Bradley's acclaimed new album, No Time For Dreaming, is out now on Daptone imprint Dunham. Earlier this year, the soul singer joined Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings on a US tour, then teamed with The Menahan Street Band for a few European dates, and he just completed a Midwest leg with The Budos Band. These shots, from photographer Tammi J. Myers, are from the recent, sold-out show at Subterranean in Chicago.

The Singularity is the second full-length album from Divinity, a Calgary-based extreme-metal quintet that combines machine-gun beats, impossibly fast harmonizing guitar scales, Meshuggah-ish syncopations, and alternately death-metal and epic vocals (akin to Strapping Young Lad).

Like the band's first album, The Singularity was self-released before being picked up for European and American distribution.  The wait between release and distro was much longer this time around, however, due to Nuclear Blast (seemingly) inexplicably dropping the band after its debut.

This one is a thoroughly crushing and assailing effort, and it should appeal to many metal fans on the "extreme" end of the spectrum.  It would be great to hear more moments like the start to "Embrace the Uncertain," when a melodic piano intro and synth accent lead into metal chaos, but it's hard to argue with The Singularity as it is.

Divinity: "Monsters Are Real"

Dreamend: So I Ate Myself, Bite by Bite (Graveface)

Dreamend is the work of Ryan Graveface, the man behind Graveface Records and the guitarist/bassist of Black Moth Super Rainbow.  Unlike the solo efforts of BMSR staple Tobacco, though, the sounds of Dreamend are markedly different than Graveface's "full-time" band.

Graveface has been releasing solo material for the better part of a decade, and So I Ate Myself, Bite by Bite continues the direction of his 2008 album The Long-Forgotten Friend, which had the least emphasis on shoegazing guitars.

Melodic, bluegrass-infused instrumentals and singer/songwriter pieces comprise the majority of this one, again using banjo, bells, guitar, organ, and overdubbed vocals to establish a warm, low-key vibe.  A companion album is expected in 2011, and it will be interesting to see how that complements this one.

Dreamend: "Magnesium Light"
Dreamend: \"Magnesium Light\"

The Budos Band: III (Daptone)

Self-described as "afro-soul," The Budos Band is one of the instrumental staples of the Daptone roster.  Afro-beat, heavy funk, and soul are the tentet's main influeces, as deep horn grooves, wailing organ riffs, and funky percussions pave the way for dance-floor gyrations.

Like its predecessors, III delivers more danceable Budos jams with a few slow-tempo numbers mixed in for good measure.  Bouncy bass rhythms, guitar hooks, and flute solos all complement the baritone sax and other horned members of the front line.

III doesn't tread much new ground for The Budos Band, but it's another solid entry in the band's catalog.

The Budos Band: "Unbroken, Unshaven"

Street Sweeper Social Club: The Ghetto Blaster EP

When Tom Morello and Boots Riley released Street Sweeper Social Club's debut last year, it was the closest thing to Rage Against the Machine to appear from Morello since the political rap-rock group disbanded.

Riley's sociopolitical lyrics — a staple of his work in The Coup — made the comparison pretty apt, even if he didn't have the same fiery urgency as Zack de la Rocha.

However, with a stated mission to make "anthems for the revolution," the vibe has been one of partying mixed with anti-establishment messages (like "every banker is a fucking thief" in "Everythang").

The Ghetto Blaster EP is not as overly anthemic as the self-titled debut, and it feels like a stronger rock effort.  But the release is being pushed with a few radio-hit cover songs, most notably an uninspired hard-rock take on MIA's "Paper Planes."  It's strange that the band would be pushing this as a single so shortly after the original left the airwaves, but it's stranger coming from Morello and Riley, who have established musical voices.

A rendition of LL Cool J's "Mama Said Knock You Out" is better, but it lacks the power or immediacy of a cover like Anthrax and Public Enemy's "Bring the Noise."  But it does have a killer dueling harmony from Morello's overdubbed guitars midway through, and we can only hope that SSSC captures this full potential going forward.

Street Sweeper Social Club: "Ghetto Blaster"

Honorable Mentions

Lost in the Trees: All Alone in an Empty House (Anti-)

Guillermo Klein: Domandor De Huellas (Sunnyside)

Memmaker: How to Enlist in a Robot Uprising, deluxe edition (Artoffact)

Negura Bunget: Virstele Pamintului (Aural)

Yaotl Mictlan: Dentro del Manto Gris de Chaac (Candlelight)

Built around the inspired turntablism of Kid Koala and Dynomite D, The Slew began as a psych-rock score for a documentary based on the influential but obscure work of the 1970s band of the same name.

Though the film never came to fruition, the two were heavily into the project and enlisted the aid of the ex-Wolfmother rhythm section to tour with six turntables and a full band. And if you weren't fortunate enough to catch the modern Slew as a touring outfit this October, fret not — the originally intended "live-only" project has succumbed to demands for a recorded album.

On 100%, circular blues-rock riffs are tweaked and spliced with tactical precision, firmly guiding the grooves, samples, and beats that accompany them. Fans of Kid Koala will recognize large chunks of 100% that appeared on his great 2006 effort, Your Mom's Favourite DJ. Nevertheless, there's plenty of goodness to go around, and fans of both DJ skills and old-school rock and roll will dig this.

Jaga Jazzist: One-Armed Bandit single (Ninja Tune)

Über-melodic chamber-rock ensemble Jaga Jazzist attains a remarkable combination of complexity and accessibility. Yet despite its success and appeal, the group has been devoid of releases for the latter half of this decade.

By the time that we see the release of the group's new album (also titled One-Armed Bandit — so confusing), it will have been five years between full-length albums. Thankfully, in the meantime, we can enjoy this outstanding single from the forthcoming album that was mixed in Chicago this year by Tortoise's John McEntire.

"One-Armed Bandit" is a frantic, scurrying piece that features a dueling harpsichord and horn, a 1970s rock lead, and a fuzz-bass foundation that shifts gears to a rhythmic breakdown and a dreamy electronica interlude. Elements of golden-age Frank Zappa and Norwegian countryman Jono El Grande are apparent, and this should foreshadow a great progressive album.

David Sardy: Zombieland soundtrack (Relativity Music Group)

A diverse producer and former member of quirky 1990s rock outfit Barkmarket, David Sardy has plied an additional craft as a film-score composer and contributor for the past dozen-plus years.

Tabbing Sardy to pen a soundtrack for Zombieland seems like a great fit, and the result is a dark, highly percussive score that oscillates between brooding minimalism, blood-curdling neo-classicalism, and horror-infused rock and roll.

Honorable mentions:

Erik Deutsch: Hush Money (Hammer & String)
Fin Fang Foom: Monomyth (Lovitt)
Sajjanu: Pechiku!! (Tzadik)
V/A: Daptone Gold (Daptone)

Before recording a new album this spring, Converge will play a handful of shows, mostly during a week in March. Head to Deathwish Inc. for the full list.

Norwegian jazz/Balkan/surf group Farmers Market will perform with the Stravanger Symphony Orchestra for the country's MaiJazz festival in May.

A seventh album from Sunn O))), titled Monoliths & Dimensions, will be released May 18 on Southern Lord. The album includes guest appearances from Eyvind Kang, Julian Priester, Oren Ambarchi, Jessika Kenney, and Dylan Carlson.

Ethnically inspired electro-acoustic arists Balkan Beat Box are issuing a remix album, Nu Made, through JDub Records on April 7.

Tombs has posted its entire Relapse debut, Winter Hours, online to be streamed at www.winterhours.info.

Jazz trumpeter Dave Douglas will release a new album with his Brass Ecstasy group, titled Spirit Moves, later this spring.

The Brooklyn studio of Daptone Records, home of Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings and The Budos Band, was robbed on Monday. A list of stolen or damaged items can be seen here, and if you see this stuff online somewhere, holler at Daptone.

Brutal hardcore group Ed Gein is practicing again after a year and a half of inactivity. The group plans to start writing new material and play some scattered shows.

Long-form UK rock experimentalists Crippled Black Phoenix will tour the US for two weeks at the beginning of April.

Jaguar Love is no longer playing with drummer Jay Clark (former guitarist of Pretty Girls Make Graves). The band currently is a two-piece with a drum machine and will debut this new lineup for an Australian tour.

An Albatross still needs a guitarist to tour this summer! Get in touch if you're talented, friendly, and can travel to Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.

Tee Pee Records labelmates Earthless and Witch begin a nine-day tour of the Northeastern US and Canada today.