To whom it may interest, Still getting acclimated to 2023 and up on January releases. How are you feeling about this year? Anything that you're looking forward to? I believe I've mentioned this before, but I'm in the process of trying to figure out how to develop a following in the TikTok space. You can find that here .  For last week's rounds of browser tabs, I've heard the following: ____________________________ Alex Ward Item 4:  "OURS" (from  Furthered,  releasing 3/3/23 by  577 Records )       577 Records · OURS by Alex Ward/Item 4 from album 'Furthered' (577 Records) Courtesy of 577 Records. Meg Baird:  "Ashes, Ashes" (from  Furling,  releasing 1/27/23 by  Drag City ) Courtesy of Drag City.  Ad Omega: "Triumph of Void" (from  Aphelic Ascent,  releasing 2/10/23 by  Drakkar Productions ) Courtesy of Falce Press & Management.  Constant Smiles:  "Triumph of Void" (from  Kenneth Anger,...

Good afternoon, As a resident of the Philadelphia region, and a music enthusiast to boot, I'm happy to promote any organization that helps grant children of underserved communities the gift of music education. Rock To The Future , founded by Executive Director  Jessica Craft , has partnered with Relapse Records in curating and making available a new 2019 sampler, for which any money spent will help fund Craft's cause.  Great music, worthwhile effort. If you want to check out some selections from the Relapse sampler, you can hit up the embedded Bandcamp link . All info on Rock To The Future and Relapse Records can also be found below. Links and info were provided by Relapse Records. Relapse Sampler 2019 by Relapse Sampler Relapse Records is proud to offer our annual FREE label sampler highlighting another year of incredible music from our eclectic roster, featuring the best dark and heavy music from around the world. With genres ranging from death metal, black metal,...

PLAX : "What A Waste" (via  Super Secret Records /Us-Them Group/ The Austin Chronicle /Soundcloud) "What A Waste" is a new single from PLAX's upcoming release, Clean Feeling , which will be released August 11th via Super Secret Records.  You can purchase the LP here . __________________________________________________________ Hand Habits : "yr heart" (via  Saddle Creek /Force Field PR/Soundcloud) From Force Field PR: Document is a new series from Saddle Creek which aims to highlight artists and music scenes from around the world that the SC crew has fallen in love with, but aren’t necessarily already part of the Saddle Creek family. The third release in the series is the yr heart 7-inch from Los Angeles’ Hand Habits . Meg Duffy , aka Hand Habits , is a singer, songwriter and guitarist originally from upstate New York. She has been putting her time in on the road and in the studio over the past two years with pacific northwest band Mega...

Dale Crover : "Little Brother" (via Speakeasy PR/ Joyful Noise Recordings /YouTube) One Master : "Will of the Shadow" (via Earsplit PR/ Eternal Death / Bandcamp ) <a href="http://eternaldeath.bandcamp.com/album/lycanthropic-burrowing">Lycanthropic Burrowing by One Master</a> Slothrust : "Pigpen" (via Tell All Your Friends PR/ Autostraddle /YouTube) Pattern Language : "Total Squaresville" (via Shameless Promotion/ Happy Robots /Bandcamp) Total Squaresville by Pattern Language Pink Frost : "Seek and Recover" (via Us-Them Group/ Under Road Records /Soundcloud) Man Forever : "Twin Torches (feat. Laurie Anderson )" (via Thrill Jockey Records /YouTube) Ex Eye : "Xenolith; The Anvil" (via Relapse Records /YouTube) Caretaker : "Swallow" (via Mike Mehalick Music Marketing/ All Things Go /Soundcloud) De La Soul : "Drawn (feat. Little Dragon )"(via De La Soul ) ...

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...

Big Walnuts Yonder : "Sponge Bath" (via Us-Them Group/Sargent House/ Sterogum /Soundcloud) Chuck Berry : "Big Boys" (via Big Mouth Publicity/YouTube) HOTT MT : "At Night in China Town" (via Tell All Your Friends PR/YouTube) Jaimie Branch : "Theme 002" (via Clandestine Media/ International Anthem Recording Co. /YouTube) Kikagaku Moyo : "In A Coil" (via Tell All Your Friends PR/ Wonderland. /Soundcloud) Ghost Bath : "Ambrosial" (via Earsplit PR/ Nuclear Blast /YouTube) Laetitia Sadier Source Ensemble : "Galactic Emergence" (via mutante/Drag City/YouTube) Obituary : "Ten Thousand Ways to Die" (via Relapse Records /YouTube) Benjamin Muñoz : "Melle" (via XLR8R / Push & Run /Soundcloud) Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

The new album coming in early 2016 from Ulver is in fact titled, ATGCLVLSSCAP , which is apparently an acronym for every sign of the zodiac.  Without having heard a single note of this release, the points of influence noted in the information below, which was provided by Rarely Unable PR, feature Kraftwerk , Neu! , Amon Duul II , John Carpenter and Bernard Herrmann .  It sounds like it's going to be ominous, propulsive and generally unsettling.  I unfortunately have no tracks to share at this point, but I'll be sure to post any that surface over the next few months.  ATGCLVLSSCAP is to be released via House of Mythology on January 22nd, 2016.  As mentioned, all info was provided by Rarely Unable.  ULVER
 REVEAL DETAILS OF A BRAND NEW ALBUM ATGCLVLSSCAP   ON NEW LABEL HOUSE OF MYTHOLOGY JANUARY 22ND 2016 House of Mythology proudly presents the new Ulver gatefold double album vinyl (also available on CD), with over 80 minutes worth of material. ...

The Greatest Hoax : "Opus No. 29" (via Terrorbird /Soundcloud) Kowloon Walled City : "Grievances" (via Rarely Unable/ Neurot Recordings /Soundcloud) Gnaw Their Tongues : "Through Flesh" (via Earsplit PR/ Crucial Blast /YouTube) Nicolas Jaar : "Fight" (via Force Field PR/ R & S Records /YouTube) Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

Chastity Belt : "Cool Slut" (via Hardly Art/YouTube) Frank Rabeyrolles : "Third Skin (Demo)" (via Wool Recordings/Soundcloud) So Stressed : "Merv King & The Phantoms" (via Honor Press/ Noisey /YouTube) Crom Dubh : "Cutting Teeth II" (via Earsplit PR/Soundcloud) Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

Rhyton : "California Black Box Vapors" (via Thrill Jockey Records/YouTube) tētēma : "Tenz" (via Speakeasy PR/Ipecac Recordings/ Wondering Sound /YouTube) Unsacred : "Plague" (via Earsplit PR/ CVLT Nation /Soundcloud) Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

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

Locrian Return to Annihilation Relapse Records Released: 6.25.13 In jazz critic Ben Ratliff 's book, Coltrane: The Story of a Sound , there's a quote from drummer Rashied Ali that stuck with me long after I'd finished the last page. Toward the end of John Coltrane 's life, and as his creative evolution had taken him irretrievably into the throes of structureless free form jazz and the ultimate demonstration of improvisational chaos, he'd begun to pound on his chest and holler into the microphone during live performances. Ali said, "I'd say, 'Trane, man, why are you doing that, beating on your chest and howling into the microphone?' He'd say, 'Man, I can't find nothing else to play on the horn.' He exhausted the saxophone. He couldn't find nothing else to play... he ran out of horn." Coltrane passed away in 1967, before this dilemma really led to any noticeable skid in his production as a musician. He remained ...

Following the very good Forever Abomination , Skeletonwitch is releasing a new album, Serpents Unleashed .  "Burned From Bone" is the first track/video to surface online, preceding the album's release date of late October.  Lots of time to wait, but 2013's been flying by, so I think October will be here before we know it.  All info is courtesy of Earsplit PR. Kurt Ballou and John Baizley always seem to have their hands full these days.  SKELETONWITCH: New Album Serpents Unleashed Due This October Free Download Of New Track Available Now; Behind-The-Scenes Studio Footage Posted Currently celebrating ten years of blackened metal, SKELETONWITCH are proud to unveil details about their most venomous release yet -- Serpents Unleashed . Set for release in North America on October 29 (October 28 EU/UK, October 25 Germany), the highly anticipated follow-up to 2011's critical-lauded, Billboard-charting Forever Abomination was recorded earlier this year at ...

I'm off pause following a week long trip to the Outer Banks.  Internet connectivity was sluggish at best so I wasn't really able to make updates or post reviews, unfortunately.  I'll be trying to play catch up this week as a result. First off... R.I.P. Arturo Vega — As I'm a graphic designer by trade, the passing of the man behind one of the most significant band logos for one of the most significant bands qualifies to me as a huge loss. The Guardian put together a really good tribute to Vega along which includes somewhat of an op-ed regarding musical iconography. And, while we're on the topic of art and rock n' roll, I happened upon this little gem via Sound Opinions : A small documentary about the Black Flag bars logo and one of my favorite artists of all time, Raymond Pettibon . ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Singles while I was out: Califone : "Stitches" (courtesy of Dead Oceans) No Age: "C...

MusicFilmWeb's Music Documentary Monday feature, 9.10. Until the Light Takes Us Directed by Aaron Aites and Audrey Ewell Released: 2008   MusicFilmWeb review Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

Ihsahn Eremita Candelight Records Released: 6.19.12 Stereokiller review Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

Today, I had the opportunity to preview the new Ihsahn album, Eremita .  Loud and aggressive, a shrieking monster that exhibits remarkably crafted songs.  It was exciting to listen to. The single, "Introspection," is not my favorite cut on the album, as it sounds rather reserved next to a lot of what goes on during Eremita .  But, I believe it'll get you in the door, as singles do.  "Introspection" was made available at the end of May at Guitar World , so I'm a little late with my acknowledgment. "The Paranoid," however, is pretty awesome.  Sample below.   All info below comes courtesy of Earsplit PR. IHSAHN: New Track Stream Available Via Guitar World Today Guitarworld.com hosts the exclusive premiere of IHSAHN’s “Introspection,” the third track off the legendary vocalist/guitarist’s forthcoming new full-length, Eremita . Set for release on June 19 via Candlelight Records, the nine-track opus was recorded and produced at Telemark...

I just got a press release from Earsplit PR that details all of Southern Lord's recent and remaining output for the year.  Most notable on the list is Sunn O))) 's ØØ Void reissue, which has been out of print for almost a decade.  See below for details. Southern Lord: Upcoming 2011 Releases In their continued reign of bringing some of the most talented, underground bands on the heaviest end of the musical spectrum to the public, Southern Lord have just unveiled their upcoming schedule for the remainder of the year, including releases from NOOTHGRUSH , DEAD IN THE DIRT , WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM , BLACK COBRA , CRAFT , HEARTLESS and SUNN 0))) .  This coming Tuesday, September 27th, prepare for a crushing live release from one of the sludge metal scene’s most underrated, unsung, and recently reformed acts; NOOTHGRUSH. Southern Lord will drop the notorious Bay Area act’s Live for Nothing CD, bearing an hour and 20 minutes of some of the most lo...