World's End Girlfriend: "Teenage Ziggy"

For more than a decade, Tokyo’s World’s End Girlfriend has produced electric and electronic music that stubbornly resists tidy classification. Though elements of post-rock, IDM sample-weaving, and classical melody are present in WEG’s dense soundscapes, the thrilling sum of the music is much more difficult to define than its individual parts.

World's End Girlfriend is the solo project of Japanese composer Katsuhiko Maeda. Despite enjoying a sizable cult following in his home country, Maeda has garnered relatively little exposure in the United States. In fact, American audiences probably are most familiar with the 2006 album Palmless Prayer / Mass Murder Refrain, WEG’s collaborative effort with renowned Japanese post-rockers Mono.

But all of this is poised to change following the domestic release of its most recent effort, last year’s Seven Idiots, in June. Simultaneously hyper-melodic and abrasive, Seven Idiots easily ranks among WEG’s best work and should serve as a fine introduction to the band for American audiences.

When he’s away from the studio, Maeda spends most of his spare time at the helm of Virgin Babylon Records, a label he created last year. Virgin Babylon handles all of WEG’s regional distribution (Seven Idiots is being distributed in America through UK-based Erased Tapes Records) and is currently home to diverse stable of artists that includes Matryoshka, About Tess, and Joseph Nothing Orchestra.

How has WEG drawn on and altered the history of post-rock in Japan?

I don't want to put my music in the small framework of post-rock. If you look at music as a huge tree, my music is a tiny branch of it. But that branch is a part of tree that is rooted deep under the ground. I can answer your question, talking about that tiny branch part, but I'm not interested.

You originally recorded Seven Idiots with vocals and later deleted them after finishing the songs. Why?

[In] the beginning, I decided to delete the vocal parts after the initial making. The reasoning of that method was to use strong melody and '60s-like pop-sense as a melodic core, and then to mash that with other elements — mixing “pops” and “un-pops” together unconsciously through distraction and reconstruction.

How has Seven Idiots been received outside of Japan? Will you look for a "permanent" European or American label?

I have licensed [WEG] to Erased Tapes to release in EU and US territories. It has also been licensed in Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China. The international reviews have mostly been pretty positive so far.

Do you worry that people who are drawn to your music for the beautiful melodies won't appreciate your challenging and improvised pieces, such as the "Bohemian Purgatory" tracks on Seven Idiots?

I don't care if people reject my music because I make stylistic changes. I get those kinds of reactions every time I release a new album.

Even as my music style changes, it's only the surface of my music. No matter what kind of style I chose, my musical core never changes. These days, many listeners mention things like this, but I don't worry about these reactions. I believe that every time I release a new title, there must be some change and adventure, otherwise it's not a great piece or expression.

How many songs would you like to write over the span of your career?

I'm not interested in numbers; I just want to make good music. I hope one day that I can make even just one song where I can feel, “This is the one that all my life exists for.”

You have toured all over the world. Have you observed any differences or similarities between certain countries that surprised you?

All cities I have toured in so far are different because every country has its own culture and history. But all have been modern cities, so I wasn't so surprised by anything. But China is very interesting; in all the places that I visited [in China], people were so energetic and full of momentum.

Has running Virgin Babylon been more or less stressful than you originally anticipated? Has it affected how you approach your own music?

I started Virgin Babylon Records with a strong and high motive. I knew there would be much stress, so I won't complain about that. I don't know if it has affected my music; maybe it will happen in the future.

Artistically, how do you feel WEG has progressed over the past decade?

I feel that I can express my vision more clearly [now] with music than that when I first began. Also, I can see musical changes over the past decade as I try add something new, something that I've never done before each time.

What projects are you currently working on?

I'm working on something now, but it is not yet time to make an announcement about it.

Download the podcast for This Week’s Best Albums: January 18, 2011 and subscribe to This Week’s Best Albums for free with iTunes.

Stream the podcast for This Week's Best Albums: January 18, 2011.
This Week\'s Best Albums: January 18, 2011

Steven Drozd: The Heart Is A Drum Machine (The Score) (Twinkle Cash Co.)

Steven Drozd: "Born"

Steven Drozd is a multi-instrumentalist and the third-most-tenured member of The Flaming Lips; live, he usually plays guitar and keyboards and sings a bit, but he began his stint as the band’s drummer. Now he’s releasing the nearly instrumental accompaniment to the documentary The Heart is a Drum Machine, a film by the producers of the Moog documentary that attempts to explain what music “is” and how it affects human beings.

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. Listeners are unlikely to confuse the two, however, and the score succeeds as a standalone album as well as a film accompaniment. Maynard James Keenan of Tool and A Perfect Circle provides guest vocals on a cover of Elton John's "Rocket Man," which feels a bit out of place when listening straight through, but it’s a unique rendition of a classic-rock hit.

Beep: City of the Future (Third Culture)

Beep: "Robo Pup"

A genre-bending electro-rock-meets-experimental-jazz trio, Beep is a Bay Area band that began as a more traditional jazz outfit.  But with its third album, City of the Future, it has moved into a category all its own. Accessible beats and upright-bass grooves build into keyboard leads and polyrhythmic breakdowns, and though a few passages become harder to follow, it doesn’t take long for Beep’s powerful melodies and rhythms to come back to the fore.

The best contemporary comparison here might be a group like Kneebody, which expertly combines some of the best elements of rock and jazz. Beep, however, adds more disparate elements in the way of wordless vocal harmonies, an electrified mbira, woodblocks, and electronic squiggles, and City of the Future pulls all of that together for a swirling jazz-rock odyssey. Ultimately, beyond the style shifting, it showcases a real knack for melody as evidenced by the final track, "Robo Pup," which premiered last week on AlarmPress.com.

Ghost: Opus Eponymous (Metal Blade / Rise Above)

Ghost: "Con Clavi Con Dio"

With its debut full-length, Swedish metal band Ghost — not to be confused with the Japanese psych-rock band of the same name — has quickly built buzz thanks to its infectious mix of classic metal riffs, sing-along vocals, and abundant melodies. The overarching satanic themes and high-priest visual aesthetic don’t hurt either in appealing to the band’s target market.

Opus Eponymous, out now in the USA on Metal Blade, is being billed as a black-metal album.  There’s a bit of that in the darker moments, but truthfully, it falls much closer to classic rock with its organs and vocal harmonies. The press materials recommend it for fans of Judas Priest, Mercyful Fate, and Blue Öyster Cult, but there are just enough left-field elements – Benedictine-style chants, church bells, spaced-out keyboards – to separate these guys from the pack.

Braids: Native Speaker (Kanine)

Braids: "Lemonade"

Another promising debut this week comes via the highly orchestrated indie-rock creations of Braids – not to be confused with indie-rock favorites Braid from Champaign, Illinois. The pluralized version is actually a group of kids, still just a few years removed from high school, who skipped college, moved to Montreal, and began making a record. The result is an album that’s mature beyond its years, with musical dynamics that many bands never achieve — and chops that aren't too shabby either, perhaps best shown by rapid, looping guitar work.

The durations of Braids’ songs are another indie-rock anomaly, often eclipsing seven and eight minutes. Thanks to that and the band’s other elongated, reverberated guitar parts, it has a fair share in common with post-rock and bands such as Mono, even if the music is topped with sugary pop vocals. But even those elements are turned on their heads at times, and vocalist/guitarist Raphaelle Standell-Preston, who’s also capable of Björk-style power, borders on manic shrieking in the song “Glass Dears.”

Joel Harrison String Choir: The Music of Paul Motian (Sunnyside)

Joel Harrison String Choir: "Misterioso"

Guitarist/composer Joel Harrison has a head-spinning discography, spanning world music, ethnic folk songs, country and Appalachian tunes, avant-classical music, experimental jazz, blues, hymns, and more. Now the boundary-defying songwriter has undertaken another ambitious project: translating the music of legendary jazz drummer Paul Motian to fixed and improvised chamber renditions.

Having played with Bill Evans and Thelonious Monk in addition to recording dozens of albums as a bandleader, Motian has a wealth of material from which to choose. Harrison, in these new versions, does an exemplary job of balancing classical orchestration with improvisation. And he accomplishes this (for the most part) with two guitars plus a string quartet – omitting bass and drums, which usually are crucial jazz elements.

Honorable Mentions

Amina Alaoui: Gharnati, En Concert (Music & Words / Saphrane)

The Decemberists: The King is Dead (Capitol)

Electric Wizard: Black Masses (Rise Above)

Eulogies: Tear the Fences Down (Dangerbird)

Fergus & Geronimo: Unlearn (Hardly Art)

Ion: Immaculada (Restricted Release)

Daniel Martin Moore: In the Cool of the Day (Sub Pop)

Aaron Novik: Floating World Vol. 1 (Porto Franco)

Smith Westerns: Dye it Blonde (Fat Possum)

Social Distortion: Hard Times & Nursery Rhymes (Epitaph)

Since the early 1990s,  D’Andrea has gradually become a staple in the West Coast music scene. Growing up, D’Andrea produced zines and fliers – generally in the DIY fashion of Xeroxing – for a variety of underground bands in the Oakland, California area. By the mid-'90s, the artist's work began to receive well-deserved attention: D’Andrea soon had a commission for an album cover.

David V. D'Andrea: Swans poster

These days, D’Andrea appreciates music from the 1960-'70s progressive-rock era, as well as current psych and “heavy” music – which is where his vivid illustrations are utilized most often. However, D’Andrea is adamant about mentioning his opposition towards genre and music classification in general.

“I simply try to align myself with bands and artists who aren’t stuck in a genre – either physically or mentally," he says. "Over the past few years, I’ve been extremely fortunate in this respect.” D’Andrea has recently produced commissioned work for artists as varied as Queens of the Stone Age, Mogwai, Swans, and OM, and even a poster for director Lars Von Trier’s genre-defining film Antichrist. Additionally, he has designed album artwork for Ulver, Witchcraft, and Wino, among others.

D’Andrea’s poster and album art are successful examples of the artist’s punctuated and mature style. The pieces – in terms of both layout and content – firmly hold their ground. His artwork is dark yet organic, heavy yet fantastic. His images weave together rich hues, dark tones, and exceptionally complex textures and details.

David V. D'Andrea: Antichrist poster

Moreover, the artwork is full of gothic undertones and surreal surroundings that create an ethereal quality within the imagery. The viewer is placed in a luscious, fantastical world – one that is endlessly dark and delicate. D’Andrea creates eerie scenes filled with stoic human figures, disillusioned faces, nature, and death. Depictions of trees, blossoming flowers, and tombstones are omnipresent, as are D’Andrea’s unusual textures – often reminiscent of reptile scales and bird feathers.

In the past, D’Andrea has worked closely with friend and artist Matt Parrillo, who founded the independent record label Life is Abuse and the printmaking studio Monolith Press – two projects with which D’Andrea was frequently involved. Although he recently relocated to Portland, Oregon, D’Andrea continues to produce work for both the Portland and Bay areas. His current endeavors include commissions for Godspeed You! Black Emperor, OM, and Agalloch, a collection of posters for the Roadburn Festival in Tilburg, Holland during April of 2011, and artwork for an upcoming gallery opening December 2 in San Francisco.

David D'Andrea: Mono poster

In the midst of all his projects, D’Andrea also hopes to find time to experiment with various printmaking techniques, beyond the screen-printing with which he is most familiar. For the indefinite future, however, D’Andrea’s schedule is crazy with assorted deadlines – but he’s not complaining.

“I truly believe in the notion that ‘anything goes’ in illustration," he says. "I want to look back on my body of work as something that has evolved and changed through time. This means that I need to remain open to borrowed images, found scraps, photography – absolutely anything and everything.”

Sailors with Wax Wings: s/t (Angel Oven)

Sailors with Wax Wings: "Yes, I Have a Thousand Tongues, and Nine and Ninety-Nine Lie"

Led by vocalist/producer R. Loren, Pyramids emerged in 2008 as a compelling new voice in atmospheric post-metal via its self-titled debut on Hydra Head.  A collaborative album with "shoegaze-metal" duo Nadja followed in 2009, and now R. Loren has debuted the first of two new solo projects — due in successive weeks — that each feature small armies of standout guests.

Sailors with Wax Wings is the first of the two, featuring members of Swans, Krallice, Nadja, and Current 93 as well as solo artists such as James Blackshaw and Marissa Nadler.  Though a few contributions seem larger than the rest — notably the guitar presence of Colin Marston (Krallice) and Aidan Baker (Nadja) — nearly all blend into the greater aesthetic.

When combined, the contributions create noisy, fuzzy post-rock/metal with cavernous drum hits and epic qualities, reflecting influence from bands such as Godspeed! You Black Emperor and Mono.  In addition to his "textures," Loren is responsible for droning, echoing vocals, most of which float in and out like another instrument.

The second new project, White Moth, has a few similar characteristics, but it's much more electronic and varies more from track to track, featuring a few digital-hardcore tracks, an improvised sax solo, and a guest rap.  Check back next week for more on that.

Marnie Stern: s/t (Kill Rock Stars)

Marnie Stern: "For Ash"

In 2007, Marnie Stern broke on the scene with a debut that marked her as one of rock's most shred-worthy female guitarists.  The album, In Advance of the Broken Arm, also drew in listeners with her quirky vocals and the wild beats of Hella drummer Zach Hill, who has recorded in Stern's band since.

Like In Advance of the Broken Arm and its successor (This Is It…), Marnie Stern is a dizzying mix of rapid-fire finger tapping, Stern's falsettos, and some of Hill's most straightforward (yet untamed) beats.

This junior release is a bit more direct, however, and a few more of the freewheeling high-string riffs are underpinned by single power chords.  This isn't a new dynamic, but it's emphasized more, and Stern doesn't follow those high notes with her vocals as often.

Frankly, the material on Marnie Stern could fit on any of her three releases, but each album has gotten a little closer to perfecting Stern's style.  This one is as good as any to be introduced to her.

Dark Dark Dark: Wild Go (Supply & Demand)

Dark Dark Dark: "Daydreaming"

The vocal- and piano-driven chamber folk of Dark Dark Dark deftly balances commanding harmonies and melancholy melodies. The sextet’s music is beautiful and potent, but each tune has the potential to break hearts. (Think of a musical place between the dense indie folk of Mirah and the haunting sounds of The Black Heart Procession.)

Wild Go, the band’s second full-length, is another stunner, expanding on the instrumentation and breadth of The Snow Magic, the group's debut LP.  Led by multi-instrumentalists/singers Nona Marie Invie and Marshall LaCount, Dark Dark Dark uses Wild Go to flesh out the direction of Bright Bright Bright, an EP that was released in March.

Invie's vocals are particularly powerful, but they couldn't achieve what they do without the group's backing vocals or its variety of sounds, including piano, upright bass, accordion, banjo, and guitar.  According to Invie, it's Dark Dark Dark's most personal and open material — but regardless, it's the band's best.

Shad: TSOL (Black Box / Decon)

Shad: "Yaa I Get It"

Born in Kenya of Rwandan parents, hip-hop artist Shadrach Kabango — better known as Shad — was raised in London, Ontario, where he has attained quite a deal of success on the Canadian charts.  (His second album, The Old Prince, was nominated for Juno Award and a Polaris Music Prize, and TSOL — originally released in May — got as high as 24th on the Canadian Albums Chart.)

TSOL, now available in the USA, is Shad's third full-length album.  His vocal style exudes a bit of a Kanye West vibe, but his delivery and rhyme scheme also are reminiscent of P.O.S — who put out one of the best hip-hop albums of 2009.

Many of Shad's rhymes are lighthearted and reference anything from Kindergarten Cop to lychee bubble tea, but occasionally he references serious topics such as the Rwandan genocide and Obama haters.  And though one of his tracks falls victim to "I'm a great rapper" syndrome — the single "Yaa I Get It" — it's also one of TSOL's hardest-hitting and best tracks.

Many songs lean heavily on soul samples — particularly the first non-intro track, "Rose Garden," Shad's remix of / take on the Lynn Anderson song of the same name.  Cuts of soulful strings and horns are all over TSOL, partnering with a few scratches, electronics, and solid if unspectacular beats for Shad's rap verses and some sung/synthesized vocal choruses.

TSOL has similarities with some of the better radio rappers of the USA — Common, Mos Def, Talib Kweli — but Shad goes toe to toe and delivers another album with some indie appeal.

Honorable Mentions

Clinic: Bubblegum (Domino)

Alain Johannes: Spark (Ipecac)

Mark McGuire: Living with Yourself (Editions Mego)

Mary Halvorson Quintet: Saturn Sings (Firehouse 12)

MiM0SA: Silver Lining (Muti Music)

Soars: s/t (La Société Expéditionnaire)

Tricky: Mixed Race (Domino)

Tom Zé: Estudando a Bossa (Luaka Bop)

As Helen Money, Chicago-based cellist Alison Chesley transforms a commonly known classical instrument into a mighty weapon for composing and arranging furious one-woman rock concertos. But unlike the explosive and menacing songs on her second album, In Tune, Chesley is unassuming in person, speaking softly in the basement chill-out room at the Empty Bottle in Chicago before performing later that evening.

The subterranean location seems fitting, considering Chesley’s ability to push the sonic boundaries of the cello and journey to the depths of the heart and mind. “I want to make the cello sound like anything but a cello,” she says. “I’m looking for that one feeling, and then I dig in and see what I can discover. I love that dark sound and going to a serious place where I can work with darker emotions. I have to feel what I’m playing.”

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Chesley became a cellist serendipitously. “In grade school, I had to pick an instrument for a part of a public-school music program,” she says. “I can’t remember exactly why, but I ended up picking the cello.

"Then I remember my dad buying me Antonin Dvorak’s Cello Concerto in B Minor. That’s probably one of the best cello pieces ever written, and I still don’t know how he knew to pick that out. I listened to that Dvorak recording over and over. Eventually, I came to love the midrange sound of the cello, and it’s unique from all instruments because it’s most similar to human voice. It hits you right in the chest.”

As she grew up, Chesley continued to mix in varied musical influences like the music of pop star Shaun Cassidy. But it was the epic rock of The Who and SST punk bands such as The Minutemen (which she covers on In Tune with “A Political Song for Michael Jackson to Sing”) that formed the nucleus for the style of aggressive rock-based and minimalist cello that she wanted to play.

In 1994, Chesley came to Chicago to study for her master’s in cello performance at Northwestern University. She met fellow musician Jason Narducy, with whom she eventually formed alternative-rock band Verbow. After recording two albums with Verbow, Chesley left the band in 2001 to embark on a solo career.

In addition to Helen Money, Chesley works as a composer, arranger, and instructor for Chicago’s Old Town School of Folk Music. “I love teaching at the Old Town School of Folk Music,” she says. “I had a student with multiple sclerosis who wanted to learn to play cello, and it was inspiring to see that type of determination from a student, because it makes me appreciate my gift and think back to when I was a kid and I used to hide in the backyard when I didn’t want to practice my cello.”

Chesley also composes for theater and film productions and has leant her talents to bands including Disturbed, Anthrax, Mono, and Russian Circles. Chesley says that creating music for other projects is “more about the dance,” where she focuses on complementing, enhancing, or responding to visual elements like actors or sets in theater or film.

The challenges change when it comes to her own music, where it’s up to her to decide where she takes the mood of a piece. “As Helen Money, I try to present an idea, tell a complete story, and have structure,” she says. “When I left Verbow, I wasn’t really interested in playing pretty cello. I didn’t want to be just a string player in a band. I had gotten to the point where I didn’t want to play with anyone because I was really curious to see if I could write and perform on my own. I also wanted to challenge myself to see if I could create a whole cohesive piece.”

The first Helen Money record, a self-titled album that she released in 2007, was about discovery. “I was thinking more along the lines of Bob Mould’s Workbook,” Chesley says. “So over time I added effects pedals and took the aggressive cello I was playing with Verbow to a different level.”

As for her sophomore album, Chesley says that she pushed herself to develop an idea. “I recorded my first album live, but when I started recording In Tune,I had just started working with Pro Tools,” she says. “I wanted to see if I could get away from relying on my loop stations’ pedals and worry about how to pull it off live later.”

For In Tune, Chesley took a different approach to recording. Working with engineer Greg Norman (Pelican, Russian Circles, Neurosis), she was presented with new challenges in the studio. “Once of the things I was cautious of when recording on tape was to figure out how to play things from beginning to end,” she says.

“Learning that was difficult. When I screwed something up, I wasn’t sure if I could do that again. But Greg helped by telling me to just get one good take, not four or five. Working like that in the studio was hard, but it allowed me to learn to be okay with mistakes, and I’m glad I did it that way.”

That edge and struggle can be felt on the album. Her placements of percussive plucks and violent pushes and pulls of the bow back and forth across the strings immerse the listener in songs that are rigid and gritty, sleek and graceful. It’s a jagged juxtaposition of metal textures and rock rhythms that’s terrifying as much as it is tender and vulnerable.

For example, as inspiration for her song “Untilted,” Chesley explains, “I was listening to John Coltrane’s ‘Alabama.’ I knew that song was about the girls who died in a bombing during the civil-rights struggle in the ’60s. I love that song because it’s so naked. Coltrane evoked a strong feeling. I wanted to do the same thing in the middle section of ‘Untitled.’ On all my songs, I’m searching for a feeling or a sound more than melody because I’m not very good at writing melody."

“And that feeling is usually dark,” Chesley adds, “because I’m not scared to explore the darker emotions. I don’t mind being in a dark places. I don’t know why that is. For some reason, I don’t like music that you have to think about to appreciate. I’m hesitant to listen to albums like that. I like the rawness and immediacy of music that hits you quickly.”

Chesley wrestled with artistic uncertainty during the recording of In Tune and as she prepared to tour. “There’s so much music out there now that it’s easy to ask yourself ask yourself, ‘Why am I doing this? Why would anyone listen to my music?’” she says. “There are so many good musicians today that you really have to believe in yourself and be confident even when you have doubt.

"For me, I realized that if I’m not playing my cello or writing, then I’m not really happy and I get depressed. Being aware of this makes me realize that I should be making music even when I’m struggling with the fear that nobody will want to hear my music. Sometimes I play cello just for my own emotional health or to sort things out.”

Listening to Chesley work out her struggles and express herself on record is only part of the equation. Experiencing Helen Money live adds completeness to her albums. But after two years of performing on her own, Chesley feels that she is coming to the limits of what she can do on stage solo.

“I feel self-contained when I’m on stage,” she says. “I don’t move around a lot. It feels sparse. I like that I’m intimately connecting with the audience, but I’m hoping to make it a bit more epic. I’d like to play and share the stage with other musicians too. It’s a lot to deal with everything yourself, like driving to the venue, dealing with other bands when someone tries to move me up on the bill, and when things like my effects pedals don’t work right. At times like those, I really need to rely on another band member.”

Even so, Chesley’s solo performance that evening at the Empty Bottle erupted with power and strength, filling the venue with an undeniable force. Chesley’s performance was raw, naked, and revealing, and it provides inspiration by showing how a cello can rock, roar, and growl gorgeously when in the hands of Helen Money.

Website
Myspace
Facebook

Solex vs. Cristina Martinez + Jon Spencer: Amsterdam Throwdown, King Street Showdown! (BronzeRat)

Dutch electro artist Elisabeth Esselink keeps a relatively low profile for holding some serious sampling skills (which have been documented on a few Matador releases).

Known as Solex, Esselink now releases her first album in five years, and it's a doozy. Featuring the husband/wife team of Jon Spencer and Christina Martinez (ex-Boss Hog), Amsterdam Throwdown… is a spacey, funky, groovy disc of fun jams.

The grooves are supported by bangin' beats and assorted instrumental accents — strings, horns, acoustic and dirty guitars, and much more. Lighthearted vocal interplay trades off with spoken-word passages and Spencer's trademark "dirtbag" sound.

Amsterdam Throwdown… seems destined to fly under the radar, which would be criminal. Check this out.

Solex vs. Christina Martinez + Jon Spencer: "Galaxy Man"
Solex vs. Christina Martinez + Jon Spencer: \"Galaxy Man\"

Tim Fite: Under the Table Tennis

Multi-instrumentalist rapper/singer Tim Fite, who has been making unclassifiable collage-rock records for the past six years, uses his latest free digital album to deal directly with the recession, defaulted mortgage loans, inadequate healthcare, and bailouts.

Anyone familiar with Fite's style will instantly recognize and appreciate Under the Table Tennis (another great title à la Over the Counter Culture), but new styles flash in and out of the melting pot — despondent Western motifs, French pop, reggae, and "crunk metal" akin to Otto Von Schirach.

Under the Table Tennis succeeds in its ability to make the listener understand the emotional landscape of an American recession far better than any news report or Time article can. And if that weren't enough, it's another fantastic patchwork of styles.

Tim Fite: "Someone Threw the Baby Out"
Tim Fite: \"Someone Threw the Baby Out\"

The Claudia Quintet: Royal Toast (Cuneiform)

Jazz holds a strong lineage of drummers who double as bandleaders. Still, the practice isn't as commonplace as one would imagine, and New York's John Hollenbeck is at the top of a short list of great drummer-composers.

Hollenbeck has won Grammys, but his music is far from the type of smooth-jazz sounds that are conjured by that factoid. Rather, he leads a number of ensembles — including his magnificent Large Ensemble — through challenging polyrhythmic works.

The Claudia Quintet is Hollenbeck's "band," a five-piece regular cast that, for this release, features the intricate piano work of Gary Versace. The result is another album of circuitous jazz pieces that entice listeners with wandering accordion and tinges of minimalist classical via vibraphone.

The Claudia Quintet with Gary Versace: "Sphinx"
The Claudia Quintet: \"Sphinx\"

Under Byen: Alt Er Tabt (Paper Bag)

Turning 15 this year, Danish post-rock ensemble Under Byen celebrates its crystal anniversary with a few new members and its first studio album since 2006.

Of course, as so often is the case, the "post-rock" descriptor doesn't necessarily fit here, although that's primary because it has been used to describe such a wide variety of styles. Alt Er Tabt is closer to chamber pop than rock, although it does have a few elements in common with bands like Mono that incorporate strings to great effect.

Behind Henriette Sennenvaldt's breathy vocals, ascending scales on pizzicato strings work over 4/4 beats to create simple, catchy polyrhythms. Chants, synthesizers, and Eastern influences weave around basic bass lines, allowing listeners to be rapt by the band's clever beauty.

Under Byen: "Alt Er Tabt"
Under Byen: \"Alt Er Tabt\"

Honorable Mentions

Fight the Big Bull: All is Gladness in the Kingdom (Clean Feed)

Harvey Milk: A Small Turn of Human Kindness (Hydra Head)

Jamie Lidell: Compass (Warp)

Pontiak: Living (Thrill Jockey)

Cleric: Regressions (Mimicry)

Ultimate annihilation, the end times, post-apocalyptic Earth — these are worn-out visual clichés, but ones that apply to the devastating music of Cleric.

For its full-length debut, this Philadelphia quartet specializes in demolishing tech-metal eruptions, savage math breakdowns, and grindcore blasts that give way to doom dirges, sinister atmospherics, nightmarish vocal distortions, and even the stray melody and piano line.

With nary a repeated passage and most major pieces measuring more than 10 minutes, Regressions sounds like a personalized soundtrack to death. Each track is meticulously arranged, and though it very much is for fans of musical complexity, the album has enough head-banging potential to ensnare lovers of "regular" metal. Undoubtedly, Cleric's music isn't quite like anything else.

Cleric: "A Rush of Blood"
Cleric: \"A Rush of Blood\"

My Education: Sunrise (Strange Attractors Audio House)

The name of German director F.W. Murnau is most synonymous with Nosferatu, the classic 1922 silent film that lost a lawsuit for copyright infringement of Bram Stoker's Dracula. Just as crucial to his legacy, however, was his work on Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans, a co-recipient of Best Picture at the first Academy Awards in 1929.

Nosferatu has been the frequent subject of live scoring — rather recently by Tortoise too — but Sunrise doesn't receive the musical accompaniment as often.

Now enter My Education, an Austin quintet whose dramatic and dense brand of instrumental post-rock is noteworthy for its exquisite harmonies and use of strings. Sunrise is the band's homage to Murnau's Oscar winner, woven together over two years of live presentation.

Combining a traditional rock lineup with viola, cello, and vibraphone, My Education captivates with flares of tension and scrupulous melodies. "Sunset" and its reprise "Sunrise" are chamber-infused duels of harmonies that are interwoven with acoustic guitar and tuba.

Sunrise's most powerful and dynamic effort, "Oars," comes after a few more tracks of post-rock bliss that is evocative of Dirty Three, Grails, and Tortoise. The track's hiccuping, quick-twitch beats create a head-nodding background for swirling guitars and more shining string harmonies.

My Education: "Oars"
My Education: \"Oars\"

Grand Valley State University New Music Ensemble / Terry Riley: In C (Ghostly International)

As one of the premier names in minimalist classical composition, Terry Riley has influenced and worked with key figures such as Steve Reich, John Adams, Philip Glass, and Morton Subotnick. His landmark piece, In C, wasn't a traditional composition but rather a series of 53 modules that hold different patterns and instructions.

Its hypnotic repetition and varied interpretations have led to countless performances and recordings by dozens of different ensembles and bands. The latest to take the mantle is the Grand Valley State University New Music Ensemble, a 16-piece Michigan group that recorded In C early last year for a daring remix album, featuring contributions from Glenn Kotche, Nico Muhly, DJ Spooky, Daniel Bernard Roumain, and a dozen others.

This particular release is a live recording of the New Music Ensemble working through the landmark piece with electronic producer/composer Dennis DeSantis on laptop and effects. By and large, their rendition is one of traditional instrumentation, with strings, woodwinds, percussion, and the familiar marimba pulse swelling and retreating.

DeSantis, however, adds IDM elements three-quarters of the way through, infusing the piece with electronic life. The result is an interpretation that pays fierce tribute to the original yet is a brand-new way to experience In C.

The Grand Valley State University New Music Ensemble: "In C" (excerpt)
Grand Valley State University New Music Ensemble: \"In C\"

Devastations: s/t (Brassland)

Following success early last decade in their homeland, these Australian natives migrated to Europe and exposed the Western world to their somber brand of alt-rock, goth, and neofolk.

The trio's fourth but self-titled effort finds Devastations stripping back its rock elements even more, focusing on Americana sounds and baritone crooning. The album remains peppered with Nick Cave-style rockers, such as "Loene," that rely on medium-gain guitars and Hammond organ.

However, like Cave's endeavors with Dirty Three violinist Warren Ellis, it seems that Devastations' trajectory — at least incrementally — is toward softer songs that are built on acoustic guitar and piano.

Devastations: "Previous Crimes"
Devastations: \"Previous Crimes\"

Bushman's Revenge: Jitterbug (Rune Grammofon)

Norwegian guitarist Even Helte Hermansen, no longer a part of prog-industrial countrymen Shining, has focused on the power-trio ferocity of Bushman's Revenge.

His effortless talents, ranging from Hendrix-style psych rock to heavy-jam improvs befitting Nels Cline, make the far-reaching band a potent yet enchanting experience. Jitterbug is the trio's third album, released just a year after You Lost Me at Hello, and it reveals a band manifesting its talents into an ever-more-cohesive mix.

Honorable Mentions

Balkan Beat Box: Blue Eyed Black Boy (Nat Geo Music)

Frog Eyes: Paul's Tomb: A Triumph (Dead Oceans)

Gogol Bordello: Trans-Continental Hustle (Columbia)

Mike Reed’s People, Places & Things: Stories & Negotiations (482 Music)

Mono: Holy Ground: NYC Live with The Wordless Music Orchestra (Temporary Residence)

In Tune is the second solo release by cellist Alison Chesley, a founding member of Verbow who has appeared as a guest on albums by Mono, Anthrax, Broken Social Scene, and others.

Like the first, self-titled Helen Money album, In Tune is a collection of minimalist, a-percussive creations that excel through overdubbed harmonies, dirty rock effects, and brooding melodies.

An absence of accompaniment leaves the focus on Chesley, who continues finding her voice as a solo artist. The songs on In Tune are darker, fuzzier, and well balanced. With the high-quality engineering of Steve Albini’s Electrical Audio, In Tune reflects an original rock cellist who is reinventing her musical career.

Honorable mentions:

Vladimir Horowitz: Complete Original Jacket Collection box set (Sony Classics)
Mi Ami: Cut Men 12" (Thrill Jockey)
Nadja: Belles Betes (Beta-Lactam Ring)
Trans Am: What Day is it Tonight? live 2xLP (Thrill Jockey)

Crippled Black Phoenix @ Beat Kitchen (Chicago)

Counting Portishead's Geoff Barrow among its many past and present contributors, the United Kingdom's Crippled Black Phoenix creates what have been dubbed "endtime ballads."

The sound is one of dark folk with dirty guitars, ominous effects, diversified vocals, and countless guest electro/acoustic contributions, leaning on the multi-instrumental prowess of Justin Greaves (former drummer of Electric Wizard).  Imagine Mono, the Black Heart Procession, Rachel's, Godspeed! You Black Emperor, and a tiny touch of Isis being swirled together.

Saturday, April 4

Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey @ House of Blues Back Porch Stage (Chicago)

Combining elements of jazz, groove, rock, classical, and electronic music, Tulsa’s Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey presents a style of nü-jazz often associated with groups like Norway’s Jaga Jazzist. Yet the group's sound remains highly unique, and now JFJO tours in support of Winterwood, its great new album that can be downloaded for free and that marked the final recording with long-time member Reed Mathis.

Sunday, April 5

Pelican, Tombs @ The Empty Bottle (Chicago)

A month and a half removed from the release of Winter Hours, its brutal new album, Tombs finishes a tour with some dates through the Midwest.  The Brooklyn trio continues touring with Pelican, dirge metallists who hail from Chicago.  Expect a lot of pummeling mid-tempo riffs and half-time breakdowns.

Mono

On the verge of its 10th anniversary, Japanese post-rockers Mono issue their first album in three years, and like its predecessor, Hymn to the Immortal Wind was recorded by Steve Albini at his Electrical Audio studio, resulting in a grand sound that showcases the group's epic sound. Complementary instruments make the minor-key material that much more beautiful, including glockenspiel and strings on the nearly 12-minute opener "Ashes in the Snow."

A virtual orchestra appears over the course of the album, which holds two dozen string players and two guest flutists. The main quartet handles organ, harpsicord, tympani, and piano in addition to the glockenspiel and its original instruments, creating a majestic sound that is well worth the three-year wait.

Mono: "Ashes in the Snow"
Mono: \"Ashes in the Snow\"

Dan Deacon: Bromst (Carpark)

Coming as the next logical step in Deacon's sonic evolution, Bromst finds electro-spazz surrounding his trademark whirring synthesizers and warbling alien-esque vocals with beautiful flourishes of organic instrumentation.

"Snookered" combines the older elements with pretty glockenspiel melodies, chopped vocal bits, and traces of real singing. "Of the Mountains" throws live drums under mounting buzzes and chants, and a lively marimba part steals the show on "Baltihorse."

Being joined by a large-scale percussion/synth/guitar ensemble for his upcoming tour, Deacon may define the rest of his career with Bromst and its resultant live performances.

Mastodon: Crack the Skye (Warner Bros.)

Possibly the best Mastodon album since Remission, the loosely themed Crack the Skye finds one of metal's biggest names branching out ever so slightly. A banjo briefly introduces "Divinations," newfound vocal harmonies appear on "Oblivion," and "The Czar" is an epic four-movement affair.

The album is one of the group's most accessible works, but the big riffs remains and Crack the Skye's psych-metal sounds tie them together nicely.  Though melodramatic vocals are splashed over too many good stand-alone riffs, there's just enough of the group's old-school gruffness to atone.

(MF) Doom: Born Like This (Lex)

Dropping his "MF" prefix, incomparable rapper and Marvel-inspired supervillain Doom prepares a disc full of two-minute hip-hop masterpieces for his newest solo album.

Like hip-hop brethren Madlib and J Dilla, Doom often grows tired of five-minute snooze fests, so he keeps most tracks short on this 17-tune affair. And like any Doom-related release, Born Like This features a nearly impenetrable wall of rhymes and flow, dizzying listeners with his ever-shifting, slowly delivered lyrics.

"That's That," one of the album's "singles," stands out with a vibratoed string loop and a bit of Doom "singing," and "Cellz" is the absolute highlight — using the Charles Bukowski poem "Dinosauria, We" with the author's narration of the world's depressing reality and a post-apocalyptic future.

Clark: Growl's Garden EP (Warp)

After whittling his engaging IDM soundscapes to focused dance tunes midway through this decade, English electronic artist Chris Clark went only by his surname and issued two more full-length discs on Warp. The newer sound isn't as ornate as that of 2003 album Empty the Bones of You, but it more aptly fits the designation "intelligent dance music."

Growl's Garden keeps Clark in line with his last few releases, but a few melodic moments recall the older sound. It also pushes forward a bit with cut-up vocals on "Gonk Roughage" and computerized vocals that are sung/spoken on the title track.