Stereogum premiered a cover of the Urinals ' "I'm A Bug," performed by the excellently charged and wildly distorted rock trio, METZ .  As with everything this band has committed to tape, the muddy distortion is prominent, the drums are exceedingly lo-fi and the energy is dialed up.  Apparently a follow-up to the band's self-titled debut is in the works, so we'll be on the lookout.  In the meantime, check out the track below and read up on some tour dates.  METZ will be playing traveling companions to Cloud Nothings for a few dates. A link to the video and touring info was provided by Sub Pop. Listen to METZ cover of the Urinals “I’m A Bug” (Stereogum premiere) Updated 2014 Summer & Fall tour dates The ever-mighty METZ have dropped a blistering cover of “I’m A Bug,” originally recorded by Southern California punk band the Urinals. Stereogum , who premiered the track had this to say, “I’m A Bug” is one many fine minimalist outbursts by late-

The artfully aware crew over at Northern Spy Records checked in yesterday with a track from Dama/Libra , an experimental and prominently vocal endeavor from Joel R. L. Phelps ( Silkworm ) and G. Stuart Dalquist ( Burning Witch , Sunn O))) , Avsa , Goatsnake ).  The group has a new album coming out called Claw and its first single is "The Chant," a harmonized vocal at the forefront of an otherwise pulsating and slow drone track, a thudding tom drum and bass strum buried underneath varying synthesizer effects, resultant in a brass-laden exit that's both unexpected and almost celebratory in its surprising and spontaneous glow.  You can check out the track below.  Tour dates were provided by Northern Spy Records. Dama/Libra Tour 2014 August 17—Quarters—Milwaukee, Wisconsin August ?18—The Hideout—Chicago, Illinois August 20—Middle East—Boston, Massachusetts August 21—St. Vitus—Brooklyn, New York August 22—The Brillobox—Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania August 23—Kung

Wolves in the Throne Room : "Initiation at Neudeg Alm" (via Earsplit PR/ Noisey /Soundcloud) Ought : "Today More Than Any Other Day" (via Rarely Unable/Vimeo) Ought "Today More Than Any Other Day" from Constellation Records on Vimeo . Pink Mountaintops : "The Second Summer of Love" (via Jagjaguwar/YouTube) Earth : "From The Zodiacal Light" (via Rarely Unable/Soundcloud) Incarnated : "Madness" (via Earsplit PR/YouTube) Beige Eagle Boys : "I Saw Your Face on the Pavement" (via Earsplit PR/YouTube) Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

Boris Noise Sargent House Released: 6.17.14 No Ripcord review Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

I received an email from Controlled Burn Records Monday afternoon detailing the new release from ex-Hydra Head noise punkers The Austerity Program , Beyond Calculation , along with permission to embed the album here for anyone who would like to check it out.  If you're looking for bass-prominent, pseudo-industrial stomp and circumstance in the vein of Pure -era Jesus Lizard or Big Black , (which is apparently a "fumbling comparison" as noted by the band's press release), this will be worth a listen.  I spent some time with this today and I enjoyed it.  All info comes courtesy of Controlled Burn Records. Drum machine vs. the over-educated: drum machine usually wins. "Everything the band does seems to be an exercise in discipline, and the belt has been tightened an extra notch for their new LP, Beyond Calculation . …(T)he album finds Foley and Calabrese streamlining their sound even further … into concise parcels of tightly wound maliciousness."

I was given the gift of record shopping for Father's Day this year.  Better yet: I was given the gift of shopping at the Princeton Record Exchange, which I hadn't visited since Record Store Day in 2013 .  Left with a stipend and about an hour or so to peruse, I was happy to spend more time navigating the inventory than last time, though I was not the only Dad given the day to record shop.  The store was packed with Dads toting impatient, bored children and wives that seemed stuck in this permanent scowl that said very plainly, "When will he grow the fuck up?"  Those Dads could very easily have replied, "When will you stop taking me dress shopping?" There were more deals than I had cash, unfortunately.  I found a copy of Madlib 's Shades of Blue , which I probably should've picked up.  I also found a stack of used Japanese Public Image Ltd. CDs that were going for $10 apiece and a sealed copy of OFF! 's First Four EPs 7" set.  To do thi

Last month, I posted about OOIOO 's upcoming new album, Gamel , and its first single, "Atatawa."   Today, a new single called "Jesso Testa" hit the web and it previews another upbeat and perfectly strange performance from the album, some excellent guitar phrasing alongside rallying vocals and odd moments of haphazardly slung bass tone worked into the traditional style of Javanese gamelan.  I'm really interested to hear Gamel in its entirety.   You can check out the track here: All info comes courtesy of Thrill Jockey Records. OOIOO RELEASE ANOTHER TRACK OFF NEW ALBUM 'GAMEL'   STREAM/DOWNLOAD 'JESSO TESTA' BELOW GAMEL OUT 30TH JUNE VIA THRILL JOCKEY Japanese experimental group OOIOO , lead by Yoshimi , will release their new album 'Gamel' in Europe on 30th June. Gamel incorporates a new found gamelan influence into their brand of euphoric and chaotic rock music. After making ' Atatawa ' available last m

Bo Ningen : "Slider" (via [PIAS]/ Nowness ) Bo Ningen: Slider on Nowness.com J Mascis : "Every Morning" (via Sub Pop/YouTube) Open Mike Eagle : "Doug Stamper (Advice Raps) (feat. Hannibal Buress)" (via Friends of Friends/ Bandcamp ) Dark Comedy by Open Mike Eagle The Hissy Fits : "Last December" (via Video Director, George Booker /YouTube) Rabbitsss : "Incdntly" (via PMA PR/Vimeo) Rabbitsss - 'Incdntlly' - Music Video from anfw on Vimeo . Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

Sore Saints Generous Lover 10" Dullest Records Released: 3.4.14 Sore Saints seem in tune with much of the noise/punk revitalization that's giving Canada some DIY cred, a scene rife with names like METZ , HSY , Odonis Odonis and White Lung , bands that deliver genuine and aggressive jolts of "looking back" post-hardcore, punk and post-punk that grant the music a much-needed second wind as opposed to a simple paint-by-numbers rehash.  The Brooklyn/Philadelphia four-piece delivered a 10" four-song EP called Generous Lover earlier this year and it's the type of sans bullshit rock culled from the emotionally brimming depths of late 80s/early 90s alt-rock that relies as much on its lyrical distress as it does the angst-riddled tone emanating from those blessed guitars. In some ways a sludge informed interpretation of Fugazi and Hüsker Dü , "Anhedonic" rattles till its stride is met, vocalist Nick Guidott working in multi-tracked growls as