MICHIYO YAGI, INGEBRIGT HÅKER FLATEN, PAAL NILSSEN-LOVE
Live! at SuperDeluxe
(Bomba)

Improvisation is a hit or miss exercise: when the improv is between longtime members of a group, the results are likely to make sense; but when the musicians have just met, the outcome is unpredictable. Avant-garde koto player Michiyo Yagi and the Norwegian rhythm section from jazz group Atomic are all virtuosos with the flexibility to turn a chance meeting into a sonic opportunity combining the harp-like koto with jazz bass and drums. Fleet cymbal work from Nilssen-Love is the entry point into a slipstream of koto textures that veer from vigorous thrumming to placid tinkling to spine-tingling scraping. Throughout, Flaten’s bass is an undercurrent of distant thunder. DG

WARRIOR CHARGE
No Foundation, No House
(Beat)

The “Sly & Robbie of 2006,” Warrior Charge consists of Wayne Nunes (bass) and Perry Melius (drums), a duo that have dropped some of the heaviest rhythms in recent years with influential UK black music acts like Aswad and Tricky. Their first album as producers sees them joined by a number of talents for a look both at reggae’s past (a worthy cover of Bob Marley’s “Concrete Jungle,” sung by Aswad’s Brinsley Forde) and present (techno and trip-hop flavored tracks such as “You Don’t Know Me” featuring Tricky’s sibilant whispering). To celebrate the release, Warrior Charge will be joined by Forde at Unit in Daikanyama on Oct 9 alongside Japanese dub/reggae act Dry & Heavy. See listings for details. DG

THE ROOTS
Game Theory
(Def Jam Left)

Philadelphia hip-hop group The Roots’ new and ninth album arrives on a wave of expectations that this, finally, will be their breakout. (Their 2004 release, after all, was titled The Tipping Point.) Upon first listen, this seems unlikely. Apart from a few standout tracks—including the title song, a moody freestyle hip-hop piece driven by The Roots’ patent combination of electric guitar, base and drum lines—the album unapologetically loses momentum in the later tracks. As drummer ?uestlove explains, “I wanted people to underestimate us and have those expectations turned on their heads.” The group that built a fan base with early critically acclaimed records and phenomenal live sets may, for now, just have to continue riding that wave. Beau Miller

THE DECEMBERISTS
The Crane Wife
(Capitol)

The Decemberists are one of those quirky bands that don’t come around so often. Moving from indie obscurity to their major label debut with their newest album, the group seem ready to take their sound to the masses. Not alienating past indie fans while trying to bring new ones on board can often times be a tricky balancing act. Yet somehow, The Decemberists have successfully managed to use their ever-evolving sound to their benefit again. Inspired by the Japanese folktale, The Crane Wife is an elegant blend of progressive and folk rock storytelling of the kind not heard enough in modern music, with ambitious song cycles sitting side-by-side with the group’s usual catchy tunes. Creative yet approachable, The Crane Wife is a truly memorable effort. Trevor L. LaClair

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