MSTRKRFT
Fist Of God
Dim Mak
Street: 03.17
MSTRKRFT = Justice + Boys Noize + some shitty club hip hop
If you’re like me, and I very much hope you are, you have a very diverse group of friends. You probably have at least one E-tard friend, a bunch of pretentious hipster friends, maybe you even know a metal kid. And again, if you are like me, you go to parties. MSTRKRFT has always been the compromise everyone was willing to make. Whether it is a DFA1979 remix or something off of their first actual album, The Looks, nobody was pissed about it coming on the iPod. This album is no exception. However, be prepared for a bunch of shitty club hip hop with guests like (not-so-shitty) Ghostface Killa and E-40. Either way, MSTRKRFT’s second actual album is still a decent compromise. –Cody Hudson

Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band
Self-Titled
Dead Oceans
Street: 03.10
Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band = Handsome Furs + The Islands
With a name like Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band, loud, full, and chaotic are a given. The album swings through dance beats that cut just before a nice groove sets in, and sends it sailing around a carousel, and back again. The instrument levels overpower the vocals, creating a drowning distortion similar to Cursive. Songs “Going on a Hunt” and “A Year or Two” are decent songs that pull away from the chaos of (what I will call) the indie-pop attempt to incorporate DragonForce speed skills, but just like every other song, they are repetitive, and I lose interest. The last song, “On the Collar,” drags through seven minutes as a rake to my brain. The album as a whole has a few good bits, but nothing to be excited about. –Jessica Davis

Mulatu Astatke/The Heliocentrics
Inspiration Information
Strut Records
Street: 04.14
Mulatu Astatke/The Heliocentrics = Miles Davis (Bitches Brew) + Banyan + Masada + Us 3
This collaboration between UK’s Heliocentrics and Ethiopian mastermind Mulatu Astatke is a rejuvenating and inspiring album. Mulatu’s Dr. Frankenstein creation of Ethio-eccentric jazz mixed with The Heliocentrics’ progressively equal funky jazz, weld old and new sounds together that will undoubtedly set higher standards. The artists take turns dominating tracks with their defined style, where some songs are an equal blend of both. There are generous hints of funk and hip-hop that is heavily beat-driven, folk inspirations from Mulatu’s native country and a definite Eastern flair that dances on the line of exotica. There is a stray from vocals and obscure instruments used like the begena, washint and the Krar. Songs like “Blue Nile” and “Chinese New Year” are velvety and hypnotic, while others, like “Addis Black Widow” and “Live From Tigre Lounge” are very breakbeat-driven and hip-swayin’. Although similar, no two songs repeat. All I can say is, impress yourself and your friends and make this album your own. –Nicole Dumas

Invisible Cities
Ubiquity
Street: 05.05
Nomo = Fela Kuti + Eric Dolphy + Ornette Coleman
Nomo’s fifth studio effort, Invisible Cities, is war through the speakers. Precise horns scream like missiles through clouds of head-twisting drums. The bass pimp struts down a midnight sidewalk. Unique guitar lingers with layers of marimbas, kalimbas and wood blocks. Every song is simultaneously neatly structured and excitedly free. “Crescent,” the bluest of the album’s songs, is highlighted with fluttering flute and an afro-Fela Kuti-like rhythm. “Elijah” is highly emotional and will haunt you in your sleep. A blend of intriguing and catchy, this record was hard to put down. Whether you’re a Nomo fan, jazz aficionado or indie nerd, give this one a listen. You’ll feel smarter if you do. –Kenny Ainge