"I Am Not A Game" is the first single from Hair , the new collaborative LP from Ty Segall and White Fence ( Tim Presley ).  It's pure Nugget -organ garage pop of the 60s variety and I'm interested to hear the rest of the album.  Even if you're sick of 60s revivalism, the song is super-catchy, melodically rich and wonderfully upbeat.  All info comes courtesy of Force Field PR. Ty Segall & White Fence share first single from new collab LP Hair out April 24 on Drag City   MP3: Ty Segall & White Fence - "I Am Not A Game" Whether you're walking, rolling and tumbling, flying, driving your car, or sitting still and meditating, wherever you go, Hair you are. You don't always see the wild mystery that comes with everyday life on this rock, but your connection to the Eternal is always present. You just can't see it. Today, you're in luck - up to your frontal eye-lobes in luck. Ty Segall & White Fence have thrown their X-...

One of my favorite albums of 2012 so far is Open Your Heart by The Men , who today made available the non-album single, "A Minor."  The track is being featured in a compilation that their record label Sacred Bones Records will be issuing for Record Store Day dubbed, Todo Muere Vol. 2. An 8 minutes psych jam, "A Minor" is a free floating desert rocker that tempts you to wallow in a daze but ultimately makes your head nod. All info comes courtesy of Life or Death PR & Management. The Men's Open Your Heart was reviewed in No Ripcord .    The Men - A Minor by sacredbones photo by: angel ceballos THE MEN ANNOUNCE WEST COAST TOUR SUMMER FESTIVALS INCLUDING PRIMAVERA, FIELD DAY & PITCHFORK HEAR A NEW SONG, "A MINOR" ON PITCHFORK The Men have already played 58 shows in 2012 - their North American tour ended on Sunday. Now, two days later, The Men are pleased to announce their West Coast tour which will kick off in June....

Inasmuch as the public and creative exploits of Tyler, The Creator and the Odd Future crew have granted them a predictable level of media scrutiny and the critical lambaste and/or acclaim that naturally follows, I find that their most admirable achievements to be the extent to which they've become something from nothing.  Odd Future is probably our decade's most compelling example of the do-it-yourself dynamic with regard to our digital age, a point of course that has been made many times by other music magazines and online publications.  Granted, if not for their tendencies to offend, their success might've been more difficult to obtain.  But, as there are evidently no limits to how successful they've become, there aren't going to be limits set in terms of how they get there.  And really, how easy is it to impose a moral compass when the rewards for its dismissal have been so fruitful?  As a single from their new release, The OF Tape Volume 2 , a video for ...

About a month ago, I wrote a small blurb about Mount Eerie ( Phil Elverum ) and his upcoming album, Clear Moon .  A new single, "House Shape," has surfaced and I've listened to it now maybe three or four times.  I like very much the psychedelic, post-punk elements to it.  There's this rhythmic repetition and long streams of organ music that remind me of Can or Neu! or even 154 era Wire .  Give the track a listen.  I think Clear Moon could possibly be one of the more interesting albums to come out in 2012.  Such could also be the case with Ocean Roar , a second release slated for later this year. All info is courtesy of Force Field PR.    Mount Eerie - "House Shape" by forcefieldpr Mount Eerie shares first single from new LP, Clear Moon , due this May STREAM: "House Shape" - http://soundcloud.com/forcefieldpr/mount-eerie-house-shape   In this first of two new albums planned for release in 2012, Mount Eerie presents a...

The news that certain bands will be releasing an album in the space of a couple months will certainly brighten a day or two, possibly even add some enthusiasm or anticipation to the coming months.  Mission Of Burma is releasing a new album, Unsound .  It will be out in July.  The band has thankfully put a single, "Dust Devil."    Mission of Burma - Dust Devil by FIRE RECORDS Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

Locrian & Mamiffer Bless Them That Curse You SIGE /Utech Records Released: 2.21.12 Cavernous and spiritual: There's a sadistic place of worship where man made, electronically manipulated sizzles and squeals can precede an otherwise beautiful and engaging piano and acoustic guitar duet, the disturbed instrumental, "In Fulminic Gaze," ritualized with heavy tom drums, the pulse beat anchoring waves of heavy feedback which find distance in their travels.  The payoff is enthralling.  Such is the nature of Bless Them That Curse You , the collaborative efforts of Chicago's noise metal champions, Locrian (members André Foisy , Terence Hannum and Steven Hess ) , and Seattle's experimental husband-wife combo, Mamiffer ( pianist Faith Coloccia and ex- Isis member, Aaron Turner) , which nurtures or punishes the coexistence of notes and tone, ambient noise and solid composition, experimental abstractions and anchored songwriting. A challenging listen, Bless...

The metal band Skeletonwitch , who'd received a good amount of thumbs-up press in 2011 for their album Forever Abomination , released a video for the song "The Infernal Resurrection."  Appropriately, as the video features live footage, Skeletonwitch began the US leg of their tour last Friday, March 23rd.  Enjoy the video and check out the info which comes to you courtesy of Earsplit PR.  The video comes courtesy of Metal Injection . Click Here To Watch The Video SKELETONWITCH: New Video Premiere Brought To You By Metal Injection US Tour Kicks Off Today; European Dates Announced Today Ohio metal titans SKELETONWITCH unveil their brand new video for “The Infernal Resurrection.” The song comes off latest album, Forever Abomination which cracked the Billboard Top 200, as well as Decibel's Top 40 of 2011 and finds the band doing what they do best: slaying ears in the live arena. To view the video, head over to THIS LOCATION . Like Satan himself set loose ...

Citing the last nine years of being a very challenging, very bold and startlingly unique and aggressive noise rock band, and having little to show for their efforts, the Canadian-bred AIDS Wolf has decided to call it quits . Photo credit: Yannick Grandmont This recent dissolution has garnered some interesting posthumous appraisals of their career and sympathy to some degree.  The band Tera Melos , who'd played with AIDS Wolf in 2009, wrote a very respectful eulogy to the band and pointed out the difficulties with being an idiosyncratic presence when popular musical trends are driven by factors like American Idol and commercial licensing.  Some bands aren't for everybody, but it does speak to our supposedly "receptive" underground media and independent blogosphere when an entity like AIDS Wolf, a band that was truly surviving off the grid, a band who were as "outsider art" in terms of their look, their sound and their musical approach as any other ban...

Mr. Gnome Softly Mad El Marko Records Released: 3.20.12 One of last year's more interesting albums was the distortion happy Madness In Miniature by Mr. Gnome , its members Nicole Barille and Sam Meister having crafted a very strong guitar album that based itself on fantastical imagery.  Mr. Gnome makes the guitar/drum duo thing work pretty well, maximizing their sound beyond what some would consider a limited musical vocab.  Actually, the record catches you by surprise, some of the band's decisions and musical shifts as cerebral as they were imaginative.   Following last year's LP, Barille and Meister have released a two-song 7" called Softly Mad , (which is digital-only apparently, so I'm still trying to figure out how physical circumference applies to digital music, but I guess that's just semantics), which differs in that it's less concerned with pop rock melodies, time signatures and alt. riffs.  Softly Mad is slow, ponderous and electronic...

Listening to Greg Ginn and the Royal We , which is performed solely by the legendary Black Flag guitarist, (my comments discounting his instrumental work with Gone ), I would call this a technologically modern continuation of his Process Of Weeding Out / John McLaughlin -inspired jazz punk excursions. His guitar work is still marvelously primitive, though the electronic elements sound kind of flat next to the rhythm section provided by Bill Stevenson and Kira Roessler . I guess you could say there’s a tad less jazz, less of Ginn’s atonal wheeze and a more melody-based approach. Of course, I’m judging based upon the song “Baiting,” which may or may not summarize the breadth of this project. All info below comes courtesy of Speakeasy PR. GREG GINN AND THE ROYAL WE AT COACHELLA; FOUR CALIFORNIA DATES ADDED   Mar. 21, 2012, Austin, Tex. -- Greg Ginn and The Royal We, Ginn's solo electro-instrumental project, has added a handful of California dates leading up to his Apr...

DINOWALRUS Bad Behavior Old Flame Records Released: 3.6.12         No Ripcord review Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

The Beatles ' animated psychedelic fairytale, Yellow Submarine , will be available on DVD and Blu-Ray this May as its 1999 incarnation has gone out of print.  Having been restored by hand, (a detail I lifted from the press release below), the new version of the film will be released with a lot of geek fodder like cels, drawings and interviews.  Also, the movie's 1999 companion release, Yellow Submarine Songtrack , will be reissued as well, (though the actual Yellow Submarine album is all you really need.) All information is brought to you courtesy of EMI.  THE BEATLES’ YELLOW SUBMARINE FEATURE FILM RESTORED FOR MAY RELEASE ON DVD AND BLU-RAY; FILM’S SONGTRACK ALBUM TO BE REISSUED Once upon a time…or maybe twice…there was an unearthly paradise called Pepperland… London – March 20, 2012 – The Beatles’ classic 1968 animated feature film, Yellow Submarine , has been digitally restored for DVD and Blu-ray release on May 28 (May 29 in North America). The film’s songtr...

Yama Seaquake EP Mind Flare Media Released: 4.12 A few weeks ago, I received an email from Mind Flare Media in regards to an EP the label is releasing called Seaquake .  The band?  A Kyuss / Goatsnake -stoner-bred rock band from The Netherlands called Yama , who don't disappoint as far as expectations set by the genre's progenitors.  Riff and speed (or, lack thereof) are all there, tripping on the slow and steady THC rock motif that the band eschews halfway through the EP's title track.   Vocally, the band toys with reverb effects, playing on some studio-induced notion of expanse or isolation.  The music itself, though, is a tad too refined to capitalize on such a device, the idea of infinite space only somewhat successful.  The guitar solo in the song "Synergy" attempts this as well and it's almost drowned underneath the chugging rhythm section, which has more emphasis. Otherwise, Seaquake is an enjoyable three songs with enough head knock to ...

In recent years, I’ve been less taken by lo-fi bands in general, sort of fed up with the “haze” and “daze” and “gaze” of each and every band tied to dreamy reverb. Engaging, though, is “Myth” by Beach House , whose new album, Bloom , will be out this May. I liked this song a lot, so give it a listen. If you trust me, of course.                         All info comes courtesy of the essential Sub Pop. BEACH HOUSE TO RELEASE BLOOM IN U.S. & CANADA ON MAY 15 VIA SUB POP + SCHEDULE MONTH-LONG TOUR TO SUPPORT Listen to “Myth” here . Sub Pop is pleased to share the details for Beach House’s 4th studio album Bloom , available in the US and Canada May 15th on CD, double-LP, and digital formats. The album will also be available in the following territories: Europe via Bella Union on May 14th, Mexico via Arts and Crafts on May 15th, and Australia via Mistletone on May 18th. Bloom...

Jooklo Duo and Bill Nace Scratch Holidays Records Released:  3.20.12 Jooklo Duo and Bill Nace 's collaborative LP, Scratch, is for those already initiated and well-acquainted with tenor based free jazz. Jooklo Duo is an Italian avant duo ( Virginia Genta and David Vanzan ) and Bill Nace is an experimental guitarist.  Their efforts have spawned two sides of loud, free form noise that blends with improvisational guitar skree; a little over 18 minutes each. One track's called "Scratch Here," the other, "Scratch There." The album is available as a limited run (350), clear vinyl with multi-color spatter.     Here's a sample:    Jooklo Duo and Bill Nace: Scratch (excerpt) by Holidays Records Here's some info provided by Holidays Records: Two sides of ecstatic noise captured on tape by Jason Lafarge at Seizures Palace, Brooklyn, in occasion of the East Coast and Midwest Tour of the Italian psychedelic tenor sax and drums duo of ...

My Daddy’s a DJ... ...so nothing is his. An enthusiast’s view In an admirer’s biz. Fusing together A melodious muck. Arguing the difference Between the bad and the suck. Through dust and through board Are stacks of his wares. A collection of things And he knows what's there. From passion to fashion; From cut to create; Every song, every word, Every flaw, every date. My Daddy’s a DJ... A talent for zip. A fondness for pop, His achievements a blip. A platter of spin, A needle to spark. The conversation a blur, The relationship stark. Our connection not there, His attention remiss. Our bond's episodic As we hug or we kiss. I wage my rebellion, My path’s looking bright. His soundtrack is all He can offer my spite. My Daddy’s a DJ... And his passion’s missed out. Though expert in sound, His life is in doubt. His hours invested, His ears taking toll. His lack of a presence, Leaving a hole. I grew up too fast. My days turned to years. Hi...

The Sleep Maps , a New York City post-rock band revolving around the more paranoid and militaristic aspects of classic science fiction, are putting out an independently produced album, Fiction Makes The Future , which was performed solely by Sleep Map, Ben Kaplan .  The band's first single, "Men Against The Stars," has premiered online alongside a teaser trailer for the album. NYC post-metal band Sleep Maps premiere first track from forthcoming album via Prefix Mag Click image above to watch album teaser video New York City post-metal band Sleep Maps premiere the first track from their forthcoming album today via Prefix Mag. The song " Men Against The Stars " is culled from the quartet's retro-futurism inspired concept album, Fiction Makes The Future and is available to stream/download HERE . Check out an album teaser video HERE . Sleep Maps play a handful of New York area shows this spring before embarking on a more extensive tour in support of the albu...

Word came late last night that Dopesmoker , the epic single song album from stoner legends, Sleep , is getting reissued by Southern Lord. Sleep 's Al Cisneros at the Starlight Ballroom, 9.7.10 The album that ultimately led to the band's demise in the mid-90s, Dopesmoker was considered unmarketable by Sleep's then label, London Records.  Compromise on the band's part led to a rewritten and edited version of the album dubbed, Jerusalem , but this move was deemed unsatisfactory.  The excellent bands Om and High On Fire arose from Sleep's ashes. An official version of Jerusalem was issued in the late 90s by The Music Cartel , followed by the definitive Dopesmoker in 2003 by Tee Pee Records . All info below comes courtesy of Earsplit PR. Related links: Sleep at the Starlight Ballroom, 9.7.10, Philadelphia, PA. Om at Johnny Brenda's, 11.15.07, Philadelphia, PA. High On Fire — Snakes For The Divine Om — Pilgrimage Om — Live Conference Shrin...

For any of you that have been reading Letters From A Tapehead over the last year or so, you may have noticed an occasional review or two for new music either released or reissued on cassette. The underground’s favorite format has persisted to exist even though tape decks and boomboxes are scarce and the technology itself has been written off as obsolete. Cassette-centric labels have sprung up and, along with the LP, basically defied the push by digital media to dominate the marketplace with convenient, mediocre MP3s and wipe out the production of tangible, high quality formats. Okay, we’re talking cassette tapes so, realistically speaking, the MP3 isn’t in any danger of losing the battle. But, the appeal here is that the cassette culture of years ago is finding its second wind, tape swapping and marketing with regard to underground and local music scenes being, in its essence, the first wave of what was to become file sharing. With this in mind, I’ve been locating and compilin...

I caught news of this Woods / Amps For Christ split LP a couple weeks ago, but I wanted to wait to post about it until a track became available, which happened today.  "From Oatmeal to Buttermilk" is an improvisational couple minutes' worth of sitar psychedelia and is apparently the only collaborative track on the LP.  Otherwise, standard to the practice of split releases, there's a side for each artist. All info, links and tour dates are provided by Force Field PR. Woods shares new track from split LP w/ Amps For Christ   STREAM: Woods - "Wind Was The Wine"  http://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/13269-wind-was-the-wine/   MP3: Woods & Amps For Christ - "From Oatmeal to Buttermilk" - http://p4k.in/xHL4Tg   There has been a tradition going back to almost the begin of Shrimper of artists on the label collaborating with one another. From John Davis/Lou Barlow 's Folk Implosion to Franklin Bruno & John Darnielle 's E...

The Men Open Your Heart Sacred Bones Records Released: 3.6.12         No Ripcord review Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead