Amidst the mounting swirl of controversy over President Obama’s decision to escalate the U.S.’s military presence in Afghanistan (not to mention ongoing developments in debates over health care and climate change), the New York State Senate created a furor of its own this week with its 38-to-24 vote to reject a bill that would have made New York the sixth state to legalize gay marriage.

Melt Banana has long shown an unparalleled capacity for crafting music with texture, depth, and color (not to mention heaps of personality) out of what is essentially a noise/grindcore palette. On its new album, Melt Banana Lite Live: ver. 0.0, the band gets its grip around the slippery power of free-form jazz in its typically unique, trailblazing way.