OK! Are you guys ready to get bummed out? Because it’s the week before Valentine’s Day and, man, do we have some sad records for you. I mean, sad even for indie rock, which has sad basically branded into its DNA. So if you’re ready to be heartbroken, let’s get going.

Sharon Van Etten, Tramp: Basically, the only record you need today. A great leap forward from her previous, folky outings, Tramp finds Van Etten falling closer in sound to the eerie, magikal records made by people Throwing Muses and Cat Power, pre-The Greatest. Her voice howls through a latticework of guitar like the winter wind through bare tree branches. Christina Lee talked to Sharon about this HIGHLY RECOMMENDED record, and you can read their converstion here. In the meantime, here’s what Lindsay Zoladz had to say about Tramp:

Tramp may be an unflinching chronicle of a relationship gone sour (check out the exceptionally poignant “Give Out”: “It’s not because I always give up/It might be I always give out”), but it’s at its most powerful when it’s about more than just getting burned; Van Etten also sings about gathering the courage to build something new on charred ground. “Time is what I would need,” she tells a new lover on “Leonard,” while the lively mandolin strums spring up like sprouts after a long winter.

The Twilight Sad, No One Can Ever Know: You can’t get much sadder than a band that has ‘sad’ in their name, and these Scots prove they know what it means to get lonesome. For this one, which is RECOMMENDED they’ve teamed with famed UK producer Andrew Weatherall (beloved forever and all time for giving us Primal Scream’s “Loaded”). This is not the Saddoes’ dance record though (thank god). Instead, Weatherall smudges their rolling guitars and blots the blank spaces with organ to make this feel more mournful and turbulent. Which is saying something! You know who else is saying something? Marc Hogan:

Working with famed U.K. producer-remixer Andy Weatherall, who’s credited as having “anti-produced” the album, lead moaner James Graham and the lads delve deeper into the recesses of their own unfathomable personal darkness, and emerge with a compelling new sound salvaged from the scrap metal of a previous recession’s industrial blight. Mechanical beats and icy synths spar with stormy guitar and Graham’s ever-richer Scottish burr in a jagged, lonesome space that updates the band’s forebears in foreboding.

of Montreal, Paralytic Stalks: If Barry Walters‘ interview is to be believed, Kevin Barnes is pretty bummed these days, too. (His first answer begins, “I’m fucked up and have a lot of emotional issues.”) The latest from of Montreal is apparently their attempt to incorporate free jazz into their sound, which actually bums me out. Barry remains optimistic. He says:

of Montreal’s 11th album makes few attempts to play nice; there are no diva cameos, fewer hooks, and the fractured rhythms from drummers Matt Chamberlain and Clayton Rychlik rarely stay steady for more than a minute. Instead, Paralytic Stalks‘ abrupt stylistic switch-ups, dissonant harmonies and alternately garish/strident string and horn arrangements evoke the wildness of free jazz and the adventurousness of avant-garde classical composers.

Van Halen, A Different Kind of Truth: After all that bumming out, you’re going to need something to cheer you up and, sorry if this is sacrilege, but the new record from the sorta-reunited Van Halen might be the thing. Look: i don’t think any of us really expected this to be good, so the fact that it’s not only passable but actually has a handful of bona fide arena jams on it is a nice surprise. If you ever had any affection for VH, you’re probably going to be happy with what you’re hearing. I was always a bit of an agnostic, but color me impressed with this. We had Lenny Kaye assess the group’s legacy a few weeks back — you can read that here. If the new record, Chuck Eddy says:

Given the utter mediocrity of all participants’ output over the previous quarter-century, there was no reason to expect that A Different Kind Of Truth — the first Van Halen album with David Lee Roth singing since 1984 (albeit with young Wolfgang Van Halen now playing bass) — would be remotely enjoyable. That it holds its own in the context of the band’s late ’70s/early ’80s heritage, and might even be a better long-player than, oh, Diver Down in terms of muscle, idiosyncratic song construction, and pure-assed entertainment value, is downright shocking.

Air, Le Voyage Dans La Lune: So, weirdly, none of us — not the editorial staff, nor the writer to whom this was assigned, could get a promo of the Air record before street. The review will be coming a little later in the week. In the meantime, I’ll just make up what I think this sounds like: The new Air record finds the Frenchmen dabbling with everything from Krautrock to funeral doom to minimalist “clown techno” to varying results. Stay tuned past the final track for a surprising Bob Seger cover.

Various Artists, We Are the Works in Progress: Get on this ASAP. Curated by Kazu Makino of Blonde Redhead, Works in Progress is a benefit album for the victims of the Japanese earthquake, and it showcases Makino’s decidedly avant-garde sensibilities with contributions from people like Terry Riley (!), Broadcast, Deerhunter and more. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

The Choir, Chase the Kangaroo: 1988 psych-pop record from LA group the Choir dresses up pretty pop melodies in ethereal haze. Vocalist Derri Daugherty was Ben Gibbard before there was Ben Gibbard, and the songs on here are shoulda-been college rock classics. Not as good as hallucinogenic psych opus Circle Slide, but still some solid jams.

Bahamas, Barchords: Bahamas is the project of one Afie Jurvanen. The music here lands on the smokier side of singer/songwriter — more shush than strum, guitar chords tiptoe past Jurvanen’s whispery vocals, making for the kind of record you play while someone is sleeping in the next room. Plus, look at that cover. If that doesn’t fit into today’s overarching bummer theme, I don’t know what does.

Robert Deeble, Heart Like Feathers: Robert Deeble also writes quiet folk music, but he owes a bit more to The National and Leonard Cohen. This is Deeble’s first release in years, but it finds him back in fine form — his voice is low and creaky and the songs feel brittle as driftwood. Deeble is the kind of lyricist who can cut to the quick with just a few expertly-placed phrases. And — SURPRISE — this album is super sad. It’s also RECOMMENDED. Dan MacIntosh breaks it down for you:

Given the sparse percussion, empathetic and harmonic female backing vocals and mournful, gypsy-like violin fills, the pained and yearning Deeble comes off like a worthy descendent and disciple of Leonard Cohen. He’s also unafraid to stretch his compositions beyond the familiar alternating verse-chorus structure; Eastern-influenced semi-jam “The Colors of Dying,” showcases guitarist Ric Hordinski (formerly of Over The Rhine), who contributes the track’s distinctive Byrds-y, psychedelic tones.

Chuck Prophet, Temple Beautiful: New record from a guy I keep meaning to get into but never quite do. Sounds a lot like the kind of durable indie rock records that were being put out by B-Teamers like Creeper Lagoon in the early ’00s. Remember Creeper Lagoon? I liked that first record a lot. Anyway. Here’s Wayne Robins with a few words on Chuck:

Like Springsteen and Paul Simon, Prophet is drawn to early rock motifs. “White Night, Big City” has a compelling doo-wop call-and-response section that may remind you of Shangri-Las “Give Him A Great Big Kiss,” despite the fact that the song tells the dark tale of the riots that reverberated after homophobic city councilman Dan White was acquitted for assassinating the iconic gay politician Harvey Milk.

Elvis Depressedly, Cutters Only, The Ontological Anarchy of Elvis Depressedly: And clearly right here is where we bottom out with the sadness. How can it get much darker than a record called “Cutters Only”? Elvis Depressedly frontman Mat Cothran used to be in a band called Coma Cinema. A couple of the tracks here have the same kind of wobbly-vocal thing going on as Blank Dogs. Super chintzy lo-fi instrumentation — some keys, some guitars and tons of scuzz.

Royal Baths, Better Luck Next Life: Some real spooky stuff here — sounds kind of like if the Birthday Party decided to play more polite and were fronted by a sleazy nightclub tux pomade cigarette holder type guy instead of by a screaming he-beast from hell. Or if Yo La Tengo’s Ira Kaplan suddenly lost his shit and turned into a total womanizer. What say ye, Ashley Melzer?:

There’s the bend of slack-keyed guitar, a rumbling bass line, a steady beat on the toms and then it’s “hate at first sight” and “a shrug and a kiss,” in a psychedelic swoon called “Darling Divine.” The track is a proper opener for Royal Baths’ sophomore effort, an album of both black humor and brooding grooves. Jeremy Cox and Jigmaer Baer, the core of the band, have gone from Bay Area garage-kids to Brooklyn-based sulkers. The band’s sound, a bluesy, Velvet Underground-esque snarl, is anchored by leering vocal melodies.

Death By Chocolate, Bric A Brac: This is the first Death By Chocolate record in a really long time! I don’t really know what else to say here! Jolly, sunny, ye-ye style kitsch pop that was really popular once upon a time. Maybe if you’re a very popular 3rd grader and you’re looking to throw a Mad Men-themed party using day-glo Fisher-Price flatware and milktini glasses, this is the kind of thing you’d play.

Sean Born, Behind the Scale: Excellent hip-hop label Mello Music gets in on the Cuban Links game with this first-person drug narrative. eMusic’s Nate Patrin says:

The debut from Maryland’s Sean Born mixes frustration of being caught in the trap with a matter-of-fact pride over finding the mental and spiritual resources to survive it. There’s no glitz in the powder-caked fingers and zombified customers that populate his day-to-day lyrics. And as he singles out listeners who don’t remember the golden age (“Queen Anne/’90s”) and fleetingly laments the death of the ’90s through the POV of a man who spent those years in prison (“Go Hard”), the sandpaper-coarse, Stax-stitching beats – mostly provided by producer Kev Brown – reinforce the stylistic debts he owes to that era.

Dr. Dog, The Void: Oh, hey, a new Dr. Dog record. Dr. Dog are like the hippie of Montreal. Unless of Montreal are the hippie of Montreal. This is making my brain hurt. I’m going to let Dan Hyman do the rest:

For their sixth and most impressive turn to-date, the Brotherly Love oddballs — now recording on their own and with two new bandmembers, drummer Eric Slick and multi-instrumentalist Dimitri Manos — blast back to their bread-and-butter: raw riffs, sing-song harmonies and sonic experimentation filtered through ’60s-pop-tinted shades.

Radar Eyes, Radar Eyes: HoZac Records is basically a guaranteed seal of quality, and this full-length from Radar Eyes doesn’t damage their winning streak. Like a Jesus & Mary Chain that can’t be bothered to get out of bed or a garage band that only operates at half speed, this blends huge hooks with buckets of scuzz. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED Austin L. Ray says:

On Radar Eyes’ self-titled debut LP, the Chicago foursome offers a pop-centric affair, all layered, fuzzy guitars and hook-laden vocals. The driving, forward momentum of “Accident” and the shit-kicking guitars of “Summer Chills” front like these Windy City residents wanna fight, but it’s their pretty melodic sensibilities that encourage repeated listens.

Jenny Owen Youngs, An Unwavering Band of Light: This is way poppier than what I was expecting. Maybe if you’re the kind of person who likes Feist but wishes she would occasionally give in and write a few more uptempo radio gems, this is probably the record for you. I think “Pirates” would sound great in some ’80s movie montage of people working out.

Paul McCartney, Kisses on the Bottom: I can’t. I just can’t.

–> Jazz Picks, by Dave Sumner
Well, this last week didn’t offer much in the way of volume for new jazz releases, but there’s still some gems to be found in what’s there. Let’s begin…

Bridges Trio, Mans: A trio of guitar, bass, and drums that, for this album, becomes a quartet with the addition of an extra guitar player. Thrilling stuff. They totally have the Bill Frisell ECM sound going, though some of the looping and effects recall Frisell’s period with Nonesuch albums like Ghost Town and The Willies. Now, granted, I’m a huge Frisell fan, so any musician who adopts that sound, I’m gonna be enamored with, but that said, this is beautiful music, and my Find of the Week.

Josh Arcoleo, Beginnings: Strong debut album from tenor saxophonist Josh Arcoleo. Rounding out his quartet with piano, drums and bass, he presents a confident set of tunes. Compositions deliciously balance fire of sax with bright elegance of piano, while drums and bass fill all the spaces in between, resulting in rich album with plenty of depth. Arcoleo has lots of punch on tenor, but thankfully doesn’t turn this into a blowing session. Ivo Neame, on piano, really shines, creates an environment for Arcoleo to thrive in. Hard to believe this a debut album. Pick of the Week

Artvark Saxonphone Quartet, Sly Meets Callas: A nifty pairing of the avant-garde saxophone quartet and classical soprano Claron McFadden for an intriguing mix of compositions ranging from traditional jazz, skewed blues, and chamber music. A very nice reminder that just because something gets categorized as avant-garde, doesn’t mean it can’t be catchy as hell. Recommended.

Dieter Ilg, Rainer Bohm, Patrice Heral, : Bassist Ilg, Pianist Bohm, and drummer Patrice Heral interpret the works of Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi. More jazz than classical, with the livelier moments leaning more toward the former and the quieter interludes toward the latter. On the ACT label, which has a habit of releasing albums that are deceptively straight-ahead, like looking at Jazz through opaque glass. Two feet in the European jazz sound. Has the word ‘live’ in the title, but that sure fooled me- fantastic sound.

Okay, so apparently someone decided it was gonna be Solo Piano week on emusic and didn’t tell me. Let’s talk about three:

Julian Joseph, Live at the Vortex in London: A solo piano outing from shamefully under-recognized pianist Julian Joseph. Extremely talented, and possesses a flair for bringing elements of other genres to him in Jazz without having to leave jazz territory to get them. On Live at the Vortex, Joseph keeps things on familiar ground with a solo live performance that sees him stretching out with his classical background. If you’re into solo piano, this makes a nice selection. For something more traditional from Joseph, check out his excellent The Language of Truth, which I still listen to regularly 15 years after first picking it up.

Keith Jarrett, Rio: Keith Jarrett’s 2011 live solo piano three day concert just hit the site. Personally, I’ve always preferred Jarrett’s brilliance with his American Quartet back in the 70s, and find most of Jarrett’s solo ECM stuff unpleasantly distant. But this one, I dunno, seems more soulful, and really connects with me. Even his odd guttural vocalizations during tunes seems to fit right in just fine. The fact that tunes keep mostly to the five minute mark probably also works in their favor. Nice stuff. Compositions like Rio Part XV are pure bliss.

Kevin Hays, Variations: Pianist Kevin Hays would make an excellent tour guide on his instrument. He’s spent his career discovering all the hidden spots in between the notes that typically attract the tourists. Leaving his typical trio format for this recording, his exploratory nature shines through. A delicate sound throughout, and compositions that wander classical territory more than jazz, it’s an impressive addition to his already impressive discography.

And let’s wrap up with my weekly “Cool Album Misfiled Under Jazz” pick….

Wymond Miles, Earth Has Doors: Sacred Bones is one of the best labels going right now, so I listen to everything they put out on general principle. And so, the solo debut from Wymond Miles, guitarist for the Fresh & Onlys. This is some hazy, psychy stuff, not too far off from the Choir record I shouted out above. Dave Raposa says:

This one-man effort (some drums, strings and backing vocals aside) is decidedly more overcast and purposeful. Even if you didn’t know that these tracks dealt with “the existential crisis of our current epoch,” even a cursory listen to tracks like the neo-folk flavored “Temples of Magick” or the viola-and-feedback driven instrumental “As The Orchard Is With Rain” intimate that Miles has something weighty on his mind.

That Ghost Rosaling: MORE PSYCH FOLK. Good God, you guys. Thank god reverb isn’t a natural resource, or we’d be fucked. Ryan Schmale, the guiding force behind That Ghost, is all of 18 years-old, and this EP imagines Devandra Banhart in the middle of a particularly unsettling nightmare. Strange and spooky.

Deer Tick, Tim: Couple songs from everyone’s favorite whiskey cowboys.

A Place to Bury Strangers, Onward to the Wall: MORE REVERB! Wow. New EP from JAMC-loving NYC group brings a whole lot of boom and bash. Phil Freeman sums this up a lot more eloquently than I just did:

This five-song, 17-minute EP’s blown-out sound definitely recalls Psychocandy, mixing simple garage-rock riffs, primitive, almost mechanical drumming and deadpan vocals, but APTBS adds a huge bass sound the J&MC rarely bothered with. The opener, “I Lost You,” adds a lovelorn lyric to the mix, while the EP’s title track brings in vocalist Alanna Nualla for a moody, post-punk dialogue that makes a better soundtrack to the drawing on the cover of Sonic Youth’s Goo than that album did.

The Band in Heaven EP: MORE HOZAC. God, I love this label. This is a bit more boisterous than Radar Eyes — imagine Black Rebel Motorcycle Club if it were fronted by mathletes and you’re on the right track. Pinwheeling psych-haze, organs and dead-eyed vocals make this another grand tower of bong from the Hozzers.

Bare Mutants, Without You: Two-song single from — you guessed it — a HoZac band kind of sounds like Crystal Stilts played at the wrong speed. Morose baritone, wheezing organs and driving, droning guitars.

Christian Cosmos, Unmaking: A pair of staticky drone pieces from noise label Hospital, the second side being slightly more apocalyptic than the first. Steady, insistent rhythms surrounded by exhaust-fume static.

Davila 666, Por Que Vives: Three-song EP from Puerto Rican band Davila 666 swings from marauding garage to deliberately-shitty tape-deck folk songs. More noise than song, which is alright by me.

Amanda Palmer & the Grand Theft Orchestra, “Polly”: Tiny little cover of the Nirvana song consists of almost nothing beyond Palmer’s voice and what sounds like a few wind chimes. Spooky!

Gracie, Treehouse: Philly artist imagines what might happen if an art school student who was really into Merzbow tried to make an R&B record.

Santigold, “Big Mouth”: When Santigold put out her great first record, everyone kept comparing her to MIA and I was like, “That’s pretty racist, considering the record sounds nothing like MIA.” And now, here’s her new single, and it pretty much sounds like MIA. Drag.

Hey everyone! Some great ones that I know we’ve been waiting for are here, starting with the best emo record of the past five years (ED Note/Fact Checkers’ Dept: I don’t listen to emo) with Cloud Nothings’ Attack on Memory. Let’s start there, shall we? No matter how weird it gets, don’t stop holding my hand.

Cloud Nothings, Attack On Memory– Yep, you’ve heard about this one, from your friend or Pitchfork or Joe a few weeks back; it’s getting a lot of love, which I cosign: anthemic, powerful, brittle, surging guitar-bass-drums fury, with some unforgettable fist-pump-worthy moments and a few dark nights of the young twentysomething soul. RECOMMENDED.

Lindstrom, Six Cups of Rebel – Norwegian space-disco master Lindstrom provides another demonstration of his considerable powers. Andy Beta writes:

Disregard the five-minute arpeggios of opener “No Release” (truth in advertising), and Six Cups of Rebel shows Lindstrøm at his most hyperactive. Providing his own skewed vocals for the first time, the tracks are busybody and maximal, crowding out his voice and bursting out in every direction.

The Twilight Sad, No One Can Ever Know – Forlorn/shaggy Scottish indie-rock band demonstrate continued mastery over being a forlorn, shaggy, Scottish indie-rock band! I will always have a soft spot for these guys: they seem like an analog to a band like The Walkmen in the States: reliable purveyors of wry woe and excellent guitar tones. They are a little leaner and spindlier on this one, but recognizably Twilit.

Prinzhorn Dance School, Clay Class – Definitely some Gang of Four vibes “At Home He’s A Tourist” vibes off of this. Female backup vox, have some of the baby-Valkyrie, bloody-beak sting of Exene Cervenka.

The Boyfriend, Egyptian Wrinkle – Ethereal, high-quality mope music. Chris Roberts writes:

The Boyfriend claim they recorded their debut “surrounded by dogs, bongos and warm Texan vibes,” but it sounds more like it was recorded on an ice floe surrounded by swirls of smoke, delay pedals and the president of the Cocteau Twins fan club. Boy Friend’s sonic resemblance to the Twins is unavoidable: You could almost blindfold somebody, tell them this was those elevated etherealists’ comeback, and get away with it … To find what Palazzolo and Brown bring of themselves to this barrage of beauty, you must focus on the slow, sad songs sewn subtly into the textures and atmospheres.

 Ben Kweller, Go Fly A Kite- New Ben Kweller! I will channel Joe here: “I can say with full confidence that there are songs on this record.”

Dub Colossus, Dub Me Tender -  From the “What It Says (Or Strongly Implies) On the Tin” Dept: Dub Colossus offers two volumes of thick, shimmery lovers’ dub. Sample titles: “I’m In Dub With A German Film Star”; “Bizarre Dub Triangle”; “It’s Friday, I’m in Dub.” Goofy-pun titles but a serious project: Heavy, hard, head-nod here. Dub Colossus know what he is doing. Includes a prettttty badass take on “Uptown Top Rankin” that is rattling around full of bananas side effects.

Submotion Orchestra, Finest Hour (The Remixes) – One of last year’s best, most lush electronic records gets a full plate of remixes.

Raffertie, Mass Appeal – Woozy, moody, gas-fume-rich electronic music from Ninja Tune’s Raffertie. The last track, “Courage Boy,” feels very much like it is chasing after the half-melted ghosts of early James Blake singles. Not really a knock: SOMEONE needs to chase after those sounds now that James B is getting his Joni Mitchell on.

James Vincent McMorrow, Early In the Morning (Special Edition) – RIYL:Antony, Shearwater. Frosty, birds-egg fragile folk music.

Let me know what caught your eye in the comments!

Simone Dinnerstein sold out Miller Theatre on Thursday, and everyone I saw filing into the hall had that anticipatory glint in their eye when they’ve prepared themselves for Something Special. No one looked bored, or there out of obligation, or distracted. Everyone looked oddly expectant. The woman behind me noted, with fondness in her voice, that the concert had sold out. “As well it should,” she said. By the sound of it, she might have been Simone’s aunt (I’m pretty she wasn’t.) These are not the sorts of  sentiments one normally hears at classical concerts, sold-out or no.

Recitals, of course, are intimate affairs by design – an entire room rapt and hanging on one musician’s every note – but even still, the reaction Simone Dinnerstein gets from her fans has a distinct note of something like personal devotion to it. Her out-of-left-field success surely contributes to this: her story –Brooklynteacher becomes suddenly mega-famous after she self-releases a recording of Bach’s Goldberg Variations — feels a bit like something out of an inspirational Ron Howard film. But it’s also the ineffably conversational way she plays the piano: audibly searching, thoughtful. Her way with Bach is idiosyncratic, full of little pools of unexpected stillness. But her interpretations feel right, at least while you are listening to them, because of the wealth of emotion and character poured into them.

Thursday’s concert, in other words, was an immensely satisfying experience. Hearing Dinnerstein play can feel like a subtle neural retuning – I came out feeling that I had taken a breath I didn’t know I needed. The program skipped around like a train of thought, starting with a Chopin Nocturne, then abruptly skipping ahead two centuries to a contemporary piece by Brooklyn composer (and –conflict of interest alert/full disclosure alert – close friend of mine) Daniel Felsenfeld, then doubled back and wove through Brahms, Bach, Schumann, and Bach again. But the way Dinnerstein played it, there was not a single hitch in the program’s serene logic. The opening Chopin Nocturne eased almost imperceptibly in Felsenfeld’s The Cohen Variations, which takes Leonard Cohen’s deathless “Suzanne” as its source material. Hearing the melody of “Suzanne” glimmer up, as if from underwater, out of the Chopin, was a brilliant stroke of programming. Given that I’m friends with the creator, I shouldn’t tell you how great The Cohen Variations is. I’ll do so anyway: take it with whatever-sized grain of salt might be necessary for you to chase it.

Regrettably, The Cohen Variations is not on Simone’s excellent new disc, Something Almost Being Said. Hopefully, Simone will get around to one day recording it. In the meantime, it’s still essential. Get it. Please.

RECORDS TO BUY, GO RIGHT AHEAD:

Something Almost Being Said: Music of Bach and Schubert (US only)

The Goldberg Variations

A Strange Beauty (US Only)

The Berlin Concert

Hey, have you guys heard anything about this Lana Del Rey person? I feel like no one’s talking about her. What I wouldn’t give to find out any information on her. Seems real mysterious. Well, whoever she is, we have her record and a whole lot of others today. Let’s go!

Leonard Cohen, Old Ideas: Seriously, I think we all just need to take a pause and revel in the fact that there is a new Leonard Cohen record out today. Don’t take this for granted! As bleak or cynical as you might feel about some aspects of pop music, we still live in an age where we get treated to 10 new Leonard Cohen songs! That is a very good thing! It’s also RECOMMENDED. eMusic’s Amanda Petrusich agrees:

Cohen is still an unmatchable lyrical wit, pithily articulating things (“I had to go crazy to love you”) we’ve all thought at one time or another, and his insights are well-matched by frugal instrumentation (he’s finally eschewing the goofy synthesizers that muddled his most recent records). While his delivery can be deadpan or even purposefully a-melodic, it’s impossible to get through Old Ideas without a few moments of catharsis.

Lana Del Rey, Born To Die: AT LAST. One-woman internet lightning rod finally releases her massively buzzed-about solo debut. We’ll let you decide for yourself. We’ve got a Six Degrees as penned by Michaelangelo Matos that we’ll be rolling out over the next few days. In the meantime, here’s Dan Hyman with a review:

Thanks to producer Emile Haynie (Kid Cudi), everything here has a trip-hop wooziness — orchestral elegance pinned down by hip-hop grit. But it’s when Del Rey speaks up (“Diet Mountain Dew”) over constructed static that a pristine vocal snarl emerges. Going for forthright pop (“Dark Paradise”) suits her well. And while the storyline rarely wavers — “Off to the Races” and “National Anthem” feel like peppy, campier anecdotes to the lusty, confused female personas of standouts “Blue Jeans” and “Born To Die” — audible nuance generally takes precedent over developed narrative.

Lilacs & Champagne, Lilacs & Champagne: THIS IS FANTASTIC. Eerie, ghostlike instrumentals that are creepy and unsettling; like some of the stuff that was happening near the end of trip-hop, when Tricky finally went off the deep end into borderline horrorcore. Play this at night, then try to get to sleep. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED eMusic’s Ian Cohen says:

Alex Hall and Emil Amos are the personalities behind Grails, a Portland instrumental rock collective that’s happily traversed so much sonic terrain over the past decade and a half that they’d seemingly make side projects unnecessary. But where Grails absorbs and perverts genres, Hall and Amos’s self-titled debut as Lilacs & Champagne is an act of deconstruction and rebuilding: The duo were inspired by Madlib’s dank crate-digging and sample-stitching technique, and they also share a love for similar source material. Unquestionably stoned in demeanor, L&C leans heavy on underground hip-hop, Krautrock, ’70s psych and even an occasion Jayne Mansfield recording to create ambient music for the kind of people who find the idea of ambient music boring.

Howlin’ Wolf, Smokestack Lightning: The Complete Chess Masters 1951 – 1959: OH HELL YES. Wow. Wow. First things first, this one is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. This is basically every major Howlin’ Wolf track recorded for Chess Records ever. This is serious. Wolf’s groggy tar-in-the-throat delivery has echoed over decades in people like Tom Waits and Captain Beefheart, and his rough-and-tumble approach to the blues is still without equal. Wanna stare down the devil? Start here. Have I mentioned how great this is?

Buxton, Nothing Here Seems Strange: Rugged little country album not totally unlike the Band — Sergio Trevino has an oaky voice, and they occasionally work up to some nice, dissonant swells of sound. eMusic’s Ashley Melzer says:

Nothing Here is swelling with boy/girl harmonies, sweeping strings and a shortwave radio texture that swaths lead singer Sergio Trevino’s voice to moody effect. Flare for ambience isn’t the band’s only trick, though. For every finger-picked guitar or lilting melody, there’s a counter balance: a wailing lead riff (“Down in the Valley”), a shuffling beat (“Lynchburg Ferry”), a breakout jam session (“Broke from Bread”).

Simone Dinnerstein, Something Almost Being Said: Music of Bach and Schubert: Latest from breakout superstar piano player Dinnerstein that I know well enough I shouldn’t attempt to write about. I leave it in the hands of the pros, like Seth Colter Walls, who says:

If you thought she’d be looking to hedge or hide some of her interpretive tendencies in Romantic repertoire, you’d be wrong. From the opening of No. 1 in C Minor, she instantly features her instinctual, radical recourse to rubato. It’s a doubling down. At nearly 12 minutes, her take is well over a minute longer than standard-bearer recordings by Schiff and Perahia (not to mention last year’s entry from Paul Lewis). It’s a daring approach, and persuasive in no small measure due to the engineering on this recording: By catching the piano’s low end, it gives the enterprise a grounded sense even when Dinnerstein engages in her wait-for-it style of teasing.

Jealous Sound, A Gentle Reminder: EMO. Emo is BACK. Trust me. This is gonna be the year emo returns. Just listen to that Cloud Nothings record! EMO. And don’t be mad about it! It’s good music! And some of its pioneers, as it turned out, never left! The Jealous Sound is Blair from Knapsack and Padro from Sunday’s Best, and the music they write is earnest, tuneful guitar rock that, at times, recalls the last few David Bazan solo records.

Union, Analogotronics: This is pretty great. Lots of analog-synthy production and blip-beats with rhymes by Talib Kweli, MF DOOM, Roc Marciano and more. I’m into it! It’s the kind of thing that would be playing in some chill-out lounge on a club in Venus. eMusic’s Nate Patrin agrees. He says:

Parisian producers OJ and Gold are driven by a shared aesthetic, one in which the more bohemian and blunted corners of North American independent hip-hop have been steeped for more than a decade. It’s an intersection of ’70s/’80s vintage synths and clipped, sawed-off drum breaks, an approach that’s spanned 21st-century music from the Soulquarians to Dam-Funk. Analogtronics does its best to prove its creators’ love for that sound with a roster of indie-rap MCs that work well over it. The reliable juxtaposition of fat, squelching basslines and airy, glimmering melodies over digital-organic Dilla-style snares provides a comfortable backdrop for [the crew of MCs]

Liechtenstein, Fast Forward: I really liked the record this band made for Slumberland last year (or so) but it kind of came and went. Their spirit is not crushed, though! This is more jouyous female-fronted post-punky type stuff, maybe like if the Raincoats were better rehearsed or Huggy Bear were quieter.

Ringo Starr, Ringo 2012: I love that this is called Ringo 2012. I don’t have a ton to say here. This is the latest Ringo record that features collaborators like the Eurythmics’ Dave Stewart, Joe Walsh and Kenny Wayne Shepherd. I can say with full confidence that there are songs on this record.

Errors, Have Some Faith in Magic: I really love this album title. The album doesn’t sound bad, either: nice, blippy 8-bit-ish electronic music, slow and meditative. Like the soundtrack for an ’80s video game. eMusic’s Andrew Mueller says pretty much the same thing! He and I both think this one’s RECOMMENDED:

Errors’ third album, is an almost exclusively instrumental affair; when human vocals appear, as on “Earthscore” and “Holus-Bolus,” they’re spectral and translucent, ghosts in the machine. For the most part, Errors deal in vast, ornate sculptures of electronic sound. “The Knock” builds into something which, in its climactic movement, is reminiscent of Slovenian situationists Laibach, which is to say it suggests a totalitarian anthem constructed from the bleeps and pops of ’80s video games.

Pepe Deluxe, Queen of the Wave: Pepe Deluxe have been making records forever, man! This is the latest, bringing their cut-n-paste hyperactive sugar-spiked lounge core to the next level.

The Doozer, Keep it Together: This is some glassy-eyed psychy-type UK-inspired folk music. The obvious jumping off point is Syd Barrett, but I can even hear a tiny bit of Nikki Sudden or some of the more pastoral Kinks songs here. Pretty good! eMusic’s Evan Minsker agrees. He says:

On Keep It Together, [The Doozer's] first album on Woodsist, he sets up shop in his local village hall with 11 other musicians. The result is a much warmer album than his previous work, with the first acoustic major chord strums of “Burning Bright” leading into some rococo string arrangements. His lyrics only perpetuate the pastoral feel of the album — “There’s a beautiful girl in a fold-up chair/ Sitting around without a care.” And every song on Keep It Together has that same carefree attitude. It helps that his vocals are flanked by a handful of other lovely things — beautiful flourishes of strings, a choogling acoustic guitar, a second vocalist singing harmony, and a lilting piano.

The Blue Rhythm Combo, BRC’s Groove: WOO-HOO! Crackling, funky beats from Barbadian band in the ’70s. This is great — hazy horn charts, rubbery bass, lots of tight grooves and soulful vocals. Guess what? HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Araabmuzik, Instrumental University: This guy! Beatmaster returns with another batch of chilling instrumentals. The thing that stands out to me about Araab’s stuff is how threatening it sounds — there are always these icicle synth stabs or freaked-out orchestral hits — it’s like you’re caught in the second of a horror film where the killer leaps out of the bushes, knife drawn.

One Model Nation, Totalwerks Vol. 1 [1969 - 1977]: Don’t be fooled by the name. This is Courtney Taylor-Taylor from the Dandy Warhols making primitive industrial music to accompany a comic book of the same name.

Farmer Sea, A Safe Place: Earnest, touching jangle-pop that could have been on college radio in the ’80s. Probably in the south. Return of the Paisley Underground?

Barry Adamson, I Will Set You Free: New solo outing from long-running Brit alt dude with an excellent resume (Magazine, the Bad Seeds, etc) is pretty dashing supper club rock not too far off from solo Bryan Ferry. Pretty good and elegant, good for sipping cocktails in an expensive suit at home.

–>Jazz Picks, by Dave Sumner
Well, the new release season is definitely underway for Jazz. So much great music this week, I pretty much could’ve written “Highly Recommended” after everything I included and the handful I didn’t have time for. Let’s begin…

Alexandra Lehmler, No Blah Blah: Wow, nice start to my day. Quintet of sax, piano, bass, drums, and percussion. Lehmler handles the business on sax, definitely with two feet in the straight-ahead European jazz scene. Lehmler has got a lively sound on sax, gives each song a palpable vibrancy, plenty of soaring, but not to where it begins sounding like an ECM album or a lite-jazz recording. Mixes up the tempos; extra person on percussion adds some welcome texture to the rhythm section. Just beautiful. Pick of the Week

Simone Guiducci Gramelot Ensemble, That’s All Folks:Simone Guiducci fuses jazz with the music of Italian folklore, and that might be as close as I come to classifying this wonderful music. Featuring Ralph Alessi on trumpet and Guiducci on guitar, other instruments include clarinet, bass clarinet, accordion, double bass, drums, various percussion, and piano. Rhythms with plenty of depth whether they’re sprinting or ambling, trumpet and clarinet intertwine while darting up and down, the sound of the rustic countryside brought into a boisterous jazz club… you get all of that here. Outstanding. Find of the Week.

Benjamin Koppel, Quartre Trois Deux Un: Always exciting to see a new release from the Danish saxophonist and composer, this time with a quartet date with Jacob Anderskov on piano, Thommy Andersson on bass, and Daniel Humair on drums, it’s a set of compositions that features Koppel’s unique voice, bringing classical elements to the European jazz sound. The result is a series of introspective tunes that are as likely to clamor as meditate. Koppel is one of the true under-the-radar treasures. To my ears, no one synthesizes the comfort and mystery of dreams quite like him. Definitely Recommended, as is his album Adventures of a Polar Expedition, which was my top choice for 2010 album of the year. Recommended.

Fabrice Sotton, L’envol: Pianist Fabrice Sotton kinda does his own thing, switching effortlessly between piano and electric keyboard (sometimes within the same tune), moving from a standard jazz composition to a classical one to a world jazz fusion in the span of three songs, and adding whatever electronic effect or field recordings will get him the desired sound for whatever song is right in front of him at that very moment… album cohesion be damned. If you like to wake slowly to the day, his music will fit right in, though some of his compositions do have a caffeinated punch. I like L’envol well enough, glad he recorded it, and recommend buying it; that said, I’d recommend the excellent Terre Inconnue first, followed by L’attente next. If you’re into modern quiet piano recordings, check this guy out.

Frank Hewitt, Salience: It looks like Smalls Records has released another posthumous Frank Hewitt recording. For those who don’t know, Hewitt was one of the criminally under-recognized boppers back in the day, played with many of the greats, and never really had anything released under his own name (at least, not representative of his contribution to jazz). Hewitt passed away about 10 years ago, and it’s great that Smalls has been putting Hewitt’s music out. This recording has Hewitt on piano, Jimmy Lovelace on drums, and Ari Roland on bass. I’ve been looking around, and it’s possible that several of these tracks may have been released previously on the Hewitt album We Loved You; for most of you, this duplication won’t be an issue, and for those of you who already have that recording, the duplication isn’t likely going to be an obstacle to purchasing this one.

Martin Hoper, The Bride: Another nice selection from the European scene. Bassist Martin Hoper rounds out the quartet with sax, piano, and drums for an understated straight-ahead affair. Plenty of spritely tunes to bounce the head along with. Hoper has a very nice moments bowing, and just generally shows a professional touch leading his quartet. On the Hoob label, who have displayed a knack at finding under-the-radar talent and released an extremely diverse set of recordings. Beautiful stuff here.

Bill Dixon, Envoi: Trumpeter and composer Bill Dixon was one of the preeminent innovators on the free jazz scene. Recorded live in 2010 just before his passing, Envoi assembles an all-star cast of master improvisors (including Taylor Ho Bynum and Rob Mazurek) and unleashes emotional cross-currents of brass instruments, vibes, percussion, contrabass clarinet, and cello. Highly Recommended. A bit longer album review on eMusic here.

Jeremy Pelt, Soul: Virtuoso trumpet player Jeremy Pelt assembles an all-star line-up of J. D. Allen on tenor sax, Danny Grissett on piano, Dwayne Burno on bass and Gerald Cleaver on drums, and gives a performance that really honors the quintet, sharing the spotlight with everybody. Pelt has been on an impressive roll, putting out an album a year for about the last six. No matter what ensemble he plays with, his sound is distinctively cerebral, even when he’s blowing flames out of his instrument. This is great straight-ahead jazz from some of the best musicians on the scene.

Amy Cervini, Digging Me Digging You: Excellent jazz vocal album by the talented singer backed by a ridiculously impressive cast that includes Bruce Barth (piano), Jesse Lewis (guitar), Matt Aronoff (bass), James Shipp (perc & vibes), Matt Wilson (drums), Anat Cohen (clarinet), Jeremy Udden (alto sax), Avishai Cohen (trumpet), Josh Sinton (bari sax), and Jennifer Wharton (bass trombone). Lots of swinging tunes that match well with Cervini’s bounce and ballads that match with Cervini’s warmth. The kind of jazz vocals album that will appeal to people who say, “I’m not really into jazz vocals albums”. Very fun. Released on the Anzic label, who couldn’t put out a bad album if they tried.

Arturo Sandoval, Mambo Nights: Oh man, this is nice. Trumpet legend Arturo Sandoval and the WDR Big Band for a series of bebop and Afro-Cuban compositions that just soar soar soar. Nothing but sonic happiness here; even the cover of “Oye Como Va” (which, on most albums, pretty much makes me cringe at this point) delivers plenty of life and good cheer. This album is aces. Highly Recommended

Enrico Rava Quintet, Tribe: Well, it appears that eMusic is getting caught up on its 2011 ECM releases. This one from trumpet player Enrico Rava. Honestly, I just don’t connect with his sound, which to me is like audio quicksand, but people definitely like his stuff; Rava is perpetually up there on Best Of lists from year to year. So I figured I’d mention this one. He’s got the nifty trombonist Gianluca Petrella on this recording, which is nice. Hey, give the samples a shot; maybe it’s your kind of thing.

Julie Lamontagne; Opus Jazz: Former classical pianist and composer, now jazz pianist and composer, gives us a solo recording that attempts to fuse both. Seems to lean a bit more to the classical side, but whatever, I’m liking this on my first pass of the album. The Trilogie Coloree is just beautiful. Released on the Justin Time label, which can always be counted on for making some tasteful choices in which albums they release.

Okay, this is neat. There are three albums listed under the Solos Series, which captures innovative jazz musicians in a solo setting while interviewing them and having them share their thoughts (occasionally) about their creative process. There’s one for piano genius Matthew Shipp, as well as for sax man Mark Taylor and guitarist Charlie Hunter. That Shipp album is totally floating my boat.

–>Metal Box
Liberteer, Better to Die on Your Feet Than Live on Your Knees: THIS IS EXCELLENT. EXCELLENT. Hyperactive symphonic grindcore (!!) somehow finds room for Sousa-like horns and Wagnerian strings in the middle of breakneck tempos and heart-attack guitars. This is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. eMusic’s Phil Freeman says:

It’s the music that separates Liberteer from the pack. Widener has made a symphonic grindcore album, with triumphant horn fanfares and majestic surges from an orchestra bolstering the savage, 90-second tracks. A few songs are also adorned with delicately plucked banjo, giving them a backwoods ominousness that’s more threatening than any blast beat could ever be.

Bleeding Through, The Great Fire: 12 years on and Bleeding Through sounds as angry as ever. This is serious: cycloning metal shot through with eerie synths and the occasional, doomy sung chorus. Splits the difference between melody and madness.

Azaghal, Nemesis: NINTH (!) studio album from Finnish black metallers Azaghal is as punishing as you might expect. The songs race forward at around 100,000 mph, clawing guitars and man-on-fire vocals. Not exactly reinventing the black metal wheel, as it were, but they certainly do give the ol’ pentagram a nice polish.

Enslaved, Yggdrasill: Whoah! 1992 demo from Enslaved (dig the Xerox cover art) is super primitive and, therefore, super creepy. This is some crazy shit, man — evil minor-key synths and buzz buzz buzz guitars plus the uber lo-fi production values make this sound like a missive from a murderer’s lair.

Hello all! Welcome back to NA in the UK. New Portico quartet, live Wire, crunching hardcore from the Veils, bleak folk from Petra Jean Phillippson, and more, after the jump!

Portico Quartet, S/t – A head-spinning, inventive album of effortless future-jazz, a glowing hybrid of grainy electronic sounds and warm instrumental interplay. Andrew Perry writes:

When a band names an album after themselves, it’s a way of saying, “We’ve finally arrived at the sound we always had in our heads”. So it is with East London’s Portico Quartet, who have audibly evolved many miles onwards since 2010’s second album, Isla … Portico Quartet represents a shift every bit as seismic as Radiohead underwent between ‘OK Computer’ and ‘Kid A’, blending with similar dexterity their trad and hi-tech instrumentation.

Wire, The Black Session: Paris, 10 May 2011 – Fantastic, exultant live set from post-punk heroes Wire, who continue to charge into their fourth decade with the gusto of a band recording demos. Andrew Perry writes:

The ever-influential band’s ornery sensibility is such that they’d never stoop to churning out what, for them, constitutes “the hits,” so you won’t find many here. Instead, The Black Session finds them leavening a supercharged selection from Red Barked Tree with a few choice cuts from yesteryear, including the exhilarating 1979 single ‘Map Ref 41⁰N 93⁰W’, and a squalling, angsty ‘Two People In A Room’. In the encore, ‘Pink Flag’ (the song), the needles finally dip into the red for keeps, amid the kind of axe-bludgeoning mayhem which would send many bands thirty years their junior running for cover.

All The Saints, Intro To Fractions – New one from the label that brought you EMA’s Past Life Martyred Saints. Sounds skuzzy, definitely, and warped, like a Thee Oh Sees record that’s been left in the sun too long. Also intriguingly post-punky and moody – especially those Cure bass lines. Too early to tell from my sample tour, but sounds like another compelling release from a label that’s making a great name trafficking in damaged, dark rock stuff.

The Veils, Clarity – Latest EP from the melodic hardcore stalwarts mopes and thrashes as confidently as they ever have.

Petra Jean Philippson, Notes on: Death – Powerfully gothic and grim folk that could not be more aptly titled from PJP. Petra Jean has a magnificent instrument of a voice – wine-dark, throaty, and terrifically theatrical, and here she comes off pale and severe as Death itself.

Dan Sartrain, Too Tough To Live – More rough-edged, wild-eyed rockabilly-flecked first-wave punk from a long-time practitioner. It’s thicker, and rowdier, than anything he’s done in awhile, and kinda sounds great.

Katatonia, For Funerals To Come – 1995 EP from classic Swedish metal band. Excellent, soul-blackened howls from one of the earliest of doom/death metal outfits.

Jacques Greene, Concealer – A lovely, sparkling transitional EP from the Montrealproducer who builds glittering oceans of synthesizers around lonely, bleary-eyed vocal samples. Ryan Dombal called this “music for models to stumble back to their suites to,” and there’s no way I’m improving on that.

Paws Extended, Enjoyed – A benevolent little blob of Balearic, sunset-postcard indie electronica. Like The Berg Sans Nipple if they let loose at a foam party in Ibiza.

The Wedding Present, You Jane (single) – Wedding Present single! It sounds like the Wedding Present! Which is to say it sounds good!

Bullion, Say Arr Ee (single) – Strafing, airy little genre-bender from Bullion, a West London-based producer who makes warped, highly playful, even childlike electronic pop.

Andain, Much Too Much – Latest single fromSan Franciscosoft-focus trip-hop duo.

If there’s something you saw, and liked, that isn’t here, tell me all about it below. Thanks!

If indie rock has patron saints, Steve Lamacq’s one of them. His radio show on BBC is the source for countless hopeful indie bands — a cosign from Lamacq is a step up the ladder to a wider audience, who have been conditioned to trust Lamacq’s keen ears and gimlet eye without hesitation. He wrote for New Musical Express during its halcyon days. He signed Elastica. He’s, simply put, a legend — the heir to John Peel in the figurative and the literal sense — Peel was fond enough of Lamacq to have given him the nickname “The Cat,” a reference to Lamacq’s potent goalie powers.

So I’m thrilled to announce that this man has agreed to curate a week’s worth of eMusic editorial for the UK site. The reviews of the day are his choices, and his reviews,  in his pithy, incisive words. In our extended interview, he mused thoughtfully on the state of indie in 2012 and what it’s like to be a career tastemaker. Come back every day to see more of what Lamacq gave us, but start here, today, with his eMusic Q&A. As an added bonus, he also walked us through twelve of his all-time favorite Desert-Island Discs. It’s a fascinating tour. Start now.

eMusic Q&A: Steve Lamacq

Steve Lamacq’s Desert-Island Discs

The first HUGE new release day of 2012, so strap in and get ready for a pretty comprehensive rundown! Dave Sumner‘s got your jazz picks, and I’ve got the rest. Here we go!

Cloud Nothings, Attack on Memory: ALBUM OF THE DAY. Dylan Baldi grows up in a nanosecond, making a snarling rock record that hurtles forward with the speed and fury of a meteor. The sonic touchstones here are ’90s emo greats like Jawbreaker, the Promise Ring and Sunny Day Real Estate, but there’s a punk nastiness to the songs that keep them feeling threatening. Recorded by Steve Albini, so you know what to expect sonically. This is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. eMusic’s Brian Raftery has more:

Memory veers so forcefully from its predecessors that, at first listen, it’s a bit jarring: The opening track, “No Future No Past,” is a slow-burn grind of spangled, in-utero guitars and tortured vocals, with Baldi intoning the words “give up/come to/no hope/we’re through” so harshly, it sounds as though his larynx is going to flip him off and jump out of his throat. Even more adventurous is “Wasted Days,” a nine-minute(!) peal with a lithe, lupine guitar break that sounds like Greg Sage conducting Hawkwind.

Craig Finn, Clear Eyes, Full Hearts: Hold Steady frontman turns down and calms down for this record of soft, stirring rock with religious undercurrents. eMusic’s Austin L. Ray has more:

For Full Eyes, Finn set up shop in Austin,Texas, recruiting members of Heartless Bastards, Phosphorescent, White Denim and Centro-matic to play with him. Despite the crack musicians, Finn reserves his highest praise for a more famous player, singing, “It’s hard to suck with Jesus in your band.” That’s a punchline, admittedly, but it’s also one of the most musically satisfying of the countless Christ references and allusions throughout. It comes from “New Friend Jesus,” a rollicking classic-country tune and album highlight.

First Aid Kit, The Lion’s Roar: Lovely, pastoral folk music from Scandinavian sisters. eMusic’s David Greenwald says:

The Lion’s Roar is a record of romantic pragmatism and bold orchestration. Producer Mike Mogis (notable mainly for his work with Bright Eyes, whose Conor Oberst appears briefly here on “King of the World”) helps clothe the naked twang of the band’s debut with light-handed percussion, pedal steel, strings and rippling pianos, keeping the spotlight brightly on the Söderberg’s familial harmonies. A Neko Case-like minor-key gloom rolls in on the title track and “I Found a Way,” among others, but most of the songs stick to the sunshine. Gram and Johnny can rest easy — First Aid Kit can take it from here.

Porcelain Raft, Strange Weekend: Cooing, gurgling, gently propulsive music that at times sounds like New Order recording while dosed with dramamine. Mauro Remiddi has a strong knack for melody, but he whispers rather than shouts, and there’s a dreamlike quality to the music he makes as Porcelain Raft that’s both serene and unsettling. eMusic’s Ryan Reed has more:

Maybe it’s a coincidence, but the track titles on Strange Weekend, the full-length debut from laptop scientist Mauro Remiddi, are fairly apt descriptions of the music itself (see: “Drifting In And Out,” “Shapeless & Gone,” “Put Me To Sleep”). With their underwater acoustics, synths sparkling in oceans of reverb, and Remiddi’s high, ethereal chirp, these lovingly constructed, basement-recorded jams float by in a gorgeous haze — like a brilliant dream you barely remember.

Chairlift, Something: These guys! They’re back! Brisk indie pop that boasts squiggly keyboards and high-arcing female vocals – this is brisk, breathless music. eMusic’s Barry Walters says:

This is not exactly the same Chairlift that buzz-catching bloggers fell in love with on the back of a 2008 iPod Nano ad. Frontwoman Caroline Polachek has become a far more confident singer, not ashamed to let out her inner Sarah McLachlan, which in the context of the band’s brighter and bolder palate is not at all a bad thing: “Take It Out on Me” floats on a raft of serene but sticky synths while its lyrics suggest either S&M or an affair gone askew — an uncanny combination that recalls McLachlan’s seductive yet unsettling “Possession.” Sleek ballads like “Cool As a Fire” reveal a far more earnest and finessed beauty in Polachek’s delivery that transcends Does You‘s archness.

Rodrigo y Gabriela ft C.U.B.A., Area 52: Mexican guitarists team with a Cuban orchestra to give many of their early hits the full-band treatment. eMusic’s Chris Nickson says:

Opener “Santa Domingo” sets the tone for much of the album; beginning with a heart-pounding riff, the duo crank up the tension until there’s an explosion of brass, all of the elements powered by the punch of the wah-wah pedal — almost a trademark of the couple these days — before sprinting to a breathless finish. The album is deliberately brash, laced with incendiary guitar work (listen to the electric playing on “Hanuman,” for example), and Cuban rhythms making a loud, colourful wrapper around the songs.

Pop 1280, The Horror: Take it from a guy who just bought the Birthday Party reissues on vinyl – you want this. Filthy, scuzzy, confrontational, torture-basement rock and roll ready to rip out your throat and beat you with it. This is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED eMusic’s Austin L. Ray has more:

Subtle, Pop. 1280 is not. But you don’t really need a gentle hand when your band regularly and fiercely recalls the finer moments of Liars, the Birthday Party and Swans…The Horror is positively relentless, piling brutal rhythmic grinding on top of lyrical references to dead people, bodies, death, and, well, the kind of horror that’s often reserved for the cinema.

Laura Gibson, La Grande: By all rights, Laura Gibson’s hour is way overdue. Having graduated from the same school of folk mysticism as summa cum laude Kristen Hersh, Gibson weaves her weird voice through a beautiful latticework of acoustic guitars. She sings like she’s casting spells and keeping secrets. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Primitons, Collected Works: Collection from completely overlooked ’80s college rock band from Birmingham (BIRMINGHAM!) matches conversational vocals with limber guitars and jittery rhythms. Fans of people like the dB’s, early R.E.M. and Pylon, this is your time capsule for the day. RECOMMENDED

The Alchemist & Oh No, Vodka & Ayahuasca: New effort from The Alchemist and Oh No after their well-received Gangrene project finds them, yet again, at the top of their game. Dusty throwback beats, nimble rapping and a generally dark, murky atmosphere make for fierce, uncompromising hip-hop.

Steve Scott, Emotional Tourist: A Retrospective: Only a few people are going to know what this is, but those people, like me, are going to be pretty excited. This is a compilation of ’80s Sacramento poet/new waver Steve Scott who hung with folks like the 77s and turned out super hooky synthy new wave with hyper literate lyrics. Arena Rock, you crazy for this one. I love you. RECOMMENDED

Bhi Bhiman, Bhiman: Warm, earthy record that reminds me of the early Robbie Robertson solo records, in a good way. Bhiman has a nice, rich, earthy voice, and he sings like a man determined. The instrumentation is mostly acoustic, but there’s a desperate, searching quality to the songs that separates it from the singer/songwriter pack.

Matt Pryor, May Day: Solo record by Get Up Kids frontman sounds kind of like some unplugged Get Up Kids songs. Pryor writes hooky melodies, and those curious to hear his ear for tunes in a slightly more sedate setting are advised to tune into this.

Rhyton, Rhyton: Instrumental experimental on Thrill Jockey, Rhyton move effortlessly from scuzzy skronk to moody drones to alien jazz jamming. It’s like lunar avant garde. eMusic’s Evan Minsker says:

Rhyton’s self-titled debut, like any psychedelic jam record worth its salt, pushes its guitar solos to the front. The album hangs on the guitar proficiency of Dave Shuford, who spends the better part of 30 minutes meandering across the fret board. What that means, however, is that Jimy SeiTang’s (Psychic Ills) wandering bass lines and Spencer Herbst’s freeform drums usually take a backseat to Shuford’s loose, largely improvised riffs. Thankfully, the man is quite good.

Stew & the Negro Problem, Making It: The first record from Stew and crew post-Passing Strange documents a splintering relationship. eMusic’s Tad Hendrickson has more:

Singer/songwriter/playwright/actor Stew won a Tony for his play Passing Strange, which ran on Broadway in 2008 and was subsequently filmed by Spike Lee. But just as the play was becoming a success, the romantic relationship between Stew and longtime girlfriend and musical partner Heidi Rodewald was falling apart. Making It puts this story to music, often scripting it with he said/she said verses filled with witty punch lines — one of which being, “Therapy Only Works if You Tell the Truth.”

Various Artists, Chimes of Freedom: The Songs of Bob Dylan: This one deserves a look just for sheer, overwhelming breadth. There have been no shortage of Dylan tributes over the years, but this one wins the prize for diversity. Patti Smith! Gaslight Anthem! Silversun Pickups! My Morning Jacket! Even Miley Cyrus sounds pretty good! Also, I am hoping Ke$ha’s fantastic version of “Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright” on this means I don’t have to defend Ke$ha as much as I have been lately. RECOMMENDED

Joe Cocker, Hard Knocks: New Joe Cocker record. That cover kind of tells you everything you need to know. Cocker’s got a great voice, but it’s hard not to listen to this and wonder what he might do if, say, someone hooked him up with the folks from Daptone. This is what I like to call wedding core.

Dion, Tank Full of Blues: Dion made another blues record.

Back to the Future the Ride, Tron Legacy: There was no way I could ignore this. The band is called Back to the Future the Ride, and the album is called Tron Legacy. So there’s that. Musically, this isn’t too far afield from the kind of stuff Not Not Fun has been putting out — bursts of static and drone are offset by unsettling ambient electronic passages, making this the sound of floating through a bizarro dystopic dreamworld.

Imbogodom, And They Turned Not Where They Went: Spacey, spooky music from Thrill Jockey. This is a fascinating record — doomy, monklike vocals, sawing violins and, more than anything, a heavy, grim atmosphere put this on the cultier side of experimental music.

Cardinal, Hymns: Longtime indie poppers Richard Davies and Eric Matthews return with the first Cardinal record in 18 years (!) Those who tuned into them in the past know what to expect here: sugary harmonies and sun-dappled ’60s pop, the perfect soundtrack for an Indian Winter.

Kendl Winter, The Mechanics of Hovering Flight: Winter’s second full-length on the estimable K Records puts her folky voice against some campfire strumming and melodies that tend toward traditional country. Parts of this remind me of those Freakwater records, if you guys remember those. RECOMMENDED

Spy Island, New Milesian Kings: A find! Portland power popppers deliver hooks galore — harmonies, scuzzy guitars, bleating organs. Like if Sloan got really drunk and turned their amps up past 10. FIND OF THE DAY

Mighty Sparrow, Sparromania!: If you ask me (and few people ever do), the time for a calypso revival is right about now. How have we all not dived back into this music fully and completely? When cumbia’s (justified) moment is over, I vote we all go here next. Sparrow is one of the genre’s two kings (Lord Kitchener is the other) and this comp collects some of his classics (if also somehow omitting some of his major works)

Madi Diaz, Plastic Moon: Sunny Adult Contemporary pop music from a graduate of the Paul Green School of Rock Music(!) At times, Diaz imagines Sheryl Crow with a slightly indier edge. Accomplished and polished songwriting throughout.

C.R.A.S.H., War on All Fronts: New batch of snarling hardcore from C.R.A.S.H. which, as near as I can tell, is a hardcore supergroup featuring folks like Brooks Headley, Michelle Suarez and other. At least, that’s who played on the 7″ Post Present Medium put out a while ago. Safe to assume it’s the same lineup, I’d think. Right? anyone know otherwise?

–> Jazz Picks by Dave Sumner
This week’s recommendations mostly consist of a bunch of albums that ain’t ever gonna get confused with straight-ahead jazz, but which are steeped in the distinct tradition of old blues-jazz roots. Those of you who like out-playing on in-compositions, you win this week. Or, to say it differently, fans of Eric Dolphy’s Out to Lunch and Harris Eisenstadt’s Canada Day are in for a treat.

Viktor Toth, Popping Bopping: A quartet comprised of alto sax, trumpet, bass, drums and some random electronic effects. Album starts with Toth blowing away on his alto on a modern hard bop tune. Trumpet gets in some action of its own, a playful bit of muting and sound skewing. The album begins very much like the dissonance cum old time blues found on the Clean Feed label these days. There are moments when the album threatens to turn into a Nils Petter Molvaer composition with the airy atmospherics of electronic effects (especially on the final track), but the album never loses its grasp on the blues, much to the benefit of anyone who grabs this nifty recording. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Partikel, Cohesion: A sax trio of tenor & soprano, drums, and bass. Some flavoring of world jazz (latin & african specifically) mixed with what’s going for modern straight-ahead jazz these days. First listen doesn’t blow me away or anything, but the dynamic percussion makes me want to return for repeat listening. Promising, and worthy of a bit of the spotlight.

Neil Cowley Trio, The Face of Mount Molehill: This is probably what it would sound like if Badly Drawn Boy composed a soundtrack for piano trio. Infectious grooves, some strings to tug at the edges of the heart, simple melodies that are anything but superficial, and enough stylistic wrinkles to keep the head engaged. A likable album; the kind of cheerful that’s always good to have sitting on a nearby barstool when drinking alone just ain’t gonna cut it.

L.A. Jenkins, The Clarity of the Peculiar:
Something for the experimental and avant-garde jazz fans. Frenzied guitar busts, trumpet, flugelhorn, trombone, a variety of percussion instruments, a little flute, and a holiday basket of electronic effects, this album has moments of symphonic ecstasy interspersed with interludes of ambient bliss. Honestly, this album is probably gonna have more interest from listeners for whom jazz is a part time occupation, but it certainly doesn’t fall out of line with other albums that are widely considered avant-garde jazz. This is some nifty stuff.

Living Room in London; Living Room in London: Wow! Too cool! Manu Delago fuses his hang drum music with a string trio of musicians from the Solstice Quartet and the London Symphony Orchestra. Hang, bass clarinet, sax, violin, viola, guitar, cello are all ingredients in this jazz-classical ensemble of awesome. So pretty. Fans of Julia Kent, Kronos Quartet, and Portico Quartet should all be checking this out. FIND OF THE WEEK

Exil, Place Victor Hugo: Okay, this is pretty nice. Unfortunately, I’m not gonna have much to provide other than guesswork; not much to find on these guys online. But it sounds like a trio of trumpet, piano, and bass. Based on their sound, I’m guessing Swedish, maybe Danish… a guess derived from their ECM-like recording. Fans of Mathias Eick should definitely take note. This is introspective, peaceful, moments of rising emotions followed quickly by moments of despair and sorrow. It’s quite pretty, but I’ve been told many times that my idea of what comprises “pretty music” is what others find depressing and bleak. I wonder if Bonnie Prince Billy would like this kind of jazz. RECOMMENDED

Lewis Jordan, Local Time: Avant-garde musician Lewis Jordan joins his alto sax with the Grencso Open Colllective of trumpet, trombone, duduk, bass clarinet, tenor sax, drums, and a little bit of poetry for a very cool set of dissonant jazz that brimming with blues and steeped in the roots of jazz. Heartily layered jazz loudly announced and punctuated with odd meters and discordant melodies keeps both heart and mind occupied throughout. Like a person burdened with personal knowledge of all the heartbreak in the world finding a way to give voice to the most hopeful sound. Outstanding stuff. Harris Eisenstadt fans should be giving this a listen. PICK OF THE WEEK

Erland Dahlen, Rolling Bomber: Debut release from Nils Petter Molvaer’s drummer, though Dahlen’s name is associated with a who’s-who of the Norwegian jazz set. It’s a solo album. Dahlen uses a variety of percussive instruments: his special drum set (which the album is named after), as well as a series of items that he picked up at his local electronics and hardware stores. More accurate to file this album under Experimental than it is Jazz, but whatever; it’s all kinds of interesting, and the vision deserves some respect no matter which category this album gets filed under. Released on the Hubro label, which keeps on putting out music that doesn’t really sound like anybody else’s music.

Okay, a bunch of those new Verve/Impulse two-fers just dropped for the following artists: Alice Coltrane, Marion Brown, Charles Mingus, Sonny Criss, John Handy, Howard Roberts, Freddie Hubbard, Mel Brown, Sonny Stitt, Oliver Nelson, Clark Terry, Blue Mitchell, Michael White, Keith Jarrett, and Blue Mitchell. These combo albums comprise two not-quite-classic albums from each of these artists at a pretty good price. I can’t quite recall the details on subjects like remastering, but the sound is decent, the price is good, and there’s some solid selections from the period of jazz when it began fusing in the sounds of soul, R&B, and psychedelic world. My favorite has gotta be the Alice Coltrane; I’ve been enjoying those two for years when Verve originally began offering them separately as part of their Digital Vaults series (or whatever the hell they used to call it). Those Charles Mingus albums are pretty tasty, too, though, and I’ve always liked Michael White’s jazz violin action. Hell, there’s lots of good stuff in this series.

-> Singles & EPs
†††, EP: This is Chino from Deftones. Given the unpronounceable name of this project, people were originally saying this was a chillwave experiment. It’s not. What it is is some pretty spooky, pretty engaging, synth-based stuff — as dark and gothy as you might expect, given the source. My love of Deftones is well-documented, so it’s no surprise that I love this. Fans of that band, along with some of the moodier Nine Inch Nails stuff will love this. RECOMMENDED

Gonjasufi, MU.ZZ.LE: Weird, hypnotic EP from Gonjasufi is even bleaker and darker and odder than his full-length. This is the music that plays in a dark alleyway right before a killer jumps out and has at you. Creepy as hell.

Dana Falconberry, Though I Didn’t Call, It Came: Tiny, twinkling pop songs with delicate melodies and fluttering guitars. Fans of, let’s say, Kate Nash who wish she’d calm down and get serious will find much here to love.

–> Metal Box
Lamb of God, Resolution: Furious new record from metal heavyweights shows the years have not dulled their brutal assault. eMusic’s Phil Freeman has more:

They’ve tempered their post-Pantera sound with some acoustic guitar bits, a dash of the blues, Hatebreed-style gang vocals and other assorted surprises. Album closer “King Me” even features strings and operatic female vocals. Vocalist Randy Blythe is oddly reminiscent of Walton Goggins’s character, Boyd Crowder, on Justified: He might seem like just a crazy redneck at first, but hidden depths emerge quickly. Musically, the band is absolutely killing it this time out, particularly drummer Chris Adler, one of the most skilled players in modern metal.

Hey all, we’ve got some fine new releases on the UK store this week, so let’s get into it, shall we? Craig Finn, Leila, First Aid Kit, Pulled Apart By Horses, Nada Surf, Liz Green, and more, after the jump.

Craig Finn, Clear Hearts Full Eyes – Hold Steady frontman’s latest solo effort not a concept album about the late, great teen-football drama Friday Night Lights, as the name might hint, but is rather a stolid, humble serving of Finn-styleAmericana.  Here’s Austin L. Ray’s take:

Considering the motif of lapsed Catholicism that crops up repeatedly throughout the catalog of the Hold Steady, the frequent references to Jesus on Clear Heart, Full Eyes — the first solo record by HS frontman Craig Finn — shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. But while his past releases occasionally handled religious topics with a healthy dose of cynicism, one can’t help but wonder if this is Finn’s coming-out party as a card-carrying Believer. He explains the album title, which gives an admiring nod to critically-acclaimed football drama Friday Night Lights, as follows: “‘Clear Heart’ signifies honesty and transparency, and ‘Full Eyes’ suggests experience.” In other words, it’s about being optimistic and open without succumbing to the weariness of doubt that comes with age and experience.

First Aid Kit, The Lion’s Roar — Two sisters, one fair and flaxen-haired, one raven-dark and pale, sing misty songs of enchantment and etc. Seriously, have you seen these two? It’s almost frightening how out-of-time and spellbinding their simple folk music is. Performing live, they will wheel you back at least three centuries. Singing, man. Who knew!?  Here’s David Greenwald, providing something just a bit more cogent:

The Lion’s Roar is a record of romantic pragmatism and bold orchestration. Producer Mike Mogis (notable mainly for his work with Bright Eyes, whose Conor Oberst appears briefly here on “King of the World”) helps clothe the naked twang of the band’s debut with light-handed percussion, pedal steel, strings and rippling pianos, keeping the spotlight brightly on the Söderberg’s familial harmonies. A Neko Case-like minor-key gloom rolls in on the title track and “I Found a Way,” among others, but most of the songs stick to the sunshine. Gram and Johnny can rest easy — First Aid Kit can take it from here.

Pulled Apart By Horses, Tough Love – Barnstorming, air-raid-siren hardcore rock’n'roll, reminiscent of DFA 1979 and Hot Snakes. Lots and lots of fist-pump here, and plenty of songs to scream along to until your veins bulge. There is an anthemic, furious Something sweeping through UK indie right now, between this, the throat-shredding art-metal fury of Enter Shikari, the ragged indie-rock hymnals of WU LYF…a lot of hands-in-the-air waving and really, really caring.

Gonjasufi, M.U.ZZle EP –  Compellingly blown-out, grainy followup EP to 2010′s breakthrough A Sufi And A Killer. Rob Young writes:

Warp Records are classifying this as an EP, but MU.ZZ.LE – the follow-up (in ten short tracks) to 2010’s A Sufi And A Killer – sounds in many ways like the bigger record. Taped somewhere out in the Mojave, this dubbed-out desert music occasionally trips into emotional ditches bleak enough to soundtrack an end-times movie like The Road. MU.ZZ.LE sounds as if it were recorded on filthy equipment salvaged from Radio Shack dumpsters, with Gonjasufi’s searing, blurted vocals dissolving immediately upon emerging from the speaker cones.

Leila, U&I – Brilliant, crunching, dystopic-thriller electronic landscapes, also from Warp Records. Look for aneMusic Q&A with Leila on the site soon.

My Best Fiend, Higher Palms ­– More from Warp! This sounds promising as well, a new signee, with surf guitars that sound like they’ve been submerged in some viscous liquid and soft-focus chimes creating a beach-sunset sort of melancholy.

Nada Surf, The Stars Are Indifferent To Astronomy – The indie-pop survivors are back with their newest album, a slightly more Teenage Fanclub/Jade Tree-sounding take on their patented dewy, anthemic power-pop. Ryan Reed writes:

Though there are only three of them, Nada Surf are still the inverse of a power trio: Daniel Lorca’s bass pumps along merrily underneath Caws’s rich guitar flourishes, while drummer Ira Elliot plays just enough to not overplay, content with four-to-the-floor pulses and splashy cymbals that punctuate every phrase. Melody, as always, is the star of this show — Nada Surf are just along for the ride.

Liz Green, O Devotion – Long-awaited, haunting/haunted slab of bluesy indie-folk. Chris Nickson writes:

“Gallows” is as scary and bleak a piece as you’re ever likely to hear — just voice and guitar, building its quiet intensity until a surprising nursery rhyme quote shatters the tension like someone dropping a glass, and then the song returns to its original rhythm. It’s gorgeously, darkly creepy. It’s blues, but not in any conventional sense. Instead, there’s a shadowy, disturbing sense of sorrow that underpins everything, accented by the splinters of New Orleans horns that float like ghosts around the back of tracks like “Luis” and “Hey Joe” (not that one) and Green’s deliberately expressionless tone, a voice that seems to come from somewhere out of time and ups the fear factor of it all. Even her promise of “a whole lot of fun tonight” is tinged with menace.

Neil Cowley Trio, Face of Mount Molehill – Melodically adventurous, yet songful and always ingratiating, piano-combo jazz. Joe Muggs writes:

The sweetness of the record is incredibly uncontrived – it never feels like it’s trying too hard to please, but instead like the musicians are just revelling in capturing and exploring a mood on each track. On the slower pieces like “Meyer,” “Distance by Clockwork” and “Siren’s Last Look Back,” this creates some deliciously evocative results, perfect themes for bittersweet scenes in films as-yet unmade. Faster tracks like “Rooster Was a Witness” and “Fable” get into a springy groove and run with it, but those grooves are quirky, as close to Bartok or motorik Krautrock bands as to anything in the jazz/funk continuum. More often still, the mood shifts between the contemplative and the repetitious bounce, as if an idea is allowed to develop until suddenly it takes on a life of its own. It might be pleasant, but its pleasure is in its stimulation: In a very real sense, it’s a refreshing listen.

The Kabeedies, Soap – Breezy, gentle, lightly soulful jangle-pop, inflected with some one-drop reggae lilting. This sounds like something to hold onto for when the sky turns blue again.

Kid Creole & The Coconuts, Lost Paradize Edits – Rare edits of brilliant NYC-art disco legends.

Wiley, Evolve or Be Extinct – This came in late last week, but wanted to spotlight it so no one missed it. Latest from insanely prolific grime stalwart finds him insisting “I’m weird/But I’m not a bipolar” in his patented tar-thick accent over kitchen-sink production.

DJ Food, The Search Engine – Ninja Tune latest is from Strictly Kev, a DJ who was once one of the four in the collective that  comprised DJ Food. Now he is a solo act, but the album is richly and densely layered with the same clattering bongo loops and deft snip-and-paste aesthetic that has made past DJ Food releases so vitally nourishing.

Concrete Knives, You Can’t Blame The Youth – Rousing MOR indie. File this under the “This Sounds Decent Enough” Files.

The Orange Cardigan, Cassette Tape Recordings, 1979-1982 – The name of this band feels so on-the-nose that it’s easy to imagine it being some obscure record-nerd hoax, but lo, they are a real band and they really existed in the explosively fertile post-punk era. RecordCollector, take it away:

You would think that ultra-niche labels such as Only Fit For The Bin must some day run out of lost material, but it would seem the sheer number of worthy bands that fell between the cracks during the highly fertile post-/punk era provides an inexhaustible supply … These recordings may be raw and a little hissy, but clearly show that the Cardigan were one of those stark, jerky, clever post-punk acts of the time – and a superior one at that.

Gangrene, Vodka & Ayahuasca – Awesome little beat-tape project from Oh No, the massively underrated but rising indie-rap producer who is Madlib’s younger brother, and New York rap veteran The Alchemist. A lot of scowling skullcap-wearing rapper on here sounding tough and dead-eyed and menacing. It hits a perfect little Queensbridge-rap sweet spot.

Mano De Dios, Sleep Through the Morning Light­ – Just a riotously fun record. Ian Gittins wrote a great review for us, which I’ll share a chunk of:

Mano De Dios boast members of Spanish, Cuban and English provenance and their forte is a vivacious, irresistible strain of flamenco-hued Latin party music that suggests an edgier, more attitudinal take on the Gypsy Kings. Their trump card is Spanish singer/guitarist Jackson Scott, whose prodigious songwriting talents incorporate punk, rumba and samba tropes while never straying far from good old rock ‘n’ roll.

Various Artists, This One’s For Him: A Tribute to  Guy Clark – Like it says on the tin! Featuring Lyle Lovett, Willie Nelson, Shawn Colvin, and others.

Hello! Welcome! It starts with a trickle, but always ends in a deluge: there are new records to talk about this week: Kathleen Edwards, Cate Le Bon, Chick Corea, Matthew Dear, Ani DiFranco, new Sleigh Bells, and much, much more after the jump.

Kathleen Edwards, Voyageur – Gorgeous new record from Edwards was co-produced by Justin “Bon Iver”Vernon in the wake of a nasty divorce. Check what Peter Blackstock has to say:

The too-obvious shorthands here – given that this album was produced by her new beau Justin Vernon (aka Bon Iver) in the wake of her marital split from her longtime guitarist Colin Cripps – is that this is Kathleen Edwards’s “indie rock” record and her “divorce” record. Both may be true, but only to a point, and neither gets to the heart of Edwards’s voyage on Voyageur … Edwards and Vernon harmonize exquisitely on the redemptive ballad “A Soft Place To Land,” and on “Sidecar,” co-written with her longtime confidante Jim Bryson, Edwards exults in finding a new companion after “feeling so lost for so long.” With a little help on Voyageur, she finds herself as well.

 Cate Le Bon, Cyrk – This breakthrough record from Welsh singer/songwriter Cate Le Bon  is marked by Le Bon’s cool, dead-eyed schoolgirl vocals, which uncannily recall Nico’s, and a whimsical, disturbing sound that see-saws sickeningly from psych-rock blurts and airy pastoral folk-rock. RECOMMENDED

Chick Corea, Further Explorations – I’m certain that Dave Sumner will have more to say about this record in his Jazz Picks, but I’ll call it out here and try not to step on his toes.

Everything Went Black, Cycles of Light - This sounds pretty great. Darkwave synths, pummeling metalcore guitars, and down-tuned, metal-gaze guitars. Heavy, depressing, numb, enveloping — this is hitting all kinds of spots right now.

Matthew Dear, Headcage EP - New EP from cerebral, suave, and sensual electro-pop connoisseur Matthew Dear.

Ani DiFranco, Which Side Are You On? - Ani’s Back! She’s a little more subdued these days, but there is some bite left in the lyrics. More wry-adult smile than nervy twentysomething bared snarl. To celebrate Ani’s legacy and influence, we had our very own Peter Blackstock put together an excellent folk-punk primer. Bash your twelve-string!

Abysmal Dawn, From Ashes (Reissue) – Recently reissued high-water mark from excellentL.A. extreme-metal outfit Abysmal Dawn. Double-kicks, harmonized dive-bomb guitar ledes, guttural growling: you get all the basics. Good stuff.

Deerhoof/David Bazan, DeerBazan – Deerhoof + Dave Bazan=YOU DO THE MATH. Sounds more like David Bazan than Deerhoof on first pass, for those interested.

Bill Hicks, The Essential Collection - The bitter, misanthropic, highly influential alt-comedian’s best pits. Bracingly dark stuff, and sometimes so angry and bleak it forgot to be, you know, funny. But essential for any comedy nerds.

Loincloth, Iron Balls of Steel – Imagine slope-browed troglodytes stumbling prog-metal practice session and you’ll maybe hear something of Loincloth in your head. Lurching, maddening, highly unpredictable and deeply original, this cult metal supergroup just popped up outta nowhere with a full-length. Outre, and probably of interest to about 0.0000002 percent fo the folks here, but what the hey, I’ll go out on a limb anyway and Recommend this. Bring all your “good god, man, you have no taste!” complaints over here!

The Rockin’ Berries, They’re In Town - Lovely, lilting British-boy psychedelia – once you go digging, it seems like there are literally hundreds of these bands, and all of them have at least one good song. I’ve never heard of the Rockin’ Berries before today, but I’m intrigued.

Andras Schiff, Robert Schumann: Geistervariationen – Andras Schiff, one of the world’s greatest and most venerated pianists, takes on the fevered Romanticism of Schumann. Worth your download.

Stealing Sheep, Noah and the Paper Moon – Know nothing about this, but it sounds like Fairport Convention poured through promethazine syrup. Anyone? I like. The album cover reminds me a bit of Martha Marcy May Marlene, and the music has a similar dazed, pastoral feeling.

Thieves Like Us, Berlin Alex - This might be one of Captured Tracks rare slighter releases: quietly humming lo-fi electro instrumentals.

Piney Gir, Outta Sight EP - Charming, Lee-and-Nancy style indie-pop from Damaged Goods’ Piney Gir.

Leona Lewis, Hurt EP – Leona Lewis covers Goo Goo Dolls, Counting Crows, Snow Patrol, and, um, Nine Inch Nails. Why does this exist?

We also got some really good Yo Yo Ma records today.

SINGLES:

Sleigh Bells, Comeback Kid - Sleigh Bells are back, and if this single is any indication, their new record is going to be absolutely killer. The ferociousness of the guitars here is played up, and the double-kick drum reminds us all that dude used to be in a metal band. Alexis Krauss’s melody on here, man – it’s on some Elliott Smith circa-XO shit. This song is awesome.

Feist/Beck, How Come You Never Go There - Beck remix of haunting cut from Feist’s latest record.

Frankie Rose, Know Me – The first taste from Frankie Rose’s watery, upcoming dream-pop missive Interstellar; the record comes out in February, has an incredibly heavy Disintegration-era Cure debt, and is one to most assuredly watch for.

School Of Seven Bells, Lafaye – New single from shoegaze-electronicduoSchool of Seven Bells. Has that same shimmering wash as all of their music, chased by the throaty calm of twin-sister singers Alejandra and Claudia Deheza

Great Lake Swimmers, Easy Come Easy Go – Shimmery, CSNY-like single from the folk-pop outfit.

DAVE SUMNER’S JAZZ PICKS:

Well, the new year seems to be starting out with lots of straight-ahead jazz recordings, and many with a modern twist.  Let’s begin…

Beppe di Benedetto 5tet, See the Sky
Solid date led by di Benedetto’s trombone, rounded off with sax, piano, bass, and drums.  Nice mix of up tempo and ballads.  This is straight-ahead bop with a modern touch.  Benedetto has a graceful touch on trombone, which sometimes can elbow other instruments out of the way, but here, he’s a seamless part of the quintet.  Also, the compositions just flat out rock; tunes that soar and tunes that sway.  The kind of album I can listen to over and over.  Pick of the Week.

Mijin Woo, Azure Walk
Nice straight-ahead quartet date with pianist composer Mijin Woo leading an outfit rounded out by sax, drums, and bass.  Strong moments when the languor of the sax is juxtaposed against the tension of piano and rhythm section.  It’s Woo’s debut recording, which is a promising sign of things to come. Highly Recommended.

Diana Tuffin, Stained Glass and Smoky Bars
This is under-the-radar jazz vocalist Diana Tuffin mostly backed by acoustic guitar, though sometimes with electric guitar, sometimes with some odd percussion or wind instrument.  There are some stunning moments here.  This album sounds like one of those moments when a musician goes into the recording studio and everything falls into place, where they feel so damn comfortable within themselves that they are able to give voice to their creativity like at no other time.  I’m not much of a jazz vocals fan myself, but this album has me very excited.  On an initial listen, it sounds like a few songs may be weak links, but when compared to how supremely beautiful many of the other songs are, that just feels like nitpicking.  Recommended.

Chick Corea, Further Explorations
Always a reason to celebrate when one of the jazz greats puts out a solid new recording.  Teamed with fellow great Eddie Gomez on bass and recently departed Paul Motian on drums, the trio delves into the music of jazz piano legend Bill Evans.  Thankfully, Corea doesn’t approach it as an opportunity to record a covers album homage, but instead uses it as a springboard to further develop Evans’ ideas with his own voice.  Some strong moments, especially on “Laurie” with cycling piano lines creating an inwardly building tension, and “Turn Out The Stars”, which turns a lighthearted tune into a spooky affair.

Clipper Anderson, The Road Home
Jazz vet finally records an album under his own name.  Anderson’s bass has been around, especially on the Seattle scene. for some time now, and he leads a trio date (with some guests) for an elegant set of mainstream jazz.  Bass, piano, drums, and some guest vocals provide for a warm series of tunes that has everyone sounding confident and professional.  Some very nice moments, especially on “Jimnoprodie”, when Anderson does a little bowing on bass, and “Poinciana”, an up-tempo tune that has the trio racing along, but no fast that anybody has to lose their breath trying to keep up.  On the Origin label, which is as strong as anybody putting out the jazz of today.

Tom Wetmore, The Desired Effect
Well, this is an interesting album.  Pianist Tom Wetmore sticks only to electric keyboards while leading a group that features two alto saxes (including the excellent Jaleel Shaw), a tenor, two guitars, and bass & drums.  Despite the electric keys and atypical line-up, it actually is a rather conventional jazz album.  Usually when the jazz equation gets tinkered with, it results in a miasma of unclassifiable tunes, and if electric keys are part of the mix, then lots of funk groove.  But here, it’s nice straight-ahead jazz, just shown through a very unusual and very satisfying facet.  This is a real surprise, leaving me very happy, and making it my Find of the Week.

Stefano Battaglia Trio, The River of Anyder
A nice peaceful piano trio date.  On the ECM label, which behaves as if its legally required to release dozens of introspective piano trio records every year.  Some aren’t always so successful (unless you measure success by how effectively you fall asleep at night); River of Anyder is, however, one of the good ones.  Squeezing plenty of emotion out of a minimalist collection of notes, this trio lays the groundwork for palpable tension over a serene landscape.  Nice.

Marlene Rosenberg Quartet, Bassprint
Featuring her Chicago quartet, Marlene Rosenberg brings it with a nice straight-ahead set of tunes.  With Geoff Bradfield on tenor & soprano sax, Scott Hesse on guitar, Makaya McCraven on drums, and Rosenberg’s bass, this is undiluted jazz, modern but nothing that’ll get confused with anything but jazz.  They do a nice rendition of Kenny Barron’s “Sunshower”, with soprano sax skirting delightfully just over the soil of Rosenberg’s arco.  Released on the Origin label, who seem to typically focus on Pacific Northwest artists, but do occasionally dip into the Chicago scene.

Blue Eternity, Live in Philadelphia (2011)

An intriguing set of live improv featuring trumpet, bass, and electric slide guitar.  Could easily have fit on the roster of the ECM label during the eighties.  Jazz in a vague sense, though this might appeal more to fans of guitar effects driven albums by Roy Montgomery and the Robert Fripp/Andy Summers collaborations.  In terms of sound, jazz connection via Miles Davis In a Silent Way.  The distant call of moody trumpet notes over layers of repeating guitar and bass motifs with some effects mixed in.  It’s storming outside, the clouds are thick with ambiance, and this music fits right in.  Recommended.
Various Artists, Rollins’ Choice (Blue Note Series)
It appears that Blue Note has begun a series of albums where music luminaries create their own compilation of favorite Blue Note tracks.  Lots of great tunes included on all of them.  The Henry Rollins collection stands out from the rest because, from the looks of the cover, it appears that if you don’t buy this album, Henry Rollins will literally beat you up.

And it seems like I have one of these every week… miscategorized under Jazz, but too nifty not to mention…

Roger Green, Tyler Potts & Anne Angyal, The Way Things Go
Meandering shoegaze-y electronica, various keyboards, guitars, and effects.  This might be an older recording, don’t know, don’t care.  Very cool.  For fans of (prepare for obscure references) Matthew Tow’s Colorsound or Califone’s Deceleration series.

That’s it for this week.  See you in seven days.  Cheers.  – Dave Sumner

HELLO! Welcome back! 2012! Here we are! Doing it in the 0-1-2! This will be the last relatively quiet week we’ll be having here for a while, I think. A handful of new titles and some really worthwhile catalog stuff, along with Dave’s usual, fantastic jazz roundup. Here we go!

Keepaway, Black Flute: New Yorkers return with groovy record on Das Racist’s Greedhead label. You get squiggly grooves, thick organs, drowsy, far-off vocals — the kind of stuff that kicks in at the dance party around 3:30 a.m. when everyone is good and boozy. eMusic’s Marc Hogan says:

The official video for first track “Cake” shows Keepaway in three-part split-screen, goofing around in front of a tree. Sounds about right. Avoiding a single focal point, Mike Burakoff (samplers), Frank Lyon (drums) and Nick Nauman (guitar) all share vocal duties, and while there’s definitely a sylvan quality to Black Flutes‘ hollow beats and campfire harmonies, these are no stone-faced shamans. “Hologram” ventures into grinding-ready dubstep bass wobble; synthy, Afropop-nodding reverie “Bomb Track” ends with what appears to be assurance that women can’t measure men’s size as well as they think; and the chorus on the FlyLo-warped “Vital,” includes the wildly apropos line, “I forget my manners.”

Snow Patrol, Fallen Empires: Irish band returns with more deeply-felt pop music — do Irish bands write any other kind? There’s a lot of yearning, but also a lot of racing, and the band spikes their usual concoction of glimmering guitars and searching vocals with the odd layer of keyboard or throbbing dance beat.

Megadeth, Peace Sells, But Who’s Buying? (25th Anniversary Addition): Anniversary reissue of blistering, classic Megadeth record finds it sounding just as nasty and uncompromising as ever. Seriously heavy!

Syd Barrett, The Madcap Laughs: Timeless psych-folk record from the inventor of the genre. This is Syd spacing out, woozy melodies and woozier arrangements. Animal Collective still ain’t got nothing on this.

Heavy Feather, You’re the Lotion on Darkness’ Knuckles as it Punches Light in the Face: This is the greatest album title I’ve seen in quite a while. The album is small and soft and pretty, lots of whispery melodies and gentle arrangements. Tender little snowfall indie rock.

The Little Willies, For the Good Times: Norah Jones’ country band (which also features vet Jim Campilongo on guitar) returns with a batch of smoky, note-perfect covers of classic way-out-west tunes.

Caspian, Live at the Old South Church: Live album from instrumental/post-rock/mood-core band on the great Mylene Sheath label. Fans of everyone from Rachel’s to Explosions in the Sky, this one’s for you.

–>Jazz Picks, by Dave Sumner
Iro Haarla Quintet, Vespers: Another late 2011 arrival to eMusic , and another standout from last year. Haarla brings a masterful touch to this collection of soaring tunes and serene atmospherics. Switching between piano and harp, Haarla is the driving force behind the long plaintive calls of Matias Eick on trumpet and Trygye Seim on sax (both stars of the Euro jazz scene in their own right). Enchanting tunes that’ll fit in just fine with those quiet moments when all you want to do is sit back and relax. Beautiful stuff. Pick of the Week.

Marc Perrenoud Trio, Two Lost Churches: High octane piano trio that doesn’t forget the melody. Swiss pianist and composer Perrenoud, historically, has kept the personnel on his albums to three or less, and his ability on this album to build a sense of more out of less is evidence of his comfort level with the small combo setting. Modern piano trio, but keeps things grounded in the jazz tradition. Nice stuff.

Strasax, Strasax Live:This quintet of four saxes and a set of drums invites excellent pianist Benjamin Moussay to sit in for a live set of modern jazz. Sax collectives tend to take to approaches to a performance: everyone storming off in their own direction with a powerful cumulative effect when their paths cross or take-turns-soloing blowing sessions approach. On Live, Strasax seems to straddle both those extremes. A fair amount of dissonance and skronk, but Moussay’s work on piano and electric keyboards brings a groove to the set that nicely counterbalances the saxes and attracts them back to the center of the tunes.

Jazoo, Are You Still There?: This quintet from Slovenia is a neat little find. Instruments comprising sax, piano, drums, bass, accordion, flute, and electronics. They have a fresh modern sound abounding with celebratory cheer and respect for the melody. Woodwinds that sway happily to and fro, rhythms like a race through the driving rain, squiggly electronics blended with the teddy bear warmth of accordion. Absolutely love this. Find of the Week.

Joachim Kuhn Trio & HR Big Band, Out of the Desert: Pianist Joachim Kuhn does some amazing stuff with the trio format, but he just can’t help himself when it comes to the large ensembles. Much like the guy who foils his friends attempts to have a quiet night at home with a beer by dragging everyone out to the tavern, Kuhn brings his trio, once again, out into the crowd. This time it’s with the HR Big Band in a live performance. Kuhn’s a vet of the scene, and even though his compositions sound very much of Today, his roots of jazz past clearly inform his current releases. If you like your big band to sound a little different, this is a good choice. And if you prefer something more symphonic with your piano trio, then Kuhn’s excellent Europeana with the Radio Philharmonie Hannover will float your boat, too. Both albums on the ACT Music label, a great source of under the radar modern jazz.

Blue Cranes, Cantus Firmus: This Portland quintet seem to straddle the line between jazz and post-rock, but where much post-rock sounds meticulously thought out, it’s the heart of jazz that shines through when improvised music is the guiding principle. The Blue Cranes clearly take to improvisation. Featuring a core of tenor & alto sax, keyboards, drums, and bass, they seem more than happy to toss a bunch of strings into the mix. Strangely, it pushes their music further away from post-rock and closer to an avant-chamber jazz sound. Cantus Firmus is an EP, but they also have a proper album from 2010 on eMusic called Lift Music! Flown Music! from 2007, and it’s just as cool as the EP. Intoxicating tunes with plenty of force from sax and melancholy from strings, rhythms that don’t so much keep the time as spray paint the walls wherever the melody wanders. Highly Recommended.

Blake Lyman, Anthology For Now: This Portland saxophonist’s debut album has him sounding way more comfortable standing in his own reeds than should be expected when using the word ‘debut’. A trio outing, I was ready for a competent but unspectacular blowing session. Instead, what I got was a confident set of evocative tunes. Lyman takes a speak softly and carry a big sax approach to this album, letting his instrument give the impression of force without ever letting the volume get loud enough so that the neighbor’s call the police. Very impressive album. Nice straight-ahead music. Lyman clearly has his own voice; it doesn’t ever sound like he’s trying to channel his sax idols. Recommended.

Elio Villafranca & Arturo Stable, Dos Y Mas: The Cuban born pianist and percussionist seamlessly fuse jazz and world musics, particularly Cuban, for a sublime duo recording. It’s a spirited affair. Villafranca is something of a virtuoso on the keys, though it maybe Stable’s varied percussive instruments and polyrhythmic approach that lend the most intriguing elements to this recording. Tough to say for sure; they both demand my attention with the quality of their play. This is the kind of album that I slowly become addicted to and might begin raving about on the forums in a couple months. Released on the Motema label, who is on quite a roll these days. Highly Recommended.

Charlie Haden & Hank Jones, Come Sunday: I was waiting for this to hit the site. Jazz masters Charlie Haden (bass) and Hank Jones (piano) come together to record another set of spirituals. Fifteen years ago, they recorded Steal Away, a remarkable recording also based on spirituals of their childhood. Come Sunday is no less sublime. Throwing their legendary experience behind simple tunes, it gives the album a weight belied by their light touch. It’s obvious they didn’t record on auto-pilot and there’s no throw-away tunes here. Just beautiful stuff, though with the sad passing of Hank Jones not long after they finished recording, it leaves for a pull on the emotions even greater than the visceral reaction to the sound.

Fernando Huergo, Suite En Celeste Y Blanco: Veteran jazz bassist leads a quintet in an excellent set of Argentinean-influenced jazz. Quintet comprised of sax, flute, bass, drums, and piano. Warm tunes with long flowing lines and some delicious sharp curves. A solid recording that’s sure to cheer up the saddest of winter gloom. Some moments of thrilling beauty.

Jessica Pyrdsa, Whistler’s Daughter: Okay, this caught my attention. Pianist-vocalist has a real nice sound on both instruments. Jazzy in the sense of early Tom Waits. Gotta say, I’m finding myself addicted to quite a few of these tunes. Nothing that blows me away, but the music sounds pretty damn sincere, and I wanted to get a quick word in the article about it. Nice stuff.

And a heads-up about six box sets new to the site. They’re all listed under the Verve label. Artists include Oliver Nelson, Woody Herman, Oscar Peterson Trio, Max Roach, Dizzy Gillespie, and Quincy Jones.

–> Singles & EPs
The Shins, “Simple Song”: Well, if you were anywhere near a computer yesterday, I’m going to assume you heard this? New one from the Shins 2.0 features a lot of yearning James Mercer vocals and a typically resplendent backing arrangement. For some reason, he was sounding a lot like Brian Wilson to me when I listened to this yesterday. Weird, I know.

Dry the River, Weights & Measures EP: You heard it here first: keep an eye on this band. Keening country harmonies, trembling vocals and sparse arrangements characterize this brief EP from soon-to-be-buzz band. This EP doesn’t do a great job of capturing the power of their live show, but it’s a good introduction before a full-length delivers the goods.

The Babies, Cry Along with the Babies: New 6-song EP from the Babies, aka Kevin from Woods and Cassie from Vivian Girls, is made up mostly of lo-fi folky stuff recorded on what sounds like a 4-track, a nice nod to the sound of indie past.

Nite Jewel, “One Second of Love”: Nite Jewel used to be hushed and tentative and proudly chintzy, but this debut single for Dead Oceans finds her ramping up the cool Italo Disco influence. A good pump-primer for the forthcoming full-length.

Air, “Seven Stars”: Single from forthcoming Air record. I haven’t paid attention to Air in a really long time. This sounds nice, though – a lot more organic than their previous stuff.