The Method Actors
This Is Still It
(Acute)

The Method Actors were a key band of the fertile Athens rock scene in the 1980s, but they’ve long been overshadowed by more famous peers like R.E.M., The B-52s and Pylon. This guitar-and-drums duo were a curious band, but they’re far more than a curiosity. Their minimalist approach has become a template for The White Stripes and countless other groups. This Is Still It is a thoughtful and smartly packaged anthology that collects 19 early songs, singles and EP tracks from 1980-81. It showcases the duo’s post-punk sound—Vic Varney’s yelping vocals and angular guitar riffs plus David Gamble’s thundering beats and backup vocals. The Method Actors deliver a delirious cocktail of cut-up lyrics, anxious funk, and richly coiled guitar lines. The stripped down approach occasionally grates over the course of 80 minutes, but taken a few songs at a time, it’s as potent as ever. —Jeff Jackson

Freelance Whales
Weathervanes
(Frenchkiss/Mom & Pop)

Weathervanes tip toes atop the fence that separates precious and creepy, like Neil Gaiman’s Coraline or zombie Sally from The Night Before Christmas. Velvety vocals—male and female—are spread like a smooth Nutella over a lightly burnt toast of jerky compositions that utilize everything from banjos to wind chimes to drum machines and synths. A glut of airy major-seventh chords keeps the overall feel less than insidious, and this preserves the essence of something harmless and well-meaning within the veneer of something just alien enough to be frightening. There is some suggestion that the album is thematically molded around the story of a dead girl who remains in a big empty place as a ghost and a boy who can sense her and communicate with her—all of which reinforces Weathervanes‘ notion of what is, essentially, an audio graphic novel. Pretty cool. —Tom Sturm

Zach Hill
Face Tat
(Sargent House)

If you’re a fan of Animal-incarnate drummer Zach Hill, any and all expectations gathered from online teasers—often the only past evidence of this album’s progress—are null and void. There are great doses of dizzying polyrhythms and lush aural textures, but the majority of the album ventures off the path Hill’s set for himself. “Dizzy From The Twins” and “Ex-Ravers” thrive on driving 4/4 and warm synthesized melodies, much like his Chll Pll endeavors. Featured on the album are past collaborators Greg Saunier (Deerhoof), Carson McWhirter (Hella, The Advantage), Nick Reinhart (Tera Melos, Bygones) and others. The cameos reflect past Hill projects, and while they do have a percussive constant, they make Face Tat all the harder to classify. Like an irrevocable facial tattoo, this album is outside the margins, in (and on) your face. —Paul Bachand