Like A Fox Where's My Golden Arm? Transit Of Venus Released: 10.28.08 No Ripcord review Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

Marnie Stern This Is It And I Am It And You Are It And So Is That And He Is It And She Is It And It Is It And That Is That Kill Rock Stars Released: 10.7.08 No Ripcord review Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

Black Flag Keith Morris vs. Henry Rollins Boot In The Face (?) Released: 2008 This little tidbit caught me at a very bad time in my pay cycle: a limited-edition Black Flag LP featuring two very early demo reels from the band’s two most prominent singers, Keith Morris and Henry Rollins . This is the type of thing that gets my fanboy woody at its most upright. It sucks getting cockblocked by your bank account. Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

James Diotte , or Between The Pine , another in a significantly apparent line of singular performers turned phrases, (see Iron & Wine ), is releasing Friends, Foes, Kith and Kin in mid-December. Not typically drawn to this Elliot Smith brand of melancholic folk, Between The Pine doesn't necessarily sound original or different to me, but he does have an engaging capacity for instrumental layering. He beautifies tension. Between The Pine: "Coca Cola" Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

B Dolan dan le sac Vs. Scroobius Pip M Room Philadelphia, PA 9.27.08 "…Go close to Scroobious Pip and say, Tell us all about yourself we pray — For as yet we can't make out in the least If you're Fish or Insect, or Bird or Beast." — Excerpt from The Scroobious Pip by Edward Lear "Thou shalt not worship pop idols Or, follow lost prophets…" — Excerpt from "Thou Shalt Always Kill" "You’re probably the only guy who knows." I was seated with British Electro-Hop/Spoken Word duo, dan le sac Vs. Scroobius Pip , at Philadelphia’s M Room one sunny Saturday afternoon, armed with a digital recorder, a little bit of beer courage and a nervously conceived list of questions. When they agreed to meet me for an interview, dan and Scroob were on their way into Philly after a two-night stint at New York’s Mercury Lounge. In the midst of a U.S. tour supporting the American release of their new album, Angles , beatmeister dan le sac made the above stateme...

Tricky Knowle West Boy Domino Released: 9.9.08 Rating: 6 out of 10 Certain groups, performers, bands…some of them maintain my loyalty long after they’ve begun to fall apart. I’ll know as I pick up their new CD, scanning the back for song titles, maybe even checking out what label decided to throw caution to the wind to see if anything salvageable could still be squeezed from this one-time “artist,” that I’m wasting money. But, I can’t help it. I walk up to the counter, CD in hand and shell out my hard-earned. Minutes into the CD, it’s already up for resell at some indie record store and I’m cursing my impulse. Tricky is one of those performers. Ever since Maxinquaye graced my ears, I’ve willingly gambled money away in terms of his recent output. 2003’s Vulnerable still makes me want to purge every breakfast, lunch, dinner or midday snack I’ve ingested since I hit PLAY on that piece of shit, and I’ve long since exchanged it for something more worthwhile. But, Knowle West Boy ...

Wire Johnny Brenda’s Philadelphia, PA 10.10.08 Photo by Malka Spigel We were well into Wire ’s set when an overwhelming sense of self-righteous indignation fell over me like a blanket of barbed wire. This trio of 50-somethings, (them and the unnamed female rhythm guitarist in the background), geezers basically, having packed the venue almost beyond comfortable capacity, basically wrote every categorically Indie or Post-Punk song regurgitated over the last thirty years. Generalizing? Maybe, but listening to those guys play, you do realize that their first three albums, the seminally charged Pink Flag , Chairs Missing and 154 , laid it all out for any up-and-comer in the Indie crowd. And, yes, other bands matter, too. But, for now, fuck them: Wire cannot be denied. That being said, Wire was the sole act at Johnny Brenda’s last Friday, towing the line between polite and aggressive. Aside from an initial issue with singer/guitarist Colin Newman ’s microphone not wanting to...

I'm not usually one for remixed tracks, but I thought this was an interesting interpretation of Radiohead 's "Reckoner." The producer who pulled this together, Nosaj Thing , recently signed to Alpha Pup records. Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

Kid Congo Powers & The Pink Monkey Birds Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds The Electric Factory Philadelphia, PA 10.7.08 My friend, Jim, and I pulled into the Electric Factory parking lot around 7PM, about an hour before the show began. He’d heard that the show was sold out, so we wanted to make sure that a parking spot was claimed and that neither of us would have to stand in line for too long. After the necessary pat down and ticket rip, the both of us walked into the club while there was still breathing room, took a quick peek at the merch table and found our spots on the venue floor about fifteen feet from the stage. Around us you could see there were older moms and dads that probably got to see Nick Cave in his prime, young Gothic girls whose supple cups were plentiful and overflowing thanks to the magic of corsetry and guys clad in suits paying homage to Mr. Cave himself. Then you had people like me that fit with the t-shirt and jeans crowd, just there to see a show. Clear D...

Deerhoof Offend Maggie Kill Rock Stars Released: 10.7.08 No Ripcord review Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

Slim Cessna’s Auto Club Cipher Alternative Tentacles Released: 3.25.08 Rating: 8.25 out of 10 There are four moments spread throughout Cipher , latest album from Slim Cessna’s Auto Club , that I find most captivating. It’s basically one song, “An Introduction to the Power of Braces,” with four variations. There’s something very human about the song, as it soberly and somberly reflects on the aspects of our bodies that can easily wear away under the oppressive weight of life, (namely our arms, our legs, our teeth and our faith), and how the Brace can be used to right the wrongs. Church homilies, tent preaching, spiritual and philosophical musing about the fragility of humankind and its need of help every once in a while, Slim Cessna’s Auto Club speak from their hearts while basing their point of view on historically religious communication, but with no judgment at all. When it comes down to it, no matter what you believe or what deity you pledge your allegiance, you’re only human, s...