Ratatat: "Bilar"

The pseudo-genre most frequently associated with Ratatat’s music is “instrumental.” It’s true that the band does not write lyrics, choosing instead to communicate through densely layered electric and electronic pastiches. Yet it only takes a brief encounter with the duo’s music to see this generic catchall term as reductive. And if Ratatat can’t be accurately described as vocal or instrumental, then perhaps, surprisingly, its MySpace genre labels are the most revealing. Ratatat categorizes its own music as “visual / visual / visual.”

Despite the absence of a significant vocal element, Ratatat’s music does not fail to evoke an emotional response, particularly when it’s paired with a dynamic visual accompaniment. During a live performance, neon strobe lights pulsate, as mercurial as the band’s melodies, and projected video clips feel like the subliminal-message experiment of A Clockwork Orange. Frequently, these projections are culled from Ratatat’s official music videos, some of which have collected a seven-digit viewership on YouTube. The video for “Mirando,” produced by synth player / bassist Evan Mast, turns the movie Predator into psychedelic war porn, looping some of the film’s most explosive moments. It’s an apt analog to the music for many reasons, but primarily for the way it subverts a violent thriller through its own devices. That’s what Ratatat is so good at doing: deconstructing that which we take as normal — rock, hip hop, dance music — and turning it on its head to produce something new, self-conscious, and mildly absurdist.

Ratatat’s oversized riffs, courtesy of guitarist Mike Stroud, beg for an equally over-the-top live performance. And, indeed, everything about its live performance screams “stadium rock” — everything, that is, except for the mid-sized venues in which the band performs. All of the elements are there: heavy fog and laser-light components, head-banging guitarists in power stances, and even a cadre of backup dancers and musicians — albeit as holographic projections. Flanking the duo are two tall projection screens, upon which holograms of dancers in tutus, Victorian string players, a rotating statue of Venus, a bust of Beethoven, and other Ratatat-related iconography are projected. The effect is twofold: it makes the band seem much bigger, and it highlights the individual layers of the music by dynamically adapting to the individual parts of a song.

Ratatat’s light show is reminiscent of an era when showmanship and spectacle were paramount, and it threatens to steal the show entirely. The stage’s backdrop is filled with hypnotizing LED Xs that seem to be powered by each heavy guitar stroke. Showers of light cascade down each projection screen, and a thick, polychromatic fog envelopes the stage. It’s not a show for the epileptic or the faint of heart; it’s like playing a rave in a collapsing iron-working factory. To the band’s credit, not all is smoke and mirrors; Mast and Stroud are just as active as their visuals and as intense as their colors, frenetically playing as many parts from their albums as they can, in real time.

Swaths of multi-layered guitar melodies and hip-hop-channeling blips, beeps, and clicks highlight Ratatat’s 2010 collection of tunes, simply entitled LP4. Aesthetically, LP4 is consistent with the band’s previous works, but it features many additional flourishes of novel composition. And though the band makes very danceable music, that’s not necessarily the goal. “There’s a lot music that’s just about a real steady beat so you can dance to it, or it’s about textures,” Mast says. “But for us, those things are on the side. It’s about creating something that’s melodic, more like a pop song.” Still, songs such as “Bilar,” with its mechanized, assembly-line crunch juxtaposed with orchestra-string classicism, or “Sunblocks,” with its field recordings of crickets and harmonizing electric guitars, are not what some listeners would consider typical pop-song fare.

The songs do not spoon-feed the audience with concrete ideas. There are no adjectives, metaphors, or otherwise descriptive language to attach one’s emotional response. “Words aren’t huge in our repertoire,” Stroud says. Instead, Ratatat’s music is a “safe haven from that kind of thing,” according to Mast. “We don’t really work with concrete themes,” he says. “I feel like it’s more about the palette than the style of songwriting. It’s something that’s difficult to put into words.”

It was with this seemingly vague approach that the two looted Old Soul Studios in upstate New York, a space filled with a treasure-trove assortment of instruments, to produce their most robust album to date. With the capability to play or record almost anything they could imagine, Mast and Stroud went wild. Japanese strings, bass harmonica, talk boxes, harpsichords, and even a string quartet combine in a tight aural fabric, with a professional polish that was only hinted on previous albums. The result is a sound that manages to walk the line between the minimalism of classic hip-hop production and the increasingly frequent product of instrument overload. “People tend to think that we sample things a lot, taking old records and looping out sections, which is something we never do,” Mast says. “I’ve had a lot of conversations with people where they ask, ‘Where do you get your samples?’ and I have to tell them that we don’t use samples. We are actually in the studio and record everything live. It doesn’t seem to make sense to most people.”

It’s unsurprising that most people would suspect sampling; the sheer volume of sounds that Ratatat produces is staggering. One might even suspect that the lack of vocals has led the band to overcompensate with an army of instruments and a bombastic visual style — if not for every carefully selected and artfully woven element forming the foundation for Ratatat’s distinctive “voice.” Though it’s never sounded like this, Ratatat makes pop music, trading the traditional sing-along for a decidedly futuristic see-along.

Sigur Rós: Inní double live album and film (XL Recordings)

Sigur Rós: "Festival"

Sigur Rós is a top Icelandic export, just behind Björk and haddock. For 15 years, the ambient post-rock quartet has slowly collected millions of fans, and today those fans can acquire the latest addition to the band’s repertoire. Inní is a three-disc recording of a 2008 performance at Alexandra Palace in London. Available in all the formats we’ve come to expect, Inní comes digitally, in CD/DVD format, on three clear vinyl LPs, or in a “deluxe” edition that offers artifacts from the show, a short film, photographs, and other swag.

Unique to this release is the focus on the band’s live performance. Sigur Rós’ music, more than some, has been used as a means, whether for meditation or for marketing. But here we’re left to ponder what we’ve come to associate, through the band's Heima documentary, with Iceland’s lunar landscapes, wrecked infrastructure, and sweater-clad villagers; through the Ba Ba Ti Ki Di Do EP, with the surreal contours of the human form; or through the Sigur Rós-laden Abre los Ojos remake, with the personal pulp of Cameron Crowe. With Inní, everything is stripped away. We’re reminded that these are songs, immaculately arranged and hammered out on a stage in London by four festooned gentlemen.

Director Vincent Morisset’s film style is in stark contrast to Heima. The black-and-white video has the grain of 1960s documentaries, and the jerky dance of the handhelds is hypnotic. It seems to place the band in the past and up on a pedestal. Amid past rumors of the group’s cessation, Inní seems definitive in a very final sense. But with the news of a new "introverted" LP planned for spring of 2012, it is perhaps simply the close of the band’s sprawling first few chapters.

- Text by Timothy S. Aames.

Coliseum: Parasites EP (Temporary Residence)

Coliseum: "Waiting (Too Late)"

With its 2010 album, House With a Curse, hardcore-punk trio Coliseum moved from Relapse to Temporary Residence and slightly — only slightly, mind you — loosened its grip on listeners' throats. Its sound remained dirty, gruff, and gnarled, but a shift toward moderate tempos (plus a few post-hardcore accoutrements) signaled a more deliberate (if not kinder or gentler) Coliseum.

Now guitarist / vocalist / visual artist Ryan Patterson and crew return with Parasites, an eight-song addendum to House With a Curse. Primarily recorded during the same sessions, Parasites is another itsy-bitsy step toward the "post-" end of the hardcore/punk spectrum. The songs remain fundamentally Coliseum, but they're subtly accented — whether from a barely audible female harmony on "The Fiery Eye" or a glistening, metallic guitar distortion on "Ghost of God."

Of course, there's still tracks like "The Big Baby," which is 1:43 of overdriven punk fury that draws shades of Amphetamine Reptile-era Helmet. And even though that song is almost secretly supplemented with sleigh bells and timpani by Burning Airlines front-man and producer extraordinaire J. Robbins, don't be fooled: Coliseum still goes for the jugular.

- Text by Scott Morrow.

Steve Hauschildt: Tragedy & Geometry (Kranky)

Steve Hauschildt: "Batteries May Drain"

- Text by Lauren Zens.

Tycho: Dive (Ghostly International)

Tycho: "Hours"

- Text by Lauren Zens.

Honorable Mentions

Blackout Beach: Fuck Death (Dead Oceans)

Los Campesinos!: Hello Sadness (Arts & Crafts)

The Dø: Both Ways Open Jaws (Six Degrees)

Esoteric: Paragon of Dissoance (Season of Mist)

Goldmund: All Will Prosper (Western Vinyl)

Mary Halvorson & Jessica Pavone: Departure of Reason (Thirsty Ear)

Odonis Odonis: Hollandaze (FatCat)

Pterodactyl: Spills Out (Jagjaguwar)

Nathan Salsburg: Affirmed (No Quarter)

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.

ALARM contributing photographer Samantha Hunter attended Jónsi's recent show at the Vic in Chicago and captured the action — from costume changes to dramatic visual projections — in vivid color.

In addition, Ratatat will be touring this fall through Canada and the USA.  Dates are listed here.

Though this is a few weeks old, Ratatat's newest release just arrived in our office, and it definitely deserves some belated love.

Originating from the electro-rock duo's LP3 sessions, LP4 has been criticized as a "dressing up" of an old model, splashing new instruments over a tried-and-true sound. The reality, however, is that LP4 is an entirely different beast.

Ratatat's members, Evan Mast and Mike Stroud, have used their recordings to combine assorted electronics with guitar and bass. Each release has gotten denser and more diverse, but LP4 stands apart as the most dynamic — and possibly the best written.

In addition to the IDM elements and synthesized funkiness, LP4 features a string quartet alongside horns, piano, slide guitar, and harpsichord. High-pitched guitar harmonies occasionally steal the show, but the moody effect of the strings can't be overstated.

In all, the album is Ratatat's finest, a beautiful and multifaceted work that reflects a duo hitting its stride.

Ratatat: "Bilar"
Ratatat: \"Bilar\"

Mastodon: Jonah Hex / Revenge Gets Ugly EP (Reprise)

Released digitally, here we have four brand-new Mastodon instrumentals (plus two alternate versions) for the Jonah Hex soundtrack. The score itself is divided between Mastodon's frenetic, down-tuned metal and the western atmosphere of composer Marco Beltrami.

Beltrami is a renowned and Grammy-nominated composer, but his works go much deeper than the repetitive, sweeping orchestral scores that normally are nominated. His material for the 2007 version of 3:10 to Yuma, for example, combined twangy leads, clever melodies, percussive drama, and sinister sounds in a sort of neoclassical ode to Italian westerns.

Combined with Mastodon's driving, punishing style, the Jonah Hex soundtrack delivers a fantastic mix of power and mood. It seems perfectly suited for the aesthetics of the movie — even if that movie is getting terrible reviews.

Eternia & MoSS: At Last (Fat Beats)

At just 26 years of age, Ottawa native Eternia already has three albums worth of bona-fide rap jams under her belt.

Far from the novelty acts or chorus crooners that are most females in modern hip hop, Eternia can flat-out bring it, dropping a harder delivery than most of her male counterparts who play the tough-guy card. At Last, her fourth full-length, was built by MoSS, an ascending producer whose head-nodding style works with Eternia's rawness.

A handful of other powerful female MCs make cameos, including Rah Digga, Jean Grae, Rage, and Tiye Phoenix. None can steal the spotlight from Eternia, however, and At Last is sure to garner more acclaim for the Juno-nominated rapper.

Eternia & MoSS: "It's Funny" f. Joell Ortiz
Eternia & MoSS: \"It\'s Funny\"

Steel Train: s/t + Terrible Thrills Vol. 1 (Terrible Thrills)

For those not into lovelorn lyrics and breathy vocals, Steel Train may strike listeners as more of the same melodramatic pop music.

Giving it a chance, however, might just make the New Jersey quintet a "guilty pleasure" indie-pop infatuation — if listeners feel guilty at all.

Having parted ways with co-founder Scott Irby-Ranniar and having departed from Drive-Thru Records, Steel Train is as spot-on as ever, delivering a disc full of mile-high melodies. Front man and principal songwriter Jack Antonoff may divide listeners with his sickly sweet vocals, but the band's easy yet infectious melodies are supported by a potent backdrop.

Swelling strings, scaling guitars, and rubbery bass lines tussle with punctuating piano, bubbly synthesizers, and other aural accessories to make this self-titled album a pop gem. And if you'd like to hear the entire album redone by pop darlings, check out Terrible Thrills Vol. 1 — an accompaniment that features each song with a different female lead, including Scarlett Johansson, Tegan & Sara, Angel Deradoorian, Amanda Palmer, and Holly Miranda.

Steel Train: "Turnpike Ghost"
Steel Train: \"Turnpike Ghost\"

Honorable Mentions

Africa Hitech: Hitecherous vinyl EP (Warp)

Amad-Jamal: Barely Hanging On: The Chronicle of a Brotha Like Rodney King (Urban Umpires)

Ceschi: The One-Man Band Broke Up (Fake Four)

Charming Hostess: The Bowls Project (Tzadik)

Vieux Farka Touré: Live (Six Degrees)

Knut: Wonder (Hydra Head)

The Main Street Gospel: Love Will Have Her Revenge (Tee Pee)

Mass Shivers: Contoured Heat (Licking River)

Pan Sonic: Gravitoni (Blast First Petite)

John Zorn: The Goddess: Music for the Ancient of Days (Tzadik)

Began as a sci-fi soundtrack for a project that fell apart, Thing is Trans Am's most ambitious — and greatest — album to date.

The trio's spacey synth rock is at its most dynamic and dramatic, and its jestful elements are all absent again. Infused with more Goblin or John Carpenter influences, Thing is darker than anything else Trans Am has done, but it never loses its head-banging MO.

Drummer Sebastian Thomson acts as a no-nonsense beat machine that drives squiggly and sometimes sinister sounds, and multi-instrumentalists Philip Manley and Nathan Means serve as conduits to otherworldly vibes. Thing marks a milestone for Trans Am and hopefully portends sounds to come.

Trans Am: "Heaven's Gate"
Trans Am: \"Heaven\'s Gate\"

Nedry: Condors (Monotreme)

With its debut full-length, London's Nedry presents a level of craftsmanship that can take bands a decade to achieve.

A buzzing, semi-glitched electro base — with amorphous, synthesized bass lines — is accented by alternately canorous and distorted guitars. High-voltage drum-and-bass trades with careful balances of electro-acoustic indie elements.

And this is all before mentioning the head-turning vocals of Ayu Okakita, who draws rightful comparisons to Bjork throughout Condors. Her breathy delivery could use development into more of its own style, but any way that you slice it, this is one hell of a freshman effort.

Nedry: "A42"
Nedry: \"A42\"

Michael Leonhart & The Avramina 7: Seahorse & The Storyteller (Truth & Soul)

The biography of Michael Leonhart reads like a wünderkind's ascension to power, with multiple Grammy awards and appearances on more than 100 albums. His list of associated recordings and performances is both arresting and bizarre, featuring names like Bill Frisell, Brian Eno, and DJ Spooky alongside Lenny Kravitz, Bobby McFerrin, and Steven Tyler.

His latest solo album contains elements of so many genres that it's hard to keep count. Chiefly, Seahorse & The Storyteller might best be termed indie acid funk — a style that's both heavy and dreamy, jazzy and moody. Swells of strings, tinkling percussion, haunting female vocals, toy pianos, and wandering, echoing horn solos complement a steady dose of brass grooves and high-register singing. Tablas, sitars, and other Eastern instruments show up as well.

This stunning combination should appeal to fans of Shawn Lee and Ben Perowsky's Moodswing Orchestra as well as Sufjan Stevens and Akron/Family.

Michael Leonhart & The Avramina 7: "Seahorse & The Storyteller"
Michael Leonhart & The Avramina 7: \"Seahorse & The Storyteller\"

TRUTHLiVE: Patience (Interdependent Media)

MC and DJ Evan Phillips has gone through a lot — three heart surgeries in his youth — so he would be understood if he didn't hold the most optimistic outlook on life.

Fortunately, it seems that he's emerged from trying times with a greater appreciation for life, and his new album — produced by Jake One — is down-to-Earth posi rap.

Much of the lyrical content of Patience is meant to uplift or serve as sage advice, including Phillips' observation that "it's easy to knock down; it's easy to take." Some tracks, such as "The Bush Years," tackle recent political history — but do so in a way so as to urge people to be their best selves.

TRUTHLiVE: "Ready, Set, Go"
TRUTHLiVE: \"Ready, Set, Go\"

Gotan Project: Tango 3.0 (XL)

Though it is built upon the French folk and Argentinian tango that reflect its members' ancestry, the Paris-based Gotan Project is much more than a trio of preservationists; its unique mixture is just as reliant upon hip hop or nuevo tango.

The trio's syllable-rearranging name is a nod to this, and after a decade together, the shuffling styles remain as cohesive as ever. The most surprising aspect of Gotan Project's career may be that Tango 3.0, a mix of instrumentals and vocal-led songs, is only the band's third studio album.

Gotan Project: "La Gloria"
Gotan Project: \"La Gloria\"

Honorable Mentions

Against Me!: I Was a Teenage Anarchist digital EP (Sire)

Asche: The Easter Island Phenomenon (Ant-Zen)

Caribou: Swim (Merge)

Roky Erickson w/ Okkervil River: True Love Cast Out All Evil (Anti-)

Horse Feathers: House with No Home (Kill Rock Stars)

Kayo Dot: Coyote (Hydra Head)

The Kissaway Trail: Sleep Mountain (Bella Union)

Mike Reed's People, Places & Things: Stories & Negotiations (482 Music)

Opio & Unjust: Mark it Zero (Hieroglyphics Imperium)

Prizzy Prizzy Please: Chroma Cannon (Joyful Noise)

Lou Rhodes: One Good Thing (Motion Audio)

An iconic poet/musician whose soulful spoken-word style helped give rise to rapping, Gil Scott-Heron has been proclaimed a major influence in hip hop, neo-soul, and acid jazz. His political activism has been at the forefront of his noted career, which includes the acclaimed poem/song "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised."

Now, marking another landmark moment in his career, Scott-Heron has released I'm New Here, his first full-length since the 1994 album Spirits, which too was something of a "comeback" — his first studio album since 1982.

Produced by XL label owner Richard Russell, who convinced Scott-Heron to go back into the studio, I'm New Here is an atmospheric, down-tempo disc of diversity.

Acoustic pseudo-ballads are accented by electronics, dramatic strings, and piano in a combination of new poems, covers, and interludes. It's a release that feels extremely personal, whether from the lyrical content or Scott-Heron's familiar voice.

Gil Scott-Heron: "Where Did the Night Go"
Gil Scott-Heron: \"Where Did the Night Go\"

Pillars and Tongues: Lay of Pilgrim Park LP + download (Endless Nest)

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.

Violin, upright bass, and drums and other percussive elements slowly build and fall. Each member contributes to the layered vocal harmonics, often trading rounds of the same melody or balancing pitches as a low or intermediate voice begins a wordless refrain. Fans of Huun Huur Tu, Charming Hostess / Jewlia Eisenberg, and other vocally driven experimentalists will love this.

Pillars and Tongues: "The Center of"
Pillars and Tongues: \"The Center Of\"

Arsis: Starve for the Devil (Nuclear Blast)

A major force in metal just six years after its debut, Arsis is a Virginia quartet that boasts tireless harmonized shredding. Thrash and black metal, gently crossing into death metal, form the basis of a sound that leans on flawless technical proficiency in accessible time signatures.

Starve for the Devil trends towards the melodic end of the band's material, but there's no shortage of full-speed aggression. Riff lovers will get their money's worth with this one.

Hot Chip: One Life Stand (Astralwerks)

Hot Chip's brand of synthesized dance pop has allowed the keyboarded quintet to climb the UK charts and garner heaps of attention in the United States.

One Life Stand is another disc chock full of dance-floor albums, albeit a bit more restrained than on albums past. The gentle vocals of Alexis Taylor and Joe Goddard will continue receiving much of the attention from casual listeners, but One Life Stand really shines with its diversity of synth sounds and instrumental complements (such as the touches from Trinidadian steel-pan player Fimber Bravo).

Massive Attack: Heligoland (Virgin)

Seven years after its last studio offering, commercially thriving electronic producers Massive Attack — closely tied to the trip-hop explosion of the early 1990s — have finally released their long-awaited fifth album, Heligoland.

With Grantley Evan Marshall, a.k.a. Daddy G, back on board in the studio, the group attains a multitude of electronic styles on Heligoland, thanks to its divergence of tastes as well as the usual assortment of guests.

This time, Massive Attack collaborates with Tunde Adebimpe (TV on the Radio), Damon Albarn (Blur), Hope Sandoval (Mazzy Star), Martina Topley-Bird, Adrian Utley (Portishead), and Billy Fuller (Beak). The result is a minimalist electro dreamscape, one that should appeal to a sizable cross-section of music fans.

Honorable Mentions

Bluebrain: Soft Power (Lujo)
Galactic: Ya-Ka-May (Anti-)
Georgia Anne Muldrow: Kings Ballad (Ubiquity)
Shining (Sweden): VI / Klagopsalmer (Indie Recordings)
This Moment in Black History: Public Square (Smog Veil)