TV Ghost: "Five Colors Blind" (Video)

I posted the first single, "Elevator," from TV Ghost a couple weeks ago.  A new video and single has surfaced and it's worth checking out.



The band will be releasing a new album, Disconnect, in early September via In The Red.  All info comes courtesy of Enabler PR.

TV GHOST PREMIERE “FIVE COLORS BLIND” VIDEO

NEW ALBUM DISCONNECT OUT SEPTEMBER 3 ON IN THE RED RECORDS

LISTEN TO FIRST SINGLE “ELEVATOR” FROM DISCONNECT

Today, psychedelic post-punks, TV Ghost, premiered their new video “Five Colors Blind” with Vice’s Noisey HERE. On September 3, TV Ghost release their third full-length LP, Disconnect, on In The Red Records. Disconnect pushes the Indiana born band even further down their unparalleled tunnel of multidimensional broadcast interceptions. They have incorporated churning rhythms and psychedelic drone into a lush torrent of gaseous keys, sprawling guitars and eerie melody – echoing some Can kraut and Bad Seeds swagger, while infectiously stirring together a grinding, goth sludge of Heaven Up Here-era Bunnymen and The Cure’s Pornography. Check out their first single “Elevator” HERE on TV Ghost’s Soundcloud and watch “Five Colors Blind” HERE on YouTube!

Tim Gick was just returning from the alley back into the scene of the aborted show that had shamed him out of the record store. The guitar and bass so recently abandoned, had been taken up by Jackson VanHorn and Brahne Hoeft respectively. It was early in the year 2005. The three spent the next year or so together with Jimmy Frezza in stoned tragedy, hammering away obscurely, trying to divine signs in the wake of small town existence. But nothing would stabilize. Stark times for an isolated teenager with no prospect for the future. In late 2006, with a shared malaise for the cultural waste that had born them up, TV Ghost was formed. Now after six years of extensive touring TV Ghost bring you Disconnect. With the cybernetic squalor of Cold Fish and the churning sea-saw of Mass Dream, still lingering in strands overhead, TV Ghost have found a new maturity in their third full-length for In The Red Records. Disconnect is a journey to the depths of the dream and its awakening.

TV Ghost
Disconnect
In The Red, September 3

1 – Five Colors Blind
2 – Veils
3 – Placid Deep
4 – Stranger
5 – Dread Park
6 – Elevator
7 – A Maze of Death
8 – Cloud Blue Moments
9 – Others Will Be Born
10 – Siren

TV GHOST ON FACEBOOK
TV GHOST ON BANDCAMP
TV GHOST ON SOUNDCLOUD
TV GHOST ON TWITTER

Sincerely,
Letters From A Tapehead

Singles: dBridge, Esmerine, Gaytheist, Big French, Sleepmakeswaves

dBridge: "Death of a Drum Machine" (via R&S Records/Force Field PR)




Esmerine: "Barn Board Fire" (via The Quietus)




Gaytheist: "Stomach Pains" (via Good to Die Records/Whitey McConnaughy)




Big French: "In the Morning of the World" (via Enabler PR)




Sleepmakeswaves: "In Limbs and Joints" (via Us/Them Group)



Sincerely,
Letters From A Tapehaed

No Ripcord: Big Black Cloud

Big Black Cloud
Black Friday
Eolian Empire
Released: 7.2.13

No Ripcord review

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Letters From A Tapehead

What I Heard This Morning: Outer Gods & Orbweaver

Like ketchup blood and styrofoam horns, like filmic depravity played out on scarred celluloid, the aurally charged "Beyond the Crimson Gate," a single (of sorts) by Outer Gods, relishes in the grim and brings to mind age old horror at its most gratifying.  A gruesome twosome if you will, (members The Flail and The Wrathe… no joke) Outer Gods is releasing an album at the end of July titled Light Dims Eternal via Domestic Genocide.

Check out the single and the video below.  All info comes courtesy Earsplit PR.




OUTER GODS: Atlanta Post-Blackened Noise Duo To Unleash Domestic Genocide Debut

New Video Single Posted

“The dream was marvelous but the terror was great; we must treasure the dream whatever the terror; for the dream has shown that misery comes at last to the healthy man, the end of his life is sorrow.” – The Epic of Gilgamesh

Atlanta post blackened noise duo OUTER GODS recently joined forces with eclectic label imprint Domestic Genocide for the release of their Light Dims Eternal debut. Offering up five sordid tones of torment, OUTER GODS conjure an absorbing audio voyage, their dismal soundscapes as corrosive as they are cathartic. Written and recorded and written by the band and mastered by James Andrew, Light Dims Eternal will be unleashed on July 30,, 2013.

In the meantime, sample the "Beyond the Crimson Gate" video single at THIS LOCATION.

Light Dims Eternal Track Listing:
1. Future Decay
2. Due Sabatti
3. Beyond the Crimson Gate
4. Blessed Be the Host of Sorrow
5. From Behind The Walls, She Heard a Voice Like an Angel

The paths travelers take to find their way in this life are as complicated a labyrinth as the mind itself. But forever will a true traveler move onward. Musicians take to backroads and lonely highways as well. It’s the fate of any dreamer, to never truly stand still.

OUTER GODS is a duo, two musicians and travelers who somehow found each other amidst the modern monotony and machinery. The Flail raises musical tones from guitar and keyboards. The Wrathe culls ethereal sounds from electronics and synthesizers. Though they had played together in various noise and avant-garde projects around their hometown of Atlanta, they started anew with OUTER GODS in the murky winter of 2011. When they took on their new titles as the Flail and the Wrathe, they also adopted a new philosophy. Over the course of 2012, the band embarked upon the release of two EPs -- The Mountain’s Den and Mael Medusa -- both of which were self-produced in the seclusion of the band’s private sanctuary over the course of many months.

Order Light Dims Eternal at THIS LOCATION.

___________________________________________________________________

And, this just kicks ass. 

Orbweaver's "Crystal Prisms," the new single from the band's upcoming EP, Strange Transmissions from the Neuralnomicon, transcends any typified death and/or black metal motifs by seeming to owe some of its credit to Captain Beefheart.  This EP outdoes much of what I've heard from recent progressive metal and post-metal bands, its aggression unrelenting as Orbweaver knocks through time signatures and seamless rhythmic transitions with technical acuity and a fascinatingly psych-candy/monster movie approach to composition.  It's like listening to Carcass cover Frank Zappa's "Cheepnis."

"Crystal Prisms" can be heard right here.  Once again, Earsplit PR is to be thanked for providing info. 



ORBWEAVER: Miami Psychedelic Noise Conjurers To Drop New EP Next Month

Miami psychedelic noise conjurers, ORBWEAVER, are readying the release of their Strange Transmissions from the Neuralnomicon EP. A maniacal journey through modulating realities, the five-track mind eraser was recorded at Miami’s Pinecrust Studios with Jonathan Nunez of Torche at the controls and mixed/mastered with Brian Elliot at Mana Recording Studios (Hate Eternal, Cannibal Corpse, Goatwhore, Exhumed). ORBWEAVER’s tones spiral through the realms of psychedelia, noise, and a warped interpretation of death metal. Fluctuating between these erratic, trance-like elements, the foursome produce an eclectic sonic ruckus reminiscent of a Zappa-esque brand of controlled chaos. Strange Transmissions from the Neuralnomicon will be unleashed August 2nd in a limited run of 100 cassette tapes via Primitive Violence Records and on CD direct through the band.

Sample third track, “Crystal Prisms,” at THIS LOCATION.
Strange Transmissions from the Neuralnomicon Track Listing:
1. Xoxotic
2. Those Of Non-Being
3. Crystal Prisms
4. Tragic Orbit: A Doomed Cosmic Starship
5. The Church Warden Procedure

Fittingly dubbed “deranged, psychedelic death metal hurdling through space at speeds that make The Millennium Falcon look like your little sister’s moped,” by Orlandooom.com and, “a dissonant, warped interpretation of technical death metal, spliced with sheer blasts of chaotic noise and a mangled black-metal influence that claws its way to the surface halfway through,” by Saltyeggs.com, ORBWEAVER was forged in 2010 by guitarist/vocalist Randy Piro (ex-Hate Eternal, Gigan) and drummer Mike Pena. Together they recorded a self-titled, three-song demo. Shortly after, lead guitarist Sally Gates (ex-Gigan) and bassist Jason Ledgard joined the fold. Mike Pena parted ways with the group in 2013, and was replaced by drummer/percussionist Scott Spasiano.

Coinciding with the unveiling of Strange Transmissions from the Neuralnomicon, ORBWEAVER will bring their cosmic pandemonium to the live front on a short run of dates through the Sunshine State. Set to commence at Churchill’s Pub in Miami on August 2nd, the band will twist the sound waves of Orlando, St. Petersburg, Jacksonville and Lake worth with addition dates being scheduled through the Fall.

ORBWEAVER Live Actions 2013:
8/02/2013 Churchill's Pub - Miami, FL
8/03/2013 Will's Pub - Orlando, FL
8/04/2013 Bowman Motorcycles - St. Petersburg, FL
8/05/2013 Burro Bar - Jacksonville, FL
9/14/2013 Speakeasy - Lake Worth, FL
10/11/2013 Churchill's Pub - Miami, FL

Sincerely,
Letters From A Tapehead

Going Underground: Trailer

There's a new documentary examining Paul McCartney's role in UK's underground scene during the latter half of the 60s called, Going Underground: Paul McCartney, the Beatles, and the UK Counter-Culture.  As John Lennon is the Beatle often associated with the avant-garde simply because he married a pop artist who liked to bellow and squeal ad-fucking-nauseum and drive nails into wood, McCartney had investigated the likes of John Cage and Stockhausen while The Beatles were investing their drug-'spanded hues into studio output and had apparently rubbed shoulders with some interesting, "far out" folk.  Very interested to check this out. 

Give the trailer a look and read up.  All info comes courtesy of MVD Entertainment Group.



GOING UNDERGROUND
Paul McCartney, the Beatles, and the UK Counter-Culture

Coming to DVD on October 1st

In the mid-1960s the often rigid and colourless British way of life was irrevocably transformed by the emergence of a cultural underground movement. Led by a loose collective of young radicals, they introduced new social, sexual and aesthetic perspectives. Operating out of the heart of London, their various activities, from 'The International Times' - a bi-weekly journal that no hipster could be seen without - to the psychedelic nightclub UFO, promoted alternative lifestyles and values, and sparked a social revolution.

This film not only traces the history of this underground scene, but also explores its impact on the pre-eminent British group of the era, The Beatles. Although they were well established by the time the movement emerged, Paul McCartney in particular, was closely linked with several of its key players, and through his exposure to cutting edge concepts brought ideas directly from the avant-garde into the mainstream.

Featuring many new interviews with key players from the time including; IT editor and long term friend of Paul McCartney, Barry Miles; founder of IT and UFO club organiser, John 'Hoppy' Hopkins; founder of UFO and Pink Floyd producer, Joe Boyd; Soft Machine drummer, Robert Wyatt; drummer from experimental improvisational collective AMM, Eddie Prevost; proprietor of Indica, the counter-cultural gallery, John Dunbar; Underground scenester, vocalist with The Deviants and IT journalist, Mick Farren; plus author of 'Days in the Life: Voices from the English Underground 1961 - 1971', Jonathon Greene; Beatles expert, Chris Ingham and Mojo jounalist Mark Paytress.

Also includes rare archive footage, photographs from private collections and music from The Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Soft Machine, AMM and others.

Pre-order: http://www.seeofsound.com/p.php?s=PGDVD161

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Letters From A Tapehead

jesu: "Friends Are Evil" (because they tell you about new jesu albums)

I've yet to hear any audio from jesu's (Justin K. Broadrick) upcoming new album, Every Day I Get Closer to the Light From Which I Came, which is a rather spiritually macabre title to an album that will undoubtedly get the Godflesh geeks doubly eager since the band has reunited. 

All info comes courtesy of Rarely Unable. 



JESU ANNOUNCES SEPTEMBER 23 RELEASE DATE AND ALBUM TITLE OF UPCOMING STUDIO ALBUM

Justin K. Broadrick has today announced that jesu's upcoming studio album is to be released in the UK/EU on September 23, 2013. Formats will include CD, digital and vinyl.

Over two years in the making, the follow up to 2011's full length album Ascension is titled Every Day I Get Closer to the Light From Which I Came. jesu mainman Justin K Broadrick slowly worked at this album while remaining active with the reunited Godflesh, and pursuing other projects and remixes, as is usual for Justin; in this period amongst many, Justin has remixed both Mogwai and Cult Of Luna.

This ‘rest’ period from jesu enabled Justin to focus on what should be the next step for the project. Godflesh’s renewed existence has enabled him to fine tune what jesu now means to him: this album is less reliant on the shorter guitar lead songs, and instead looks further inward to reveal a deeper, sombre, but more dynamic musical experience than 2011's Ascension.

Meanwhile, visit http://justinkbroadrick.com/ or find Justin K Broadrick on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Justin-K-Broadrick/118373041529126

Sincerely,
Letters From A Tapehead

MusicFilmWeb: Downloaded

MusicFilmWeb's Music Documentary Monday feature, 7.22.

Downloaded
Directed by Alex Winter
Released: 2013

 MusicFilmWeb review

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Letters From A Tapehead

Yuck: "Rebirth" (Video)

Milking the Loveless teet, a new single from Yuck has emerged.  

"Rebirth" is the first single from the band's upcoming new album, (which I guess is still lacking a title), and works its way through the harmonized textures of fuzz-laden shoegazing r 'n r. Is it good? Sure — just derivative.  As indicated by the single, this is something the band hasn't changed.

Since My Bloody Valentine decided to follow-up their widely celebrated opus with a new album this year, I'm not sure Yuck continues to fill the void left vacant for years during the subsequent tides of late 90s nü metal and alterna-hackery and the garage revivalism and indie nostalgia campaigns that took place through most of the 00s.  Yuck sounded kind of refreshing despite its homage-worthy output.  That being said, will they remain relevant?  Thoughts?  Feel free to comment.

I reviewed the band's 2011 self-title debut for No Ripcord. All info and links are courtesy of Force Field PR.

Yuck shares new single, "Rebirth" - new album due this Fall on Fat Possum

Stream it here or download it here

Yuck are very excited to unveil the first brand new track from their forthcoming LP, due this Fall on Fat Possum in North America.

Gorgeous and chiming, burnished and glowing, "Rebirth" unfurls slowly yet majestically, giving up its charms gradually. Anchored by lead singer Max Bloom's beautifully assured vocals, it is at once intrinsically Yuck while at the same time hinting at the start of an exciting new chapter for the band.

The much anticipated second album will arrive later this year on Pharmacy Recording Co/ Fat Possum. Produced by Chris Coady (Beach House, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, TV On the Radio), it is bound to be one of the most treasured new albums of the year. Read more about the making of the album over at SPIN.

Download "Rebirth" from www.yuckband.com

YUCK LINKS:
Official site - http://www.yuckband.com
Label - http://www.fatpossum.com

Sincerely,
Letters From A Tapehead

Lumerians: "Life Without Skin" (Video)

The video is cool, but the song is better.

This new single from Lumerians' upcoming album, The High Frontier, ably generates the nervous energy that the video is attempting to match visually, its repetition, noir-ish narration and sudden changes in tempo, not to mention the theremin-like buzz that travels through its every melody (the song is riddled with science fiction), enough to heighten the senses.  Post-punk still manages to sound fresh well over thirty years past its point of origin, so long as it's done well.

Check out the video, listen to the song and then read the info that was happily provided by Life or Death PR.

Lumerians - Life without Skin from m m on Vimeo.


LUMERIANS SHARE NEW VIDEO FOR "LIFE WITHOUT SKIN" VIA NOISEY

THE HIGH FRONTIER AVAILABLE AUGUST 27TH VIA PARTISAN RECORDS

WATCH: "Life Without Skin" - https://vimeo.com/69453198
 

In advance of the release of their new album The High Frontier, Lumerians are sharing a new video for their single "Life Without Skin." The video documents a young woman's perilous journey through the city at night, which Noisey calls "an apt visual accompaniment for the San Francisco band's distinctive psych rock." The High Frontier drops on Partisan records August 27th.

About Lumerians:
Between the vast expanses and disparate extremes of space lies The High Frontier: a term coined by Gerard K. O'Neil in his illustrated 1976 book depicting human colonization of space.

In their new thusly titled LP, out August 6th through Partisan, Oakland's Lumerians thrust forward with Krautrock inspired exploration, Afrobeat's ritualistic rhythms, post-punk guitar noise and cracked-glacé synth lines culled from perverse 1970's sci-fi soundtracks.

It's a cacophony of sound in which Lumerians acknowledge the role noise and rhythm has always played in transcendent and ecstatic rituals the world over. From the repetitious drums of tribal animists to the penetrating electronic pulses of neon dance clubs, The High Frontier sets scope outward, points blindfolded at a star map and sets off full blast without making course corrections.

As the first video to make its way online, "The Bloom" reveals a band who, not content with the intensity of the space rock sounds, also believe that sound & vision are parts of a greater whole. Since forming in 2006, Lumerians have gained notoriety for their intense performances, stunning live visuals and thematic otherworldly releases.

The six tracks and 33 minutes that make up The High Frontier were recorded and produced in Lumerians' self-built studio/brewery: a room housed in a converted store-front church in a neighborhood affectionately referred to as the "Murder Dubbs".

Lumerians is Tyler Green, Chris Musgrave, Jason Miller and Marc Melzer. Formed in early 2006 while most of the members were working at an experimental music label in San Francisco, their shared affinity for Krautrock and esoteric occult mythologies resulted in after-work jam sessions and recording.

After self-releasing their debut EP in 2008, they signed to Knitting Factory Records in 2011 for their debut LP release Transmalinnia - a record which, during the two years it took to record, was almost entirely scrapped and re-recorded several times. In 2012 supplementary small-pressing instrumental records Transmissions from Telos Vol. IV and The Weaning and the Dreaming quickly sold out in the hands of collectors.

Sincerely,
Letters From A Tapehead

Shopping For Records: "Yes, I'm the Annoying Shopper That Doesn't Give a Fuck About the In-Store Performance. So, Move."

If you're not in the mood to work through a crowd while digging for albums, check the record store's events calendar.  Mind you I'm certainly not against bands performing in record stores.  I was at Siren Records last night, doing a little overdue perusal and happy at the fact that the store was packed.  If music fans are in the store, it's likely they'll walk out with worthwhile purchases tucked under their arms and the store will carry on another day. 

However, it had been a while since I'd had the opportunity to hang out at the record store and casually survey the wares.  To facilitate the night's acts, half the store had to be blocked off by a raised platform and obviously a drum kit and sound equipment, which leaves the other half of the store available for the audience, the bands' gear and merch.  Consequently, I couldn't shop a good portion of the store.  I was able to hit the new releases, the indie/punk/hardcore/metal section and the jazz section (mostly) where I watched some completely oblivious, though likely uncaring, jerk-off lean his ass on top of a stack of upright vinyl, which bent under his weight.  It was a night of "excuse me"'s, but I still left with a few wanted items.

Queens of the Stone Age
...Like Clockwork
Matador Records
Released: 6.4.13

Because, I'm not going to buy an independent release at fucking Target (and I know I'm beating that dead horse with a sledgehammer, but I'm sensitive).

QOTSA's ...Like Clockwork is easily one of my favorite albums of 2013, so there wasn't the slightest bit of hesitancy on my part once I located a copy.  I didn't even care about the price, (about $24, which was comparable to prices online).  150gm, double LP, excellent artwork...  I almost felt bad removing the shrink wrap. 

I reviewed ...Like Clockwork at Stereokiller if you'd like to read a proper assessment. 

High On Fire
The Art of Self-Defense (2012 reissue)
Southern Lord Recordings
Originally released: 3.7.00 (via Man's Ruin)
Reissued: 7.31.12

Siren wanted roughly $30 for the recently reissued vinyl edition of High On Fire's The Art of Self-Defense.  While this album is genius enough to warrant such an expense, I wasn't really in a position to blow most of the money I had on one album.  Would've made for a very quick and anti-climactic evening.  It wasn't the first and only wanted item that I passed over: the 2012 reissue of Sleep's Dopesmoker, Ensemble Pearl's new album, Mamiffer/Locrian's Bless Them That Curse You and many other albums that were just out of my price range by ten or twelve dollars.  In light of how vinyl can sometimes be pretty expensive, it would probably make sense to stop by the record store to make a single purchase as opposed to what I did, which was try to stretch my dollar for all it was worth and walk out of the store with as much as I could.

While I didn’t spend the $30 for a vinyl edition of the album, I picked it up on CD instead.  I was just really in the mood to listen to it and I'd been meaning to own it for some time.

I reviewed this reissue for Stereokiller. You can find the review here.

Wire
"Ahead" Single 12" (Promo)
Enigma Records
Released: 1987

I thought this was a good find.

 
I do NOT own a copy of Wire's 1987 release, The Ideal Copy, which was reissued by Mute in 2000.  Amazon has new copies going for upwards of $100 on CD, so…  sure, that'll happen.  In the meantime, though, I managed to locate "Ahead," which is a single from The Ideal Copy.  There are two versions of the title cut and three live tracks, which were included in Mute's reissue of the LP.  I paid $6.

Sincerely,
Letters From A Tapehead

Singles: Boyfrndz, Dead in the Dirt, TV Ghost, Joanna Gruesome, Morcheeba

Boyfrndz: "Moving Parts" (via Terroreyes.TV)




Dead in the Dirt: "The Blaring Eye" (via Lambgoat)

https://soundcloud.com/earsplit/dead-in-the-dirt-the-blaring


TV Ghost: "Elevator" (via Pitchfork/Enabler PR)




Joanna Gruesome: "Secret Surprise" (via Brooklyn Vegan)




Morcheeba: "Gimme Your Love" (via PIAS America/VEVO)



Sincerely,
Letters From A Tapehead

Wire — 7.13.13

Wire at the Union Transfer, 7.13.13.

Photo by Jenniah Janisheck Caldwell

Sincerely,
Letters From A Tapehead

Cattle Decapitation: "An Exposition of Insides"

Because it's now less than two hours till weekend time, (and I know what hard working, dedicated and tireless lot read my piddly, self-aggrandizing and annoyingly positioned to be "in the know" brand of bullshit), it seemed like the right thing to do to offer you this single from Cattle Decapitation. Why? Because that's what nice motherfucker I am. Plus, ignoring the obviousness of what some may consider plain obnoxious, this single, which is titled "An Exposition of Insides," happens to be the Japanese-only inclusion of the band's album, Monolith of Inhumanity, which was released in May of 2012.  Citing the dismay of many of the band's American fans, Cattle Decapitation is issuing the "Your Disposal" 7" and including this rarity as its B-Side.

The band will be touring as part of this year's Summer Slaughter tour, sharing the bill with the likes of The Dillinger Escape Plan, Animals As Leaders, Periphery, Norma Jean, The Ocean, Revocation and Aeon.

 

All info, links and tour dates are courtesy of Earsplit PR.

CATTLE DECAPITATION To Release "Your Disposal" 7" Single
Band Prepares To Level Stages At Summer Slaughter

CATTLE DECAPITATION will be releasing a 7" single this Summer. "Your Disposal" features the B-side, "An Exposition of Insides," which was previously available only as a Japanese bonus track on the band's most recent album, Monolith of Inhumanity. The single is available (both black and clear vinyl) for order on-line on indiemerchstore.com for $5.50, as well as in a bundle with a T-shirt for $18.99. Pick up your copy of the single HERE, and check out the T-shirt bundle HERE. Fans attending this year's The Summer Slaughter Tour can grab their copy at the band's merch booth throughout the tour.

Vocalist Travis Ryan comments: "We noticed a lot of people were dismayed to find out there was a track available out there on a Japanese version of Monolith of Inhumanity that nobody outside of Japan had ever heard before. When it hit YouTube, that's when we started getting emails from fans. We noticed the lyrics weren't inside that version or available anywhere at all so that gave us the idea of throwing it on a B-side and releasing a 7" vinyl single for 'Your Disposal' with the song 'An Exposition of Insides!' We feel that Monolith is the mother of all of our releases so far and I thought it'd be funny to make it look like she just squirted out a baby and that's what this little guy looks like. Just in time for Summer Slaughter!"

The most extreme tour of the year has returned with its most devastating and anticipated lineup yet. The 7th annual Summer Slaughter Tour, presented by Indie Merch Store, ESP and Guitar World, is now officially slated to run from July 19th through August 24th. It features such heavyweights as The Dillinger Escape Plan, Animals As Leaders, Periphery, Norma Jean, Cattle Decapitation, The Ocean, Revocation, Aeon and more. See dates below:

CATTLE DECAPITATIONThe Summer Slaughter Tour w/ The Dillinger Escape Plan, Animals As Leaders, Periphery, Norma Jean, The Ocean, Revocation, Aeon, Rings of Saturn, Thy Art is Murder
7/19/2013 Regency Ballrom – San Francisco, CA
7/20/2013 House of Blues – Los Angeles, CA
7/21/2013 The Observatory/Constellation Room – Santa Ana, CA
7/24/2013 Diamond Ballroom – Oklahoma City, OK
7/25/2013 The Scott Inn – Austin, TX
7/26/2013 House of Blues – Dallas, TX
7/27/2013 House of Blues – Houston, TX
7/28/2013 Vinyl Music Hall - Pensacola, FL **Off date w/ Aeon, Animals As Leaders, Periphery, Norma Jean, Revocation**
7/30/2013 The Masquerade – Atlanta, GA
7/31/2013 Old City Courtyard – Knoxville, TN
8/01/2013 House of Blues – Myrtle Beach, SC
8/02/2013 The Filmore Silver Springs – Silver Springs, MD
8/03/2013 The Palladium – Worcester, MA **no Norma Jean **w/ special guests Unearth
8/04/2013 The Trocadero – Philadelphia, PA
8/07/2013 Best Buy Theater – New York, NY
8/08/2013 Sound Academy – Toronto, ON
8/09/2013 Metropolis – Montreal, QC
8/10/2013 Upstate Concert Hall – Clifton Park, NY
8/11/2013 The Majestic Theatre – Detroit, MI
8/12/2013 House of Blues – Chicago, IL
8/13/2013 The Rave – Milwaukee, WI
8/14/2013 The Cabooze – Minneapolis, MN
8/16/2013 Ogden Theatre – Denver, CO
8/17/2013 The Complex – Salt Lake City, UT
8/18/2013 The Venue - Caldwell, ID **Off date w/ Revocation, Aeon, Thy Art Is Murder, Dark Sermon
8/19/2013 Snowbox Sodo – Seattle, WA
8/20/2013 Roseland Ballroom – Portland, OR

http://www.metalblade.com/cattledecapitation
http://twitter.com/cattledecap
http://www.youtube.com/officialcattledecap
http://www.facebook.com/cattledecapitation

Sincerely,
Letters From A Tapehead

Monogamy Party: "Crimes"

A quick flash of artful whut: Monogamy Party's "Crimes" is the first single from the band's upcoming debut, False Dancers.  Grazing the No Wave propensity to whir, whine and wince, Monogamy Party's up tempo barrage of noise rock stops and starts, motors and twists.  It's brackish and aggro, strange enough not to readily categorize "punk" or "problem child rock."

False Dancers will be out September 17th.  

All info is provided courtesy of Good to Die Records.




MONOGAMY PARTY shares details of first full length

False Dancers out September 17th

Stream new song "Crimes" via SoundCloud

July 10th, 2013, Seattle - The original trio of Monogamy Party - Kennedy on vocals, Yos-wa on bass, and Keith on drums - was a powerful enough entity. Just take another spin through their impish and intense 10" EP Pus City right now if you don't believe us. Or, just listen to the good people at Seattle Weekly who called the record a "gritty, well-crafted noise rock wonderland." Now, just imagine injecting even more tumult into the mix via the Party's new guitarist Ricky. The results are downright volatile. 

Again, you needn't take our words for it. You just have to crack open the bristling white-hot energy that is the band's debut full-length False Dancers to experience it firsthand.
Recorded with the help of Austin Thomason (Jeremy Enigk, Pleasureboaters) and his mobile Mt. Plyushkin Studios, the band retreated to Granite Falls - the meth capitol of Washington State - to a property that was the former home of a hoarder who lived with a swarm of rabbits and peacocks. "It's crazy up there," says Kennedy. "Abandoned cars and garbage and metal everywhere. There’s even a pack of wild roosters roaming around." 

The joy and chaos of that experience blazes out of these 10 songs, with Ricky's screeching guitar lines cutting through the thick syrupy sounds stirred up by the rhythm section. While the vocals flux between controlled narration demanding attention and squeals of frustration as Kennedy struggles to keep up with the rest of the band. They may cull from more serious influences like early Sonic Youth, Black Eyes, and Arab on Radar, but the sound of False Dancers is a sweat-soaked, drug-fueled dance party.

"The mission of the band," says Kennedy, "is to create a sex positive, drug positive experience amid the frustration and chaos that constantly surrounds us."

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Letters From A Tapehead

No Ripcord: Master Musicians of Bukkake

Master Musicians of Bukkake
Far West
Important Records
Released: 6.10.13

No Ripcord review

Sincerely,
Letters From A Tapehead

iSub Pop...

As more and more good music becomes available digitally it grows ever difficult to dissuade music consumers from spending their green on files.  While I know it's important for record labels, (indies especially), to remain current and competitive, which makes providing a digital option essential, the control employed by the likes of iTunes removes much of the ownership of music legally purchased and the product is normally substandard anyway. 

But, that's the purist in me talking.  In all honesty, considering the list of albums and singles that Sub Pop will now be making available through iTunes, at least the digital library is becoming a better stocked and more varied resource.  Recognizing 25 years of Sub Pop, here's the lable's remarkable discography, some of which is available after years of being out of print.

All info comes courtesy of Sub Pop (naturally).


Sub Pop Classic Albums Mastered For iTunes
Out Of Print Singles Available For The First Time Digitally
Sub Pop 101 Label & Individual Artist Collections

In honor of Sub Pop's 25th Anniversary, Sub Pop and iTunes today are pleased to announce www.itunes.com/subpop. The label store features: classic albums from Nirvana, The Postal Service, Beach House, Fleet Foxes, Washed Out, The Head and the Heart and more, mastered for iTunes ensuring the music is delivered to listeners with increased audio fidelity, more closely replicating what the artists, recording engineers and producers had intended.

There are also five singles previously unavailable digitally from The White Stripes, Iron and Wine, The Black Lips, Stereolab and Lower Dens. These much sought after singles were previously only available as limited edition 7" singles.

The 101 track Sub Pop 101 collection is also available, featuring key songs from the labels history including hits, staff favorites, and overlooked gems. Additionally, you will find complete collections from Fleet Foxes and Flight of the Conchords available as one product. The Flight of the Conchords collection also includes the previously unavailable track "Albi the Racist Dragon.”

Please find a complete list of available releases below.

20 Classic Albums Mastered for iTunes 
Afghan Whigs - Congregation
Band of Horses - Everything All the Time 
Beach House - Bloom
Blitzen Trapper - Furr 
Dum Dum Girls - Only in Dreams
Father John Misty - Fear Fun
Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
Flight of the Conchords - Flight of the Conchords
Iron and Wine - The Shepherd's Dog
J Mascis - Several Shades of Why
METZ - METZ
Nirvana - Bleach
No Age - Nouns 
The Postal Service - Give Up
Shabazz Palaces - Black Up
Sunny Day Real Estate - Diary
The Head and the Heart - The Head and the Heart
The Shins - Wincing the Night Away 
Washed Out - Within and Without



Previously Unavailable Singles
The White Stripes - "Party of Special Things To Do"
The Black Lips - "Disconnect"
Iron and Wine - “Call Your Boys"
Stereolab - "Lo Boob Oscillator"
Lower Dens - "Deer Knives"



Sub Pop 101
A-Frames - “Eva Braun”
Afghan Whigs - “Rebirth of Cool” 
Band of Horses - “The Funeral”Beach House - “Myth”Beachwood Sparks - “By Your Side”
Black Lips - “Disconnect” 
Blitzen Trapper - “Black River Killer”
Chad VanGaalen - “Willow Tree” 
Cocorosie - “Lemonade” 
Codeine - “Sea” 
Comets on Fire - “Sour Smoke” 
Constantines - “Arizona” 
CSS - “Music Is My Hot Hot Sex” 
Damian Jurado - “Ohio” 
Daughn Gibson - “Kissin on the Blacktop” 
David Cross - “My Child Is Enthralling” 
Dntel - “The Dream of Evan and Chan” 
Dum Dum Girls - “Coming Down” 
Dwarves - “Drug Store” 
Earth - “Tallahassee” 
Elevator to Hell - “Three More Weeks” 
Eric Matthews - “Fanfare”
Eric’s Trip - “Behind the Garage”
Fastbacks - “Gone to the Moon”
Father John Misty - “Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings”
feedtime - “rocknroll”
Fleet Foxes - “Mykonos”
Flight of the Conchords - “Hiphopopotamus Vs Rhymenoceros”
Foals - “Spanish Sahara”
Fruit Bats - “When You Love Somebody”
Goat - “Dreambuilding”
Godheadsilo - “Relationshit”
Green River - “Queen Bitch”
Handsome Furs - “All We Want, Baby, Is Everything”
Hot Hot Heat - “Bandages”
Husky - “History’s Door”
Iron & Wine - “Naked As We Came”
J Mascis - “Not Enough”
Jermey Enigk - “Explain”
Kelley Stoltz - “Prank Calls”
King Tuff - “Bad Thing”
Kinski - “Semaphore”
L7 - “Shove”
Low - “Walk into the Sea”
Lower Dens - “Track A”
Mark Lanegan - “Where Did You Sleep Last Night”
Mark Sultan - “Hold On”
Mogwai - “Mexican Grand Prix”
Mudhoney - “Touch Me I’m Sick”
Niki and the Dove - “DJ Ease My Mind”
Nirvana - “Love Buzz”
No Age - “Fever Dreaming”
Obits - “Widow of My Dreams”
Patton Oswalt - “You Are Allowed 20 Birthday Parties”
Peaking Lights - “Subterranean Blowout”
Pernice Brothers - “Chicken Wire”
Pigeonhead - “Battleflag”
Pissed Jeans - “False Jesii Part 2” 
Radio Birdman - “Aloha, Steve and Dano” 
Red House Painters - “Smokey” 
Red Red Meat - “Gauze” 
Reverend Horton Heat - “Psychobilly Freakout” 
Rogue Wave - “Eyes” 
Rose Windows - “Native Dreams” 
Sebadoh - “Skull”
Shabazz Palaces - “Swerve...The reeping of all that is worthwhile” 
Shearwater - “You As You Were” 
Six Finger Satellite - “Bad Aptitude” 
Sleater Kinney - “Jumpers”
Still Corners - “Fireflies” 
Sunny Day Real Estate - “Seven” 
Survival Knife - “Traces of Me”
Tad - “Jinx”
The Album Leaf - “Twentytwofourteen” 
The Baptist Generals - “Broken Glass”
The Go - “Keep on Trash” 
The Grifters - “Parting Shot”
The Gutter Twins - “God’s Children” 
The Head and the Heart - “Lost in My Mind” 
The Helio Sequence - “Lately”
The Jesus and Mary Chain - “Birthday”
The Murder City Devils - “Press Gang”
The Rapture - “Out of the Races and Onto the Tracks”
The Ruby Suns - “In Real Life”
Scud Mountain Boys - “In a Ditch”
The Shins - “New Slang”
Six Finger Satellite - “Coke and Mirrors”
The Spinanes - “Noel, Jonah and Me”
The Supersuckers - “Coattail Riders”
The Thermals - “A Pillar of Salt”
The Vaselines - “Jesus Wants Me For A Sunbeam”
Total Control - “Scene From a Marriage”
Twilight Singers - “On the Corners”
Ugly Casanova - “Barnacles”
Velocity Girl - “Sorry Again”
Vetiver - “The Rolling Sea”
Washed Out - “Amor Fati”
White Stripes - “Party of Special Things To Do”
Wolf Eyes - “Stabbed in the Face”
Wolf Parade - “I’ll Believe in Anything”
Wooden Shjips - “Time for Dreamin’”
Zumpano - “The Party Rages On”



2 Complete Collections
Fleet Foxes (Sun Giant EP, Fleet Foxes, Helplessness Blues)
Flight of the Conchords (The Distant Future EP, Flight of the Conchords, I Told You I Was Freaky, and “Pencils in the Wind” single)

Sincerely,
Letters From A Tapehead

Shopping For Records: High On Fire vinyl reissues...

Relapse Records is reissuing High On Fire's Surrounded By Thieves, Blessed Black Wings and Death Is This Communion later this month as double LP sets.  I myself will be replacing my shitty promo copy of Death Is This Communion, which, for the purposes of foiling the rampant endeavors of music pirates everywhere, is split into 100 or more tracks, each song chopped into ten second increments.  I paid $4 for it through some independent vendor thinking I was getting a bargain.  Yeah.   



Info provided by Relapse Records.

HIGH ON FIRE: Classic Albums to See Vinyl Reissue

High on Fire’s classic records, Surrounded By Thieves, Blessed Black Wings, and Death Is This Communion are each receiving a deluxe vinyl reissue this July via Relapse Records. Out-of-print for some time, each album is being released as a gorgeous 2xLP set on two brand new, exclusive colors complete with gatefold tip-on jackets. The vinyl will be released on July 23rd and is available for pre-order along with detailed pictures at this location.

www.relapse.com
www.highonfire.net
www.facebook.com/highonfire

Sincerely,
Letters From A Tapehead

Sebadoh's Defend Yourself artwork...

Here's a video featuring the reveal of artwork to be used on the upcoming new Sebadoh album, Defend Yourself, which is being released by Joyful Noise.  It's scheduled to release September 17, 2013.

The video was provided by Joyful Noise.

Sebadoh "Defend Yourself" Artwork Reveal from Joyful Noise on Vimeo.

Sincerely,
Letters From A Tapehead

BL'AST: Unearthed Recording Session Being Released

So, Dave Grohl discovered somethin' kewl...

Apparently, he helped discover an unknown recording session from the hardcore band, BL'AST, which will be released by Southern Lord as Blood. 

Check out the album trailer below and read up on the info, which comes to you courtesy of Earsplit PR.




BL'AST!: An Unreleased Recording Session Brought To Life By Dave Grohl

Set For September Release Via Southern Lord

As far as stories of lost and found recorded material go, few tales can be told where all the pieces of the puzzle come together in fortunate ways, resulting in a brand new recording that surprised even the band themselves.

Having formed in 1982, infamous Santa Cruz hardcore legends BL’AST! released their first album, The Power of Expression in 1985. This debut blew everyone away and went on to become one of the highly sought after, “must- have” hardcore albums of the ‘80s. BL'AST! was beyond intense, continually pushing the boundaries of hardcore with their advanced musicianship, unstoppable energetic delivery and explosive live performances. This overwhelming power caught the attention of SST records, who released the band's second album, It’s In My Blood in 1987. Their third LP, Take The Manic Ride, was then released by the label in 1989. BL'AST!'s wide-eyed, ambitious approach and intense perseverance became an influence for many bands to come. Shortly after the release of Take The Manic Ride, the band broke up and their story was buried by time and dust....UNTIL NOW!

Earlier this year BL'AST! guitarist Mike Neider contacted Southern Lord with news that he had found some mysterious old BL'AST! master tapes in a abandoned storage locker. Greg Anderson, a BL'AST! fanatic, wasted no time in sending the tapes to a studio to be baked. Needless to say, after 25 years gathering dust, the quality had deteriorated. Still, nobody could have anticipated what would follow. With the audio digitized, Southern Lord contacted fellow longtime BL'AST! fiend, Dave Grohl about mixing this recording, his response was an enthusiastic “FUCK YEAH!, LETS DO THIS”!

Whilst inside Grohl's famous 606 Studios (and with the Neve console as featured in the recent Grohl produced documentary Sound City) an astonishing discovery was made; a completely unheard, unreleased BL'AST! recording session from the mid-‘80s.

The lineup of the band at the time of the recording included second guitarist William Duvall (from Neon Christ, and now the current vocalist for Alice In Chains) who had moved from his hometown of Atlanta out to Santa Cruz on a tip from mutual friends, Corrosion of Conformity, to join the band. Unfortunately, his tenure with BL'AST! was short-lived and no recordings from that lineup were ever released.

From the thunderous bass intro of “Only Time Will Tell” to the apocalyptic warnings of “It’s In My Blood,” the album completely rips and rages from start to finish. All parties involved were completely amazed at how vibrant, unique and fresh this newly-discovered material sounded. All things considered, it is miraculous the record survived this long and that everyone who was involved in bringing this recording to life, could be. Everything fell into place, when it could have easily crumbled along the way. This record is a time capsule that is meant to be heard!

There is no doubt in our minds that Blood will be a crucial purchase for any current hardcore fiend as well as punk/hardcore fans who loved the band back in the day. START THE MACHINE!

Blood will see release via Southern Lord in North America on September 3, 2013.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Blast/44354206391 
http://southernlord.bandcamp.com 
http://www.southernlord.com 
https://www.facebook.com/SLadmin 
http://twitter.com/twatterlord


Sincerely,
Letters From A Tapehead

The Knife: "Raging Lung" (Sorklubben live video)

The Knife will be releasing "Raging Lung" as its next single.  The fact that it borrows some lyrics from Fugazi, "Raging Lung" is one of standouts from The Knife's Shaking the Habitual, itself an interestingly eclectic and dizzying two-album release.  And, from the looks of the single's cover, it would appear that loud, obnoxious color combos reamain a fully realized pursuit.  

Check out the video below.  All info provided by Mute.



The Knife & Sorklubben Present…

Shaking The Habitual Show Live Video

“Raging Lung” Announced as Next Single
 
The Knife announce new single “Raging Lung” and have released a Shaking The Habitual Show live video set to the track. The video, self directed by Sorklubben (The Knife performance collective), is the first officially released footage of the Shaking The Habitual Show, and contains a montage of live footage filmed at The Knife's headline show at Hangaren Subtopia in Stockholm in May 2013.

The team behind the show, also known as Sorkklubben, is a temporary and expanding community that grows and jiggles. Together they made a performance based on collective joy, effort and sweat.

Watch the video and read more about the collective on www.theknife.net

The Knife recently announced they will be part of this year’s Pitchfork Music Festival in Paris on October 31st. Stay tuned for more show dates.

The Knife: Website | Facebook | Twitter

Mute: Website | Facebook | Twitter

Sincerely,
Letters From A Tapehead

No Ripcord: Sic Alps

Sic Alps
She's On Top 12"
(Drag City)
Released: 5.21.13

No Ripcord review

Sincerely,
Letters From A Tapehead

Singles: disappears, Holograms, Pissed Jeans, Medicine, His Electro Blue Voice

disappears: "power" (via Rarely Unable/Kranky)


Holograms: "Meditations" (via FADER)




Pissed Jeans: "Romanticize Me" (via Sub Pop)




Medicine: "It's Not Enough" (via SPIN)




His Electro Blue Voice: "Sea Bug" (via Sub Pop)



Sincerely,
Letters From A Tapehead