Bill Frisell

Jazz guitarist Bill Frisell has left an indelible mark on the genre since the early 1980s, and in the process, crossed into Americana, country, blues, experimental rock, classical and more.

He has worked with artists as diametrically different as drummer Paul Motian and doom-drone group Earth, and this release finds him scoring the 2007 film All Hat with a beautiful country-Western soundtrack that leans on pedal steel, harmonica, and Frisell's sublime melodies.

Skeletonbreath: Eagle's Nest, Devil's Cave (Ernest Jenning)

The fiery fiddle of O'Death violinist Robert Pycior leads Skeletonbreath, a trio that combines Pycior's strings with the low-end rumble and punishing, straightforward rhythms of mid-'90s alt-rock.

Pycior's violin work combines progressive rock leads with discordant keys, neoclassical melodies, and worldly flavor.  Andrew Platt's bass rumbles with the force of Shellac or The Jesus Lizard, and Tris Palazzolo's drums thud with urgent ferocity.  The trio's mixture is unlike almost anything else, and this comes highly recommended.

Nicole Mitchell's Black Earth Strings: Renegades (Delmark)

Composer/flutist Nicole Mitchell holds rare talents, composing her own brilliant works and contributing to many masterful discs that include works from Exploding Star Orchestra, Frequency, Indigo Trio, and more.

As a smaller incarnation of her Black Earth Ensemble, Black Earth Strings combines modern jazz sounds and African rhythms via an acoustic quartet.  This, the group's first commercial release, is a compelling mixture of percussion-less themes that capture with melodies and hooks and rivet with adroit improvisations.

Upsilon Acrux: Radian Futura (Cuneiform)

With heaping doses of melodicism, the über-precise rhythms of math/prog quintet Upsilon Acrux should appeal to adventurous music fans who enjoy old-school Hella, Tera Melos, or other likeminded musicians.

The band's swirling finger-tapped guitar action, Moog harmonies, dirty riffs, and clean-channel harmonics layer atop beats that alternate between chaotic and playful.  The style also recalls old Nintendo scores (on crack) with melodies similar to those of Minus the Bear. Fans of virtuosic guitarists will get their money's worth.

Upsilon Acrux: "Landscape"
Upsilon Acrux: \"Landscape\"

Here's a list of tours on our radar, including dates from The Bad Plus, Fucked Up, Orange Tulip Conspiracy, P.O.S., Secret Chiefs 3, Young Widows, and more.

Follow each artist's link to see current tour dates.

The Bad Plus: March 5 – April 17
After a few one-off shows and a short stint in Eastern Europe, the rock-infused jazz trio begins a month and a half of spread-out dates in major North American cities. Accompanied by vocalist Wendy Lewis, the group is supporting the release of its first all-covers album, For All I Care.

Dan Deacon: April 6 – May 17
Electronic artist Dan Deacon takes a six-week jaunt across the US and Canada with a full supporting ensemble to perform the electro-acoustic works of his new album, Bromst.

Don Caballero: Feb. 3-28
Led by drummer/instigator Damon Che, these rock instrumentalists began a US tour last week that will hit major cities from coast to coast. Since being recreated, the group (with Che as its only remaining original member) has emphasized a heavy rock sound, continuing with its most recent album, Punkgasm.

Fucked Up: Jan. 27 – Feb.
Closing out its three-week US tour, Fucked Up plays a few Midwest dates before culminating with two Valentine's Day shows in Chicago and a recently added gig in Michigan. The shock-value cross-genre punks then take a breather before traveling to Europe in late February.

Irepress: March 4 – April 11
Heading out in support of its sophomore album, Sol Eye Sea 1, this (mostly) instrumental Boston group treats rock clubs to mathy, melodic, chugging, epic songs.

The Oddity Faire: A Mutated Mini Fest: March 4-28
This four-week traveling mini festival features an outstanding lineup of Les Claypool, DeVotchKa, Saul Williams, and Secret Chiefs 3 in many cities. Some dates include the Yard Dogs Road Show, O'Death, and The Mutaytor. Tickets are a bit pricey but should be worth every dollar. Claypool is supporting a new album, Of Fungi and Foe.

Orange Tulip Conspiracy: May 1-23
This new project from Estradasphere guitarist Jason Schimmel makes its debut US tour in support of its excellent first album.

P.O.S.: Feb. 5-28
With what should be one of the year's best hip-hop albums in tow, Minnesota's P.O.S. kicked off a three-week US tour in Montana last Thursday. His jaunt runs through the West, the Midwest, and the East Coast before returning to Minneapolis.

Sleepytime Gorilla Museum: April 9-20
This theatrical art-metal group takes a short Midwest and East Coast tour between albums, getting a fabulous opener in Dub Trio for five of the dates.

Young Widows: March 13 – April 7
After a stretch of European performances, Louisville's Young Widows will have spent the better part of two months on the road, punishing crowds with a rhythmic heaviness and inspiration from forerunners such as The Jesus Lizard.

Instrumental(-ish) Boston group Irepress has completed its sophomore album, Sol Eye Sea 1, which will be released February 17 on Translation Loss (a new song can be heard here). The group's mathy, melodic, chugging, epic songs can be heard on a five-week US tour that begins March 4.

Les Claypool has announced a four-week traveling mini festival, scheduled to begin in early March, that is officially titled The Oddity Faire: A Mutated Mini Fest. The fest's outstanding lineup is different depending on the city; guests include Secret Chiefs 3, Saul Williams, DeVotchKa, Yard Dogs Road Show, O'Death, and The Mutaytor.

And speaking of Secret Chiefs 3, the incomparable Indian/surf/metal group has a concert DVD being released in March on mastermind Trey Spruance's Mimicry label.

Hardcore trio Young Widows has announced a major list of tour dates that run from February through April. See the list here.

Dan Deacon has announced a six-week tour, starting April 3, that will feature a full ensemble in support of Bromst, his new album due March 24 from Carpark.

Marking its final recording with long-time member Reed Mathis, the Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey has made a new studio album, Winterwood, available for free downloading on its website.

Next Tuesday, February 3, Tibet House US hosts a benefit concert and dinner at Carnegie Hall. Performers include Philip Glass, Antibalas, Keb' Mo', Vampire Weekend, The National, and more.

Nile linchpin Karl Sanders has another solo album in the works, this time to be released through The End Records. Titled Saurian Exorcisms, the album will be out April 14. Some awesome preview tracks are already posted on Sanders' MySpace page.

Despite comments from main member Tobacco that the group was on indefinite hiatus, dreamy hip-hoppers Black Moth Super Rainbow have a new album, Eating Us, that will be released on May 26 via Graveface.

New York jazz group Dred Scott Trio has a live album being released via Ropeadope on February 3.

Hardcore group Pulling Teeth has a new album, Paranoid Delusions | Paradise Illusions, that takes a crushing and despairing direction. The album is available today to preorder from Deathwish Inc. and its official release date is March 31. Hear a preview track, "Foreshadowing," here.

Grindcore group Agoraphobic Nosebleed will release its fourth full-length album, Agorapocalypse, through Relapse on April 14.

The Sword

Friday, November 7

The Sword @ Bottom Lounge

Chicago's new version of the Bottom Lounge includes two bars (one with a tiki theme), an eating area, a large performance area, and a second-floor deck. The recently reopened venue might need every square foot to contain the massive stoner metal sound of The Sword, which hits the Windy City between tour dates with Metallica and Down.

Umbrella Music Festival w/ Bik Bent Braam @ Elastic Vision Gallery

Dutch pianist Michiel Braam convenes a Chicago version of his Bik Bent Braam orchestra, a localized edition of the 13-piece group that he began more than 20 years ago. On record, the group's sound is one of jumpy, horn-heavy jazz that mixes old-time foundations with freak-out solos.

Saturday, November 8

O'death @ The Empty Bottle

Touring in support of its new album, alt-country five-piece O'death stops in Chicago for a pair of shows. That new album, Broken Hymns, Limbs, and Skin, covers diverse stylistic swaths that range from punkish bluegrass to bittersweet ballads and droning Pentecostal chants. The group also plays at Chicago's Hideout on Sunday.

David Boykin Expanse; David Boykin Microcosmic Sound Orchestra @ The Velvet Lounge

Interstellar jazz saxophonist David Boykin pulls double duty at the Velvet Lounge, where he lays freewheeling grooves and solos in a pair of sets with his eponymous Expanse and Microcosmic Sound Orchestra. The Expanse combines free passages with hard bop, over which Boykin spouts unorthodox rhymes; the Microcosmic Sound Orchestra provides inspired improvisation.

Fun Fun Fun Fest (Austin) @ Waterloo Park

How many huge music festivals can Austin hold? Chicago has its share of major festivals, but Austin keeps cranking out the multi-day madness with the Fun Fun Fun Fest.

The lineup includes festival regulars but strong ones at that; if you're in Texas, head down to see Bad Brains, The National, Atmosphere, Young Widows, Trash Talk, Deerhoof, …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, The Black Heart Procession, Dr. Octagon, Dan Deacon, Tim Fite, Bishop Allen, Dengue Fever, Cro-Mags, Parts and Labor, Minus the Bear, and more.

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."