Richard Swift 's new single, "Whitman," was actually nice to hear.  Swift doesn't normally stand out to me, despite the acclaim the man seems to garner.  I think Swift is a good songwriter, but any song I've heard hasn't necessarily earned repeated listens.  This song, though, it's got a goofy streak to it, decent falsettos over a showtune motif, an almost jingle sensibility.  Playing potential target to Swift's loyalists, I think it would be easy to pair it against something as banal as Jack Johnson .  "Whitman" does come dangerously close, though Swift has more dimension in spite of his leaning towards camp.  His upcoming EP is called Walt Wolfman , juxtaposing the supernatural with the body electric. All info comes courtesy of Secretly Canadian. Richard Swift to Release Walt Wolfman 12" EP this October Download Free MP3 for "Whitman" About a year ago, Richard Swift horrifically fractured his left ring finger. For a

Hella 's new much-insano art rock pummel of an album, Tripper , was released yesterday.  For those of you unconvinced that Tripper might be worth lightening your wallet just a tad, the album is streaming online via Spinner.com .  Also, as much as I hate to promote them here, Rolling Stone is pretending they still care about music and were nice enough to offer yet ANOTHER single from the album, "Self-Checkout."  All in all, means for listening before buying have been offered gratis.  The Internet is a generous place. In the meantime, I reviewed Tripper for No Ripcord not long ago if you'd to read it.  You can find that here .  All information was lovingly offered via the wonderful people at Us/Them Group. Hella release new album, premiere song on RollingStone.com, stream entire disc via Spinner "A return to what Hella does best: breakneck instrumentals and raw, inhuman-sounding musicianship. A-" -- The Onion AV Club "Hella has never put out

Back in March, I got news about the Beach Boys ’ sessions of SMiLE being released as a box set . While I hope this “suitable for cashing in” version of the album doesn’t diminish the triumph that Brian Wilson ’s 2004 album deservedly afforded him, this release looks to provide more story to this already very legendary monument to pop genius and the crisis and subsequent redemption of an artist. A release date and playlist have been made available. All information below is courtesy of EMI and there's a ton of it: THE BEACH BOYS’ LEGENDARY SMiLE ALBUM SESSIONS TO BE RELEASED NOVEMBER 1 BY CAPITOL/EMI -- ART AND TRACKLISTS UNVEILED Never-Before-Released Original 1966-’67 Album Sessions Compiled for 2CD and Digital Packages and Deluxe, Expanded Box Set; Special Packages to be Available Exclusively from TheBeachBoys.com Official Beach Boys Music Videos to be Crowdsourced via Tongal’s First-Ever Music Video Initiative     "The most famous unfinished album in rock &a

All Pigs Must Die God Is War Southern Lord Recordings Released: 8.16.11 Stereokiller review Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

I will be spending the weekend in Washington D.C. this weekend, so in recognition of the trip, here's some of D.C.'s finest. Enjoy. Bad Brains — "Banned In DC" Minor Threat — "Screaming at a Wall" S.O.A. – "Public Defender" The Untouchables – "Nic Fit" Government Issue – "Rock 'N Roll Bullshit" One Last Wish – "Hide" Rites Of Spring – "End On End" Jawbox – "68" Beauty Pill – "Quote Devout Unquote" Fugazi – "Furniture" Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

My daughter is full of brain teasers. My wife and I were flung deeply into one not too long ago while my daughter was making a song request. A few weeks ago, my family and I drove to Cape May, New Jersey for a long weekend away. While my daughter napped, I managed to exercise some authority over the CD player and brandished my road weapon of choice: Rumble! The Best Of Link Wray . At some point while I was playing the CD, my daughter woke up. I expected to be ordered immediately to put something else on, but she listened and found some songs she really liked. But, Link Wray is best known for instrumentals, so the benefit of having words to cling to in case you need to explain what you want isn’t an option if you don't know a song's title, or you can capably belt out the tune. One song in particular she wanted to hear a lot and, before we figured it out, she referred to it as “Deppa, Deppa, Deppa.” Granted just skipping through the CD was all we had to do to find

Korperschwache has apparently put out a lot of shit. Their press release from Public Guilt reads like an excitable resumé , checking off each piece of Korperschwache’s discography thusly ensuring the label’s positioning in the band’s “admire” column. They may as well confirm their admiration. They are, after all, putting out Korperschwache’s latest album. Ignore The Need is this album and, from what I can tell, a departure from their earlier work. Public Guilt is putting out a limited release of the album as a t-shirt, poster, download card and button package (limit 50). Strangely, there’s no physical album, which I find sort of odd, but the download card comes with liner notes and album art. Listening to Ignore The Need now, I do wish a vinyl version of this existed. It’s got enough rough edges digitally to suggest a turntable would probably thicken this instrumental hybrid of post-rock, drone and post-punk significantly. Information on the “release” can be found here

Here's part three. Once again, all info comes courtesy of Force Field PR. Enjoy the video. Long live Keith Morris . OFF! Closes Room 205 Visit with "Crawl" Incase presents the third and final installment of OFF! at Room 205, featuring the brutal dirge of "Crawl" from their debut album First Four EPs (Vice Music). The four members of OFF! come from an array of truly awe-inspiring bands. Keith Morris ( Black Flag / Circle Jerks ), Dimitri Coats ( Burning Brides ), Steven McDonald ( Redd Kross ), and Mario Rubalcaba ( Earthless / Hot Snakes / Rocket From the Crypt ) joined forces in 2010 and have already released four EPs of classic hardcore and logged more road miles than most bands will in their entire existence. Special thanks to OFF! for making this episode possible. Without their great songs, good humor and genuine grace we could not have made this happen. Thanks again to director Jason Farrell , set designer Tamarra Younis and audio engi

Neurosis Souls At Zero Neurot Recordings Originally released: 1992 (on Alternative Tentacles ) Reissued: 2.10.11 Neurosis Souls At Zero Neurot Recordings Originally released: 2000 Reissued: 9.12.11 I’m in the midst of giving my head somewhat of a beat down. To charge the heightened onslaught of progressive terror that Neurosis have manifested for the last 26 years is to offer oneself fully to it as an experience and not so much as a casual listen. This morning I was thinking about 1992 and what I’d been paying attention to when Souls At Zero had been first issued. Metal at that time, though I’d been exposed to much it before then, mostly evaded me, the only real exception being Pantera ’s Vulgar Display Of Power . Ignition had been called on Metallica ’s self-titled decline and Megadeth ’s Countdown To Extinction was unfairly caught up in the Black Album ’s downward trajectory. Otherwise, my head was invested in the Alternative awakening. In 2000, when their

So, this is merely a video of Wire playing “Adapt” from their latest album, Red Barked Tree , which was reviewed on No Ripcord earlier this year . Otherwise, news of a live album and a European tour has sprung up. The live album is going to be treated as tour merch until the tour is over, so us over on the stateside will have to wait until December if we want to hear it. All info is courtesy of Terrorbird. Wire Announces Huge UK Tour for November Live Album on Pinkflag Will Be Sold as Exclusive Merchandise Download: "Two Minutes" via Pitchfork Watch: "Adapt" via YouTube After spending the first half of 2011 on an extensive world-tour in support of Red Bark Tree , Wire's Colin Newman , Graham Lewis , Robert Grey and live guitarist Matt Simms have decided to head back on the road in the UK. Twice as long and covering several cities the band hasn't played since the 70's, the November tour will be a fitting wrap-up to a whirlwind

Hella Tripper Sargent House Released: 8.30.11 No Ripcord review Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

Fans of New Order re-motherfuckin’-joice! Or not. Just know that a new Factory Records retrospective is being released, two LPs or CDs worth of compiled tracks, remixes and obscurities, dance music from the post-punk era.  The comp will feature the aforementioned New Order , Swamp Children , A Certain Ratio and other Factory-related synth bands and dance meisters.   Any upcoming parties? Now you have a soundtrack. I'm not even a fan of most dance-related music and even I think this would be a good purchase. Fac. Dance is being released by Strut Records . All info is courtesy of Force Field PR. FAC. DANCE , a new Factory Records collection of 12" mixes & rarities from 1980 - 87 due this October via Strut 2xCD / 2xLP set will feature tracks from New Order, A Certain Ratio, Section 25, Quando Quango, The Durutti Column, Swamp Children, 52nd St. & more 52nd St. photographed in 1982 The Strut label presents an essential new retrospe

I was expecting cutesy, gimmicky hipster drivel with Mr. Gnome . I really was. And, within the first minute or so, I thought that’s exactly what I was getting. But “Bit Of Tongue,” the first single from their upcoming album, Madness In Miniature , ultimately screwed with that perception so much I almost consider them a parody of said categorization. The song swells with that ironic, almost toytronic , backpacking cuteness and then amusingly kicks up the fuzztone, which doesn’t necessarily deplete the song’s preciousness, but at least my initial impression was somewhat challenged. Anyway, Mr. Gnome recorded at Josh Homme ’s Pink Duck Studios. Madness In Miniature will be out October 25th on El Marko Records. All info is courtesy of Terrorbird Media. Mr. Gnome Announce Roaring Madness In Miniature LP, Recorded at Josh Homme's Pink Duck Studios, for October 25th Release on El Marko Records Free Download of Cleveland Duo's First Single "Bit of Tongue" Availab

Totimoshi Avenger At A Loss Recordings Released: 8.16.11 Stereokiller review Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

"Yubacore" could very well be my favorite track off of Hella 's upcoming album, Tripper , which is as apt a title as one could pin on their own album.  It flirts with a somewhat standard percussive stride (standard for Hella, anyway) and then launches into some shuffling, howling strangeness.  As a summary of the band's overall creative approach and the skill they utilize throughout Tripper , "Yubacore" offers reliable testimony.   This is one to look forward to. The album will be reviewed for No Ripcord.  All info is courtesy of US/THEM Group. Hella premiere new song via Pitchfork; new album Tripper out August 30th Legendary experimentalist duo Hella premiere a new song today via Pitchfork called "Yubacore". Check it out HERE . The track is culled from Tripper , their forthcoming fifth album, due out August 30th, 2011 on Sargent House. Hella has long been celebrated for bringing a rigorous and artful musical complexity to the punk aesthe

If the kids were doing it right, Keith Morris could retire.  Instead? This is another Room 205 performance with OFF! playing "Poison City."  All info is courtesy of Force Field PR. OFF! Continues Furious Tutorial in Hardcore Fundamentals with "Poison City"   With raw enthusiasm we premiere the second installment of Room 205 with OFF! For this explosive episode, director Jason Farrell and set designer Tamarra Younis took inspiration from the legendary "Bates Motel," located around the corner from Keith Morris' Sunset Junction apartment. Spooky, sketchy and fantastically well-lit, today's hardcore matinee continues with the mauling wallop of "Poison City" from the debut album First Four EPs (Vice Music). The four members of OFF! come from an array of truly awe-inspiring bands. Keith Morris ( Black Flag / Circle Jerks ), Dimitri Coats ( Burning Brides ), Steven McDonald ( Redd Kross ), and Mario Rubalcaba ( Earthless / Ho

There's senselessness and then there's meaninglessness and there's no sense in meaning less than the sense you're making if there's no meaning to your senselessness. No, that didn't make any sense and neither does Tera Melos ' new video.  What does make sense, though, is that they're touring with Boris and Melt Banana . Lots of sense there. Info courtesy of US/THEM Group. Tera Melos premiere new video via Brooklyn Vegan, announce Fall tour dates with Boris, Melt Banana Click image above to watch video "Once in a rare while an album comes along that's so fresh and ingenious it redefines what's possible in a field of music. It's been some time since a trio armed with guitar, drums, bass and vocals have shattered the boundaries of convention and pushed the limits of their instruments and compositions like a graceful tsunami of invention." -- Exclaim! "Tera Melos has ferociously explored the outer limits of

Locrian “Dort Ist Der Weg b/w “Frozen In Ash” 7” FSS Released: 9.2011 Chicago’s very underground noise metal juggernaut Locrian has been progressing with every album, cassette, split single and 7” they’ve been churning out since 2009’s Drenched Lands . The band (whose buzz relies on the combined efforts of André Foisy , Terence Hannum and Steven Hess ) has been developing musically, not straying too faraway from their horror/freakshow environments but incorporating more and more composition into the framework. Their new 7,” “Dort Ist Der Weg”/”Frozen In Ash” confirms this development, but unexpectedly. The single begins with a cover of Popol Vuh ’s “Dort Ist Der Weg,” its treatment a very Melvins -percussive and artfully post-punk approach.  Lovely, near-droning vocals soften the band’s loose and jagged construct, which is set at a perfect trudge. “Frozen In Ash” takes the band’s expansive, sonic guitar loops and builds a rhythmic folk instrumental overtop. Acoustic strin