Sigh

No strangers to fusing other revered genres to a doomy combination of black metal and thrash, Japan's Sigh uses its eighth studio album to deliver symphonic, epic metal that calls upon classical instrumentation to top its rock foundation.

Brass, woodwind, and string instruments — as well as organ and piano — accent as well as lead sinister melodies that take surprising turns through fanciful themes. Raspy, menacing vocals coat each track, resulting in a dramatic presentation that isn't much at odds with its complex backdrop.

Fans of Estradasphere, Diablo Swing Orchestra, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Emperor, and Gonin-Ish would do well to check this out. With grade-A melodies that would sound at home with orchestras and chamber ensembles, Scenes From Hell is one of the first great albums of 2010.

Sigh: "The Summer Funeral"
Sigh: \"The Summer Funeral\"

Colorlist: A Square White Lie LP (482 Music)

A Square White Lie, released via heavyweight vinyl and MP3s, is the first album in two years from Colorlist, an ambient improvisational duo from Chicago that texturalizes sound by utilizing delayed, echoing loops, mounting tension, harmonic and dissonant layers, and germane percussion.

The four-tune album is a soothing, shifting sea of sound that finds Charles Gorczynski, with sax, harmonium, and electronics, building full melodies out of fragments, accompanied by the beats, brush strokes, and accents of drummer Charles Rumback.

Gorczynski and Rumback are staples in Chicago's younger circle of improvisers. With groups such as Silences (Sumire), Leaves, the Charles Rumback Quartet, and L'Altra already in their portfolios, the duo uses A Square White Lie to further supplement its distinguished body of work.

Colorlist: "The Lows"
Colorlist: \"The Lows\"

RJD2: The Colossus (RJ’s Electrical Connections)

Following a divisive album that saw the introduction of poppy, soulful vocals, producer RJD2 returns with something of a split release — an album that leaves no shortage of accessible, vocal-driven tunes but that emphasizes some inventive instrumentals.

Notably, one of those instrumentals, "Let There Be Horns," opens the disc. In addition to sporting a music video with a protagonist minotaur, "Let There Be Horns" is a grooving instrumental that, at times, sounds vaguely Indian while dousing the listener in synth horns, rock guitar, and squiggly keyboards.

"Games You Can Win," featured below, is a vocal jam that follows and glistens with an apparent glockenspiel or chimes. "Giant Squid" then returns the funky instrumentals, leaning on fuzzy bass, harpsichord, and spacey effects.

Fellow electro-crooner Kenna makes an appearance on The Colossus, and RJ gets more vocal assistance from Phonte Coleman, Aaron Livingston, and others. But whether or not you dig the soulful RJ, there's no doubt that the music on The Colossus is some of his best to date.

RJD2: "Games You Can Win"
RJD2: \"Games You Can Win\"

Honorable mentions

Good for Cows: Audumla (Mimicry)
Worm Ouroboros: s/t (Profound Lore)

The Quin Kirchner Group @ Heaven Gallery (Chicago)

This newly formed improvisational outfit features four young standouts in Chicago's jazz, rock, and electronic scenes.

The quartet's style is more accessible than the type of experimental/free jazz that one might imagine from an improvisational outfit; according to alto/soprano saxophonist Charles Gorczynski, the group's songs aim to sound more like compositions, using repeated melodies and apparent sections.

This makes sense in the context of the members' other groups: Gorcynzki's Colorlist, upright bassist Matt Ulery's Loom, and clarinetist / tenor saxophonist Elliot Bergman's NOMO, for which Kirchner also drums.

The night's other set belongs to the collaboration of bass clarinetist Jason Stein, pianist Jim Baker, and bassist Josh Abrams — a trio with its own esteemed members that should rely more on solos and less on conventional structure.

John Zorn: The Crucible (Tzadik)

The unstoppable Zorn returns with his Moonchild quartet, featuring the potent accompaniment of vocalist Mike Patton, bassist Trevor Dunn, and drummer Joey Baron. The lineup's last release, Six Litanies for Heliogabalus, centered on noisy anti-melodies and complex, thumping rhythms that laid a foundation for Patton's incoherent screams and shrieks as well as Zorn's squealing sax.

The Crucible adds melodic elements and some singing from Patton, and its sound draws parallels to the phenomenal songs of Carboniferous, the upcoming album from Zü, a long-running experimental free-jazz/metal group that now resides on Ipecac. Avant-garde guitarist and frequent Zorn collaborator Marc Ribot guests on a Led Zeppelin-influenced offering.

Last Step: 1961 (Planet Mu)

Aaron Funk doesn't needs a new pseudonym for this material; it's not horribly far from his frequent releases as Venetian Snares. But Last Step is supposed to be an anonymous moniker, and it does afford Funk the opportunity to get into dance material that remains as warped as his better-known songs. Most any fan of clubby IDM should enjoy 1961.

Last Step: "My Home Recordings"
Last Step: \"My Home Recordings\"

Impure Wilhelmina: Prayers and Arsons (Get a Life!)

Swiss metal quartet Impure Wilhelmina mixes elements of post-rock, hardcore, metal, and doom while also incorporating a pronounced pop sensibility. The seamless way that these contrasting sounds are pieced together gives songs like Prayers and Arsons' haunting opener "Continental Breed" and mood-shifting "The Rope" epic dimensions.

Charles Gorczynski: Oblivion and (sight) (self-released)

These two works by Chicago saxophonist and harmonium player Charles Gorczynski [Silences (Sumire), Colorlist] were posted on his website in November, and we wanted to honor them here because they had no official release. Currently, both are available to download for free at claritymusic.net.

Oblivion is a series of home recordings that weaves together electronics, acoustic instruments, and found sounds into a beautiful, lingering set of mini-collages. Its theme is inspired by David Foster Wallace, a noted author and professor that passed away in September. There is a similar theme to (sight), if only in its listed inspiration: "dreams and realities about loss." This second release is a synthesized experiment in long-form pieces, using looped ambient sounds to meditative effect.

Charles Gorczynski: "Oblivion"
Charles Gorczynski: \"Oblivion\"

- The London Sinfonietta has announced Sinfonietta Shorts, a series of miniatures by some of the world's leading composers to celebrate the ensemble's 40th anniversary. Contributors include Tom Jenkinson (Squarepusher), Mira Calix, Hans Abrahamsen, Luke Bedford, Harrison Birtwistle, Pierre Boulez, Jonathan Harvey, Anna Meredith and others. The event will be held Saturday, December 13 from 9 PM to 1 AM at Spirit Level of the Royal Festival Hall in London.

- Google is putting together a YouTube Symphony Orchestra that will hit Carnegie Hall in five months to perform — for the first time together — Chinese composer Tan Dun's Internet Symphony No. 1, Eroica. Classical and non-conventional musicians can submit YouTube videos of themselves playing Tan's composition and a piece of standard repertoire in order to get into the orchestra.

- On December 11 at the Brooklyn Masonic Temple, Dan Deacon will unveil his new live set, which features a 15-piece live ensemble performing material from his forthcoming album, Bromst, which will be released on Carpark on March 24, 2009. Deacon plans to tour with an ensemble in 2009 in support of the new record, which promises to be a prominent new chapter in his musical career.

- Bassist Kevin Rutmanis (Cows, Melvins, Tomahawk) will have his first solo art gallery showing of paintings and sculptures from January 7 to February 17 at DIY Gallery in Los Angeles. His latest musical offering, Hepa-Titus, plays at The Smell in LA on February 12.

- For The Ichthyologist, its upcoming album, prog/doom-rock band Giant Squid has announced the appearance of a few guest musicians — Anneke van Giersbergen (ex-Gathering, Agua de Annique), Karyn Crisis (Crisis), and Kris Force (Amber Asylum, Neurosis; no relation to ALARM publisher Chris Force). The album was recently recorded with producer Matt Bayles and will be limited to a few thousand copies, available only through the band.

- The Dead Kenny Gs began a West Coast tour last Thursday that runs through December 13. Led by saxophonist Skerik and percussionist Mike Dillon of Critters Buggin fame, the trio grabs a third member for performances — recently, bassist Brad Houser, also of Critters Buggin — and throws down some wild grooves.

- Fantômas has been added to Australia's Big Day Out festival, performing The Director's Cut in its entirety.

- Kevin Kmetz, the heart of Japanese/metal fusionists God of Shamisen, joins with two additional shamisen masters to perform the Monsters of Shamisen California tour through December 20.

- Chicago saxophonist Charles Gorczynski, one half of Ropeadope ambient jazz/IDM duo Silences (Sumire), has released a pair of solo releases for free download on his personal website, claritymusic.net.

- Rapper Yak Ballz of the Brooklyn hip-hop collective Weathermen has issued the online video premiere of "Dirt Empire," a solo single produced by Aesop Rock.

- Melodic/experimental indie rockers The Appleseed Cast will release Sagarmatha, their follow-up to Peregrine, via The Militia Group in January. A West Coast and Midwest US tour will follow in February.

- Three One G is offering 20% off of everything in its online shop. Holiday deals!

Wu Fei: Yuan (Tzadik)

With an impressive list of collaborations in her still-young career, Chinese-American composer Wu Fei follows up her 2007 solo debut, A Distant Youth, with this unveiling on Tzadik. Having already caught the attention of John Zorn, Fred Frith, Carla Kihlstedt, and Ikue Mori, Fei's resume doesn't lack big names.

The pieces here are built around different ensembles, including some for solo piano, percussion, and guzheng, a traditional Chinese stringed instrument. Each is beautiful in its own manner, and
Fei's expressive sounds will soon make the rest of the modern compositional world take notice.

Wu Fei: "She Huo" (excerpt)
Wu Fei: \"She Huo\" (excerpt)

Colorlist: Photographs (Stilll / Off!)

Crossover multi-instrumentalists Charles Rumback (Leaves) and Charles Gorczynski (Silences Sumire) lead Colorlist, an ambient assortment of electronic and jazz influences.

Incorporating synthesizers, harmonium, saxophone, marimba, guitar, and drums to create a low-key textural soundscape, the group's recent release on Belgium's Stilll Records, Lists, now gets the remix treatment. Guest reconstructionists include Reminder (Josh Abrams of Town & Country), Mercury Effect, 3+, Gamial Trio, Fred Lonberg-Holm, and many more.

Colorlist: "Pteridophyta" (Reminder remix)
Colorlist: \"Pteridophyta\" (Reminder remix)

The (International) Noise Conspiracy: The Cross of My Calling (Vagrant)

Produced by Rick Rubin, The Cross of My Calling finds The (International) Noise Conspiracy reaching further into its bag of 1960s-style jam rock than ever before. Led by former Refused frontman and political vocalist Dennis Lyxzén, the group isn't treading any new ground, but its new album proves the band to be at its most complete and most talented.

The (International) Noise Conspiracy: "Assassination of Myself"
The (International) Noise Conspiracy: \"Assassination of Myself\"

John Zorn: Filmworks XXII: The Last Supper (Tzadik)

Why slow down? Tireless renaissance man John Zorn issues his fourth Filmworks soundtrack of the year, this time for a sci-fi art film named The Last Supper. Tzadik's website calls it "one of the strangest films Zorn has ever scored," so it must be out there. Zorn accompanies the film's futuristic imagery with pieces solely for voice and percussion.

Shining (Norway)

Thursday, October 23

Pillars and Tongues, Remindring @ The Hideout

Somber vocal harmonies emanate from aptly named Pillars and Tongues, an experimental trio whose creations exhibit mystical influences. As Remindring, multi-talented bassist Josh Abrams (Town & Country, Nicole Mitchell's Black Earth Ensemble) lays out looped soundscapes with Emmett Kelly and Frank Rosaly.

Fucked Up @ Reggie's Rock Club

Punk-rock misdirection artists Fucked Up hit Chicago two weeks after the release of The Chemistry of Common Life, the group's follow-up full-length to Hidden World. This time around, Fucked Up's material moves through more variety of atmosphere than your standard punk/hardcore, with peaceful, otherworldly intros and layers and layers of guitar. There's less stop-start fury than Hidden World-more sheets of sound-so it will be interesting to see how this vigorous live act performs.

Coliseum starts North American and Japanese tour dates

Louisville hardcore staples Coliseum begin five weeks of performances today, hitting many cities in the USA as well as a few in Canada and Japan. The group doesn't hit Chicago until Nov. 15, but there's a good chance that it will be your city in the near future.

Friday, October 24

Ears & Eyes Festival @ The Hideout

With three outstanding weekend shows at The Hideout, independent jazz/avant-garde label Ears & Eyes Records celebrates its third annual Ears & Eyes Festival. The performances feature groups on the Ears & Eyes roster as well as other local standouts and friends of the label, and one such outside artist, Brooklyn's Parts & Labor, headlines this first night with a catchy mix of indie rock and electronics.

The six-artist, six-hour show also includes bass-and-drums rock duo Black Ladies and free-rock guitarist Tobin Summerfield, but the biggest highlight might be the collaboration between Sunfish Ensemble guitarist David Daniell and Tortoise cofounder/bassist Doug McCombs.

Voodoo Experience begins @ New Orleans' City Park

With a massive three-day lineup that can only really be explored at thetenthritual.com, New Orleans' Voodoo Experience celebrates its 10^th anniversary. If you're in the Big Easy on Friday, the fest's first day, be sure to catch DeVotchKa, Reverend Horton Heat, The Gutter Twins, Man Man, Extra Action Marching Band, and Andre Williams.

Shining (and other picks) at CMJ Music Marathon & Film Festival

There are hundreds of bands playing at the dozens of CMJ venues on Friday, the festival's second-to-last day, but we had to single out Norway's Shining at Cake Shop (and again at Knitting Factor on Saturday). The post-prog jazz-rock experimentalists return to New York, one of three cities on their first US tour earlier this year, and it might be a while before they return. If you're in NYC, do yourself a favor and check them out (and pick up Grindstone on Rune Grammofon).

The night's other highlights include sBACH, An Albatross, Akimbo, Phosphorescent, Sole and the Skyrider Band, and Broken Social Scene.

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