As usual, ALARM leaves no genre unexplored in our list of this year's overlooked gems.

Sigh: Scenes from Hell (The End, 1/19/10)

Sigh: "The Summer Funeral"

With a history of fusing other revered genres to a doomy combination of black metal and thrash, Japan's Sigh used 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.

RJD2: The Colossus (RJ’s Electrical Connections, 1/19/10)

RJD2: "Games You Can Win"

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

Chicago Underground Duo: Boca Negra (Thrill Jockey, 1/26/10)

Chicago Underground Duo: "Spy on the Floor"

For 15 years, the Chicago Underground Duo (and Trio, Quartet, and Orchestra) has been an avant-garde jazz outlet for prolific Chicago musicians Rob Mazurek (Exploding Star Orchestra, Isotope 217) and Chad Taylor.  Boca Negra is an interesting dichotomy, as spiraling vociferation leads to upbeat grooves, shifting piano chords, harmonic electronics, and ambient samples.

Algernon: Ghost Surveillance (Cuneiform, 1/26/10)

Algernon: "Broken Lady"

The brainchild of guitarist Dave Miller, Algernon walks a thin line between melodically driven post-rock and instrumental unconventionality.  Ghost Surveillance places greater emphasis on synthesizers and sprawling song structures, but at its core is the combination of accessibility and technicality that has defined Miller's style. Noisy, circular rock riffs transform to tranquil, wandering passages. "Timekiller," the album's fourth track, is a beautiful, buoyant number — and one of the band's best creations to date.

Bei Bei & Shawn Lee: Into the Wind (Ubiquity, 1/26/10)

Bei Bei & Shawn Lee: "East"

In the hands of a marvel, the guzheng — a gorgeous Chinese zither — resonates with tactile beauty as its many strings are plucked with precision.

Bei Bei, a native of Chengdu, China, is one such musical technician. And this collaboration with Shawn Lee, a prolific producer who can man as many genres as he sees fit, is undoubtedly one of the year's finest albums.  Together, the two use Into the Wind to navigate through funky down-tempo jams, Kung-Fu flavor, hip hop, soul, and driving grooves.

Daníel Bjarnason: Processions (Bedroom Community, 2/1/10)

Daníel Bjarnason: "Bow to String I: Sorrow Conquers Happiness"

Best known as a conductor and arranger for indie groups such as Sigur Rós, composer Daníel Bjarnason also holds a lofty classical résumé. Processions, his proper debut, is, at many points, a challenging classical work.  Powerful cellos scale and race with crackling percussions before settling into gently bowed and pizzicato string accompaniments; easily half a dozen strings battle for dominance in a sorrowful, harmonic piece that resonates long after hearing it.  Undoubtedly, Processions is a daring and original debut.

Shining: Blackjazz (Indie Recordings / Distribution, 2/2/10)

Shining: "Fisheye"

Beginning as an experimental acoustic jazz ensemble, Norway's Shining — the brainchild of saxophonist Jørgen Munkeby — transformed to a progressive jazz-fusion outfit before delving into its darker side for a collaboration with black-metallists Enslaved.

Blackjazz pushes deeper into the band's dark recesses, forging a progressive industrial sound for the young century.  Big, complex rock riffs, twisted through gnarly distortion, form the foundation and support a mass of frantic, whirring synth lines and gut-wrenching black-metal screams.  In all, Blackjazz is a new epic — and perhaps the best metal album of 2010.

Pillars and Tongues: Lay of Pilgrim Park, LP + download (Endless Nest, 2/9/10)

Pillars and Tongues: "The Center of"

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.

Dessa: A Badly Broken Code (Doomtree, 2/9/10)

Dessa: "Dixon's Girl"

The only female member of Minneapolis hip-hop collective Doomtree, Dessa is a spoken-word vocalist, singer, and MC whose awaited full-length was finally released earlier this year.

On A Badly Broken Code, her true solo debut, Dessa's vocal diversity is matched by its underlying music, ranging from hard-hitting beats and rhymes to lilting harmonic overdubs.

The Bastard Noise / The Endless Blockade: The Red List (20 Buck Spin, 2/16/10)

The Bastard Noise: "Mutant World of Shame / Underworld"

A spinoff of treasured "power-violence" hardcore group Man is the Bastard, The Bastard Noise is approaching its 20th anniversary of creating noisy electro-doom brutality.  For this split release with hardcore/punk experimentalists The Endless Blockade, the group utilizes the trademark drum-and-bass style of Man is the Bastard in combination with its far-out sounds.  The Endless Blockade contributes three tracks to the release — one 14-minute epic and two avant-garde remixes.

Freeway & Jake One: The Stimulus Package (Rhymesayers, 2/16/10)

Freeway & Jake One: "Know What I Mean"

Continuing his life after Roc-A-Fella Records, former freestyle star Freeway now makes his debut on Rhymesayers, a fitting new home — if only temporary before a move to Cash Money.  Fellow Rhymesayers standout Jake One provides a funky, malleable backdrop for Freeway's fiery delivery and lyrics that are alternately personal and light in content. And though Freeway deserves his accolades, Jake One's production is the MVP of this collaboration.

Carolina Chocolate Drops: Genuine Negro Jig (Nonesuch, 2/16/10)

Carolina Chocolate Drops: "Hit 'Em Up Style" (Blu Cantrell)

Beholden to the traditions of Americana and early African-American folk, the string trio Carolina Chocolate Drops continues blurring the lines of old and new. On Genuine Negro Jig, the group's fifth album, a few original numbers and a trove of traditionals take root in banjo, fiddle, and percussion. Three-part harmonies shimmer on the famous folk tune "Trouble in Your Mind," and simplicity shines on gripping renditions of "Why Don't You Do Right?" by Kansas Joe McCoy and "Trampled Rose" by Tom Waits.  Most surprisingly, Genuine Negro Jig includes an enjoyable rendition of "Hit 'Em Up Style," an unintentionally farcical pop hit by Blu Cantrell.

Mako Sica: Dual Horizon LP (La Société Expéditionnaire, 2/16/10)

Mako Sica: "I'Itoi"

A translation of the phrase "land bad," Mako Sica has more than a nominal Native American influence; the trio's distant vocal reverberations and dirge-inspired tunes recall the spirituality of America's original inhabitants.

Between the vocalizations of Brent Fuscaldo, the melodies of guitarist Przemyslaw Krys Drazek, and the rhythms of drummer Michael J. Kendrick, Mako Sica maintains a strong balance of abilities — with a brooding combination of jangly guitars, reverberated vociferation, and instrumental dynamics.

High on Fire: Snakes for the Divine (E1 Music, 2/23/10)

High on Fire: "Snakes for the Divine"

Stoner-metal trio High on Fire has built a devoted following over the past dozen years as fans fell in love with Matt Pike's gruff vocals and thunderous guitar riffs. On Snakes for the Divine, Pike uses his throat to channel Lemmy Kilmister; meanwhile, the band has picked up its pace and crafted an album that isn’t as outstretched. Hard-hitting riffery leads an effort that, though diverse at times, may be the band’s most driving release.

Jaga Jazzist: One-Armed Bandit (Ninja Tune, 2/23/10)

Jaga Jazzist: "One-Armed Bandit"

Five years have passed since we've heard the powerhouse melodies of Norway's Jaga Jazzist, the post-rock/"nü-jazz" conception of brothers Lars and Martin Horntveth.

One-Armed Bandit, immediately the group's best album, resembles symphonic prog rock, arguably a few steps removed from parts of Frank Zappa's expansive catalog and closer to countryman Jono El Grande's diverse and theatrical style.  This album, however, is much more cohesive than either of those comparisons suggest, and at times it is nearly overwhelming with grooves and harmonious refrains.

Rob Swift: The Architect (Ipecac, 2/23/10)

Rob Swift: "The Architect"

Turntablist/DJ Robert Aguilar, formerly of the X-ecutioners, has long utilized his love of jazz, R&B, and other musical movements to create compelling hip-hop instrumentals while displaying his tight beat-juggling skills.

The Architect is Swift’s foray into the classical world. In addition to a multitude of sampled styles and sounds, classical cuts comprise a substantial chunk of this Ipecac debut. Rearranged strings, organ, and horns often make the foundation of a given track, occasionally evoking high-tension Italian Westerns, as Swift’s scratches dance atop banging beats.

Rotting Christ: Aealo (Season of Mist, 2/23/10)

Rotting Christ: "Aealo"

For more than 20 years, Athens' Rotting Christ has traversed different directions on the metal path.  With its previous release, Theogonia, the group released a striking, original album that fused its dark sound to the ethnic sounds of its ancestors.

Like its predecessor, Aealo features female Benedictine chants, lingual pipes, and a medieval feel. Combined with dueling high-pitched harmonies and powerful guitar work, these new elements highlight an album that should be among the most original metal releases of the year.

Ali Farka Touré & Toumani Diabaté: Ali and Toumani (Nonesuch, 2/23/10)

Ali Farka Touré & Toumani Diabaté: "Ruby"

As two of Africa's most internationally renowned musicians, guitar legend Ali Farka Touré and kora phenom Toumani Diabaté have displayed impeccable abilities while integrating the styles of other cultures into their ethnic sounds.

Each Malian, the two collaborated for the acclaimed In the Heart of the Moon in 2005, shortly before Farka Touré's passing in 2006. Fortunately, the two set aside time to record new material before touring for In the Heart of the Moon, and the result is another beautiful set of duets that sees a posthumous release.

Throughout Ali and Toumani, Farka Touré roots each creation in melodious African-blues pieces. Diabaté's virtuosity accents each track in the form of fanciful scales, which at times evoke classical harpsichord passages, perhaps most notably on "Sabu Yerkoy."

Fang Island: s/t (Sargent House, 2/23/10)

Fang Island: "Sideswiper"

Mostly comprised of ex-Daughters, the good-time rock quintet Fang Island was one of the most quickly ascending bands of 2010, jumping onto tours with The Flaming Lips and Stone Temple Pilots following the release of its first full-length album.

The self-titled release is chock full of palm-muted and speed-infused indie-prog anthems, with über-layered vocal harmonies to go with a triple-thick guitar assault and distorted-bass bludgeoning.  It's one of those rare releases that feels absolutely radiant and thrashing at the same time.

B. Dolan: Fallen House, Sunken City (Strange Famous, 3/2/10)

B. Dolan: "The Reptilian Agenda"

Going way back with Sage Francis, rapper B. Dolan is a like-minded MC and slam poet whose style isn't terribly dissimilar to that of his long-time friend. Fallen House, Sunken City is Dolan's second full-length for Strange Famous, and it's full of the sociopolitical themes (if often in quick blasts or asides) and contentious delivery for which he's known.

In addition to some seemingly personal lyrics, Dolan takes passing shots at big business, taxation, the pharmaceutical industry, the concept of ownership of natural resources, the Israeli razing of Palestinian developments, and, among many other things, the so-called New World Order — dropping clips of Dick Cheney and George H.W. Bush in "The Reptilian Agenda."  On top of Dolan's socially conscious rhymes, A-list production by Alias makes this one of the year's top hip-hop releases.

Archie Bronson Outfit: Coconut (Domino, 3/2/10)

Archie Bronson Outfit: "Shark's Tooth"
Archie Bronson Outfit: "Shark's Tooth"

With its warbled vocals and driving percussion, British psych-rock trio Archie Bronson Outfit is like a more adventurous Wolf Parade — as comfortable burning up the dance floor with clean, bouncy riffs as it is turning up the reverb and rocking in a garage.

Coconut is the band's first LP in nearly four years, and it kicks off with a crunchy, swirling guitar line and a hypnotic bongo-laden beat. Produced by DFA's Tim Goldsworthy, Coconut gets spaced-out and drone-like at times, but it always offers a hint of pop accessibility amidst the static and haze.

Arthur's Landing: "Love Dancing"

As an unorthodox and multifaceted cellist, producer, and singer, Arthur Russell had a reach that can be compared to few in American music — spanning disco, classical, rock, avant-garde, and much more.

Loose Joints, one of Russell's many projects, intended to make "the disco White Album" but only released three songs.  One of those tunes, "Is It All Over My Face," is being covered as part of the Arthur's Landing project, a collective of Russell's collaborators who are now paying posthumous tribute via a debut album on Strut.

Retitled "Love Dancing," the cover of "Is It All Over My Face" features vocals from Nomi Ruiz (formerly of Hercules and Love Affair) and includes a swanky horn accompaniment and slinky grooves.

Arthur's Landing made its live debut at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London this year, and a biography written by Tim Lawrence about Russell, titled Hold On To Your Dreams, was released in fall of 2009. In advance of the band's debut, which is out February 1 on Strut, Arthur's Landing is performing every Monday in January at Nublu in New York City's East Village, playing every Monday.

Dr. Lloyd Miller, a musical legend known for his mastery of more than 100 instruments, is quick to hoist his flag in the rock-is-the-devil’s-music camp. Framing his mid-20th Century retreat into Eastern studies around The Beatles, he says, “I told everyone they were horrible. Their tunes were all backwards and stupid. And they were idiots. And they were evil. And everybody hated me for thinking that. So I stopped talking about it and went away and became a hermit.”

And a hermit he remained, throughout most his career. After many successful years playing with jazz veterans like Don Ellis and Eddie Harris in European locales such as Switzerland, Belgium, Sweden, and Germany, Miller moved back to the USA to pursue an education. This journey culminated in his quest for a doctorate in ethnomusicology from the University of Utah.

Winning a grant to study in Tehran, Miller quickly assimilated, even hosting a popular jazz show on Iranian television, in which he went by the name Kurosh Ali Khan. Around that time, Miller gained long-overdue recognition when BBC radio personality Giles Peterson plugged an old copy of Miller’s 1968 meditation in Middle Eastern and Persian sounds, Oriental Jazz. It was a peek through the keyhole into a lifetime of teachings, production work, and progressive, exciting jazz music.

Making up the other half of Miller’s latest collaboration is The Heliocentrics. Following the UK group’s 2009 album with Ethio-jazz legend Mulatu Astatke, it linked up with Miller through its label, Jazzman Records. At first glance, the pairing seems to make sense: The Heliocentrics’ jazz-funk fusion and past collaborative experience with Miller’s free-flowing, virtuosic, Eastern-influenced style. And though the material is solid, the two sides never seem to click.

That’s not to say that The Heliocentrics are bad musicians, or that the record is a total flop. “They learned fast,” Miller says, “but they forgot slowly. In other words, they could pick up stuff and do it. But they couldn’t get rid of years and years of playing funk, punk, hip hop, slop, rock — whatever it was — and come into a new room and close the door. And I don’t know if they ever will.”

Miller expresses disappointment in the collaboration for the self-titled album (released in August on Strut), suggesting that it never moved beyond simple gimmickry. Working with the “cockney garage-band rockers,” however, spawned a number of humorous anecdotes, such as the moment during recording when bassist Jake Ferguson fumbled with a walking bass line for the first time in his life. Miller narrates Ferguson in slacker parody, “‘Oh, man. You scared me with that, man.’” He then asks rhetorically, “That's the first time? Walking bass is what jazz is all about. That's all there is.”

Despite Miller’s feeling that he was something of a “cymbal-clapping monkey,” there are plenty of symbiotic, propulsive moments between rock and jazz, as with the opening track “Electricone.” Ferguson helps spearhead the tune with a strong, percussive kick start, leading into the buzz of a clarinet and a minimal wash of woodwinds and piano. Cymbal patterns flutter, as fluently as anything from Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue.

“Salendro” is perhaps the best example of seamless East and West fusion, with its Indonesian pentatonic scaling and agile vibraphone tiptoeing punctuated with a handful of drum kicks. In another well-executed convergence, “Sunda Sunset,” a woodsy sweep is plucked across the strings of the shawm (a Chinese harp), kissed with Miller’s signature clarinet fills like a Himalayan sojourn.

Though Miller’s exasperation and ultimate dissatisfaction threatens to cast a negative pall over the music, the talent of the contributing musicians wins out. Despite what either side thinks, and even though the record doesn’t quite hit all the right notes, Lloyd Miller & The Heliocentrics is a fruitful exercise in eccentric pairing.

In the first video below, Miller charts his musical evolution, from early piano lessons to playing jazz clubs all over the world. In the second, Miller gives a few quick lessons on instruments such as the oud, vibraphone, Indian santur, and Chinese shawm.

The Books: The Way Out (Temporary Residence)

Employing a peculiar mix of acoustic instruments, electronics, samples, and splicing, The Books has managed to sound quite like nothing else while drawing upon sound collage, folk, glitch, and more.

The Way Out, the duo's first album in five years, is heavily influenced by humor and a self-help/new-age theme.  Some moments are almost completely organic, whereas others are as cut-and-pasted as a Matmos track.

At times, The Way Out is polyrhythmic; at others, it's greatly minimalistic yet effective.  There's a well-balanced approach to the vocals, as the duo's singing and spoken-word moments appear between harmonious guest vocals and the abstract/chopped samples.

"A Cold Freezin' Night" is one of the best tracks and an early favorite for many, with twisted yet comedic clips of kids talking about murdering each other.  In concert, this song (and all of the duo's others) takes a life of its own, complemented by a video pastiche that's as varied as the music.

The live show is such a fantastic complement, in fact, that listening to the music after seeing the associated video clips leaves a sensation that half of the product is missing.  It's ironic that an originally recording-based duo has become inseparable from its live presentation, but it's a testament to the cleverness and creative prowess of The Books.

The Books: "Beautiful People"
The Books: \"Beautiful People\"

Mose Giganticus: Gift Horse (Relapse)

Begun as an electronic project more than 10 years ago, Mose Giganticus is the sonic alter-ego of Matt Garfield, a multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, and songwriter who has since assembled a metal/hardcore band around his creations.

Gift Horse is Garfield's debut on Relapse.  Only two albums precede it, but Gift Horse is the heaviest Mose Giganticus album to date, with down-tuned guitar grooves pounding alongside synth harmonies and calculated drum punishments.

Garfield's vocoder makes a few appearances, and the electronics remain pivotal, but the kraut/prog-rock sound is bulked up substantially.  Gift Horse is first and foremost a metal album — making a strong first impression on the Relapse roster.

Mose Giganticus: "White Horse"
white_horse

Rakaa: Crown of Thorns (Decon)

As one of the two MCs in Dilated Peoples, Rakaa Iriscience has bordered on mainstream success while maintaining an independent appeal.

With the Peoples doing their own things these days, Rakaa has delivered his first solo album — a straightforward, original disc of hip-hop jams with a diversity of samples and sounds, whether they're hard-hitting, funky, or jazzy.

Rakaa's hand-picked group of producers — including Evidence and DJ Babu of the Peoples — provides a good balance throughout Crown of Thorns, and each track fits Rakaa's deliberate delivery in its own way.  Other high-profile guests bring their own contributions, including those from KRS-One, Chali 2na, and Fashawn.

Rakaa: "Crown of Thorns" f. Aloe Blacc
crown_of_thorns

Kacey Johansing: Many Seasons (Porto Franco)

Listeners may notice Kacey Johansing's name — or lilting, dulcet vocals — from independent folk groups such as Honey.Moon.Tree and Honeycomb, or in collaboration with artists such as Vera Gogh, The Blank Tapes, and Sleepy Todd.

Either way, fans of the softer stuff will soon take note of Johansing outside the context of others, as Many Seasons, her solo debut, presents an artist who is well versed in melody, harmony, and heart-stirring vocalizations.

Johansing holds at least a basic proficiency in keyboard, drums, guitar, and bass, allowing her to build full pieces — in her words, "indie/soul with strong roots in folk" — before adding guest spots of strings, vibraphone, and more.  Many Seasons will make others start paying attention.

Kacey Johansing: "Many Seasons"
Kacey Johansing: \"Many Seasons\"

Lloyd Miller & The Heliocentrics: s/t (Strut)

A noted ethnomusicologist and incredibly gifted multi-instrumentalist, Lloyd Miller is a gem of the pre-digital age, a crate-digger's favorite who infused traditional jazz with Persian and Asian influences — a result of time spent abroad in his youth and again in adulthood.

Thanks to the digital age and reissue labels such as Jazzman, younger listeners are discovering — and older folks are rediscovering — the immense talents of Miller.

Now, on the heels of its acclaimed collaboration between Ethiopian bandleader Mulatu Astatke and funk/jazz/psych collective The Heliocentrics, Strut Records has issued another great pairing.  The Heliocentrics is a key player once more, partnering with Miller to craft throwback jazz with instrumental and harmonic accents from around the globe.

The resultant material is accessible but doesn't skimp on virtuosity.  Jazz fans shouldn't miss this.

Lloyd Miller & The Heliocentrics: "Pari Ruu"
pari_ruu

Honorable Mentions

Billy Bang: Prayer for Peace (TUM Records)

Cochemea Gastelum: The Electric Sound Of Johnny Arrow (MOWO! Inc.)

East of the Wall: Ressentiment (Translation Loss)

The High Confessions: Turning Lead Into Gold With The High Confessions (Relapse)

Hillstomp: Darker the Night (In Music We Trust)

Shawn Lee: Sing a Song (Ubiquity)

Mahjongg: The Long Shadow of the Paper Tiger (K)

Mochipet: Cowgirls Gets the Pets (Automation)

Nero Order: The Tower

Portland Cello Project: Thousand Words

Raga Bop Trio: s/t (Abstract Logix)

Secret Cities: Pink Graffiti (Western Vinyl)

Walter Gibbons: Jungle Music: Essential & Unreleased Remixes, 1976-1986 (Strut)

Is there anything that apartheid didn’t fuck up? The disgusting policy of extreme segregation seeped through every aspect of South African life, even the music scene.

When white politicians started sensing “trouble” (as in blacks having concerts), they passed a series of laws that kept blacks from playing shows in concert halls in white Johannesburg. This meant that any black musician had to play shows in the Soweto Township, a poor and segregated neighborhood next to the city’s mining district.

As the album begins, you can hear the role that American soul and early psychedelic records played in the musical development of the Soweto style. I would have killed to be a fly on the wall during the Soweto record-exchange parties / jam sessions where most of these songs were born.

Many of the songs feature cascading organs that accent the schizophrenic mumbles of guitars, much in the way of The Zombies but with a sturdy polyrhythmic backbone. But it’s not a straight rip of the British and American strains; there’s an urgency present that white potheads didn’t have.

Psychedelic music of the West often was introspective, probing the depths of the mind using a plethora of indulgent guitar solos and piles of distortion. But the Soweto psychedelia was a communal experience. They were reflecting the confusion and disillusionment of the nation as a whole, acting as a loudspeaker to the mind of the people.

The brutality of apartheid led to an aggressive undertone in the music, despite the presence of funky bass lines and danceable rhythms. You can hear the frustration come to a boiling point during the chorus of “Intandane Pt. 1” by Phillip Malela & The Movers, when the entire band cries out “intandane” (Zulu for “orphan”) over a heated argument between the organ and guitar.

It’s hard not to see this as a prelude to the Soweto Uprising of 1976, where a group of students protested the mandate that required schools to teach in Afrikaans (the Dutch spoken by white South Africans) that lead to fatal shootings and the first international condemnations of apartheid.

Now available on iTunes, the debut album of Kenan Bell is remarkable for many reasons.

Most importantly, Bell's presentation of live-band, indie- and electro-inspired hip hop is a unique blend of rhymes and style. However, Bell's young career is just as noteworthy for other reasons — namely that he's a former grade-school language-arts teacher who has achieved a remarkable level of buzz without the presence of an established label.

His EPs and remixes (including rapping over Pink Floyd and Peter, Bjorn & John) are a minor Internet sensation, and the acclaim has led to a featured song in the NBA 2k10 video game — all before his debut has become available.

The buzz is deserved, however, as Bell's band eschews samples to blend melodic guitars and buzzing bass lines with synthesizers and fat beats. His verses often riff on the same rhyme, but his flow and originality prevent things from going stale.

Bell says that he makes hip hop for people who “know their Basquiat as well as their basketball,” and he's as quick to reference Bo Diddly as Dungeons & Dragons. Some will tie his success to the ascension of indie rap, but regardless, Bell's popularity seems destined to continue growing.

Kenan Bell: "TGIF" (featuring Aceyalone)
Kenan Bell: \"TGIF\" (featuring Aceyalone)

Daniel Bernard Roumain: Woodbox Beats & Balladry (Thirsty Ear)

Haitian-American violinist Daniel Bernard Roumain is a man of myriad talents, combining classical training with rapid-fire rock beats, DJ scratches, electronics, and funky bass lines.

Though his "highbrow" pieces can be dramatic, orchestral affairs, Roumain accurately portrays his music as "more to do with Prince than (Niccolò) Paganini," and his résumé includes seemingly incongruous credits such as commissions by Carnegie Hall and an arrangement of a Lady Gaga song for American Idol.

Roumain has hooked up a few times with DJ Spooky, most recently at the Vancouver Olympics, and he has worked with other famed composers such as Philip Glass and Ryuichi Sakamoto. These great musicians surely seek Roumain's technical talents, but his compositional skills are just as special.

Woodbox Beats & Balladry is a highly dynamic album, calling upon elements of IDM, piano balladry, and Vernon Reid-style wailing on top of Roumain's standard amalgamation. It's an outstanding album whose adventurousness perfectly fits the 21st Century.

Daniel Bernard Roumain: "Sonata for Violin and Turntables, Part 4"
Daniel Bernard Roumain: \"Sonata for Violin and Turntables, Part 4\"

Black Francis: Nonstoperotik (Cooking Vinyl)

In 2007, indie-rock icon Charles Thompson — best known as Frank Black — reverted to his original Pixies stage name to release Bluefinger, a solo album inspired by Dutch musician and artist Herman Brood.

Since that time, Thompson has remained busy in many ways, including more dates with the reunited Pixies (as well as plans to record a long-awaited fifth album). He released a solo EP and created a score for The Golem, and Nonstoperotik — perhaps surprisingly — is his first full-length since Bluefinger.

Like the title, much of the lyrical content is blatantly sexual, though much of the musical backdrop does not convey a typically erotic or sensual sound. The results of Thompson's straightforward vocals are mixed, and pretty tracks such as "Rabbits" seem more suited to be instrumentals.

At other times, Black's voice reflects a passionate yearning, such as in the driving rock sounds of "Dead Man's Curve." The eponymous track is a gentle piano and string ballad, and accompanying instruments crop up throughout the disc — one that, like previous efforts, may create mixed feelings among Black Francis fans.

Black Francis: "Dead Man's Curve"
Black Francis: \"Dead Man\'s Curve\"

Mulatu Astatke: Mulatu Steps Head (Strut)

Dubbed the "father of Ethio-jazz," composer Mulatu Astatke came to prominence in the 1960s, helping to usher in an intercontinental fusion of genres.

Last year, Astatke garnered rave reviews for his collaboration with The Heliocentrics, a UK collective led by percussionist Malcolm Catto that concocts funky, trippy hip-hop pastiches. The pairing was outstanding, but Mulatu Steps Ahead — Astatke's first solo album in more than 20 years — is no less skilled, only different stylistically.

His instrument of choice is the vibraphone, and though the glistening mallet instrument takes the lead with aplomb when necessary, it is far from being the focal point of Mulatu Steps Ahead. Smoky brass motifs and cool woodwind solos are accentuated with piano chords and intermittent fiddling, and the disc never loses its jazzy, funky feel.

Different instruments, such as the West African kora, make cameos, but no matter the orchestration, Astatke finds a way to make it graceful and collected.

Mulatu Astatke: "Green Africa"
Mulatu Astatke: \"Green Africa\"

Honorable Mentions

Deru: Say Goodbye to Useless (Mush)

(Jedi Mind Tricks presents) Army of the Pharaohs: The Unholy Terror (Enemy Soil)

Tomasz Stanko Quintet: Dark Eyes (ECM)

The Bastard Noise / The Endless Blockade

A spinoff of treasured "power-violence" hardcore group Man is the Bastard, The Bastard Noise is approaching its 20th anniversary of creating noisy electro-doom brutality.

To its credit, The Bastard Noise continues to push boundaries, and for this split release with hardcore/punk experimentalists The Endless Blockade, the group utilizes the trademark drum-and-bass style of Man is the Bastard in combination with its far-out sounds.

Death-metal growls and demonic shrieks cover doom riffs and crushing bass chords, which quickly shift into progressive leads. Squealing, whirring electronic sounds further the ominous style — one that fans of the genre surely will love.

The Endless Blockade contributes three tracks to the release — one 14-minute epic and two avant-garde remixes. In "Deuteronomy," the marathon jam, hardcore/punk aggression gives way to circular, high-pitched effects and sludge breakdowns.

The first remix, "Advanced Directive," is an interpretation by Noah Creshevsky, a peerless patchwork composer/re-arranger who just released his own disc of inspired creations. The result, to say the least, is wild.

The Bastard Noise: "Mutant World of Shame / Underworld"
The Bastard Noise: \"Mutant World of Shame / Underworld\"

Freeway & Jake One: The Stimulus Package (Rhymesayers)

Continuing his life after Roc-A-Fella Records, former freestyle star Freeway now makes his debut on Rhymesayers, a fitting new home — if only temporary before a move to Cash Money.

Fellow Rhymesayers standout Jake One provides a funky, malleable backdrop for Freeway's fiery delivery and lyrics that are alternately personal and light in content. And though Freeway deserves his accolades, Jake One's production is the MVP of this collaboration.

Jake One's capabilities are on display from the get-go, as the party jam "Throw Your Hands Up" follows a soulful R&B intro track. A few tracks later, "Never Gonna Change" presents one of the most unique tracks on the album with a shifting rhythm (4/4 to 3/4 and back), glockenspiel, harmonized backing vocals, and sampled strings.

If you dig the music, be sure to pick up a physical copy. The Stimulus Package comes complete with awesome monetarily themed packaging.

Freeway & Jake One: "Know What I Mean"
Freeway & Jake One: \"Know What I Mean\"

The Souljazz Orchestra: Rising Sun (Strut)

Ottawa's Souljazz Orchestra, now with a quartet of expertly delivered albums, is much more than just another Afro-jazz ensemble.

With just six core members, the group uses its newest full-length — its first all-acoustic effort — to twirl through funk, Latin, African, down-tempo jazz, and big-band bits.

After a stirring piano-led intro and the full-blown Afrobeat of "Agbara" (heard below), "Negus Negast" vies for the title of album's best with a grooving marching-funk foundation that supports a dazzling Asian flavor.

Rising Sun is challenging but accessible, and it never loses sight of its inherent mission: to get listeners moving. When 2010 comes to a close, this should stand among the best jazz-crossover discs of the year.

The Souljazz Orchestra: "Agbara"
The Souljazz Orchestra: \"Agbara\"

Mako Sica: Dual Horizon LP (La Société Expéditionnaire)

A translation of the phrase "land bad," Mako Sica has more than a nominal Native American influence; the trio's distant vocal reverberations and dirge-inspired tunes recall the spirituality of America's original inhabitants.

Between the vocalizations of Brent Fuscaldo, the melodies of guitarist Przemyslaw Krys Drazek, and the rhythms of drummer Michael J. Kendrick, Mako Sica maintains a strong balance of abilities — with a brooding combination of jangly guitars, reverberated vociferation, and instrumental dynamics.

Though this is just the trio's debut, Mako Sica already has been featured on NPR's acclaimed world-music program, Radio M — and it won't be the last time if the band continues what it started on Dual Horizon.

Mako Sica: I'Itoi
Mako Sica: \"I\'Itoi\"

Carolina Chocolate Drops: Genuine Negro Jig (Nonesuch)

Beholden to the traditions of Americana and early African-American folk, the string trio Carolina Chocolate Drops continues blurring the lines of old and new.

On Genuine Negro Jig, the group's fifth album, a few original numbers and a trove of traditionals take root in banjo, fiddle, and percussion. Three-part harmonies shimmer on the famous folk tune "Trouble in Your Mind," and simplicity shines on gripping renditions of "Why Don't You Do Right?" by Kansas Joe McCoy and "Trampled Rose" by Tom Waits.

Most surprisingly, Genuine Negro Jig includes an enjoyable rendition of "Hit 'Em Up Style," an unintentionally farcical pop hit by Blu Cantrell, a multi-talented producer who is best known as an early-2000s one-hit wonder. Easily the most mainstream cut on the disc, the song (reenacted with beat-boxing) describes the shopping-spree revenge of a woman who gets back at her unfaithful man by snatching his credit cards.

Carolina Chocolate Drops: "Hit 'Em Up Style" (excerpt)
Carolina Chocolate Drops: \"Hit \'Em Up Style\" (excerpt)

Honorable Mentions

Dday One: Heavy Migration LP reissue (Crosstalk Int.)

The Seven Fields of Aphelion: Periphery (Graveface)

V/A: Next Stop Soweto: Township Sounds From The Golden Age Of Mbaqanga (Strut)

ALARM leaves no genre unloved in our round-up of 50 albums that didn't receive enough attention in 2009.

Omar Rodriguez Lopez: Old Money (Stones Throw, 1/27/09)

Omar Rodriguez Lopez: "Family War Funding"

The first of many releases in 2009 from prolific guitarist/composer Omar Rodriguez-Lopez. Accessible and centered on rock, sounding spacey, funky, progressive, psychedelic, a little jazzy, and a little Latin.

Kevin Hufnagel: Songs for the Disappeared (self-released, 2/3/09)

Kevin Hufnagel: "Tres"

Musical themes come and go, covering swaths of Spanish and Gypsy guitar before reverting back to haunting rock melodies, on this solo acoustic album from highly technical Dysrhythmia guitarist Kevin Hufnagel.

P.O.S: Never Better (Rhymesayers, 2/3/09)

P.O.S.: "Drumroll"

Likely the year's best hip-hop album, Never Better draws on Stefon Alexander’s background in punk and rock music (he plays most of the live instrumentation on the record), making this is an album that categorically defines the indie in indie rap.

Zu: Carboniferous (Ipecac, 2/17/09)

Zu: "Ostia"

Sludgy alt-metal with complex repeated rhythms and free-jazz freakouts. Features Mike Patton on two killer tracks.

The Andreas Kapsalis & Goran Ivanovic Guitar Duo: s/t (2/24/09)

The Andreas Kapsalis & Goran Ivanovic Guitar Duo: "Shadow Thief"

A Balkan-influenced classical guitarist joins an ethically inspired finger-tapping guitarist for a disc of skill and beauty.

16: Bridges to Burn (Relapse, 2/24/09)

16: "Throw in the Towel"

Dubbed the "Unsane of the West Coast" by ALARM's Jamie Ludwig, 16 issued another hard-hitting riff fest in 2009 with Bridges to Burn, the band's best album to date.

Umlaut: s/t (3/10/09)

Umlaut: "Kitty Puppy"

Mr. Bungle's Bär McKinnon, multi-instrumentalist extraordinaire, issued one hell of an album for this new project — one that filters meticulous melodies and asinine vocals through the lens of a whacked-out lounge group.

Jono El Grande: Neo Dada (Rune Grammofon, 3/16/09)

Jono El Grande: "Oslo Coty Suite"

Fanciful music that's different around every turn. Art rock that weaves through theatrical, progressive, classical, and absurdist styles with influences from Frank Zappa, Captain Beefheart, King Crimson and Igor Stravinsky.

Kylesa: Static Tensions (Prosthetic, 3/17/09)

Kylesa: "Scapegoat"

Down-tuned dirge metal that rumbles with crust punk, sludge, metal, hardcore, and psychedelia, often laced with atmospheric samples. To date, Static Tensions is Kylesa's most powerful album.

(MF) Doom: Born Like This (Lex, 3/23/09)

Doom: "Cellz"

Dropping his “MF” prefix, the incomparable rapper and Marvel-inspired supervillain delivered another nearly impenetrable wall of rhymes and flow, dizzying listeners with his ever-shifting, slowly delivered lyrics.

The newest solo album of Nile linchpin Karl Sanders is another beautiful acoustic release of Arabic flavors mixed with Western structures.

Following Saurian Meditation from 2004, Saurian Exorcisms is full of gorgeous, dark motifs that run a wider gamut of styles than Sanders' last solo effort.  On Exorcisms, Sanders handles all instrumentation — baglama saz, glissentar, acoustic guitars, guitar synth, keyboards, drums, and percussion.  He even contributes vocals, which complement the haunting vocals and chants of Mike Breazeale.

The music contains some of Sanders' blistering fretwork, but it never strays from its overlying melody and accessibility.  Covering Turkish, Egyptian, Indian, and Arabic styles, Saurian Exorcisms is a must-own album.

Karl Sanders: "Rapture of the Empty Spaces"
Karl Sanders: \"Rapture of the Empty Spaces\"

Crippled Black Phoenix: 200 Tons of Bad Luck (Invada)

Penning epic "endtime ballads," the United Kingdom's Crippled Black Phoenix plays dark folk with dirty guitars, ominous effects, diversified vocals, and countless guest electro/acoustic contributions.

The group's style is predicated on the multi-instrumental prowess of Justin Greaves (former drummer of Electric Wizard), whose lengthy tunes are augmented with a massive cast.  Nine of the songs on this disc clock in at or over five minutes, including the 18-minute musical triptych "Time of Ye Life / Born for Nothing / Paranoid Arm of Narcoleptic Empire."

Crippled Black Phoenix: "Rise Up and Fight"
Crippled Black Phoenix: \"Rise Up and Fight\"

Mulatu Astatke / The Heliocentrics: Inspiration Information 3 (Strut)

Known as the father of Ethio-jazz, Ethiopian bandleader Mulatu Astatke is an internationally lauded musician whose works may be best known in America through the soundtrack to Broken Flowers or the Ethiopiques series.

Now, for Strut's Inspiration Information studio pair-up series, Astatke creates an outstanding disc of worldly jazz-hop fusion with the help of UK hip-hop/funk/psychedelic all-stars The Heliocentrics.

The collaboration has already received vast amounts of praise, and it comes strongly recommended for anyone into the aforementioned genres.

Mulatu Astatke / The Heliocentrics: "Masenqo" (radio edit)
Mulatu Astatke / The Heliocentrics: \"Masenqo\" (radio edit)

Prefuse 73: Everything She Touched Turned Ampexian (Warp)

Guillermo Scott Herren's newest album as his glitchy alter-ego is meant to be a linear work — one that Herren describes as both straight ahead and obscure.

That description is on point, but it could also apply to most other Prefuse releases.  Still, this effort finds Herren's chopped sound collages about as accessible as they come, layered over hip-hop beats that don't stutter like on previous efforts.

Agoraphobic Nosebleed: Agorapocalypse (Relapse)

Specializing in über-fast thrash/grind, ANB presents just its second full-length album in 10 years with Agorapocalypse.

The brutal quartet features three vocalists — two of the stand-alone variety — aiding the semi-diversity of sound on the new disc.  Everything is extra heavy, but breakdowns, breakneck solos, and sludge bass combine to make this the band's most realized release to date.

Agoraphobic Nosebleed: "Agorapocalypse Now"
Agoraphobic Nosebleed: \"Agorapocalypse Now\"

Two Fingers: s/t (Paper Bag)

DJs/producers Amon Tobin and Doubleclick comprise Two Fingers, an experimental mix of hip hop and drum & bass that features Ghanaian UK rapper Sway and a pair of additional guest rappers.

Nothing lacks in the production, which is a mix of factory-sound dance numbers that boast Tobin's trademark pastiche/found-sound style.  Sway's rapid-fire delivery fits, but it also gets a bit tiresome, particularly with the frequency of certain passages.

Dengue Fever: Sleepwalking Through the Mekong (M80)

Following Los Angeles Cambodian/American pop-rock group Dengue Fever through Cambodia, the film for which this soundtrack was created explores the homecoming of singer Chhom Nimol and the journey of the band that she fronts.

Full of the band's psych-tinged tunes as well as great Cambodian rock tunes of the 1960s and '70s, the soundtrack honors a musical culture that was put in peril during the Khmer Rouge's atrocious reign.