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.

Solex vs. Cristina Martinez + Jon Spencer: Amsterdam Throwdown, King Street Showdown! (BronzeRat)

Dutch electro artist Elisabeth Esselink keeps a relatively low profile for holding some serious sampling skills (which have been documented on a few Matador releases).

Known as Solex, Esselink now releases her first album in five years, and it's a doozy. Featuring the husband/wife team of Jon Spencer and Christina Martinez (ex-Boss Hog), Amsterdam Throwdown… is a spacey, funky, groovy disc of fun jams.

The grooves are supported by bangin' beats and assorted instrumental accents — strings, horns, acoustic and dirty guitars, and much more. Lighthearted vocal interplay trades off with spoken-word passages and Spencer's trademark "dirtbag" sound.

Amsterdam Throwdown… seems destined to fly under the radar, which would be criminal. Check this out.

Solex vs. Christina Martinez + Jon Spencer: "Galaxy Man"
Solex vs. Christina Martinez + Jon Spencer: \"Galaxy Man\"

Tim Fite: Under the Table Tennis

Multi-instrumentalist rapper/singer Tim Fite, who has been making unclassifiable collage-rock records for the past six years, uses his latest free digital album to deal directly with the recession, defaulted mortgage loans, inadequate healthcare, and bailouts.

Anyone familiar with Fite's style will instantly recognize and appreciate Under the Table Tennis (another great title à la Over the Counter Culture), but new styles flash in and out of the melting pot — despondent Western motifs, French pop, reggae, and "crunk metal" akin to Otto Von Schirach.

Under the Table Tennis succeeds in its ability to make the listener understand the emotional landscape of an American recession far better than any news report or Time article can. And if that weren't enough, it's another fantastic patchwork of styles.

Tim Fite: "Someone Threw the Baby Out"
Tim Fite: \"Someone Threw the Baby Out\"

The Claudia Quintet: Royal Toast (Cuneiform)

Jazz holds a strong lineage of drummers who double as bandleaders. Still, the practice isn't as commonplace as one would imagine, and New York's John Hollenbeck is at the top of a short list of great drummer-composers.

Hollenbeck has won Grammys, but his music is far from the type of smooth-jazz sounds that are conjured by that factoid. Rather, he leads a number of ensembles — including his magnificent Large Ensemble — through challenging polyrhythmic works.

The Claudia Quintet is Hollenbeck's "band," a five-piece regular cast that, for this release, features the intricate piano work of Gary Versace. The result is another album of circuitous jazz pieces that entice listeners with wandering accordion and tinges of minimalist classical via vibraphone.

The Claudia Quintet with Gary Versace: "Sphinx"
The Claudia Quintet: \"Sphinx\"

Under Byen: Alt Er Tabt (Paper Bag)

Turning 15 this year, Danish post-rock ensemble Under Byen celebrates its crystal anniversary with a few new members and its first studio album since 2006.

Of course, as so often is the case, the "post-rock" descriptor doesn't necessarily fit here, although that's primary because it has been used to describe such a wide variety of styles. Alt Er Tabt is closer to chamber pop than rock, although it does have a few elements in common with bands like Mono that incorporate strings to great effect.

Behind Henriette Sennenvaldt's breathy vocals, ascending scales on pizzicato strings work over 4/4 beats to create simple, catchy polyrhythms. Chants, synthesizers, and Eastern influences weave around basic bass lines, allowing listeners to be rapt by the band's clever beauty.

Under Byen: "Alt Er Tabt"
Under Byen: \"Alt Er Tabt\"

Honorable Mentions

Fight the Big Bull: All is Gladness in the Kingdom (Clean Feed)

Harvey Milk: A Small Turn of Human Kindness (Hydra Head)

Jamie Lidell: Compass (Warp)

Pontiak: Living (Thrill Jockey)

Paul "Sage" Francis has built a career out of going against the grain, tackling thorny sociopolitical issues while embracing the limelight of poetry slams and rap battles. His idiosyncratic style garnered him underground buzz well before his Anticon debut in 2002.

Following two more acclaimed albums on Epitaph in 2005 and '07, Francis has delivered the most adventurous album of his career. Li(f)e is a collaboration with a dozen different singer-songwriter and acoustic-music types, finding Francis at his most personal over styles that aren't necessarily conducive to rappers.

Folk, country, western, indie rock, and more — it's all delivered via big names such as Calexico, DeVotchKa, Califone, Tim Fite, ex-Grandaddy frontman Jason Lytle, Chris Walla of Death Cab for Cutie, Mark Linkous of Sparklehorse, and producer Brian Deck (Modest Mouse, Iron & Wine).

A few moments seem like odd fits, but by and large, Francis' style adapts well to his surroundings. He's at his most poetic, trading between spoken-word confessions and rapid-fire rhymes while building to the occasional eruption.

For Li(f)e, Francis sought singer-songwriters who hadn't worked with rappers, and the results are commendable. Though some pieces were essentially leftover tracks by collaborators, Francis overlays his words with care and works with the dynamics of each track.

"Diamonds and Pearls" with DeVotchKa is one of the best on the album, featuring Tom Hagerman's dancing neoclassical violin lines as well as ghostly backing vocals by Nick Urata and Jeanie Schroder. "The Best of Times" with French composer Yann Tiersen, however, is the album's single, and as its closer, it serves as an apt summary of the album's adventures.

Ultimately, fans may be divided on Li(f)e, but no matter how you feel, it's certain to be a watershed album in an already uncommon career.

Sage Francis: "The Best of Times"
Sage Francis: \"The Best of Times\"

Zs: New Slaves (The Social Registry)

Name any sort of "out there" genre and it likely applies to Zs, a Brooklyn quartet that puts the experiment in experimental. Avant garde, free jazz, no wave, noise — these guys have covered it all, generally with impenetrable rhythms and piercing effects.

Released less than a year after the six-song Music of the Modern White LP, New Slaves may be the group's noisiest but most direct effort. Despite its impregnable qualities, the album possesses a generally hypnotic characteristic, as improvised electronic sounds coat looping beats for a transfixing effect.

True to form, the album is very percussive and very noisy, best described by The Social Registry as "a clanging mishmash of industrial raga," recalling the trance-inducing, non-diatonic elements of Indian music on top of tribal beats.

Those who don't enjoy improvisational or "out" music will skip right over New Slaves, which tosses a 20-minute noise jam after five relatively "short" tracks. But fans of Steve Reich or Terry Riley-esque minimalism may dig a track such as "Masonry," which recalls a rain forest with its über-reverberated xylophone runs over distant thuds and super-speedy humming-bird percussions.

Zs: "Acres of Skin"
Zs: \"Acres of Skin\"

Holy Fuck: Latin (Young Turks / Beggars Group)

Once listeners realized that Holy Fuck didn't sound quite like its name might suggest — with hip-hop beats and electronics instead of screams and blast beats — this "rock-tronica" group caught on in a hurry.

Now, after two essentially eponymous albums, Latin settles the band on a "permanent" lineup. Its touring rhythm section, now a pair of regulars, provides organic break beats and bass grooves for the fuzzy keyboards and hazy and alien effects of Brian Borcherdt and Graham Walsh.

Latin isn't terribly dissimilar to Holy Fuck's first two albums, but it doesn't need to be. There are enough different sounds and enough instrumental interplay to engage listeners, old and new alike.

Honorable Mentions

Marco Benevento: Between the Needles & Nightfall (The Royal Potato Family)

Howl: Full Of Hell (Relapse)

Misery Index: Heirs To Thievery (Relapse)

River City Extension: The Unmistakable Man (XOXO)

US Christmas, Harvestman, and Minsk: The Hawkwind Triad (Neurot)

Various artists: Egypt Noir (Piranha)

Sage Francis

Sage Francis' new album features Brian Deck (Modest Mouse, Iron and Wine), Jim Becker and Tim Rutili (Califone), and songwriting by Jason Lytle (Grandaddy), Chris Walla (Death Cab for Cutie), Tim Fite, and members of Calexico, DeVotchKa, and Sparklehorse.

"We specifically sought out songwriters who had never worked with a rapper," Francis explains.

The record's title Li(f)e is a deliberate amalgamation of the words life and lie. As Francis says, "What about life is a lie? What we're told about God is a lie. What we're told about race, gender roles, beauty, war, food, drugs, sexuality, capitalism, history, the nature of humankind…a gang of lies. I feel it in my gut, I think it in my brain, I write it with my hands and I speak it with my mouth. That's what makes Li(f)e the general theme of this album."

One Day as a Lion, the hip-hop/rock duo of Zach de la Rocha and Jon Theodore, has posted a video for its successful single, "Wild International."

The inexhaustible Zach Hill has another new project, this one with Zac Nelson.  The duo's harmonic weirdness is called Chll Pll and will be released this year on Porter Records.

Omar Rodriguez Lopez, a musician as tireless as Zach Hill (and also a collaborator with him), has finished another new album for The Mars Volta.  The album, titled Octahedron, will be released on June 19.

Hardcore punks Trash Talk have a new EP, East of Eden, that can be heard here.  The band recently began a month-long US tour with The Bronx.

Kayo Dot will record a new album this summer with engineer Randall Dunn (Secret Chiefs 3, Grails).  The group will tour in June and July and later release the album on Hydra Head.

On Tuesday in Seattle, as part of Tom Morello's Justice Tour, three-quarters of Soundgarden — Kim Thayil, Matt Cameron, and Ben Shepherd — played three Soundgarden songs with Morello as the second guitarist and Tad Doyle (of TAD) handling the vocals.  The vocals aren't pretty and the footage isn't great…but the whole thing is pretty awesome.

Kid Koala's Slew album is finished and looking at a late summer release.  In the meantime, he's producing an album for songwriter Terence Bernardo.

Tool will tour the US this summer, though dates are unannounced at this point.  Chicago Tribune rock critic Greg Kot has reported rumors of the band headlining Lollapalooza.

Pressing forward for another album with its original lineup, Dinosaur Jr. will release Farm on June 23 via Jagjaguwar.

Yoshida Brothers, a Japanese shamisen duo, will tour the US West Coast for a spell in May before playing a pair of dates in British Columbia.

Busdriver and Tim Fite, both peculiar performers, will perform at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County on April 3.

Looking for constant updates about the Faith No More reunion?  Check out this handy blog.

Greenleaf Music is now streaming its entire front-line catalog at its online store.

Kill That Cat has posted 37 minutes of live footage of Boston hardcore heroes Cave In from 1999, a time when the group was between the incomparable melodic metal of Until Your Heart Stops and the vocal-driven rock of Jupiter.

Burnt by the Sun has begun recording its long-awaited third full-length album, Heart of Darkness. The album will be out late spring or early summer on Relapse, and a demo track can be heard at the band's MySpace page.

The new Cursive album, Mama, I'm Swollen, will be released March 10 from Saddle Creek.

With Surfin' USSR, Balkan/jazz/surf fusionists Farmers Market won the award for best album of the year in the open class of Spellemannprisen, the Norwegian equivalent of the Grammys.

Brooklyn doom-metal outfit Tombs posted a video for "Gossamer" on its MySpace blog. The song is taken from Winter Hours, the band's new album out February 17 on Relapse.

In a recent interview for the Fullerton College (California) paper, drummer Tomas Haake announced that Meshuggah will have a live DVD released sometime this year between late spring and early fall. The band currently is headlining a North American tour.

Elysian Fields plays a New York show this Sunday, February 8 before beginning a month-long European tour.

After free downloadable Halloween albums and an anti-capitalism full-length, idiosyncratic folk rapper Tim Fite is releasing a free downloadable Valentine's Day album, Change of Heart, through his website.

The members of Iraqi metal band Acrassicauda, whose courageous tale is shown in Heavy Metal in Baghdad, have been granted refugee status by the US and can apply for green cards in a year.

1. Books to Give for the 2008 Holiday Season

Covering politics, comic books, nude self-portraits, futuristic architecture, and humorous basketball profiles, ALARM lists five awesome books as gift ideas for your musically, artistically, or culturally interesting friends.

2. Commentaries on the Golden Path: The Allure of Belonging to America

Columnist Andrew Williams analyzes his love of American creations and how they often conflict with his sociopolitical ideology.

3. DIY Venue Spotlight: The Dayton Dirt Collective

ALARM's ongoing series exploring the best grassroots, non-traditional music venues profiles The Dayton Dirt Collective, a punk/experimental establishment situated near a local porn shop and church-supply outlet.

4. Lollapalooza 2008, Day 1: A Diverse Collection of Garbage

With pie chart in hand, publisher/editor Chris Force breaks down the whack hip hop, corny music for alt-jocks, sleepy singer/songwriters and more from Day 1 of last year's Lollapalooza.

5. Q&A: East Coast Avengers Discuss War Obsessions, 9/11, and Fox News

Following national notoriety for the release of "Kill Bill O'Reilly," politically outspoken hip-hop trio East Coast Avengers spoke with ALARM online editor Scott Morrow just before the historic 2008 election.

6. Q&A: God of Shamisen's Shredding Cultural Collisions

Led by Tsugaru-shamisen master Kevin Kmetz, Santa Cruz's God of Shamisen creates cultural collisions in the form of shredding, Japanese-infused progressive metal.

7. Q&A: Grails Guitarist Discusses Creating Album Art for Doomsdayer's Holiday

Fusing Indian music, 1970s film noir, and psychedelic sounds into heavy acoustic and electric rock, Grails is a wonderful anomaly. Publisher/editor Chris Force recently spoke with guitarist Alex Hall, who created the artwork for the group's new album.

8. Tim Fite: Tears of a Clown

Genre-defying folk rapper Tim Fite discusses the making of his most recent creation, Fair Ain't Fair, an album of violent regrets recorded during one of the lowest emotional points in his life.

9. Tinariwen: Malian Rebel Rock and Roll

Members of the nomadic Tuareg ethnic group, Tinariwen sings of independence from the Malian government. And despite a lengthy international touring schedule, the group's songs still tell the stories of its home — bleak tales of survival and cautious hope, desperation, and escapism.

10. The Top 10 Cover Songs by The Bad Plus

Hard-hitting jazz trio The Bad Plus knows how to pen pieces of proprietary gold. But its three members are also known for their genre-leaping renditions of rock songs, propelled by the chops of pianist Ethan Iverson, bassist Reid Anderson, and drummer David King.

11. The Top 10 Parts of The Shape of Punk to Come

Just prior to an acrimonious breakup, Swedish hardcore group Refused released its magnum opus, The Shape of Punk to Come: A Chimerical Bombination in 12 Bursts. It was as much an assault on capitalist philosophy as it was a striking stylistic evolution, and it did its best to advance hardcore in the way that its titular influence, Ornette Coleman's The Shape of Jazz to Come, did with jazz.

12. The Top 10 Songs by Faith No More

Faith No More didn't revolutionize the rock landscape, but for much of its tenure, its members created some of the genre's best mainstream songs while courting radio success. Along the way, Mike Patton and crew peppered other styles into their expanding repertoire, wedging lounge sounds, incoherent squeals, and even an angelic choir into songs that ran alongside pummeling rock tunes.

Ennio Morricone

Legendary film-score composer Ennio Morricone will write music for Inglorious Bastards, Quentin Tarantino's next film. Whether he has enough time to score the whole film remains to be seen.

Undefinable folk/hip-hop crossover artist Tim Fite has posted a video for "Big Mistake," his single from Fair Ain't Fair (Anti-). Watch it here.

Fellow Anti- artist and somber, raspy crooner William Elliot Whitmore now has "Old Devils" posted on the label's website. "Old Devils" is a track from Animals in the Dark, his new album due in February.

In promotion of its five-part series of remix records, electro-grind trio Genghis Tron has posted a track from the third volume. Head to the group's remix-specific MySpace page to hear Danny Lohner (of Nine Inch Nails) remix "Board Up the House."

Gorgeous electro-acoustic duo Lymbyc Systym has announced dates for its first European tour. The dates span two weeks and can be seen at its MySpace page.

Ambient horror soundtrack artists Zombi have released the cover artwork for their upcoming album, Spirit Animals, which will be released on February 3, 2009. The cover art is pretty freakin' awesome.

Multi-talented folk artist and loop specialist Andrew Bird has posted US tour dates for January and February in support of Noble Beast, his upcoming full-length due in winter. For now, fans can listen to "Oh No," the album's first track. Melodic genre masher Dosh opens for Bird at Carnegie Hall.

Blistering metal maniacs Burnt by the Sun have posted the first demo track, "F-Unit," from their long-awaited third full-length. The track, which will be on the group's first album since 2003, can be heard at its MySpace page.

Danish psychobilly/alt-country/surf-influenced trio Powersolo has uploaded "Murder in SFAX" to its MySpace page. The song will be on the group's upcoming album, which will be available in March.

Indie hip-hop label Anticon has announced a 10th anniversary show in New York City. The event will be held at The Knitting Factory and feature Themselves (Doseone, Jel), Yoni Wolf of Why?, Sole, Alias, Buck 65, Odd Nosdam, and more.

In a total no-brainer, GQ has named Nick Cave its "Rock 'n' Roll Badass of the Year."

The Sword

Friday, November 7

The Sword @ Bottom Lounge

Chicago's new version of the Bottom Lounge includes two bars (one with a tiki theme), an eating area, a large performance area, and a second-floor deck. The recently reopened venue might need every square foot to contain the massive stoner metal sound of The Sword, which hits the Windy City between tour dates with Metallica and Down.

Umbrella Music Festival w/ Bik Bent Braam @ Elastic Vision Gallery

Dutch pianist Michiel Braam convenes a Chicago version of his Bik Bent Braam orchestra, a localized edition of the 13-piece group that he began more than 20 years ago. On record, the group's sound is one of jumpy, horn-heavy jazz that mixes old-time foundations with freak-out solos.

Saturday, November 8

O'death @ The Empty Bottle

Touring in support of its new album, alt-country five-piece O'death stops in Chicago for a pair of shows. That new album, Broken Hymns, Limbs, and Skin, covers diverse stylistic swaths that range from punkish bluegrass to bittersweet ballads and droning Pentecostal chants. The group also plays at Chicago's Hideout on Sunday.

David Boykin Expanse; David Boykin Microcosmic Sound Orchestra @ The Velvet Lounge

Interstellar jazz saxophonist David Boykin pulls double duty at the Velvet Lounge, where he lays freewheeling grooves and solos in a pair of sets with his eponymous Expanse and Microcosmic Sound Orchestra. The Expanse combines free passages with hard bop, over which Boykin spouts unorthodox rhymes; the Microcosmic Sound Orchestra provides inspired improvisation.

Fun Fun Fun Fest (Austin) @ Waterloo Park

How many huge music festivals can Austin hold? Chicago has its share of major festivals, but Austin keeps cranking out the multi-day madness with the Fun Fun Fun Fest.

The lineup includes festival regulars but strong ones at that; if you're in Texas, head down to see Bad Brains, The National, Atmosphere, Young Widows, Trash Talk, Deerhoof, …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, The Black Heart Procession, Dr. Octagon, Dan Deacon, Tim Fite, Bishop Allen, Dengue Fever, Cro-Mags, Parts and Labor, Minus the Bear, and more.

- Unpredictable super-group Fantômas will perform on New Year's Eve at San Francisco's Great American Music Hall, where Mike Patton, Buzz Osborne, Trevor Dunn, and Dave Lombardo will have their only US performance of The Director's Cut. Ipecac label mates Tipsy and Zach Hill perform as well.

- Exceptional Estradasphere guitarist Jason Schimmel takes his Orange Tulip Conspiracy on a short West Coast tour in November.

- On his MySpace page, producer extraordinaire Jon Brion released "Croatia," a streaming standalone tune that carries a bit of Balkan flavor.

- For the second straight year, charming oddball folk rapper Tim Fite will release a free EP, this one called Ding Dong Ditch, available for one day only on Halloween. The Halloween-themed effort will be available through www.timfite.com.

- Starting today, a Doomriders / Disfear split 7" is available to pre-order from Deathwish Inc. The heavier-than-thou groups will play two weeks of European shows together in November.

- MySpace has posted a full streaming video of Ben Folds Five's recent one-off reunion performance of The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner for its Front to Back series.

- On Monday, enigmatic Icelandic songstress Björk released "Nattura," a single available through One Little Indian. The song encourages support for the Nattura campaign, which seeks to provide eco-friendly options to Iceland.

- London's freak disco/metal collective Chrome Hoof has set a pair of rare performances in France for Halloween and November 1.

- February 17, 2009 marks the release of Animals in the Dark, the ANTI- debut by raspy folk singer William Elliott Whitmore. As of Thursday, Whitmore joined Murder by Death for a month-long US tour.

- Wired has dug into the world of internet radio alarm clocks, devices that can wake you up using a directory of more than 11,000 worldwide internet radio stations. They can also use your flash / external hard drive to play your choice of tunes.