The Bastard Noise: Rogue Astronaut (Gravity)
Borne as a side project from pioneering industrial hardcore outfit Man is the Bastard, this electro-noise trio provides a surprisingly accessible soundtrack to the Armageddon. Crackling, squealing, and howling electronics surround steady bass rhythms and eerie ambience, often while notable guest contributions — in this case, the unmistakable screams of The Locust vocalist Justin Pearson — add to the unsettling doom.
The Bastard Noise: “Tyranny Beyond Earth Epilogue”
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The Low Frequency in Stereo: Futuro (Rune Grammofon)
Norwegian rock quintet The Low Frequency in Stereo create unabashed pop tunes with enough appeal to make even emotionally hardened metal heads tap along. The group’s electronic/rock hybrid of fuzzy, tremoloed guitar riffs, dancing organs, grooved-out melodies, and loaded effects draw parallels to plenty of contemporaries, but The Low Frequency in Stereo accomplishes this mixture in a unique fashion.
Lymbyc Systym: Carved by Glaciers [reissue] (Magic Bullet)
Before their beautiful full-length debut of Love Your Abuser on Mush Records, brothers Mike and Jared Bell made well-crafted, keyboard-driven post-rock for their Carved by Glaciers EP. The duo’s heartening tunes employ piano, synthesizers, organs, xylophones, brass instruments, and much more to provide a gorgeous multi-layered mix. Coinciding with a separate split release with This Will Destroy You, also on Magic Bullet, Lymbyc Systym now has its debut EP reissued.
Lymbyc Systym: “Carved by Glaciers”
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Drew Brown: Tiago La is Losing the Plot [US release] (Lex)
Though Lex Records’ website would have one believe that this album doesn’t exist, amazon.com begs to differ. Brown’s MySpace page has a scant trio of songs, but they exhibit the eclectic singer/songwriter possibilities of this EP.
Quatre Tete: Art of the State (Sickroom)
With two EPs and a full-length album under its belt, this Chicago trio returns with its unadulterated, math-influenced mid-’90s-style rock. Fans of hard-hitting guitar/bass/drums configurations would do well to pick up Art of the State, recorded by engineer Bob Weston.
The album draws a bit of sonic inspiration from Weston’s most famous group, Shellac, as well as musical brethren like The Jesus Lizard and Dianogah.
Quatre Tete: “Mouth of the Rattlesnake”
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Tags: Dianogah, Drew Brown, Gravity, Justin Pearson, Lex, Lymbyc Systym, Magic Bullet, Man is the Bastard, Mush, Quatre Tete, Rune Grammofon, Shellac, Sickroom, The Bastard Noise, The Jesus Lizard, The Locust, The Low Frequency in Stereo, This Will Destroy You