Strunz & Farah / Américas / 1992 / Selva / V0 MP3

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[ stream El Jaguar ]

Jorge Strunz (of Costa Rica) and Ardeshir Farah (from Iran) comprise this extremely talented duo. In 1979 they met in the United States, and thus Strunz & Farah was born. It was a special union - the first time that Latin American and Middle Eastern musical culture and style came together on the guitar. Both members have played the guitar since childhood, and their unique blend of flamenco and world other musical styles from around the globe is absolutely masterful.

Américas is truly a dazzling record, combining a myriad of sounds and influences, ranging from jazz to classical flamenco. The duo was playing what would later be defined as "world music" before the term had really even come about. This is a fairly uptempo record, with some of the guitar lines absolutely blisteringly fast. Both are award winning musicians, and their album Primal Magic won Billboard's World Music Album of the Year, but Américas, their follow up, was nominated for Grammy. Paco de Lucía even suggested Strunz as a replacement for Al Di Meola in the famous "guitar trio" (which originally included Larry Coryell [later replaced by Al Di Meola] and John McLaughlin).

Any fans of flamenco style guitar will be more than impressed by this duo. Criminally underrated, Strunz & Farah deliver music of epic proportions that is not to be overlooked.

Pnuma Trio / Character / 2008 / 1320 / V0 MP3

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[ stream Everynight ]

This trio from Tennessee is a powerhouse. Alex Botwin (also known simply as Alex B) plays bass guitar, Ben Hazelgrove (who received classical training at the Berklee College of Music) plays keyboards, and Lane Shaw holds down the rhythm section. From their humble beginnings in 2004 in Memphis, Pnuma Trio has grown considerably, having gone on extensive tours of the United States, Japan and Australia and shared the stage with Disco Biscuits, Lotus, and STS9. Alex B is also very active outside the band and collaborates and tours doing DJ style sets with the likes of Pretty Lights and Eliot Lipp.

Their sound is extremely danceable, almost with a hip hop meets electronic glitch music feel. Heavy bass hits and occasional breaks into uptempo d'n'b style sections define their music as well. Guest MCs join them on tracks like 1127 and Ending 10 Seconds and fit the music extremely well - futuristic beats meet hip hop vocals.

I have had the pleasure of seeing Pnuma Trio perform, and they do not disappoint. They bring a very laid-back yet energetic, positive vibe to their shows. I highly recommend checking them out live, the setting in which the band absolutely thrives.

Opeth / Damnation / 2003 / Koch / V0 MP3

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[ stream Windowpane ]

When Opeth released Damnation they turned heads of both long-time fans and critics alike. The Swedish metal band was known for their extremely heavy music laden with deep growls and intense guitar and drum sections. With Damnation, however, Opeth tried something completely different. Reminiscent of the progressive rock movement of the 1970s, this album is absent of the abrasive vocals listeners are used to, instead opting for all-clean vocals and beautiful guitar parts. This album is also dedicated to lead vocalist and guitarist Mikael Åkerfeldt's grandmother, who died in a car accident during the recording.

Opeth typically has a meloncholy sound, but it's even more prevalent in Damnation. The beautifully composed songs matched with Mikael's excellent ability to sing cleanly provided a very tranquil listening experience. The addition of the mellotron, played by Steven Wilson (who also produced this album), helps aid this sound extremely well. Even with all the clean vibes on this album the lyrical content reminds us that this is the same Opeth that has written some of the heaviest metal around - the lyrics are very downtrodden, if not devoid of hope completely. The impact of the death of a family member obviously would play a role in this album's delivery. If you've ever listened to Beck's Sea Change you might have an idea of what to expect, as that album also deals with negative emotions, but Damnation is even more powerful.

Despite this album being Opeth's most radical departure to date in their catalog, it still remains my favorite album. People who have criticized the band for not being innovative or "progressing" enough need look no further. This music proves not only the band's ability to diversify, but also to do so without alienating their excellent song structure and playing abilities.

The Mercury Program / A Data Learn The Language / 2002 / Tiger Style / V0 MP3

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[ stream Tequesta ]

The Mercury Program is another band that stands out in post-rock music. Hailing from Florida and named after Project Mercury (which was the first human spaceflight program of the United States), this quartet definitely has a spacey sound, centered on the piano and vibraphone playing of Whit Travisano. Thomas Reno provides the guitar work, with Sander Travisano on bass and David Lebleu holding it down on drums.

The vibraphone honestly does give this band quite a unique feel - its dreamy tones are extremely hypnotic and pull together the rest of the band into one cohesive unit. That's not to say that the band would be nothing without the involvement of this instrument, just that it's the icing on the cake that gives A Data Learn The Language such a special sound.

While previous efforts of The Mercury Program have vocals and had an acoustic, almost jazzy sound to them, this third album does something new - and this new approach definitely makes it my favorite creation to date from these Floridians.

Matisyahu / Youth Dub / 2006 / Epic / V0 MP3

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[ stream Dub Warrior ]

Matthew Paul Miller, who is better known by his Hebrew name of Matisyahu, is an American Hasidic Jewish reggae musician. Growing up he spent time following Phish on tour, studying Judaism, and playing music. He caught a break when Trey Anastasio invited him to have a guest spot on their set at Bonnaroo 2005. Since then he has gone on to perform with a diverse list of other artists, including 311, Umphree’s McGee, and even psytrance act Infected Mushroom.

While all of Matisyahu’s studio albums (Shake Off the Dust…Arise, Youth, and the recent 2009 release Light) are very reggae influenced, none of them have the extremely echo-heavy, King Tubby style dub elements of the remix album Youth Dub. To be totally honest I find Youth Dub even more appealing than its parent Youth or any other studio release from Matisyahu. I listen to it more than any of his other material, and I really with that producer Bill Laswell would work more with Matisyahu – personally I wouldn’t complain if all his albums contained the heavy dub reggae style present in Youth Dub. Matisyahu’s backing band is called Roots Tonic, and they are in many ways the centerpiece of this remix album, with the vocals taking more of a back seat to the thumping basslines and percussive guitars. Bill Laswell was so impressed with Roots Tonic that he invited it to record an instrumental album called Roots Tonic meets Bill Laswell.

If you’re a fan of dub reggae you should find yourself chilled out and at home while listening to this delicious remix. Even if you’ve heard Matisyahu before and passed it off as music that "isn’t for you", you should give this album a chance, as its fairly different from the band’s mainstream studio releases.

Van She / V / 2008 / Modular

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[ stream Strangers ]

The land down under isn’t really the first place that jumps into someone’s mind when discussing electronic pop music, but Van She would be sure to grab some attention no matter what continent they came from. Consisting of Matt Van Schie (whom the band gets its name from) on bass guitar and vocals, Nicholas Routledge on guitar and vocals, Michael Di Franceso on synths and guitar, and Tomek Archer on drums and sequencers, these Aussies deliver a unique sound that is rooted in 1980s style pop but still remains fresh. Simply calling them a pop band would be unfair, as they all play traditional instruments one would find in classic rock music and are talented songwriters as well.

While every song has a defining "Van She" sound, all the songs don’t just sound like clones of each other either. Boring pop music this isn’t – some songs are quite progressive for being pop music, while others rely on the same catchy melodies and hooks to reel you in. The song Strangers, ultimately driven by the uptempo bass line, is one of the songs from the album that was released as a single, as was the slower paced Cat & The Eye, for which one of their tours was named after. Van She isn’t limited to their original songs either – they have a hefty amount of remixes that they have done (sometimes under the name Van She Technologic) for bands such as Feist, Empire Of The Sun, Shinichi Osawa, and extremely appropriately Daft Punk.

If you want to hear some of what Australia has to offer musically or just want some great, catchy electronic pop music that rocks, Van She is ready and waiting to please you with V.

Chris Thile / Stealing Second / 1997 / Sugar Hill / V0 MP3

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[ stream Bittersweet Reel ]

It seriously takes something very special to get me into a bluegrass act. I'll be frank with you - a whiny singer can absolutely kill even the best bluegrass band for me - so when I first heard this instrumental album from Chris Thile my ears were delighted. Thile is far ahead of the curve, having recorded Stealing Second at the tender age of 16. While most people know Thile as a mandolin player, he actually plays bouzouki, mandola, banjo, guitar, tenor guitar, drums, piano, violin, viola, and bass as well. His songwriting and playing abilities are nothing short of virtuosic.

At age 16, however, small signs of his youth still poke through - not to say that his age makes him lack skill, but rather it reveals funny things such as Alderaanian Melody (which is named after the planet of Alderaan from Star Wars) and other references to Major League Baseball and snippets of Sherlock Holmes. Our young bluegrass player gets added support from some big names such as Jerry Douglas, Stuart Duncan, Alison Brown, Sam Bush, and David Grier. Bluesy, jazzy, classical and Celtic influences also make their appearances on the album.

Even if you think you don't like bluegrass you should check out Chris Thile. It's far from your typical (or stereotypical) bluegrass music. Thile is absolutely one of my favorite bluegrass players, and hopefully after listening to him you will be able to say the same.