Bill Frisell

Jazz guitarist Bill Frisell has left an indelible mark on the genre since the early 1980s, and in the process, crossed into Americana, country, blues, experimental rock, classical and more.

He has worked with artists as diametrically different as drummer Paul Motian and doom-drone group Earth, and this release finds him scoring the 2007 film All Hat with a beautiful country-Western soundtrack that leans on pedal steel, harmonica, and Frisell's sublime melodies.

Skeletonbreath: Eagle's Nest, Devil's Cave (Ernest Jenning)

The fiery fiddle of O'Death violinist Robert Pycior leads Skeletonbreath, a trio that combines Pycior's strings with the low-end rumble and punishing, straightforward rhythms of mid-'90s alt-rock.

Pycior's violin work combines progressive rock leads with discordant keys, neoclassical melodies, and worldly flavor.  Andrew Platt's bass rumbles with the force of Shellac or The Jesus Lizard, and Tris Palazzolo's drums thud with urgent ferocity.  The trio's mixture is unlike almost anything else, and this comes highly recommended.

Nicole Mitchell's Black Earth Strings: Renegades (Delmark)

Composer/flutist Nicole Mitchell holds rare talents, composing her own brilliant works and contributing to many masterful discs that include works from Exploding Star Orchestra, Frequency, Indigo Trio, and more.

As a smaller incarnation of her Black Earth Ensemble, Black Earth Strings combines modern jazz sounds and African rhythms via an acoustic quartet.  This, the group's first commercial release, is a compelling mixture of percussion-less themes that capture with melodies and hooks and rivet with adroit improvisations.

Upsilon Acrux: Radian Futura (Cuneiform)

With heaping doses of melodicism, the über-precise rhythms of math/prog quintet Upsilon Acrux should appeal to adventurous music fans who enjoy old-school Hella, Tera Melos, or other likeminded musicians.

The band's swirling finger-tapped guitar action, Moog harmonies, dirty riffs, and clean-channel harmonics layer atop beats that alternate between chaotic and playful.  The style also recalls old Nintendo scores (on crack) with melodies similar to those of Minus the Bear. Fans of virtuosic guitarists will get their money's worth.

Upsilon Acrux: "Landscape"
Upsilon Acrux: \"Landscape\"

Incorporating elements of traditional Mexican and Spanish music into his expansive repertoire, tireless composer John Zorn bangs out another soundtrack, this time for a documentary about Mexican dictator Plutarco Elias. Another accessible, beautiful release, El General is scored for guitar, marimba, bass, piano, and accordion, with drums and vibraphone showing up in spurts.

Mountains: Choral (Thrill Jockey)

Making its Thrill Jockey debut, this electro-acoustic duo creates acoustic melodies that breathe with the field recordings and electronics that surround them. Tranquil, crackling bits pile on layers of atmosphere; drones circle around extended passages and repetitive themes. The result is a serene album that is as apt for detached meditation as it is for intense musical focus.

Mountains: "Choral"
Mountains: \"Choral\"

Rob Mazurek Quintet: Sound Is (Delmark)

Following a solo release and albums from Sao Paulo Underground and Exploding Star Orchestra, jazz composer/cornetist Rob Mazurek returns with a new quintet. The group features a loaded lineup of Chicago standouts, including drummer John Herndon (Tortoise), vibraphonist Jason Adasiewicz (Rolldown), acoustic bassist Josh Abrams (Black Earth Ensemble), and electric bassist Matthew Lux (Isotope 217).

With 14 new compositions, Sound Is sees Mazurek continuing to push the boundaries of modern jazz while using semi-traditional instruments.

Steven Wilson: Insurgentes (Kscope)

The founder of English rock band Porcupine Tree, guitarist/singer Steven Wilson has taken a wandering path throughout his musical career, traveling through metal, pop rock, progressive psychedelia, and atmospheric ballads.

Wilson's solo debut, Insurgentes, shows a similar penchant for diversity. Rock structures overlap with electronic ambiance, moody acoustic guitars, dark synths, and soft vocal harmonies, making a malleable foundation as Wilson channels Thom Yorke in much of his signing.

A bit of the balladry gets too close to Coldplay and other melodramatic radio artists, but most of the album is an interesting exhibition in songwriting.

Steven Wilson: "Harmony Korine"
Steven Wilson: \"Harmony Korine\"

Nicole Mitchell's Black Earth Ensemble @ Velvet Lounge

With nimble fingers and fluttering melodies, flutist/composer Nicole Mitchell is a master of her instrument. Here she gathers a quartet version of her Black Earth Ensemble, a hard-bop lineup with plenty of grooves to hold down the solos and improvisational moments.

Her veritable cast powers out mean jazz rhythms with the aid of bassist Josh Abrams (Town and Country) and drummer Marcus Evans, while saxophonist David Boykin (David Boykin Expanse) handles stirring leads and riffs alike.

The group often expands to include the talents of cellist Tomeka Reid, guitarist Jeff Parker (Tortoise) and vocalist Ugochi, but this Velvet Lounge performance should be just as compelling as Mitchell caps three local shows in four nights.

Shining (Norway)

Thursday, October 23

Pillars and Tongues, Remindring @ The Hideout

Somber vocal harmonies emanate from aptly named Pillars and Tongues, an experimental trio whose creations exhibit mystical influences. As Remindring, multi-talented bassist Josh Abrams (Town & Country, Nicole Mitchell's Black Earth Ensemble) lays out looped soundscapes with Emmett Kelly and Frank Rosaly.

Fucked Up @ Reggie's Rock Club

Punk-rock misdirection artists Fucked Up hit Chicago two weeks after the release of The Chemistry of Common Life, the group's follow-up full-length to Hidden World. This time around, Fucked Up's material moves through more variety of atmosphere than your standard punk/hardcore, with peaceful, otherworldly intros and layers and layers of guitar. There's less stop-start fury than Hidden World-more sheets of sound-so it will be interesting to see how this vigorous live act performs.

Coliseum starts North American and Japanese tour dates

Louisville hardcore staples Coliseum begin five weeks of performances today, hitting many cities in the USA as well as a few in Canada and Japan. The group doesn't hit Chicago until Nov. 15, but there's a good chance that it will be your city in the near future.

Friday, October 24

Ears & Eyes Festival @ The Hideout

With three outstanding weekend shows at The Hideout, independent jazz/avant-garde label Ears & Eyes Records celebrates its third annual Ears & Eyes Festival. The performances feature groups on the Ears & Eyes roster as well as other local standouts and friends of the label, and one such outside artist, Brooklyn's Parts & Labor, headlines this first night with a catchy mix of indie rock and electronics.

The six-artist, six-hour show also includes bass-and-drums rock duo Black Ladies and free-rock guitarist Tobin Summerfield, but the biggest highlight might be the collaboration between Sunfish Ensemble guitarist David Daniell and Tortoise cofounder/bassist Doug McCombs.

Voodoo Experience begins @ New Orleans' City Park

With a massive three-day lineup that can only really be explored at thetenthritual.com, New Orleans' Voodoo Experience celebrates its 10^th anniversary. If you're in the Big Easy on Friday, the fest's first day, be sure to catch DeVotchKa, Reverend Horton Heat, The Gutter Twins, Man Man, Extra Action Marching Band, and Andre Williams.

Shining (and other picks) at CMJ Music Marathon & Film Festival

There are hundreds of bands playing at the dozens of CMJ venues on Friday, the festival's second-to-last day, but we had to single out Norway's Shining at Cake Shop (and again at Knitting Factor on Saturday). The post-prog jazz-rock experimentalists return to New York, one of three cities on their first US tour earlier this year, and it might be a while before they return. If you're in NYC, do yourself a favor and check them out (and pick up Grindstone on Rune Grammofon).

The night's other highlights include sBACH, An Albatross, Akimbo, Phosphorescent, Sole and the Skyrider Band, and Broken Social Scene.

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