Imagine me in third grade, a rare cancellation of a Cub Scouts meeting resulting in extra nighttime TV viewing. I think it was 1986 when MTV began airing reruns of The Monkees , a television comedy series of which I’d never heard or known. My parents, though, had very amused looks about their faces, the types of warm smiles you’d see on people as they greeted familiar friends. It was the episode where The Monkees inexplicably wound up in a ghost town, which, (if I remember correctly), was being used as a hideout by some crooks. The humor was slapstick, perfectly suited for a 9 year old. I thought the show was funny and that was pretty much the extent of it. My record collection began with this tape. As time went on, I wound up really getting into the show, which developed into an obsession with the music. Once I discovered my father had some Monkees records stacked in his hard rock treasure trove of 60s/70s vinyl on our third floor, I camped out in front of the turntable...

Ed Schrader's Music Beat is one standing floor tom and one bass, pushing and experimenting with post-punk minimalism.  Effective?  Check out the video clips below. Ed Schrader's Music Beat will be releasing a new album, Jazz Mind , at the end of March. All info comes courtesy of Us/Them Group. Minimalist fury: Ed Schrader's Music Beat premiere track from debut album, launch U.S. tour Baltimore duo tied to Dan Deacon's Wham City, Future Islands, No Age "Schrader's voice alternates between a low, Ian Curtis -esque bellow and a frenetic bark that recalls Andy Falkous of McClusky and Future of the Left . In other words, this is aggressive music, even in its quieter moments." -- Pop Matters " Jazz Mind alternates between two distinct styles: harsh, thrashing punk, where Schrader screeches and howls, and minimalist beat poetry, where he chants in a sometimes sleepy monotone." -- Chicago Reader Baltimore minimalist duo Ed Schrader...

Dr. Dream Fatherland EP God Mode Records Released: 2.28.12       No Ripcord review Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

Gothic-based minimalism is what you’ll hear with Black Marble , dark synths and vocals meant to haunt. A new video for the band’s single, “Backward,” has just surfaced, which inexplicably shows topless ladies wielding axes and stabbing waterbeds. Not suitable for the cubicle. An MP3 of the track “Pretender” is also available if you can’t look at surrealistically charged tits at work. All info comes courtesy of Hardly Art. Black Marble - Backwards from Hardly Art on Vimeo . BLACK MARBLE'S "BACKWARDS" GETS NEW NSFW VIDEO VIDEO - " Backwards " (dir. Timothy Fiore) MP3 - " Pretender " MP3 - " Pretender (Pictureplane's Open the Door remix)" Black Marble's Weight Against the Door EP is defined by a cold, diamond-cut precision and a seedy, noirish kind of glamour. Director Timothy Fiore 's new NSFW video for standout track "Backwards"--shot in sumptuous black and white--ably captures the band's dark ...

It's only been days since covering news of the upcoming Melvins EP, The Bulls & The Bees . As The Melvins do tend to employ a work ethic that leads to both an admirable and prolific stretch of creativity and an annoying spring of recorded excess that's damn near impossible for completists to follow, news of Melvins Lite comes as a "really?" to anyone even somewhat knowledgeable as to degree of the band's output. To delve into their catalogue is to dive headfirst into a deep chasm of recorded work from which you MIGHT successfully emerge, provided you're obsessed, well-researched and wealthy. Even then, I imagine it would take years to acquire all their work as the various offshoots, projects and permutations churn out music with enviable gusto. So, Melvins Lite is comprised of mainstays Buzz Osbourne and Dale Crover , combining efforts with the amazing Trevor Dunn ( Mr. Bungle , Fantômas ).  Their new album, (a long player), Freak Puke , will be o...

Shortsighted on my part, but the presence of Earth and Ô Paon as touring mates drew enough interest from me to check out Mount Eerie , who has a new album coming out this May called Clear Moon .  Another album, Ocean Roar , will follow later this year. Searching through Mount Eerie's website , (real name Phil Elverum ), I found this video of a live performance for the song, "Between Two Mysteries," which I really enjoyed.  The synthesizer tones are reminiscent of Angelo Badalamenti 's Twin Peaks score , that haunting sheet of muted hum underlying the instrumentation.  All below info is courtesy of Force Field PR. Mount Eerie - Between Two Mysteries from Elijah Alvarado on Vimeo . Mount Eerie announces new LP, Clear Moon, due this May, first of two new albums to be released this year In this first of two new albums planned for release in 2012, Mount Eerie presents a monumental work of depth and maturity. These are songs about a quiet life in and aroun...

The Melvins will be releasing a new EP in March titled, The Bulls & The Bees , brought to you by Scion A/V, which is the "sponsorship of America's Musical Underground" branch of Scion, which is the "sell a car" branch of the automobile industry. I guess I can get behind any presence that encourages, promotes and exposes what would otherwise be considered non -commercialized, non -funded arts and music, even if it's done so with corporate sponsorship. Not sure if this really works from an integrity standpoint, but The Melvins are releasing an EP thanks to Scion A/V's backing. Maybe the ends justify the means. I know one thing:  Only a new release from The Melvins could get me to throw any ink toward Scion, so I hope they appreciate it.  Not that they, y'know, read me or know of my existence or anything. The Bulls & The Bees will be available as a free download upon its release.  The Melvins' new single, "The War On Wisdom,...

Issue #17 is up for your perusal with features on Lee Renaldo , Xiu Xiu and Pop. 1280, live reviews of performances by Field Music and The Men , and reviews for Robert Pollard , Pulp , Of Montreal and Shearwater . Mark Lanegan Band Blues Funeral 4AD Released: 2.6.12 Kicking Against The Pricks review Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

Corrosion Of Conformity s/t Candlelight Records Released: 2.28.12 Stereokiller review Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

Corrosion Of Conformity 's new self-titled LP is now streaming online, so...  If you can't wait to hear it, you know what to do.  All links, tour dates and info are courtesy of Earsplit PR. A review of the album will be featured on Stereokiller in the coming week or so. CORROSION OF CONFORMITY: Full Album Stream At AOL Music  Starting today, AOL Spinner is streaming CORROSION OF CONFORMITY's self-titled new studio offering in its entirety. Set for North American release on February 28, 2012 via Candlelight Records, Corrosion Of Conformity was recorded at Dave Grohl ’s Studio 606 in Los Angeles, the 11-track offering was produced by the band in cooperation with long-time collaborator John Custer , mixed by John Lousteau ( Foo Fighters ) and features artwork by Seldon Hunt ( Melvins , High On Fire ). Featuring the esteemed Animosity line-up of vocalist/bassist Mike Dean , guitarist Woody Weatherman , and drummer/vocalist Reed Mullin , the album’s release clo...

Red Sparowes spin-off band, Marriages , are releasing their debut album in May, Kitsune .  A trailer for the album has surfaced and a lot of the music sounds remarkably lush and haunting.  Give the video a look/listen and read up on the all the info, which comes from Us/Them Group. Oh yeah, they have a new single out, too.  Links are below. Marriages (members of Red Sparowes) premiere first track from debut, announce tour dates with Deafheaven in March Watch video. Red Sparowes offshoot band Marriages premiere the first song from their forthcoming debut today via Prefix Mag. The track " Ten Tiny Fingers " is culled from their new recording, Kitsune and is available to download/stream HERE . Watch a video teaser for Kitsune featuring the band at work in the studio HERE . Marriages also take to the road in March with dates supporting SF black metal faves Deafheaven . The trio -- comprised of Red Sparowes members Emma Ruth Rundle (vocals, guitar), Greg Burns (b...

Michael Davis , bassist for the loud and proud MC5 , has passed away due to liver failure .  Rock n' roll has lost one of its brightest, and while citing the obvious and essential contributions of the MC5 and their proto-stance as forefathers of what later became regarded as punk rock would be the usual stuff to address, let's instead "kick out the jams, motherfucker."   R.I.P. Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

I opened up the separate Soundcloud links for both tracks by Eli Keszler , which is all percussion, and Keith Fullerton Whitman , which is all electronic improv, and played them at the same time.  After hearing that, I think the Split concept is less interesting than an actual collaboration may have been, just because the wild and unrestrained array of sounds both musicians create seem to blend really well and compliment each other.  But, alas...  This is a split LP. It would difficult to classify the music herein as anything but "noise," but being drawn to such oddities, I felt compelled to listen.  Keszler, I would say, is definitely more of the traditional musician in this pairing, his rattling taps and booming percussion revolving around some idea of rhythm and form even if it does sound erratic.  He at least deals in instruments, which is an interesting contrast to Whitman who basically follows Keszler with a machine.    Eli Keszler-D...

Psych rock band, Black Mountain , are releasing a soundtrack album for an apocalyptic surf movie, Year Zero .  Apparently, the end of the world means surfing with liberty, driving Mustangs and fuck food and shelter.  Black Mountain have released a new single from the soundtrack, "Mary Lou," which really riffs on expansive desert-singed atmosphere.  It would be more enveloping, but its rhythm is heavily concentrated and vocally stern, so there's a presence maintained even if the song wanders a tad. The Year Zero soundtrack features five original tracks and five not-so new tracks and is slated for release on April 3rd.  Check out the song and read all the info, which was generously sent over by the good people at Jagjaguwar. Black Mountain's 2010 release, Wilderness Heart , was reviewed at No Ripcord.    Black Mountain - "Mary Lou" by Jagjaguwar Black Mountain Soundtracks New Surf Film Year Zero Download New Song "Mary Lou" Bl...

Between Frankie Rose and Katy Goodman ’s solo project, La Sera , O.G. Spector -worshippers Vivian Girls have really saturated the scene with melodic, lo-fi garage and Shangri-La pop groove. Spawning the solo and collaborative dabbling of Rose and Goodman, both of whom are putting out new albums in the next month or so, you do have to wonder how many more albums Vivian Girls have left before the sound is completely exhausted. Moving in a proactive manner, the starry-eyed nuances often associated with this sound are seeming to fall by the wayside. Rose, in particular, seems much less enchanted with sounding enchanted, taking on a cleaner edge and hardening the otherwise softness of her music. You could even cite The Smiths or The Cure as a basis for Interstellar , her upcoming new album. There’s jangling riffs and synthesizers, electro-tinged percussion. Certainly a throwback sound, but now twenty-years later than her last throwback sound. Frankie Rose - Gospel/Grace fro...

I received an email this morning from Phratry Records about a very interesting Portland, Oregon noise band called Palo Verde .  Their album, Zero Hour , is a lengthy and super-sludgy instrumental LP that propagates a level of amplified muck worthy of The Melvins while also providing meditative slabs of psychedelia.  Repetitious and prone to areas of free form musical assault, at times Zero Hour reminds me of the more abrasive aspects of Black Flag 's The Process Of Weeding Out and combines them with Earth 's recent Americana-laced desert rock.  There's less jazz than to it than there is No Wave, "pigfuck" or drone metal, but improvisation is at its core.  <p><p><a href="http://paloverdeband.bandcamp.com/album/zero-hour">Zero Hour by Palo Verde</a>...

If you haven't heard, bassist Mike Watt and drummer George Hurley 's post- Minutemen project, fIREHOSE , are back to being a thing .  Experimental art rock trio, Tera Melos , who've managed to gain quite a bit of clout after a successful run of albums ( Patagonian Rats in 2010/11, Zoo Weather EP and the 51+ minute single-song release, Echo On The Hills Of Knebworth ) and concert dates in 2011, (including kudos from touring mate, Marnie Stern ), will be on the road alongside fIREHOSE for a few left coast dates.  Nothing on the east coast, though.  Why would anyone on the east coast want to see fIREHOSE play?  Absurd.  Fuckers. Watt appeared on the Tera Melos track, "Manar The Magic.  All info, links and tour dates come courtesy of Us/Them Group. Tera Melos announce tour dates with reunited fIREHOSE "Once in a rare while an album comes along that's so fresh and ingenious it redefines what's possible in a field of music. It's been some time sin...