Jesu Conqueror (Hydra Head)

J.K. Broadrick's past with Napalm Death and Godflesh might have those anxious for Conqueror baffled -- the dense ambient fog and softly managed vocal work might come as a shock. That being said, the album is undeniably heavy, chugging, distorted and dark. The marriage between the agonizingly paced guitars and the sheer depth of their tone in "Bright Eyes" can overpower the sensitively harmonized vocals and synths. As bands like Pelican and Isis capture something elegant about metal, so does Jesu, but with a bit of nostalgia. If Neurosis and My Bloody Valentine fell into a fishtank and recorded an album, it would sound a lot like Conqueror.

Jesu MySpace
Jesu Official
Stream Conqueror online

The Besnard Lakes The Besnard Lakes Are The Dark Horse (Jagjaguwar)

The Besnard Lakes' first album went largely unnoticed by the independent music world (though garnering some pretty decent praise from critics), but their relative obscurity seems destined to change with the release of The Besnard Lakes Are the Dark Horse. The album is a finely assembled collection of dark pop songs that dabble with Wilson-ish falsetto harmony aspirations and a Pink Floyd inspired sense of ominousness. There's a little something for everyone here: the album struts through pop, dark brooding, and lilting crescendos easily, and has been given quite the production job--we recommend headphones.

The Besnard Lakes MySpace
The Besnard Lakes Official
"And You Lied to Me" (mp3)

Trans Am Sex Change (Thrill Jockey)

Since 1993, D.C.'s Trans Am have been pummeling listeners with 80's inspired synth-rock born before such things were cool (or trite). Their last release, Liberation, was a bleak portrayal of life in a post-9/11 D.C., but Sex Change seems to find the band back in the same saddle that brought us such gems as "Ballbados" and "Futureworld". Taking a bit of inspiration from Brian Eno, the band adopted his "oblique strategies" approach to recording and producing, creating a deck of cards to turn to when puzzled or frustrated during the process. Eno's cards might have read something like "Turn something perfect into something more human", but Trans Am's obscene strategy cards contained hints such as "Make it sound like Jackson Browne", "Rip off black musicians" and "Check your email".

Trans Am MySpace
Trans Am Official
Stream songs from Sex Change

Explosions in the Sky released All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone today as well, check back for our full-length review and a couple surprises, too.

Andy Dick: Do Your Shows Always Suck
Aqueduct: Or Give Me Death
Arab Strap: Ten Years of Tears
Asobi Seksu:Spaceland Presents: At the Echo October 6th, 2006
The Beauty Shop: Crisis Helpline
The Besnard Lakes: The Besnard Lakes Are The Dark Horse
Black Lips: Valientes Del Mundo Neuva
Bobby Conn: King For A Day
Boredoms: Super Roots 6
Boredoms: Super Roots 7
Boredoms: Super Roots 8
Call Me Lightning: Soft Skeletons
Calla: Strength In Numbers
Client: Zerox Machine (single)
David Karsten Daniels: Sharp Teeth
Decemberists: O'valencia (import single)
Dolorean: You Can't Win
Eats Tapes: Dos Mutantes
ELO: Out of the Blue: 30th Anniversary Edition
Eluvium: Copia
Elvis Perkins: Ash Wednesday
Erasure: On the Road to Nashville (with DVD)
Explosions In The Sky: All Of A Sudden I Miss Everyone
The Frames: The Cost
Fu Manchu: We Must Obey
High Llamas: Can Cladders
Jesu: Conqueror
Jill Cunniff: City Beach
Jj Grey & Mofro: Country Ghetto
The Knife: Marble House (single)
Laibach: Volk
Luscious Jackson: Greatest Hits
M. Ward: To Go Home (single)
Marnie Stern: In Advance of the Broken Arm
Minus the Bear: Interpretaciones Del Oso
The Nein: Luxury
One AM Radio: This Too Will Pass
Peter Himmelman: My Green Kite
Pop Levi: The Return To Form Black Majick Party
PG Six: Slightly Sorry
Rakes: Remixes
Richard Swift: Dressed Up For The Let Down
Samamidon: But This Chicken Proved Falsehearted
Silos: Come on Like the Fast Lane
Southern Culture on the Skids: Countrypolitan Favorites
Thirdimension: Before the End Begins
Tishamingo: Point
Trans Am: Sex Change
Tujiko Noriko: Solo
Various Artists: Buddha Lounge Tribute to the Beatles
Various Artists: Jonny Greenwood Is the Controller (import)
Various Artists: Labrador 100: A Complete History of Popular Music
Various Artists: Rockabye Baby: Lullaby Renditions of Nine Inch Nails
Various Artists: Rockabye Baby: Lullaby Renditions of No Doubt
Various Artists: Rockabye Baby: Lullaby Renditions of Smashing Pumpkins
Various Artists: String Quartet Tribute Arcade Fire's Funeral
Various Artists: String Quartet Tribute to Dream Theater
Various Artists: Tribute to Smiths: Stop Me If You Think That You've Heard This One Before
Various Artists: We All Love Ennio Morricone