Empty Space Orchestra: "Exit Strategy"

Empty Space Orchestra is a Bend, Oregon-based space-prog-fusion (feel free to add any number of additional hybrid genres here) quintet composed of classically trained musicians. ESO's self-titled new album — a nine-song, 50-minute, jam-filled harmonic exploration — doesn't come out until May 10, but today ALARM presents an exclusive track to whet your appetite.

The song, "Exit Strategy," builds to truly fierce heights as guitars, horns, and pianos pile atop one another like precariously placed Jenga pieces. Just when you think that the center cannot possibly hold, ESO reels things back in with an abrupt tempo change. After you check out the track above, hop over to YouTube and watch a surprisingly high-quality video of ESO performing "Exit Strategy" at the Les Schwab Amphitheater in Bend right here.

The forthcoming Empty Space Orchestra was recorded with engineer Robert Cheek, known for his work with Deftones and Tera Melos, and mixed by Matt Bayles, who's worked with Mastodon and Isis, among others.

[Have you pre-ordered yet? Don't miss our limited-time offer, saving up to 38%, for Chromatic: The Crossroads of Color and Music, our next book that profiles independent musicians and artists who explore color in unorthodox ways.]

Colin Stetson: New History Warfare Vol. 2: Judges (Constellation)

Colin Stetson: "Judges"

Everyday music connoisseurs may not automatically recognize Colin Stetson's name, but they're likely to have heard his bellowing and diverse reed work — whether from his efforts with musical luminaries such as Tom Waits, Anthony Braxton, and Fred Frith or, more recently, his opening slots for stadium indie acts such as Arcade Fire and The National.

Armed with a baritone sax and other horns, Stetson uses his solo releases to present looped, layered, and transcendental compositions that may leave listeners puzzled at how they're created.  Most sound only vaguely borne from horns, as Stetson utilizes circular breathing, chordal mouth/throat techniques, and singing through his instruments to achieve sounds that are uncommon to most.

New History Warfare Vol. 2: Judges is his latest, and it's full of swirling, cyclical pieces that can be both meditative and powerful.  Laurie Anderson and Shara Worden (My Brightest Diamond) provide a few spots of guest vocals, but no amount of star power — including Stetson's famous tour-mates — could steal the spotlight from this one.

Julianna Barwick: The Magic Place (Asthmatic Kitty)

Julianna Barwick: "The Magic Place"

Creating her music almost entirely out of overdubbed and looped vocals, singer/songwriter Julianna Barwick is able to achieve a profound and resonant style. Her ascendant voice, particularly when presented en masse, takes a celestial quality and at times resembles high-pitched woodwinds, organs, or keyboards.

With distant wails and chants that swell and retreat, the music sounds like an experimental composer’s take on church choirs, and for good reason: Barwick refined her talents while singing in church and school choirs as a youth. There are a few complementary piano notes and a buried bass line here and there, but largely, it’s Barwick’s shining voice and compositional skills that are center stage.

Earth: Angels Of Darkness, Demons Of Light I (Southern Lord)

Earth: "Father Midnight"

Since restarting his cult-favorite band Earth in the mid-2000s, guitarist Dylan Carlson has offered a much less foreboding take on "drone doom" — using pedal steel, banjo, baritone guitar, and more to inflect a dark "Americana" vibe into what had focused on heavily distorted and slowed-down blues-rock riffs.

Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light I is another return to form — and another new lineup.  Gone are the guest guitars from Bill Frisell; in his place, bassist Karl Blau and cellist Lori Goldston offer resonant low-end riffs that complement and harmonize with Carlson's melodies.

The songs, like usual, are long-form pieces that build around a few lengthy repetitions.  However, they're even a little longer than usual, with two that top 10 minutes and a closer that eclipses 20 — totaling 60 minutes over just five tracks.  All together, the material is another victory for down-tempo music, proving that slow songs don't have to be boring.

Pitom: Blasphemy and Other Serious Crimes (Tzadik)

Pitom: "Head in the Ground"

Combining heavy, fuzzy rock jams with Jewish melodies, Pitom is one of many projects from guitarist, bassist, and composer Yoshie Fruchter.  Blasphemy and Other Serious Crimes, the quartet's second release on Tzadik, follows the same path as its predecessor, but it does so with a bit more cohesion and restraint.

Built from the ground up with distorted bass and violin, the band's music carries similarities to that of Skeletonbreath, an alt-rock trio that embraces worldly motifs, and Miasma & The Carousel of Headless Horses, another eclectic ensemble that combines doomy riffs and string work.  Pitom's lineup, however, has a key difference: Fruchter's pliable skills.

Whether driving a song with an infectious melody, commingling with the violin in the high end, or simply taking over a track with raw ability, Fruchter knows when to go full throttle (the punk power of "An Epic Encounter") or pull back (the dark slow jam of "A Resentful Repentance").

Honorable Mentions

Darkest Hour: The Human Romance (E1)

Gil Scott-Heron & Jamie XX: We're New Here [remix album] (XL)

Rachel Goodrich: s/t

Gutbucket: Flock (Cuneiform)

Peña: Vol. II (Secret Stash)

Six Organs of Admittance: Asleep On The Floodplain (Drag City)

Tera Melos: Zoo Weather EP (Sargent House)

Teeel: Amulet (Moongadget)

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.

Tera Melos: "Frozen Zoo"

Tera Melos: Patagonian Rats

On its second full-length album — and first since 2005 — boundless math-rock trio Tera Melos (www.teramelosmusic.com) has broken its proverbial mold, if only slightly, to give a sense of order to its usual musical mayhem.

Nick Reinhart, the guitarist/keyboardist of this thrashing Sacramento-based unit, has given the band what it has never truly had before: a voice. This development isn’t new, actually, as Reinhart explored vocalizations on Idioms Vol. 1, the trio’s recent cover EP, and perfected his own vocal style in Bygones, a wild rock collaboration with Hella’s Zach Hill. But Patagonian Rats is an entirely new brand of Tera Melos, vaulting the trio to new heights.

“We like to play really interesting, confusing, and complex music and arrangements in a really bizarre way,” Reinhart says. “We were a far-out instrumental band for four or five years, and we were ready to try something new. And new for us was [adding vocals]. Adding vocals was a fun, new challenge for us.”

“You can have [a song] that’s in a super jacked-up time signature…but if there’s a clean vocal melody over it, it kind of ties it all together.”

Through the past five years and the addition of new band members, the one thing that has remained constant is the band’s devotion to uniquely arranged punk instrumentals. Its songs are dominated by an ongoing clash between players, as if the band members are taking turns battling each other with high-intensity solos. However, the addition of Reinhart’s vocals adds a unifying quality to the band’s controlled chaos.

“It seems like vocals are something that no matter who you are, or what knowledge of music you have, you can always relate to,” Reinhart says. “You can have [a song] that’s in a super jacked-up time signature, that’s weird, but if there’s a clean vocal melody over it, it kind of ties it all together.”

And so it is on Patagonian Rats. By no means does the band adopt a familiar, radio-friendly sound — it continues to keep the listener off balance with spastic drums, math-punk guitar noodling, and driving bass distortions that combine in unexpected ways on signature tracks such as “The Surf Skin” and “Frozen Zoo.” The vocals themselves still are secondary, as Reinhart’s voice often is reserved for the background and flavored with an echoing quality. Nevertheless, the stripped-down vocals allow Tera Melos to keep the essence of its signature instrument-driven style, while infusing another melodic element into its songs.

A multinational tour — another first for Tera Melos — coincided with the release of Patagonian Rats, and the band hopes that this album’s success will lead to a self-sustaining career in music. “If we can afford rent six months from now without having to work a real shitty job or have to borrow money from our parents, that would be super successful for us,” Reinhart says. Regardless of whether some commercial acceptance lies ahead for the globe-trotting trio, one thing is for sure: in order for Tera Melos to enjoy the success it desires, Nick Reinhart’s voice can’t get lost in translation.

Download the podcast for This Week’s Best Albums: October 19, 2010 and subscribe to the free podcast via iTunes or another application.

Squarepusher presents Shobaleader One: d'Demonstrator (Warp)

Squarepusher presents Shobaleader One: "Megazine"

Bass/electronic guru Tom Jenkinson has covered astounding turf in his 15-year career as Squarepusher, fluctuating between fusion-filled drum-and-bass, jazzy IDM, classical-guitar pieces, pure dance tracks, and experimental electronica.  Depending on how you count certain releases, he's up to 14 full albums and more than 20 EPs (either under Squarepusher, his own name, or a different alias).

There isn't too much that he hasn't done with his bass, synthesizers, and drum sequencers, but d'Demonstrator is new territory — a new, funky "space band" project as Shobaleader One.  Jenkinson is responsible for the compositions, and the mysterious extra "players" don't play anything that he couldn't record on his own, so the band thing seems bogus.  It doesn't matter, though, because the first in a series of Shobaleader releases is enjoyable with or without the back story.

Most songs are rooted in synthesized vocals and pop hooks — a definite first for Squarepusher.  Though melodies abound in Jenkinson's back catalog, they've never been as streamlined.  Some older releases have been fully danceable, but again, never in the airy and almost strictly 4/4 manner of d'Demonstrator.

And though it's not an unadulterated riff bonanza as on albums past, the album has enough of Jenkinson's technical skills peeking from behind the grooves.  It's another new turn in a constantly twisting career — and one that makes for a slinky good time.

Zach Hill: Face Tat (Sargent House)

Zach Hill: "Memo to the Man"

In 2008, drumming dynamo Zach Hill took time from his impossibly crammed itinerary to release his first solo album, Astrological Straits.  Packed with friends and guest musicians, it showcased his pop side — albeit one with crazy beats, complex polyrhythms, and weird vocals.

Face Tat is the second in what should be a long line of solo releases, despite Hill's renewed activity in Hella and more releases with Marnie Stern, Bygones, and others on the way.  Though still intricate, noisy, and strange, it's a little easier to follow than its predecessor, with a few more parts being focused on a single melody, rhythm, or vocal line.

The vocals again are doubled, distorted, or half-spoken, but they're all Hill.  Plenty of other random parts come via guests, but like the debut, they might be rearranged or cut up by Hill to mesh however he sees fit.  This time around, those guests include Guillermo Scott Herren (a.k.a. Prefuse 73), Devendra Banhart, Nick Reinhart from Tera Melos, and various members of Hella, Deerhoof, and No Age.

If you missed it in ALARM 33, check out music editor Scott Morrow's interview with Zach Hill about Astrological Straits and its inspirations.

V/A: From the Land of Ice and Snow: The Songs of Led Zeppelin (Jealous Butcher)

Portland Cello Project: "Dazed and Confused"

There's no shortage of Led Zeppelin cover albums, but the newest — courtesy of Portland's Jealous Butcher Records — is both a community-focused project and an interesting mixture of restyled classics.

Over two discs (33 songs), From the Land of Ice and Snow features a cavalcade of Portland artists — mostly in the indie-rock and folk realms but also expanding into alt-country, chamber music, and a little noise rock.

Some of the bigger and more noticeable names include M. Ward, the Portland Cello Project, Kind of Like Spitting, and Tu Fawning.  But the lesser-known artists hold their own, and there are few duds.  The digital edition offers 18 more bonus tracks — enough for an entire third disc — and this is worth checking out for most Zeppelin fans.

Dustin Wong: Infinite Love / A Square Defining a Circle (Thrill Jockey)

Dustin Wong: "Brother (Talking Walking Cloud)"

For his debut full-length, guitarist Dustin Wong has delivered a rather peculiar package — two discs that each represent a sort of "what if?" take on the same album.

Infinite Love / A Square Defining a Circle is two variations on 40 minutes of melodic, multi-layered guitar instrumentals.  Each disc is approximately the same until its midpoint, when the two split for six or seven tracks until they rejoin with the same conclusion.

Using loop, delay, octave, and other effects pedals, Wong crafts slowly building pieces out of sounds that often no longer resemble a guitar. Many passages build upon one simple repetition until the whole piece is nearly unrecognizable from its start, turning into a pulsating swarm of riffs.  The combined presentation is an interesting concept, but the real appeal is Wong's melodic layering.

Martina Topley Bird: Some Place Strange (Ipecac)

Martina Topley Bird: "Sandpaper Kisses"

For more than 15 years, Martina Topley Bird has been one of the leading female voices of trip hop, lending her talents to Tricky and Massive Attack in addition to a host of other guest spots. She has released a pair of solo albums — one produced by Danger Mouse — before putting out Some Place Strange, a stripped-back recreation of older material.

There are a handful of new tracks here as well, but they all scale back the instrumentation to feature Topley Bird's voice in a new way. That instrumentation, in fact, is assorted, but there seldom is more than one or two parts to accompany the vocals. The album is sparse, and though existing fans may appreciate it more by contrasting it familiar old tracks, first-time listeners should enjoy it as well.

Honorable mentions

Brent Amaker and the Rodeo: Please Stand By (Spark & Shine)

Eskmo: s/t (Ninja Tune)

How to Dress Well: Love Remains (Lefse)

Gaucho: Pearl

Radio Citizen: Hope and Despair (Ubiquity)

Scott Amendola Trio: Lift (Sazi Music)

Soars: s/t (La Société Expéditionnaire)

Tera Melos: Patagonian Rats (Sargent House)

Due to limited touring, a shuffling lineup, and shorter releases, eccentric math-rock trio Tera Melos has kept an undeservedly low profile.

Nevertheless, the group garnered acclaim for its progressive prowess and unconventionality — first with an untitled full-length debut and then a split EP with By the End of Tonight, a separate 2007 EP, and a 2009 covers EP that deconstructed pop tunes by the Beach Boys, Pixies, Weezer, and The Clash.

Along the journey, guitarist/keyboardist Nick Reinhart experimented with vocals, tucking them in and around his maniacal but hook-tinged riffs.  The cover EP, Idioms Vol. 1, furthered the vocal presence, but Reinhart really perfected his delivery in Bygones, his wild rock collaboration with Hella's Zach Hill.

With Reinhart's newly sharpened vocal chops and a new tech-pop balance, Patagonian Rats marks the true arrival of Tera Melos.  The album lands somewhere between the band's old schizophrenic yet directed mayhem and the mathy yet melodic accessibility of Bygones.  The chaos is carefully controlled, erupting at opportune moments or manifesting itself in layers of outlandishness.

The entire album is rooted in a punk energy, however, powered by spastic drums, guitar noodling, and driving bass distortions.  With the addition of a touring fourth member, Tera Melos should be more accurately reenacting these songs on stage, which should be even more outstanding than listening to Patagonian Rats.

Tera Melos: "Skin Surf"

Tera Melos: "Frozen Zoo"

Kurt Rosenwinkel & OJM: Our Secret World (WOM Music)

Like so many other jazz greats, guitarist and bandleader Kurt Rosenwinkel has a credit sheet as long as his arm, spanning 10 of his own albums and dozens of recordings with others.  And though a decent chunk of his personal catalog is built on standards, his previous releases have offered plenty of material for Our Secret World, a dynamic collection of big-band renditions as interpreted by the Orquestra Jazz de Matosinhos (OJM).

With the ensemble's backing, each selection is capable of being sultry, somber, powerful, or all of the above.  No matter what, however, two constants remain: Rosenwinkel's songwriting skills and his electric jazz-fusion chops.

Hip-hop fans may know Rosenwinkel's name from his work on recent/unreleased Q-Tip albums The Renaissance and Kamaal the Abstract, and Q-Tip, in fact, co-produced Heartcore, Rosenwinkel's eclectic 2003 album that mixed jazz, electronica, soul, and more.  Though Our Secret World isn't as diverse, it again proves how multifaceted and expressive Rosenwinkel's writing is and can be, and it's a great album for those new to jazz.

Sam Prekop: Old Punch Card (Thrill Jockey)

Sam Prekop is best known as the singer/songwriter from The Sea and Cake, a soft, quirky indie-pop group whose members include Archer Prewitt as well as John McEntire of Tortoise.  In his solo career, Prekop hasn't strayed too far from this sound, but he has infused bits of Brazilian and African influence along the way.

Old Punch Card, his third solo album and first since 2005, explores an entirely new direction — one of experimental, formless electronics and melodic loops.  The album is built around different sounds from a modular synthesizer, and it is devoid of vocals, guitars (except for one track), and beats.

Long-standing fans of Prekop may be perplexed, but it's an interesting twist to a career that's been built on pop hooks.  Old Punch Card has little latch-able material for pop enthusiasts (save for a few loops and unorthodox melodies), but it's a strong electronic album, cut in the mold of forebears like Morton Subotnick and Raymond Scott.

Sam Prekop: "Old Punch Card"

Honorable Mentions

The Acorn: No Ghost (Bella Union)

Arp: The Soft Wave (Smalltown Supersound)

Blue Sky Black Death & Alexander Chen: Third Party (Fake Four)

Constants: If Tomorrow the War (Science of Silence)

Helmet: Seeing Eye Dog (Work Song)

Neurosis: Live at Roadburn 2007 (Neurot)

Quest for Fire: Lights from Paradise (Tee Pee)

Sungod: First Matter (Cyclopean)

The Thermals: Personal Life (Kill Rock Stars)

Winter Gloves: All Red (Paper Bag)