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

Aether: Artifacts (Exponential) [US]

URB Magazine calls Artifacts a hip-hop album, unquestionably. I challenge that statement because I feel that just cheapens the icy beauty of 2008's best electronic album.

That challenge'll take some doing since most of my friends into labels like Mush, Anticon, and Stones Throw are feeling this album from long-standing San Antonio micro-imprint Exponential.

Even my friends who would turn their noses up at those kinds of "race" records yet turn around and buy albums from Warp (WASP?) artists like Boards of Canada and Flying Lotus are feeling this one.

Sure, Artifacts is even constructed of pastiche of loops — just like a hip-hop album, but the only guy in hip hop capable of making a record like this is DJ Premiere, from whose playbook Aether borrows liberally. I can practically guarantee that Primo ain't gonna be rockin the M83 or My Bloody Valentine's "Glider" EP in search of those fragile melodies and tender hooks all over this sucker.

Twenty years ago this album actually would have been labelled some sort of goth or Cure-damaged amalgam, stripped of the boom-bap, and it's hard to shake the emotional and art-damaged beauty Aether steals directly from dudes like Roger Eno and Steve Reich on this album. But here comes the "amen" break, some Lee "Scratch" Perry sub-bass action, the latest noise from Berlin, and even a few timbales.

Voila! Suddenly, the trip down new romantic lane got enough rhythmic go juice to keep high-school kids from getting their asses kicked for daring to explore their sensitive sides. There are so many possibilites uncovered on Artifacts, from indie to ambient, but what this is definitely not is unquestionably hip hop. Rather, it is one of the great downtempo chill albums of this decade.

John Tejada: Fabric 44 (Fabric London) [UK]

Twice last year, the Fabric label looked out westward for some top-shelf DJ mixes. First we had Mark Farina on #40 — who sounded better than he had in years — and closing out the 2008 roster comes this offering from Los Angeles techno veteran John Tejada.

This guy has been around forever and worked in every facet of techno, including mid-'90s drum & bass. But at his molten core, like many other DJs from LA, you'll find a KDAY influence buried below. The infamous AM radio station was known in the 1980s for its electro-party style, typified by artists like the World Class Wreckin Cru and J.J. Fad.

As expected, the mix has some of those KDAY electro underpinnings, but it could have used some old-school quick mixing tricks to enliven it. The second half of the mix after Orbital's acid/piano house classic "Farenheit 303" just fades into a dull and tuneless mess.

It's a shame because the first half of Tejada's mix brings out some undiluted techno influences, and frankly, it's a breath of fresh air to hear that in opposition to all of the SF tech house and everyone else's just-plain-dreary minimalism. Too bad Fabric 44 is so hit or miss, as though Tejada can never quite find the right groove.

If techno boys like Carl Craig and Justin Maxwell ain't your bag, I'd say you can probably safely miss this one. But even if you do like this kind of stout techno, you may be kinda disappointed by Fabric 44's lack of focus.

Hercules and Love Affair: Hercules and Love Affair (DFA) [US]

I absolutely loved this record. It has become one of my favorite mainstream pop records since the second B-52s album. And though there is no "Planet Claire" on the self-titled debut album from this NYC nu-disco outfit, it does manage to crank out a theme song ("Hercules Theme") and "Blind" — one of the finest singles of 2008.

"Blind," especially, has the whole Nile Rodgers '80s thing going on, but the lyric delivered by transgendered persona Antony is as painful and bittersweet as anything penned by Patti Smith.

That combo of Manhattan indulgence and Lower East Side grittiness had me immediately identifying with Hercules and Love Affair while the slick dancefloor production left me ready to bust a move. I wish more pop albums could be this bold and yet still manage to have some fun.

Various: Sean's Lolla 08 Mix

My pal Passean has a definite nose for good pop music, and this collection inspired by his annual pilgrimage to Lollapalooza was an excellent indicator of what was actually good last year that got played on the radio — something that most of you reading this will quickly discover that I know little about.

Cat Power does her best to sound like Chrissie Hynde jamming with the Muscle Shoals players on the empowering rocker "Aretha, Sing One For Me," while Warp artist Jamie Lidell channels his inner Motown on "Little Bit Of Feel Good," "Another Day," and "Wait For Me" from his latest.

These artists shocked me by wearing their influences so much on their sleeves, and yet the retro appeal somehow really worked for both of them quite well. I was also surprised at how I absolutely fell in love with the Amy Winehouse and Mark Ronson pairing, "Valerie."

I know the inspiration for the song is the Brill Building and old Phillie Spector all the way, but with a barbed lyric and Winehouse's raspy pipes, I'd say this song was better suited for a punk rogue like Johnny Thunders. But with all of those greats dead now (RIP Ronnie Asheton), who could even do this song properly (although I do have visions of Elvis Costello & the Attractions…)?

I really miss simple two-and-a-half-minute pop gems like "Valerie," and Mick's kid seems capable of making them in his sleep. To Mr. Ronson, I say, "Kudos."

Lastly, I wanted to mention Marshall Law — a DJ that my man Passean really supports and turned me onto a few years back. Law is obviously an old-school college radio DJ, and doesn't create the typically annoying Beyonce vs Nirvana or Phil Collins vs ANYBODY mash-ups associated with dead-from-the- neck-up plane-crash survivors like DJ AM. On the two cuts on this comp, he wields his massive record collection like a highly specialized weapon.

The street music rave-up is part hip hop and part The Blow Up and could only be topped by the flawless "All Apologies" mash-up. I generally hate mash-ups because they debase the power of the DJ's hands, but when I hear a cat like this tear it up manually on Nirvana like that, it restores my faith in the DJ — which has been shaken these past few years.

The rest of the disk is loaded mostly with the typical college rock faire that I have grown tired of over the years and did little to spark my interest, but these above-mentioned artists made me rethink writing off 2008 as a total lost cause.

Lars Horntveth: Kaleidoscopic (Smalltown Supersound) [Norway]

Norway's Smalltown Supersound imprint is no stranger to 30-minute-plus epic tunes — look no further than Lindstrøm's latest album for proof of that.

However, the sophomore album Kaleidoscopic from Jaga Jazzist leader Lars Horntveth takes that extreme to its logical conclusion with an album that is 37 minutes long and composed entirely of one track — "Kaleidoscopic."

Do I dare call this a single, and how much will it cost if I buy it on iTunes? Performed by Horntveth and the 41-piece Latvian National Orchestra, the album is a concept soundtrack to an imaginary movie, and what a movie it must be.

I hear echoes of George Martin's side on the Beatles' Yellow Submarine album and even funky old Lalo Schiffrin in some places, but generally, Kaledioscopic sounds like a low-rent version of Philip Glass on ecstasy at a rave, trying to convince everyone that he's Steve Reich and coming up with the soundtrack to The Party instead.

It's fun, but in the same hollow kitchy way that those Martin Denny and Arthur Lyman records are too.

- Sean-Michael Yoder

Sean-Michael Yoder is a Chico, California-based music writer and tastemaker. Check out more at vinyljunkierecords.blogspot.com

Shining (Norway)

Thursday, October 23

Pillars and Tongues, Remindring @ The Hideout

Somber vocal harmonies emanate from aptly named Pillars and Tongues, an experimental trio whose creations exhibit mystical influences. As Remindring, multi-talented bassist Josh Abrams (Town & Country, Nicole Mitchell's Black Earth Ensemble) lays out looped soundscapes with Emmett Kelly and Frank Rosaly.

Fucked Up @ Reggie's Rock Club

Punk-rock misdirection artists Fucked Up hit Chicago two weeks after the release of The Chemistry of Common Life, the group's follow-up full-length to Hidden World. This time around, Fucked Up's material moves through more variety of atmosphere than your standard punk/hardcore, with peaceful, otherworldly intros and layers and layers of guitar. There's less stop-start fury than Hidden World-more sheets of sound-so it will be interesting to see how this vigorous live act performs.

Coliseum starts North American and Japanese tour dates

Louisville hardcore staples Coliseum begin five weeks of performances today, hitting many cities in the USA as well as a few in Canada and Japan. The group doesn't hit Chicago until Nov. 15, but there's a good chance that it will be your city in the near future.

Friday, October 24

Ears & Eyes Festival @ The Hideout

With three outstanding weekend shows at The Hideout, independent jazz/avant-garde label Ears & Eyes Records celebrates its third annual Ears & Eyes Festival. The performances feature groups on the Ears & Eyes roster as well as other local standouts and friends of the label, and one such outside artist, Brooklyn's Parts & Labor, headlines this first night with a catchy mix of indie rock and electronics.

The six-artist, six-hour show also includes bass-and-drums rock duo Black Ladies and free-rock guitarist Tobin Summerfield, but the biggest highlight might be the collaboration between Sunfish Ensemble guitarist David Daniell and Tortoise cofounder/bassist Doug McCombs.

Voodoo Experience begins @ New Orleans' City Park

With a massive three-day lineup that can only really be explored at thetenthritual.com, New Orleans' Voodoo Experience celebrates its 10^th anniversary. If you're in the Big Easy on Friday, the fest's first day, be sure to catch DeVotchKa, Reverend Horton Heat, The Gutter Twins, Man Man, Extra Action Marching Band, and Andre Williams.

Shining (and other picks) at CMJ Music Marathon & Film Festival

There are hundreds of bands playing at the dozens of CMJ venues on Friday, the festival's second-to-last day, but we had to single out Norway's Shining at Cake Shop (and again at Knitting Factor on Saturday). The post-prog jazz-rock experimentalists return to New York, one of three cities on their first US tour earlier this year, and it might be a while before they return. If you're in NYC, do yourself a favor and check them out (and pick up Grindstone on Rune Grammofon).

The night's other highlights include sBACH, An Albatross, Akimbo, Phosphorescent, Sole and the Skyrider Band, and Broken Social Scene.

Keep reading…

But all that's beginning to change with the recent inclusion of former Jesus Lizard/Scratch Acid vocalist David Yow. Adding Yow to the ensemble has not only heightened the act's profile, stirred up its live show, and brought an entirely new set of fans to the mix, but it's also found Qui producing an incredibly dynamic new album, titled Love's Miracle dropping this fall via Ipecac Recordings. ALARM caught up with Cronk and Yow (who also just finished an instrumental solo album, that he says is "almost orchestral and soundtrack-y and jazzy") to find out just how well the explosive veteran rock frontman plays with others.

How did Qui come together in the first place as a two-piece?

Matt Cronk: We met in high school about fifteen years ago. We went to a performing arts school in Minneapolis and didn't really play together for the first few years before we moved out here. We ended up moving out to L.A. in 2000 with the intent of starting a band. And the reason we started as a two-piece was because we couldn't find anyone to play with, or at least anyone worth a shit. No one was interested in playing the music we wanted to play. We played our first show in 2001 and just kept going at it that way.

How did you meet Qui?

David Yow: We met in the bathroom of the bus station. No, that's not true. It was at some party or something that a mutual friend of ours was having, and we just became friends and they asked me if I'd do a song with them-a Frank Zappa cover. So I said I'll do that, and we practiced more and more, and it sort of organically came about that I was in the band. It's weird for me because if you'd asked me the month before if I would ever be in a band, I would tell you, "Hell no, Waleed!" I never wanted to do this again. I didn't expect to. But these guys are so good at what they do, and I love their guts, so it worked out real nice.

Why were you so opposed to being in another band?

DY: I'm not a real musician. People like the other guys in the Jesus Lizard- they need to play music; it's part of them. I don't think I'm like that. It's not part of me the way it is them. I just had my fill, and I'm old. It's tiring being on tour, and I didn't want to repeat myself. I had no desire to do it again until this came about. Professionally, I do photo retouching. I used to be busy all the time, but it seems like recently I have no work, and so it all kind of fits together. It's like, OK, well, I don't have any work, so I'll just do Qui all the time.

You said you initially didn't want to do any touring. So is the band going to hit the road?

DY: Oh yeah, we're going to hit it real hard. Initially, I told the guys I didn't want to do any real long tours and they said that's cool and stuff. But as time went by, we decided if we're going to do this, let's do it right.

So you're in this for the long haul, then.

DY: Yeah, until one of us dies, I guess.

Coming into this established group, were you at all apprehensive about fucking things up, in a sense?

DY: Oh, yeah. Not only was I afraid of fucking it up, but I was very apprehensive about putting forth ideas. I just felt like my ideas are viable and everything, but I felt like it wasn't my place. I was the new guy. But the three of us work so well together, it's very "liquidy." Most of that has worn off. I'm no longer afraid to tell them what I think about something, and they certainly aren't afraid to tell me about my dumb input.

Though Qui's been together for several years, some people have just discovered your band because they're fans of David, and thus it's like a new band for them. Does it feel like a new band to you?

MC: No, we were doing everything exactly the same way we always have. But it's nice that people are paying attention.

Is the band a full-time venture?

MC: Absolutely.

And how long has it been a full-time project?

MC: For Paul and I, we've been attempting to make it a full-time thing for as long as we've been doing it. And then as soon as David officially joined the band, it was like if we're going to do it, we're doing it all the way. We all have day jobs, but we're going on tour for three months this fall and, God willing, we'll come home with enough money to live until we go out on the next one.

How do you go about your songwriting and how has it changed?

DY: Well, the terminology is always kind of vague, because they actually speak in musical terms, and I just sort of talk about, "You know that part that goes ‘da-da-da-da-da,' let's do that twice." And when I say I'm not a musician, I mean to say that I can't read music and I can't play any instruments. But one of the particularly cool things that I enjoy in Qui is that they're teaching me to sing, and actually hit pitches and do two- and three-part harmonies.

MC: Having another voice in there, there's more to it that we can do. The biggest change for me is that we can have a voice singing over a part that Paul or I would be playing, that would be too hard to play and sing at the same time. We were able to take a lot of old riffs that we came up with over the years that we couldn't make work, and we could play, he could sing, and it sounds really good.

You mentioned earlier that you're feeling old. But we saw you putting on a show that's very physical.

DY: I still jump around like an idiot and stuff. I had this sort of reputation for crowd surfi ng when I was singing, but that was then. I don't really have any plan on doing that kind of crap again. But yeah, I've been pleasantly surprised.

So, how do you maintain your physical health?

DY: Alcohol and cigarettes. I guess I just don't worry about it! (laughs)