So, how do you feel about 40 LPs and 10 EPs and singles? 2011 is over in a couple days and I'm already anticipating new music for 2012.  Here are my favorite albums of the year.  Hope you enjoy the list and thank you for another year of support.  And, please, feel free to comment, yell, scream, disagree...  I'm all about debate and my "comments" sections have been quiet for some time. Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead 15). Noxious Foxes — Légs Légs was an album that I'd spent a few months with the intention of reviewing, but failing to unfortunately.  A duo comprised of drummer Richard Levengood and guitarist Justin Talbott , Noxious Foxes follows the avant propulsion and chord progressions of Hella , but also create jam-based instrumentals that rely purely on groove.  Guitar loops are masterfully constructed, allowing the limitations of being a two-piece to expand into very full, very densely performed music.  14). Parts ...

So, how was 2011 for you?  Though I've yet to post the entire list of albums I've enjoyed this year, I did notice how much it deviated from many of the various lists I've been reading since the beginning of December, people's tastes revolving around tired folk ( Bon Iver ), dry Antony Hegarty/Sufjan Stevens -informed dubstep ( James Blake ), solo electronic masturbation ( Washed Out ) or electronic monotony ( Cults ) and gorgeous-sounding-boredom-mistaken-for-gorgeous-sounding-rock-music ( The Antlers ).  Call me out of touch, fine; I'm the last person in the world to declare superiority of taste or downplay a generations' music based on my perspective, (though I know I've been guilty of that from time to time).  I will say, though, that if you pieced together a compilation of many of the year's big picks, it could very likely be used as a soft rock radio DJ's suit-selected playlist of light, accessible, non-threatening to the ears background noise...

The 21st, as always, is dedicated to Frank Zappa .  Crank up the volume, all ye loyalists of Frank.  Crank up the volume.  The man would've been 71 years old today. Photo by Jerry Schatzberg, New York City, 1967 Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

Contributors to Kicking Against The Pricks were asked to select their own #1 album for 2011 and submit a review.  Originally, this was supposed to be treated as a "12 days of Christmas" feature with one review a day being posted as the countdown to Christmas continued, but there were not enough submissions to make that happen.  The articles were instead used for Issue #15, which is up for perusal. I selected Attention Please by Boris . Issue #15 of Kicking Against The Pricks is up. You can find that here . Boris Attention Please Sargent House Released: 10.25.11     Kicking Against The Pricks review Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

Haptic Scilens Flingco Sound Systems Released: 10.11 Over the last couple years, I have been treated to various interpretations regarding ambience and noise and how the two can coexist committed to a recorded format.  Some are more basic than others, loose translations either limited to or aided by the extent of vision and tools, obviously.  Haptic , their new cassette release, Scilens , is different from many of these noise compositions/experiments I've heard because it owes much less to the creation of expanse and noise than it does the improvisation dynamic of free jazz or composed weirdness via John Cage or Philip Glass .  I say this because, despite the array of devices used to create Scilens , (and what a list: "air conditioner... paper (various weights)... sand... tuning forks... wooden clothespin"), you can almost imagine a conductor's wand flowing through the air this recording breathes, working to cue the slow builds of quiet rumble or the odd, Zappa -...

Orange Goblin is releasing a new album called A Eulogy for the Damned in February of 2012.  Their first single, "Red Tide Rising," is available to check out, immediate satisfaction with riff, speed and volume a guarantee for anyone anticipating the new album.  All the below info comes courtesy of Earsplit PR.  Hit up Noisecreep for the song. ORANGE GOBLIN: New Track Premiere Brought To You By Noisecreep Today Noisecreep premieres "Red Tide Rising," the opening track from ORANGE GOBLIN's forthcoming A Eulogy For The Damne d full-length. Set for North American release on February 14, 2012 via Candlelight Records, A Eulogy For The Damned is the band’s seventh studio album (and first for Candlelight). The ten-track offering was recorded at The Animal Farm studio in South London, UK, produced and engineered by Jamie Dodd and mastered by two-time Grammy-nominated Pink Floyd engineer Andy Jackson at Tube Mastering.   Commented vocalist Ben Ward of the track:...

Driving home yesterday, I was listening to Beauty Pill 's The Unsustainable Lifestyle , which is the last LP they released before this upcoming 2012 album that I'm very eager to hear.  Some info regarding their recent living art/recording installation at Artisphere and a record release party has surfaced, so I figured I'd post some info for anyone living in the D.C. area and also post a song. Info comes courtesy of Terrorbird Media. Beauty Pill Returns To Artisphere for Immersive Ideal Installation + Exclusive New Record Release Saturday January 7 - Sunday January 22 Following Washington, DC Beauty Pill's groundbreaking summer 2011 open recording residency at Artisphere , the Immersive Ideal project returns with a multimedia installation designed by Kelley Bell and Stephan Moore from Saturday, January 7 to Sunday, January 22. Visitors will have the opportunity to listen to Beauty Pill's new album—recorded in full view of the public eye at and presented exclus...

I just listened to "The One You Want" off of Weekend 's last EP, Red , which I've apparently slept on seeing as it came out around the end of September.  The band will apparently be touring with The Soft Moon , whom I really enjoy , and they toured with Wire so I thought spotlighting the single would be worthwhile to anyone not in the know.  I'm sure that's just me. Weekend - The One You Want by Slumberland Records Info is courtesy of Force Field PR. Weekend announces West Coast Winter dates Weekend photographed by Marina Forte STREAM: "The One You Want" - http://soundcloud.com/slumberland-records/weekend-the-one-you-want/s-4I1JG Upon finishing recent tours with Talk Normal and The Kills , and a hostile takeover of the 2011 CMJ Music Marathon, tireless San Francisco post-punks Weekend are now announcing Winter show dates on the West Coast. Weekend have been touring hard behind their debut album Sports since it arrived on...

Poison Idea reissues in 2012!  A lot of Poison Idea material has been unavailable for some time, so Southern Lord's attention is not only warranted but very much appreciated. All info comes courtesy of Earsplit PR. POISON IDEA: Southern Lord To Reissue Seminal Titles From Hardcore Punk Legends   Southern Lord Recordings are proud to be officially re-releasing several incredible, seminal titles from Portland, Oregon's explosive punk/hardcore kings, POISON IDEA in 2012! Southern Lord will be releasing CD versions of several POISON IDEA reissues that TKO Records are currently re-releasing on vinyl. All of the material is being re-mastered by Jack Control ( World Burns to Death ) and each release includes new, extensive liner notes as well as never before seen photos and previously unreleased bonus material. This POISON IDEA reissue series kicks off January 31st, with the re-release of Darby Crash Rides Again: The Early Years . Boasting twenty-nine tracks from the band...

Composer Eyvind Kang is set to release a new album, The Narrow Garden , through Mike Patton ’s Ipecac label in January of 2012. All info come courtesy of Speakeasy PR. EYVIND KANG 'S THE NARROW GARDEN SET FOR JAN. 31 RELEASE ON IPECAC   FAMED STRING PLAYER KNOWN FOR WORK WITH JOHN ZORN, MIKE PATTON AND SUNN 0))) San Francisco, Dec. 14, 2011 - Eyvind Kang , the well-known string player who has worked with Mr. Bungle , Sun City Girls and Lou Reed , releases The Narrow Garden on Jan. 31 via Ipecac Recordings . Spin said of Kang's most recent Ipecac release, 2007's Athlantis : "Think the monolith scene from 2001 as rendered by Mr. Bungle and you're almost there."     PopMatters said Kang "...inhabits other worlds so the rest of us don't have to." While Athlantis is a choral piece inspired by Renaissance era literature and philosophy, The Narrow Garden is inspired by the natural world.  "I composed most ...

Joyful Noise is beginning a subscription service in 2012, patrons of which will receive single-sided, limited edition, clear Flexi-Disc releases by artists like Of Montreal , Deerhoof , Richard Swift and some others.  Responsible also for a number of cassette reissues this year by Dinosaur Jr. and Of Montreal, give Joyful Noise credit not only for digging long gone music formats out of obscurity, but for trying to reinvigorate the physical music market with these oddities.  They play on a normal turntable, too, so it's not like you need to find a specialty item to play the music, (I imagine some people are still struggling to find tape decks for many of the cassette releases that have emerged over the last couple years).  As far as my personal connection to Flexi Disc vinyl?  Years ago, when I was a child, McDonald's had a contest requiring you buy some food, which then awarded you a chance at a million dollars.  You were given a small, square, super-flimsy ...

The Evens “Warble Factor” b/w “Timothy Wright” Dischord Released: 11.21.11 After five years of silence, Ian MacKaye and Amy Farina ’s two-person post-hardcore folk band, The Evens , release a two-song single, “Warble Factor” b/w “Timothy Wright.” Anyone familiar with The Evens’ self-titled debut and their excellent follow-up, Get Evens , will know what to expect from the band in terms of tempo, sound and melody. Though there are no surprises, The Evens have an approach to their dynamic that is engaging despite its simplicity and commanding of attention even if the band’s volume never exceeds the capability of acoustic instrumentation. “Warble Factor” begins with a great riff. MacKaye knows how to draw in a listener. Once Farina is activated, the hook is set. She has great presence both as a drummer and vocalist and arguably she could be considered the band’s winning factor. MacKaye doesn’t falter or shrink into any background, his presence better felt in the following “Tim...

For new levels of irritation... Yesterday morning, I received a Bandcamp link for GAHZA , which is evidently some sort of experimental/folk/hip-hop/chipmunk weirdness that's home-recorded, sped up, played back and issued out there for all of you to check out.  GAHZA is a character in these tracks from inception with "Birth of GAHZA" till close with "GAHZA's Last Stand," other monumental episodic tracks like "GAHZA Loves," "GAHZA Sleeps" and "GAHZA Hides" carrying the in-between. Though the songs are pretty unlistenable, this is the type of strangeness that I at least find intriguing enough to spotlight.  The pretension is thick enough to cut with a chop saw, but it's also goofy and playful.  I just can't tell if GAHZA is some ironic take on a concept album, or if it's just a joke.    BIRTH OF GAHZA by GAHZA   GAHZA DREAMS by GAHZA Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

If anyone happened to survey last week's Top 100 Debuts List for No Ripcord, then you probably had as many issues, (if not more), as I had.  First off, most 00 releases haven't been in circulation long enough to make any lasting impact.  Secondly, Sabbath was beat out by The Arctic Monkeys and Coldplay .  Do I need a third reason after that? And, because many of the writers felt certain albums that they'd voted for basically got cancelled out for inclusions like James Blake , Neutral Milk Hotel and Fleet Foxes , No Ripcord added an honorable mention feature as a companion piece.  I felt particularly bummed that Fugazi 's Repeater hadn't made the cut, so here is a word or two in honor of one of the strongest debut albums of all time.  In my opinion, of course. FUGAZ I Repeater ( Dischord , 1990) Fugazi released two EPs before their first full-length in 1990, Repeater . Preceding the Alterna-splosion by only a year or so, not to mention all th...

For 2011, Wire released their album Red Barked Tree around the beginning of the year and toured. A lot. Big year for the band to say the least. A live album recorded last May as part of a radio series for Radio France, The Black Session — Paris, 10 May 2011 , is going to be released in February of 2012. All the info below is courtesy of Terrorbird Media. Wire's Red Barked Tree was reviewed at No Ripcord . Wire To Release The Black Session Paris, 10 May 2011 Live Album On February 7 2011 saw the release of Wire’s most critically acclaimed and fastest-selling album in recent years, Red Barked Tree . The band also embarked on its most ambitious tour to date, embracing four continents and dozens of cities, many of which Wire had never played before. The final leg of the tour saw Wire performing in front of UK audiences for the second time in a year, something not undertaken for more than three decades. In celebration of this extraordinary year, pinkflag presents a special ke...

News today came of UFOMAMMUT 's completion of their new upcoming album, Oro , which should be a monster.  Details below from Earsplit PR. UFOMAMMUT's last album, Eve , was reviewed for Stereokiller.  You can find that review here . UFOMAMMUT Complete Two-Part Neurot Recordings Debut UFOMAMMUT, Northern Italy's sorcerers of supernatural and obliterating doom, have completed the recordings for their sixth full-length, and first as part of the Neurot Recordings family. This week we are beyond excited to announce the details of this highly anticipated, mammoth follow-up to their 2010 full-length Eve , the band's most critically-acclaimed and devastating piece of magic to date... until now. Oro is the title for UFOMAMMUT's latest work, divided into ten massive movements overall which is now confirmed to be delivered in two separate pieces during the coming year. The first chapter, Opus Primum , will see arrival in April, and the second, Opus Alter , in Septe...

Aside from the occasional indulgence of a bought CD or album, and I mean really occasional, most of the year's music for me as been via promo. Financially speaking, if it wasn't for writing about music, I don't know how I'd hear anything. However, The Roots ' new album, undun , was released yesterday and I was sure to pick it up. I realize that Letters From A Tapehead probably doesn't spotlight hip-hop as often as it should. I will attribute this notable absence, unfairly I admit, to my personal preferences and taste, myself being a "music" fan and remaining mostly unimpressed with many of hip-hop's current big timers. This is a genre that has, unfortunately, left me locked into a certain era, a "back in my day" curmudgeon romanticizing the creativity brought to the music via turntables and physical technique, the self-promotion and word-of-mouth brought to the music via boomboxes and cassettes and the flow and craft brought to the ...

With 2011 winding down and the "Best Of" lists bombarding readers left and right, announcements for 2012 releases are surfacing.  Drone quartet Earth will be releasing the sequel to this year's excellent album, Angels Of Darkness, Demons Of Light I , (aptly updated to " II "), on February 14th of 2012.  No tracks are available yet, but thanks to Earsplit PR, you can read release info below. A review for Earth's Angels Of Darkness, Demons Of Light I can be read at No Ripcord .  Also, I had the opportunity to see Earth perform this year in Philadelphia and wrote all about it.  You can read that here . All links and information come courtesy of Earsplit PR. EARTH Announce New Album Details The second half of Seattle drone icons EARTH's Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light is being prepared for release on Southern Lord in North America this February 14th on CD, LP and digital download formats. Recorded in the same two week session as 2011's laud...