Ibibio Sound Machine "Uyai"
You’re likely going to be at least a little surprised when I tell you that your favorite new dance album is coming to you from our friends at Merge Records. Ibibio Sound Machine’s Merge debut Uyai is a delicious mixture of amazing genres and influences. Led by London-born Nigerian vocalist Eno Williams, this is an impossible-to-sit-still-through combo of disco, new wave, post-punk, and most notably Afrobeat and West African Funk. The result is like a masterful mashup of William Onyeabor, Missing Persons, late-era Talking Heads, Fela Kuti, and Deerhoof. Yeah. They are going on all of your playlists. You will finish the album, and start it over again immediately. Begin your love affair with “Give Me A Reason.”
Tim Kasher "No Resolution"
No Resolution, the new solo LP from Cursive’s Tim Kasher, finds Tim at the helm of what can only be described as a pop orchestra. Like a pop-punk song cycle with arrangements from Van Dyke Parks, the concept album (I haven’t gotten to write THAT in a blurb in some time, thanks Tim!) about a soon to collapse relationship between an engaged couple. The songs will be appearing later in 2017 in Tim’s directorial debut of the same name. Oh right! I never mentioned the album’s name. It’s called No Resolution (15 Passenger). Like I said, film of the same name, which will be featuring songs like “An Answer for Everything.” Dig in!
Brokeback "Illinois River Valley Blues"
Douglas McCombs has been recording with his instrumental band Brokeback in some capacity since ’95. Not a bad side gig, eh? Well, that last sentence means he has a main gig, right? Yup. He sure does. Tortoise! How’s that for a one-two punch? I’m sure you are well familiar with the sounds of Tortoise, but Brokeback somehow seems to fly under the radar. It’s a shame, too, since they have been making some of the most evocative instrumental rock of the last 20+ years. If David Lynch were to direct a Kids In The Hall project, the music would almost certainly sound like Illinois River Valley Blues (Thrill Jockey). If you find that statement hard to believe, than you haven’t listened to “Cairo Levee.”
Xiu Xiu "Forget"
Being a member of Xiu Xiu must be an artist’s dream. After all, their latest album Forget (Polyvinyl) was recorded while they were involved in a few other projects. “What are those other projects?” you may ask? Oh, a reworking of the music from David Lynch’s Twin Peaks, a song for an upcoming John Cameron Mitchell flick, music for an art installation, a record with Merzbow. Oh, and an experimental reworking of Mozart’s The Magic Flute opera. Like I said, they must be feeling rather artistically fulfilled right about now. What that means for their latest album is amazing. For a band known as “experimental” this is as experimental as it gets, but also with a hazy layer of dreaminess not heard from the band before. Like if David Bowie and Negativland recorded an album produced by Brian Eno. Check out the chilling bounce of “Wondering.”