The Give Praise label has released a couple grindcore 7" albums from the bands Beer Corpse , Backslider and Nimbus Terrifix .  However you feel about grindcore, I was both amused and intrigued by the cover art of each release. Give Praise is a vinyl-only label and they pay close attention to the cores of grind, speed and violence. <p><p><a href="http://givepraiserecords.bandcamp.com/album/keg-nuts">Keg Nuts by Give Praise Records</a></p></p> Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

This is a pretty hypnotic track.  Sub Pop's Shabazz Palaces is releasing Black Up , which is their debut.  Check out the single, "an echo from the hosts that profess infinitum."  No extended hook, actual verses, some creative liberties with the backing track... It's pretty much the opposite of what's popular in rap music these days. They'll be playing the Kung-Fu Necktie in Philadelphia on May 11th for one of their two east coast dates.  All info, links and tour dates are courtesy of Sub Pop. Black Up by Shabazz Palaces out JUNE 28 + Documentary Trailer Featuring “Blast It” + Tour Dates Surprise! Shabazz Palaces has a new release date for their debut full length Black Up , which will now be out June 28th in the US and June 27th worldwide on Sub Pop Records. In other news, Shabazz Palaces recently scored the upcoming documentary Tough Bond, by Village Beat, about kids sniffing glue to survive street life in Kenya’s disappearing villages and e...

About a month ago, I wrote a small blurb about Zach Hill 's experimental hip-hop side-project, Death Grips .  A mixtape titled, Ex-Military , was released 4.26 and is available online for free.  They will be releasing a proper full-length later this year.  All the info, links and images below are courtesy of Third Worlds Music. Avant hip hop group Death Grips releases free mixtape Click image above to watch video Intense and mysterious new avant hip hop group Death Grips has released for free download their entire recorded debut mixtape, Ex-Military . The Northern California trio featuring virtuoso drummer Zach Hill formed in December 2010 and has quickly assembled a vast collection of songs and videos. Download full album Ex-Military HERE . Stream full album HERE . Watch videos for several singles HERE . Download the latest video, " Guillotine " HERE . All of Death Grips work is created in their compound THE KLINK in Northern California. Death Gr...

Sabbath meets Rush ; Kyuss meets Black Mountain . The Atomic Bitchwax ’s The Local Fuzz is one track at 42 minutes, but it flies by. Its exceptional array of riff and hook is the type of maddening entertainment you wish from any rock band worth its salt, so much to latch onto with time signatures throwing off every cycle but tying everything together seamlessly. It’s a thing to behold and a segment of “The Local Fuzz” is being hosted at BLURT , so check it out. Or, check out the YouTube clip below. All information is courtesy of Tee Pee Records: BLURT premiers first earful of progressive rock innovators' one song 42 minute "rock and roll feast"! Check it out here: http://blurt-online.com/news/view/4907/ Legendary New Jersey hard rock band THE ATOMIC BITCHWAX (also TAB) will release its new album The Local Fuzz on June 21 via Tee Pee Records (the album is out now in the UK and Europe). The trio's fifth full length effort delivers an advance...

The 90s nostalgia campaign continues... Via Sub Pop: Deluxe Edition reissue of Sebadoh’s 1994 album Bakesale out on Sub Pop June 14 Download “Rebound” – both the song and the video Sebadoh ’s 1994 album, Bakesale , was the band’s fifth full-length album, arguably their best and certainly their most acclaimed. For this June 14, 2011 deluxe reissue the original album has been re-mastered and a full CD of b-sides, EP tracks and rarities, all from the same era as Bakesale , has been added (the full track listing is below). All of which was overseen by Sebadoh’s Lou Barlow and Jason Loewenstein . The album is also being reissued on LP for the first time in years and will include the bonus material as a digital download. If you pre-order Bakesale via SubPop.com prior to release date, you will also receive a free Bakesale poster. Click here to pre-order. Sebadoh began in the late 1980s as a songwriting outlet for Lou Barlow of Dinosaur Jr . What started as a few acousti...

White Fence ’s ...Is Growing Faith was released January 10th, so I’m late in the game on this one. If you can appreciate what “Jackin’ For Beats” was for Ice Cube , it’ll be easy to appreciate White Fence’s lo-fi appropriation of the Velvet Underground . You can liken Tim Presley ’s ( Darker My Love ) minimalist and somewhat amateurish approach to bedroom tapes or chillwave, but that would be doing the song, “Get That Heart,” a disservice. At the very least, such comparisons might dissuade one from giving White Fence a listen. I think it’s pretty cool, so take that for what it’s worth. ...Is Growing Faith is out on Woodsist and all information is courtesy of Force Field PR. "Get That Heart" by White Fence by forcefieldpr White Fence announces New York shows, shares new track MP3: "Get That Heart" - http://soundcloud.com/forcefieldpr/got-that-heart-by-white-fence Those who expect Tim Presley's White Fence project to be an extension of D...

The Feelies Here Before Bar/None Released: 4.12.11 No Ripcord review Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

Caught the Fight For Your Right Revisited video today on the Beastie Boys ’ official site along with pre-order information and a slew of purchasing options.  The video's cameos are both excellent and ridiculous.  While doing a little research on the video, I happened upon another new single from the upcoming Hot Sauce Committee Part Two called “Say It,” which is available at Some Kind Of Awesome .  Unlike Part One , Part Two is still being released May 3rd.  I haven't been excited about a Beastie Boys album in quite some time. Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead P.S. -- Something else to keep in mind:

I posted Toro Y Moi 's "Still Sound" a few months ago .  His album, Underneath The Pine , (in spite of its rather awful cover), has been garnering high marks.  One has nothing to do with the other as my meager contributions, reviews and posts factor minimally next to the music sites and blogs music fans actually read, but I did receive this clip of Toro Y Moi performing "Still Sound" live in Washington D.C. The Sweetlife Festival , which will happen May 1st, has been apparently preceded by occasional live shows put on by the festival's promoters.  This clip was recorded April 14th in Logan Circle. Sweetlife Sessions - Toro Y Moi (Full) from sweetgreen on Vimeo . Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

Catchy. A tad dreamy. Seattle trio, Seapony , is simplistic and airy, their new singles “Blue Star” and “Dreaming” playing like quick odes to “left of the dial” independence and, like Big Black , percussiion duties are generated by machinery, albeit modernized and smaller. It’s soft stuff, but it’s likeable. Their debut album, Go With Me , will be out May 31st on Hardly Art. All information, links and tour dates are courtesy of Hardly Art: SEAPONY SHARE GO WITH ME LP DETAILS + "BLUE STAR" MP3 MP3 - " Blue Star " MP3 - " Dreaming " Seattle three-piece Seapony has announced album details for their debut full-length, Go With Me , forthcoming May 31 on Hardly Art. An mp3 of "Blue Star" is also now available, which is the first new Seapony material since their "Dreaming" single was released last fall. About the record: The music of Seapony is refreshing in its simplicity. Most songs on Go With Me use no more than three ...

I'm thinking you could stand to hear a really good Daytrotter session with Dax Riggs .  I'm listening to it right now and it sounds great.  Give it a listen.  You owe it to yourself. 4.20.11: Dax Riggs' Daytrotter set You can find the session here . Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

I remember about a month ago seeing reports that TV On The Radio 's Gerard Smith had been struggling with lung cancer , but I didn't expect to see news of his passing this morning . A note from the rest of the band and a list of canceled show dates is on their official site , along with notice that "There will be more information as it becomes available." This is very sad news. Multiple spins of Return to Cookie Mountain and Young Liars shall commence. I found this very good and rticle via Guardian.Co.UK . Seemed like a fitting eulogy. R.I.P. Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

The more I hear this song, the more I like it.  And now, it has a video.  All information is courtesy of Stunt Company: WATCH: ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead Give You The Creeps (FILTER Premiere) Rock maestros, ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead , has recently released their new album, Tao of the Dead , and it is a rocker. Today we get to premiere their new video for the tune, "Summer of All Dead Souls." The video was shot in the style of an old silent movie. It's filled with pretty ladies, creepy guys with a crystal ball, creepy black and white images, and many other slightly disturbing images. Enjoy the clip below! You can also catch Trail of Dead on the road with Surfer Blood right now! Tour Dates: April 29 Bowery Ballroom New York , NY 30 Middle East Boston , MA May 01 Le Tulipe Montreal , Quebec 03 Lee's P...

If you're a fan of Kylesa , the following news is for you.  All information and links were provided by Speakeasy PR.   KYLESA RETURN TO THE ROAD WITH UPCOMING STOPS AT BONNAROO, PITCHFORK MUSIC FESTIVAL AND MARYLAND DEATH FEST Photo credit: Geoff L. Johnson Apr. 20 -- Kylesa, the Savannah-based quintet who have won widespread praise for their earth-shaking blend of psychedelia and hard rock, return to the road on May 25 for a series of headlining dates as well as performances at venerable summer festivals including Bonnaroo, Pitchfork Music Festival and Maryland Death Fest. "After a small break from several months of touring here and abroad, we're ready to get back on the road here in the U.S. and are very much looking forward to playing these lauded and diverse festivals," said songwriter/guitarist Laura Pleasants . Spiral Shadow has earned universal praise since its 2010 release on Season of Mist Records. The highest metal entry on Village Voice...

I know that I’m missing a ton of popular music’s better-known pot tunes as one could go insane trying to find them all. So, for the occasion of 4.20, I figured I’d at the very least single out some of my favorites. Some of these are subtle with the drug references (“Salesman”), others may be branching out in terms of its opiate of choice (“YHWH On Acid”). Hopefully, this will provide some of you a nice backdrop for the day’s inactivity, snacking and television viewing. Enjoy. Any additions to the list? Let me know. Cypress Hill – "I Wanna Get High" Cypress Hill/Sonic Youth – "I Love You, Mary Jane" Sleep – "Dopesmoker" (Yes, the entire track) Black Sabbath – "Sweet Leaf" The Fraternity Of Man – "Don’t Bogart Me" Method Man – "Tical" Kyuss – "Gardenia" “One smoke and your head spins around and around” The Goats – "Wake N’ Bake" The Pharcyde – "Pack the...

  If By Yes the "avant pop" quartet featuring Petra Haden , Yuka Honda and Cornelius members, Hirotaka Shimizu and Yuko Araki , have a new video out for their song, "You Feel Right." The song itself is light and airy, Haden's voice receiving ample opportunity to beautify everything that's going on. She does have a great voice, and If By Yes works perfectly to bolster her appeal. Their debut album, Salt On Sea Glass , was released via Sean Lennon 's Chimera Music label on March 22nd. Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

A.K.A. Music Philadelphia, PA 4.16.11 In 2009, for Record Store Day, I spent my money at A.K.A. Music. Though happy for the excuse to shop for some albums and pick up a couple unique and rare items, I remember being sort of underwhelmed by the event.  Other stores had gone so far as to feature live music, set up grills and barbecue... they took more of an opportunity to thank shoppers for their support and treat Record Store Day like a celebration. To me, though, it seemed like more of an opportunity to sort of dangle the treats over a bunch of salivating geeks and capitalize a bit. Yesterday, I revisited A.K.A. and was in line thirty minutes before the store opened, so I wasn't too thrilled at the prospect of fighting my way into the store.  And, that's what happened. As interested as I was in some of the RSD exclusives this year, the only real prize for me was Bad Brains ' "Pay To Cum" 7," just so I could hear that song in glorious analog.  And,...

From the Hoot Page.  This photo was taken in 2002. For those of you that may be getting tired of seeing the name Mike Watt appear on this site in regards to one thing ( Floored By Four ) or another ( Hyphenated-Man ), here’s something else to annoy you. Watt and ex- Black Flag bassist, Kira Roessler , have been performing together for a number of years as Dos . Their forth album, Dos y Dos , will be out on Watt’s Clenchedwrench label on 6.7.11. In the meantime, more details regarding Dos can be found at Watt’s exhaustively detailed Hoot Page . _________________________________________________________ Velvet Monkeys 1982 release, Everything Is Right , will be reissued via producer Don Fleming ’s Instant Mayhem label. The album will be out 6.7.11. The below information is via Howlin’ Wuelf Media: This reissue of the Velvet Monkeys debut 1982 release, Everything is Right , features Don Fleming (later of Gumball and producer of Sonic Youth , Teenage Fanclub , S...

...naturally, it's reissue time. Sony/Legacy is releasing a 30th Anniversary Deluxe box set of Ozzy Osbourne 's Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman , his legendary collaborations with the dearly departed Randy Rhoads .  It's a big edition and you can find details here .  I hope the remasters will be available in a smaller edition, or individually.  I don't have a spare $150 to drop on two albums. The set is available May 31, 2011.  See below for a trailer for the release. I really hate inadvertently advertising for VEVO.  I really, really do. Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

More Record Store Day stuff. Via Sure Shot PR: Charlotte Gainsbourg & Conor O’Brien (Villagers) Record Store Day 7” Single ‘Memoir’ 16th April 2011 Last Autumn, Charlotte Gainsbourg approached Conor O'Brien (aka Villagers ) to compose a song for her. The result is 'Memoir', a song which Conor wrote between soundchecks and radio sessions on his week-long tour of the Midwest last September. The track was completed after working through the night in a Chicago hotel room. Charlotte loved it and they recorded it together the following week at Studio Ferber in Paris, with Conor co-producing alongside Renaud Letang (producer of Feist , Jamie Lidell , Manu Chao ). The split 7" features the sumptuous 'Set the Tigers Free' by Villagers as well as Charlotte's beautiful rendition of 'Memoir', all wrapped up in some striking artwork by Conor and sold exclusively for Record Store Day. http://soundcloud.com/dominorecordco/sets/villagers-cha...

I blame life, because I always do when I fall so far behind. In fact, I’ll just apologize now for the future of Letters From A Tapehead, as work, family and overall exhaustion will always factor considerably with the frequency of updates and reviews. Just know that I have a lot to get through and that I’m working on it—slowly, but surely. In the meantime, this is the good/interesting shit I caught onto this week: Gypsyblood — “My R.K.O. Is M.I.A.” (via Consequence Of Sound) There is a very distinct Jesus And Mary Chain/Magnetic Fields haze that drapes the otherwise pop-driven output of Gypsyblood , their new album Cold in the Guestway having just released today (4.12). Some might say that Yuck is also capitalizing on 90s revivalism and attempting to evolve lo-fi, (sort of retrofitted Guided By Voices and Dinosaur Jr. , with maybe even some Sonic Youth for dissonance sake), but I would focus on “progression.” If indie rock and the less accessible side of pop music is going to...

It’s possible that I had maybe five readers when I first discussed Beauty Pill ’s The Cigarette Girl From The Future EP way back in 2007 . Upon hearing the song on my much loved Harmony In My Head , and finding out that the EP, out on Dischord, was out of print, I managed to find a copy through GEMM.COM . It has since become one of my favorite EPs of all time. I’m spotlighting it today because Dischord has come into some physical copies and I feel I would be doing the band, and yourselves, a complete disservice by not mentioning this. It’s a great five song collection from a very underrated band and the title track... Well, you can sample its brilliance below. Head on over to Dischord and order it before it's no longer available. Find more artists like Beauty Pill at Myspace Music Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

TV On The Radio ’s Nine Types Of Light is out today (4.12) and, obviously, it’s a big deal. As a companion piece to the album, TVOTR’s Tunde Adebimpe directed a film which, according to YouTube’s write-up, “is meant to be a visual re-imagining of the record, and includes a music video for every song on the album.” In cynical corporatized MTV-addled post- Reagan era speak, (or, how I read it), “visual re-imagining” means grab bag for video marketers to exploit with potential for single saturation. This is sort of like their Moonwalker , though TVOTR do their best to unite art and commerce with self-important interviews, psychedelically colorful cut paper animation, amateurishly shot dance parties and band members embroiled in antiquated virtual reality apparatus. I recognize a cast member from the Parenthood TV show. The film’s pretension and potential marketability notwithstanding, Nine Types Of Light (the music version) sounds like it’s worth a listen or two. I’m enjoying...