The first time I saw Acid Mothers Temple was at an in-store a few years back. They nearly outnumbered their audience, which consisted entirely of local musicians, DJs, and Reckless Records employees, all of us floored by what we were hearing and seeing. AMT began as an offshoot of the Acid Mothers Temple Soul Collective, an assemblage of musicians, dancers and artists that has communes spread throughout Japan. This is the type of flair that gets a band press, but it’s not the reason to pay attention to Acid Mothers Temple and the Cosmic Inferno. AMT are doing things to rock and roll that no one has even thought of before. Under various names, the band has released nearly 40 albums of improvised music that range from pummeling blasts of psychedelia to avante garde operas to the type of lingering ambient lullabies that Radiohead and Animal Collective can only touch in their dreams. (Appearing at Empty Bottle on May 13) --text: Eric Lab Rat

It’d be easy to call Brother Ali a throwback to the golden age of hip hop. He comes with all the classic tools; a dynamic voice combined with an easy delivery that’s just as at home unfurling intricate narratives as it is dropping sharp and witty battle raps, along with the innate sensibilities to reconfigure his rhyme style around the beat at hand. But to call him a throwback would really be a disservice to both past and present, because there’s never been an MC quite like Brother Ali. The Rhymesayers mainstay happens to be an albino and uses this as a unique way to transcend the white rapper/black rapper issues faced by many of his peers. Instead of struggling to find his place, Ali’s confident rhymes claim his fair share of the turf and then proceed to explore beyond his borders. Word is he’s been hard at work on his next LP, so some new bits could be on display at the show. (Appearing with Atmosphere at the Vic on May 12) --text: Noah Levine

Who would’ve thunk that a white boy from Sebastopol, Calif., would become an African spirit caller and reigning Bob Marley heir? It all started when a teenaged Chris Berry and his hoodlum friends shoplifted a Fela Kuti album. Berry was mesmerized by the Nigerian musician’s pioneering Afrobeat sound and was inspired to spend more than a decade in the remote villages of Congo and Zimbabwe studying under mbira (i.e. thumb piano) and ngoma drum masters. During ceremonious performances, ancestor mystics possessed audience members and told Berry his mission was to be a "bridge maker" to the misguided United States, bringing socially conscious musical "medicine" to his diseased homeland. Though Berry and his band, Panjea, have sold out stadiums and garnered platinum album sales in Africa, their first domestic LP, Dancemakers, was just released in April. The calypso-style record is a hypnotic fusion of indigenous dance beats, surging horn sections and pleas for justice, peace and the elimination of racism. "One love, one heart" indeed. (Appearing at Subterranean on May 8 and with Michael Kang at HotHouse on May 9) --text: Jessica Young

Recently, Chicago’s own The National Trust was named in a local alt-weekly as one of the top 45 musical acts in Chicago along with renowned staples Kanye West and R. Kelly. The honor probably was bestowed upon the group because of their infectious genre-blending style. On their sophomore record, Kings and Queens, duo Neil Rosario (previously in Dolomite) and Mark Henning intermingle funk, R&B, hip hop and electronics for winsome results. The album is a departure and progression from 2002’s debut, Dekkager, which is much tamer in comparison, yet equally compelling. Their music is inspired by Philly soul with some '80s Prince thrown in. Kings and Queens is book-ended with electro-pop tracks like the sensual "Elevators" and propulsive "Shapes and Sizes." On "Secrets," the group sings in falsetto, emulating Scissor Sisters with their spinning beats and bass reverb, while "It‘s Just Cruel" sails with smooth basslines and get up and dance inclinations. (Appearing with Scotland Yard Gospel Choir and Life During Wartime DJs at Logan Square Auditorium on May 13) --text: Garin Pirnia--photo: Jim Newberry

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