Meshell Ndegeocello "Weather"

One of the best things about writing is that I'm not expected to be able to pronounce every artist's name. Meshell Ndegeocello may be a mouthful to pronounce but her ninth studio release, Weather (Naive, 2011), is a mostly stripped-down album heavily rooted in minor tonalities and sad lyrics.

These songs feature a lot of piano and acoustic guitar starting with the title track. The soft instrumentation provides a solid, unobtrusive backdrop for Meshell's vocals, which range from quiet and breathy to deep and powerful to spoken lines. This variety of delivery can be a little disorienting for the listener. It works best on the song "Rapid Fire," the first song on the album longer than four minutes as well as featuring more electric instrumentation. It works least on a mostly incredible rendition of Leonard Cohen's "Chelsea Hotel," which utilizes the breathy vocals exquisitely but sporadic spoken lines have a tendency to interrupt the natural beauty of the song.

Ndegeocello has been mostly renowned for her bass playing, a noticeably absent element from much of the album. She's held down the low end for everybody from Basement Jaxx, to the Rolling Stones to Alanis Morissette. "Dirty World" is the sole tune to feature a really infectious bass groove. Though she does let loose some on the stellar track "Dead End."

This album is all about heartache and pain. That is usually a trustworthy combination for a really solid work of art and Weather is no exception. Of course, covering Leonard Cohen is always a surefire way to win my support. While I wouldn't call it a concept album, there is a definite sense of story arc here that immediately makes a work much more listenable. You can download it here.

Tom Waits "Bad As Me"

I can't pretend this is going to be a balanced review. The subject is Tom Waits' seventeenth studio release, and it comes seven years after Real Gone (Anti, 2004). Bad As Me (Anti, 2011) features all the heartbreaking and experimental instrumentation and lyrics that helped Mr. Waits into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame earlier this year.

This record utilizes mostly conventional instruments like much of his earlier work but the spectrum of sounds is vast including strings, brass, woodwinds, organ, marimba, piano, maracas, accordion, etc. All amazingly produced to accompany his legendary rough voice. The opener, "Chicago," applies some great brass that immediately brings to mind the blues and jazz music of the Second City, while Waits delivers the empty promise that "everything will be better in Chicago."

A little later, "Talking At the Same Time" has him singing a little falsetto and absent of rasp, yet the tremolo-laden guitar and the tickling piano provide the smooth background for him to get away with it. And all that smoothness gets eradicated with "Get Lost," a faster soul tune about the attraction of the leaving the mundane behind. The fast and raw is perfectly set off with the slow and smokey. There's even some Latin influence on "Back In the Crowd."

Every track is exemplary of his absolutely masterful songwriting talents. "Face To the Highway" describes some of the many things that want, animate or not. There's "Kiss Me," which illustrates the unbridgeable gap between the beginning and end of a relationship. The crushing loneliness of "Last Leaf" will bring you to your knees. "Hell Broke Luce" will help release some of that pent-up frustration with war. But ultimately everything is more or less resolved with some conflicted cynical optimism on "New Year's Eve."

There is no doubt in my mind that Waits' fans new and old will find that Bad As Me fits perfectly in line with the unbelievable body of work that dates back to 1972. The album is set to release on October 24. Get it here. You won't be disappointed.

Misfits "The Devil's Rain"

This is the first studio release of original material in twelve years for legendary punk group The Misfits. Bassist/founding member Jerry Only continues to hold down vocal duties since 2003's Project: 1950. And unlike many releases from groups already deemed "legendary," this album is really solid.

A storm comes in during the opening title track and sets up a very well produced, but undeniable Misfits record by utilizing all the classic elements that earned them their stature. The title, like many in the past, comes from a campy horror film starring William Shatner, and with titles like "Land of the Dead" and "Curse of the Mummy's Hand," there is no shortage of B-movie chills. The drums, laid down by Eric "Chupacabra" Arce, are as big and relentlessly driving as ever and Dez Cadena's crunchy guitar breaks only for screaming leads.

Only's crooning vocals are great on a couple of levels. They are reminiscent of the group's Danzig years while being different enough to establish this as a new chapter in their sound (and surpasses the albums sang by Michael Graves). There are plenty of "whoa-ohs" to keep the listener singing along and with lyrical content on songs like "Jack the Ripper" and "Monkey's Paw," they've done a great job of integrating the core elements of their Horror Punk signature.

Not everything about The Devil's Rain is good ol' fashioned Misfits however. Likely due to their study of the genre for Project: 1950, there are strong overtones of 1950's pop, especially for songs such as "Cold in Hell," "Monkey's Paw" and "Where Do They Go?" The result is a little like Frank Sinatra singing a Halloween album. Also the quality of the recording is very heightened and clear, which takes a couple of listens for the longtime fan to get used to but ultimately works very well.

It's impossible to tell if The Devil's Rain contains any classics that will match "London Dungeon" or "We Are 138," but at least it's a good sign that they aren't slowing down or moving in an unsavory direction (if only the same could be said for Metallica and Lou Reed). You can download it here.

Bjork "Biophilia"

For years Bjork has maintained the type of unpretentious weird that Lady Gaga can only aspire to. The Icelandic pop star will release her eighth solo record, Biophilia, tomorrow. She partnered with NPR's First Listen to allow fans to stream the entire album through their website.

It opens calmly with "Moon," which was released as a single. Dynamically and rhythmically varying, it's a powerful cosmic lullaby that sets the tone aptly for the rest of the album. The sound builds from there and by the end of the third song, "Crystalline," aggressive electronic elements sneak their way in. It leads to spurts of complicated polyrythmic drum programming akin to Aphex Twin or Squarepusher that contrast beautifully with Bjork's emotional singing style. "Sacrifice" is a prime example and a real highlight of this release.

The lyrics carry strong scientific and nature-inspired overtones including a brief history of the Universe on "Cosmonogy." The vast expanses of space and the shifting of plate tectonics are applied as interesting metaphors for human relationships especially on "Mutual Core" near the end.

It closes with "Solstice," which is very much a reprisal of the opener and again features single plucked notes as the only accompaniment to the vocals. It brings the listener completely around again to the calm darkness of a new moon. Wonderfully complex and balanced with heartbreaking simplicity, Biophilia is one of those well-constructed concept albums that aren't easily picked apart or separated into strong and weak tracks. Each song here is a crucial part of the whole that hypnotizes the listener until its conclusion. You can download it here starting tomorrow.

Mastodon "The Hunter"

Before you press play, be prepared. This album starts with a fucking bang with "Black Tongue" and doesn't really give up. The Hunter (Reprise 2011) is the group's fifth studio release and maintains a firm grasp on the listener's attention throughout.

The band admitted that this is a little more "stripped down" than many of their past recordings. That may be so, but the result is still very crisp and complex with air-tight instrumentation and vocals that range from ghostly and haunting to violently raw.

Track two, "Curl of the Burl," which was released as a single and features an incredibly bizarre music video, is a pretty decent track but is probably the weakest on the album. Fortunately it kicks back into high gear with "Blasteroid" that has lead singer/bassist Troy Sanders quite literally screaming for blood.

It's incredibly difficult to pick favorites off of this album. There is great diversity here, and the fast and thrashing is balanced perfectly with the slow, distorted grooves on songs like "Stargasm" and "All the Heavy Lifting." There is even a touch of sing-along quality later on with "Creature Lives," which sounds somewhere between Ringo Starr and Slayer.

The group has the kind of fun with their music/lyrics on this album that they've become known for. Time signatures shift constantly and there are titles like "Octopus Has No Friends" and "Bedazzled Fingernails." The latter being a truly exceptional tune.

The Hunter is layered and complex. Even the stiffest neck will be unable to resist banging to the variety of different tempos contained within. You can download it here.

Umphrey's Mcgee "Death By Stereo"

Something terrible has happened. The members of Umphrey's Mcgee must have been kidnapped because there is no other explanation for why their new album Death By Stereo (ATO) falls so short of expectations. It doesn't seem to have taken much effort to put these songs together.

The opening track, "Miami Virtue," was released as a single and sounds like it was written that way. It's an uncomfortably conventional song that could have been written or performed by anybody desperately reaching for air time. The second tune, "Domino Theory," doesn't get any better and sounds a little like an original song by a Strokes tribute band. For a band that has earned themselves a wide and loyal fan base because of their musicianship, the start couldn't be any more disappointing.

Eventually there are aspects that get closer to Umphrey's sound, but it comes in the form of "Booth Love," which they've been playing live for years. In fact, there are at least two other tracks that fans will recognize from performances in recent years. While it is nice to get studio recordings of these pieces (especially "Hajimemashite"), there were several songs they played at Summer Camp '11 that were supposed to be included, but are unaccountably absent. If anybody is interested in hearing my favorite missing songs, post a comment with your email and I'll send them along.

I'm not really certain what this record was supposed to accomplish, but hopefully it's not an indication of any stunted or stagnated growth as a group. While it isn't completely devoid of highlights, like "Search 4" or "Conduit," it's not one I would recommend for a new or longtime fan. Let's just hope that they can put this behind them and we'll treat it like some 1980s Grateful Dead album. It displays a wide range of playing styles, and the tracks leaner run times might make it attractive to new listeners, but that is simply a mistake when recording. From the sound and other reviews, it seems Death By Stereo was made with the intention to reach a wider audience. The result leaves a lot of loyal listeners by the wayside.

One more interesting point about this release. Umphrey's posted on their website and Facebook urging fans to go pick up the album at their local, independent record store. I visited several different locations around their home city of Chicago and couldn't find so much as a poster advertising for it.

Primus "Green Naugahyde"

Monsters of alternative, Primus, have returned for their first full-length studio album since 1999's Antipop (Interscope/Prawn Song). With song titles like "Last Salmon Man" and "Eyes of the Squirrel," you can rest assured that Green Naugahyde (ATO/Prawn Song) is Primus like they never left.

After a brief, building introduction ("Prelude to a Crawl") the unorthodox, distorted style that Les Claypool has perfected over the years kicks in on "Hennepin Crawler." And immediately there is that recognizably complex foundation from drummer Jay Lane and by the end of the track guitarist Larry LaLonde has melted off your face and you're foaming at the mouth for more.

Lane rejoined the band earlier this year after leaving the group in 1988. He was most recently playing with Phil Lesh and Further. While this is Lane's first full-length album with Primus, Claypool attributes the writing of almost all early drum parts (that really established their sound) to the long absent member.

Claypool's lyrics are as hilarious and sharp-witted as ever; most noticeably on the satirical songs "Eternal Consumption Engine" and "Moron TV." And there's "Lee Van Cleef," which falls in line with the many other Claypool tunes that seem to be inspired by little more than some invented name. All backed by awesome, tight instrumentation. The song "Green Ranger" is a good extended example of the Pink Floyd influence that peaks its spacey head at intervals throughout the album.

Green Naugahyde is ear-grabbing to the very end. It sounds incredibly refined while maintaining their standard brand of weird. They've even included a live version of "Those Damned Blue Collar Tweekers." My only complaint is that it took too damn long. Download it here, now.

Spread, Goose Island Brewing Company, Chicago 9-9-11

Hailing from Carbondale, IL, Spread brings a lot of fun energy and diversity to the stage. I've caught them the at the last two Summer Camps and they drew quite a crowd into the 312 Vibe Tent in '11. Nick Stein sat in on the keys for the absent Steven Kaufman, and blended nicely into the groups sometimes shape-shifting sound.

The set ranged from very shredding hard rock, highlighting the talents of guitarist Dave Petrizzo, to dance inducing riffs akin to STS9 or Lotus. Drummer Patrick Reynolds also took vocal duties for a cover of Stevie Wonder's "Boogie On Reggae Woman" and a ripping version of the Grateful Dead tune "Turn On Your Lovelight."

Even in the center of Wrigleyville, where the guys order their haircuts like McDonald's value meals and the pizza places blast dub-step onto Friday night Clark Street, Spread coaxed people out of their seats to dance to the Grateful Dead. They play with a tightness often found in much older groups and have the talent to attract a lot of attention. When the scene is dominated by groups well into their second decade of performing, Spread steps nicely in tradition of the jam community and injecting some vitality at a time when their seems to be more Macbooks in bands than guitars.

The New Mastersounds NCMF After party, The Bottom Lounge, Chicago 9-3-11

Following their rainy 2:30pm set at the North Coast Music Festival, the British soul/funk quartet rounded the corner on Lake Street for an official NCMF after party at the much more intimate Bottom Lounge. Most of the crowd was covered in a stinky fatigue from dancing in Union Park all afternoon, but the room hummed with pent-up energy as members of the road crew finished tweaking the stage set-up.

It was already 12:30am when The New Mastersounds took their places and kicked the crowd into high gear from the first creamy notes. Guitarist and bandleader Eddie Roberts donned a fake pigeon on his shoulder and drummer Simon Allen expressed his dislike of cheap, American beer. But who can blame him?

The set consisted mostly of songs from older albums such as 102%, but did include "Can You Get It" and "Freckles" from their new album(see review below). They also debuted a brand new composition. It stuck closely with their signature sound--instrumental, funky and upbeat.

Despite mics set up for each member, "Can You Get It" was the only song that featured vocals during the performance. It tests the fans' ears to identify specific songs due to the lack of chorus. That didn't bother the audience and the pillars were the only stationary things in the room. Even one mohawked young man with a set jaw that seemed to be resisting the urge to dance began to bounce to the groove by the third or fourth song.

It was nearly three in the morning when the crowd spilled onto Lake Street, hailing cabs or walking to cars or unlocking bikes and everybody was singing the melody of the last tune and laughing as they trickled off into the cool September night.

As is common in their realm of the musical world, the emphasis falls on performances and reacting to the crowd's energy and doing their damnedest to keep anybody from crossing their arms or checking the time. By those standards, The New Mastersounds are extremely good at what they do. Go here and find out when they are playing near you.

The New Mastersounds "Breaks From the Border"

Within the first ten seconds of the opening track ("Take What You Need") of The New Mastersounds' eighty studio album, Breaks From the Border (Tallest Man Records, 2011), you know that this is a much different offering from the four-piece funk act from Leeds, England. For starters, there are vocals, which are like hen's teeth on NMS records. Majority of the eleven tracks feature harmonies reminiscent of Sly and the Family Stone ("Can You Get It," "Turn It Up") or Cream ("Free Man"), and even a few curses all layered nicely over the group's signature grooves.

Though the instrumentation has certainly changed from past albums as well. The sound here is much more aggressive as opposed to albums such as Ten Years On (One Note Records, 2009) or 102% (One Note Records, 2007), that can occasionally sound like the menu of some 70s blaxploitation DVD. Breaks From the Border does a good job at remaining silky-smooth without reminding the listener of a dentist's waiting room. It captures the energy of their live performances much more accurately than in the past which

The album can be purchased here. Or one of their live performances can be downloaded for free here.

New Tom Waits' single "Bad As Me"

Legendary gravel-mouth Tom Waits is due to release his first studio album in seven years since 2004's Real Gone. The new album is titled Bad As Me and is scheduled for an October 25 release. The title track is available for preview and download here.

The track features classic Waits' elements such as dirty, distorted percussion and guitar leads. Though it does sound a bit more programmed than previous recordings. Perhaps he has discovered ProTools. His trademark songwriting style is in full force with imagery including flies floating in beer and a Mother Superior in her underwear, all delivered frantically desperate as we have come to love and expect from him.

The last time Waits returned after a several-year hiatus was after a break between 1993 and 1999 ending with the release of Mule Variations, which won a Grammy that year for Best Contemporary Folk Album.

Return to Forever IV, The Venue, Hammond, IN

It is absolutely impossible for anybody to bring up jazz in the last fifty years and somehow neglect to mention Chick Corea. He and Return to Forever drummer, Lenny White, both appeared on the legendary Miles Davis album Bitches Brew in 1970 before Corea went of to form RTF with bass juggernaut Stanley Clarke. It's difficult to write a balanced review when the subject is such an unprecedented super-group that has also held on its roster names like Al Di Meola and Flora Purim.

One benefit of The Venue at the Horseshoe Casino is the large screens that bookend the stage. With well-placed cameras the audience is offered views of virtuosic fingers completely dismantling the expectation of what a human musician is capable of. Stanley Clarke handled an upright bass in a manner that very well might be illegal is some states. And I testify that a seventy-year-old man like Chick Corea shouldn't be allowed to play a piano with such tenacity and finesse.

They played Return to Forever compositions such as "Captain Senor Mouse" and "The Romantic Warrior" while also fitting in a Jean-Luc Ponty tune entitled "Renaissance," which featured the aforementioned mind-blowing upright solo from Clarke.

I'm not foolish enough to expect everybody to find the same amazement in the musicianship of these men, but to students of music and fans of what is truly masterful, jazz-fusion legends, such as RTF, are guaranteed to excite and inspire and astound and slay.

Zappa Plays Zappa, The Venue, Hammond, IN

I had been eager to see Zappa Plays Zappa again after seeing them at Summer Camp 2010. Dweezil Zappa, eldest son of the late, great Frank Zappa, started playing touring and playing his father's music in 2006 as an attempt to bring the sound to a younger audience. It certainly worked for me.

The set included songs mostly settling around Frank's work in the mid-to-late seventies including "Don't You Ever Wash that Thing?" and "Dancing Fool." The group also opted to play "Don't Eat the Yellow Snow" through "St. Alfonzo's Pancake Breakfast" from the album Apostrophe('), which ZPZ played in its entirety throughout their tour last year. Luckily for me, I missed them on the last tour.

Electric violin great and member of Return to Forever IV, Jean-Luc Ponty, had played with Frank Zappa in the early seventies and came out to perform "Fifty-Fifty" from the album Over-Nite Sensation. There were some really incredible moments of playing as Jean-Luc and Dweezil went into a call-and-response kind of solo.

I first thought of Zappa Plays Zappa as a novelty act. After witnessing the really supreme ability of not only Dweezil, but every member of the group, they have established themselves in my mind as a truly incredible act to see.

Greensky Bluegrass "Handguns EP"

Greensky Bluegrass is a quintet from Michigan that formed around the turn of the century. They have provided for a free download of an EP that features five new studio tracks from their forthcoming album "Handguns." It will be their fourth.

The half-hour sneak peek shows impressive diversity for a group that includes the genre in their name. All the staples of bluegrass are present: banjo, mandolin, upright bass, heartbreaking ballads. Most of the tracks are fairly straight forward, yet catchy and elevated examples of the form. "Don't Lie" and "Cold Feet" are particularly wrenching displays of loss and wonder that are essential to bluegrass.

But they aren't afraid to deviate from their namesake. "I'd Probably Kill You" is a really standout tune that starts like another hum-along about revenge, but as the track builds another familiar sound fades in. The horn section adds an incredible layer that takes the listener from Appalachia to New Orleans and blends jazz elements into the train-like rhythm.

The selection rounds out with a lengthy eleven minute that provides an excellent platform to display all of their talents. Featuring more rock-solid song writing as well as bouncy solos that are much more extensive and expected during their live performances.

Greensky Bluegrass does an exceptional job filling out the tracks in the absence of percussion instruments. The rhythm section comes from the various strumming and picking patterns that lays down a solid foundation to build around. I'd definitely recommend downloading the "Handguns EP" and look for the full-length album due out October 4.

Wicker Park Fest: Pimps of Joytime

South Stage, 5:15pm

These guys are really one of my favorite groups right now. I caught them at Summer Camp in May and made sure to be at Wicker Park. Their sound combines old school funk and Motown with modern electronica elements. The sum is a high energy, can't-sit-still brand of feel-good music.

Live performances are highly interactive with the audience. Front man Brian J is especially responsive to a crowd's energy and makes sure it never stops moving. During the title track from their new album "Janxta Funk," the entire band cut abruptly. Applause faded in and continued building until the group kicked straight back into the chorus. Cheers from the crowd tried to match the PA.

They obviously have a lot of fun with their job, which they do well. The performance was punctuated with smiles across stage and Milwaukee Avenue. I highly recommend checking them out when they come through your area. Download their new album Janxta Funk or the previous High Steppin' on Amazon. Or one of their live sets for free here.