Staff Picks for September 2016
![The Last of Us [Original Video Game Soundtrack]](https://fastly-s3.allmusic.com/release/mr0003954923/front/400/Iu0vHW-28Fmzw8z4UZbrCd_M69_UI9rrJSVvWL2-yAg=.jpg)
September 30, 2016
This is a new chapter for the composer; it's the first time he's written a score for a video game. 30 brief are mostly sparse, haunting sketches using the guitar as the central instrument, with various keyboards illuminating his evocative melodies. There are also several intense, percussion-heavy tracks including the title theme. Santaolalla delivers the sound of a post-apocalyptic world: sinister, tragic, and foreboding, yet not without hope--no mean feat.
September 29, 2016
All of Mercyful Fate's potential was fulfilled on Don't Break the Oath, a doomy, gothic collection of post-Priest/Maiden dark metal preoccupied with Satan and the occult. Fate's sound and attitude were highly influential on later gothic/black metal bands, especially in Europe, and Don't Break the Oath consistently encapsulates their appeal.
September 28, 2016
Recently reissued in time for its 20th anniversary, Remnants of a Deeper Purity is arguably the longstanding goth/ethereal band's finest album. Here, they perfected their blend of ambient soundscapes and neo-classical string arrangements. The nearly half-hour "For You Will Burn Your Wings Upon The Sun" remains one of the high points of the group's career. If you ever wished Dead Can Dance were a bit more droned-out, this one's for you.
September 27, 2016
At first glance, this outfit appeared to be yet another in a succession of dancey, Strokes-influenced NYC rock bands that filled Williamsburg and Lower East Side clubs seven nights a week during the late aughts. A closer listen to their sophomore effort, however, reveals a group that absorbed a dizzying array of influences and incorporated them into a distinctive, alternately celebratory and melancholy sound. The band's songwriters went on to form Kishi Bashi and Fancy Colors.
September 26, 2016
Bombastic from the start, The Warning had all of the band's hallmarks in place, though they'd be more refined as the band inched towards Mindcrime and Empire. Geoff Tate's flair for the dramatic was in full flight on "No Sanctuary" and the classic "Take Hold of the Flame," and the late Michael Kamen appears for the first of several with orchestral collaborations with the band.
September 25, 2016
Not Not Fun labelhead Amanda Brown and labelmate Maria Minerva team up for a 12" of murky disco jams great to throw down at any dive bar DJ set. Bringing out the best aspects of both artists, The Integration flows from being dubby and eerie at points but with the energy to be break out club hits in an alternate universe.
![The Muppet Movie [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]](https://fastly-s3.allmusic.com/release/mr0003982583/front/400/Wr5AyK33PUN_hA9anWRcc9_M69_UI9rrJSVvWL2-yAg=.jpg)
September 24, 2016
Paul Williams and Kenny Ascher penned the songs for this classic soundtrack, in the process earning Oscar nominations for both the collection and for the Top 40 single "Rainbow Connection," sung by none other than Kermit the Frog (Jim Henson). Other memorable tracks here include "Movin' Right Along" and Gonzo's poignant "I'm Going to Go Back There Someday," which hold up over time, a testament to the songwriters and to the beloved voice artists.
September 23, 2016
Madlib received a rare opportunity with unfettered access to the storied Blue Note archives and permission to use them as he wished for a remix/interpretation album released on Blue Note itself. Intent listening doesn't really give much up, but for smooth subconscious grooves, it's perfect.
September 22, 2016
Blurring genres and topping charts, the Ohio duo make a party out of inner turmoil, battling the nefarious "blurryface" character with an arsenal of jams. Tapping into reggae and dub, drum'n'bass and house, indie rock and trap rap, the pair go beyond hits "Ride" and "Stressed Out" with highlights like "Heavydirtysoul," "Lane Boy," and "The Judge." This soundtrack for restless youth with varied music tastes sounds both of its time and also completely futuristic.
September 21, 2016
The group's sixth long-player -- and first set of new music in seventeen years -- the aptly-named Surgical Steel delivers an 11-track tour de force that's as visceral, inventive, and grotesque as past outings like Symphonies of Sickness, yet infused with the dense, machine-shop precision and chrome veneer of 21st century metalcore. Sing along to new faves like "Cadaver Pouch Conveyor System," "Granulating Dark Satanic Mills," and "Congealed Clot of Blood."
September 20, 2016
Various Artists
It's back-to-school time, and this album really should be given to all children on the first day of class. So many valuable life lessons here, in the form of "nuggets of joy" from the evil insect villain Zorak and "school daze" anecdotes from the one and only Brak. All of these songs and skits sound like they were made up on the spot, and they wouldn't work any other way. An undisputable all-time classic.
September 5, 2016
More polished than her debut album, this was recorded in a Bearsville studio with crack studio musicians. Her reedy, sometimes slightly off key voice is firmly at the center, adding an otherworldly contrast. Comprised of all covers including a stellar version of Richard Manuel's "In A Station," this set brings listeners to the outsider space Dalton occupied not only as a singer but to herself.
September 18, 2016
Arriving five years after his 1968 debut, Duncan Browne's eponymous second album is an underdog classic of early-70's British folk. From the progressively orchestrated "Ragged Rain Life" to the gorgeous ballad "My Only Son," it contains some of best songwriting of his brief career.
September 17, 2016
Peter Erskine, the Bun E. Carlos of '70s and '80s jazz drummers, may have looked like your high school history teacher, but he attacked the drums with the combined finesse and power of Max Roach and Neil Peart. Although initially known for playing kinetic fusion with Weather Report, Erskine's debut solo album was an aggressive yet harmonically nuanced post-bop production featuring a heavyweight ensemble that included trumpeter Randy Brecker, saxophonists Michael Brecker and Bob Mintzer, pianist Kenny Kirkland, and vibraphonist Mike Mainieri.
September 16, 2016
Entombed's most distinguishing characteristics during their early period, their buzzsaw guitar riffs and varied tempos, are showcased well on Clandestine. The intertwined dual-guitar assault of Uffe Cederlund and Alex Hellid is downright brutal; the intermittent lead guitar breaks do serve as brief moments of respite, granted, though their tone of eeriness is more foreboding than it is actually relieving.
September 15, 2016
David Grubbs and Jim O'Rourke's fifth album as Gastr del Sol abounds with elliptical melodies, broken by silence and noise, that avoid resolution. The antithesis of a pop lyricist, Grubbs' elusive wordplay and vague, surreal imagery matches his music, particularly on "Rebecca Sylvester." Random noise interrupts throughout the album, bursting and seeping through song surfaces, wreaking havoc on the compositions.
September 14, 2016
If Vio-Lence held promise, Machine Head was a different proposition all together. Anthems like "Davidian" are monstrous slabs of metal that, by far, eclipse anything Flynn had previously done. Nevertheless, Burn My Eyes is a classic debut that successfully bridges the gap between second-generation Bay Area thrash and the Pantera school of hard knocks.
September 13, 2016
A strange a sublimely-arranged collection of duets written for and played by two accordion masters. Released in 2001 by German label Winter & Winter, Guy Klucevsek and Alan Bern's Accordance is a squeezebox wonder of classical, jazz, klezmer, avant garde, and offbeat whimsy.
September 12, 2016
The band's third album is an almost totally instrumental concept album (there are some wordless vocals) based on a strange historical fantasy novella by Paul Gallico. Its complex story necessitated that the group to offer more compositional than improvisational acumen, but its majestic sweep showcases the perfect balance between the skills of keyboardist Peter Bardens and guitarist Andrew Latimer.
September 11, 2016
With the formation of his great electric sextet, Herbie Hancock's music took off into outer and inner space, starting with the landmark Mwandishi album recorded in a single session on New Year's Eve. Ever the gadgeteer, Herbie plays with electronic effects devices -- reverb units, stereo tremolo, and Echoplex -- which all lead his music into spacier, open-ended directions very much influenced by Miles Davis' electric experiments, rendering it from post-bop conventions.
September 10, 2016
On his second solo set, the Killers frontman achieves peak '80s tribute power, channeling the best of Springsteen arena rock and new wave dance (Pet Shop Boys' Neil Tennant even pops in on "I Can Change"). More focused than Flamingo, Effect sets much of Flowers' dusty Vegas cowboy schtick to the side in favor of his glittery casino showman side. More Hot Fuss than Sam's Town, it's Flowers at his best.
September 9, 2016
The Finnish power metallers fourteenth studio album is flush with bold, sweeping choruses backed by keyboard choirs, strings, and arpeggiated synths, flashy yet nimble guitar leads, fierce, melodic breakdowns, and spirited lyrics that rally the listener to overcome non-specific adversities. Victory!
September 8, 2016
Atmospherically cinematic and genre-bending in the best way, Shorter's 1974 album found him exploring the fecund, uncharted territories of avant-garde jazz, Brazilian folk and fusion. Released the same year as his landmark Milton Nascimento collaboration Native Dancer, and featuring John McLaughlin, Chick Corea and Ron Carter, Moto Grosso Feio pointed the way towards the electrified, cross-cultural path he would forge over the next several decades.
September 7, 2016
Heavy on bossa nova beats and Beach Boys-esque harmonies, Dots and Loops picked up where Emperor Tomato Ketchup leaves off and moved Stereolab into a more definitive pop direction. The production of the record is flawless and includes collaborations from Mouse on Mars, John McEntire of Tortoise, and Sean O'Hagan of High Llamas.
September 6, 2016
There are a few genuine classics here, most notably "Down Payment Blues" and "Up to My Neck in You," and there's a real appeal in how Bon Scott's gutter poems of excess are reaching a mythic level; there's a real sense that he truly does believe that rock & roll leads straight to hell on "Rock 'n' Roll Damnation."
September 4, 2016
The Replacements were never really a punk rock band, but they liked to play fast and loud, and loved to complain, so they were certainly in the ballpark. 1982's Stink was an eight-song EP where the 'Mats made like a hardcore band on tunes like "Kids Don't Follow," "Gimme Noise," and "God Damn Job." And a fine fake punk band they were, though the moody "Go" gives the game away.
September 3, 2016
An album as glorious as it is disposable, 2006's Pleasureman is a slick piece of Eurotrash that answers burning questions like "What would it be like if Dirk Diggler had gone club instead of hair metal?" Have no doubt, this is the best that camp-dance has to offer, up to and including the legendary Samantha Fox who makes a guest appearance on the cover version of her career-defining "Touch Me." This ain't Viagra, it's Spanish Fly, or as Günther says, "It's a no-no/And you'll like it."
September 2, 2016
After a streak of just-OK albums, Cannibal Corpse brought on board producer Erik Rutan for the revitalizing Kill, resulting in bludgeoning tracks like "Make Them Suffer," "The Time to Kill Is Now" and "Death Walking Terror," which have since taken their place alongside the band's early 1990s classics.
September 1, 2016
Gat's first proper full-length is a series of potent improvisations put to tape by Thee Oh Sees producer Chris Woodhouse, featuring the guitarist and his band of powerhouse drummer Gal Lazer and bassist Sergio Sayeg. The album offers meditative, nearly ambient piano vignettes one moment and ripping, blown-out jamming the next. The songs feel alive with a type of spontaneous rock composition that demands repeated listening just to catch up with the band.