Peter J. Woods Impure Gold, Pt. 1 FTAM /HeWhoCorrupts Inc. Released: 6.10.14 FTAM is a Milwaukee-based community of artists who perform and create experimental art, music and theater.  It's also the record label founded by noise artist Peter J. Woods , whose new album, Impure Gold Pt. 1 , made it to my front porch a little more than a month ago.   Impure Gold Pt. 1 , which is apparently one part of a larger, more involved project that Woods is crafting, is not what one would call a pleasant listen.  Woods combines indecipherable dialogue, incidental sounds, cacophonous fields of static or stinging sounds one could imagine a dog whistle producing were human ears capable of receiving its frequency.  In short: tension.  With "Empty Vessels," its distant quakes which assume the album's only true connection to percussion or any attempt at rhythm, its 12-minute length is, at times, difficult to endure.  As strange bytes of robotic commentary seem to...

Anjou: "Sighting" (via Rarely Unable PR/ Kranky /Soundcloud) Trance Farmers : "Lone Star" (via Julian T. Schoen/ Stones Throw /Soundcloud) Melted Toys : "Always" (via Force Field PR/ Noisey /YouTube) Dope Body : "Hired Gun" (via Rarely Unable PR/ Drag City /Soundcloud) Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds at The MANN, 7.25.14. Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

As a study in how a band can synthesize well the decades of punk aggression, nihilistic pigfuck and fringe-worthy experimentation that's brought us into the new century, Portland's Big Black Cloud excels. In 2013, I was happily turned on to their then-new LP, Black Friday , which boasted one of my favorite singles of the year, the chewed-up and choked-out "Bomb My Brain." I recently revisited the album and I still think it's violent, strange and abrasive. Granted its lineage is easy enough to trace, but the band knew how to take the best of what their influences had to offer and run with it. I love what this band does.  So, I was really excited to find out that they're releasing a new EP in August called, Lessons in Fuck You 2 . It's a cassette release, though it'll be available digitally, and preorder is up now. You can check out info on the release below and listen to a live cut of the song, "Cities of the Red Night," which appeare...

Took a break from the nostalgia for a bit.  Here are two more albums that spark some remembrances: Helmet – Betty In 1994, I got to see Helmet play at the Tower Theater with Rollins Band and Les Claypool 's other- Primus , Sausage .  It was a great night: a triple threat that didn't disappoint and left me both awed and deaf.  I'd already been a fan of Helmet's thanks to Meantime , but their albums didn't touch where they were sonically as a live band.  Visually they contrasted with the flannel adoration of the time, four  very clean cut gents with a hint of fraternity to them.  And, then they'd plug in.  Beyond the stage the main floor shifted and moved, a veritable current of bodies acting fluid and shapeless.  The crowd's response at a Helmet show was reliably violent every time I saw them play. Betty was another album I'd picked up from Record Revival and I remember being unsure about it at first.  The nonsense riff that launc...

Black Pus/Oozing Wound Split 12" Thrill Jockey Records Released: 6.17.14 *This is the Black Pus track, "Total Eclipse."  Props to the band for sampling Bonnie Tyler 's "Total Eclipse of the Heart.   **One of my daughter's favorite shows is The Amazing Adventures of Gumball . P.S. Just a little more about the bands: Black Pus is Brian Chippendale of Lightning Bolt .  He released an album called All My Relations in 2013. Oozing Wound will be releasing a new LP later this October called, Earth Suck . Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

Shabazz Palaces : "Forerunner Foray" (via Sub Pop/YouTube) Paul White : "Honey Cats" (via Force Field PR/Soundcloud) The Picturebooks : "Your Kisses Burn Like Fire" (via Speakeasy PR/ Noisey-Vice /YouTube) Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

Over the past couple weeks, the music blogs and the A-list of the taste informing music press have been pulling together countdowns for the best albums of 2014's halfway mark as if waiting for the normal end of the year to arrive was just too much to bear. ("YOU NEED TO KNOW WHAT I THINK AND YOU NEED TO KNOW IT RIGHT NOW!!!!) While I'm just as excitable, dorky and self-important when it comes to selecting my various favorites over the course of the year, (I've already amassed a good three-quarters of my annual mix in my head), I'm not sure the "so far" lists are all that necessary, especially since many of these releases are going to be touched upon come December anyway. How many different ways can you summarize your favorite albums of the year without repeating yourself? Just seems a tad redundant. But, as is the case with many of us struggling to maintain our music-related blogs, I'm trying to satisfy, inform and maybe even grow a loyal and th...

White Lung Deep Fantasy Domino Recording Company Released: 6.17.14 No Ripcord review Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

I was on vacation last week, (and offline for the most part), so I didn't get to post about this until today. Howard Wuelfing of Howlin' Wuelf Media sent over two press releases with info about some new Superior Viaduct reissues, the most exciting of which is The Gun Club 's Fire of Love , which has been out of print for quite some time. Also reissued are A Minute to Pray a Second to Die by The Flesh Eaters , the 1972 self-titled release from Brigitte Fontaine and Allez-Téia by Heldon (a.k.a, Richard Pinhas ).   As mentioned, but shall reiterate for the sake of credit being properly given, all info has been provided by Howlin' Wuelf Media.  The Flesh Eaters is the name behind one Chris Desjardins aka Chris D. Taking his stage name from a 1964 cult film, Chris D. wrote for legendary fanzine Slash in the late '70s and assembled the first of many Flesh Eaters line-ups from heavyweights in the burgeoning L.A. punk scene. After releasing a ravenous EP an...

To whom it may interest, Apologies for the lack of content recently.  I was either inundated with my 9-to-whenever, handling responsibilities at home or I was on vacation.  I promise to be active this week.  Much by way of music has found my inbox during my absence, so I will try and disseminate as much as possible.  Thanks as always for your readership.  Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead