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 ...

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...

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,...

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...

Sprung aus den Wolken s/t Bureau B Reissued: 9/23/22 The crude, junkyard confrontation that composed the recently reissued self-titled LP from Sprung aus den Wolken emerged from Geniale Dilletanten , an art movement whose genesis is credited to a concert of the same name (albeit intentionally misspelled) that took place at the Tempodrom in Berlin in 1981. In some ways comparable to the No Wave movement of the late 1970s in grit-strewn New York City which challenged the authenticity of CBGB’s seminal platform, Geniale Dilletanten was a reactionary burst of primal and creative energy whose ethos was interpreted through art, film, and, of course, music. Geniale Dilletanten alumni also include Einstürzende Neubauten, Mekanik Destrüktïw Komandöh (M.D.K.), and Der Plan to name a few. Sprung aus den Wolken (meaning “Jump from the Clouds” in English) was formed by Kiddy Citny, (a.k.a. Inri Intrigo). Initially a solo project, the iteration of the group that performed for this LP featured Fre...

Good evening, The three-day weekend has ended, promises of a four-day stretch of hellscape await. But, not yet. I've compiled some singles and videos to check out, so give a look, hit up some links, and maybe buy some records. Enjoy your week and thanks for reading.  ______________________________________________________________________ Chelsea Wolfe & Emma Ruth Rundle:  "Anhedonia" (via Rarely Unable / Sargent House) Bandcamp —  https://chelseawolfe.bandcamp.com/track/anhedonia-feat-emma-ruth-rundle Website —  https://chelseawolfe.net Via Rarely Unable: Chelsea Wolfe has shared new video for her latest single, “ Anhedonia ” which features vocals and guitar by labelmate Emma Ruth Rundle. Wolfe joined efforts with stop motion editor and video producer Cressa Beer for a moving creation that reflects grief and loneliness, yet brings hope that with time and support, healing is possible. Cressa explains, “The core idea of the video came from an artist and mutu...

The Body I’ve Seen All I Need To See Thrill Jockey Released: 1/29/21 No Ripcord review:  http://www.noripcord.com/reviews/music/body/i%E2%80%99ve-seen-all-i-need-see I’ve Seen All I Need To See can be purchased:  Bandcamp —  https://thebody.bandcamp.com/album/ive-seen-all-i-need-to-see Thrill Jockey —  http://thrilljockey.com/products/i-ve-seen-all-i-need-to-see A review of  You, Whom I've Always Hated , The Body's 2015 collaborative effort with Thou, can also be found at No Ripcord . If you're interested, some additional coverage of The Body: The Body live w/ Assembly of Light Choir (Video) — http://www.letters-from-a-tapehead.com/2011/07/body-live-with-assembly-of-light-choir.html The Body & Braveyoung: "Song One" (Track) — http://www.letters-from-a-tapehead.com/2011/09/body-braveyoung-song-one.html The Body & Thou: Released From Love EP — http://www.letters-from-a-tapehead.com/2014/04/the-bodythou-released-from-love-ep.html The Body & Thou: "...

First video round up of 2021 to cap off a ridiculous week. Hope you're all staying safe. Cults are bad. MF DOOM: "Gazillion ( Ron Gallo Tribute remix)" (via Tell All Your Friends / New West Records ) Ron Gallo's upcoming album  PEACEMEAL is scheduled to release March 3rd.  Website —  http://rongallomusic.com/ Note from Ron Gallo: "To date, I don't think an artists death has hit me as much as MF DOOM and I did not expect that until it happened. That feels like the DOOM way - he's like a shadow lurking genius, a humble kung fu master - grounded, calm but could kill you in ten seconds, in this case left the body on halloween of the most fucked up year in memory and no one found out until New Years eve. This remix I did just kind of fell into place as a tribute, I had made the music track a few weeks ago and then realized his vocal from "Gazillion Ear" fit perfectly on top. I love the way it turned out. It feels like a whole new world than the ...

Visions of Bodies Being Burned , the latest horror-leaning LP from Sub Pop's clipping., is out today. Alongside the release, a new video surfaced featuring two tracks from the LP: “Enlacing & Pain Everyday”, the latter track having had a lyric video that was out earlier this month .    Prior to the album's release, lyric videos for the tracks “Say The Name” and “‘96 Neve Campbell” also surfaced as hype for the album, along with the politically aggressive “Chapter 319”, which was released as a two-track digital single .    Following 2019's excellent  There Existed an Addiction to Blood , Visions of Bodies Being Burned is an ambitious sequel of sorts, rife with the dizzying, Tetris-level wordplay and the unconventional approach to composition that are specific to this trio. Daveed Diggs finds meter through muck oftentimes, backdrops conjured like tributes to crumbling industry or built as nods to junk drawer beat-making.  (As an aside, I ...