Sonic Youth In/OUT/In Three Lobed Recordings Released: 3/18/22 It was late in the life of Sonic Youth to release an album as excellent as Murray Street .  Following my first listen of In/OUT/In , the recently issued compilation of material recorded during the band's Jim O'Rourke era, my ears could discern the time and place of these recordings (2000-2010) and I felt the need to revisit  Murray Street (2002),  Sonic Nurse (2004), and  Rather Ripped (2006). This trio of releases would be the last of SY's major-label output prior to joining Matador for their final album, The Eternal (2009), and were met with almost-uniform positivity. With their Y2K-emergent NYC Ghosts and Flowers , reactive ambition clouded some of their decisions (plus, the theft of their instruments the prior year forced them to pick-up old instruments and start from scratch) and the band committed the sin of hyper-indulgence.  Personally, I liked NYC Ghosts and Flowers , but the three-album...

Disco Inferno In Debt Rocket Girl Originally released: 1992 via Che Records Reissued: 5.5.17 Finding some common ground between The Bomb Squad 's peerless and innovative approach to sampling and the ethereal charge of My Bloody Valentine , Disco Inferno 's 1992 debut LP, In Debt , sounds out of place from when it was originally conceived.  In some ways akin to what Slint had achieved with its 1991 milestone release, Spiderland , the Essex trio's sound is stark and textural, repetitious guitar strokes bordering on pensive while their rhythmic intensity carries most of the band's emotional weight.  Post-punk in the Alt-rock era.   Underappreciated at the time, Disco Inferno has gained some notoriety since dissolving in 1995, prompting the necessity to reissue In Debt .  As this was certainly something I'd missed in 1992, I feel like I'm listening to the proper heirs to Wire 's creative legacy, an experimental rock trio whose capacity for creative gr...

Boris Pink (Deluxe Edition) Sargent House Released: 7.8.16 Originally released: 2005 via Diwphalanx Records (Japan); 2006 via Southern Lord Recordings (U.S.) I Heart Noise review Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

Boris   Pink (Deluxe Edition) Sargent House Released: 7.8.16 Originally released: 2005 via Diwphalanx Records (Japan); 2006 via Southern Lord Recordings (U.S.) * I'm in the midst of finishing up a review of the Pink reissue for I Heart Noise .  I'm hoping to have that out very soon. ** While the tendency for Boris to genre-hop isn't necessarily something one can glean from a single track, this aspect of the band makes them difficult to readily categorize and I think Isabella picked up on that.   Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

It was with Boris 's essential 2006 release, Pink , that I'd first become aware of the group's versatile brand of rock, drone and metal excellence.  Hard to believe that that was ten years ago.  In recognition of the album's 10th anniversary, Sargent House is releasing deluxe editions of Pink in both triple-LP and double-CD formats.  Along with the original release, a volume of unreleased tracks dubbed Forbidden Songs will be included.  A selection from the Forbidden portion of the reissue was posted at Pitchfork called, "Are You Ready?".  You can give it a listen and then read about the reissue below.  All info was provide by Us/Them Group. In addition to the reissue, Boris will be performing Pink live for U.S. audiences.  Tour dates are posted below.  And they're touring with Earth !  BORIS announce 10th anniversary Pink album deluxe reissue, U.S. tour performing Pink in its entirety Hear & share "Are You Ready?" ( ...

Queens of the Stone Age Lullabies To Paralyze Interscope Records Released: 3.22.05 A little over a week ago, Lullabies to Paralyze , the fourth album from Queens of the Stone Age , turned 10.  Realizing that this particular volume of QOTSA's output doesn't necessarily garner the respect of its predecessors, 2000's Rated R and 2002's monumental Songs for the Deaf , Lullabies to Paralyze was, for me, an important album, one that occupied a great deal of my time and consideration for months following its release. Remembering 2005, as I saw it, The Strokes and The White Stripes were supplying rock journalists with all the content they required.  Garage was retro-chic and vintage blues was the shit.  While QOTSA's Songs for the Deaf had earned itself some very well-deserved acclaim, (aided in part by the star power and involvement of Dave Grohl ), Elephant and Room on Fire , both of which were the 2003 follow-ups to milestone releases for both The Strokes a...

Just received news of a Kickstarter campaign aiming to fund a Melvins documentary.  Sound cool?  I think so.  The trailer, links and info were lovingly provided by the wonderful people over at Speakeasy PR & Marketing, so check it out.  MELVINS’ DOCUMENTARY, THE COLOSSUS OF DESTINY – A MELVINS TALE , LAUNCHES KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN RELEASE NEW TRAILER SAN FRANCISCO, March 9, 2015 – The filmmakers of the forthcoming Melvins’ documentary, The Colossus of Destiny – A Melvins Tale , have launched a Kickstarter campaign featuring artwork donated by Haze XXL , Brian Walsby , Arik Roper , Skinner and Mackie Osborne ( https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/26674096/the-colossus-of-destiny-a-melvins-tale ).   The film, which is currently under production with an anticipated early 2016 release, is the creation of Bob Hannam and Ryan Sutherby . The pair, who met through a mutual affection for the Melvins, began work on the officially authorized documentary in...

Here are some online orders (and one concert purchase) to dissect.  Enjoy. Sunn O))) Online Store Sunn O))) Black One Southern Lord Recordings Reissued: 2013 I know I've probably talked this band to death this year (and I'm not finished yet... ahem, Soused ), but Sunn O))) 's 2005 LP, Black One , has been on my list for quite some time.  It was for me an elusive acquisition, copies selling out pretty quickly whenever a limited run would be produced and made available.  This time, however, I managed to grab a copy and it's a nice package: Textured cover art with beautifully printed silver dust jackets housing thick, grey vinyl.  I almost felt bad opening it, but it sounds great pushing through speakers.  It's just inimitable, reverberating bleakness.  Price was $35.  I will say, though, that I think I'm done with ordering vinyl from the Sunn O))) Online Store.  This is the second time I've received an order and the album has...

Zombi Spirit Animal Relapse Records Originally released: 2009 Reissued: 1.7.14   *The views of the five year-old featured don't necessarily reflect the views of her father: Zombi ARE awesome and I'm NOT cheap.  At least, not really. Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

MusicFilmWeb's Music Documentary Monday feature, 7.22. Downloaded Directed by Alex Winter Released: 2013   MusicFilmWeb review Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

MusicFilmWeb's Music Documentary Monday feature, 12.3. My Career as a Jerk Directed by David Markey Released: 2012   MusicFilmWeb review Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds Nocturama (Mute) Originally released: 2.23.03 Reissued: 8.14.12 Abattoir Blues/The Lyre Of Orpheus (Mute) Originally released: 9.20.04 Reissued: 8.14.12   Dig!!! Lazarus, Dig!!! (Mute) Originally released: 4.8.08 Reissued: 8.14.12 No Ripcord review. Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds  Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus Mute Reissued: 8.14.12 Truly an amazing pair of albums.   Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

Well over a month ago, I posted an entry about Zs and the band's then-upcoming retrospective, Score — The Complete Sextet Works: 2002-2007.  I received a press release today that Zs will be marking the occasion of the collection's release with a performance at New York's PAC Gallery.  For me, this was a good excuse to re-post the four song sampler provided to promote the release.  Enjoy the tracks.  All info comes courtesy of Northern Spy Records. Zs Moseys Into PACS Gallery with Nate Young (Wolf Eyes), Sightings, and Drainolith on Saturday, September 29th ZS (Greg Fox, Patrick Higgins, Sam Hillmer) Please join us this Saturday, September 29 at PACS Gallery (70 N 6th Street, Brooklyn - above Public Assembly) ) in heralding a new era of Zs: featuring Greg Fox on drums and Patrick Higgins on guitar. The band is celebrating the recent 4 disc retrospective box set SCORE and finalizing a new EP. The rest of the night’s line-up will be one of the hea...

High On Fire The Art Of Self Defense Southern Lord Recordings Originally released: 3.7.00 (Man's Ruin Records) Reissued: 7.31.12 Stereokiller review Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead