Blockhead

As a highly lauded hip-hop producer, Anthony "Blockhead" Simon is behind many of the great tunes and fat beats of big-name indie rappers, including Aesop Rock, Slug, Cage, Murs, and Mike Ladd.

The Music Scene is only Blockhead's fourth full solo album,which seems strange given his decade of production. Nevertheless, it again documents his keen ear for melody, dynamics, and stylistic convergence. "It's Raining Clouds," the album's opener, is one of many examples of this convergence, with head-nodding beats, flute loops, sitar-like sounds, sultry horns, soulful samples, and a whistling backdrop.

Available via MP3 a few months ago, The Music Scene now gets a full CD release through Ninja Tune.

Nick Cave & Warren Ellis: The Road soundtrack (Mute)

Just months after the release of a "greatest hits" of soundtrack works, rock-and-roll mavericks Nick Cave and Warren Ellis combine forces for another melodic score that belies the post-apocalyptic nature of its film companion.

Centered on violin and piano, this score is alternately beautiful, melancholic, and tense, with emotive passages that speak to the drama and conflict of the protagonists in this adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's novel.

Rempis/Rosaly Duo: Cyrillic (482 Music)

Saxophonist Dave Rempis and drummer Frank Rosaly are two of Chicago's most productive improv musicians, delighting diehard jazz heads with the likes of The Rempis Percussion Quartet, Engines, Viscous, Cicadas Music, and dozens of other outfits.

Here the two entertain with a dose of free jazz that is as blistering as it is subdued; wild runs lead into relaxed rhythms. Though most of the material clashes with itself as each instrument does its thing, the album is more approachable than its counterparts that carry two or more tonal instruments.

Additionally, there are moments where the two really synchronize. These usually come after minutes of tension, making the payoff that much more rewarding.

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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