Doomtree: No Kings (Doomtree)

Doomtree: "The Grand Experiment"

Moving from a high-school clique to a crew and record label was a natural transition for the Minneapolis-based Doomtree collective. Over just a few years, the unlikely “family” unit went from trading beats at Hopkins High to producing albums, organizing tours, and throwing the annual Doomtree Blowout, all with a small but mighty lineup.

The label’s foundation was built on the wings of impassioned, down-to-earth MCs P.O.S and Sims, hybrid rapper/songstress Dessa, multifaceted instrumentalist Paper Tiger, and nostalgic storyteller Cecil Otter, but the seven-member collective soon demonstrated its cohesiveness as a group. No Kings is Doomtree’s third studio album, and though it maintains a playful demeanor, it’s the most diverse and mature of the three.

From track to track, the different flavors and personalities of each member come through in their own ways. "Bolt Cutter," the album's second single, features four MCs (including both rhymes and vocal melodies by Dessa) and a spate of production values, shifting from a minimalist tom beat and bass line to electro-hop synths to piano and acoustic-guitar melodies — before it all layers together and adds a deep electronic groove. But no matter its style, the production is on point.

No Kings also celebrates the start of Doomtree’s second decade together. More importantly, it maintains the balance that makes such a large collaboration work, both as a group and as a business.

- Text by Portia Medina and Scott Morrow.

Calexico: Road Atlas 1998–2011 limited-edition vinyl box set and Selections from Road Atlas 1998–2011 CD (Quarterstick)

Calexico: "Griptape"

In their 15 years as a band, Calexico’s Joey Burns and John Convertino have built their music around being on the road. It’s as evident in their thematic lyrics as it is in their sound — which, though it’s been described as Southwestern or “desert noir,” really can’t be pinned to one region. The two have drawn musical influences from around the globe because that’s exactly where they’ve been.

With Road Atlas, Calexico compiles eight of its off-the-map recordings from the past 13 years, including live sets and self-released tour albums. Selections from Road Atlas is its mini-edition, combining those live cuts, exclusively available tracks, and film-score vignettes.

Latin American influences exist throughout, especially in the musical snippets from the documentary Circo and several other tunes with Mariachi-tinged guitars. But there's also plenty of the band's balladry ("Griptape") to go with lap-steel guitar swells ("All the Pretty Horses"), Italian Western motifs ("Glowing Heart of the World"), and jazzy post-rock ("Cachaça").

In a sense, the band has mapped out the detours in its history, taking listeners to places where few have been.

- Text by Meaghann Korbel and Lauren Zens.

Dimlite: Grimm Reality (Now-Again / Stones Throw)

Dimlite: "New Better Pain"

Despite drawing some similarities to outside-the-box producers such as Flying Lotus, Daedelus, and Hudson Mohawke, Dimlite falls into an altogether different category of electronic producer. The man behind the beats, melodies, and overall strangeness is Swiss musician Dimitri Grimm, also known as Misel Quitno and one half of The Slapped Eyeballers, who has made a habit of producing indescribable (and sample-free) blends of hip hop, kraut rock, funk, and electronic pastiche.

Grimm Reality, Grimm's third full-length as Dimlite, combines some of the trademarks of his alter-egos, fusing some of the minimalist loops and worldly timbres to bass and beats. Whirring electronics, simple bass licks, and sputtering beats contrast with Soul Train funk and grooves, which then are paired with spiraling lasers or wonky rhythms behind psychedelic reverb. Though it sounds like a mess, most songs have a harmonious (if confusing) appeal.

Vocals emerge intermittently on nearly every track in the form of bizarre utterances, and in most instances, these cuts of laughter and speaking are distorted in pitch or tempo. Although the spacey electronics exist throughout the album’s entirety, traditional sounds appear on and off, including a piano, viola, and heavier use of bass guitar. What comes next from Mr. Grimm is anybody's guess.

- Text by Lauren Zens.

Honorable Mentions

Beaten by Them: People Start Listening EP

Boris: New Album (Sargent House)

Kate Bush: 50 Words for Snow (Anti-)

Coalesce: Give Them Rope 2xCD reissue (Relapse / No Sleep)

Chris Cornell: Songbook (Universal)

Pyramids / Horseback: A Throne Without a King (Hydra Head)

Rikki Ililonga & Music-O-Tunya: Dark Sunrise (Now-Again, 11/23/10)

Musi-O-Tunya: "Dark Sunrise"

Gritty garage-rock grooves from mid-'70s Zambia comprise Now-Again Records' latest release, Dark Sunrise, the double-disc (or three-LP box set), 31-track chronicle of Zambian “Zam Rock” godfather Rizketo Makyua “Rikki” Ililonga and his groundbreaking band Musi-O-Tunya.

The anthology fits Now-Again’s current obsession with Zambia’s 1970s music scene, whose landmark bands WITCH and Amanaz have seen record reissues from the specialized global funk label. But after one listen to the killer rock grooves from Dark Sunrise, with its furious fusion of US/UK/African rhythmic dynamics, fuzzed-out electric guitars, and hypnotic brass sections, audiences will come to understand why the obsession is exceptionally reasonable, if not completely necessary.

The anthology spans three crucial years chronicling Musi-O-Tunya’s debut album, Wings of Africa, which is known to be Zambia’s first-ever psychedelic rock release. Also containing rare 7” singles (only available on the CD package) from the band, the comp goes on to follow Ililonga’s prolific solo career in its beginning stages, with a focus on two albums:  Zambia and Sunshine Love.

By the mid-1970s, the Republic of Zambia was much like its neighbors; liberation was met with new challenges concerning one-party rule, and the economy was largely dependent on foreign skill sets. The country fell on hard times as an already high poverty rate was made worse after the price of copper, Zambia’s principal export, suffered a worldwide decline. The dire backdrop set the scene for Zambia to develop a kind of music that gravitated towards the harder and darker side of funk and rock.

The genre of “Zam Rock” takes influence from the some 70,000 Europeans who called Zambia home at the time of independence in 1964. In addition, Zambia’s national radio station proved to be highly influential on Zambian musicians; most of its content was Western records that were most likely American and British imports.

Musi-O-Tunya’s combined aesthetic of rock and traditional African rhythms led to the coinage of the “Zam Rock” label. Wings of Africa marked the first pop music independently released in Zambia.  It was also quite an experimental time in Ililonga’s career, making the band’s early recordings run a wide range of rhythms and moods.

The anthology actually works somewhat retroactively, beginning with the last recording that Ililonga did with the band, “Tsegulani,” followed by Wings of Africa in its entirety, and ending with some raw, rare singles from the band's first recording sessions in Kenya in 1973. In these early stages, Musi-O-Tunya’s musical vision sought to take rock and soul’s signature 4/4 backdrop and replace it with African rhythmic flourishes. Tracks like “Mpondolo” borrow Congolese rhythms — with their fusion of Afro-Cuban congas and bongos — and overlay everything with fuzzy electric guitar. In many ways, "Mpondolo" is a track that is more African than anything else: it has a sweet, driving melody, it’s extremely repetitive, and it contains an intrinsic Afrobeat feel.

Especially from those early recordings, we see Ililonga’s experimental solo career in the making. “Jekete Yamankowa Pt. 1” sounds extremely adventurous for the time period — a defiant garage-rock offering with a Zambian call-and-response twist. Early recordings like “Mpulua” and “Smoke” are filled with beautiful moments of inventive fusions, anthemic in scope, and inspirational in melodic delivery and vocal dynamics.

“Dark Sunrise,” however, best foreshadows the music that Ililonga would go on to make during his solo career. It’s easily the heaviest Musi-O-Tunya track on the anthology, with a growling guitar riff that transforms into an extended, psychedelic Jimi Hendrix-esque blues solo. Even the alto saxophone sounds smoky.

For his solo material, Ililonga unleashes melancholic, brooding, and introspective versions of Western genres. “Sheebeen Queen” and “The Queen Blues” take an American-style folk stance in the vein of Bob Dylan. The dark, brooding personality of “Stop Dreaming, Mr. D” can be heard as the African equivalent to Dylan’s “Ballad of a Thin Man.” Mr. D and Mr. Jones are essentially the same protagonist, dealing with conventions of identity and reality.  “Lovely Woman” and the highly sexualized track “The Hole” take on driving bass lines and fuzzy guitar rhythms, channeling the funky, raw energy of James Brown.

There are also songs that are so surprising in influence that they make you wonder how a sound could not only reach Zambia but also catch Ililonga’s ear.  “Sunshine Love” sounds like Lou Reed had a hand in its creation. With its folk-inflected guitar riff and nonchalant vocal performance, it might as well be a  lost Velvet Underground single. Then there are tracks like “The Nature of Man” and “Se Keel Me Queek” that recall quirky, progressive pop, much like David Bowie.

From the Ililonga perspective, Dark Sunrise is a fascinating snapshot of Zambia’s 1970s music scene. A project overseen by Stones Throw general manager Eothen Alapatt in conjunction with Ililonga himself, the anthology is one of the most accomplished undertakings from Now-Again. Not only is this a much-deserved testament to the level of musicianship in Zambia, but Dark Sunrise gives listeners a first glimpse of the global sound in Africa.  Ililonga was a musician way ahead of his time, and it’s almost unbelievable to think how long it took his music to reach the masses.

Living Legends' MURS and Atmosphere's Slug are two stylized MCs who are best known for their regular gigs. However, this third installment of Felt, a side project begun in 2002, undoubtedly is their best collaboration — and may contend with their other top releases.

Produced by Aesop Rock, Felt 3 is the duo's third tribute to a second-rate actress. Rosie Perez receives the titular honor this time, joined by Kevin Spacey and Paul Reubens (in song titles) and succeeding homages to Christina Ricci and Lisa Bonet.

With 21 tracks, A Tribute to Rosie Perez exemplifies the commitment that MURS and Slug have made to this project — one that could stand on its own as an A-list attraction.

Felt: "Protagonists"
Felt: \"Protagonists\"

Beak>: s/t (Ipecac)

Spearheaded by Portishead producer Geoff Barrow, Beak> is a new project that finds the multi-instrumentalist out of his element, working with studio bassist Billy Fuller (Fuzz Against Junk) and renaissance man Matt Williams (Team Brick) in a live-band setting.

Overdubs are eschewed on this self-titled debut, one that presents minimalist rhythm-section jams that achieve a moodiness and ambience without extra tracking. Hooky synth and bass grooves surround sampled and vocal atmospherics to create a diverse down-tempo disc.

The entire album was written over the course of a 12-hour session. That fact is easily discernible upon hearing this, but this self-titled debut is still well worth checking out.

Beak>: "Backwell"
Beak>: \"Backwell\"

Honorable mentions:

Blockhead: The Music Scene (Ninja Tune)
Underworld vs. The Misterons: Athens (compilation, !K7)
V/A: Forge Your Own Chains / Heavy Psychedelic Ballads and Dirges, 1968-1974 (reissue, Now-Again)

Lymbyc Systym: Shutter Release (Mush)

Brothers Jared and Mike Bell have kept busy since 2007, releasing their heavily layered electro-acoustic jams on two full-length albums, a remix album, a re-released debut EP, and a split EP with This Will Destroy You.

With Shutter Release, the two showcase their continued musical development, laying tape to a new set of densely packed, melodically driven creations that lean on reappearing refrains and crescendos.

The album opens with a circular, cascading beat that gives way to one of the album's most noted additions — a clean-channel electric guitar that presents the first of innumerable melodies to follow. A glockenspiel and synthesizers join, and soon the duo's familiar brand of post-rock is in full effect.

Shutter Release succeeds with the familiar, but it expands Lymbyc Systym's catalog with mellow moments and does well to capture its live energy. Don't sleep on this release.

Mr. Chop: For Pete's Sake (Now-Again)

Coz Littler, also known as the multi-instrumentalist producer Mr. Chop, has begun making a name for himself in the States with an EP on Stones Throw and production work on MF Doom's Born Like This.

Littler can handle most of his albums' instrumentation by himself, but for his newest release, he again calls upon more studio vets for funky, jazzy, effects-fueled renditions of the beats and productions of critically acclaimed producer Pete Rock.

For Pete's Sake stands on its own as a funky good time, but for those familiar with Rock's catalog, it should prove to be doubly enjoyable.

Nile: Those Whom the Gods Detest (Nuclear Blast)

On the heels of a haunting solo album, cultural fusionist and guitarist Karl Sanders leads a new album from Nile, his extreme metal quartet with influence from ancient Egyptian themes and imagery.

A traditional Middle Eastern vocal passage makes a strange (but effective) complement to an otherwise brutal, shredding opener, but much of Those Whom the Gods Detest consists of Nile's relentless guitar fury, blazing double bass, vocal ferocity, and slowly churning chugs.

Beginning with more of Sanders' worldly influence, the title track shortly transforms to a harrowing assault of lightning-fast riffs and blast beats before working to an epic chorus. Ultimately, the track vies for title of the album's best, and it comes to typify the stylistic convergence that has separated Nile for the past 15 years.

Honorable mentions:

Bill Frisell: Good Dog, Happy Man reissue (2xLP + bonus CD, Nonesuch)
The Gift of Gab: Escape 2 Mars (Cornerstone RAS)
Lateef the Truthspeaker: Truth is Love (Dread Piper Sounds)
Nirvana: Bleach deluxe edition (Sub Pop)
Rita J: Artist Workshop (All Natural)