The Dirtbombs – We Have You Surrounded

Ever since the dual bombastic sonic explosion of the MC5 and the Stooges, the raunchy and overblown amplification of garage rock always seems a little more authentic arriving from Michigan than elsewhere. The late 80’s saw a revival of Detroit rock, and the arrival of the Gories, who pounded out a combustible concoction of garage punk and Motor City soul with two guitars, one drummer and no bassist. Upon their demise, Mick Collins reformulated the equation – now doubling up on the drums and bass, keeping his lone fingers on the guitar –birthing the Dirtbombs. We Have You Surrounded works most of the time. By turning every volume knob completely clockwise, they put thunderous intensity to their familiar influences (lo-fi garage rock, frantic punk, skronky rhythm & blues) into surprising diverse yet thunderous creations. Despite some minor mis-steps (the frustrating noise of “Race To The Bottom” and generic melodies and lyrics of “Pretty Princess Day”), We Have You Surrounded is a salute to Iggy Pop’s brand of rock and roll.

Beach House – Devotion

If only Beach House’s sophomore album, Devotion, arrived a month earlier, when the grey moodiness of constant rain and cold evenings could have used a little mellow warmth. Recalling the slow burning dreaminess of Mazzy Star, but haunted with the more plaintive wispy voice of Victoria Legrand, Beach House is built around an atmospheric density thickened with slow clopping beats from a drum machines, the wavering of a pedal steel and organ melodies that sway gently like innocent ghosts. Filled with waltzes and torch songs, Beach House is engaging as much as it is hypnotic. With elegant instrumentation, Alex Scally weaves the Baroque implications of harpsichord within “Auburn And Ivory” to balance the crying slide of pedal steel. It implies a Gothic turn without feeling the slightest shiver of fright. Barely crossing the half hour mark, Devotion seems to vaporize away just as you were still receiving its welcome. Hit play again, sit back and enjoy its serene dark comfort.

Del The Funky Homosapien – Eleventh Hour

Coming out of Oakland, Del and his Hieroglyphics posse altered the art of rhyme in the early 90’s, earning respectability from a hip-hop culture so closely associated with the east coast. Though not at first. Del’s humorous and bouncy rhyming meter resembled nothing of his cousin Ice Cube’s gangsterism, instead suggesting a nineteen-year old with a skewed take on day-to-day living. Fast-forward to the modern day, and Del is an indie-rap superstar, earning much of his reputation with the left-field conceptual album Deltron 3030 and as a rapping cartoon character courtesy of the Damon Albarn’s Gorillaz. With his latest record, Eleventh Hour, Del pulls his head out on the clouds, and offers a release more in-tuned to his early records: heavy on the bottom-thick funk and over-fascinated with braggadocio. It’s still a thrill to hear his rubbery cadence paint absurd vision of being Del, and while not as intriguing as previous albums, a B grade from Del still sets the curve everyone strives to attain.

Funky Nassau – The Compass Point Story: 1980-1986

Within the mix of rock and roll lore and history, the impact of the recording studio should reside within its own chapter. As cherished as the Beatles’ Abbey Road recording facility or as identifiable as Funk Brother James Jamersons’ bass lines recorded in Motown’s Studio A, the room, itself, has an often under-acknowledged hand in defining the recordings we hear. In the late 70’s, Chris Blackwell, founder of Island Music, decided to create his own idyllic recording institution, Compass Point, on a Bahaman island. On Funky Nassau, laid out over thirteen tracks, is a glimpse at a stunning, fun-filled discography that sythesized meticulous engineering and artistic spontaneity. With an available house band that included reggae legends Sly & Robbie, the studio popped-out worldly amalgamation of funk, disco, reggae and no/new wave for dancefloor diva Grace Jones, crafted Tom Tom Club’s “Genius Of Love” as well as provide the influence for two significant Talking Heads albums and Ian Dury’s notorious “Spasticus Autisticus”. A great compilation and fascinating bit of history.

She & Him – Volume One

After helping hoist up Jenny Lewis’s solo album, a sunny AM sounding escape from the indie pop of her band Rilo Kiley, it seems M. Ward has wanted a second run. This time he (the Him) teams up with actress Zooey Deschanel (the She), and surprising any initial suspicions, what pours out of your speaker is a goldenly sentimental and sweetly reminiscent of 60’s and 70’s pop. With songs built around wistful remembrances (“I Thought I Saw Your Face Today”), crying heartbreak (“Sentimental Heart”) and the occasional cover (“You’ve Really Got A Hold On Me, “I Should Have Known Better”), she inflates them with bubblegum playfulness (“Why Do You Let Me Stay Here”) or dusts them with a bit of country twang (“Change Is Hard”). Just from the song titles, you’ll notice a blues ache, and if Zooey had the pipes, this could have been the second coming of Dusty Springfield. Instead, she belts out croons that charm and sound quite assured. And with the M. Ward’s ear for antiquated American songs, it’s a quite impressive and endearing little record.

Human Bell – Human Bell

Rarely does Human Bell exert its instrumental muscle immediately. Constructed with snaking guitar duos, a bowed banjo, drums, an amplified kalimba and other singing equipment, Dave Heumann and Nathan Bell build an album would sit well on a desert drive, lulling you with tender dreamlike melodies, only to erupt into powerful visions then fade away. Coming out on the Thrill Jockey label, the home to other post-jazz, instrumental rock outfits like Tortoise and the Chicago Underground Duo, the basis for enjoyment is whether you willing to let your mind wander, and appreciate the free-form spontaneity that somehow synthesizes when you pull back from the canvas. Etched with blues chords and Middle Eastern melodies, you could get lost within the steady plodding, where most track refuse to let up until after six-plus minutes.

Erykah Badu – New Amerykah Part One (4th World War)

Within the constellation of independent, sassy female singers (think Billie Holiday, Chaka Khan), Ms. Badu has a way of combining universally righteous lyrics with her Southern everyday-people roots (Remember: she likes her tofu fried). Her new album, New Amerykah, is an examination of societal ills and day-to-day existence drapped with a rich musical backdrop. Like Curtis Mayfield, Badu vividly explores the squalor of inner city blues (“The Cell”), confident inner-vision (“Master Teacher” and “Me”), and the afterlife (“Telephone”, recorded after hip-hop producer J.Dilla’s funeral); she’s never preachy, and always supplies you with a thick groove to ride upon. Opening the album with a faux-Parliament/George Clinton style sermonizing, it’s the little snippets and interludes of the album that seem forced and dated. But the tracks themselves shine amazingly well, featuring the post-modern experimental left-field soul-inspired production of Madlib, the Roots’ Questlove, Sa-Ra, Soulquarium, 9th Wonder, and more. In election year, this is a fiercely strong woman, calling it as she sees it.

Cat Power – Jukebox

Eight years after the release of her previous homage, The Covers Record, Cat Power (nee Chan Marshall) returns, this time with a fuller band and her own smoky and emotional vision of the vocalist who’ve influenced her. The names you’ll mostly recognize: Frank Sinatra, Bob Dylan, James Brown, Hank Williams, and Joni Mitchell. But her selection raises the profile of previous under acknowledge gems: the love and pain of Billie Holiday’s “Don’t Explain”, the open sky freedom of The Highwaymen’s “Silver Stallion” and the gospel blues redemption of Jessie Mae Hemphill “Lord, Help The Poor And Needy”, all of which she embeds with breathy phrasing nuanced with emotion (from chocked-up heartache to vampy eroticism) than power. With a backing band that bridges from her indie roots (Dirty Three drummer Jim White played on Moon Pix) to the Memphis soul of her last album The Greatest (Al Green’s guitarist Teenie Hodges guests), Chan Marshall puts her beautiful hazy take on some timeless classics.

Various Artists – The Roots Of Chicha

Various Artists – The Roots Of Chicha (Barbès Records)

The British Invasion didn’t limit its dominating influence just to the states. Worldwide, in various ethnic locales, musicians reconfigured their bands to the format of drums, electric bass and guitar, emulating the sound transmitting from pocket radios and television broadcasts, and out popped such genres as Cambodian rock, Mexican garage rock, and Malaysian pop. Similarly, Peruvians translated the cumbias they’d imported from Columbia, but dropped the featured accordion for a steel twine of the electric guitar. Now outfitted with a surf twang and the modern sound of the Moog synthesizers and Farfisa organs, this new sound -titled Chicha after their native corn drink- was distilled for the working class dance floors in Lima. Recorded between 1968 and 1978, this compilation triumphantly recovers this instantly danceable merging of Afro-Cuban rhythms, Andean melodies and western psychedelia from overlooked, discarded international record bins. Recommended for salsa dancers, fans of underground garage, and discriminating lovers of artistic international hybridization. A true knockout.

Pedro

Pedro – You, Me & Everyone (Mush)

As the alias of James Rutledge, Pedro could easily be the name taped across his computer monitor. With bedroom technicians, who shuffles around programmed beats with odd snatches of instrumental sounds lifted from vinyl records, the art is in the execution. On You, Me & Everyone, the final assembled output combines the looped steady rhythms of hip-hop with the wild frantic energy of free jazz, a musical structure that rapidly pivots between head-nodding pulses to mind-freeing combustion. Rarely does the drumming seem complacently looped. On “I’m Keeping Up” and “Spools”, the percussive barrage can shift time-signatures instantly, and with the wild saxophone riffs blasting out, you’re likely to think of John Coltrane accompanying Elvin Jones as opposed to an electronic creation. With a continuous propulsive drive, squiggles of synthesized keys, xylophone melodies and found sounds all compositional arranged to magical seem organic than crafted, Pedro is a master hand in the confines of the “cut and paste” electronic field.

Grizzly Bear

Grizzly Bear – Friend EP

Swirling with layers of delicate acoustic instrumentation and voices layered until they can harness the power and beauty of an operatic choir, Grizzly Bear opened up ears with the psychedelic-drenched folk sounds on their sophomore album, Yellow House. Returning with a bulging EP that offers eleven tracks of re-assembled songs as well as covers of their material by close associates (Band Of Horses, CSS, and Atlas Sound), the Friend EP shouldn’t be view as an emptying of the closet. Receiving help from Beirut’s Zach Condon and Dirty Projector’s Dave Longstreth, “Alligator”, a track from their debut Horn Of Plenty, is expanded from a quick, loose keyboard tinkering into a expanded avalanche of bristling noise-pop. Brazilian art-punk band CSS transforms “Knife” into a giddy new-wave synth track, while Band of Horse takes “Plans” to the back porch with their banjo picking, erupting with a bluegrass sing-a-long. For newbies and fans alike, the Friend EP offers Grizzly Bear a unique chance to re-fashion their tunes with tremendous results.

Scout Niblett

Scout Niblett – This Fool Can Die Now

Existing somewhere between the plaintively-voiced catharsis of Cat Power and the raw emotionally power of PJ Harvey, Scout Niblett has made an album that can lull your child to sleep one minute, and shake a filling loose the next. Counting the four wonderful slices of precious folk duets with Will Oldham (aka Bonnie “Prince” Billy / Palace Music) along with a few others, Scout Niblett’s minimal-arranged compositions can dazzle you with merely a drum kit and a voice (“Moon Lake”) or the soft-rock aesthetics of her Van Morrison cover “Comfort You“ (and Will Oldham has never sounded more delightful in-key and warbleless). But when the ferocious pounding opens on “Let Thine Heart Be Warned”, Scout Niblett matches the bruising heavy blues energy with full-throated vocals that can curl your fingers into devil horn. Recorded by the exacting hands of Steve Albini (who also produced PJ Harvey’s early albums), This Fool Can Die Now captures Scout’s spunky roar with precision and clarity. Recommended.

Sigur Rós

Sigur Rós – Hvarf / Heim

Comprised of two separate EP’s, Iceland’s Sigur Rós highlights the two distinct aspects of their recorded sound: their expansive, monumental compositions that climb to massive codas versus meticulously arranged, lullaby-like songs whose very fragility underscore it with attentive power. Hvarf captures the dramatic grandeur of Sigur Rós with five older titles, three of which having never been captured to disc. “Hafsol” from the group’s debut Von, is recaptured, rising from a its opening subtle drone to an apex of bombastic drums, strings played with blurring hands, and a full harmonic range emitting from your speaker. Heim or “home” is Sigur Rós re-imagined as a chamber orchestra. Recorded live within odd venues across Iceland (darkened caves, deserted fish factories), many of which lacked electrical power, there is pure beauty in translating their monolithic sound into the natural world. With assistance from string quartet Amiina, Sigur Rós accents the gentle beauty of their songs that become as tranquil as snowfall, as intimate as a whisper. Recommended.

Dynamics – Version Excursion

Dynamics – Version Excursion

Cover bands, though often viewed as a step-child when compared to the innovative sibling they imitate, can easily provoke a smile of acknowledgment when done right. Forming its multi-national act within the confines of France, The Dynamics select a variety of tunes from several different canons – rock, jazz, and soul – and filters them with a reggae-inspired soul that harnesses the thick, relaxed groove of Thievery Corporation’s best downtempo beats. Whether they’re covering Curtis Mayfield (“Move On Up”) or Cymande’s rare groove classic (“Brother On The Side) with smooth high falsetto perfection, or crafting rock-steady versions of the Rolling Stones (“Miss You”) and Led Zeppelin (Whole Lotta Love”) with sublime seduction, there’s a lot here to appreciate. Despite the small missteps of their lover-rock version of Dylan “Lay Lady Lay” and a less than electrifying cover of “Land Of A 1,000 Dances”, the Dynamics rebound with a disco-reggae renditions of Madonna’s “Music” and a version of D’Angelo’s “Feel Like Making Love” that could possibly increase the world’s population.

Low – Christmas

Low – Christmas

One of the few bands where the tonal quality is perfectly foreshadowed by their working title, Low’s Christmas album is an indie-lovers holiday dream come true. Featuring their glacially paced song-crafting, their covers of “Blue Christmas” and “Silent Night” accentuate the lyrical melancholy and tenderness, respectively. Their self-penned opening track, “Just Like Christmas”, is sonically rich with a trotting drum beat, sleigh bells, and layered backing harmonies that recall Phil Spector’s own yuletide recordings (which are currently, tragically out of print). Granted, this album isn’t new. Supposedly, their version of “Little Drummer Boy” was once featured in a Gap ad. But listening to its ethereal angelically-voiced chorus and a snare that’s avalanched with so much distortion, you’d swear the drummer was “rata-tat-tating” sheets of aluminum foil, you’ll acknowledge its cinematic appeal instantly. Housed in a paper slipcase illustrated with snowflakes drifting down on a wide open field, Low’s “Christmas” is a welcome moment of solitude.

Various Artists – Where Will You Be Christmas Day?

Various Artists – Where Will You Be Christmas Day?

As if the Ghost Of Christmas Past is suddenly haunting your speakers, Where Will You Be Christmas Day saves twenty-four dusty and ancient devotional hymns from the inescapable coffin of oblivion. Time traveling between the periods 1917 to 1959, musical genres hopscotch from the Alabama Sacred Harp sung hymnals “Sherburne” (1957), the New Orleans hot jazz swing of McKinney’s Cotton Pickers version of “Gee, Ain’t I Good To You?”(1929), to prison chain gang acappella harmonization on “Holy Babe” (1939). Curated by musicologist and programmer of the Obsolete Music Hour on Washington D.C. radio station WAMU, selections range from the secular wishing for Santa Claus to the religious praising of Jesus Christ. The commercial rush of modern Christmas can often bury the holiday cheer under mounds of commerce-related receipts. Hearing this, you step back into a simpler world where jam, butter and fresh baked bread are acknowledged as esteemed gifts.

Jonathan Kane - The Little Drummer Boy

Jonathan Kane - The Little Drummer Boy

If any Christmas song allows for a percussive-lengthened exploration, the marching beat of “Little Drummer Boy” certainly would be the first to stand at attention. Former Swans drummer and downtown New York avant-garde musical player, Jonathan Kane, handles all the duties on his 15-minute version of this single holiday standard. Recorded for the ultra-experimental (or pretentiously high brow, depending on your artistic discern) recording label, Table Of The Elements, you’d expect a thunderous, unapologetic cutting edge performance. Instead, he slow-burns out a Mississippi electric blues instrumental scorcher. Outfitted with a Civil War marching drum cadence, a thick, reverberating bass line, and squalling guitar riffs, you may wonder what Southern juke joint this was recorded in. Intensity starts to build at the eight minute mark, with the muscling of the drums and a few wilder slashes on the electric axe, but everything is reigned in by its 12-bar finish.

Shawn Lee’s Ping Pong Orchestra - A Very Ping Pong Christmas: Funky Treats From Santa's Bag

Shawn Lee’s Ping Pong Orchestra - A Very Ping Pong Christmas: Funky Treats From Santa's Bag

As a musician who builds his compositions by using his MPC sampler as opposed to a conductor’s wand, Shawn Lee’s Ping Pong Orchestra mimics the “sound libraries” that television producers hunted through, desperate to find the perfect funky getaway theme for their Starskey & Hutch chase scenes. Varying stylistically from Bollywood soundtracks, druggy psychedelic rock, and finger-popping, high-strutting funk, Shawn Lee takes advantage of the open space behind the memorable melodies of Christmas classics. Caroler’s dreariest selection, “O Little Town Of Bethlehem” gets updated with a James Brown beat, a chicken scratching guitar rhythm, and an acid-drenched lead guitar. “O Come All Ye Faithful” opens with a drum break that seems stolen from Otis Redding's classic "Tramp", while the Memphis-sounding horns blare out the tune “Do You Hear What I Hear” that has to be from a lost Al Green B-side. Look out! Grandpa’s got a brand new hip.

Various Artists – Best Of Christmas Cocktails

Various Artists – Best Of Christmas Cocktails

For some, the holidays are the welcome arrival of a whole new slew of alcoholic drinks. Mulled wine, stiffly prepared eggnog, and coffee heated with various blended concoctions of spirits and liqueurs. For those types of gatherings, why look past the honored background music that have been swinging bachelor pads since the Rat Pack? The Best Of Christmas Cocktails combines into one album, the best of a three volume series that focused on 1950’s popular vocalist and bandleaders. For guests who consider these songs too kitschy to be entertaining, show those squares the door. From Dean Martin’s warm croon “Winter Wonderland” to the cute bubblegum pop of Ray Anthony’s “Christmas Kisses”, everything seems brightened with blasting brass ensembles or prettied with soaring string arrangements. And when the exotic slack key guitar on Bob Atcher “Christmas Island” has you dreaming of the Maui break, you’ll want to dust out your Tiki glasses for a round of toasts and shots

Vince Guaraldi Trio - A Charlie Brown Christmas

Vince Guaraldi Trio – A Charlie Brown Christmas

Can Christmas really exist without the memories of Charlie Brown and his wilting baby pine tree, and the remarkable orchestrated soundtrack Vince Guaraldi crafted for it? As a kid, Christmas television so often repeated the same holiday classics, that getting tikes to fall asleep seemed its crooked purpose. But the Peanut’s score rendered perfectly the humorous, tender and innocent nature of the animated special, keeping you focused the whole time. Vince Guaraldi envisions the delightful sprinkling of snowfall on “Skating” with an ostinato run along the piano’s upper register. And memories of a hind-leg stepping Snoopy are permenantly stamped to “Linus and Lucy”’s toe-tapping riff. Admittedly, I’m tempted to bump pass the pubescent voices that creak on “Hark, The Hearald Angels Sing”, but they dissipate after a single refrain and the upbeat snap of “Christmas Is Coming” arrives before you can lift yourself from your futon. This is the timeless essential.