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.”
Leif Vollebekk "Twin Solitude"
Montreal-based singer-songwriter Leif Vollebekk’s 3rd full-length album Twin Solitude (Secret City) is gonna make you feel things. It doesn’t take long to figure out that Leif is a sensitive man, and is keenly capable of expressing himself in song. Obvious Jeff Buckley comparisons which have been made about Mr. Vollebekk in the past will not fade away here. The starkly lush (figure THAT one out!) arrangements of his tunes; piano and keyboards, drums, guitar, bass, and strings, offer him a sparse palette that shifts all the focus onto his soulful, hushed vocals. Check out the decidedly grown-up “Elegy.”
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard "Flying Microtonal Banana Vol. 1"
If you expected King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard to get less weird after last year’s infinite loop masterpiece (according to me) Nonagon Infinity, then you don’t know King Gizzard. Flying Microtonal Banana Vol. 1 (ATO) is the first of 5 LPs they plan on releasing this year. For FMB, they decided to all start playing microtonal instruments (the notes between the notes) which gives the whole thing an atonal, Indian Raga sort of vibe to their Krautrock-y, smoked-out psych-rock. Seriously, if you don’t already have a King Gizzard t-shirt in the drawer, then you need become a superfan. They are having as much fun as any rock band out there right now, and their fans are having just as much fun going along for the ride. Just try to keep your face from melting off during the Can meets Blue Oyster Cult sounds of “Rattlesnake.”