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Showing posts from April, 2020

Bishop Nehru: "MEATHEAD (feat. MF DOOM)"

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The poster of the Grateful Dead and Bad Brains mash up in the background of this video is killer and I want one. The track itself is a nice mix of soul samples and characteristically off-kilter vocals from MF Doom and Bishop Nehru . "When I die, fuck it, I guess I prefer me goin' to Hell Because Earth is truly the same, so the difference I'll never tell" Very satisfying couple of minutes. Bishop Nehru 's upcoming release, NEHRUVIA: MY DISREGARDED THOUGHTS , is up for pre-order, but I don't see any indication that there's a physical release. Here's the link . Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

Notes from the Record Room (Quarantine Edition #1): “To You, I’m Nothing But A Number…One! Two! Three! Repeater!”

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Indie or punk records pressed to vinyl were almost always guaranteed to fit onto a single side of a 90-minute cassette. I couldn’t tell you who lent it to me, but I had access to a cassette copy of Fugazi ’s Repeater and dubbed it easily onto the A-side of a blank tape, (the B-side would later be used to fit a copy of Death ’s Individual Thought Patterns , a weird “any port in a storm” decision). I didn’t properly own this record (or really even give it a full, undivided listen) until a little while later, after In On The Kill Taker sold me on the genius of this band. After that, I was all in and listening nonstop. CDs seemed to starve for content, the 70-minutes of allowable space enabling an excess of additional tracks at points. If you purchased CDs in the 1990s, how many of them were overlong and packed full of songs, or featured that “hidden track”? And, if they weren’t, how many music-buyers out there felt ripped off? Surely you weren’t all that thrilled to pay the asked for $

It's Earth Day …

… so try and be good to the planet and listen to Earth . The Bees Made Honey In The Lion's Skull by Earth Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

No Ripcord (Quick Takes: March 2020): The Necks

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Click the link for a review of  The Necks ' 21st album, Three , now available from Northern Spy Records . No Ripcord — QUICK TAKES (MARCH 2020) The Necks Three Northern Spy Records Released: 3.27.20 Three by The Necks Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

VeniVerses & Love In The Time Of Covid

In an effort to help raise money for the World Health Organization (WHO), the good people at VeniVersus have compiled a benefit release called Love In The Time Of Covid. The compilation is available to purchase at the label's Bandcamp  and features previously unreleased material. All proceeds will help fund the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund . You can sample the release below. Love In The Time Of Covid by Various Artists Roster:  Dean Wareham (Galaxie 500, Luna), Idaho, Pall Jenkins (Black Heart Procession), Mark Rolfe (Lorna), Lycia, Matt Christensen (Zelienople), Jessica Bailiff, Barzin, Jon DeRosa (Aarktica), Chris Brokaw (Codeine, Come), Remora, Yellow6, Shores, Lullabier, Thorn1, If Thousands, and Coastal. Via VeniVerses: All proceeds will go to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund ( covid19responsefund.org ), supporting WHO’s work to track and understand the spread of the virus, to ensure patients get the care they need and frontline workers get ess

Big Black Delta: "Summoner 1-4" and "Summoner (Remixes)"

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This hooked in. While I enjoyed the intense movements of the dancers against the gritty,  Magritte -inspired backdrop, the raw, pop-fueled circuitry at play is a draw. If I could dance, I would dance to this. Three remixes of  Big Black Delta 's "Summoner" have surfaced preceding a new LP later this year. Video, Remixes, links, and other info were provided by Tell All Your Friends PR. Big Black Delta Shares Three "Summoner" Remixes "Summoner" (Clearside Remix) Via Beats Per Minute "Summoner" (Bodies Obtained Remix) Via N orthern Transmissions "Summoner" (James Welsh Remix) Via Earbuddy Look Out For New LP This Summer Big Black Delta returns with the seductively sinister, 'Summoner’ - a deliciously gnarly slice of blackened electro-pop that hints at the eerie forthcoming delights of his 4th studio album. A track full of discordant, yet addictive melodies, crunching percussion and wonderfully poised highs and lows, i

Louder Than War, Issue #25

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You're looking for something to read. You just are. And, you miss print media. Furthermore, you miss music-related print media that ISN'T Rolling Stone , which was always garbage to begin with. And, since you're expected to be home all the time now, you have time to read. So, you may as well be reading something worthwhile. I've recently become acquainted with Louder Than War , a magazine that's focused on the sounds of rock's independent era, post-punk, and other related creative avenues. At 5 issues a year, Louder Than War honors the past, but not at the expense of the present. For instance, Issue #25 features an article on Wire , whose own seminal legacy and importance have never enabled the band to simply survive on their reputation and become a cynical and complacent nostalgia act. The group's latest release, Mind Hive , is discussed in the article, along with the group's tour, the band's Pink Flag label, and an upcoming Wire documentary.

Jenny Hval: "Bonus Material"

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A new single from Jenny Hval called "Bonus Material" is streaming online. It's airy, light, and wanders as Hval gently sings, a saxophone (performed by  Espen Reinertsen ) and sprinkled piano strokes cutting through the tonal swells beneath. Initially, I likened this track to Julee Cruise as it contains the same sorrow-laden and angelic disposition that Cruise carries through her work. Hval's most recent work,  Practice of Love,  was released last September via Sacred Bones Records . The Practice of Love by Jenny Hval Via Stereo Sanctity: Today, Norwegian multidisciplinary artist Jenny Hval presents a new single, “Bonus Material.” It follows the widely acclaimed The Practice of Love, which was released last year via Sacred Bones. “Bonus Material” is sparse and celestial, floating with Hval’s light vocals and twinkling keys. It features saxophone by Espen Reinertsen, who appeared on The Practice of Love. “It is an unfinished track about unfinished substa

2020 Playlist — El Ten Eleven, Helen Money, Mong Tong, Allegra Kreiger, Animal Hospital

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I hope everyone's staying safe and, if and when able, staying home. And while you're home, maybe check out the ever-expanding  2020 Playlist . _________________________________________ El Ten Eleven "With Report" (via Speakeasy PR / Joyful Noise / YouTube) Album Preorder https://www.joyfulnoiserecordings.com/products/tautology Via Speakeasy PR: EL TEN ELEVEN ANNOUNCE TRIO OF FULL-LENGTH ALBUMS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH JOYFUL NOISE RECORDINGS: TAUTOLOGY I, II & III TAUTOLOGY I ARRIVES MAY 1 joyfulnoi.se/tautology HEAR “WITH REPORT” NOW https://youtu.be/2ydmyyucp-g April 1, Southern California – El Ten Eleven have announced a trio of full-length albums dubbed Tautology I (release date: May 1), Tautology II (July 10) and Tautology III (Sept. 18) with the Joyful Noise Recordings’ releases representing a sonic meditation on the arc of human life, composed in three parts. The music on the first disc, Tautology I , has a heavier sound that