Hauschka: "Radar"

Volker Bertelmann, better known under his stage name, Hauschka, follows in the footsteps of experimental composers John Cage and Erik Satie, experimenting with prepared piano sounds. Bertelmann, who is based in Düsseldorf, Germany, manipulates traditional piano sounds by affixing different objects to the instrument's inner workings. The resultant sound is one of surprising flexibility, as Bertelmann MacGyvers his way into a world of original sounds and unexplored sonic terrain. Here, he shares a playlist of his favorite experimental, acoustic tunes.

Experimental Music with Acoustic Sound Sources
by Volker Bertelmann

1. NSI: "Track #15" from NSI plays Non Standards

This track is a wonderful example of processing the piano sounds to get into a dark tone area. I like the modulation inside.

2. Phantom Ghost: "A Blush" from Three

This is definitely a song you either love or hate. I like it a lot, and I like the Oxford approach in this song. It sounds like you are a part of an old English salon.

3. Pierre Bastien: "The American of the Highway" from Visions of Doing

This music transports me directly in a very melancholic, city-nightlife atmosphere.

4. Phyllis Chen: "East Broadway" from UnCaged Toy Piano

Phyllis is, for me, one of the most extraordinary musicians I met in the last few years. This is a great track.

5. Lubomyr Melnyk: "KMH Section II" from KMH Section II

Like Phyllis, Lubomyr plays extremely fast piano, and it sounds like he has a million fingers. He has a special technique, and so the piano sounds like he is using tons of delay, but he isn't.

His music made people in Düsseldorf cry, and kids went totally quiet.

6. Irène Schweizer: "Scratching at KKL" from Piano Solo KKL Luzern

I like this piece, which is all prepared piano and wonderfully rhythmical.

7. Cor Fuhler: "HL" from HHHH

Cor Fulher plays a very quiet, abstract, noise/drone piece with piano and ebows and all sorts of other material. He is a very creative, innovative player.

8. Whitetree: "Kyril" from Cloudland

This is the band of Ludevico Einaudi and the Lippok brothers, who are a part of To Roccoco Rot. I like their combination and setup very much, and I think it is wonderfully melodic and textural.

9. Barbara Morgenstern: "The Operator (Piano Versions)" from Fan No. 2

Barbara is a good friend of mine, and we went together to a music college to do a course in pop music. She is doing a great mixture between danceable and acoustic lyrical music. I like this track a lot.

10. Howard Skempton & John Tilbury: "Trace" from Well, Well Cornelius

John Tilbury is an outstanding pianist and member of the improv group AMM. He did a record with 22 short pieces of Howard Skempton…very modern and emotional short pieces. It is worth your while to check out all 22 compositions.

A Lull: Confetti (Mush)

A Lull: "Weapons for War"

Building off its early buzz for the single “Weapons for War,” Chicago quintet A Lull has drawn plenty of early attention for its debut album, Confetti.

Comprised of five multi-instrumentalists who each have a hand in its percussive style, the band unites assorted characteristics of contemporary indie electronica, with textured timbres, humming ambience, and melodic hooks building over pitter-pat beats and thumping toms. The vocals are equally as multi-layered and harmonized, alternating between soft pop refrains and “rat-tat-tats” and other percussive utterances over waves of deep, distorted low end.

Young Widows: In and Out of Youth and Lightness (Temporary Residence)

Young Widows: "In and Out of Lightness"

Now more than a few album cycles removed from its transition from post-hardcore outfit Breather Resist, Louisville's Young Widows continues coming more and more into its own.

The trio's last full-length album, Old Wounds, marked its arrival as post-punk powerhouse.  Its newest, In and Out of Youth and Lightness, displays another progression in the band's songwriting skills while also emphasizing the "quietness" in the genre.

Guitarist/vocalist Evan Patterson's reverberated instrument walks an eerie line between clean and dissonant. The rhythm section favors a ceremonial plod, often accenting select beats instead of playing straight through, but it's more than capable of mixing in urgent rock rhythms.  In between, there's a roomy silence, occasionally breached with a wandering guitar echo or backing vocal.

From the weird twang, Black Heart Procession vibes, and enveloping vocal harmonies of tracks such as "Right in the End" and "Lean on the Ghost," In and out of Youth and Lightness has plenty of new direction for familiar fans, but it's also an excellent jumping-off point for new listeners.

- Text by Scott Gordon. Read the full review here.

Atmosphere: The Family Sign (Rhymesayers)

Atmosphere: "Just for Show"

Back after last fall's double-EP release, Minneapolis hip-hop duo Atmosphere presents an album that is a true family effort.  Though its 2008 album was chock full of guest spots and featured DJ/producer Ant piecing together samples of live instrumentation, The Family Sign was built by a four-piece incarnation of Atmosphere, with previous collaborators Erick Anderson (keyboards) and Nate Collis (guitar).

Collis, in fact, is the surprise MVP of the album, with shimmering slide guitar and murmuring melodies that guide many songs.  Anderson plays nearly as vital a role, with gentle piano lines and chords that fill out what often was occupied by funky bass lines and horn cuts.

There are more singing and spoken-word passages than rap aficionados might like, but The Family Album isn't nearly as sunny or soulful as When Life Gives You Lemons…, and it feels like a much more cohesive and organic record.

Hauschka: Salon des Amateurs (FatCat)

Hauschka: "Radar"

Hauscka is the alias of prolific German composer Volker Bertelmann, who has released eight albums of neoclassical material since 2004 — with the most recent coming just six months ago.

His instrument of choice is the prepared piano, a piano that has objects placed on or between its strings in order to create unique, textured sounds.  Though much of his earlier material was in the John Cage school of prepared minimalism, his last album, Foreign Landscapes, was a more orchestral affair, and his newest, Salon des Amateurs, presents his instrument's version of techno.

This "organic dance" music shares similarities with fellow German outfit Brandt Brauer Frick, a trio that released a promising debut in November.  Bertelmann's range of timbres is narrower, but he achieves a lot via overdubs and guest spots by John Convertino and Joey Burns of Calexico, drummer/sampler Samuli Kosminen of Múm, and violinist Hilary Hahn.  Ultimately, Salon des Amateurs is much closer to Cage than techno, but it's another interesting cross-section that proves the potential of loops and short repetitions.

Garage á Trois: Always Be Happy, But Stay Evil (Royal Potato Family)

Garage á Trois: "Shooting Breaks"

Originally a trio with 8-string guitarist Charlie Hunter, rock/funk/jazz hybrid Garage a Trois has morphed over the past decade to a quartet comprised of saxophonist Skerik and vibraphonist Mike Dillon (both of Critters Buggin, The Dead Kenny Gs, and many Les Claypool incarnations), drummer Stanton Moore (Galactic, Corrosion of Conformity), and keyboardist Marco Benevento (Benevento/Russo Duo).

The group's sounds have undergone just as much transformation, from entirely live improvisation to unified grooves. Always Be Happy, But Stay Evil is the group's second album since the addition of Benevento, and it again takes great advantage of his keyboard melodies.  However, unlike its predecessor, Power Patriot, this album pulls back a bit from the distorted rock grooves.

Nonetheless, the album's musical moods are what fans of Power Patriot might expect: slinky ("Resentment Incubator"), polyrhythmic ("Earl Harvin"), accessible ("Earl Harvin" again), raw ("The Drum Department"), cosmic ("Shooting Breaks"), and ever so eerie ("Swellage").  Recorded by engineer/producer Randall Dunn (Secret Chiefs 3, Sunn O))), Earth), it closes with an unexpected cover of John Carpenter's "Assault on Precinct 13," a rendition that sonically embodies the album's title.

Fredrik: Flora (The Kora)

Fredrik: "Rites of Spring"

Each track on Swedish electro-folk trio Fredrik’s newest album, Flora, is adorned with a menagerie of small details.

On the third song, “Chrome Cavities,” vocalist Fredrik Hultin’s hushed intonations and a delicately clattering xylophone tiptoe over a sinister, tribal drum beat and jingling sleigh bells.  Later, on "The North Greatern," tinkling wind chimes, hypnotizing cowbell, and thundering mallet strikes conjoin over oscillating ambience.

Throughout Flora, a brooding force takes shape, often building to climactic heights similar to those of Sigur Rós. Whether laying on the heavy bounce of new-wave synth or sticking to more classical string-based melodic work (as on “Naruto and the End of the Broken Ear”), Fredrik deftly navigates varied terrain.

Honorable Mentions

Autechre: EPs 1991 – 2002 (Warp)

Between the Buried and Me: The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues (Metal Blade)

Causa Sui: Pewt’r Sessions 1 (El Paraiso)

Classified: Handshakes and Middle Fingers (Halflife / Sony / Decon)

Figurines: s/t (The Control Group)

Howe Gelb & A Band of Gypsies: Alegrías (Fire)

Indian: Guiltless (Relapse)

Kreidler: Tank (Bureau B)

Femi Kuti: Africa for Africa (Knitting Factory)

Last Chance to Reason: Level 2 (Prosthetic)

Little Scream: The Golden Record (Secretly Canadian)

Low: C’mon (Sub Pop)

Agnes Obel: Philharmonics (PIAS)

The One AM Radio: Heaven is Attached by a Slender Thread (Dangerbird)

Panda Bear: Tomboy (Paw Tracks)

Red Fang: Murder the Mountains (Relapse)

Alexander Tucker: Dorwytch (Thrill Jockey)

TV on the Radio: Nine Types of Light (Interscope)

The Waitiki 7: Waitiki in Hi-Fi LP (Pass Out Records)

Zomes: Earth Grid (Thrill Jockey)

Download the podcast for This Week’s Best Albums: January 25, 2011 and subscribe to This Week’s Best Albums for free with iTunes.

Stream the podcast for This Week's Best Albums: January 25, 2011.
This Week\'s Best Albums: January 25, 2011

John Vanderslice with The Magik*Magik Orchestra: White Wilderness (Dead Oceans)

John Vanderslice with The Magik*Magik Orchestra: "Sea Salt"

White Wilderness, the newest full-length from John Vanderslice, is a first for the indie singer/songwriter, recorded in collaboration with Minna Choi and The Magik*Magik Orchestra.  A malleable ensemble that bills itself as a “modular orchestra” of 18-35 people, the MMO performed live with Vanderslice a few years ago, and it has a résumé that includes collaborations with lots of other great rock and neoclassical musicians, including Jonny Greenwood, Tin Hat Trio, Hauschka, and Ben Johnston.

The group's addition here has really elevated Vanderslice’s material, which now breathes with a cinematic quality while backed by string, horn, and percussion sections. The material is replete with spare, delicate moments of respite — the result of Choi’s adaptable arrangements.   From its stirring and delicate opener, "Sea Salt," White Wilderness is an incredibly layered album that shows the depth of Vanderslice’s writing.

Phil Manley: Life Coach (Thrill Jockey)

Phil Manley: "Make Good Choices"

As a founding member of post-rock/dance-punk trio Trans Am – and as a recording engineer and member of The Fucking Champs and Oneida – guitarist Phil Manley has become endeared to fans and fellow musicians alike.  Now, after two decades of work, he has released his first solo album, Life Coach, and it’s unlike anything that he’s done prior.

The music, by and large, is a group of long-form instrumentals that build and swell with loops, effects, and overdubs.  Both electric and steel-string acoustic guitars are at the fore, with a handful of synthesizers and a touch of drum machine in the background.  Life Coach showcases both technical talent and melodic musicianship, and in the process, it reveals a side of Manley not frequently seen in his other projects.

Andre Afram Asmar: Harmonic Emergency (Mush)

Andre Afram Asmar: “Onward Farword”

Back in 2003 and 2004, Palestinian-American dub musician Andre Afram Asmar made waves for his unorthodox blend of hip hop, reggae, and Middle Eastern music. His debut for Mush Records and his subsequent full-length collaboration with MC Circus garnered critical acclaim, and Asmar made other notable associations, including work with rappers Busdriver and AWOL One and reggae singer Majek Fashek.

But as he was preparing for a big tour in late 2004, Asmar suffered a serious brain aneurysm, and his recovery since that time has been a slow and arduous process.  As a result of the aneurysm, Asmar lost ability in the left side of his body and lost vision in his left eye.  But he remained undeterred in his musical journey, and he has since had some help to complete Harmonic Emergency, the follow-up to Racetothebottom.

Originally begun being tracked in 2001, Harmonic Emergency is a strange and trippy dub creation, with sung, half-sung, and spoken-word vocals bouncing off rubbery thuds and beats.  Electronics and breakbeats get things moving, and plenty of Middle Eastern melodies and timbres maintain that “world fusion” vibe.

Bruce Lamont: Feral Songs for the Epic Decline (At A Loss)

Bruce Lamont: "2 Then the 3"

From the psych- and jazz-tinged metal band Yakuza, to the industrial homage Circle of Animals, to local improv jams, and even to fronting a touring Led Zeppelin cover band — saxophonist/singer Bruce Lamont has lent his assorted skills to a boatload of notable projects.  Now the multitalented frontman has unveiled his long-stewing solo debut, Feral Songs for the Epic Decline, on At a Loss Recordings.

Composed of seven free-flowing tracks, the album features more acoustic guitar, synthesizer, and unearthly vocals than some might expect.  The album’s foreboding atmospherics are its most consistent attribute, as it unfolds almost as a long-form singer/songwriter experiment.  Dark folk refrains give way to distorted tribal percussion, wailing sax lines, and noise-filled passages, but they’re all united by Lamont’s elongated – and surprisingly potent – chants and croons.

Monotonix: Not Yet (Drag City)

Monotonix: "Give Me More"

Hailing from Tel Aviv, Israel, the garage-rock trio Monotonix has attained surprising amounts of exposure in the Western hemisphere.  Much of that is due to the group’s wild live shows, which have caused consternation at venues in Israel.  As a result, the band hit the road and played hundreds of shows in Europe and America before it even had an EP out in the States.  But clearly, the band has connected with audiences thanks to its loud, raw, and unpolished sound, and now it has released Not Yet, its second full-length album for Drag City Records.

Previously, Monotonix has recorded with American musicians/engineers such as The Fucking Champs’ Tim Green and Shellac’s Steve Albini, and the latter was again tapped for work on Not Yet.  With extra fuzz and low end, it’s another disc of aggressive, straightforward, three-minute rock tunes with wailing, off-pitch vocals and errant solos.  To say that the base riffs are minimalist might be assigning too much complexity to it; some of them are built around just two chords.  But regardless, Not Yet is another musical fireball, achieving its appeal with rock energy rather than expertise.

Talib Kweli: Gutter Rainbows (Javotti Media / Duck Down)

Talib Kweli: "Cold Rain"

Following a handful of underground releases in the mid-‘90s, Talib Kweli burst on the national stage a few years later as part of Black Star, his highly successful hip-hop duo with Mos Def.  The two parted ways after one album, but Kweli went on to countless other collaborations and a series of acclaimed solo efforts. Gutter Rainbows is his fifth and newest solo release – his first since 2007 and first in a long time to be released without the aid of a major label.  It’s out now but only digitally in North America; it’s available elsewhere on CD thanks to Duck Down Records.

Compared to his last album, Eardrum, the music has a much fuller sound while striking a nice balance between soulful, funky, and bassy styles and a harder edge. It doesn’t have the big-name producers of Eardrum – which included Kanye West, Will.I.Am, Pete Rock, and Madlib – but it sounds like a more realized album.  Whether it’s with a diversity of instruments and samples, great backing performances, or just Kweli’s relentless flow, Gutter Rainbows is an exciting addition to his catalog.

Honorable Mentions

Banquet of the Spirits / Cyro Baptista / John Zorn: Caym: The Book of Angels, Vol. 17 (Tzadik)

Bill Frisell and Vinicius Cantuária: Lagrimas Mexicanas (E1)

Charles Bradley: No Time For Dreaming (Daptone)

Caroline: Verdugo Hills (Temporary Residence)

Deerhoof: Deerhoof vs. Evil (Polyvinyl)

Destroyer: Kaputt (Merge)

Ensemble: Excerpts (Fat Cat)

Lia Ices: Grown Unknown (Jagjaguwar)

Iron and Wine: Kiss Each Other Clean (Warner Bros.)

Kodo: Akatsuki (Otodaiku)

Georgia Anne Muldrow: Vweto

Thank You: Golden Worry (Thrill Jockey)

Sidi Touré: Sahel Folk (Thrill Jockey)

Zs: New Slaves Part II: Essence Implosion! (The Social Registry)

Download the inaugural podcast for This Week's Best Albums: October 12, 2010 and subscribe to the free podcast via iTunes or another application.

Dimmu Borgir: Abrahadabra (Nuclear Blast)

Dimmu Borgir: "Born Treacherous"

Dimmu Borgir: "Gateways"

Norway's Dimmu Borgir is one of the preeminent names in symphonic black metal, and it garnered particular fanfare from two of its most string-infused albums, Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia in 2001 and Death Cult Armageddon in 2003.

Abrahadabra, the band's first album in three years, is its most spectacular and elaborate release to date.  It features one hundred guest musicians – ensemble players and choir singers – helping make this a symphonic-black-metal masterpiece.

It bears a resemblance to Puritanical Eurphoric Misanthropia and Death Cult Armageddon, but whereas those albums featured large-scale orchestrations as complementary pieces, intros, or interludes, Abrahadabra intricately weaves classical flourishes into nearly every passage.  That’s courtesy, in large part, of composer Gaute Storaas, who arranged the orchestral pieces, but the overall spike in detail owes to the band not writing the album while on tour, which guitarist Silenoz said has led to lesser material.

If you enjoy black metal with orchestral additions — or just dark music in general — be sure not to miss this.

Sufjan Stevens: The Age of Adz (Asthmatic Kitty)

Sufjan Stevens: "Too Much"

In 2005, singer/songwriter Sufjan Stevens scored a major hit with Come On Feel the Illinoise, his most detailed album and the second installment in his "50-state project."  Last year he released The BQE, an instrumental soundtrack to his film of the same name, and it was even more elaborate and orchestrated than Illinois. But fans have been awaiting his first vocal-based release since Illinois, and now they have it in The Age of Adz (pronounced odds).

Longstanding fans should appreciate this more for being a great cross-section of Stevens’ career, mixing the electronic embellishments of his earlier material with the sophisticated folk of his latter.  It’s well balanced, with enough pop nuggets and layered complexities to attain a happy medium.

Atmosphere: To All My Friends, Blood Makes the Blade Holy (Rhymesayers)

Atmosphere: "Until the Nipple's Gone"

Led by MC Slug and producer Ant, Atmosphere has taken a steady ascent to indie-rap popularity.  The group's last album, When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold, was a surprise for many, focusing more on live instrumentation than samples and ushering in a feel-good R&B/pop vibe to many songs.

To All My Friends, Blood Makes the Blade Holy is Atmosphere's newest pair of EPs, combined here as a long-player, and it's much closer to the group's roots than Lemons.  The live instrumentation remains — many songs are built around guitars and keyboards — but most songs hit hard, and Slug draws shades of yesteryear.

There's slide guitar and piano in "The Number None," which starts the final three (and poppiest) tracks.  The two songs that follow — "Freefallin'" and "To All my Friends" — are both singles but something of misdirections, as the dual-EP release has, by that point, well established a different vibe.

Circle of Animals: Destroy the Light (Relapse)

Circle of Animals: "Poison the Lamb"

Circle of Animals is a new project by multi-instrumentalist producer Sanford Parker (of Minsk) and saxophonist Bruce Lamont (of Yakuza).  It’s a tribute of sorts to Chicago’s industrial scene of the late ’80s and early ’90s, although it ties in influences from other heavy experimentalists such as Swans and Godflesh.

You have to dig songs that build in layers to enjoy this album, but it’s well executed, and any given track might really pay off four minutes in.  Lamont mostly handles vocal duties here, and Parker is responsible for most of the instrumentation, but the album features a great cast of big-name drummers, including Dave Witte of Discordance Axis, John Herndon of Tortoise, John Merryman of Cephalic Carnage and Secret Chiefs 3, and Steve Shelley of Sonic Youth.

Lamont's sister Kelly makes a great vocal cameo on "Poison the Lamb," a track that you can exclusively download at the newest installment of The Metal Examiner, our weekly metal column.

White Moth: s/t (Angel Oven)

White Moth: "Shoot the Clock" (f. Dälek)

Last week we wrote about Sailors with Wax Wings, one of the two new solo projects from Pyramids head honcho R. Loren.  It was jam-packed with guest stars, and now, in as many weeks, Loren releases his second such star-studded solo effort.

Like Pyramids and Sailors with Wax Wings, White Moth bests fits in atmospheric post-metal, but its tracks are more compact and structured more like traditional songs.  There also are much stronger glitch and digital-hardcore influences, and the latter is at least partially thanks to contributions from Alec Empire of Atari Teenage Riot and Ashley Scott Jones of Evol Intent.

The album — hopefully the start of a full-blown series — also has improvised sax work by Sam Hillmer of Zs, a guest rap by Dälek, and an appearance by Lydia Lunch.  If you enjoyed Sailors with Wax Wings last week but want something a little "firmer," pick up White Moth.

Yann Tiersen: Dust Lane (Anti-)

Yann Tiersen: "Dust Lane"

Remember Amélie?  A lot of people fell in love with the 2001 French romantic comedy, and its bustling soundtrack was a big part of that.  That music was by Yann Tiersen, a folksy French composer whose lighthearted pieces use a lot of accordion, violin, and piano but also glockenspiel, harpsichord, and toy piano.

Dust Lane is Tiersen’s first solo studio album in five years, and it’s also his first release on Anti-.  His earlier work was always very melodic and accessible, but this is a push in a much poppier direction, one that maintains some of the intricate accents but wraps them around basic hooks, often built with synthesizers and guitars.

And though Dust Lane is a song-based album, the tunes are structured unlike typical pop songs.  The one weakness is the final track, "Fuck Me," which feels embarrassing despite its serious end-of-the-world theme.  On the whole, however, Dust Lane is a great album and a new chapter in Tiersen's career.

The Gaslamp Killer: Death Gate EP (Brainfeeder)

The Gaslamp Killer: "Carpool Dummy"

A founder of LA's Low End Theory weekly series, The Gaslamp Killer is a dubstep DJ whose mixes and production credits have built his name as much as his own material.

Death Gate is The Gaslamp Killer's third EP, and though it reflects his eclectic taste with the samples on "When I'm in Awe," the five-song effort is a rather stripped-down drum-and-bass release, relying on big beats and spacey effects.

Many might prefer his spliced mixes or collaborations, but Death Gate portends great new solo material on the horizon.

The Black Heart Procession: Blood Bunny / Black Rabbit (Temporary Residence)

The Black Heart Procession: "Blank Page"

After a prolific start as a band, the gloomy, piano-driven sounds of The Black Heart Procession have been heard less frequently over the past five or six years.  Recently, at least, this has been partly due to the reunion of Three Mile Pilot, singer/guitarist Pall Jenkins' old band.

With a new Three Mile Pilot album — and Jenkins' similar vocal style gracing that as well — the release of the Blood Bunny / Black Rabbit "micro-album" should come as a grateful palette cleanser for long-time Black Heart Procession fans.

Featuring three new songs and five remixes, this release takes the group to a few new places.  The new songs go a little further – more guitar, different structures, etc.  There’s a nice contrast from the remixes, including one by Jenkins as Mr. Tube (one of his other endeavors) that gets noisy and samples some kind of PVC-tube instrument.

Blood Bunny / Black Rabbit maintains a nice balance throughout, and though it may not be the ideal starting point for a listener, it accurately portrays The Black Heart Procession without getting stale.

Honorable Mentions

Belle & Sebastian: Write About Love (Matador)

Free Moral Agents: Control This (Chocolate Industries)

Hauschka: Foreign Landscapes (Fat-Cat)

Intronaut: Valley of Smoke (Century Media)

Madball: Empire (Good Fight)

Jon Mueller: The Whole (Type)

Benoit Pioulard: Lasted (Kranky)

The Lonesome Organist

Care to stalk us this weekend? Search for us around Chicago as we see Subtle, The Lonesome Organist, Eastern Blok, the Andreas Kapsalis Trio, Young Widows, and more. And maybe you'd care to see The Dark Knight with online editor Scott Morrow…

Thursday, November 13

Eastern Blok, Lamajamal @ Darkroom

A pair of Chicago groups with Balkan flair take the stage at Darkroom on Thursday, presenting different levels of cultural influence.

Led by classical guitarist Goran Ivanovic, Eastern Blok swirls bits of the region's music into accessible jazz passages and melodic guitar work. Lamajamal, on the other hand, takes a more authentic approach to the genre, running through dexterous Gypsy folk tunes.

Friday, November 14

Subtle, Zach Hill @ Empty Bottle

Fronted by the idiosyncratic styles of rappers Adam "Doseone" Drucker and Jeffrey "Jel" Logan, Subtle is an often unclassifiable mixture of hip hop and indie rock.

The group is joined here by Zach Hill and Peer Pressure, which is actually a moniker for the wild, improvisational drummer's kit. Hill will have a group with in the future, but for his current tour, he's using his drum set, an iPod, and a laptop to recreate his long-form improv jam "Necromancer."

Andreas Kapsalis Trio, The Lonesome Organist @ The Morse Theatre

As a globally influenced finger-tapping acoustic guitarist, Andreas Kapsalis is limited only by his imagination. His beautiful, complex arrangements are complemented by percussionists Jamie Gallagher and Darren Garvey, who join Kapsalis here for the trio's release of Original Scores, its first new album in four years.

The show has an excellent opener in the form of Thrill Jockey one-man band The Lonesome Organist, whose driving rhythms, fearsome organ, and instrumental arsenal are often played simultaneously.

Saturday, November 15

Finally seeing The Dark Knight?

Somehow, online editor Scott Morrow missed his second straight chance to see the new Batman series in the theater. He blew it for Batman Begins, which he has since bought on DVD but has yet to watch, and he's done it again for The Dark Knight. As much as it pains him to watch it at the cheap theaters, he's plum out of luck.

Sunday, November 16

Young Widows @ Beat Kitchen

Punishing mid-tempo rock trio Young Widows is back in town to tour on its great new album, Old Wounds, released through Temporary Residence. The group gets a strong opener in the form of metal/jazz crossover artist Bruce Lamont, who heads Yakuza.

Hauschka @ Schubas

With a new album released on the same day as that of Young Widows, German pianist and composer Volker Bertelmann, who goes by Hauschka on record, comes to our town on the same night. His musical foundation is built on a decade of classical studies, but he modernizes his repertoire with home-rigged piano effects, acoustic and electric instruments, and structural influences of electronica and minimalism.

Grails: Doomsdayer's Holiday (Temporary Residence Limited)

Fusing Indian music, 1970s film noir, and psychedelic sounds into heavy acoustic and electric rock, Portland's Grails are a wonderful anomaly. Doomsdayer's Holiday, as its name implies, cranks the group's heaviness beyond recent levels without losing its haunting, compelling melodies.

Grails: \"Reincarnation Blues\"

Earthless: Live At Roadburn (Tee Pee)
At the 2008 edition of the annual Roadburn Festival in Holland (spring break for anyone into heavy underground rock), San Diego psych-rock trio Earthless gave an impromptu headlining performance for 2,000 fans, having originally been scheduled at a venue one-tenth the size. Not only did its hypnotic, four-song, hour-and-a-half set blow away the crowd, but on recording it beautifully captures the energy and magnitude of the stellar live show.

Young Widows: Old Wounds (Temporary Residence Limited)

Old Wounds is the second album from Louisville rockers Young Widows since transforming from Breather Resist. Sporting an extra dose of heaviness, the disc opens with "Took a Turn," slowly building around a gritty, garage-floor bass riff before bursting with post-rock drums, multi-layered guitars, and reverberated shouts.

Throughout, the album changes tone and time at will like a lumbering, newly un-caged beast, while a primordial jungle pulse beats itself into a frenzy just below the crust.

Young Widows: \"Old Skin\"

Jolie Holland: The Living and The Dead (Anti-)
On her third solo album, Texas-born songstress Jolie Holland blends a variety of regional American folk styles. Topped with creamy vocals and bittersweet lyrics, tracks such as dark-toned "Fox In Its Hole" and wistful "Love Henry" make a long-lasting impression.

Jolie Holland: "Old Fashion Morphine"

Fucked Up: The Chemistry of Common Life (Matador)

The newest full-length from punk contrarians Fucked Up moves through more variety of atmosphere than standard punk/hardcore, with peaceful, otherworldly intros and layers and layers of guitar-more than seventy guitar tracks at one point (or so they say…).

There's less stop-start fury than 2006 release Hidden World-more sheets of sound. "Golden Seal" sounds like a darker Sigur Rós, or even Jean Michel Jarre.

Fucked Up: \"No Epiphany\"

Marnie Stern: This Is It and I Am It and You Are It and So Is That and He Is It and She Is It and It Is It and That Is That (Kill Rock Stars)

Backed again by untamed drumming beast Zach Hill, guitarist/singer Marnie Stern issues her sophomore effort with more frantic, high-pitched fret work, quirky vocals, and – through the carefully constructed din – catchy melodies.

Marnie Stern: \"Transformer\"

Hauschka: Ferndorf (FatCat)

German pianist and composer Volker Bertelmann, here known as Hauschka, uses a decade of classical studies as his musical foundation. With that, home-rigged piano effects, and additional acoustic and electric instruments, he combines structural influences of electronica and classical minimalism to create a beautiful minor-key oeuvre.

Hauschka: \"No Wind Today\"

East Coast Avengers: Prison Planet (Brick)

Featuring the outspoken sociopolitical lyrics of rappers Trademarc and Esoteric, East Coast Avengers are more than just skilled rhymers that take aim at rightwing water carriers. The group pastes stirring Romantic violin melodies and portentous soundtrack clips over head-nodding beats, setting an appropriate mood for its imperative lyrical content.

ECA has already taken plenty of heat in the corporate media for releasing the track "Kill Bill O'Reilly," so let's give the group some love.

East Coast Avengers: \"Kill Bill O\'Reilly\"

Desalvo: Mood Poisoner (Rock Action)

Released on Mogwai's Rock Action label, Mood Poisoner may just have influenced the heavy grooves on its label owners' recent record. Based in Glasgow, Desalvo sound as though the Jesus Lizard were a modern hardcore/metal band.

Sun Ra and His Solar Arkestra: Secrets Of The Sun (Atavistic)

A re-mastered and long-lost relic of the Sun Ra vault, Secrets of the Sun is now available from Atavistic 46 years after its release on Saturn Records. And if being available for the first time on CD isn't enough, how does a 17-minute unreleased track sound?