Diamond Rugs
Self-Titled
Partisan Records
Street: 04.24
Diamond Rugs = Deer Tick + Black Lips + Los Lobos
Featuring Deer Tick frontman John McCauley, Deer Tick keyboardist Robbie Crowell, Black Lips guitarist Ian Saint Pé and additional members from Los Lobos, Dead Confederate and Six Finger Satellite, it’s apt to call Diamond Rugs the indie super-group of 2012. “Gimme a Beer” and “Christmas in a Chinese Restaurant”—tracks which the band released as singles earlier in the year and prominently feature McCauley’s signature, nasally vocals—both make appearances on the album, but are some of the least impressive songs on it. Singing duties seem to be passed between a few members of the band, which keeps things interesting and keeps the songs from sounding too much like Deer Tick. The appearance of Saint Pe’s Southern drawl on the album opener, “Hightail,” makes for one of my favorite tracks. The influence from the members’ other bands is always apparent, but never overwhelming—which is what makes the Diamond Rugs so fun to listen to. I wouldn’t claim that the Diamond Rugs’ outcome is greater than the sum of its parts, but I wouldn’t mind if any of the members’ main projects were briefly put on hold to explore what else the Diamond Rugs can churn out. –Jeanette D. Moses

Dirty Three
Toward The Low Sun
Drag City
Street: 02.28
Dirty Three = The Nels Cline Singers + Nick Cave & Warren Ellis: White Lunar
As a fan of Warren Ellis’ work in The Bad Seeds and Grinderman, I tend to associate The Dirty Three with him more readily than with the group’s other musicians. This is unfair, as each member of the trio is an equally valuable asset to the group. Drummer Jim White and guitarist Mick Turner’s free yet tastefully considered performances create a musically and tonally warm bed for Ellis’ violin, which is often the lead instrument in much of the band’s catalog. “That Was Was” provides a good example of the record’s musical aesthetic and direction, but Toward the Low Sun is certainly worth hearing in its entirety. I was curious as to how Warren Ellis’ time in Grinderman might have affected the sound on The Dirty Three’s new release. As is the case with that band, the record’s events of masterfully rendered chaos are my favorites. –Timo H.

Dreamend
And the Tears Washed Me, Wave After Cowardly Wave
Graveface Records
Street: 02.28
Dreamend = Neutral Milk Hotel + Kid Dakota + Appleseed Cast
And the Tears Washed Me… is Black Moth Super Rainbow bandleader Ryan Graveface’s sequel to 2010’s excellent So I Ate Myself, Bite by Bite and cements Dreamend’s move from folk-tinged post-rock to sweeping, agitated, multi-instrumental compositions. Like SIAMBbB, Graveface’s lyrical inspiration on And the Tears… is drawn from a serial killer’s diary Graveface found at a rummage sale. Where SIAMBbB focused on the process of turning inward impulses into violent acts, And the Tears… starts in medias res of a violent crime and then moves to the protagonist looking back on his victims with equal parts pathos-filled regret and detachment. The album ends with his death. This is an album full of ghosts. Graveface played all the instruments on the album, ranging from the standard rockist setup to banjo, organ and synthesizers. Like all Dreamend albums, this one comes in incredible packaging and artwork by Will Schaff. And the Tears is highly recommended. –Ryan Hall

DZ Deathrays
No Sleep
3QTR
Street: 03.06
DZ Deathrays = Bass Drum of Death + The Stitches + Les Savy Fav + Death From Above 1979
DZ Deathrays take the en-vogue garage sound that has flooded the indie sound waves and mainlines some ’77 punk snottiness into the mix of this five-song EP. In opener “No Sleep,” vocalist Shane Parsons hawks out, “No sleep till you pass out, you gotta/Motherfuckers say I don’t want it back now,” which sets the cheap-liquor candor of his vocals atop the fuzzed-out, rock n’ roll guitar. “Gebbie Street” is a dance rock number, reminiscent of La Vida Bohème, and “Teeth” follows suit in more of a tonal sense—its noise-tinged blaring and erratic bass rhythm generate an electro feel to the track, even though the beat isn’t a standard four-on-the-floor—yet it still retains its punked-out flippancy. “The Mess Up” balances out the speed with a NOBUNNY-esque vocal restraint. DZ kicks out a straight-up punk jam in “Blue Blood,” which will have you screaming with them about poison. Like fun? Get this. –Alexander Ortega