Vildhjarta: Måsstaden (Century Media)

Vildhjarta: "Benblåst"

Six years ago, Vildhjarta began as a three-piece musical project in Hudiksvall, Sweden. The young band, then comprised of Daniel Bergström, Johan Nyberg, and Jimmie Åkerström, communicated musical and lyrical ideas via E-mail due to locational distances. Yet despite limited direct access to one another, the trio more than doubled its size and consequently doubled its roster of compositional ideas. From there, Vildhjarta naturally evolved from a mere project to a band with the “djent” progressive-metal style coined by Meshuggah. This physical growth of Vildhjarta has been possibly the most significant contributor to its musical growth, resulting in the band’s concept album and debut full-length, Måsstaden.

Though the mathy, chugging, down-tuned riffage is the band's main calling card, Måsstaden establishes a diversity thanks to a series of melodic yet eerie interludes and alternating vocalists.  Those vocal exchanges — between Vilhelm Bladin’s deep growls and Daniel Ädel’s mid-range screams — respond to tempo and instrumental changes, maintaining a consistency during each song’s verses and chorus. Metalcore breakdowns are recurrent throughout Måsstaden, but tracks such as "Traces" and "Benblåst" offer distinguishing characteristics, respectively, in the form of harmonized singing and a creeping introductory rhythm.

According to the band, the album's concept "tells the tale of a hidden and isolated town narrated in a classic fable manner." Although Måsstaden doesn’t evoke feelings of a jolly Disney fairytale, Vildhjarta cites The Jungle Book’s melodies as well as Final Fantasy IV’s narrative as inspirations. Outside of a few subtle moments — such as the backing polyrhythms on "All These Feelings" and "The Lone Deranger" — those inspirations are about as inaudible as they come. Nonetheless, Vildhjarta has made its mark with a crushing and conceptual debut.

- Text by Lauren Zens.

Gorillaz: The Singles Collection 2001-2011 (Virgin / EMI)

You’ve got to hand it Brit-pop stalwart Damon Albarn and Tank Girl illustrator Jamie Hewlett for creating an animated band that’s stood up to criticism in both the animation and music spheres for a decade. What could’ve burst and then fizzled has grown into a worldwide multimedia project whose collaborators include hip-hop mainstays such as Del the Funky Homosapien, MF Doom, Mos Def, and De La Soul; legends like Lou Reed and Bobby Womack; and lesser-known all-stars that include  Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, Martina Topley-Bird, and an assortment of orchestras and choirs.

This year marks its tenth anniversary, and to celebrate, the virtual band is releasing The Singles Collection: 2001–2011, a CD/DVD package that includes 15 tracks and 14 visual selections, either official music videos or live recordings. Among the latter is the standout “Kids with Guns” from Demon Days: Live at the Manchester Opera House.

What’s cool about hearing the compressed discography is the pop of each album’s highly stylized flavor, together a panorama of ideas, influences, and production values. What’s not as cool is that there’s nothing from The Fall, last year’s minimal but masterful album recorded on an iPad in hotel rooms during 30 days of a US tour. Instead, “Doncamatic,” the banal single featuring young soul sensation Daley, makes the cut.

It’s the same story on the DVD, which includes mostly major works rather than the cool animatics and other pulp that Gorillaz released in the lead up to The Singles. Despite these few missed opportunities, it’s hardly a disappointing retrospective. If nothing else, it’s worth going back to “Clint Eastwood” and pondering the decade that’s taken place since the song moseyed infectiously onto the scene.

- Text by Timothy S. Aames.

Honorable Mention

Dim Mak: The Emergence of Reptilian Altars (Willowtip)

Temple of Baal / Ritualization: The Vision of Fading Mankind (Agonia)

Download the podcast for This Week’s Best Albums: October 19, 2010 and subscribe to the free podcast via iTunes or another application.

Squarepusher presents Shobaleader One: d'Demonstrator (Warp)

Squarepusher presents Shobaleader One: "Megazine"

Bass/electronic guru Tom Jenkinson has covered astounding turf in his 15-year career as Squarepusher, fluctuating between fusion-filled drum-and-bass, jazzy IDM, classical-guitar pieces, pure dance tracks, and experimental electronica.  Depending on how you count certain releases, he's up to 14 full albums and more than 20 EPs (either under Squarepusher, his own name, or a different alias).

There isn't too much that he hasn't done with his bass, synthesizers, and drum sequencers, but d'Demonstrator is new territory — a new, funky "space band" project as Shobaleader One.  Jenkinson is responsible for the compositions, and the mysterious extra "players" don't play anything that he couldn't record on his own, so the band thing seems bogus.  It doesn't matter, though, because the first in a series of Shobaleader releases is enjoyable with or without the back story.

Most songs are rooted in synthesized vocals and pop hooks — a definite first for Squarepusher.  Though melodies abound in Jenkinson's back catalog, they've never been as streamlined.  Some older releases have been fully danceable, but again, never in the airy and almost strictly 4/4 manner of d'Demonstrator.

And though it's not an unadulterated riff bonanza as on albums past, the album has enough of Jenkinson's technical skills peeking from behind the grooves.  It's another new turn in a constantly twisting career — and one that makes for a slinky good time.

Zach Hill: Face Tat (Sargent House)

Zach Hill: "Memo to the Man"

In 2008, drumming dynamo Zach Hill took time from his impossibly crammed itinerary to release his first solo album, Astrological Straits.  Packed with friends and guest musicians, it showcased his pop side — albeit one with crazy beats, complex polyrhythms, and weird vocals.

Face Tat is the second in what should be a long line of solo releases, despite Hill's renewed activity in Hella and more releases with Marnie Stern, Bygones, and others on the way.  Though still intricate, noisy, and strange, it's a little easier to follow than its predecessor, with a few more parts being focused on a single melody, rhythm, or vocal line.

The vocals again are doubled, distorted, or half-spoken, but they're all Hill.  Plenty of other random parts come via guests, but like the debut, they might be rearranged or cut up by Hill to mesh however he sees fit.  This time around, those guests include Guillermo Scott Herren (a.k.a. Prefuse 73), Devendra Banhart, Nick Reinhart from Tera Melos, and various members of Hella, Deerhoof, and No Age.

If you missed it in ALARM 33, check out music editor Scott Morrow's interview with Zach Hill about Astrological Straits and its inspirations.

V/A: From the Land of Ice and Snow: The Songs of Led Zeppelin (Jealous Butcher)

Portland Cello Project: "Dazed and Confused"

There's no shortage of Led Zeppelin cover albums, but the newest — courtesy of Portland's Jealous Butcher Records — is both a community-focused project and an interesting mixture of restyled classics.

Over two discs (33 songs), From the Land of Ice and Snow features a cavalcade of Portland artists — mostly in the indie-rock and folk realms but also expanding into alt-country, chamber music, and a little noise rock.

Some of the bigger and more noticeable names include M. Ward, the Portland Cello Project, Kind of Like Spitting, and Tu Fawning.  But the lesser-known artists hold their own, and there are few duds.  The digital edition offers 18 more bonus tracks — enough for an entire third disc — and this is worth checking out for most Zeppelin fans.

Dustin Wong: Infinite Love / A Square Defining a Circle (Thrill Jockey)

Dustin Wong: "Brother (Talking Walking Cloud)"

For his debut full-length, guitarist Dustin Wong has delivered a rather peculiar package — two discs that each represent a sort of "what if?" take on the same album.

Infinite Love / A Square Defining a Circle is two variations on 40 minutes of melodic, multi-layered guitar instrumentals.  Each disc is approximately the same until its midpoint, when the two split for six or seven tracks until they rejoin with the same conclusion.

Using loop, delay, octave, and other effects pedals, Wong crafts slowly building pieces out of sounds that often no longer resemble a guitar. Many passages build upon one simple repetition until the whole piece is nearly unrecognizable from its start, turning into a pulsating swarm of riffs.  The combined presentation is an interesting concept, but the real appeal is Wong's melodic layering.

Martina Topley Bird: Some Place Strange (Ipecac)

Martina Topley Bird: "Sandpaper Kisses"

For more than 15 years, Martina Topley Bird has been one of the leading female voices of trip hop, lending her talents to Tricky and Massive Attack in addition to a host of other guest spots. She has released a pair of solo albums — one produced by Danger Mouse — before putting out Some Place Strange, a stripped-back recreation of older material.

There are a handful of new tracks here as well, but they all scale back the instrumentation to feature Topley Bird's voice in a new way. That instrumentation, in fact, is assorted, but there seldom is more than one or two parts to accompany the vocals. The album is sparse, and though existing fans may appreciate it more by contrasting it familiar old tracks, first-time listeners should enjoy it as well.

Honorable mentions

Brent Amaker and the Rodeo: Please Stand By (Spark & Shine)

Eskmo: s/t (Ninja Tune)

How to Dress Well: Love Remains (Lefse)

Gaucho: Pearl

Radio Citizen: Hope and Despair (Ubiquity)

Scott Amendola Trio: Lift (Sazi Music)

Soars: s/t (La Société Expéditionnaire)

An iconic poet/musician whose soulful spoken-word style helped give rise to rapping, Gil Scott-Heron has been proclaimed a major influence in hip hop, neo-soul, and acid jazz. His political activism has been at the forefront of his noted career, which includes the acclaimed poem/song "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised."

Now, marking another landmark moment in his career, Scott-Heron has released I'm New Here, his first full-length since the 1994 album Spirits, which too was something of a "comeback" — his first studio album since 1982.

Produced by XL label owner Richard Russell, who convinced Scott-Heron to go back into the studio, I'm New Here is an atmospheric, down-tempo disc of diversity.

Acoustic pseudo-ballads are accented by electronics, dramatic strings, and piano in a combination of new poems, covers, and interludes. It's a release that feels extremely personal, whether from the lyrical content or Scott-Heron's familiar voice.

Gil Scott-Heron: "Where Did the Night Go"
Gil Scott-Heron: \"Where Did the Night Go\"

Pillars and Tongues: Lay of Pilgrim Park LP + download (Endless Nest)

With just three members, Pillars and Tongues manages to craft powerful folk abstractions and interwoven, trance-inducing vocal dynamics. Both composed and improvisational, these shifting forms evoke spiritual vibes in their soulful essence, heavenly harmonies, and repeated patterns.

Violin, upright bass, and drums and other percussive elements slowly build and fall. Each member contributes to the layered vocal harmonics, often trading rounds of the same melody or balancing pitches as a low or intermediate voice begins a wordless refrain. Fans of Huun Huur Tu, Charming Hostess / Jewlia Eisenberg, and other vocally driven experimentalists will love this.

Pillars and Tongues: "The Center of"
Pillars and Tongues: \"The Center Of\"

Arsis: Starve for the Devil (Nuclear Blast)

A major force in metal just six years after its debut, Arsis is a Virginia quartet that boasts tireless harmonized shredding. Thrash and black metal, gently crossing into death metal, form the basis of a sound that leans on flawless technical proficiency in accessible time signatures.

Starve for the Devil trends towards the melodic end of the band's material, but there's no shortage of full-speed aggression. Riff lovers will get their money's worth with this one.

Hot Chip: One Life Stand (Astralwerks)

Hot Chip's brand of synthesized dance pop has allowed the keyboarded quintet to climb the UK charts and garner heaps of attention in the United States.

One Life Stand is another disc chock full of dance-floor albums, albeit a bit more restrained than on albums past. The gentle vocals of Alexis Taylor and Joe Goddard will continue receiving much of the attention from casual listeners, but One Life Stand really shines with its diversity of synth sounds and instrumental complements (such as the touches from Trinidadian steel-pan player Fimber Bravo).

Massive Attack: Heligoland (Virgin)

Seven years after its last studio offering, commercially thriving electronic producers Massive Attack — closely tied to the trip-hop explosion of the early 1990s — have finally released their long-awaited fifth album, Heligoland.

With Grantley Evan Marshall, a.k.a. Daddy G, back on board in the studio, the group attains a multitude of electronic styles on Heligoland, thanks to its divergence of tastes as well as the usual assortment of guests.

This time, Massive Attack collaborates with Tunde Adebimpe (TV on the Radio), Damon Albarn (Blur), Hope Sandoval (Mazzy Star), Martina Topley-Bird, Adrian Utley (Portishead), and Billy Fuller (Beak). The result is a minimalist electro dreamscape, one that should appeal to a sizable cross-section of music fans.

Honorable Mentions

Bluebrain: Soft Power (Lujo)
Galactic: Ya-Ka-May (Anti-)
Georgia Anne Muldrow: Kings Ballad (Ubiquity)
Shining (Sweden): VI / Klagopsalmer (Indie Recordings)
This Moment in Black History: Public Square (Smog Veil)