There’s a wildly animated video out for Crystal Antlers ’ “Two-Way Mirror,” which, coincidentally, comes from an album titled, Two-Way Mirror . This album was just reviewed for Kicking Against The Pricks , which you can find here. Otherwise, check out the video, enjoy the song and buy the album. Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

Shitgaze goes country. A couple days ago, Jesse ( Sans Lastname ) sent me an email with a link to this video of “Lorimer” by the Public Dims . The video itself is like psychedelic B-grade Western: lone traveler, horse, six-shooter, cowboy hat and sand. Then, the song has a Sic Alps level of slomo-complacent slack, the vocals groaned and the music minimal. Beater locomotive running uphill. But, I like the tune. The band has an EP out called Vent Somewhere Else . Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

Not long ago, it was announced that the post-rock outfit known as Mogwai is releasing an EP called, Earth Division . The EP’s opening track, “Get To France,” has been circulating via the webscape, so I figured I’d post it as well. From the track, you can get a very comprehensive idea as to where Mogwai is going sound-wise with the EP, which is a four-song foray into classical elements and how they can merge with the electro-enhanced rock sounds mostly found in this year’s, Hardcore Will Never, But You Will . I hate to use the word “departure,” so I’ll instead say “visit” as a means to convey the EP’s incorporation of strings and composition. A review of Earth Division will be up at No Ripcord very soon. In the meantime, sample “Get To France.” Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

A new look and website has been devised for Kicking Against The Pricks for Issue #8 which is now up for review, inspection, entertaining, whatever.   You can find that here . I contributed reviews for Two-Way Mirror by Crystal Antlers and Skying by The Horrors . Crystal Antlers Two-Way Mirror Recreation Ltd. Released: 7.19.11 Kicking Against The Pricks review The Horrors Skying XL Recordings Released: 7.26.11   Kicking Against The Pricks review Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

The Nighty Nite Dimples EP Graveface Released: 6.21.11 No Ripcord review Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

A video for the Vivian Girls ' the very girly, very 60s pop track “Take It As It Comes” is out. The tongue-in-cheek puppy love thing is treated with a fair amount of nostalgia and obvious sarcasm perfect for the track itself which comes to you via the Girls’ new album, Share The Joy . Share The Joy was reviewed for Kicking Against The Pricks but is currently unavailable due to some linking issues. All info about the album and tour dates comes courtesy of Force Field PR. Vivian Girls premieres "Take It As It Comes" music video, announces Fall tour dates VIDEO: "Take It As It Comes" (Dir. by Travis Peterson ) - http://pitchfork.com/tv/#/music-videos/402-vivian-girls/2795-take-it-as-it-comes/ Video also avail. on YouTube or Vimeo On their third album (and Polyvinyl debut) Share the Joy , Brooklyn's Vivian Girls continue to sharpen and refine their transcendent mix of garage thrash, girl-group warmth and infectious pop hooksmanshi

In the vein of Hella , Ruins and whatever other proggy, drum-based and jazz-oriented duo you can think of, Noxious Foxes relate. Pairing a wild amount of snare/tom combos with a multitude of math-informed soloing and guitar changes, "Heavenly Spectacular" is the most pleasant abstraction of this sort I've heard recently.  Avoiding the abrasive and, at time, scraping nature of Zach Hill and Yoshida Tatsuya by focusing on the most melodious usage of this off-key motif, I almost liken this to a very spare version of John McLaughlin 's Mahavishnu Orchestra if they'd come about post-DC hardcore.  Maybe that's a stretch, but I think Noxious Foxes do cultivate a less alienating sound, one that still requires imagination without the need to endure.  This is certainly no stab to Hella or Ruins, but to anyone off the street somehow tripping into a set of headphones with this blaring, "Heavenly Spectacular" would be any easier sample to sit through.

“Black Tongue,” the first single from Mastodon ’s upcoming new album, The Hunter , is available.  The video for "Black Tongue" features their go-to cover artist, A.J. Fosik , creating the triple-jawed trophy used for the new album.  Please observe and, above all, enjoy the song.  If "Black Tongue" is any indication, 2011 is going to produce another exciting edition to Mastodon's canon.  Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

Zechs Marquis will be releasing their new album, Getting Paid , in late September. The band put out a teaser trailer for the album, which amasses a comprehensive jumble of progressive musical sections and rock moments into a fairly enticing two and a half minutes. Getting Paid is being issued through Omar Rodriguez Lopez ’s Rodriguez Lopez Productions. All info is courtesy of Us/Them Group. Zechs Marquise announce new album with teaser video Click image above to watch video The Mars Volta sibling band Zechs Marquise announce their forthcoming new album, Getting Paid with a video teaser comprised of snippets from several album tracks. Watch it HERE . The band is currently in the midst of an extensive tour supporting RX Bandits and Maps & Atlases . Fall tour dates will be announced soon. Please see current dates below. Zechs Marquise, the El Paso, TX quintet are back with their sophomore album Getting Paid , bringing an intensified swagger to the band'

The late Poly Styrene , best-known as the frontwoman for the very seminal though short-lived punk band, X-Ray Spex , finished her album, Generation Indigo , before she'd passed away due to cancer in April.  "Ghoulish" is the album's second single.  Give it a look/listen and enjoy. All information is courtesy of Sure Shot PR. POLY STYRENE NEW SINGLE AND VIDEO GHOULISH - 08 AUGUST 2011 - FUTURE NOISE MUSIC Although music lost one of its most uniquely idiosyncratic legends when Poly Styrene tragically succumbed to cancer in April, she had thankfully finished recording her Generation Indigo album before being diagnosed, thus providing the 21st century with one of its defining statements, in similar fashion to her uncannily clairvoyant X-Ray Spex missives of the punk era. Following computer-age anthem ‘Virtual Boyfriend’, which trailered the album as first single, comes the rapturous ‘Ghoulish’; sadly Poly’s first posthumous single. Generation Indigo

Dos Dos y Dos Clenchedwrench/Org Music Released: 7.12.11 Mike Watt has said Dos is his " longest running band ." Begun in 1985, Dos, the dueling bass jam outs of ex- Minutemen Watt and ex- Black Flag bassist, Kira Roessler , has just released their fourth album, Dos y Dos . After both were no longer playing with their respective bands, (Kira was axed; Minutemen were dissolved once Watt's co-conspirator and best friend D. Boon had passed away), Dos served as a way to keep Watt interested in playing music, his will to continue in that vein having more or less faded once the Minutemen were no more.  Bass only, occasional singing: That's it.  Kira was attending Yale while she and Watt exchanged ideas via post-office four track tapes of bass rhythms, the music reworked and tweaked as each tape was passed back and forth.  The band's first album, simply titled Dos , was released in 1986 through an SST Records imprint, New Alliance Records, which was actuall

R.E.M. Lifes Rich Pageant (25th Anniversary Edition) I.R.S./Capitol Originally released: 7.28.86 Reissued: 7.12.11 No Ripcord review Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

The Director’s Cut was released in 2001, ex- Faith No More and Mr. Bungle madman Mike Patton ’s free metal abstraction Fantômas enjoying metallic reign and reconsideration over a wonderful selection of horror/sci-fi/classic film scores. This was the band’s second album following the jaunty noise freaks of Fantômas (Amenza al Mundo) (1999), which was then succeeded by the surgical epic Delìrium Cordìa (2004) and a metal-infused interpretation of cartoon scores called Suspended Animation (2005), (dork moment), and The Director’s Cut stands as the band’s best piece of work. Granted this seems a slight at the band seeing as the material performed isn’t theirs, but the lengths at which Patton connects the Fantômas dynamic to composers like Henry Mancini , Bernard Herrmann , Jerry Goldsmith and Ennio Morricone shows a staggering appreciation and knowledge of this music. Instead of creating a novelty album whose appeal wears away with every snicker-inducing listen, Fantômas creat

Tera Melos has been receiving a lot of notice lately at Letters From A Tapehead, mostly because I'm more and more impressed with their music and the more I hear it.  Their Daytrotter session is available and they even got clever with their "Welcome to Daytrotter" greeting. 7.15.11: Tera Melos' Daytrotter set You can find the session here . Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

With My Father Will Guide Me Up a Rope to the Sky , the newly reconsidered Swans that Michael Gira brought back into circulation crafted my favorite album of 2010. An obnoxious and twisted vision of composition and freakshow, Gira didn’t employ the industrial or aurally shocking churn of the band’s No Wave days, but instead turned the band into an ensemble of layered thematic severity that could almost qualify as “orchestral.” Swans photos by Amelie Sjöstrand Gereholt Gira/Swans just finished the follow-up and photos have been made available of the band at work. Unbelievable considering all the touring they’ve done since the My Father... ’s release. Relative to their touring, Gira is also working on a live album. I reviewed My Father Will Guide Me Up a Rope to the Sky for No Ripcord. If you’re interested, you can find that review here . A blog by the name of KINGBLIND saw fit to use my Swans review without giving me credit, so I guess they liked the review enough to pa

For 2008's Another Sound Is Dying , metal/reggae threesome Dub Trio joined Mike Patton 's Ipecac label, crossing over from ROIR, which is probably best known for releasing Bad Brains ' self-titled classic. The band is back with ROIR and releasing their fourth album, Dub Trio IV , in October.  As anticipation of this news set in, I've been revisiting their three prior albums, the aforementioned Another Sound Is Dying , New Heavy (2006), and Exploring The Dangers Of... (2004), each of which is demonstrative of rhythmic and arrhythmic brilliance and consistently ups the amplification ante.  They get louder and stronger, so Dub Trio IV has a lot to live up to. Info comes courtesy of Speakeasy PR. Another Sound Is Dying was reviewed by Letters From A Tapehead in 2008 . DUB TRIO SET OCT. 25 RELEASE FOR DUB TRIO IV   BROOKLYN TRIO'S FOURTH ALBUM REUNITES BAND WITH ROIR; COMES AFTER JOINING MATISYAHU AND MIKE PATTON'S TOURING BANDS Left to right:

When culture and metal collide... The Body ’s All the Waters of the Earth Turn to Blood is an uncomfortable, though at times beautiful, piece of work, one in which the nightmarish and lovely can coexist. As a doom metal/choir ensemble, The Body and the Assembly Of Light Choir went on a 10 date tour, performing their collaborative material from All The Waters... NPR posted footage , which is both entrancing and unsettling. The Body w/Assembly of Light Women's Choir | NYC @ (Le) Poisson Rouge | 25 Jun 2011 from (((unartig))) on Vimeo . All below information comes courtesy of Earsplit PR. Author's note: Due to a vacation and being cut off from the online world, some of the live dates have passed.  Realizing this is a week-old press release, I think you'll still find the live footage worthwhile.  I did. THE BODY's Full NYC Show With The Assembly Of Light Choir Streaming At NPR; Band To Perform With Harvey Milk, Dark Castle, YOB This Week NPR recently post

Is/Is "Vowel Movements" b/w "Blackest Beat" 7" Guilt-Ridden Pop Released: 7.21.11 As necessary as the word "haunt" is for a band that dubs themselves "witch gaze," Is/Is , a trio hailing from Minneapolis/Portland, ( Replacements country), really lay on the reverb.  Following their four-song EP, This Happening , Is/Is are releasing a two-song 7," "Vowel Movements" b/w "Blackest Beat."  Grunge/shoegaze fetishists should be very pleased.  "Vowel Movements" has an air of swampy dread to it that's sort of stunning to listen to as the song plays with tempo, slowing up enough for singer/guitarist Sarah Rose to sing her piece, which she does with just enough snarl to detect attitude.  It's hard to get around the fact that Rose and Co. sound dismayed, gorgeously pensive and just dark, which is probably the perfect mix of criteria for 90s alterna-pop. The B-side, "Blackest Beat," doesn'

Totimoshi opened for Helmet when the band was in its comeback mode in 2004 with Size Matters.  I dug the band's flirtations with progression, the fact that they were mostly a riff band that would take some strong, though minimal, opportunities to go off the page rhythmically.  Lots of just loud, jazz syncopated sludge.  They were actually a perfect opener for Helmet, a complimentary appetizer.  It only makes sense that Page Hamilton produced some of their albums, though it looks like he's sitting this one out. Anyway, I'm excited that the band has a new album coming out in August, Avenger .  Check out the information below which comes via the awesome people at Earsplit PR.  Also, check out the live clip of their performance of "Mainline," which appears on the new album. TOTIMOSHI: Heavy Desert Deathrock Enigmas To Release New Full-Length This August Via At A Loss California heavy desert deathrock enigmas, TOTIMOSHI, are pleased to announce the relea

So, I was given a small window of opportunity to go analog today and devoted this time to Bridesmaid / Sun Splitter 7" split released by Bastard Sloth Records .  The album came out back in March and I believe it's still available for purchase . You can also check out the Bridesmaid Bandcamp page if you'd like to give it a listen or spend some money to support the bands. Side A: Bridesmaid's contribution to the album is "Vilkin' It For All It's Worth," a sludgy little number that rushes through tar-thick production.  A trio comprised of two bassists and the necessary drummer, Bridesmaid conjures dueling bass sounds, both of which function as throb and muck counterparts.  There are moments when the mix, or lack thereof, overwhelms Bridesmaid's low end components, but they fuse some degree of time signature into their "instruments only" metallic bog which at least pulls the music out from underneath the producer's mud. Side B

Capitalizing on what some might call a successful year, Sub Pop's Mogwai will be releasing an EP entitled, Earth Division . All information and links come courtesy of Sub Pop.  You should also check out the instrumental "San Pedro" from their latest album, Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will . Mogwai Announce the release of Earth Division EP Out September 13th on Sub Pop Records/ September 12th on Rock Action Having thus far enjoyed a monumental year, with a sold out world tour and the release of the superb and critically acclaimed 7th studio album, Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will , Mogwai are ready to embark upon another chapter. The band are set to release their Earth Division EP, which carries 4- brand new tracks, highlighting a creative departure from the band’s trademark cinematic mantra of pulverizing, scorched guitar riffage, into a more recontextualised domain of hazy electronic distortion, accompanied by spiky wafts of violins, violas, cello

Neurosis has been enjoying a wave of reissues lately, their albums Enemy of the Sun and Souls At Zero now primed for rediscovery and sounding excellent.  The next in line is the Sovereign EP, which was originally released in 2000 as the maiden album for Neurosis' then-new Neurot Recordings .  Expect to see this out in September. All the information below is courtesy of Earsplit PR. NEUROSIS: Classic Sovereign EP To See Official Neurot Recordings Reissue Including Previously Unreleased Bonus Track For the last 26 years, NEUROSIS have tapped into the elusive wellspring where resonance and dissonance collude, circling emotional poles where nothing is withheld, where the psyche screams for answers to Earth's ancient mysteries Following the recent reissues of some of NEUROSIS' most seminal groundbreaking earlier albums -- Souls At Zero and Enemy Of The Sun -- Neurot Recordings are now prepared to unveil the details on the next installment of this reissue series, wit

I’ve been seeing many “best of 2011 so far” lists, lately, so without getting into every album I’ve reviewed so far this year, (which is 22 so far, not including whatever’s still awaiting scrutiny or the other small ones I discuss), I’m going to talk about some 2011 albums I spent money on. Deerhoof Deerhoof vs. Evil Polyvinyl Released: 1.25.11 I consider Deerhoof ’s Deerhoof Vs. Evil a utilitarian release, as in it “gets the job done.” Without hesitation, “Qui Dorm, Només Somia” is one of my favorite songs of the year. As is “Behold a Marvel in the Darkness.” “No One Asked To Dance” and “Must Fight Current?” Also, worthy inclusions. Otherwise, I understand the lukewarm response most critics seemed to have regarding Deerhoof Vs. Evil . To me, the album is a compilation of potentially strong ideas that don’t enjoy completion, a lot of rough drafts with just enough artful abstractions and rhythmic variations to work as a solid Deerhoof release. It’s a good album, but it’s