An irony-free throwback to the classic sound of the NWOBHM, 3 Inches of Blood deliver pure metal nostalgia on Long Live Heavy Metal.
Astonishing sound and an electrifying performance make this Janis Joplin with Big Brother & the Holding Company their best live document to date.
Captured live, two Throbbing Gristle members and one from Factory Floor create droney music that should satisfy any post-industrial shaman.
Chano Dominguez's Flamenco Sketches is a brilliant jazz-flamenco re-visionising of Miles Davis' Kind of Blue and two of his other compositions.
The sophomore outing from the Germany-based chamber orchestra explores little known, very accessible, mid-20th century, American music.
![Album cover for The Aberrant Years [Limited Edition]](https://fastly-s3.allmusic.com/release/mr0003567188/front/220/Y7zpkb0D09EWtg9b0xuqTQSijaXJlYnq0St31qpAJWo=.jpg)
Sydney, Australia's feedtime have their four excellent 1980s-era recordings on Aberrant reissued in a handsome box set.
Leaving Atlanta is a blueprint for what a good-time rock & roll band should sound like in 2012.
Despite being produced entirely by Madlib, Seeds is in contention for Muldrow's most personal release to date.
La Sera's second album is just as strong song-wise as their debut; tougher sounding and less reverb-y as well.
This dreamy, poetic solo album proves that Lee Ranaldo can remain true to himself and reveal new things at the same time.
This 12-track song cycle, which chronicles the 2009 suicide of bandleader Ari Picker's artist mother, is as moving and life affirming as it is moribund and gut wrenching.
Numero's three-disc I Travel Alone collection is the definitive statement on Ohio soul and funk master Lou Ragland's early career.
This debut of lo-fi bedroom glam is best tackled song-by-song, as it zips from Lou Reed produced by Ariel Pink dreaminess to Ween-ish goofiness.
Though it's led by the wholly contemporary ballad "4 AM," Fiona's second album refines the throwback approach of the promising 2009 debut.
With more than 30 songs, this extensive overview shines some light on the obscured solo work of the driving force behind the unmatchable genius of the Velvet Underground.
Although their official debut is merely a mixtape, Odd Future remains a vital force in the hip-hop underground with this thrilling set.
Paul Weller is determined not to repeat himself on Sonik Kicks, pushing himself into startling fresh territory with abandon.
Rusko's second full-length is a dubstep album that isn't afraid to go outside the box.
The African dubstep producer makes the "hard truths" sound like "real talk" on his eclectic and unsettling sophomore effort.
A well-thought out and executed program of Mozart's religious music in a period instrument performance featuring an all-male choir.
The Vijay Iyer Trio's Accelerando is overflowing with adventurousness and creativity.
Fat Possum's reissue of the Panther Burns' debut album and Blow Your Top EP is a definitive statement of the band and its time.
The Chap set aside irony on this surprisingly melancholy set of songs, which ranks among the band's finest work.
With Open Your Heart, the Men channel their intensity in new ways, making for one of the year's most satisfying listens.
Stellar Sub Pop debut from a Seattle-based duo who hold their own with fellow alternative rap/R&B veterans such as Georgia Anne Muldrow and Sa-Ra.
Multi-national synth pop troupe expands their lineup on their fourth album and comes up with a deeper, more realized take on their gritty, late-night sound.
Two discs of mostly thrilling, obscure, and underground dance music released throughout the '80s, compiled by the man behind Playgroup and the Output label.
This soundtrack's mix of folk, country, rock, and rap pays tribute to the roots and moods of The Hunger Games' violent, riveting story.
The album is heavily influenced by the shoegaze sound of the '90s but is good enough to measure up favorably to the genre's best.