I know that it's been very quiet here on Letters From A Tapehead , but it's not for lack of trying. It's been rough finding time to write lately. However, I'm working on at least three articles right now, one of them being a review of Mike Patton 's A Perfect Place . At some point, I'm sure I'll be able to get on a relatively consistent schedule. In the meantime, thanks for your patience, understanding and continued interest in what my fingers type out when the need hits them. Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

Bauhaus Go Away White Bauhaus Music Released: 3.4.08 Rating: 9 out of 10 Let it be said that when reading something like “Their first record in 25 years,” I’m immediately skeptical. Why? A certain little band last year released one of these “reunion”-type albums much to my utter excitement and probable joy…y’know, till I listened to it. What band? The Stooges . It was the type of mismanaged clusterfuck that can only make one feel that reunions exist purely to decimate and tarnish what was once impenetrable and spotless. I know that bands are comprised of humans. I don’t need to know that they’re fallible and I don’t need reunions to prove it to me while they shamelessly, (smiles fully blazing and intact), embarrass themselves and sully their oftentimes legendary or at the very least respected pasts. It’s usually a cruel swipe at a music fan when he’s treated to a new album by a reunited band, especially when it’s a band as groundbreaking as The Stooges. Needless...

Bo Diddley checked out of this dimension at the age of 79. Wherever Mr. Diddley winds up (heaven, hell, Jupiter...etc.), let's hope that we all follow his lead, because the music will be perfect and will probably last forever. Rest in peace, Mr. Diddley. We'll be sure to send your funeral bill to Geoorge Thorogood . I think he owes you a lot of money. Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

Here's where having a punk rock legacy and record label come in handy: Jello Biafra , bitter ex- Dead Kennedys frontman, is having a two day celebration for his 50th birthday where he will be unveiling his as-yet-to-be-named new band. In addition, he'll be singing with The Melvins and probably having a blast. If any readers are based in the San Fransisco area, tickets aren't bad. The rest of us are shit-out-of-luck. Here are the line-ups for two nights of Jello birthday celebration: June 16th — (Great American Music Hall, San Francisco) Jello Biafra with the Melvins Jello Biafra's unnamed band Drunk Injuns Los Olvidados The Melvins June 17th — (Great American Music Hall, San Francisco) Jello Biafra with the Melvins Jello Biafra's unnamed band Triclops! Akimbo The Melvins More information can be found at The Great American Music Hall 's website and of course Alternative Tentacles . Sincerely, Letters From A Tapehead

"Bob Digi, yeah you know who is he " - The RZA as Bobby Digital I'll admit that when I picked up The RZA 's first 'bout of alter-ego narcissism, I bought into the concept. It didn't seem outlandish to assume that an artist would want to maybe express another side of his personality while sparing his already established identity. Plus, as with any Wu-Tang affiliate, schizophrenia is to be expected. Bobby Digital In Stereo , while not quite reaching the creative and innovative heights RZA had been known to produce, was still a somewhat ballsy jaunt into the shaky and uncertain world of the blink-and-you'll-miss-it Hip-Hop avant. His follow-up, Digital Bullet , while boasting a couple of exceptional tracks, ("Brooklyn Babies" for instance), mostly showed that the concept was largely unnecessary and lacked substance. In 2003, when RZA released Birth Of A Prince under his Christian rap alias, I thought "Digi" was done for, (allegations...

More than once, I’ve discussed the “backburner:” that unfortunate and expanding place where all my music essentials and wants seem to stay and collect dust as the constant rotation of new releases sucks up most of my music-related income. With the ease of a button, it’s easy to keep track of this list via Amazon Dot Com , though I do have a few obscure albums listed in my music library . But, because it’s so easy, the list has become impossibly long. I know I’ll have to edit at some point, but I’m not sure what to remove. So, in the interest of maybe cutting down the list a bit, I’d like some opinions about whether or not my intended purchases are actually worthwhile. Here’s this week’s top 10 Must Have’s: 10). Going all DIO on your asses: Dio — Holy Diver Black Sabbath — Heaven And Hell , The Mob Rules I’m counting this as one, just because it’s a thematic trio of Ronnie James . My sudden interest in Dio-era Sabbath , ( I have all the Ozzy stuff )...

Children of the 80s could easily have been dubbed "The Cassette Generation." I don't really remember when the "tape" bug sunk its fangs into my consciousness, but I do remember being ridiculously excited when I got my first tape deck. It was a small cassette recorder with a mic port and an FM/AM radio. I'll say I was maybe 10 years old, and heavily into The Monkees at this point. I was also listening to a ton of oldies' radio, inspired by a deep love for Stand By Me and the surge of 50s nostalgia going on at the time. My first tapes were recorded from my Dad's extensive collection of vinyl and from FM radio. Already showing signs of perfectionism regarding these tapes I was slaving over, radio DJs became my enemy. They would constantly break into banter during the last 10 seconds of every track I was recording, leaving me no choice but to abruptly stop the recording. It was around this time where I was learning how to make cuts and I would ...