‘Microcastle/Weird Era Cont.’
by Deerhunter, Kranky
genre: weird pop
suitable for: troubling dreams

Surprise! For those not following the band closely, this second full-length from Atlanta’s Deerhunter includes a bonus album—not a bonus track or a bonus fold-out poster; a full bonus album meant as a secret gift for fans strong-willed enough to wait until the release date to buy a copy. This says a lot about the lengths labels and artists are willing to go to inspire excitement about buying physical CDs, but it also says a lot about Deerhunter, because these two albums paired together are stunning.

On both albums, it’s clear that singer-songwriter Bradford Cox, who is influenced heavily by Brian Wilson, is likewise talented in unnatural ways. “Microcastle” is slick and focused, with Cox’s vocals once again swathed in hazy effects even while much of the music is more straightforward than older work. Already, this album is a step up from the band’s debut, “Cryptograms,” but it is on “Weird Era Cont.” that the band seems to just blast off. The record is more raw and uninhibited, allowing Deerhunter to sound the way the band is meant to sound, free of expectations. It is also incredibly beautiful. “Vox Humana,” in particular, is one of my favorite tracks of the year. With music so good, it’s exciting enough without any gimmicks.

Visit www.deerhuntertheband.blogspot.com.

‘Ferndorf’
by Hauschka, FatCat Records
genre: mini-classical
suitable for: early morning rides on the Eurorail

The 20th century was rife with new ways to compose music, and one of those included the use of the “prepared piano,” a term coined by avant-garde composer John Cage to describe the placement of objects inside the guts of a piano to alter the sound. Yes, it was already capable of producing enormous amounts of sound, but by mid-century, the piano to Cage and others seemed to become simply boring.

Since his debut in 2005, Düsseldorf-based composer Volker Bertelmann, a.k.a. Hauschka, has carried the mantle of the prepared piano, yet he has never appeared restless with the instrument. Instead, he shows reverence for the ancient ivories and the ways in which its sound can be expanded. Determined to grow his own sound palette on each release, Hauschka has built himself a mini-orchestra on “Ferndorf,” his fourth and best album, recalling often the repetitive minimalism of Steve Reich or the modern classical compositions of Philip Glass. Even with more players, deep down this is essentially solo piano music and Bertelmann is careful never to undercut the soothing rattles and percussive shimmers produced by his unique piano.

“Ferndorf” is at times whimsical and at others somber. As a musician, Bertelmann has two identities: the Hauschka who invents new sounds, using his piano as much for percussion as melody, and the Hauschka who knows how to draw out emotion from his instrument like the greatest of pianists. On “Ferndorf,” both Hauschkas are at the top of their games.

Visit www.hauschka-net.de.

‘You & Me’
by The Walkmen, Gigantic Music
genre: down & out
suitable for: courting a special lady

One of my favorite live music moments came back in 2002, in The Walkmen’s hometown of New York City. The band had yet to release its most well-known album, “Bows & Arrows,” but they were headlining this very late show at The Bowery Ballroom (I think it started at 1 a.m.) and the buzz in the room was palpable. About mid-set, I remember seeing singer Hamilton Leithauser, whose voice is similar to a Leonard Cohen-Bob Dylan mix, just yelling his sweaty head off, veins bulging in his neck, looking like his lungs were about to fly into the crowd—but he still sounded so good. They played “The Rat,” a future single off of “Bows & Arrows,” but at the time it was unreleased and new to me. It blew my mind. From then on, I was a Walkmen fan and also terribly obsessed with figuring out what that song was.

I can’t say a bad thing about The Walkmen’s newest album, “You & Me.” There are moments of brilliance, “In the New Year,” “Red Moon” and “Long Time Ahead of Us” among the best. “Four Provinces,” with its shimmering guitars and iconic vocals, reminds me of U2, although the Latin percussion is an unexpected addition. Several of the tracks have horns, and all of them have The Walkmen’s signature reverb-heavy sound and boozy swing that somehow brings to mind Jazz Age America. All of them also have Leithauser’s voice, which is still as powerful as that night in New York. I’m not sure there is a better no-nonsense, no-pretense indie-rock band than The Walkmen and “You & Me,” a fine piece of American melancholy, sounds just about perfect to me.
Visit www.marcata.net/walkmen.

‘Pantheon of the Lesser’
by Ocean, Important Records
genre: doom
suitable for: standing outside in the cold, watching your house burn to the ground

“Pantheon of the Lesser” is the second album from Portland, Maine’s Ocean, and with it comes high expectations after the debut “Here Where Nothing Grows” won the band fans worldwide, not just within the metal community. Everything about the ultra-heavy “Pantheon,” a bleak but rewarding listen, suggests the fan base of these semi-locals will continue growing.

There are two tracks on this album and the first, “The Beacon,” clocks in at an impressive 35 minutes. This tells you two things about Ocean: They are serious about writing music and that their new album has the pacing of a slow death. Recorded over three years at the band’s own studio, the two tracks on “Pantheon” are undoubtedly as heavy as they come, each moving impossibly slowly inside a tar pit of tremulous low end. Guitarist and vocalist Candy’s voice is used sparingly, but when it arrives, his voice morphs deftly from guttural black metal sludge to powerful screams. Yet somewhere within the total blackness, Ocean manages to quiet down and show their range with some excellent melodic moments (including female guest vocals on “The Beacon” by Yoshiko Ohara, of Bloody Panda) that recall post-metal bands like Isis or Pelican. “Pantheon” is an album that reveals its complexity with multiple listens, proving that Ocean has tapped into something unique while remaining true to their doom metal roots.

Visit www.oceanofdoom.com.