Battles' John Stanier, Ian Williams, and Dave Konopka always sound psyched to play together, but never more so than on their first entirely instrumental album, La Di Da Di. While vocals – first provided by Tyondai Braxton on their early work and by a host of collaborators on 2011's Gloss Drop – might have seemed necessary to humanize their experimentation, they're not missed on the band's third full-length. If anything, removing them gives the trio's ideas to generate sparks the way they did on Mirrored (particularly on "Tricentennial," which recalls the mischievous alien anthems of their debut) while keeping Gloss Drop's immediacy. Battles' mix of muscular drums and riffs and heady melodies and electronics has never sounded so liberated, whether on "The Yabba," a thrilling seven-minute excursion that sounds more like seven one-minute songs strung together, or on the relatively serene "Luu Le," which uses the same amount of time to close the album with a sun-dappled suite. Here and throughout La Di Da Di, the band sounds mercurial but not chaotic, with an interplay that ebbs and flows like creativity itself.

Next to Ian Williams of Don Caballero (and now Battles), Victor Villareal is one of the most of the most inventive guitarists in indie rock. Villareal’s astonishing guitar work was first on display in the legendary emo outfit, Cap’n Jazz. He next appeared on the Owls’ full-length, which was essentially Cap’n Jazz minus Promise Ring member Davey von Bohlen. On the side, he played in Ghosts & Vodka, an instrumental rock band that also had a Cap’n Jazz/Owls connection, with Sam Zurick taking second guitar duties. It would turn out that Ghosts & Vodka would be more prolific than Owls, releasing a full length and seven-inch before disbanding. Drunks & Addicts is a discography of this overlooked band, collecting their entire recorded output, as well as a bonus unreleased track.

With albums as tightly constructed as Minus the Bear's, it's hard to imagine that there's much left over after the recording process is over and done with. Those knotty, intricate albums come at a cost, and songs that once paid the ultimate price in the name of consistency get a second chance on Lost Loves. Resurrecting songs from the recording sessions that spawned 2007's Planet of Ice, 2010's Omni, and 2012's Infinity Overhead, the collection lovingly compiles these nearly forgotten (or at the very least hard to find) gems into what feels more or less like a complete album. And unlike a lot of odds and ends compilations, which often contain at least a few tracks where it's obvious why they were jettisoned from an album, the quality of the tracks on Lost Loves easily stands up to the rest of the band's body of work.

To confuse parts for the whole is inevitable with Palm. On their latest effort, Nicks and Grazes, Palm embrace discordance to dazzling effect. “We wanted to reconcile two potentially opposing aesthetics,” Kasra Kurt of the band says. “To capture the spontaneous, free energy of our live shows while integrating elements from the traditionally gridded palette of electronic music.”

A great surprise to discover the work of this Mexican musician, who somehow managed to invite for this album some of the best musicians of the genre, from representative and even legendary bands. The music is difficult to categorize in a few words, as it is full of changes not only in time but also in style, genre or mood. We can find Zeuhl, Math, RIO, Jazz, Symphonic or Rock riffs. Influences from names like Zappa, Present, Magma, etc. To stop to analyze each track would be a crazy task, because the ideas come and go in a frenetic way, leaving barely space to breathe to the listener. One of those albums that we are thankful for because they never stop trying to surprise us at every second. And for glorious moments it really succeeds.

With its frenetic and fractionned mind, DRH carves the granit with laser. The iron hands rulling it do not hesitate to deviate its route in impetuous parables. Always sensual, slowly swift and darkly gloomy, the music of these four pranks guides you in a hovering and compelling journey where free energy flirts with lyricism!

Formed in 1998 by Yoshida Tatsuya, Japan’s KOREKYOJINN (alternately spelled Korekyojin) is a progressive-jazz-rock band determined to redefine the polyrhythmic ensemble. The band’s name translates to “This Giant”, a sly pun inspired by THIS HEAT and GENTLE GIANT, two band’s the group draws inspiration from. In Japanese the word “kore” translates as “this”, while “kyojinn” is “giant”. While the style of KOREKYOJINN will be recognizable to fans of Yoshida Tatsuya’s other acts, the band has carved out a sound all its own. The trio dance on razors, are sharp as a tack – and their overwhelming ability jettisons them into the outer limits – where progressive rock and contemporary jazz collide into a breathtaking, futuristic, hard rock funk.

black midi present their third album and second in two years, Hellfire. Hellfire sees the London three piece at their most direct. Written in isolation in London in 2021 almost immediately after it’s predecessor Cavalcade - no band can quite build their own universe like black midi. Hellfire picks up right where Cavalcade left off. Where Schlagenheim was much more based on ‘jams’ and collaboration, Cavalcade a mixture of isolation and collaboration, Hellfire falls on the other side of the spectrum of working in isolation.

Sonar’s fourth release Vortex reflects the sound of surprise. After three uncompromising quartet albums exploring the edges of minimalist groove, the Swiss group has partnered with renowned guitarist, composer and producer David Torn for its RareNoise debut. The band, comprised of guitarists Stephan Thelen and Bernhard Wagner, bassist Christian Kuntner and drummer Manuel Pasquinelli have long been celebrated for combining the visceral power and dynamics of art rock with a minimalist aesthetic. Their previous album, 2015’s Black Light, attracted significant media and musician attention. Legendary avant-guitarist Henry Kaiser took a particular interest in the group and was determined to pair them up with Torn for their next album.

An uneven, nearly all-live double-record set, Tinseltown Rebellion mixes new material and versions of Zappa oldies like "Love of My Life," "I Ain't Got No Heart," "Tell Me You Love Me," "Brown Shoes Don't Make It," and a reworked "Peaches en Regalia," titled "Peaches III." These songs, as well as the band's stellar instrumental work, provide the album's best moments…