To whom it may interest, All updates for Letters From A Tapehead can now be found at lettersfromatapehead.com . Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

A well-designed lyric video surfaced for Camae Ayewa's (a.k.a. Moor Mother) "We Got The Jazz," a new single featured in her upcoming release  Jazz Codes Deluxe , which is an enhanced digital version of 2022's excellent Jazz Codes .  From the desk of Stereo Sanctity: “‘ We Got The Jazz ’ is me thinking about how mediocre a lot of popular music is, about its capitalistic structures and how those placements are bought and paid for,”  Ayewa said of the song’s meaning.  “I'm speaking about the whitewashing of who's allowed to participate in jazz, who is allowed to participate in poetry, and asking where the room for innovation is, now and in the future. It’s also me thinking about my jazz band, Irreversible Entanglements, and how we’ve toured the world destroying stages, uplifting audiences, and inspiring everyone on the jazz scene with or without recognition. I'm also speaking about my own influence on the culture.” Jazz Codes Deluxe will be released 5/19/23 ...

Good morning, Midweek. Spring is officially here. I've opened the windows.  First thing I checked out today was the title track of the upcoming new collaboration between Danny Brown and JPEGMAFIA , Scaring The Hoes .  The distinct and character-rich voices of each artist aside, the snare beat sounds like it was mic'd in a crawlspace, scratchy tenor sax scribbles across the track like a kindergartner enthusiastically dragging a marker across paper with a tight fist. Add a simple bass groove and claps.  I love it.  When thinking about minimalism in terms of production, the tinniness and sonic anemia of trap/drill beats and the ubiquity that this sound has had over the last decade or more across a multitude of artists hasn't had consistent appeal for me. That said, I get it: soundtracking a club, the bass drops are effective and the vibe is the draw.  But, "Scaring The Hoes" is minimalism done well. Looking forward to this album. __________ The Laurie Anderson all...

Translated, "en glad stund" means "a happy moment."  A saxophone wheezes, light gasps taken between straining exhalations that barely gauge an audible whisper until a few clear and flatlined phrases are achieved overtop a sinister and steady tonal pulse. The eerie and suffocating environment that's composed and performed for "THERE ARE SOME WORLDS WHERE ALL DREAMS DIE (en glad stund)," the recently shared new single from the upcoming LP,  THEIR POWER REACHED ACROSS SPACE AND TIME​-​TO DEFY THEM WAS DEATH​-​OR WORSE , does not convey "a happy moment." Instead, these "worlds where all dreams die" facilitate an obviously intentional dystopian flavor, and it's difficult not to imagine some near-salvation scenario where the victim is close to safety but suddenly struggling as the advantage has changed hands and cries for help are buried as death envelopes the victim like a soundproof shroud. There's a lot of drama in those seven ...

Oozing Wound We Cater To Cowards Thrill Jockey Released: 1/27/23 No Ripcord review:  http://www.noripcord.com/reviews/music/oozing-wound/we-cater-cowards   Sincerely,  Letters From A Tapehead

Double Decker Records , located in Allentown about 40-45 minutes from my place of residence, is a store I normally go to when in pilgrimage mode, which is to say any visit is going to be an expensive, albeit fruitful, one. I met up with a good friend and proceeded to comb through the stacks for a couple of hours, leaving the store with an uncomfortable and somewhat heavy 12" x 12" brick nestled beneath my arm. I'm slowly working my way through these. Here are the first two:  feedtime Cooper-S Released: 1988 Rough Trade Partially integral to the development of sounds specific to the pacific northwest, or just Mudhoney's sound in general, feedtime of Syndney, Australia is muck-borne blues punk. Hyper slop'd and urgent,  Cooper-S , which was originally released in 1988 via the now-defunct Australian label  Aberrant Records , is a covers album that boasts some gravelly interpretations of "Fun Fun Fun" by The Beach Boys, three Rolling Stones tracks (my favori...

To whom it may interest, Electro-propulsive instrumentalists ZOMBI premiered two new tracks via Unacceptable Color , a live music channel that apparently specializes in showcasing an array of fringe artists. Tracks are titled "Improvise, Adapt & Overcome" and "Bodies In The Flotsam" both baring the duo's signature synth-tonal stylings and clean percussion. In spite of the video's visual grain, the session is well produced.  Info was provided by Relapse Records . ZOMBI on Facebook ZOMBI on Instagram ZOMBI on Twitter ZOMBI on Bandcamp Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

Beauty Pill Blue Period Ernest Jenning Recording Co. 1/20/23 “Fans of Smart Went Crazy who just can't accept the fact that Chad Clark is capable of producing anything short of brilliance should save themselves the trauma and skip right to The Unsustainable Lifestyle ’s seventh track, ‘Such Large Portions!’, a serene rocker packed with pitch-bent guitars and acrobatic drumming; or crank up the cacophonous, multitracked percussion of the Breeders-esque ‘The Western Prayer’. Either of these songs could allow a person to maintain, indefinitely, that Clark is among indie music's great talents, so long as they never delved into the rest of this record.” Above is the first paragraph of a Pitchfork review of The Unsustainable Lifestyle , the first full-length LP released in 2004 by Beauty Pill. Beauty Pill remains the creative outlet of musician Chad Clark, the band’s sole constant throughout its lifespan and primary focus following the dissolution of Clark’s previous band, Smart Went...

To whom it may interest, While music writers and enthusiasts were busy compiling those "Best Of" lists during the long-elapsed final days of 2022, No Ripcord 's podcast, Quarantine The Past , was running a multi-episode series devoted to the same endeavor. I was asked to participate for episode 4, which was posted today. A little late maybe, but some good albums are reviewed. Discussed: Chat Pile  black midi OFF! Die! Die! Die! The Soft Moon Enumclaw Denzel Curry Ka Guerilla Toss Gilla Band (formerly Girl Band) I contributed some blurbs for the  written list :  Placement: 47).  OFF!  —  Free LSD  (Fat Possum)   38).  Enumclaw  —  Save The Baby  (Luminelle Recordings) 26).  Danger Mouse and Black Thought  —  Cheat Codes  (BMG) 12).  Chat Pile  —  God's Country  (Flenser) Sincerely, Letters From A Tapered

Lori Goldston & Greg Kelley All Points Leaning In Broken Clover Records Released: 1/19/23 On November 18th, 1993, cellist Lori Goldston performed with Nirvana for MTV's Unplugged .  When I found out about All Points Leaning In , which is Goldston's new album with trumpet player Greg Kelley, a "6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon" level of familiarity hit me as I thought to myself, "Where have I seen that name before?"  Oh, I know that name from when I was 17 years old and listening intently to Unplugged In New York on CD, scanning the liner notes and song credits while Kurt Cobain strummed a live rendition of "Something In The Way", Goldston's beautiful bowed embellishments stretching beneath the acoustic melancholia. That's why I know that name.  A lot of you may remember Goldston the same way. However, for All Points Leaning In , consider this album the aural purge you were looking for, a cathartic noise project rife with deep, droning, textura...

For me, one of the highlights of 2022 was seeing 7SECONDS perform with The Circle Jerks and Negative Approach. Announced today, Trust Records will be reissuing Walk Together, Rock Together , the band's 1985 follow-up to their milestone LP, The Crew , (which was reissued by Trust in 2021). All info, links, and sounds are provided courtesy of another / side PR.  7SECONDS ANNOUNCE WALK TOGETHER, ROCK TOGETHER DELUXE REISSUE VIA TRUST RECORDS IN COLLABORATION WITH BYO RECORDS REMASTERED AUDIO AND VINYL AVAILABLE IN-STORES FEBRUARY 3  PRE-ORDER HERE LISTEN / SHARE REMASTERED AUDIO FOR TITLE TRACK NOW THIS EDITION OF THE 1980’S UNDERGROUND CLASSIC INCLUDES: - Remastered audio by David Gardner from the original analog tapes. - 20-page full-color book with oral history from 1984 - 1986 with commentary from Pushead, Ian MacKaye, Walter Schreifels (Gorilla Biscuits, Quicksand), Milo Aukerman (Descendents), Tony Hawk, Shepard Fairey and more. - Fully restored version of iconic yel...

To whom it may interest, Still getting acclimated to 2023 and up on January releases. How are you feeling about this year? Anything that you're looking forward to? I believe I've mentioned this before, but I'm in the process of trying to figure out how to develop a following in the TikTok space. You can find that here .  For last week's rounds of browser tabs, I've heard the following: ____________________________ Alex Ward Item 4:  "OURS" (from  Furthered,  releasing 3/3/23 by  577 Records )       577 Records · OURS by Alex Ward/Item 4 from album 'Furthered' (577 Records) Courtesy of 577 Records. Meg Baird:  "Ashes, Ashes" (from  Furling,  releasing 1/27/23 by  Drag City ) Courtesy of Drag City.  Ad Omega: "Triumph of Void" (from  Aphelic Ascent,  releasing 2/10/23 by  Drakkar Productions ) Courtesy of Falce Press & Management.  Constant Smiles:  "Triumph of Void" (from  Kenneth Anger,...

To whom it may interest, In the wake of late night neighborhood demonstrations of amateur fireworks displays and cork-ejaculated ribbons of bubbly champagne, the first full calendar week of 2023 has been officially Xd out. Time to take the Christmas trees down and bundle up for the next couple months. For last week's rounds of browser tabs, I've heard the following: ____________________________ Endorphins Lost:  "Regulation Area Bombing" (from Night People  releasing 2/1/23 by  To Live A Lie  / Rotten to the Core ) This one will beat you up pretty good: A little over a minute and thirty of throat scraping crust punk/power violence replete with excessive head-knock and a writhing breakdown for its second act.   Night People by Endorphins Lost Courtesy of Earsplit PR. Atsuko Chiba:  "Link" (from  Water, It Feels Like It's Growing  releases 1/20/23 by  Mothland ) The synth ride overtop some elaborate prog-level guitar noodling is worth explorati...

How was 2022? Better than 2021.  Midyear I tested positive for COVID. I found myself unable to move or rest, which sounds contradictory until you experience bludgeoning exhaustion on top of significant physical discomfort. I'm lucky, though: In spite of testing positive for a full 8 or 9 days after symptoms showed up, the worst moments took place over the course of two full days. After that, it was just a matter of regaining some level of energy. It's no exaggeration to say that I felt drained for maybe a full month.  I saw some gigs this year and bought a LOT of albums. I think my record collection is beginning to outgrow my space, which means I may need to consider some purges.  Omissions & Lamentations for 2022: There are always too many of those. Considering I didn't even bother attempting to round-up my favorite albums in 2021, I'm going to focus on what I did hear and enjoy. We'll go back to being sad next year.  While I know that the blogosphere has lost ...

82 candles… And which tune of yours would be appropriate today?  The Grand Wazoo turned 50, so maybe "Eat That Question" works.    Happy Birthday, Frank. The absurdity continues, but at least there's music.  Sincerely, Letters From A Tapered

April 16, 1961 - December 6, 2014   Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

Papa M performing at Underground Arts, 4/24/19 Pre-pandemic Philly, April 24th, 2019: I had the pleasure of seeing David Pajo (likely best known for his work with Slint) under his Papa M handle open for Sunn O))) at Underground Arts. Sat alone on a stool and hunched over his guitar, Pajo offered an understated and relatively quiet solo performance which at the time seemed adverse to the ensuing intensity of the Stephen O'Malley/Greg Anderson dronequake. I'd seen Sunn O))) a couple times by this point preceded by loud-as-fuck performances by Eagle Twin and Dead In The Dirt, so I was intrigued that they decided to not double-down on the loud, but instead offer sonic respite before the crowd even knew they'd need it.  Considering, though, how open to collaboration Sunn O))) has been over the years, incorporating both the expected metal alum (Attila Csihar, Wrest, Scott Conner, Ulver, Boris) with creative partnerships based outside the genre (Julian Cope, Scott Walker, Hildur ...

So, that's another November billed and submitted for review. It's early 12/1 and I'm an hour into the workday, taking healthy swigs from a lukewarm large cup of 7-11's finest blend and struggling to stay focused on any task that needs to be handled and completed today. Focus has been a problem, something I mean to fix this coming year. Due to the frequent interruptions and fire drills I'll experience over the course of a day, the need for me to pivot at a moment's notice often leaves me unable to keep track of my prior tasks. I'll repeat steps and miss others. It's yet another boundary that I need to be able to set and communicate to workplace peers: "Yes, I'll take care of that in a minute, but please let me finish what I'm working on."  I'm turning 46 in 20 days. You'd think I'd have my shit together at this point. In line with getting ones shit together, "Best Of"s and "Favorites Of"s lists are being c...

Of any OSEES release to pop up over the last few years, (and there are many), 2022's A Foul Form might possibly be the most fuzz-laden and shouty. Clocking in at aggressive 22 minutes at 45RPM,  A Foul Form sounds intentionally designed to emulate the hardcore releases of the past and this iteration of John Dwyer's perpetually evolving art punk outlet absolutely succeeds without abandoning ANY of its signature or creative trademark. A video for "Scum Show" recently surfaced, visuals captured from a show OSEES performed in Paris earlier this year.  The video was provided by Tell All Your Friends PR. Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

It's well-past midnight. Officially Tuesday morning. Experiencing a rare bout of insomnia on a work night, which isn't ideal. Figured I'd post some tracks. Enjoy. ____________________________ Meg Baird:  "Star Hill Song" (from Furling releasing 1/27/23 by Drag City ) Courtesy of Drag City. Knife The Symphony:  "Wildling I / Islands" (from All The Wrong Turns Taken To Get Here releasing 1/2/23 by Phratry Records ) All The Wrong Turns Taken To Get Here by Knife The Symphony No Base Trio: "ST [7]" (from NBT II releasing 10/15/22)   Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead