In its recent sold-out return to Chicago, experimental trip-hop band Portishead proved that fans' interest is at an all-time high, despite the release of just one studio album in the last 14 years. Third, which came out in 2008 to widespread critical acclaim, has buoyed the British group through myriad festival appearances and a curatorial/headlining role for two All Tomorrow's Parties this year. On 11/14, the band will release a limited-edition two-track record entitled Chase the Tear via XL. All proceeds from the release will go to Amnesty International.

The group's current tour is its first in North America in more than a decade. Playing in front of a massive projection screen on the sprawling Aragon stage, the members of Portishead (plus three additional musicians) were visually amplified, towering visages in black and white.

Matt Stevens: "Into the Sea"

Matt Stevens: Ghost

"Obscurity is the enemy, not piracy," says guitarist and songwriter Matt Stevens. The British musician, currently living in North London, is a poster child for the digital revolution that has taken over his country and much of the world in the past 10 years. Utilizing social networks and streaming video, Stevens plays for a world stage, connecting with people across the globe, offering his music for download, and supporting the sharing of his work.

Twenty years ago, life was very different for Stevens, a kid who grew up relatively isolated and found his own ways of passing time. Before there was the World Wide Web, there was just a close group of friends and musicians supporting each other at the lone venue in Stevens' hometown. "I had no musical people in my family, really," he says. "I learned guitar through jazz lessons and playing in punk and indie and metal bands — bands that very few people ever heard of, [playing] to not many people. We played thrash metal to people in restaurants."

As Stevens developed as a guitarist, he found more and more inspiration, taking England's rich musical history in day after day. Originally a metal-head, Stevens grew into an appreciation for bands like The Smiths, crediting Johnny Marr specifically as a huge influence. He also discovered Portishead and King Crimson and counts himself as a fan of everything from Johann Sebastian Bach to Squarepusher.

Over the past few years, the guitarist has moved into a new and invigorating direction, focusing on instrumental compositions after the dissolution of his previous band. Utilizing the guitar's expressive and lyrical quality, Stevens prefers to explore rhythms and chords rather than over-complicate his songs with too much pomp and flash. "I wanted to be a songwriter and an arranger initially," Stevens says. "I never set out to be a solo artist, but I'm really pleased with the way things turned out."

Stepping into the solo spotlight was, for Stevens, a move that seemed as natural as starting up a new collaborative project. Though playing in a band was, and still is, a favorite outlet (he currently plays in post-rock outfit The Fierce and the Dead), it’s his solo material that ultimately has caught the attention of the world at large.

"Since I've been doing the online thing, I've been lucky enough to build an audience through Twitter, Facebook, podcasts, and blogs," Steven says. "I've been really surprised and pleased. People have shared my stuff on torrents and by burning CDs, and it's just grown from there."

None of this necessarily has put money into Stevens' pockets, but the attention he receives from the file sharing has opened up avenues for him that were previously unthinkable. Now the musician can sit at home in England, log on, and play a show for folks in Uruguay, South Africa, and New Zealand. And that's just what he does. Stevens frequently performs on the innovative website Cafenoodle, offers guitar lessons on Skype, and plays for free on Ustream.

But what about the actual music? Luckily, Stevens' passion for music creates a poignant and moving expression in every composition that he delivers. Originally, his solo material began as many bedroom recordings do: sleepy lo-fi exercises layered with pedals and effects.

Now, on Stevens' latest release, Ghost, the artist has come full circle, incorporating a full band and expanding his already dynamic sound. Showing a propensity for traditional songwriting in an instrumental format, the songs often take on recognizable structures while being unique and individualistic.

In the imaginary soundtrack of Stevens’ head, each song on Ghost carries its own narrative and weight, yet he's slow to reveal too much detail. For Stevens, these arrangements are personal, taking him to dark recesses in his own psyche. "If I am thinking when I'm playing, I'm doing it wrong," he says. "To be honest, I am trying to hit a flow where I'm not thinking and just hitting [for] an instant composition."

It's this experimental, almost subconscious style of writing that makes Stevens' work so alluring. For the musician, each song on Ghost invokes a personal memory and takes on a significance beyond its individual features. The album works not as a supernatural entity but as an analogy to Stevens' own feelings of isolation and the distance that once dominated his life. And though the album remains fairly upbeat, Stevens simultaneously achieves an eerie, autumnal feel.

The best part of listening to Ghost in all its live capacities — online and in person — is that no two performances are the same. Stevens tends to improvise in ways that can turn the songs into long ambient tomes or insanely layered live versions that barely resemble their studio counterparts. “I want to progress and keep things moving,” he says.

With a dedication to innovation and a thoughtful approach to music, Matt Stevens is an artist testing his own boundaries. In a world that finds many artists pushing back against the perceived threat of online abundance, Stevens can’t get his music to the masses fast enough. For the songwriter, the support and attention that he has already received — previously not possible without a major label and worldwide tour — justifies all of his effort.

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)

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)

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.

The son of Indian immigrants, Koushik attended classical Indian singing classes with his mother and credits her and his older brother, DJ / techno producer Himadri Ghosh, a.k.a. Teste, for sparking his initial interest in music.

At age 14, Koushik was the only kid at his school making or mixing hip hop. Without a thriving music scene with which to mesh, Koushik explored his musical interests by collecting records, playing in bands, and DJ-ing at nightclubs. He even had a short stint hosting his own soul and funk radio show, called "Harlem River Drive," in Hamilton, Canada.

After a series of singles, his first full-length, Be With (Stones Throw), arrived in 2005. Its follow-up, Out My Window, will be released on the independent hip-hop label this fall.

Although Koushik says that old-school hip hop was his first love (artists like Public Enemy, De La Soul, Madlib, Method Man, Funkadelic, and Big Daddy Kane are some of his favorites), he steers clear of using genres to categorize his sound. In his words, "It's just music. I don't really go out and want to sound like this or that, so it's hard to say. Who knows what influences what?"

On Out My Window, Koushik weaves choirs of strings and choruses in and out of down-tempo, old-school hip-hop beats to create a sound that at times is comparable to DJ Shadow, Stereolab, or Portishead. But the album also incorporates elements of '60s psychedelic pop, which, mixed with Koushik's dreamlike singing, conjures memories of The Beach Boys or old Percy Williams choruses.

If you like that lazy, old-school hip hop but can appreciate a slightly celestial mix, Out My Window is the perfect record.

- Molly Hil

Continuing, Barrow told 6 Music, "When everyone's had a bit of a break, I think we're just going to plough onto it. And I think everybody at some point wants to get back out on the road, because we didn't really do an awful lot of live stuff."

As it stands, the group has no record or publishing deal, so it will be interesting to see how the next album is released. Check out the newly released video for "Magic Doors," the third single from Third (embedding was disabled from YouTube).

Portishead: www.portishead.co.uk

You can get a free download of an Aesop Rock / Jeremy Fish audio/video collaboration of "Tomorrow Morning" from Definitive Jux.

Trent Reznor has strongly reprimanded the US military's use of Nine Inch Nails' music during the torture of overseas detainees.  According to Reznor, any realistic legal options will be "aggressively pursued, with any potential monetary gains donated to human-rights charities."

Experimental and occasionally psychedelic folk group Akron/Family will release a new album, its fourth overall, for Dead Oceans / Secretly Canadian in April. It will mark the group's first effort for Dead Oceans and first as a three-piece.

Stoner-metal bad-asses High on Fire have signed a deal with Koch Records, which will release a new studio album sometime in 2009.  Before that happens, Relapse will release Live from the Relapse Contamination Festival on January 6.

The transition of Conan O'Brien to Jay Leno's old job has created an opening for a new house band on Conan's old show, which was deftly soundtracked by the Max Weinberg 7. Good news for hip-hop and funk fans: The Roots will handle the duties on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.

In an interview with Billboard, guitarist Tom Morello states that there may never be another Rage Against the Machine album.

Idiosyncratic rapper Busdriver recently compiled a list of his top ten albums (not limited to 2008) for LAist.com. Portishead's long-awaited third album tops his rankings.

The RZA releases a new selection of tunes for Afro Samurai, an animated series for Spike TV, on January 27.  The soundtrack marks the first release from Wu Music Group, a new label co-run by RZA.