Has it really been over a month since I last surfaced on here? Yikes. Busy times, what can I say, but here's some of what I've been digging of late:

Rickard Jäverling - Two Times Five Lullaby. This gently meandering record, the Swede's debut, is remarkably coherent and cinematic, a perfect soundtrack to a lazy autumn afternoon. The mostly instrumental LP features harmonica, banjo, guitars, accordion, harp, a Hammond, drums, and more. It's hard to pick a standout track because the whole thing stands together so well, but the pretty opener "Ice Princess" (MP3) and the hints of Tortoise in the slow-burning "Track" (MP3) are good places to start.

Dirty Diamonds II. I have no idea how I heard about this French compilation or where I even got it. All I know is it landed on my hard drive last year, I just started listening to it last week, and I've barely been able to stop since. The tracklisting is eclectic and far-reaching, the sequencing impeccable. The gospel-tinged hip-hop grooves of Sa-Ra Creative Partners' "Glorious" (MP3) are an early highlight, but I've been finding the section anchored by Martin Gore's "Compulsion" especially addictive of late.

Michael Mayer - Immer 2. I haven't had this long enough to say much of substance here, but so far I like Immer 2 a lot. A whole lot. Kompakt's Total 7 had its moments but felt tired in spots - this is more what I was waiting for (and I'm not surprised).

Matmos - For Alan Turing. Three tracks long and three inches wide, this mini-CD was the souvenir of choice on Matmos's recent tour. "Enigma Machine for Alan Turing," which somehow features one of these, and the beautiful violins and vocal loops of "Cockles and Mussles" are both standouts. (I'd rip one of them for you but my laptop can't handle 3" CD's, so you'll have to trust me.) As for the show, So Percussion, Zeena Parkins, and a guitarist joined Drew and M.C. to make Matmos an EIGHT-piece for much of the October 13 gig at Symphony Space. We've been lucky to have so many NYC Matmos gigs this year, and this one was the best of the bunch IMO. The extra hands made the songs extra live and the setlist was a treat with two songs from The Civil War ("Y.T.T.E." into "For the Trees"!) and a few new songs joining favorites from The Rose Has Teeth. One new song was like a symphony of aluminum, another utilized a large block of dry ice. The props and objects never felt like gimmicks or one-liners, though, and that's what makes Matmos so consistently great live.

The Rapture - Pieces of the People We Love. As much as I love the Rapture, I really disliked this album on first (and second and third) listen. The production felt far too sleek. But, as they showed on Echoes, the Rapture know how to write catchy songs, and the songs lodged themselves in my head enough that Pieces entered my morning commute rotation. Once I'd adjusted to the production, I found myself really enjoying the record. And hearing "Get Myself Into It" in a club - once from JDH and once from Optimo - made me see the production as a strength; so much stuff in this vein has a dirty sound that the approach the Rapture have taken here makes the songs stand out. Of course, the Rapture are still at their best on stage. Hopefully I'll get to remind myself that tomorrow night at the Bowery Ballroom, if I can get my hands on a ticket.

Junior Boys - So This Is Goodbye. Nothing new to report here beyond the realization that this has a good chance at being my favorite album of the year.

Other recent favorites: Fujiya & Miyagi - Transparent Things, TK Webb - Phantom Parade, Minimum Chips - Lady Grey, Professor Murder - Professor Murder Rides The Subway

Also:

As part of CMJ, Lavender Diamond are playing Joe's Pub this Friday night at 11:30. Simply put, their two SXSW sets are possibly my favorite live shows of the year so far. They're currently opening for the Decemberists, and I hear they might be signing to Matador, so big things (and hopefully a new album) may be in store for them soon. They also play Northsix on Thursday night, but Joe's Pub is much better suited to their sound. I can't wait. Try "You Broke My Heart" (MP3).