Upcoming Releases & A Promise...

“Money’s short; times are hard. Here’s your fucking Christmas card.”

I remember receiving an over-photocopied and tattered fax of a joke Christmas card when I was in high school, the above sentiment printed on its front with a miserable rendering of Santa flipping off any onlooker. I thought it was hilarious, so I showed it to all my friends. The poem inside, an X-rated version of “’Twas The Night Before Christmas,” was recited by me annually on the school bus, just before our weeklong stretch of cold air, white lights and pine needles. Oh, and there were gifts too.

Money being a little short, times being a little hard, (and no X-rated poems to recite), new reviews are going to be a little sporadic this year. Entries might be too. I’ll do my best to keep Letters going.

In the meantime, here’s some music to check out:

The Whitsundays
s/t
Friendly Fire Recordings
Release 1.22.08



There’s an air of 60s Brit Pop being strongly inhaled by The Whitsundays, a Canadian quartet that must’ve ate and slept Odessey & Oracle for about ten years before deciding to pick up instruments themselves. Here are tracks from their debut:

“Loralee”

“Sorry James”

Faunts
M4
Friendly Fire Recordings
Release 1.29.08



A rather Eno take on Explosions In The Sky, the song featured here is more of an ambient production with some slick guitar work over club beats and synthesizer. Faunts also produce some fairly atmospheric indie and guitar strum rock a la The Smiths or The Cure.

”M4 (Part 1)”

PANTHER
14kt God
Kill Rock Stars
Release 2.22.08



“Puerto Rican Jukebox” off of PANTHER’s upcoming release, 14kt God, makes your head bob. It would probably even make you dance. Rhythmically magnetic, it’s a little too raw to be glam and way too styled to be garage, but there is something spontaneous and upbeat to be heard. Check it out:

”Puerto Rican Jukebox”

Why?
Alopecia
anticon.
Release 3.11.08



First hearing these guys on the anticon. Label Sampler 1999-2004, Why? is a melodiously modern, sample-driven hybrid, defining and perfectly embodying the incorporation of street-inspired beat poetry, indie rock, acid-soaked jazz and hip-hop. Their latest album, Alopecia, should be something to look forward to.

”The Hollows”

Sincerely,
Letters From A Tapehead

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