For us, 2011 was another year of taking in as much as we could and sharing the best with you. Next year, however, will be a homecoming of sorts, a return to rock-'n'-roll roots. We'll soon be able to share the projects that we have in store — across multiple mediums — but for now, dig into this rock-focused list of must-own albums.

And for more, revisit (or simply visit) our lists from 2010 and 2009:

100 Unheralded Albums from 2010
50 Unheralded Albums from 2009

Steven Drozd: The Heart Is A Drum Machine (The Score) (Twinkle Cash Co., 1/18/11)

Steven Drozd: "Born"

A multi-instrumentalist and the third-most-tenured member of The Flaming Lips, Steven Drozd marked his first official solo release early this year with the nearly instrumental accompaniment to the documentary The Heart is a Drum Machine.

The music shares a lot of characteristics with the Flaming Lips of the past dozen years – synthesized grooves, big rock beats, fuzz bass, airy keyboards, and different instrumental flourishes weaving in and out. But listeners are unlikely to confuse the two, and the score succeeds as a standalone album as well as a film accompaniment.

…And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead: Tao of the Dead (Richter Scale Records / Superball Music, 2/8/11)

…And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead: "Weight of the Sun"

There has been no shortage of grand themes and allegories in the canon of Austin post-punk quintet …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead. The band’s newest album, however, better matches its ambitious themes with its music, presenting an epic pair of pieces for Tao of the Dead.

The album recalls progressive albums of yore, from the likes of Rush and King Crimson, but channels them into easily digested movements. Stretches of heavy distortion and drum thrashing will appeal to the more metal-minded Trail of Dead fans, but there’s also plenty of hook-laden, radio-ready alternative rock.

Wires Under Tension: Light Science (Western Vinyl, 2/8/11)

Wires Under Tension: "Electricity Turns Them On"

Light Science is the exciting debut from Wires Under Tension, a duo comprised of violinist/multi-instrumentalist Christopher Tignor and drummer Theo Metz. With help from a few friends, including Jared Bell of Lymbyc Systym, the two combine live performance with electronic manipulation, sounding something like a progressive Dirty Three with horns, hip-hop beats, and post-rock guitar swells.

This seven-track release is a dense, fluid collection that retains consistency thanks to Metz’s steady rhythms. Electro-mechanical piano, clavinet, and synthesizers mesh with loops and samples to round out an impressive first release.

Pitom: Blasphemy and Other Serious Crimes (Tzadik, 2/22/11)

Pitom: "Head in the Ground"

Combining heavy, fuzzy rock jams with Jewish melodies, Pitom is one of many projects from guitarist, bassist, and composer Yoshie Fruchter. Blasphemy and Other Serious Crimes, the quartet's second release on Tzadik, follows the same path as its predecessor, but it does so with a bit more cohesion and restraint.

Built from the ground up with distorted bass and violin, the band's music carries similarities to that of Skeletonbreath and Miasma & The Carousel of Headless Horses. Whether driving a song with an infectious melody, commingling with the violin in the high end, or simply taking over a track with raw ability, Fruchter knows when to go full throttle (the punk power of "An Epic Encounter") or pull back (the dark slow jam of "A Resentful Repentance").

The Psychic Paramount: II (No Quarter, 2/22/11)

The Psychic Paramount: "RW"

Though relatively silent for the past six years, New York noise-rock trio The Psychic Paramount returned in February to release its first full-length since 2005. Effected guitar loops, devastating low-end grooves, and bashing rhythms again form the core of the band's sound, but II is a direct yet dynamic rock explosion.

Between the guitar, the cymbals, and the effects, the mid-range gets a constant workout. Those who are turned off by this kind of music may find it to be an exercise in patience, but the lengthier durations are a testament to the trio's skills at climax and denouement.

DeVotchKa: 100 Lovers (Anti-, 3/1/11)

DeVotchKa: "100 Other Lovers"

Following the fame from its Oscar-winning soundtrack for Little Miss Sunshine in 2006, Denver multi-instrumental quartet DeVotchKa has playfully tinkered with its sweeping, emotive sound. Though it already tossed together elements of folk, rock, Mexican, and Gypsy music, it remained united by the sullen croons and songwriting of frontman Nick Urata.

That unifying factor remains, but its newest album, 100 Lovers – its second post-Sunshine full-length – continues to expand the band’s scope. The material adds new and often subtle flavors to DeVotchKa’s repertoire. Uninitiated listeners might hear more of the same, but 100 Lovers is perfect for content fans – moving in new directions without a radical departure.

Stateless: Matilda (Ninja Tune, 3/1/11)

Stateless: "Ariel"

Matilda, Stateless' second full-length, showcases the British electro-rock group's continued maturity. Lead singer Chris James hits an impressive range of notes, from reverb-cloaked backing croons to soulful leads, atop an amalgamated mix of styles, sounds, and beats.

With contributions from The Balanescu Quartet, DJ Shadow, and Shara Worden (of My Brightest Diamond), Matilda is stylistically inventive, with familiar worldly touchstones reworked into new contexts.

Grails: Deep Politics (Temporary Residence, 3/8/11)

Grails: "I Led Three Lives"

With cinematic soundscapes, Westernized Indian melodies, film-noir mystique, 1960s psychedelia, and crushing heaviness, Grails is an instrumental rarity. The Portland band's newest offering, Deep Politics, is an engaging and epic mix of acoustic intonations, indigenous sounds and melodies, spaghetti-western motifs, somber piano balladry, and more doom-filled, Eastern-infused stylistic transcendence.

And thanks in part to arrangements by Timba Harris, the mighty violinist from unparalleled genre annihilators Estradasphere and Secret Chiefs 3, Deep Politics vies to be Grails’ best album yet.

Parts & Labor: Constant Future (Jagjaguwar, 3/8/11)

Parts & Labor: "Constant Future"

After establishing itself early last decade as an interesting new name in noise rock, Parts & Labor delivered a flurry of releases over the span of just a few years. Since then, the band has scaled back to a trio built around the fuzzed guitar, bass, keyboard hooks, and tight rock rhythms.

Featuring some of the band's sturdiest songs yet, Constant Future is direct, potent, and catchy. Behind Dan Friel and BJ Warshaw's echoing, harmonized vocals are dirty, thick grooves that power the overlaid electronic freak-outs.

Adebisi Shank: This is the Second Album from a Band Called Adebisi Shank (Sargent House, 3/15/11)

Adebisi Shank: "Micro Machines"

Released to European acclaim in 2010, the aptly titled second album from Irish electro/math rockers Adebisi Shank achieved North American release this year thanks to the peerless Sargent House.

The management company / record label describes the trio as a blend of Fang Island’s shredding riffs with Battles’ electronic quirkiness and rhythmic playfulness. That description isn’t off the mark, but readers won’t get a sense of the band’s real abilities until they hear its hyper-melodic, polyrhythmic, and — most importantly — jubilant songs in full.

Second Album delivers a maelstrom of zany electronics, unusual distortions, and triumphant, rapidly ascending scales mixed with vintage synths, marimba, horns, and other accoutrements. This is all packaged between and around gloriously catchy and powerful rock riffs, resulting in a manic and buoyant sophomore effort.

Gangpol & Mit: The 1000 Softcore Tourist People Club (Ipecac)

Gangpol & Mit: "The 1000 People Band Part 1"

French animation/electronic duo Gangpol & Mit makes music for a playful cartoon world. On its newest album, the bizarrely titled The 1000 Softcore Tourist People Club, G&M expands its zany video-game aesthetic with a conglomerate of textured, glimmering Tinkertoy instrumentation.

“The 1000 People Band (Part 1),” one of the album’s first “singles,” demonstrates this Mario Kart-meets-Architecture in Helsinki-meets-The Books musical collage. The rest of the album is a strange and lighthearted romp through airy and electro-classical orchestrations, drum-and-bass distortions, wandering keyboard melodies, and other oddities, using mallets, flute, harpsichord, harp, oboe, and other “standard” sounds alongside the 21st Century additions.

Todd Reynolds: Outerborough (Innova)

Todd Reynolds: "Transamerica"

Though Outerborough is just his first solo album, violinist/composer Todd Reynolds holds an impressive résumé, including memberships in Bang on a Can, Steve Reich and Musicians, and his own avant-garde string quartet, ETHEL.  But his compositional skills and cross-century aesthetics leave a longer-lasting impression, offering dynamic melodies and structures alongside amplification, loop effects, and laptop electronics.

Outerborough, meanwhile, is no ordinary debut.  As a double album, it presents two sides to Reynolds: one as adventurous neoclassical composer and one as interpretive performer.  The first disc contains seven personal compositions that achieve a wide range despite fairly limited timbres (although one unique track is performed by the League of Electronic Musical Urban Robots' Guitarbot).  The second disc holds nine previously unreleased pieces by other acclaimed musicians, including David Lang, Phil Kline, and Nick Zammuto and Paul de Jong of The Books.

True Widow: As High as the Highest Heavens and from the Center to the Circumference of the Earth (Kemado)

On its self-titled debut in 2008, True Widow turned heads with its blend of down-tuned shoe-gaze and stoner rock, somehow straddling the line between doom aesthetics and pop sensibilities.

The trio’s second album and first for Kemado, As High as the Highest Heavens…, is a new dose of drawn-out melodies, fuzzy guitars, and hypnotizing harmonies.  That last aspect comes equally from guitarist DH Phillips (formerly of Slowdive) and bassist Nicole Estill, whose echoing vocals ensure that you experience the music at a comfortably slow pace.

Bibio: Mind Bokeh (Warp)

Bibio: "Excuses"

Since beginning his career on Mush in 2005, British electronic artist Bibio (real name: Stephen Wilkinson) has used his study of "sonic arts" to create a swatch of styles. Whereas earlier albums brought field recordings, folk guitar, and lo-fi synth together over smooth electronic pop, Bibio’s 2009 Warp debut, Ambivalence Avenue, displayed a wider palette and opportunistic risk-taking with flashes of hip hop, dubstep, and dance.

Mind Bokeh continues down that same winding, multi-forked path.  “Take Off Your Shirt” combines power-chord pop with coolly sneering, falsetto-backed vocals for a retro rock tune that sounds like a less ironic Chromeo. But then there’s a track like “K is for Kelson,” which takes frolicking single-note guitar lines and mason-jar percussion into Lemon Jelly-esque bliss pop.  Blurred edges abound — bokeh, indeed.

Obits: Moody, Standard and Poor (Sub Pop)

Obits: "Shift Operator"

Followers of Rick Froberg's previous bands, Drive Like Jehu and Hot Snakes, had anxiously awaited Obits, his new partnership with Sohrab Habibion (of Washington, DC-based Edsel), since the band began writing and rehearsing together in 2006.

The new outfit delivered on its potential in 2009, presenting a stripped-down, high-energy blend of indie and garage rock with touches of surf.  Its follow-up album, Moody, Standard and Poor, finds Obits further honing its gutsy blend of melodic garage punk without sacrificing the energy that defined its first release.

The rock-'n'-roll guitar energy of Froberg and Habibion again take center stage as Moody… rumbles from track to track, with a flood of bluesy punk that even slightly dabbles in rockabilly.  Though Obits never quite reaches the raucous hollering of Hot Snakes, there's plenty of growling, spitting, and snarling to accompany its more melodic approach to vocals. And though that vocal energy remains subdued just a touch, Moody… suggests that, two albums in, there's plenty of life left in Obits.

Wagon Christ: Toomorrow (Ninja Tune)

Wagon Christ: "Manalyze This!"

Electronic producer Luke Vibert is a man of many sounds and aliases, recording since the early '90s under his own name as well as under Wagon Christ and Plug. His brand-new release as Wagon Christ, Toomorrow, retraces his funky roots while pasting disparate vocal samples over squiggly bass lines and hip-hop beats.

Over the course of 15 tracks, Toomorrow showcases Vibert's humorous combinations and reflects the slinky rhythms of his Wagon Christ alias.  But there also are plenty of quirky cuts, down-tempo moments, and worldly electronica sounds, and it gives another glimpse of Vibert's prolific abilities.

Arrington de Dionyso's Malaikat dan Singa: Suara Naga (K)

Arrington de Dionyso's Malaikat dan Singa: "Aku di Penjara"

As a member of Old Time Relijun, longtime K Records affiliate Arrington de Dionyso explores the edges of experimental rock.  For his solo project, Malaikat dan Singa (translation: Angels and Lions), Dionyso translates his wildly inventive vocal gymnastics into “trance punk,” as K calls it.

Dionyso taught himself Indonesian specifically for the project, and between all of the guttural grunts, growls, and shrieks, he manages to exercise his tongue and throat with reckless abandon. Suara Naga, the project's second album, is much more than linguistic tricks, however, as it melds noodling guitar, driving percussion, and blasts of free-jazz bass clarinet into an other-worldly musical odyssey.

Honorable Mentions

All Tiny Creatures: Harbors (Hometapes)

Amon Amarth: Surtur Rising (Metal Blade)

Bloodiest: Descent (Relapse)

Bosco Delrey: Everybody Wah (Downtown / Mad Decent)

Build: Place (New Amsterdam)

Erland & The Carnival: Nightingale (Full-Time Hobby / Yep Roc)

Generationals: Actor-Caster (Park the Van)

Infinitirock: Library Catalog Music Series Vol. 14: Music for Primordial Recollection (Asthmatic Kitty)

Leb Laze: Library Catalog Music Series Vol. 13: Music for Troubled Machinery (Asthmatic Kitty)

Melting Season: Harmoni-Pet Deluxe (Mush)

Obscura: Omnivium (Relapse)

Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou: Cotonou Club (Strut)

Josh T. Pearson: The Last of the Country Gentlemen (Mute)

Radiohead: The King of Limbs (XL / TBD)

Secret Cities: Strange Hearts (Western Vinyl)

[Have you pre-ordered yet? Don't forget to visit the Kickstarter page for Chromatic: The Crossroads of Color and Music, our next book that profiles independent musicians and artists who explore color in unorthodox ways.]

True Widow: "Skull Eyes"

Following the dissolution of his punk band Slowride, guitarist and vocalist Dan Phillips could have spent his two years living in Massachusetts solely focusing on his art and woodworking. But his creative expression didn’t limit itself to his small, New England quarters. After returning to Dallas, Texas, Phillips crafted a new brand of heavy, melodic material with the help of bassist and vocalist Nicole Estill and drummer Timothy (Slim) Starks, in the trio known as True Widow.

The stonegaze outfit is set to release its second album, As High as the Highest Heavens and From the Center to the Circumference of the Earth, through Kemado Records at the end of next month. The new album merges heartfelt melodies that drip over distorted guitar chords with heavier rock interludes. Here, Philips explains his passion for visual art, True Widow’s approach to music, and the process of writing and recording deep in the Texan woods.

After the disbandment of your previous band, Slowride, you had a brief stay in Massachusetts where you trained in woodworking and some other forms of art. Can you describe a little about your move and your developments in painting, woods, and drawing?

I moved to Boston to go to the furniture-making program at The North Bennet Street School. It was a two-year program, and during those two years, that was all that I was concerned with. I spent every minute that I could at the school. The curriculum included several visits to museums and American furniture collections in New England. Being a person who draws and paints, I was very interested in the whole gamut of early American decorative arts — not only the furniture that I was there to see.

While immersed in research, I found myself exploring the themes and aesthetics of all of the art forms of colonial America up through the Federal period. Unconsciously, the influence of all of this stuff found its way into my drawings and paintings. My approach is simple: I like that; I want to make one too. The things I make are often based on or rooted in something that has existed before, or a variation of a theme — never a reproduction.

I saw that some of your projects were used as a backdrop for live-music performances, particularly your painted recreation of the Virgin Mary.  How do your art interests relate to your music? And do they have any influence over True Widow’s creation and initial material?

I was commissioned to make that Virgin and a couple of big skulls for that show. It is not something I ever do. I just happened to know the girl in charge of the set design, and that is what we came up with. She knew that I could build things and paint, so I got the job.

The two are related in that it is all art. It is all creative expression. I have been doing all of this stuff since I was child. My parents are artists, and my father and his father play and played music. It is just how I grew up, so it all feels very natural and very much the same thing. Sometimes the urge comes out as a song; other times it is a drawing. The band is a result of me being holed up in a small apartment for two years with an 8-track, drum machine, bass, and a guitar. I am always fooling around on the guitar, and, after my stay in Boston, I had a collection of songs written and recorded that I had no plans for. At some point, I thought that it would be fun to make a band for the songs, and so that is what happened.

Other than shoegaze and stoner rock, what elements do you think give True Widow a “stonegaze” style?

I am not really sure. It is not something I am able to describe. The songs take on that shape when we play them together. They sound different on my couch with my acoustic guitar. But I always know when something I am playing on my guitar will sound extra special with Slim and Nicole, and those are the songs that I bring to the band.

I think that a considerable amount of credit is owed to the tones created by de-tuning the guitars and bass. I am using four different tunings at the moment. There is something magical that happens when you play an average chord progression on a guitar that is tuned a different way. Certain notes drone on, and harmonics enhance the highest highs, creating a vast frequency range that cannot be accomplished on a regular-tuned guitar. Add a nice, simple drum beat and a good melody, and there it is.

True Widow’s debut in 2008 was with End Sounds, but your upcoming second album will be released via New-York based Kemado Records. How did you end up working with Kemado, and has it had any effect on the band so far?

The most tangible effect is that they recorded us and are putting out a record. We have wanted to do another one for a while, so we are very happy to have this opportunity. Kemado is a record company that I have admired from afar for some time. I appreciate the quality of the projects that they release and their passion for the art of it all. It is nice to be with a label that concerns themselves with fine work, and it makes me feel nice that they would want to include our band in what they have going on.

Basically, a guy (who is now our good friend Rennie) wrote us to tell us that he was excited that we were coming to Philly. We try to write people back as much as we can, and so a conversation began and evolved into questions about what we had in the works. When my answer was "not much," he asked if we had demos. We did, and I sent them to him. He passed them on to a couple of people that he thought might be into it, and Kemado was one of them.

Speaking of the second album, you can hear a little more of Nicole’s vocals on As High As The Highest Heavens... Was it a premeditated decision to include more female vocals on this album?  Can you briefly explain the writing process for the sophomore record?

Having a female voice was always the intention for the band. It was something I had wanted to do for a long time, but never had the right band for. So many of my favorite bands have this going on, and I really wanted it for myself. You are hearing more of Nicole now because I have more experience writing for the two of us. The first record was recorded pretty early on for us. I don't want to say that we were underdeveloped, but we were unaware of and had not explored the possibilities yet.

When I am writing songs, I am always thinking about who could deliver the vocal part best. Sometimes this is obvious, and sometimes I will sing the song for three months and then Nicole will take over the part. We try to harmonize as much as we can — at least where it is tasteful. I love Nicole's voice, so I am always trying to write songs that she can sing.

There really is not much of a defined process. When I have a song that I feel good about, I take it to the band. We work through it for a while, and when we have three or four new songs, we pull out the microphones and recorders and make demos of the new stuff. When we are listening back, it becomes clear where we need to enhance parts, or put harmonies, or add steel guitar, or whatever it might need. Ultimately, we end up with several songs to pick from and those are what become the record.

The album teaser is pretty enticing! For the second time, you returned to the Argyle, Texas woods and recorded with Matt Pence at the Echo Lab. What about the environment and the engineer influenced you to make that trek again? And how was this second visit different than the debut album recording?

I have worked with Matt on several projects over the years.  All of the records in my personal discography that I am most proud of and like the best were done with the assistance of Matt Pence. He is very creative and knows his equipment very well, and, at this point, we have a good working relationship, and I feel comfortable out there. We knew we wanted to go back to Matt for the second record for these reasons — not to mention the beautiful studio and the part of Texas where the studio sits. It is so very nice. We did not want to recreate the sessions from the first time around, but we knew that whatever we came up with would be something we liked.

Basically, we used the rooms in different ways. We put the drums in the big room, whereas on the first record, they were recorded in the small room, etc. We recorded everything live and went back to fix stuff up. Also, we had more time than we did for the first record. S/T was recorded and mixed in 10 days. For the new record, we had a total of 16 days. We recorded for eight, then were off for a week. When we finished the first block, we had rough mixes to scrutinize. When we went back, we spent the first day and a half wrapping up the tracking and the rest of the time mixing. More time is great.

Whatever your opinion of its music, there's no question that Das Racist wears its cultural and political awareness on its proverbial sleeve. With that in mind, we asked Ashok Kondabolu of the Brooklyn-based trio to name his favorite political rap songs.

Das Racist: "hahahaha jk" (Sit Down, Man, Mishka / Mad Decent / Greedhead)

Das Racist: "hahahaha jk"

1. Public Enemy: "Shut 'Em Down" (Pete Rock Remix)

My favorite remix of all time. Pete's short verse is ill (and sort of hilarious), and the beat's insistence over and under Chuck D's screaming-ass voice is incredible. The clipped rapping on here serves really well as some "movement music."

"I testified
My mama cried
Black people died
When the other man lied"

I mean, that's an awesome way to start a song about corporate redistribution of wealth!

2. El-P: "Patriotism"

This song brings together a lot of the disparate and bitter elements into a seemingly full feeling of depression I ran with for most of high school. El's on extra grind with the wordiness and loathing that appealed to me much more than an Immortal Technique song about United Fruit or something (fuck Chiquita Banana). AND ALL BEFORE 9/11! I think it's finely paired with "Accidents Don't Happen" off El's first solo jam Fantastic Damage, which is run through the paranoia scrubber with a fine hell-wash at the end.

3. Bone Thugs-n-Harmony: "1st of tha Month"

Chris Rock once accurately described this song as a "Welfare Carol." While one could easily trot out a neat little argument about how this is a De Certeau-ian celebration of the mundane as a tactic of human-scale resistance to the various oppressions of poverty and the condescending nature of bureaucratic aid to the poor, the simple fact remains that five black men cashed welfare checks, bought drugs and alcohol, had a cookout, and then wrote a beautiful song about it that EVERYBODY loves, that peaked at #14 on the charts, went gold, and launched a two-decade long musical career.

4. The Coup: "Fat Cats, Bigga Fish"

I remember in 7th grade, my dude Loren (shout out New Earth Creeps) was like, "My cousin is in this rap group called The Coup," and he played me this track off its second album, Genocide and Juice. The line "The streetlight reflects off the piss on the ground, which reflects off the hamburger sign that turns 'round, which reflects off the chrome on the BMW, which reflects off the fact that I'm broke, now what the fuck is new?" was probably one of my first "run that back" moments.

In this five-minute story rap, Boots gets on the bus with a stolen bus pass, intimidates a white woman, pickpockets a dude, flirts with a girl at the burger stand for a free burger, refers to a mall cop as a rent-a-pig, puts on a tuxedo, and serves hors d'oeuvres at a cocktail party where he overhears a Coca-Cola executive talking to the mayor of Oakland about manipulating media connects and using corporate lobbying power to help create public consent for turning low-income housing into condos. The track is seamless, filled with punchlines, and manages to speak with nuance about class without coming off as preachy.

5. Waka Flocka Flame: "Fuck This Industry"

Pretty straightforward. A classic take on the "industry vs. the streets" dichotomy first proposed by Foxy Brown on "Oh Yeah" with Spragga Benz. The dopest thing about this song is after talking a little bit about the industry ("Make sure your lawyer know what he doing," "Don't get a 360; that shit ain't 100"), it becomes clear the song is mostly about loving your family and friends. The video is weird too: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8g-suzna5Rg

The Sword’s third full-length album, Warp Riders, is blown open by a deep, thunderous chug. It’s a hefty, bowel-distressing rumble, one almost better fit for the avant-garde drone of Sunn O))) rather than Austin, Texas’ resident titans of stoner metal. But in less than a minute’s time, this uneasy intro gives way to a fireworks display of furious riffs, courtesy of the band’s dueling axe men, J.D. Cronise and Kyle Shutt. In no time flat, the nebulous red herring that kicks off the roaring, high-speed instrumental is but a forgotten memory.

The Sword: Warp Riders

Following the intense yet melodic works of its first two albums, Age of Winters in 2006 and Gods of the Earth in 2008, The Sword stays true to its heavy, hook-laden aesthetic, delivering its most accessible album in Warp Riders (Kemado). More of a rock-’n’-roll band blessed with a superhuman heaviness passed down from Valhalla than a strictly defined metal band, The Sword bolsters each of the album’s 10 songs with infectious melodies, from the fist-pumping chorus of “Tres Brujas” to the exotic riffs that kick off “Arrows in the Dark.”

“I’m sick of bands with no good melodies,” Shutt says, citing bands like Queen and Thin Lizzy as the biggest influences on his band’s sound. “You can be shredding solos all day, but if there’s no melody, there’s nothing for people to latch onto.”

Deft fretwork is an essential part of The Sword’s makeup, but never at the expense of a complete package. After having taken more of a raw approach to their prior two albums, Shutt, Cronise, bassist Bryan Richie, and drummer Trivett Wingo spent more time fleshing out their songs before entering the studio, ensuring that they had worked out any kinks and tied up every loose end before the first click of the “record” button.

“J.D. will bring in a song, or I’ll bring in a song, and then we let Brian and Trivett come in, and we just play it over and over again until we’re comfortable with it,” Shutt says. “We’ve gotten a lot better at songwriting; it just takes one or two practices for us to come out with a song. We just spent more time shaping things, so it was more polished and ready to go.”

The resultant album is the band’s most polished and most focused to date, flowing seamlessly from the Holy Diver-influenced heavy groove of “Lawless Lands,” to the tempo-shifting dynamics of “Astraea’s Dream,” to the streamlined power-chord punch of “Night City.” Though the songwriting reveals that the band has grown creatively since its 2006 debut, much of the sonic clarity and texture comes courtesy of producer Matt Bayles (Isis, Mastodon, Minus the Bear), making Warp Riders the first Sword release not produced by the band.

“He brought out the best in us,” Shutt says. “We would let ourselves get away with things that he wouldn’t. He would really crack the whip. But it took a lot of pressure off of us. In the past, we would spend 12 hours a day, for three weeks straight, just mixing the record. And at the end, I would want to bang my head against the wall.”

Shutt says that the band had a simple goal for the album: “We just wanted to make a 10-track, 45-minute rock-’n’-roll record.” With Warp Riders, The Sword has succeeded on that front, and then some. Contained within those 45 minutes are some of the most dazzling intersections of tunefulness and beastly metal dynamics in recent memory , yielding the rare album that can appeal to both head-bangers and rock traditionalists alike.

Tristan Perich: 1-Bit Symphony (Cantaloupe)

In 2004, contemporary composer Tristan Perich first created his unorthodox (yet old-school) means of delivering minimalist electronic creations — by programming different bleeps and buzzes onto a microcomputer, which was built into a circuit (with a headphone jack) and placed in a jewel case.

The result — 1-Bit Music — ranged, in Perich's words, from "drum and bass to minimalism to electronic noise," and it was fascinating for the direct relationship that it established between listener and music, with the music being performed anew each time that the "on" switch was flipped.

Now Perich is back with 1-Bit Symphony, using the same means of delivery but presenting a formal electronic work.  Over five movements, 1-Bit Symphony shifts through harmonized sine waves and dot-matrix sounds.

Though a diversity of sounds cannot be attained, the piece does its best to achieve different moods, reflecting Perich's abilities as a composer.  (He has commissioned pieces for Bang on a Can, Dither Quartet, and others.)

The total package is impressive, but you don't realize just how meticulously and painstakingly 1-Bit Symphony is programmed until you see the "liner notes" — the full programming code, with notes and rests dictated over a massive script.  If you're looking for something special in a jewel case, pick this up.

Tristan Perich: 1-Bit Symphony (Part 1: Overview) from Tristan Perich on Vimeo.

Dave Douglas & Keystone: Spark of Being: Expand (Greenleaf)

Composer/trumpeter Dave Douglas has led and performed with dozens of ensembles, traversing terrain both accessible and treacherous for more than 20 years, but he's never done anything quite like this.

Spark of Being is Douglas' collaboration with experimental filmmaker Bill Morrison, who has re-imagined the Frankenstein story with different pieces of stock/archival film and effects.

The film's music — a slightly rock- and electronic-touched jazz affair — is being released in three parts and as a three-piece box set.  The proper soundtrack (simply titled Spark of Being: Soundtrack) was released back in June, but Expand presents the themes as wholes, not as they were rearranged for the visuals.

Naturally, because of this, Expand works as a standalone release. With the aid of his Keystone ensemble, Douglas presents a groove-heavy collection, and much of the music is powered by the beats of Gene Lake, the Fender Rhodes of Adam Benjamin, and the turntables/laptop of DJ Olive.

Expand fits Douglas' catalog, but it goes a little further than usual, and there's even a moment or two that sounds like a twisted video-game or circus (like the end of "Observer").  And with no shortage of hard beats and head-nodding potential, Expand should especially appeal to fans of jazz fusion and acid jazz.

Dave Douglas & Keystone: "Tree Ring Circus"

Pale Sketcher: Jesu: Pale Sketches Demixed (Ghostly International)

Nowadays, Justin Broadrick is best known for his ambient-metal project Jesu.  This noisy yet emotive project was a step removed from his days in Napalm Death and Godflesh, and now his new project — Pale Sketcher — is another full step in the direction of electronics.

Broadrick's 2007 release as Jesu, titled Pale Sketches, explored unfamiliar terrain for the Jesu brand, pushing into synth-driven, beat-based territory.  Now, to flesh out those works (or, as the title suggests, to de-flesh them), he has reworked all eight tracks from Pale Sketches for Jesu: Pale Sketches Demixed.

Though it still figured in Pale Sketches' sound, Broadrick's distorted, droning guitar is absent here.  Instead, there is a greater emphasis on down-tempo electro beats, thick synth lines, and glistening atmospherics.

Broadrick is no stranger to electronica — he has collaborated in Techno Animal since 1990 — but it's a new side of his solo career.  Judging by this first impression, he should have a lot to offer.

Pale Sketcher: "Can I Go Now (Gone Version)"

James Blackshaw: All is Falling (Young God)

James Blackshaw seems like one of those guitarists who just never stops practicing.  Exceptional on the 12-string model and proficient on the piano as well, Blackshaw doesn't possess guitar-phenom, wunderkind-like abilities — but he has damn well mastered a complex instrument.

Hailing from London, Blackshaw recently leaped to Young God Records, the veritable label that Swans leader Michael Gira runs. All is Falling, Blackshaw's second Young God release, is his 8th studio album since 2004, reflecting the prolific nature of a man who seemingly never puts down his guitar.

All is Falling is his first release to feature an electric 12-string guitar, and it's accented by his own performance on glockenspiel, piano, and percussion as well as guest spots of violin, cello, flute, and more.  This combination helps Blackshaw expand his sound while staying true to what he does best.

Blackshaw has talent oozing out of him, but his classical sense of melody is what makes him a remarkable musician.  Whether or not you're already a fan, All is Falling is worth picking up.

James Blackshaw: "Part 7" (edit)

The Sword: Warp Riders (Kemado)

Over its first two albums, The Sword has delivered a shredding brand of stoner metal that has equally appealed to head-bangers and edgy sci-fi geeks.

Other than a semi-deceptive opening track, Warp Riders — the band's third full-length — doesn't stray from the path.  There are plenty of guitar duels, chug riffs, and bluesy, Southern, dropped-tuning power-chord progressions.

As with previous albums, however, Warp Riders is more than a technical display.  The band never opts to sacrifice songwriting for slick licks, and each song stands as its own easily digested piece.

Warp Riders doesn't take The Sword far beyond where it has been, but it doesn't particularly need to.

The Sword: "Tres Brujas"

Imbogodom: The Metallic Year LP (Thrill Jockey)

Recording for the first time under the name Imbogodom, cross-continental friends Alexander Tucker (of the UK) and Daniel Beban (of New Zealand) create haunted paintings of sound that are composed of loops, assorted instruments, warped vocals, and sampled sounds.

When fully assembled, the pieces are weird, dark, and trippy, like a dreamy/nightmarish journey through an industrial park or an abandoned amusement park.  The tracks are somewhere between sound collage and manipulated organics, and any given sound is likely to have indecipherable origins.

Fans of ambient, drone, and experimental music will love The Metallic Year, which is a limited release of 1,000 vinyl copies (with free MP3 downloads).

Imbogodom: "Unseen Ticket"

Honorable Mentions

!!!: Strange Weather, Isn’t It? (Warp)

Barb: s/t (Yep Roc)

S. Carey: All We Grow (Jagjaguwar)

Gabriele Coen: Awakening (Tzadik)

Coil Sea: s/t (Thrill Jockey)

Eels: Tomorrow Morning (E Works)

Fennesz/Daniell/Buck: Knoxville (Thrill Jockey)

Fitz and the Tantrums: Pickin' Up the Pieces (Dangerbird)

John Scofield & Metropole Orkest: 54 (Emarcy)

Brad Laner: Natural Selections (Hometapes)

Jon Langford & Skull Orchard: Old Devils (Bloodshot)

Malevolent Creation: Invidious Dominion (Nuclear Blast)

Marty Ehrlich & Hankus Netsky: Fables (Tzadik)

Brian Wilson: Reimagines Gershwin (Disney)

John Zorn: Filmworks XXIV: The Nobel Prizewinner (Tzadik)

ALARM is stoked to present "Acid Hand," the title track to the first of three Saviours 7" EPs coming June 23. Backed with "Slave to the Hex," Acid Hand showcases the group's characteristic high-octane, metallic sounds.

Recorded by Scott Ecklein at Dirty Dave's in Saviours' hometown of Oakland, the collection, which will be released on Kemado Records, also includes the Burnin' Cross 7" EP (backed with Saxon cover "Fire in the Sky") and the F.G.T. 7" EP (Judas Priest's "Running Wild" on the flip side).

The collection is just a little taste of what is still to come in 2009, as the metal four-piece heads back into the studio to prepare its upcoming third album, which our expert forecasters here at ALARM predict will be fuckin' sweet.

Saviours: "Acid Hand"
Saviours: \"Acid Hand\"

Saviours: www.killforsaviours.blogspot.com
Kemado: www.kemado.com

Between songs, Nadler is much more earthly, friendly, and unafraid to crack a joke at herself. "I'm not even drinking anymore!" she announced when she realized that she placed her capo on the wrong fret.

Saturday evening's show at Schubas in Chicago followed a daytime set at Permanent Records as part of the second annual Record Store Day.

Nadler's set consisted of material from both 2006 Kemado Records debut Mexican Summer and this year's Little Hells. She opened with two solo numbers, finger-picked on 6-string and 12-string guitars, respectively, before being joined on stage by a second guitarist (tour dates featuring a full band should be announced in upcoming months).

The addition of the second instrument changed the tone of the performance; the accompanist took the lead parts and Nadler stayed away from the complex guitar arrangements.

Though the new guy, with his uncomfortable white-boy groove, may have been a little over the top, the harmonies that the two created together were spot-on, and the extra support meant that Nadler was able to focus more on her vocals, resulting in brilliant renditions of "Dying Breed" and "Rosary."

- Jamie Ludwig

Marissa Nadler: www.myspace.com/songsoftheend
Kemado: www.kemado.com

Powersolo

Released last week in their native Denmark, Bloodskinbones is the latest weird rock offering from brothers Kim Kix and Atomic Child.  Now a duo, Powersolo has an amorphous sound that resembles power pop, dirt rock, and rockabilly on any given song, often crossing into other genres such as mariachi.

The group's creations are always eccentric and often are raunchy, but this album might be its most straightforward, rock-fueled effort to date.  Stream the entire album at the group's website: www.powersolo.dk

Powersolo: "Pirates of the Oblivion"
Powersolo: \"Pirates of the Oblivion\"

Marissa Nadler: Little Hells (Kemado)

Dreamy songstress Marissa Nadler returns two years after her last release, Songs III: Bird on the Water, with an album that expands her style with indie-rock accompaniment, soft organ, guitar murmurs, and more.

Nadler's heavenly harmonies, however, shine brighter than the pretty, minor-key instrumentation. The featured song below doesn't particularly encapsulate the album, so listen to all of it here: kemado.com/little_hells_ecard

Marissa Nadler: "River of Dirt"
Marissa Nadler: \"River of Dirt\"

Harmonic 313: When Machines Exceed Human Intelligence (Warp)

The first full-length album from Australian producer Mark Pritchard as Harmonic 313, the latest of his aliases, is minimalist electro-dance and drum & bass that's light on the cheesy dance-floor sounds.

Pritchard continues evolving from his last full-length as Harmonic 33 (minus the "1"), the 2005 album Music for Film, Television & Radio, Vol. 1, which focused on electronic lounge creations.  This album definitely isn't for written for IDM beat heads, and though one could imagine a club of dudes getting grimy to it, When Machines Exceed Human Intelligence carries a level of sophistication that average dance discs do not.

His new website has some fun color-coded word problems, and if you beat all five levels, you get a free download of the unreleased track below.

Harmonic 313: "Problem 7"
Harmonic 313: \"Problem 7\"

The Soundtrack of Our Lives: Communion (Yep Roc)

With its first album in nearly four years, this Swedish psych-rock group issues two discs of poppy classic-rock anthems that frontman Ebbot Lundberg thinks are the band's best ever.  The group's psychedelic intros and undertones help it live up to its goal, which is, in Lundberg's words, to create a "musical entrance to another dimension."

Flourishes of harpsicord, zither, flute, organ, and tympani accent the rock lineup of this sextet, making a layered, involved batch of feel-good ballads.  If you enjoy this type of music, you won't be disappointed with Communion.

Squarepusher: Just a Souvenir (Warp)

Under the alias Squarepusher, beastly bassist/programmer Tom Jenkinson has traversed dozens of genres, with racing melodies that cover jazzy IDM, classical guitar, funk, and drum & bass. Just a Souvenir follows the resurgent Squarepusher trend to make his releases as diverse as possible from song to song, tearing through the above genres with melody and discord.

The album starts with some of its weakest material, but after four or five songs, it masterfully plays with genre convergence. Just a Souvenir is a must-own album for fans and newbies alike.

Zakarya: The True Story Concerning Martin Behaim (Tzadik)

French four-piece Zakarya continues its unique musical mixture – klezmer-core – that filters Jewish accordion melodies through an off-kilter math-rock base. This, the group's fourth album for Tzadik, is an imaginary film score about the life of Martin Behaim, a famous 15^th-century Portuguese geographer.

O'death: Broken Hymns, Limbs, and Skin (Kemado)

Americana / alt-country five-piece O'death bubbled to the surface of indie exposure in 2007 after the re-release of Head Home, its second album, on Ernest Jenning Record Co.

Now, in an effort to capture its raucous live, O'death has released Broken Hymns, Limbs, and Skin, which covers vast expanses of musical ground-from the droning Pentecostal chants of "Grey Sun" to the plodding, anthemic chorus of "Mountain Shifts" and the syncopated breakdown on "Vacant Moan" that will have you head banging to what you thought was bluegrass.

Akimbo: Jersey Shores (Neurot)

Seattle three-piece hardcore outfit Akimbo returns with Jersey Shores, a concept record based of a real-life horror story. The album's theme is one of unprovoked shark attacks that occurred along the New Jersey coastline in the summer of 1916, and the brutal, epic music burned on the disc matches the mood.

Akimbo: "Great White Bull"
Akimbo: \"Great White Bull\"

Huntsville: Eco, Arches & Eras [2CD] (Rune Grammofon)

An experimental trio from Norway, Huntsville uses tabla, pedal steel guitar, banjo, and traditional rock instruments to prepare moody, melodic music that knows no stylistic boundaries. Using sound textures that are combined in unconventional ways, this double-disc release is half studio recording and half live album, the latter including expert guests in the form of guitarist Nels Cline and drummer Glenn Kotche from Wilco.

John Zorn: Filmworks XXI: Belle de Nature / The New Rijksmuseum (Tzadik)

Consummate compositional experimentalist John Zorn is keeping busy, releasing his third Filmworks soundtrack of the year. This release contains a pair of contrasting scores – one for French sadomasochist erotica and one for a documentary on the overhaul of the Rijksmuseum, a national museum in Amsterdam. Zorn's label, Tzadik, promotes this release as one that ranges "from baroque minimalism to a sensual fusion of harp, guitar, and bass."