Blink: The Architects (Whistler, 4/19/11)

Blink: "Protect From Light (I)"

If there’s one collective that typifies the spirit of modern jazz and the next step into its “post” era, it’s Chicago-based experimental-jazz quartet Blink.  And though that might sound bogus given the fact that its new album comes only in cassette and digital-download formats, the quartet’s lo-fi approach doesn’t mean that it's not legit.  Since its 2008 debut, The Epidemic of Ideas — a record that imparts heavy emphasis on jazz experimentation and improvisation — the quartet has toured the world, received awards from the Illinois Arts Council, and had its compositions commissioned and performed by the International Contemporary Ensemble and the Peoria Ballet Company.

On its sophomore effort, The Architects, the quartet builds on its mishmash of free jazz, rock, and electronics, this time with a new approach for structured compositions.  The beauty of it all? You can’t really tell the difference.  In jazz, it’s said that the best improvised music sounds composed and the best composed music sounds improvised.  As circular as that sounds, the adage holds a lot of wisdom in understanding the merits of Blink and its overall sound.

Listeners will find the nine-song set, entirely composed by bassist Jeff Greene, to have a distinct balance.  Greene’s compositions build on one another, creating a musical dialogue that revisits melodies and textures to create intricate forms of theme and variation.  But the songs still feel open-ended, with solid foundations for drummer Quin Kirchner, guitarist Dave Miller, and saxophonist Greg Ward to instill in them a loose musical chemistry that is spontaneous and artful.

Like any great jazz outfit, each player in the quartet knows the role of his instrument.  The range of noise – lashings of Albert Ayler-styled atonal saxophone rips, scratchy no-wave guitar riffs, staccato snare hits, and ambient electronic drones – encompasses sounds that push the boundaries of tone and texture.

Bookend tracks “Protect From Light” parts I and II set the record's tone.  Suspended over a bed of looped electronic samples, Ward lays down the song’s central melodic theme.  The sax line is bright and smooth, a stark contrast to Miller’s crunchy guitar and Kirchner’s sparse rhythmic attacks. The electronic samples become more urgent, the drums take a larger presence, and the saxophone becomes free.

For the most part, in exception to a few momentous freak-outs, the quartet has a mellow energy.  But because the instruments communicate so well with one another, the chilled-out energy packs a big punch.  “Social Engineering” is a track with a lot of free-roaming space driven by Miller’s haunting guitar plucking.  Just when a melody begins to materialize, a reverse delay effect is switched on, giving the track a strange, Twilight Zone feel.  But it frees Miller to play over himself, and when he begins to tighten up the space, the rest of the players follow suit.

Whether it’s Ward and Miller trading off forceful phrases in “Align Your Planets,” Greene looping his bass over Kirchner’s flailing on-time/off-time drum fills in “I Will Save The Day (Part II),” or all four players engaging with each other in chaotic climax in “(A) New Life,”  there is usually always a lot of things happening at once.  And even though it sometimes sounds like they all could’ve been playing in separate rooms – sometimes in separate states – they always come back around to drive it home in one single direction.

As the expression of four extremely talented musicians, The Architects is a display of straight-ahead jazz chemistry in its freest form.  Though many jazz groups can be tight, not many can be free. With a modern mix of electronic music and post-rock styles, combined with the confidence to test the boundaries of tone and texture, Blink’s The Architects is a bright spot in the changing face of jazz.

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 guzheng is a gorgeous Chinese zither whose existence dates back two thousand years. In the hands of a marvel, it 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, undoubtedly will be one of the year's finest albums.

Lee is no slouch, but his work really shines when he's coupled with a virtuoso. Together, the two use Into the Wind to navigate through funky down-tempo jams, Kung-Fu flavor, hip hop, soul, and driving grooves.

Bei Bei & Shawn Lee: "East" (excerpt)
Bei Bei & Shawn Lee: \"East\" (excerpt)

Algernon: Ghost Surveillance (Cuneiform)

The brainchild of guitarist Dave Miller, Algernon walks a thin line between melodically driven post-rock and instrumental unconventionality.

The quintet, based in Chicago, has drawn comparisons to hometown compatriots Tortoise — thanks to a vibraphone and a few jazz-inflected melodies — but it very much has established its own voice, particularly on Ghost Surveillance, its third album.

This album 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.

As always, the vibraphone work of percussionist Katie Wiegman offers a warm, harmonic accompaniment, but the group's best-supporting player may be drummer Cory Healey, whose wild fills and drum-and-bass moments imbue Ghost Surveillance with explosive bursts of energy.

Algernon: "Broken Lady"
Algernon: \"Broken Lady\"

Chicago Underground Duo: Boca Negra (Thrill Jockey)

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.

Its size and scope has shifted, but Mazurek and Taylor have been the staples of the Chicago Underground name, melding improvisation with composition through a shifting balance of impulse and atmosphere.

Boca Negra is an interesting dichotomy, as spiraling vociferation leads to upbeat grooves, shifting piano chords, harmonic electronics, and ambient samples.

"Hermeto," for example, is built around a delicate keyboard melody, harmonizing surroundings, and a windy backdrop. "Spy on the Floor" follows with one of CUD's most straightforward grooves, coupling with Taylor's snare-rolling beat to craft a danceable tune.

Taylor handles the programming this time around, which helps to explain some of the duo's new sound. Long-time fans will recognize Boca Negra as being in the CUD ouvre, but they might be surprised at its scope.

Chicago Underground Duo: "Spy on the Floor"
Chicago Underground Duo: \"Spy on the Floor\"

Noah Creshevsky: The Twilight of the Gods (Tzadik)

Electronic composer Noah Creshevsky is a master of contrast, crafting musical patchworks from samples of orchestras, vocalists, pop music, and much more.

The Twilight of the Gods, his second album for Tzadik, is another wild series of rearrangements. Otherworldly performances rub against spliced sonic quilts. Scurrying bits of avant-classical weave in and out, bobbing between vocal undulations and interpretations of freeform rock and jazz.

This very much is for daring audiences, but regardless of preference, most listeners should agree that there is nothing quite like it.

Honorable mentions

Greg Burk: Many Worlds (482 Music)
Four Tet: There is Love in You (Domino)
Fredrik: Trilogi (The Kora)
Harvey Milk: s/t reissue (Hydra Head)
Yuka Honda: Heart Chamber Phantoms (Tzadik)
Joan of Arc presents: Don’t Mind Control compilation (Polyvinyl)
Sam Sadigursky: Words Project III: Miniatures (New Amsterdam)
Slow Six: Tomorrow Becomes You (Western Vinyl)
Univers Zero: Clivages (Cuneiform)

With more musical projects than fingers, Chicago guitarist Dave Miller has his hands fully immersed in jazz, rock, psychedelic, noise, and experimental forms.

His primary creation as a bandleader, Algernon, is one of his most accessible — jazz-flared, vibraphone-heavy post-rock that's rife with effects. His other groups draw further into the realms of freeform structures, though most don't hurt for hooks. (One such outfit, Zing!, was lauded here in advance of a local show last weekend.)

Online editor Scott Morrow caught up with Miller to discuss musical personalities, the connotations of the term "experimental," the next Algernon album, and his countless other endeavors.

Algernon is one of your most straightforward, melody-driven projects. Other than being a vehicle for your rock-flavored compositions, what do you hope to accomplish with Algernon?

One of my most important objectives in music has always been to connect with people. I try to walk the like between tradition and innovation as gracefully as possible.

So with Algernon, the project that reflects my musical personality most accurately, I try to write music that is accessible to people who are not musicians or music intellectuals without sacrificing the integrity of the music.

Like many of your outfits, Algernon is full of wild guitar effects. But how much of your experimentation — with pedals or otherwise — is reserved for Zing!, Blink., your other groups or your compositions for film and theater?

I was having a conversation about the musical term "experimental" with my good friend and musical cohort in Algernon, Toby Summerfield, recently. He made a really strong point that I agree with: a lot of times, the music that we write is called "experimental" because it may stretch the boundaries of what people may think of being conventional-sounding music.

Truth be told, "experimental" music writers will spend much time finding new and unusual ways of making music. However, the finished product is ideally no longer an experiment but a fully realized and valid musical idea.

With that being said, I am a curious musician by nature. So no matter what band I'm playing in or project that I'm working on, I try to continually find new ways of interpreting the music that lets my musical personality and influences shine through.

Your projects allow you to collaborate with other members of the jazz/rock/improv community. How does working in so many groups affect your own creativity?

I've found it to be somewhat overwhelming at times because, at any given moment, I tend to have a lot on my plate. Nevertheless, I'm never at a loss for being inspired, because I'm consistently playing great music with so many great musicians and having a blast doing so. I feel lucky to be a part of everything going on in Chicago scene right now!

What can we expect from the next Algernon release? What else are you working on?

The next Algernon album is all written. We have too many songs at this point, I think. We'll be recording in March at Steve Albini's studio, Electrical Audio, with our favorite enginer, Manny Sanchez.

This new album will be a little bit more rock-oriented and will have more experimentation with form. The album as a whole will go through a lot more musical moods than the last. I'm excited to get it done!

As far as other projects, the new Ted Sirota's Rebel Souls album will be out in March or April, the new WW Lowman album should be out by the summer, the new Mercury Effect (Tommy Faulds' solo project) album, which I contributed a good amount of guitar to, should be out soon, and new albums from the Kevin Kizer Quintet and the John Wojciechowski Quintet should be out soon as well.

I'm also in the beginning stages of planning out a solo record. I don't know really how to describe it yet, but it's different.

- Scott Morrow

Dave Miller: www.myspace.com/davemillermusic4
Algernon: www.algernonmusic.com