Fans of avant-metal-jazz bassist Trevor Dunn ( Mr. Bungle , Fantômas , Trevor Dunn’s Trio Convulsant ) will be happy to know that he’s going back to rock n’ roll with his new creation, MadLove . After having spent the last ten years since Bungle’s California album basically being an obscure artist with some current Mike Patton -related entanglements, MadLove will likely be the most accessible thing he’s done since, though I’m certainly not accusing California of being “accessible.” Their new album, White With Foam , will be out September 29th on Ipecac. Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

Sax Ruins Yawiquo Ipecac Recordings Released: 7.28.09 Rating: 8.75 out of 10 “Jazz is not dead, it just smells funny.” – Frank Zappa Tatsuya Yoshida , is probably the best drummer you’ve never heard of. As the beat section of the progressive duo, Ruins , and the compositional mastermind behind Magma -homage, Koenji Hyakkei , Yoshida is an intense and signature-attentive avant musician, the type Zappa might’ve hired or, at the very least, respected. Reconsidering Ruins, whose components have been confined to bass/drum combos since its birth in 1985, Yoshida enlisted the aid of alto saxophonist, Ono Ryoko . Originally intended as a live permutation, Yoshida has since renamed the duo, Sax Ruins , obviously in response to this new interpretation of his music, now a free jazz progressive entity whose arrangements closely follow its percussive assault. Yawiquo is their first release. This is pre-“SAX” Ruins incorporating Koenji Hyakkei into the mix, dated 2007. Yoshida ...

My favorite elder Philadelphia music critics have new episodes up. Grizzly Bear , Iggy Pop St. Vincent , ISIS Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

Pissed Jeans King Of Jeans Sub Pop Released: 8.18.09 No Ripcord review Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

Something light to start off your Monday grind: Low Low Low La La La Love Love Love - "Blackbird 3" from Other Electricities on Vimeo . UK’s Low Low Low La La La Love Love Love is putting out their third album, Feels, Feathers Bog and Bees in late October. Their single, “Blackbird 3,” is like a Sigur Rós take on The Beatles , reinterpreting “Blackbird”’s vocal harmonies over soft acoustic strings. There is a nature sounds or subliminal message quality to the song, characteristic of this type of meditative folk. Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

As the Beastie Boys have spent the year on a reissue kick, they’ve also been prepping the release of their new album, Hot Sauce Committee, Pt. 1 , which was supposed to hit the shelves in mid-September. However, plans for the album, and subsequent tour, have been postponed due to the following: It would be an understatement to express that the Beastie Boys are one of the pinnacle bands in my life, an indispensible aspect of my past and present. As their music’s filled many a backdrop in the episodic events of my life that I can still recall, and been spliced in many a tape I’ve recorded over the years, the news of Adam Yauch ’s run in with cancer doesn’t go over without some sort of reaction. His optimism and sense of humor are intact, so I’m sure he’ll pull through and the Beasties will continue to keep the party going a little longer. It would be a sad world without them. Well wishes from a big fan, Letters From A Tapehead

Despite it having ended a few months ago, I still like to check out updates at Record Store Day 's official website just to scope out potential news bits or points of interest involving our ever-beloved record stores. Last week, there was an entry about the record label, Light In The Attic, who packed four employees into a van and sent them out armed with records and merch for ten days so that they would visit 50 record stores along the west coast. The whole idea was to reinstate or revisit the old school methodology behind independent labels and how they delivered materials to independent record stores. The participants wrote blog entries and recorded some videos: There's also a three-song EP available for download , just in case you want to sample what the label has to offer. That Monks reissue is looking good. Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

Brooklyn lo-fi trio, Vivian Girls , are releasing a new album this September entitled, Everything Goes Wrong . “When I’m Gone” is its first single. I don’t hold much faith that this new album will be much different than its predecessor, but I enjoy what Vivian Girls commit to tape. Their sung harmonies and ghostly instrumentation are enjoyable. “Tell The World” is still one of my favorite singles from last year. Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

To me, September 9th marks what will be the single biggest musical happening this year. As the countdown continues, an excerpt of the mini-documentary about the making of Revolver has been made public, and can be viewed at The Beatles home site. The full documentary will be available with the remastered version of Revolver . I will be penning what might become a feature series about The Beatles' remastered catalogue for No Ripcord , possibly starting around the end of August, or early September. Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

Yeah Yeah Yeahs It’s Blitz! Interscope Released: 3.10.09 Rating: 6.75 out of 10 In 2002, Yeah Yeah Yeahs singer Karen O was interviewed for a documentary entitled, Kill Your Idols , that focused on NYC’s No Wave movement in the late 70s and how it influenced the millennium’s crop of retro-wavers and two-car garage rockers. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs were still an up and coming act whose presence was regionally felt, Fever To Tell and “Maps” yet to wrap themselves around hipster America’s cerebral cortex. Karen O, amidst an unsettling surplus of “like, like, y’know,” basically appropriates the unoriginal Noel Gallagher -ism about acting like the biggest band in the world. I can’t say it hasn’t gotten her far. Excerpt of Karen O ’s interview from Kill Your Idols. As the motored fuzz of 2003’s Fever To Tell rang in an era of noise for Karen O and her two faithful Yeahs (Yeah #2, guitarist Nick Zinner , and Yeah #3, drummer Brian Chase ), the badass fishnet anti-fashionista hol...

When I heard the song "Elephants," I was forced to listen. Los Angeles alt-quartet, Warpaint , possess an engaging sadness or desperation that seems to permeate their sound, which is a complex hodgepodge of post-punk, folk and psychedelia. Even trance, to some extent. At times, the vocal passion compares atmospherically to someone like Björk , but the playing is on its own level. I don't want to say it's unique, but the jazzy percussion and light fretwork Warpaint mesh together defy the sort of lush tone and engaging harmonies that would typically draw someone to music of this sort. It's not beautiful, just captivating. Their EP, Exquisite Corpse , is due for September release. Red Hot Chili Pepper , John Frusciante , was at the boards. "Elephants" Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

Faux Hoax Your Friends Will Carry Home 7" Polyvinyl Released: 5.19.09 No Ripcord review Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

Battlehooch Piecechow (Self-released) Released: 6.23.09 Rating: 7.75 out of 10 Battlehooch is a band of varying degrees of rambunctious excitability: the life of the bonfire, the street act that causes traffic, a crowd attractant, the spontaneous living event whose faces wind up on anonymous Flickr pages and blogs. Their album, Piecechow , is a tireless and goofily progressive vagabond bonanza, indicative of the kind of live show they put on. It’s fun; it’s fast; it’s odd; it’s the kind of quirky parade of jubilation that almost dissolves the line that typically delineates “band” from “performers.” You can imagine madmen on elevated unicycles juggling machetes to the music herein. It really is a party for its allotted playtime. Battlehooch Plays L Train and Classic Clowns at the Vulcan Lofts 8-6-08 from Battlehooch on Vimeo . With big band chaos aplenty, “The Special Place” is Piecechow ’s adrenaline shot, shouting out Devo style amidst honking honks and hooting hoots. Followi...

A friend recently brought Breakfast at Sulimay's to my attention, citing his father's relationship to restaurant patron and critic, Joe Walker . Bringing contemporary music to the opinionated temperaments of Philly elders, Joe, Ann and Bill , Breakfast at Sulimay's is an amusing five minutes worth of objective critique that mostly contradicts the sometimes over-thought and self-indulgent musings that critics, (myself included as low rent and illegit as I am), oftentimes commit to public view. You might not agree with what they say, but you'll probably laugh. Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

Riceboy Sleeps is the name of the upcoming album from Jónsi Birgisson of Sigur Rós and his companion, Alex Somers . The album is to release later this month, but a free MP3 is being offered to anyone willing enough to give up their email address. Lately, I've been inundated with ambient music: swelling tones, shapeless auras, floating textures...(adjective + 50 cent word = unique observation regarding art, beauty, subtlety, atmosphere, etc.). If you hear enough of it, the music begins to mean less and less as it carries no signature and easily fades its category, another homogenized addition to the canon. Riceboy Sleeps - All the big trees from sigur-ros.co.uk on Vimeo . But, as Sigur Rós basically eats and sleeps atmosphere, Jónsi brings the same intensity to this project, making it a distinct stepson of the Sigur Rós tradition. The results are undeniably beautiful. Riceboy Sleeps - Daníell in the sea from sigur-ros.co.uk on Vimeo . Sincerely, Letters From ...

How appropriate. A Happy 4th to everyone. Keep our troops in your thoughts. Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

"Little Sad Eyes" is a cut from Magnolia Electric Co. 's upcoming album, Josephine. The song sort of reminds me of vintage Van Morrison , bluesy with a danceable jazz angle. The Black Keys came up with something similar on last year's Attack & Release , but Magnolia Electric Co.'s attempt seems more polished. Not better, just "studio" as opposed to "garage." "Little Sad Eyes" Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

Sunn O))) Monoliths & Dimensions Southern Lord Released: 5.18.09 No Ripcord review Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead