When one thinks of the vibraphone, their thoughts often drift to jazz"s rich history of elegant stylists like Milt Jackson, Cal Tjader and Bobby Hutcherson. In fact most would be hard-pressed to name a vibraphonist of note who"s emerged from the mainstream jazz world in the 21st century. But if you look to the far corners of improvisational music (the scene that includes artists like Skerik, Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey, Charlie Hunter and Steven Bernstein among others), you"ll find the wonderkind vibes player, Mike Dillon. A mainstay as a percussionist with artists like Ani DiFranco and Les Claypool, Dillon fills a huge void in the instruments presence in modern music. He and his band, Mike Dillon"s Go-Go Jungle, make their recording debut with Battery Milk. A recording of amazing sonic diversity, this isn"t vibes music that attempts to recreate past sentiments, but rather updates the tradition completely. Ranging from funked-out soul jazz to subversive political statements to hard-driving Zappa-esque instrumental rock, Mike Dillon"s Go-Go Jungle is one of the hippest records you"ll hear all year.