Bleach Everything's two-song single, "Bound/Cured", has been pressed into a 7" "X-Ray" Flexi and is available from Dark Operative .  This takes no time to sit through. The kidney-stone similar inner workings of my Keurig could wheeze and leak a diluted stream of coffee into an 8oz. cup in the time it takes to complete one listen of this single. That said, Bleach Everything manage to inject an inoffensive level of melody into breakneck'd hooks and densely kitchen-sink all the aggro they got into a little more than a minute for each track. The performances are tight, which is probably why these songs sound complete. If you have two minutes to spare…  Bound/Cured by Bleach Everything Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

As a vivid patchwork of loose and colorful geometry, both the visual and musical aspects of "Similar Canvas"/"Different Properties", the new 2-song single by improv quartet  JOBS and artist Sam King , speak to me as a heavily encumbered personal and maybe even first-world (or suburban) dystopia. With a range of disorganized thoughts being spoken aloud for the title track, dissonant tones being dragged from the strings of a viola as factorial steam-pistons run erratic, vocalist/guitarist Dave Scanlon  is somewhat robotic in his delivery, a relative monotone appropriate to what plays beneath. There is eventually a seasick sway to what perhaps functions as a discernible enough hook, but as King's visuals play with structure, so does the song: "What is the color of the glitter you seek? What is the color of your gestures? What is the color of the jewelry you keep? And I'll take your capital."   For "Different Properties", scratchy to...

"All paths lead to nowhere; and it all adds up nothing..."  Yes, there's a new Tropical Fuck Storm single out. And, yes, you should listen to it. The splintery observation punk of Gareth Liddiard , Fiona Kitschin , Lauren Hammel , and Erica Dunn has produced a new single called "The Planet of Straw Men." Joyful Noise is releasing the single on May 3rd as a limited-edition neon orange variant and black vinyl. A Tropical Fuck Storm interpretation of  Missy Elliott 's "Can't Stop" will grace the b-side. The single is currently available for pre-order via Joyful Noise . Tropical Fuck Storm's excellent 2018 release Laughing Death in Meatspace was reviewed for No Ripcord . If "The Planet of Straw Men" does anything for you, the band's debut LP should be an immediate acquisition. You can find that here . All info has been provided by Speakeasy PR.  TROPICAL FUCK STORM (EX-THE DRONES) SHARE NEW SONG (AND VIDEO FOR) ...

Some songs to end the week. Enjoy! Tera Melos : "Lemon Grove" ft. Rob Crow (via Us-Them Group / Sargent House / YouTube) Via Us/Them Group: Tera Melos share a new song from their forthcoming EP today. The track "Lemon Grove" features Rob Crow ( Pinback ) sharing vocals with vocalist/guitarist Nick Reinhart . The song is culled from the forthcoming 3-song Treasures and Trolls EP on Sargent House. Hear and share "Lemon Grove" via YouTube HERE . Tera Melos also launch extensive North American tour dates in November, first headlining with support from Mouse On The Keys , followed by the main support slot on the farewell tour of Minus The Bear . Please see dates below. Treasures and Trolls will be available November 2nd, 2018 on 7" vinyl and download via Sargent House. Pre-orders are available HERE (all store & streaming links) and via HelloMerch and Bandcamp . TERA MELOS TOUR 2018 NOV 02 SLC, UT @ Kilby Court * NOV 03 Denver, CO @ L...

Facial : "Black Noise" (via  Chain Letter Collective /Us-Them Group/Soundcloud) "Black Noise" is the second single from Facial 's upcoming new release,  Facade , which will be released September 29th via Chain Letter Collective.  You can pre-order the LP  here . __________________________________________________________ Humans Etcetera : "Silkworm" (via  Nefarious Industries /Earsplit PR/YouTube) From Earsplit PR: Nefarious Industries confirms the October release of Intelligent Skeleton by China-based solo outfit HUMANS ETCETERA , offering an early glimpse into the album with a video for the opening track, "Silkworm." HUMANS ETCETERA is an experimental rock outfit founded by West Virginia native, Christopher Henry , also a member of Fuck Your Birthday , and formerly of Clean Dirty Clean . The outfit's output unifies '90s alternative rock and post-hardcore and modern experimental rock elements into a mellow but engaging...

Some recent purchases from... Thrill Jockey Records : Uniform Wake In Fright Thrill Jockey Records Released: 1.20.17 Uniform 's Wake In Fright was issued as an "art edition" limited to 200, white vinyl housed in a screen-printed homage to Mad Max that's sealed with a wax stamp.  Needless to say, these are gone.  I won't say that the screen printed cover does much to enhance the actual album, but it's still pretty cool. I reviewed Wake In Fright at No Ripcord .  I recommend picking up a copy .  Castle Face Records : Damaged Bug Bunker Funk Castle Face Records Released: 3.10.17 As with any specialty Castle Face vinyl release, you jump on it as quickly as possible.  For the latest Damaged Bug release, the excellent Bunker Funk , I was able to pick up the Half-Candy/Half-Poison version.  It's a three-sided double-LP with an etched side that comes in a gatefold sleeve.  There were three other specialized editions of Bunker F...

"Mirror North" is the A-side of a new 2-song 7" from the band, WHOOP-Szo .  There's something possible familiar about the QUIETLOUDQUIET transitions, a Pixies device that's gained some value with this track, but the overall presentation is nicely arranged, some brooding bass melody and soft melodic accents that beautify for melancholic effect.  Then the volume goes up, the distortion chars.  There are also some interesting, albeit loose, Slint derivations incorporated at the bridge.    You can sample the track below. If you like what you hear, you can purchase the single here .  The official release date is 4.18: Record Store Day. Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

A little over a month ago, I received a package in the mail from Jason Deagan of Sweaters and Pearls Records , a label that specializes mostly in 7" single and EPs.  This specific area of interest connects directly to Deagan's other passion, which is his 7 Inches [Every Day] blog that reviews new 7" releases daily.   The contents of the package were as follows with a few words regarding each release: Harpoon Forever American Flag EP There's a resigned tone to much of Harpoon Fever 's 4-song EP American Flag , itself packed with Malkmus -laden slack rock that fully embraces the melodic persuasion of its 90s jump off.  While I wouldn't call the music lackadaisical, there's a charm or preciousness to it that enables my college flashbacks to surface with every strum of a guitar, especially true with the somber stride of "Slag Away" that's occasionally interrupted by a shift in tempo.  It's like a mild slap to the face, the recip...

Aperiodic / Mala In Se / Joe 4 / Knife The Symphony Double-Split 7" Phratry Records Released: 5.14 If you'd like to know what Phratry Records is about, this isn't a bad place to start. The label's 42nd release, this 4-song double-split 7" features the bands Aperiodic , Mala In Se , Joe 4 and Knife The Symphony , a selection of bands that range from artful shapeless oddities to quick-and-to-the-point riff-motive noise rock.  And, since we are living in a digital world, an additional four songs are available with the accompanying download. If you need a quick and solid recommendation, I bought this after listening to it via Bandcamp .  Otherwise, here's what you'll find: Aperiodic — Synthesizers lather the unsteady arrhythmia of "Something That Satisfies Me," Aperiodic's queasy lack of symmetry presented like a drunk's litany of complaints complete with the irregular rattling in his head.  "Scene Crush" follows as s...

Half Japanese "Refreshing" b/w "Do It Now" 7" Joyful Noise Recordings Released: 4.24.14 *My sincerest apologies to Half Japanese .  The "Refreshing/Do It Now" single is very, very good and, (unfortunately), very, very sold out, so I count myself grateful that I jumped on nabbing a copy when I had the chance.  As far as my daughter's refusal to review the release, I wouldn't take it personally.  I mean... C'mon, she thinks Juicy J can rap.  Puh-leeease.   Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

S.O.A. First Demo 12/29/80 Dischord Records Released: 3.14 *Genuine shock. **Despite my daughter's reservations, First Demo 12/29/80 is completely worth picking up for any fans of D.C. hardcore and, in my opinion, trumps in many ways the performances in the No Policy EP.   Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

Good afternoon readers, It's possible that this news has already coursed through the navigable and applicable avenues of the world wide web and that my efforts are largely redundant at this point. However, as I'm one to promote the ever more cynical motivation behind Record Store Day and those lovely little exclusives that eBay will subsist upon from late April till Christmastime, I'm going to waste your time and mention this shit anyway. If you choose to read, hope this is helpful. This first round of release info was provided by Sub Pop: Sub Pop Makes Record Store Day 2014 Worth Living Mudhoney On Top: KEXP Presents Mudhoney Live on Top of the Space Needle LP Pissed Jeans: The Very Best of Sub Pop 2009-2013: Live at the BBC 12” EP Chad VanGaalen “I Want You Back” 7” Single The Notwist “Run Run Run” 12” Single Herewith, details on Sub Pop’s elaborate and ingenious plans for Record Store Day 2014: a quartet of limited-edition releases comprised of two single...