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This Week\'s Best Albums: December 7, 2010

Daft Punk: Tron: Legacy soundtrack (Walt Disney)

Daft Punk: "Derezzed"

Daft Punk: "The Grid"

Helping to popularize computer graphics in mainstream film, Tron was the 1982 sci-fi smash starring Jeff Bridges as a programmer who gets trapped inside an electronic world.  Disney's long-awaited sequel, Tron: Legacy, opens on December 17, but in advance of the release is a soundtrack that has been nearly as anticipated.

The film's epic accompaniment is the first new music by Daft Punk in five years, and it features the 85-piece London Orchestra.  It's a legitimate film score but one that employs the famous timbres and dance beats of its creators.  There are lots of racing strings, ominous swells, and tense climaxes, and many moments recall the work of composer Hans Zimmer – particularly those that combine the orchestra with synthesizers, or use long, blaring horn blasts and percussive thuds.  At other times, the material draws parallels to fellow countrymen Air — notably on "The Grid," which recalls the other duo's song "Electronic Performers" from 10,000 Hz Legend or some of its material from the soundtrack to The Virgin Suicides.

According to the duo, other key influences on this material were Max Steiner, Bernard Herrmann, and John Carpenter, and though it’s hard to imagine many film-score composers who haven’t been influenced by them, they’re apt inspirations for what the duo has created here.

The dance moments are relatively sparse, but a lot of melodies carry characteristics of the duo’s catalog.  There’s slightly more of a glitch/IDM vibe than on older albums, and it will be interesting to note whether any of these elements carry over to Daft Punk's next “official” studio album.

Shawn Lee’s Ping Pong Orchestra: Hooked Up Classics (Ubiquity)

Shawn Lee's Ping Pong Orchestra: "Swan Lake"

Shawn Lee is a highly productive multi-instrumentalist and producer known for applying his funky, soulful style in myriad ways, and as Shawn Lee’s Ping Pong Orchestra, he has tackled assorted world styles, famous pop songs, cinematic string pieces, and even Christmas songs.

His latest release, Hooked Up Classics, is a collection of rock, funk, and dub covers of classical favorites, and it fits right into the holiday season as commercials are deluging us with Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” and “Swan Lake,” Richard Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries,” Edvard Grieg’s “In the Hall of the Mountain King,” and Richard Strauss’ “Also Sprach Zarathustra.”

Each of those ever-present pieces is featured on Hooked Up Classics, but as Lee has done throughout his career, they take their own musical paths. Each is presented in a refreshing new way, such as the surf-rock rendition of “In the Hall of the Mountain King” or the alternately gloomy and sunny take on Frederic Chopin’s “Funeral March.” Lee’s take on “Ride of the Valkyries” is a particularly funky cut, featuring an exotic guitar interlude.

If you love these classical hits and want to hear them in a new way, or if you’re not familiar and want an entry point to the expansive genre, pick this up.

Liz Janes: Say Goodbye (Asthmatic Kitty)

Liz Janes: "I Don't Believe"

A folksy yet unconventional pop-rock singer and guitarist, Liz Janes caught the attention of Sufjan Stevens around the inception of his Asthmatic Kitty record label. Following a handful of solo releases – including a collaboration to re-imagine a handful of public-domain songs – she’s back with her first album in five years.

Titled Say Goodbye, the album scales back the light-rock aggression, bluesy riffs, Americana influences, and lower-register vocal moments of her older tunes.  It’s a collection of tender pop songs carried by Janes’ harmonized vocals, with slow beats and bass grooves, as well as flourishes of bells, horns, and acoustic guitar, establishing a more soulful and sultry feel.

Interestingly, Janes has a background in noise and improv music, stemming from random jam sessions in Olympia, Washington with experimentalists like Arrington de Dionyso of Old Time Relijun. To read about how these early improvisations impacted her music and life, check out her recent guest column for AlarmPress.com.

Zoon Van Snook: (Falling from) The Nutty Tree (Mush)

Zoon Van Snook: "Cuckoo"

Zoon Van Snook is the alias of Alec Snook, a former keyboardist/sampler for UK bands such as Skunk Anasie and I Am Kloot.  His debut full-length, (Falling from) The Nutty Tree, is a sort of pseudo-acoustic electronica album – also dubbed folktronica – featuring performed and programmed melodies on keyboards and sampled instruments over hip-hop beats. Think of contemporaries such as Dosh, Minotaur Shock, or Caribou.

The album’s first single, “Cuckoo,” is more in the electro vein, and it’s well done, but this is a really beautiful and composed album. The fifth track, “The Two Knives,” is dubbed “Cuckoo’s Reprise,” and it’s the same basic chord progression as “Cuckoo” but redone as a somber solo-piano piece.

Much of the rest of the album incorporates samples, field recordings, and vocal clips underneath the faux instruments, which often are percussive and very melodic. Many tracks are pieced together with big, glitched beats, and the result is an album that sparkles as much as it stutters.

Honorable Mentions

Anika: s/t (Stones Throw / Invada)

Einsturzende Neubauten: Strategies Against Architecture IV (Mute)

Eluvium: The Motion Makes Me Last (Temporary Residence)

Feist: Look At What The Light Did Now (bonus live CD) (Cherrytree / Interscope Records)

Jon Hopkins: Music from the Film 'Monsters' (Double Six / Domino)

Starkey: Space Traitor Vol. 1 (Civil Music)

Various artists: Psych Funk Sa-Re-Ga! (World Psychedelic Funk Classics / Stones Throw)

The Black Heart Procession: "Blank Page"

black-heart-procession-blank-page

Additionally, in celebration of the album release, The Black Heart Procession will tour this fall alongside label-mate The Books (coming off its recent, stellar performance in Chicago's Millennium Park).

The Black Heart Procession tour dates:

Sep 28 @ Le Poisson Rouge, New York, NY
Sep 29 @ The Trocadero, Philadelphia, PA w/ The Books
Sep 30 @ 9:30 Club, Washington, DC w/ The Books
Oct 1 @ Shaefer Theater, Duke University, Durham, NC w/ The Books
Oct 3 @ Variety Playhouse, Atlanta, GA w/ The Books
Oct 4 @ Square Room, Knoxville, TN w/ The Books
Oct 5 @ Jefferson Theatre, Charlottesville, VA w/ The Books
Oct 6 @ Rams Head Live!, Baltimore, MD w/ The Books
Oct 21 @ Somerville Theater, Somerville, MA w/ The Books
Oct 22 @ Pearl Street Nightclub, Northampton, MA w/ The Books
Oct 23 @ Cabaret Mile End, Montreal, PQ w/ The Books
Oct 24 @ Capitol Music Hall, Ottawa, ON w/ The Books
Oct 25 @ The Mod Club, Toronto, ON w/ The Books
Oct 26 @ Crofoot Ballroom, Pontiac, MI w/ The Books
Oct 27 @ Ladies Literary Club, Calvin College, Grand Rapids, MI w/ The Books
Oct 29 @ Vic Theatre, Chicago, IL w/ The Books
Oct 30 @ Cedar Cultural Center, Minneapolis, MN w/ The Books
Nov 29 @ Music Box At The Henry Fonda, Los Angeles, CA w/ The Books
Nov 30 @ Palace of Fine Arts, San Francisco, CA w/ The Books
Dec 3 @ Aladdin Theater, Portland, OR w/ The Books
Dec 4 @ Moore Theatre, Seattle, WA w/ The Books
Dec 5 @ Vogue Theatre, Vancouver, BC w/ The Books

Five years have passed since we've heard the powerhouse melodies of Norway's Jaga Jazzist, the conception of brothers Lars and Martin Horntveth. Though the band is much closer to elaborate post-rock or "nü-jazz," a few of the group's winding passages and pieces of its instrumental setup reflect the genre for which it is named.

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. Though there is no shortage of talent, there also is no shortage of accessibility.

After an instantly hummable call-and-answer melody, the album's title track shifts to a trio of passages that sound as though they were designed for the slot-machine artwork that accompanies the album. Marimba, harpsichord, fuzzy bass, and slide guitar steal much of the show on this first standout on a disc of standouts, and the group's noted assortment expands from there.

If you're already a fan or have never heard Jaga Jazzist, One-Armed Bandit is not to be missed.

Jaga Jazzist: "One-Armed Bandit" (edit)
Jaga Jazzist: \"One-Armed Bandit\" (edit)

Rob Swift: The Architect (Ipecac)

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.

A few pieces are separated into movements as certain sounds act as themes, and guest MC Breez Evahflowin (the album’s only vocalist) continues the homage while rapping about the album’s concept on tracks “Principio” and “Ultimo.”

Though some may pigeonhole The Architect because of its direction, the truth is that it's an eclectic instrumental album — a dynamic DJ disc that certainly should be experienced live. Pick this up.

Rob Swift: "The Architect"
Rob Swift: \"The Architect\"

High on Fire: Snakes for the Divine (E1 Music)

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.

The production by Greg Fidelman (Metallica’s Death Magnetic) is getting a lot of attention, and rightfully so — the kick drum often sounds like a popping thud, and the vocals are too high in the mix. But overall, the mix is beefier and conveys a sense of urgency; High on Fire hasn't sounded quite like this before.

High on Fire: "Snakes for the Divine"
High on Fire: \"Snakes for the Divine\"

Ali Farka Touré & Toumani Diabaté: Ali and Toumani (Nonesuch)

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."

The album most certainly will garner major accolades in world-music circles. More importantly, it will stand as a final remembrance for Farka Touré.

Ali Farka Touré & Toumani Diabaté: "Ruby" (excerpt)
Ali Farka Touré & Toumani Diabaté: \"Ruby\" (excerpt)

Valgeir Sigurðsson: Draumalandið (Dreamland) soundtrack (Bedroom Community)

Icelandic producer Valgeir Sigurðsson has worked with a host of high-profile artists: Björk, Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Nico Muhly, Múm, and many more. But despite nearly a decade of noteworthy production work, it wasn't until 2007 that he released his first official solo album, Ekvílibríum, a dreamy electro-acoustic work.

Now Sigurðsson has released the soundtrack to Draumalandið (Dreamland), a documentary about the exploitation of Iceland's natural resources. The score, a gentle and mini-orchestral work, is a much more elaborate affair — but one that manages, despite its layers, to feel as sparse as much of the Icelandic landscape.

Swelling and crackling electro-folk turns into uneasy chamber pieces. Often, the score is circular and dramatic, as in the title track, based on a simple up-scaling piano progression that is complemented by a glockenspiel or xylophone. The tempo of "Dreamland" picks up and slows at key spots, capturing an important dynamic.

Muhly and countrymen Sam Amidon, Ben Frost, Daníel Bjarnason, and a host of others lend their talents to Dreamland, a score that proves Sigurðsson capable of much more than augmenting the work of others.

Valgeir Sigurðsson : "Dreamland"
Valgeir Sigurdsson: \"Dreamland\"

Rotting Christ: Aealo (Season of Mist)

Despite the shock-value name, Greek black-metal quartet Rotting Christ is much more than a sacrilegious aggro band.

For more than 20 years, the Athens band traversed different directions on the metal path. However, with its last 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.

Rotting Christ: "Aealo"
Rotting Christ: \"Aealo\"

Honorable Mentions

Cindy Blackman: Another Lifetime (tribute to Tony Williams) (Four Quarters Entertainment)

Johnny Cash: American VI: Ain't No Grave (American)

Eluvium: Similes (Temporary Residence)

Quasi: American Gong (Kill Rock Stars)

Terry Riley: Autodreamographical Tales (Tzadik)

Jack Rose: Luck in the Valley (Thrill Jockey)

Glasgow instrumentalists Mogwai return with an album full of beautiful minor-key epics-including a few seriously heavy tracks like "Batcat," which nicely contrasts "I'm Jim Morrison, I'm Dead," the album's droning, thudding, tinkling opener. Sporting a still-life portrait of a bald eagle's mug on the cover, The Hawk is Howling is one of Mogwai's most diverse releases this decade, possibly since Rock Action or EP+6 2001.

*Read Drew Fortune's lengthy feature on Mogwai in ALARM 33, available soon.

Mogwai: \"The Sun Smells Too Loud\"

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God of Shamisen: Dragon String Attack (Reptile)

If you're into the fusion of metal with traditional Japanese music (and who isn't?), pick up Dragon String Attack by God of Shamisen. Shamisen master and Estradasphere member Kevin Kmetz leads the group with his acrobatic finger work on the fretless Japanese instrument, infusing said sounds with any other genre that feels appropriate (reggae, Gypsy, jam rock, funk). The shredding riffs of guitarist Karl Schnaitter and the detonating beats of fellow Estradasphere cohort Lee Smith also propel the band, which you know will be good given that two of Kmetz's listed influences are ultra-heavy death metallers Cryptopsy and classical legend J.S. Bach.

God of Shamisen: \"The Science Fiction of Ray Bradbury Attack\"

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Lymbyc Systym: Love Your Abuser, Remixed (Mush)

As Lymbyc Systym, brothers Mike and Jared Bell released a beautiful 2007 debut full-length, Love Your Abuser, on Mush Records. The album's heartening tunes used piano, synthesizers, organs, xylophones, brass instruments, and much more to provide a gorgeous multi-layered mix. Now the album gets a remix treatment with clicky electronic beats and thematic revamps by The One AM Radio, The Album Leaf, This Will Destroy You, Daedelus, and others. Magic Bullet Records will also soon release a This Will Destroy You / Lymbyc Systym split 10"/CD as well as re-release Lymbyc Systym's first studio EP, Carved by Glaciers.

Lymbyc Systym: \"Fall Bicycle\" (The Album Leaf Remix)

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Genghis Tron: Board Up the House, Remixes Vol. 1 LP (Temporary Residence)

Normally on the Relapse roster, electro-metal trio Genghis Tron has its crushing sci-fi sounds reworked as part of a five-label LP project that includes 20 mixologists. This first volume has been available for a few months, but now it has its official release, featuring renderings by Steve Moore, Justin K. Broadrick, Rob Crow, and Eluvium.

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Ten Kens: Ten Kens (FatCat)

The debut album from this Toronto-based quartet is an eclectic combination of power pop, folk, and droning, experimental rock.