Bong We are, we were and we will have been Ritual Productions Released: 5.25.15 It's probably unnecessary to point out how enveloping Bong 's music can be, much in the same way that Acid Mother's Temple or Sunn O))) can fill any available space to the point of suffocation with endless sound.  For the band's fifth studio release, We are, we were and we will have been , Bong continues to package their music as drone prevalent and lengthy.  The album is two tracks, each clocking in at about 18 minutes apiece, so it's built for full listener immersion and, like any Bong album really, to grow sonically as if to inspire meditation.  And, there will be volume. The reverberating glaze that floats over each element in "Time Regained" dominates so heavily that when vocals appear, (which happens maybe 7 minutes into the track), it's surprising.  Its understated snare loop and airy plucked strings remain obscured beneath the mire as vocalist/guitaris...

Melt-Banana Hot Nerds HIRS Johnny Brenda's Philadelphia, PA 5.22.15 Phawker live show coverage Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

Ufomammut Usnea Ominous Black Johnny Brenda's Philadelphia, PA 5.20.15 Photo by Dan Long Phawker live show coverage Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

Faith No More Le Butcherettes Electric Factory Philadelphia, PA 5.15.15 Photo by Dan Long Phawker live show coverage Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

Dana Schechter , the sole presence behind the dark mechanics of Insect Ark , is releasing her first full-length LP, Portal/Well .  From the new album we get "The Collector," blasts of percussive battery and thudding low end that address a metronomic beep, answering its persistence.  The swelling song of a lap steel surfaces as the construct takes a more tangible shape, an undulating drone that attempts to soften the jagged mash of snare, cymbal and bass beneath it. In early 2014, I reviewed Insect Ark 's Long Arms EP, naming it one of the best releases of 2013.  You can find that review here .  "The Collector" and all info concerning Portal/Well were provided by Howlin' Wuelf Media.   Insect Ark's debut full-length album, Portal/Well is the result of one years' work in composer/multi-instrumentalist Dana Schechter's Brooklyn studio. Exploring themes of corruption of the natural world and facing oblivion, Portal/Well continues the wor...

Following up its self-titled win of a debut, the relentless riff trio that is METZ have released II . I haven't heard it yet myself but "The Swimmer," the third single from the album, provides additional security that II will be every bit, if not a step or two above, as intense, energetic and, at times, queasy an album as its predecessor. Check out the video below, which premiered a couple days ago at The Guardian . All info, links, music and tour dates provided by Sub Pop.   METZ II available now worldwide on Sub Pop Extended 2015 North American + European tour schedule Watch “The Swimmer” (official video) https://youtu.be/fqbbPzmvuoE Video premiere via ‘The Guardian’   You can now watch METZ’s official video for “The Swimmer,” from their new album II , out today worldwide on Sub Pop. The new visual was helmed by returning directors Scott Cudmore & Michael Leblanc (“Wet Blanket”) and premiered earlier today via The Guardian (see video pre...

Beauty Pill Beauty Pill Describes Things How They Are Butterscotch Records Released: 4.21.15 No Ripcord review Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead