goes together and belongs together. It’s not necessarily a single, a B-side, and a remix, and that’s how I view many EPs.

Do you foresee Phantogram’s sound evolving more on your next album?

Oh yeah, definitely. I’m really excited to start working on the next album. I have all kinds of crazy ideas. It’s just a matter of what we really decide to do. Some days I feel like we should do a super minimal record where we completely limit ourselves to one drum machine, a guitar, and synths and don’t go too crazy but just make every little texture count.

Sometimes I think we should just drone out and make a real heavy, heavy sounding record. I don’t know. It really just depends. I guess we’ll wait and see, but I definitely plan on experimenting a lot more. I’ve been fucking around with tapes a lot these days, so maybe you’ll be hearing a lot of weird tapes and stuff.

After receiving this adoration from critics and the public within so little time, do you feel any pressure to live up to expectations with your next full-length?

No. No, I don’t. The reason why is I never felt the need to live up to any expectation to begin with is because Sarah and I originally started making music and recorded Eyelid Movies just to please ourselves. We didn’t have an audience. Now that I know we have an audience, I guess all I gotta do is keep in mind that if people like something that I never really intended for the masses to hear, then I guess I must be doing something right, so why worry about it, you know? But at the same time, I do sometimes think about how things are going to sound live more since we’ve been playing in these big rooms — like "how are these songs going to sound out of a big, honking PA system?"

Once you decide on the instruments and melodies on a song, do you like to record it live before you make all the final adjustments to see how it will sound live?

Yeah, we started getting into that. Normally, we’ll just play things live and record it on a iPhone or something like that in the background to see how it feels live and how it might sound live. We don’t write anything that we don’t think we can pull off live. That’s super important because a lot of bands, especially nowadays, do so many backing tracks or nothing but backing tracks, and for me, that just seems like cheating. We use a drum machine and a couple of sequencers, but it’s a live experience. It couldn’t happen without us playing.

Do you feel that incorporating lights and visuals are essential to your performances?

We write really moody music, and we’re sort of a nighttime band, so lights are very important to our sounds. We write moody, beat-driven, atmospheric music, and I think lights are very key to that, especially to accent rhythm and atmosphere. I think it’d be different if we were a power-pop band who just got up there and rocked out song after song. We’re a bit different than that.

What about performing in a radio studio or during the day at a music festival where you can’t use lights?

Yeah, it is kind of weird, but we just try to get ourselves into the proper mental state and put our heart into the music. It’s just something that you have to do.

How does it feel to be playing these huge music festivals less than a year from your debut release?

We’re a young band, but putting so much effort into touring from the beginning did definitely help it. But when we first started a few years ago, I wouldn’t have expected that we’d be playing Coachella and Lollapalooza and Outside Lands and all that. It’s pretty amazing.

So it’s on to the next record after Phantogram finishes up the tour?

We’re doing a couple of private shows in December, and I think Big Boi is flying us down to Atlanta to work on some music with him for five days. Then, after that, we’ll start working on the next record.

Are you guys thinking of doing any collaborations on this new record?

No, I don’t think about doing that for our own records. I produce a lot of beats in my spare time. I’m always making beats. So I plan on collaborating with other artists for their stuff, but Phantogram, as far as I can see right now, is just Sarah and me.

Phantogram: Nightlife EP (Barsuk, 11/1/11)

Phantogram: "Don't Move"

In 2010, the electronic-pop duo Phantogram burst on the scene with its impressive debut offering, Eyelid Movies. The duo, comprised of Josh Carter and Sarah Barthel, brought a fresh perspective to the indie scene, showcasing an album that was both elusive and grounded at the same time — simultaneously experimental and catchy. It was so well received, in fact, that Carter and Barthel were able to quit their day jobs and tour relentlessly in support of the album. Alternating between vocal duties, Barthel and Carter concocted an assortment of beat-heavy drum loops, ornamental guitar work, bipolar synthesizers and samples, and two-headed harmonies. Phantogram was one of the best new acts of year. And so the question remained, as it does with every notable debut act: could they follow it up?

With the six-song Nightlife EP, Phantogram builds on what made Eyelid Movies such an achievement in saturated digital pop. Yet again harboring a swath of soundscapes and sonic concoctions, Phantogram has constructed a record that fleshes out its strengths. Between Carter’s guitar work, Barthel’s keyboard work, and both of their vocal and sampling duties, the duo has positioned itself as one of indie’s most beloved new entities.

Standout track “Don’t Move” — the first single culled from the EP — gets off on the right foot by mixing sample assortments with pulsing beats, pieced together with a Barthel’s hook-laden melody and a barrage of instrumental diversity. Likewise, Carter and Barthel’s vocal duet on “Turning Into Stone” amplifies Phantogram’s appeal and catchiness while also infusing the background with an arsenal of fuzz, crashing cymbals, and feedback. The title track, meanwhile, features a swirling acoustic guitar backed by outer-space euphonies, before breaking into the familiar territory of beat-driven arrangements decorated with full-fledged harmonies, electric-guitar noodles, and keyboard-drenched meanderings.

Nightlife feels very much like a continuation of where Eyelid Movies left off. It serves as an excellent appendix to its predecessor — the perfect companion to the sonic movements accomplished on Eyelid Movies — which in turn expands on what the band does correctly. Rather than offer a proper LP follow-up, Phantogram is content to play up what it does best. And, ultimately, it is refreshing to see a band stick to what it knows. The songs that adorn the EP prove that Carter and Barthel know what they’re doing, as some of these tracks are their best achievements yet. Nightlife, if nothing else, assures the duo that there’s no reason to run back to those day jobs.

Mike Patton: Music from the Film and Inspired by the Book The Solitude of Prime Numbers (La Solitudine Dei Numeri Primi) (Ipecac)

Mike Patton: "Twin Primes"

Still known first and foremost as a vocal aberration, Mike Patton (Faith No More, Mr. Bungle, Tomahawk, Fantômas) has amassed more and more compositional credits in recent years. The musical Renaissance man already has scored a few films — the schizophrenic alt-metal soundtrack to Crank 2 and the genre-hopping theme-and-variation of A Perfect Place. For the Italian film The Solitude of Prime Numbers, however, Patton has drawn on a much more traditional film aesthetic.

Minimalism carries this material, whether melodic, moody, or dissonant. Accents and flourishes are found throughout, but often as strict atmosphere, building a feel of giallo-esque horror. A track such as “Radius of Convergence” — one of the few with drums — is a rarity, offering a pounding crescendo.

Notably, outside of the first track, vocals are almost completely absent. That’s not a surprise given their secondary roles on Patton’s other scores, but it further cements his transition to being a composer first and a singer second.

- Text by Scott Morrow.

Krisiun: The Great Execution (Century Media)

Krisiun: "The Will to Potency"

Brazilian death-metal trio Krisiun comprises tattooed brethren Alex Carmargo (bass, vocals), Moyses Kolesne (guitar), and Max Kolesne (drums), and with a name that translates from ancient Latin to “the seers of abomination,” the band makes a case for being among the most brutal of its subgenre.

The Great Execution, Krisiun’s third album with prolific German producer Andy Classen and eighth overall, takes the band’s signature speed and tempers it with a string of mid-tempo intervals. These nuances signal sonic progression, as do a handful of interspersed classical-guitar flourishes — making appearances as the album intro and then layered over the full-metal assault in the final few minutes of "The Sword of Orion." A bit of the classical influence spills over into the brutality, as evidenced by the rapid-fire arpeggios on the following track, "Violentia Gladiatore," but by and large, Krisiun is giving listeners exactly what they should expect: searing brutality from those peering into the depths of humanity.

- Text by Kyle Gilkeson and Scott Morrow.

Phantogram: Nightlife EP (Barsuk)

Phantogram: "Don't Move"

- Text by Lauren Zens.

3:33: Live from the Grove (Parallel Thought Ltd.)

3:33: "LFTG-2"

Surfacing in 2011 with a pair of shadowy EPs, 3:33 is a yet-unmasked project that deals in brooding, instrumental hip hop. Tactile yet amorphous — and at times ominous — the music is set apart by a rawness of texture.

For this proper full-length debut — the group’s third release in seven months — much of the source material is a collection of “field/wood” recordings taken from outside the Bohemian Grove. This adds another layer of mystery and foreboding to the 3:33 sound, given the history of the setting — a mysterious, cult-like campground for the Bohemian Club, which has hosted famous guests such as Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon for pagan-esque rituals. The plodding and pulsating results are a disturbing success, backed again by head-nodding boom-bap beats.

- Text by Kyle Gilkeson and Scott Morrow.

Honorable Mentions

Circle Takes the Square: Decompositions: Volume 1 (Gatepost)

Idle Warship: Habits of the Heart (Element 9)

Locrian: The Clearing (Fan Death)

King Midas Sound: Without You (Hyperdub)

Pianos Become the Teeth: The Lack Long After (Topshelf)

Rapper Big Pooh: Dirty Pretty Things (For Members Only)

Sick of it All: Nonstop (Century Media)

The Soft Moon: Total Decay EP (Captured Tracks)

[Chromatic, our 400-page exploration of musicians and color, is out now. Order here!]

Cymbals Eat Guitars: Lenses Alien (Barsuk, 8/30/11)

Cymbals Eat Guitars: "Rifle Eyesight (Proper Name)"

A couple of years ago, Staten Island-based Cymbals Eat Guitars released Why There Are Mountains, an arresting, noisy display of off-kilter rock songs mixed with a few hooks and left turns. For many listeners, the album came out of left field. Its raucous guitars, crashing drums, and frantic vocals made Cymbals Eat Guitars an instant sensation in the indie-music scene, and soon, it was one of the most respected bands — and one of the best surprises — of 2009.

Now, two years later, the band that's often touted as being “on the rise” has returned with its second effort. Lenses Alien, the band’s first offering since signing to Barsuk, looks to establish the band as a staple in indie rock.

Lenses Alien picks up where Why There Are Mountains left off, and builds indispensably upon the recklessly nurtured garage rock that the band has seemed to perfect in its short career. Pinpointing the band’s sound is a tad difficult — the music has elements of the Pixies, Pavement, and Pinback — but it keeps in step with tried-and-true lo-fi methods. Indeed, with Lenses Alien, Cymbals Eat Guitars has added another chapter to the musical styling of its solid debut. With album opener “Rifle Eyesight (Proper Name)” clocking in at more than eight minutes, and riveting tracks like “Keep Me Waiting” and “Shorepoints,” the band seems intent on hitting listeners with the full force of its grunge-meets-pop capabilities.

If Why There Are Mountains oscillated between the heavy and the poppy, Lenses Alien is the integration of the two. Songs like “Definite Darkness” mix distorted, grinding guitars with undeniably catchy vocal hooks. And “The Current,” a song that begins engulfed in a slow-burning, droned-out guitar, is picked up by calculated drumming and delicate piano noodling. Meanwhile, “Wavelengths,” which begins with simple acoustic strumming, builds into a wild thoroughfare of electronics, drums, and frenzied vocals, before calming down again toward the end.

What’s most apparent about Lenses Alien is that there are a ton of ideas swirling around. Each track is never a straightforward arrangement; rather, it bends and twists and retreats back into itself before expanding outward and eventually exploding. There are starts and stops, tempo changes within a few measures of each other, and songs that fluctuate between the subdued and the epic.

In that sense, the album is challenging. It’s not something you can just switch on and “get,” necessarily. Listening to it means strapping in and waiting to see which highways you’ll be traveling — and at which speed — before seeing which exit each track will take. And though some albums with so much going on can just be too complicated for their own good — or be too intent on merely creating something different — Cymbals Eat Guitars is simply doing what it does best. By not only sticking to what the band members know but building on it, the band has crafted a sonically pleasing collection of freaked-out garage rock that is certain to turn a few heads.

[Have you pledged yet? Don't forget to visit the Kickstarter page for Chromatic: The Crossroads of Color and Music, our next book that profiles independent musicians and artists who explore color in unorthodox ways.]

Say Hi: "Devils"

Seattle-based singer/songwriter Eric Elbogen, a.k.a. Say Hi, just released his third full-length, Um, Uh Oh, since shifting to a one-man operation with a shortened name (formerly Say Hi To Your Mom). According to a Barsuk press release, the album is the "result of the last ten years of Eric Elbogen's experiences with failing at relationships, both musical and otherwise." Who better to tell a story of a tragic missed opportunity in Hollywood in the late '90s? Read on, and see how Elbogen manages to effortlessly weave the title of his new album into his prose.

How I Squandered The Biggest Break Of My Life
by Eric Elbogen

It wasn’t until I moved out of Los Angeles, California 11 years ago that I realized how much of the rest of the country conceives of that city as nothing more than a velvet-roped landmark next to the Pacific Ocean, overflowing with actors and the sorts of people you see on Entourage. A common question I fielded once I moved to New York was whether or not the reason for me having been born in LA was because my parents were in "The Industry." I’d usually make an attempt at dryly turning the tables, asking if the inquisitor’s parents were gangsters (if they were from New Jersey) or tobacco farmers (if they were from anywhere south of the Mason-Dixon). Nevertheless, there is one anecdote I collected from the 23 years I spent in La La Land that, I suppose, makes the aforementioned question a valid one.

On an unremarkable day at some point in the late '90s, I left the sheltered micro-hills of UCLA to return to the smog-shrouded sprawl of the San Fernando Valley, in which I grew up. A friend of mine had started working for a casting agency, and was trying to round up a bunch of folk to be extras in a then-untitled film. I wanted the money and had the day free of classes, so I took the trip. At the time, I had been playing music in one of my pre-Say Hi bands and was still naïve enough to think that rockstar-dom would come knocking any day, that said rockstar-dom would immediately, completely, and utterly solve the entirety of my woes, so I scoffed to myself at the multiple hours of us extras waiting outside in a parking lot under a sun-blocking overhead tarp and on splintery high-school, cafeteria-style benches (remember, this was LONG before the existence of "Angry Birds").

Up to this point, I had no idea about any of the details of the film. However, three hours after sitting around with the rest of the bored attendees, I noticed the actress from License To Drive (anyone?) whimsically scooting around the parking-lot blacktop on a pair of roller skates. A few minutes later, someone important looking and clipboard clad approached the gaggle of extras and asked us all to stand up. He scanned our faces like a roulette wheel and eventually landed on mine. “You,” he said, “you’re going to be my cook.” “Cool,” I said, unsure of the implications. I was whisked away into a trailer, clothed in a white chef’s uniform, and, soon after, was getting my already curly head of hair Chia-ed even more. I was curious about where things were headed.

Not more than five minutes later, I was standing inside the kitchen of the parking-lot-adjacent seedy nightclub where, apparently, all of the action was going on. This is the actual internal monologue that proceeded to follow: “Wait, that’s Marky Mark standing four feet away from me in this kitchen. He looks bored. I wonder what movie they’re actually making. Wait. I know I’ve never wanted to be an actor, but, um, uh oh, this might be my big break.”

I stood there pensively for a few seconds before a jittery production assistant affirmed something to the other end of a radio call. “Okay,” he said. “Here’s what I want from you. When I give you the cue, I want you pick up this tray and walk across the room toward the sink on the other side of the door. When you reach the threshold, you can pretend to be yelling something at one of the [imaginary] kitchen staffers.” “Yep,” I thought to myself, “this is DEFINITELY my big break.” I thought about how silly I had been in all of the years leading up to this moment, having spent so much time convinced that rock ‘n’ roll was my calling. “Never mind though,” I thought. “From this moment forward, I’m a movie star!” I also pleaded with myself not to screw up.

The cue came, I picked up the tray, and hurriedly went for my Oscar performance. Cut to a new internal monologue: “You can do this. You’re walking by Marky Mark. You’re turning around to pretend to yell something. Oh, fuck. Fucking BURT REYNOLDS is walking up past you. That facial hair IS pretty awesome. Wait. Focus. Finish the turn. Say the thing. Life is going be great after this.”

To say that I botched it would be an understatement. Even “understatement” doesn’t cut it. Hell statement or Australia statement may be more apt. Instead of completing what even the most rudimentarily trained actor could have accomplished, I awkwardly cocked my turned neck to one side and muttered something like “plee-koo-pik-bloog-bleeg-blum,” each syllable ascending upward chromatically before descending for the last two. I cowered and sulked to myself, not daring to look at whatever expressions Mr. Reynolds and Mr. Wahlberg may have been directing at me. The PA approached. “Actually, why don’t you just stay in the corner and shuffle this pan. Pretend like you’re cooking something,” he said.

It was thus that I had blown my golden opportunity to be, well, a guy walking in front of Burt Reynolds on film for a split second. It wasn’t until the movie actually came out that I learned that it was Boogie Nights that I had almost been cast in. I left that day embarrassed, deciding slowly that I maybe shouldn’t abandon songwriting for Hollywood after all. When I later saw the movie in the theatre, I sighed to learn that even my less-ambitious re-casting as Guy In The Corner Cooking Something didn’t make it into the frame. Not even a friggin’ arm.

At the very least, a microscopic glimpse of even a strand of my hair in the Paul Thomas Anderson flick would make my anecdote slightly more vibrant. I could have pointed it out to my future grandkids, when they were old enough to watch a movie about the pornography industry, of course. But alas, instead I sit in my Seattle apartment, a slightly grayed 30-something in a relatively unknown rock band, writing this and still waiting for my big break.

PS: PT, maybe some love in a future director’s cut?

Sigh,

Eric Elbogen

As usual, ALARM leaves no genre unexplored in our list of this year's overlooked gems.

Sigh: Scenes from Hell (The End, 1/19/10)

Sigh: "The Summer Funeral"

With a history of fusing other revered genres to a doomy combination of black metal and thrash, Japan's Sigh used its eighth studio album to deliver symphonic, epic metal that calls upon classical instrumentation to top its rock foundation.

Brass, woodwind, and string instruments — as well as organ and piano — accent as well as lead sinister melodies that take surprising turns through fanciful themes. Raspy, menacing vocals coat each track, resulting in a dramatic presentation that isn't much at odds with its complex backdrop.

RJD2: The Colossus (RJ’s Electrical Connections, 1/19/10)

RJD2: "Games You Can Win"

Following a divisive album that saw the introduction of poppy, soulful vocals, producer RJD2 returned with something of a split release — an album that leaves no shortage of accessible, vocal-driven tunes but that emphasizes some inventive instrumentals.  Whether or not you dig the soulful RJ, there's no doubt that the music on The Colossus is some of his best to date.

Chicago Underground Duo: Boca Negra (Thrill Jockey, 1/26/10)

Chicago Underground Duo: "Spy on the Floor"

For 15 years, the Chicago Underground Duo (and Trio, Quartet, and Orchestra) has been an avant-garde jazz outlet for prolific Chicago musicians Rob Mazurek (Exploding Star Orchestra, Isotope 217) and Chad Taylor.  Boca Negra is an interesting dichotomy, as spiraling vociferation leads to upbeat grooves, shifting piano chords, harmonic electronics, and ambient samples.

Algernon: Ghost Surveillance (Cuneiform, 1/26/10)

Algernon: "Broken Lady"

The brainchild of guitarist Dave Miller, Algernon walks a thin line between melodically driven post-rock and instrumental unconventionality.  Ghost Surveillance places greater emphasis on synthesizers and sprawling song structures, but at its core is the combination of accessibility and technicality that has defined Miller's style. Noisy, circular rock riffs transform to tranquil, wandering passages. "Timekiller," the album's fourth track, is a beautiful, buoyant number — and one of the band's best creations to date.

Bei Bei & Shawn Lee: Into the Wind (Ubiquity, 1/26/10)

Bei Bei & Shawn Lee: "East"

In the hands of a marvel, the guzheng — a gorgeous Chinese zither — resonates with tactile beauty as its many strings are plucked with precision.

Bei Bei, a native of Chengdu, China, is one such musical technician. And this collaboration with Shawn Lee, a prolific producer who can man as many genres as he sees fit, is undoubtedly one of the year's finest albums.  Together, the two use Into the Wind to navigate through funky down-tempo jams, Kung-Fu flavor, hip hop, soul, and driving grooves.

Daníel Bjarnason: Processions (Bedroom Community, 2/1/10)

Daníel Bjarnason: "Bow to String I: Sorrow Conquers Happiness"

Best known as a conductor and arranger for indie groups such as Sigur Rós, composer Daníel Bjarnason also holds a lofty classical résumé. Processions, his proper debut, is, at many points, a challenging classical work.  Powerful cellos scale and race with crackling percussions before settling into gently bowed and pizzicato string accompaniments; easily half a dozen strings battle for dominance in a sorrowful, harmonic piece that resonates long after hearing it.  Undoubtedly, Processions is a daring and original debut.

Shining: Blackjazz (Indie Recordings / Distribution, 2/2/10)

Shining: "Fisheye"

Beginning as an experimental acoustic jazz ensemble, Norway's Shining — the brainchild of saxophonist Jørgen Munkeby — transformed to a progressive jazz-fusion outfit before delving into its darker side for a collaboration with black-metallists Enslaved.

Blackjazz pushes deeper into the band's dark recesses, forging a progressive industrial sound for the young century.  Big, complex rock riffs, twisted through gnarly distortion, form the foundation and support a mass of frantic, whirring synth lines and gut-wrenching black-metal screams.  In all, Blackjazz is a new epic — and perhaps the best metal album of 2010.

Pillars and Tongues: Lay of Pilgrim Park, LP + download (Endless Nest, 2/9/10)

Pillars and Tongues: "The Center of"

With just three members, Pillars and Tongues manages to craft powerful folk abstractions and interwoven, trance-inducing vocal dynamics. Both composed and improvisational, these shifting forms evoke spiritual vibes in their soulful essence, heavenly harmonies, and repeated patterns.

Dessa: A Badly Broken Code (Doomtree, 2/9/10)

Dessa: "Dixon's Girl"

The only female member of Minneapolis hip-hop collective Doomtree, Dessa is a spoken-word vocalist, singer, and MC whose awaited full-length was finally released earlier this year.

On A Badly Broken Code, her true solo debut, Dessa's vocal diversity is matched by its underlying music, ranging from hard-hitting beats and rhymes to lilting harmonic overdubs.

The Bastard Noise / The Endless Blockade: The Red List (20 Buck Spin, 2/16/10)

The Bastard Noise: "Mutant World of Shame / Underworld"

A spinoff of treasured "power-violence" hardcore group Man is the Bastard, The Bastard Noise is approaching its 20th anniversary of creating noisy electro-doom brutality.  For this split release with hardcore/punk experimentalists The Endless Blockade, the group utilizes the trademark drum-and-bass style of Man is the Bastard in combination with its far-out sounds.  The Endless Blockade contributes three tracks to the release — one 14-minute epic and two avant-garde remixes.

Freeway & Jake One: The Stimulus Package (Rhymesayers, 2/16/10)

Freeway & Jake One: "Know What I Mean"

Continuing his life after Roc-A-Fella Records, former freestyle star Freeway now makes his debut on Rhymesayers, a fitting new home — if only temporary before a move to Cash Money.  Fellow Rhymesayers standout Jake One provides a funky, malleable backdrop for Freeway's fiery delivery and lyrics that are alternately personal and light in content. And though Freeway deserves his accolades, Jake One's production is the MVP of this collaboration.

Carolina Chocolate Drops: Genuine Negro Jig (Nonesuch, 2/16/10)

Carolina Chocolate Drops: "Hit 'Em Up Style" (Blu Cantrell)

Beholden to the traditions of Americana and early African-American folk, the string trio Carolina Chocolate Drops continues blurring the lines of old and new. On Genuine Negro Jig, the group's fifth album, a few original numbers and a trove of traditionals take root in banjo, fiddle, and percussion. Three-part harmonies shimmer on the famous folk tune "Trouble in Your Mind," and simplicity shines on gripping renditions of "Why Don't You Do Right?" by Kansas Joe McCoy and "Trampled Rose" by Tom Waits.  Most surprisingly, Genuine Negro Jig includes an enjoyable rendition of "Hit 'Em Up Style," an unintentionally farcical pop hit by Blu Cantrell.

Mako Sica: Dual Horizon LP (La Société Expéditionnaire, 2/16/10)

Mako Sica: "I'Itoi"

A translation of the phrase "land bad," Mako Sica has more than a nominal Native American influence; the trio's distant vocal reverberations and dirge-inspired tunes recall the spirituality of America's original inhabitants.

Between the vocalizations of Brent Fuscaldo, the melodies of guitarist Przemyslaw Krys Drazek, and the rhythms of drummer Michael J. Kendrick, Mako Sica maintains a strong balance of abilities — with a brooding combination of jangly guitars, reverberated vociferation, and instrumental dynamics.

High on Fire: Snakes for the Divine (E1 Music, 2/23/10)

High on Fire: "Snakes for the Divine"

Stoner-metal trio High on Fire has built a devoted following over the past dozen years as fans fell in love with Matt Pike's gruff vocals and thunderous guitar riffs. On Snakes for the Divine, Pike uses his throat to channel Lemmy Kilmister; meanwhile, the band has picked up its pace and crafted an album that isn’t as outstretched. Hard-hitting riffery leads an effort that, though diverse at times, may be the band’s most driving release.

Jaga Jazzist: One-Armed Bandit (Ninja Tune, 2/23/10)

Jaga Jazzist: "One-Armed Bandit"

Five years have passed since we've heard the powerhouse melodies of Norway's Jaga Jazzist, the post-rock/"nü-jazz" conception of brothers Lars and Martin Horntveth.

One-Armed Bandit, immediately the group's best album, resembles symphonic prog rock, arguably a few steps removed from parts of Frank Zappa's expansive catalog and closer to countryman Jono El Grande's diverse and theatrical style.  This album, however, is much more cohesive than either of those comparisons suggest, and at times it is nearly overwhelming with grooves and harmonious refrains.

Rob Swift: The Architect (Ipecac, 2/23/10)

Rob Swift: "The Architect"

Turntablist/DJ Robert Aguilar, formerly of the X-ecutioners, has long utilized his love of jazz, R&B, and other musical movements to create compelling hip-hop instrumentals while displaying his tight beat-juggling skills.

The Architect is Swift’s foray into the classical world. In addition to a multitude of sampled styles and sounds, classical cuts comprise a substantial chunk of this Ipecac debut. Rearranged strings, organ, and horns often make the foundation of a given track, occasionally evoking high-tension Italian Westerns, as Swift’s scratches dance atop banging beats.

Rotting Christ: Aealo (Season of Mist, 2/23/10)

Rotting Christ: "Aealo"

For more than 20 years, Athens' Rotting Christ has traversed different directions on the metal path.  With its previous release, Theogonia, the group released a striking, original album that fused its dark sound to the ethnic sounds of its ancestors.

Like its predecessor, Aealo features female Benedictine chants, lingual pipes, and a medieval feel. Combined with dueling high-pitched harmonies and powerful guitar work, these new elements highlight an album that should be among the most original metal releases of the year.

Ali Farka Touré & Toumani Diabaté: Ali and Toumani (Nonesuch, 2/23/10)

Ali Farka Touré & Toumani Diabaté: "Ruby"

As two of Africa's most internationally renowned musicians, guitar legend Ali Farka Touré and kora phenom Toumani Diabaté have displayed impeccable abilities while integrating the styles of other cultures into their ethnic sounds.

Each Malian, the two collaborated for the acclaimed In the Heart of the Moon in 2005, shortly before Farka Touré's passing in 2006. Fortunately, the two set aside time to record new material before touring for In the Heart of the Moon, and the result is another beautiful set of duets that sees a posthumous release.

Throughout Ali and Toumani, Farka Touré roots each creation in melodious African-blues pieces. Diabaté's virtuosity accents each track in the form of fanciful scales, which at times evoke classical harpsichord passages, perhaps most notably on "Sabu Yerkoy."

Fang Island: s/t (Sargent House, 2/23/10)

Fang Island: "Sideswiper"

Mostly comprised of ex-Daughters, the good-time rock quintet Fang Island was one of the most quickly ascending bands of 2010, jumping onto tours with The Flaming Lips and Stone Temple Pilots following the release of its first full-length album.

The self-titled release is chock full of palm-muted and speed-infused indie-prog anthems, with über-layered vocal harmonies to go with a triple-thick guitar assault and distorted-bass bludgeoning.  It's one of those rare releases that feels absolutely radiant and thrashing at the same time.

B. Dolan: Fallen House, Sunken City (Strange Famous, 3/2/10)

B. Dolan: "The Reptilian Agenda"

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. 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.

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 Dolan's socially conscious rhymes, A-list production by Alias makes this one of the year's top hip-hop releases.

Archie Bronson Outfit: Coconut (Domino, 3/2/10)

Archie Bronson Outfit: "Shark's Tooth"
Archie Bronson Outfit: "Shark's Tooth"

With its warbled vocals and driving percussion, British psych-rock trio Archie Bronson Outfit is like a more adventurous Wolf Parade — as comfortable burning up the dance floor with clean, bouncy riffs as it is turning up the reverb and rocking in a garage.

Coconut is the band's first LP in nearly four years, and it kicks off with a crunchy, swirling guitar line and a hypnotic bongo-laden beat. Produced by DFA's Tim Goldsworthy, Coconut gets spaced-out and drone-like at times, but it always offers a hint of pop accessibility amidst the static and haze.

The Dismemberment Plan: "Academy Award (Cex Remix)"

Travis Morrison of The Dismemberment Plan is a huge Gladys Knight fan. Though his band's dance-punk sound doesn't overtly reflect Knight's timeless recordings with The Pips, some influences are a bit more subtle. Below, Morrison shares five of his favorite Gladys Knight songs. And in case you were wondering, yes, The Dismemberment Plan is back together. The band is set to tour the US in support of Barsuk's upcoming vinyl re-release (1/11/11) of the 1999 album Emergency & I.

1. "Neither One Of Us (Wants To Be The First To Say Goodbye)"

Such a great description of shared heartbreak, shared failure at love. I always loved songs that never placed blame when things went wrong. Kind of a companion song to "It's Too Late" by Carole King. But in this song, the narrator is still in the mix, still not quite giving up. It usually makes me tear up — takes me back to a few situations in my life, I admit.

2. "Midnight Train To Georgia"

Let's face it, this song is about The Pips. I mean, the song is kind of cruel. You have this female voice saying, "Yeah, guess your little Mr. Movie Star thing didn't work out." It's kind of Freudian and could be heard as cold. But then you have these male voices chiming in the whole way through, and I think it makes the listener understand that the brother is definitely at peace with the big decisions he's making. He's making the kind of decisions a grown man makes. So they're crucial to the song here.

3. "The Nitty Gritty"

She didn't get uptempo too often, and she didn't get low down too often. But check it out; she can do both, right in your face.

4. "Daddy Could Swear, I Declare"

Why is her track about her dad the one where she makes the most sex noises? Talk about Freudian. Great '70s pop-soul arrangement — love that Stealers Wheel acoustic guitar and wah-wah clavinet. Just good, funky times.

5. "Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me"

When is sappy not sappy? When is sentimental not sentimental? When is corny not corny? When you feel it as your own life. This song has zero drama. It is 100% affirmation. And Gladys Knight is the kind of singer who knows that these feelings happen all across the world, respects them, understands them, and communicates them, person to person, without going for vague pomp. Just because a feeling is universal doesn't mean people don't feel them in their own special ways, and that's why Gladys Knight can sing a song like this.

Phantogram: Eyelid Movies

A phantogram is, by definition, an optical illusion. It goes like this: Two separate but identical images are shown in 2D. Putting them together creates the look of a single image, and a three-dimensional look appears at the illusion's "sweet spot." This technique is the basis for 3D movies, a major part in the way we perceive each other, and a most appropriate description of guitarist Josh Carter and keyboardist Sarah Barthel's music.

The duo is in the middle of its first European tour when we get the chance to talk. "It's just us out here," Carter responds when asked about tour mates. "Yeah, we're going to be touring for the rest of our lives," Barthel adds. Already, the duo has shared the stage with established acts such as Ra Ra Riot and Brazilian Girls. Phantogram’s talent is clear even before its debut record hit shelves. In its well-polished live show, the duo really earns its moniker.

While Carter moves about freely, wielding his guitar and stomping on a plethora of pedals, Barthel is stationed behind the keys, a massive rack consisting of all the electronic flourishes that fill out the corners — almost invisible at times, repetitive and foundational at others. In the stage show, the two combine into a single vision. When that new dimension opens up and our perception changes, they not only complement but complete the outfit. On record, Phantogram sounds like five people; on stage, the two act as one.

Phantogram began where many bands do, in a small hometown. For Carter and Barthel, it was in Saratoga Springs, in upstate New York. The two were neighborhood friends growing up in nearby Greenwich. After high school, they parted briefly, but a chance reunion led them to form a band.

For Carter, it was an unexpected surprise. The songwriter had recently returned to Saratoga Springs from New York City after his band Grand Habit, an experimental outfit that he founded with his brother, went belly up.

For Barthel, playing music was a new experience. Before playing with Carter, Barthel had studied visual arts. In the summer of '07, she returned home as well, dissatisfied with the degree and trying to take a break. After she and Carter discovered a mutual love of underground hip hop, the two began collaborating on music together.

The two friends began driving 45 minutes one way to a barn in the middle of nowhere. They retrofitted the space into a proper studio and dubbed their lair the Harmony Lodge. It's there that they spend most of their time, working out songs that combine their diverse influences and explore greater creative expanses.

In an increasingly crowded and cramped world, the open and isolated space provided by Harmony Lodge allows the pair to create without restrictions. "Most of our music is made at night, in the middle of winter, out in the barn," Carter says. "We would come up with imaginary scenarios and write around a certain idea and just see what happened. A lot of the lyrics might tend to be on the bleaker side of things, but it was the dead of winter."

Phantogram’s debut LP, Eyelid Movies (Barsuk), is a swirling, beat-propelled gem of dreamy, texture-driven indie pop. Filled with a combination of electronics and organic instruments, the record is a blend of elements that include drum machines, samples, live instruments, and the occasional vinyl crackle.

"We really wanted to capture a certain sound on the record," Carter says. "We've been experimenting a lot with weird samples. Whether homemade or in the studio, we just keep looking." He adds, "[The album] eventually shaped itself the way it did naturally. We didn't think too hard about it."

Instead of constraining themselves to capture their vision simplistically, the two experimented fully to achieve the exact feel that they sought. The experimentation and sampling only heightened their musical sweet spot.

At moments, the pair can sound jaded, even cynical. But its best comes from its sleepier side, the dreamy and explored sounds. After all, what are eyelid movies if not dreams? Phantogram, if nothing else, makes us long for that moment in our own eyelid movie, reveling in our own illusions, before clocks and whistles command our attention.

Citing influences from early hip hop to Serge Gainsbourg, Phantogram isn't about mashing up tastes and seeing what works. The pair has had many nights in the dead of winter, searching for and building up a seamless blend, the perfect cocktail of sounds — mixed and chilled, contemplative and complementary. Working off each other, the two create music with a darkly mirrored edge. Phantogram pulls back just enough yet fill its tracks with all manner of blips and programmed beats, psychedelic guitars, Barthel's cool vocals, and Carter's paranoid falsettos.

At home and on the road, the two friends are just discovering the possibilities of their talents. Each single that they release is more sophisticated and more complete than the last. In time, Phantogram could well become the vision that it has set forth with Eyelid Movies, a great introduction to a new sound.