Cassette Gods Reviews

Night-People Winter Releases: GERMAN ARMY, HOT AND COLD, BOMBER JACKETS, THE GARMENT DISTRICT, SORE EROS

2012-01-27T04:20:00.005-05:00

Iowa City's Night People issues up another batch of fine cassettes that have kept me bobbing my head in a narcoleptic haze for the past week. Gnar Tapes already reviewed the Golden Hours tape here and Bloggins and Messina reviewed the Bebe Fang release here. Thanks guys. I'd like to go on the record and say that Shawn Reed has really outdone himself with the quality of the selection with these tapes. This is "the best batch yet!"

German Army delivers a synth driven post punk spoken word artifact of very high caliber on "Papua Mass." This is really great stuff, reminiscent of Douglas Bregger's two amazing releases from the 1980s (google him). Though that stuff was a little more like nerdy "real people" music for synth fans and this is definitely "cooler." It is sure to appeal to all fans of "talking over keyboards" music. This is related to the Kill Shaman universe. Previous German Army tape reviewed here.

Hot & Cold lay down rock hard dark drum machine garage punk grooves on "Conclusion Introduction," which is a reissue of a release on a Beijing label. The band is made up of two brothers, one living in Canada and the other in China. I really like this one a lot, no obscuring of the vocals at all, everything is super clear. Repetitive bass lines and simple casio damage, a la Suicide. One of my favorites of the batch.

Bomber Jackets is an English group with members of the band Pheromoans and their second release "Larching" is as groovy as anything on Night-People. These releases are all so good, but they all share a similar aesthetic so far with the mid tempo talk/singing over keyboards and drum machines, so I'm finding it hard to have new things to say about this tape. I really like it a lot though. If this kind of dark new wave is your thing, you should really go ahead and pick up this and the two aforementioned releases. The next two tapes veer off into different territory, so let's get to those already.

On their debut release, The Garment District are already crafting fully fledged essential music, and showing their neighbors in Pittsburgh how it's done. Most of the music is created by Jennifer Baron (who was in Elephant 6/Merge Records band The Ladybug Transistor) and the vocals are by Lucy Blehar. Additional collaborators include Greg Lagel, Kevin C. Smith and bassist Jowe Head (of Swell Maps and Television Personalities!). This is a keyboard based album, though some guitar shows up from time to time, but it's much different in tone from the previous three releases I mentioned above. The mood is much lighter and more hopeful, though there is a hint of melancholy to the vocals. You get a little Sega Genesis, a little Vangelis a little Stereolab, but mostly you get a lot of Ms. Baron's melodic creativity. The second side is more of a collage, with some other music sampled along the way. Recommended, but ain't it all?

Finally, we come to "Sickies Volume One" by the Western Massachusetts band of weirdo psych popsters Sore Eros. These guys aren't afraid to let their freak flag fly during their live sets, which often feature truly brokendown weirdness and deep jamming amidst their first-class song craft. Unlike all the previously mentioned tapes, this one is proud to feature guitars and drums in addition to keyboards! These boys play relatively normal songs but deconstruct them in ever so charming ways. The songs fall apart, get covered up by strange noise and peter out into beautifully pathetic codas. "Golden shit" would just about do it. Guest players include Gary War and my pal Danny Oxenberg from the legendary 90s band The Supreme Dicks (whose discography has finally been reissued on vinyl and CD by Jagjaguwar). Sore Eros definitely shares a kinship with the Dicks' burned out sounds and the group has really come into their own since moving to Western MA a year or so ago. Keep your eye on them. Highly recommended.

Find all Night People releases here. When making your tape order, you should definitely pick up a copy of the repress of the very hard to score first Peaking Lights LP "Imaginary Falcons." Really glad that one's back in print. It looks like the still have plenty of cassettes from the last run of tapes still available. What are you waiting for? Downloading that shit? C'mon!

Cassette: A Documentary

2012-01-26T12:01:00.002-05:00

Hey I think we can all "get behind" this, a documentary film about cassette tapes. Kickstart these ponies up. >>LINK<<

ACTUARY / ADERLATING "Curses and Conspiracies" c20 (Love Earth Music)

2012-01-26T11:33:00.000-05:00

Funny cover. This is a really brutal tape that completely took me by surprise. I'm not aware of either of these artists, but I'd sure like to know more. First off, it appears that each artist plays percussion on the other one's side...cool idea. The Actuary portion is a tangled mess of screams and noise that is very well edited. It's a complete sonic onslaught that had me riveted the whole time through. It's great to hear noise music that really speaks to me. A lot is done with the human voice here. The Aderlating side is even better. These guys take more of a noise meets death metal meets free jazz approach and it works wonders. This is some of the best music of its kind that I've ever heard. If you haven't checked out either of these bands, please do so now. This is sure to appeal to the metal heads and true noise fans, but it's dynamic and innovative enough to grab the shirt collars of all fans of "out" music. Great!

I think the guy who does this label is in the band +DOG+, you should check out +DOG+. Website. Actuary site. Aderlating site.

BOZMO "Hosanna in the Highest" c60

2012-01-26T11:16:00.005-05:00

With lyrics like "you're in middle school for life, I'm in middle school for life," this is just clearly not my thing. I am NOT in middle school for life. Still, this tape by Bozmo is pretty good. Ya know, it's indie rock. It's relatively upbeat, well recorded, it's got instruments and stuff. The singing is not overly wretched and I can see a lot of people digging this, but sometimes I wish Steve Malkmus had been horribly maimed during high school, like the dudes in Faxed Head. I would probably not have to attempt to differentiate band x from band y from band z so dang often. I mean, I've heard way more derivative stuff out there, and shit, Pavement just copied the Fall and put a better melody to it anyway. What do I know about music for chrissakes? I'm just saying, God blessed every individual with their own speaking voice, so why does all this singing sound the same? Am I bitter? Does anyone care?

This is also available as an LP and as a digital fun-packet. Listen to it here, you might like it if you like this kind of thing...man I feel like I've been saying that a lot. Can someone please send me something that's really truly punk please?

LIMBS BIN vs FIELDMASTER "Inside: Spacelords: Psychic Assassination Trouble In Little China"(self released)

2012-01-25T15:25:00.005-05:00

Very very short split tape with blasts of noise from Western Mass dude Limbs Bin and Western Mass improv punk noise band Fieldmaster. The Limbs Bin side gives you four short examples of Josh Landes' primitive power violence to a blown out drum machine beat. The Fieldmaster jam is more of an acid punk deconstruction, not sure who those guys are. Their side was recorded live at a punk house in Holyoke, MA. Everything here is really "blink and you miss it," but good. Good and funny too. Get Limbs Bin related stuff here. You should really pick up the Familiar Combatants tape for a more complete overview of LB. I hear there's a 7" coming out soon.

PREGNANT SPORE "Ache For" c92WIDOW'S BATH "A Love in the Shadow..." c48(Rainbow Bridge)

2012-01-25T11:05:00.001-05:00

At first I wasn't sure if I was going to like this. At a criminally long 92 minutes, Pregnant Spore's Ache For seemed like it might be more than I could handle. The first few minutes of burping electronics didn't do much for me, but eventually I surrendered to the flow and let the music wash over me. I would call this "mellow harsh." There's enough space in the music for it not to be oppressive and it eventually put me in a pleasant mood. This is the kind of music I generally associate with open circuit electronics: make a little noise...silence...adjust some connections...make a little noise...silence. I'm usually a fan of shorter tapes, but sometime you have to just go for it.

Widow's Bath give us a shorter tape with a longer title, "A Love In The Shadow Of That Which Constitutes Love." I did not enjoy this one as much. It's much busier, lots of nob twiddling and stuff that doesn't really go anywhere, though there seems to be an interesting backstory detailed on the label's website. Not my thing though.

Let it be know that I've never heard of this label, Rainbow Bridge, which is based out of Baltimore, but it seems like I should. They've got over 100 releases in their discography including jams by Andrew Coltrane, Skin Graft, NPV, Torturing Nurse, Cock E.S.P. & Merzbow, which are still in print. Check it out here.

DUNNO, KIDDO (Stop This Coffin!)

2012-01-25T10:29:00.004-05:00

With a name like Dunno, Kiddo you'd expect this to be pretty cutsie...and you'd be right! It's pretty good too. Double A side tape of 5 short songs all recorded by one guy named Cedar from a band called A Primitive & Savage Land. I'm definitely hearing a strong Magnetic Fields vibe. Songs about love and stuff. You might like it if you like this kind of thing.

All the internet presence I could find was the label's facebook page.

Know Your History VHS (self releasesd)MOLE HOLE "Wedge" VHS (Lighten Up Sounds)

2012-01-23T16:20:00.013-05:00

I'm happier than a pig in shit to be covering not one, but two current VHS releases. I've long hoped that Cassette Gods would begin to review releases on this medium. After all, it is a video cassette, so it totally falls within our purview. But the truth is, no one has ever sent us anything. Until now.

The first tape I received is not exactly a music release, and while I don't want to get in the habit of reviewing people's film films, Know Your History - Butcher Shoppe 2011 Underworld/Happy America Day is too cool (and has enough music related content) to not write about it. It's a two-parter made by Lucy Watson of the Boston band Kid Romance, a group that has been completely different every time I've seen them (from '93 Boredoms to militant anarchopunk to elctrosomethingorother). They've got a great long playing vinyl disc out on Skrot Up, which I suggest you check out. (Edition of 220).

Anyway, we open with a red curtain parting and we're in The Craze. It's a silent horror film with great music that seems to involve a group of sinister ladies who torture this green troll and also keep a naked man chained up in their basement. There is a ritual with some chickens, a bath of green acid, lots of horrifying masks, some spilled milk, bones and more than a touch of burlesque. It reminds me a lot of a Paul McCarthy piece.

The audio throughout the tape is by OMG (aka L.U.C.Y.) and it's really killer: a doom-laden mix of melodramatic strings, spooky jazz, ritual percussion, clinking glass, minimal electronic sounds, slowed down vocals and deep breathing. It runs straight through The Craze into the second part of the tape, which records the events that transpired on one July 4th at The Butcher Shoppe, a former house venue in Boston. The curtain closes and reopens and we're in a basement filled with punks and a band is playing behind the smoke.

We cut back and forth between the inside and the outside of the venue, where the increasingly rowdy attendees are moshing, drinking, smoking, throwing shit and lighting off fire works. This second segment also plays like a horror film, though that's mostly due to the lack of sync sound and the fucked up OMG music going on over the whole thing. We never get to hear the band or the party goers: although Lucy does put in a few scene specific sound effects, this part of the film is silent as well. Nothing really "happens," but the music really keeps the whole thing suspenseful. Watching this makes me think about how much the soundtrack of a movie impacts what you're seeing. Let me say again, the music in Know Your History is really amazing and could completely stand on its own. It ends, as all things must, with the flashing of red and blue lights.

I think these were only given away free to house venues in Boston, but if you want a copy, you could try writing to lucyevewatson@hotmail.com. She also has a new VHS out that you might want to see if you can snag. It's called Puff a Pound. Ha!

The second VHS release in my possession is an audiovisual release by Matt Himes, whose "folk" project Shep & Me should be known to all Cassette Gods readers. Himes has recently been recording instrumental soundscapes under the name Mole Hole. Wedge is a nicely building set of ominous drone made from a bunch of mismatched gear: waveform signal generator, answering machines, tape loops, ride cymbal, a ceramic plate and some pedals. Visually, we get a static shot of three overlaid film projections. All very nice. This, and a lot more, at the Lighten Up Sounds website.

So in conclusion...if you're doing something with music on VHS, please send it our way. Whether it's a film with a focus on music (Know Your History) or a piece of music with visual accompaniment (Wedge), we want to check it out! If you haven't made one yet, well then what are you waiting for? Abandoned VHS tapes can be found everywhere and new ones (including cases) can be purchased from deltamedia.com.

GRATEFUL DEAD "Dane Country Coliseum, Madison, WI 2/15/73" (soundboard)

2012-01-22T04:20:00.002-05:00

I always find Grateful Dead tapes at yard sales and junk shops and I've thought for awhile that it would be cool to review some of the best ones for Cassette Gods. I found the complete recording of this show on two Maxell XLII c90s at the flea market in Searsport, ME earlier this summer. At first I planned on reviewing it myself, but then I figured it might be more interesting to type out the review found in The Deadheads's Taping Compendium: An In-Depth Guide to the Music of the Grateful Dead on Tape, of which I own all three 600 page volumes. So this is a "guest review" of sorts. None of these reviews are archived anywhere online. I bought the books for $3 each about ten years ago and it looks like they've gone up quite a bit in price since then (see). Still, I think they are an invaluable resource for fans of the band and worth buying at any price. This review appears in Volume I: 1959-1974 and is written by Harry Hahn. Let it be known that this show was one of former GD tape archivist Dick Latvala's favorite shows, may he rest in piece.

Grateful Dead 2/15/73 (Thursday)
Dane County Coliseum, Madison, WI

1: Loose Lucy, Beat it on Down the Line, Brown Eyed Women, Mexicali Blues, Tennessee Jed, Looks Like Rain, Box of Rain, Row Jimmy, Jack Straw, China Cat> I Know You Rider, Me & My Uncle, Bertha, Playing in the Band, Casey Jones
2: Here Comes Sunshine, El Paso, You Ain't Woman Enough, They Love Each Other, Big River, Dark Star> Eyes of the World> China Doll, Promised Land, Sugaree, Sugar Magnolia E: Uncle John's Band, One More Saturday Night

sound check: "Loose Lucy," "Jack Straw," "Box Of Rain," "Uncle John" - first "You Ain't Woman Enough"

Highlights: Loose Lucy, BIODTL, Playin', H.C. Sunshine, Dark Star > Eyes > China Doll, Sugaree, Sugar Magnolia

This show opens with a tasty, hip grinding "Loose Lucy." It's the Grateful Dead just the way we like them: Jerry in command while Bobby, Phil and Keith hold their own. Phil steps up boldly to lead them into a perfect, burbling "Beat it on Down the Line." The cut in "Looks Like Rain" is quite bad. The rest of the songs in this set, not standouts in any way, are great archetypal renditions of Grateful Dead standard bearers. The set ends with a long, juicy "Playing in the Band" with the Dead at their best during the extended journey back from the deepest Milky Way to the final vocal break.

"Here Comes Sunshine" displays a lot of progress since February 9, 1973, the last time it was played. This version is more confident and more jammed out. The unfortunate "You Ain't Woman Enough" has failed to grow on anyone after all these years. The entire set is very good, but the real magic happens during "Dark Star." It's actually a relatively short and nondaring version until Phil takes a unique solo. It seems as though his notes are divided into two different registers. The Wall of Sound system eliminated the difference between PA and stage monitor; the two registers of Phil's sound seem to be delivered through two different sets of speakers within what was essentially a giant stage monitor. This creates something of a call-and-response quality that isn't replicated at any other show that I've heard (although tapes of early Michael Hedges concerts occasionally display the same effect). As his solo progresses, Phil begins to strongly suggest "Eyes." There is a stunning moment in which Jerry comes back in to build one of the sweetest jams the Dead ever played. The rest of the band falls into formation, and we find ourselves beautifully transported into the summer day that is "Eyes of the World." "China Doll follows with equal beauty and the dead serious silences of a funeral. "Sugaree" and "Sugar Magnolia" are highlights of the rest of a nice set.

You can stream the soundboard source of this show by clicking on this link to archive.org.

Setlist from deadbase.com

NATHAN VENTURA "Coming Home in a Nutcase" c31 (self released)

2012-01-20T17:44:00.002-05:00

"When I was younger I used to shit in a paper bag..."

So begins this new album by Nathan Ventura, whose last tape I put on my best of 2011 (which I just listed as Untitled Tape I got at Gay Gardens). The previous one was more of weirdo folk thing with some harsher elements. The first side of "Coming Home in a Nutcase" is a spoken word piece that gets started with with some rough industrial rhythms before transitioning into an absolutely gorgeous/ominous organ and horn dirge and just keeps going on from there into worlds of clattering percussion and other assorted madness. The B-side continues the out of tune drifting soundscape, but features some fucked up hillbilly singing in addition to the spoken passages. I really appreciate Nate's "anything goes" attitude and skewed sense of sonics. Each side flows from one segment to the other, but I've been told it was as solo recording made in pieces and assembled after the fact. Great editing, deep weirdness. For fans of the 1800s singing bull tribute band and other such entities. This stands outside of anything that is going on in music right now. HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION.

write him at nathanrainer@verizon.net and check out the music at his campsite.

FAT WORM OF ERROR"Brickfaced Vol.2" c40 (Yeay!)

2012-01-18T06:39:00.019-05:00

I'd be quick to name Fat Worm of Error as my favorite live band playing right now. The five member group of Jess Goddard (vocals, keys, costumes), Chris Cooper (guitar), Tim Sheldon (guitar), Donny Shaw (bass), and Neil Young (drums, elctrnx & Yeay! Plastics proprietor) are so much more than the sum of their parts and create sounds so far beyond what is usually expected from a band with such commonplace instrumentation. Fat Worm is far for commonplace. In fact I would go so far to say that there is not a single other band that has ever made such sounds. Sure, there are other bands splashing their post no-wave antics left and right, there are other artists creating fractured electronic blorp-scapes and there are a few costumed noise rock bands still left hanging on, but FWOE is a complete synthesis of everything that has been awesome about the American underground for the last 30 years.

The band of folks who are mostly in their mid-late 30s and early 40s has some serious pedigree, with two of it's members (Cooper/Goddard) hailing from the Bay Area's otherworldly historical reenactment troupe Caroliner (look it up. If you don't own every LP, most are still kept in print for roughly $7 a piece...write agenerak@yahoo.com). Not to mention each of the member's A-1 side projects and loose SF connection to Deerhoof from days of yore. FWOE makes its home in the forests and brick towns of Western Massachusetts.

While they may not outshine Caroliner in the concept or costume department, Fat Worm's broken down, off rhythm composition/improv takes off in surprisingly new directions. Nothing is tied down in their universe; riffs disappear as quickly as they are introduced, off-time vocals land like a ton of bricks over rapidly shifting ground. Parallels could be drawn to a band like Arab on Radar, but FWOE's work is less coarse and brutish. This gang is more like a chamber music ensemble; their strength relies less on overpowering sonics, but on subtle interplay between their constituent parts.

I've probably seen this band play 20 times and it took a little while for me to realize that what I had initially taken to be complete improvised cacophony, was in fact a finely developed Harmolodic songcraft (Ornette Coleman fans take note). At this point I could probably sing along to these lurching odes to disconnectivity. One of the most wonderful things about the Fat Worm crew is the innumerable treasures that repeated listens hold. The band is set to go on tour this spring. Get on the mailing list to stay updated.

To the matter at hand: is Brickfaced: Vol. 2 a good place to start? I'd suppose so, it's a fine collection of unreleased snippets recorded over the last five years. The group's perverted charm shines through over the course of tape's 40 minute run time and I imagine you could become hooked from just listening to this document. But for the uninitiated, I would strongly suggest starting with the Broods LP released last year on Ecstatic Peace and Open Mouth Records. It really shows Fat Worm operating at the height of their powers. Whereas, their early cassette and cdr work with pretty scattered, and their long playing debut CD/LP on Load showed the signs of considerable post production work, "Broods" really captures the organic beauty of these five individuals playing together in one room. That's not to say that you shouldn't head right over to the Yeay website and buy Brickfaced right now, it's only $6 ppd and it will surely sell out quickly, but once you get started, you'll want to track down all of the releases in the band's dense catalog.

Find Yeay Plastics here. One of the few bands reviewed on CG with a wikipedia page. Their live exploits have been heavily documented on youtube. There are tons of Fat Worm jams to listen to on the Free Music Archive, including a complete download of Brickfaced Vol. 1 from 2003.

The Golden Hours - "Floating Weeds" c25(Night-People)

2012-01-17T19:07:00.008-05:00

Very catchy pops from Portland-area flowerheads. Been waiting on this one because Raf and Alex's other catchy pops band The Woolen Men are one of my favorites. Can't ever really complain too much about anything Night-People does, on any level. Pretty, kiwi-style girl vocals, shiny keys, jangly gits, punchy drums, great songs; another solid release for NP's already sterling pop/garage/rock catalog. "Satellite" is my favorite track, I think. Again, this shit is straight pop and can get a little cutesy with the very girly vocals but sometimes that's a really nice thing, I guess. Apparently they have another tape that came out on Eggy awhile back but I don't think I knew these kids back then so I didn't get one. If you like this definitely check out The Woolen Men (no girls, sadly) who have an LP on the way from Woodsist sooner/later this year. If you really didn't already know, go visit Night-People.

JEWELS OF THE NILE - "PLEASURE" (Sweating Tapes)

2012-01-17T16:58:00.001-05:00

Jewels Of The Nile are a KILLER new synth duo, consisting of members Meghan Christine and Jessy Montaigne.Jessy spent time in the now deceased Subtonix, and both are current members of the amazing Magick Daggers.If you are familiar with either of these acts, you already have an idea of what you're dipping into here.Jewels of the Nile conjure up a similarly harrowing style of spiritual cramping, with ghostly female vocals, bass-heavy synths and pulsating rhythms.Pleasure is a terribly catchy, and frighteningly hypnotic concoction of early dark-wave, goth, and electro vibes.These two graciously spin seven foreboding tales of love and death, and they are damn good at it.Mixed by Soft Metals' Ian Hicks, this album is stunning from end to end, and each doom-filled track holds a unique tone and overall mood, all the while remaining a very cohesive album.It's got a strikingly dark and glacial synth tone, sounding just as full as it does bare and deserted.Montaigne's lyrics pour out like a sweet venom, with her voice hanging somewhere between tuneful lullaby and deep howl, and rests comfortably within the deep chill of the icy keys.On side B, the two turn out a deeply paranoid version of Christian Death's "Deathwish", and things begin to make a lot of sense right about then.
Ultimately, a very rewarding trek through slightly familiar dark and cold wave territories, and I really can't say enough good things about this tape.Edition of 150 in hand sewn pleather cases.Get one from Sweating Tapes.

MINCEMEAT OR TENSPEED "Games of Chance" c52 (self released)

2012-01-17T14:11:00.003-05:00

Mincemeat or Tenspeed really throws down on this cassette, one of the best "noise" tapes I've heard in awhile. Calling it noise is probably over simplistic. This is 21st century abrasive pyschoparty rhythm music. It's fuzzy throbbing tentacle suckling goodtime happy horse mangler trot-fest. Splish-blip raindrop-shatter with wipers flicking. Assrobbing twitch and 4/4 thump towards spool unfurling higgity. Spectrum dislocation disorder survivor's club mentality rubdown. I saw this guy in a basement last month and it was a dance party 's all I'm saying. He's now located in Providence, RI. Track this bea(s)t down. Beautiful screen printed J-card Buy here.

DAY CREEP "Death Bell Chimes" c20 (Snow Clone)

2012-01-15T11:49:00.002-05:00

Aaron Troyer's Day Creep wows me a second time in a row with some of the most consistently awesome rock music being made today. This tape is leaps and bounds above the previous album that I enjoyed so much a few months back. Really well recorded Columbus, OH one man band, that breaks free of any of the last vestiges of slop apparent on previous efforts. That's not to say the music is shiny or white-washed, but this is definitely taking it to the next level. There is such a keen sense of melody and real tightness to the drums, bass and guitaring. What really stands out here are the songs, which are absolutely top-notch. Aaron, like all the best rock singers, gets his point across in a completely unhurried manner, letting you really hear the lyrics. He's in control and you're in good hands. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Sample the album's opening cut here.

Label site.

DEAD PEOPLE "s/t" (Dirty Pillows)

2012-01-15T11:48:00.000-05:00

Good old-fashioned slop rock from New Orleans based Dead People. This is the band's first release and also the first release on the Savannah, GA label Dirty Pillows. A fine debut for both entities. As on the above-reviewed Day Creep tape, it's nice to see that the state of the limited run cassette in 2012 has come to include all genres of music and here's to Cassette Gods continuing to cover it. These guys throw a good party for the length of this four song EP and I bet they're really fun live. Keep 'em coming. You can look into buying the tape from the label's website here or listen to some other Dead People tunes over here.

L'animaux Tryst (Field) Recordings - Portland, ME

2012-01-13T23:59:00.048-05:00

It's Friday the 13th. The stroke of midnight. Cool. I'd like to take this holiday of the occult to shed a little on what is perhaps one of the most positively positive labels out there. Run by Matt Lajoie of the bands Herbcraft and Cursillistas, L'animaux Tryst (Field) Recordings releases musical ephemera on cassette and vinyl from it's cozy den in Portland, ME. There are really so few labels out there releasing contemporary psychedelia and doing it as under the radar as LTFR. L'animaux Tryst is equally at home with improvisatory electric music as it is with the folk based psych that Portland became so known for in the mid 2000s. For the most part, the music offered by the label seems to have no knowledge that the 1980s ever happened.

While that is the case for most LTFR releases, one tape completely breaks the label's mold and it's actually one of the best tapes of 2011. Altered Gee (pronounced "G") is the work of a couple of barely 20-year-olds and its definitely an 80s retro jam (see the Sega Genesis cover art), but in my opinion it blows just about everything else going on out of the water. I seriously doubt these kids feel like they are part of a trend, and heck, maybe I'm foolish for even lumping them in with all the other folks making backwards-thinking keyboard music these days. What really stands out about European Gees is how S-E-X-Y it is, though in a pretty drugged out way. Instrumentation is as follows --> keyboards: SIEL OR 400, Moog Taurus II. drums: SP 1200, Drumulator, Korg DDD-1. At the very least, you should have a listen over here. But do me a favor and buy the tape from the L'animaux Tryst website (link at bottom). You'll be glad you did, cause it sounds oh-so-better coming out of your boombox.

The other current releases I've heard from LTFR cover the broad spectrum of psychedelic music. The Concord Ballet Orchestra Players traffic in extended Parson Sound styled excursions. Their release is a beautiful double cassette in a large holder that comes with a handful of color photo-cards. Smokin'! Some of this stuff really gets out there in a "next level" sort of way. Howl's Angels by Oracle Offering is a quiet and beautiful meditation for echoing voice, flute and sympathetic strings by a lone female artist. Very spooky-ooky and sure to please fans of the chanteuses of Prisma or Visitations. One gets the feeling of observing an arcane ritual. The longer the tape goes on, you wonder if you haven't perhaps stumbled onto something that's perhaps a little sinister. After European Gees, this was my second favorite release of the current batch of tapes. Mysteries by Jared Fairfield is the most overtly folk-psych release in the current batch, but that doesn't keep it from traversing various other realms. It opens with a lovely finger picking guitar instrumental that is backed by a autoharp and chiming bells. After the intro, the albums title track expands the pallet to include drums, organ and electric guitar. That piece reminds me a little of the work of Brattleboro bands The Happy Jawbone Family Band and The Great Valley, but it has a more ethereal and less ramshackle feel. The track is a real standout, check it out here. One song has a heavy Sabbath styled bass riff that pops up out of nowhere, but it mostly stays in "friendly" territory. A really nice surprise! The album comes in a beautiful paper wraparound that is threaded through the cassette with yarn. Pete Fosco's Vactionlanded tape is series of minimal guitar instrumentals played with commitment to space and the subtly evolving idea. He seems to use a bow or e-bow and some other implements to produce the extended tones heard here. There's hardly any traditional noodling, but neither is the music overly reliant on effects boxes. Planets Around the Sun are a duo who lay chant-like vocals and wah wah guitar over Eastern drones and repetitive tom tom beats on We O We. The music recalls some of MV & EE's more astral jams, but with less focus on the folk/blues influence, though that does pop up on the album's final track. A very heady sounding recording, though sometimes the vocals are little buried underneath all the other goodness.

All L'animaux Tryst (Field) Recordings can be found on the label's website. While you're poking around you should check out Matt's band Herbcraft. Their new long player "Ashram to the Stars" on the Woodsist imprint Hello Sunshine is as finely crafted an interstellar vehicle as you're likely to find in this day and age.

FEATURELESS GHOST - "Biologically-Sound Cyber-Bodies" c21 (Crash Symbols)

2012-01-13T13:32:00.002-05:00

Highly addictive new mini album from Featureless Ghost, an ATL duo consisting of uber busy synth dude Matt Weiner, of recent TWINS and Cruisin' fame, and Elise Tippins of Fantastic Lands.Both did some time together as Best Hits, too.Not unlike the warped synth treatments and dense bumping of his previous outfits, Weiner once again brings an arsenal of arpeggios, driving beats, and robotic trickery.Featureless Ghost has more of a dark, cold wave vibe, with an array of icy synths and hollow analog jaunts, and the stern, Numan-esque vocal delivery(from both members) gives the songs a menacing and sinister feel.With all of the obscure references you can throw at this act, a good part of this actually reminded me of early Nine Inch Nails and Depeche Mode albums, with all the chopped vocal samples, deep grooves and funky synth-bass.Compliment.The drum patterns are catchy and well sequenced, nothing too flashy or overbearing, and the instrumentation is tasteful, and flawlessly executed.
"Data Dancer" really got into my head, and refused leave for days on end.It's got a really heavy Front 242 vibe, led by weirdo voice samples, rather than actual vocal parts, and a skittering kick drum that just won't quit.The keys are really tweaked on this one, and scattered weirdly throughout the song, giving a nice contrast to the underlying club vibe it holds.From there on, it's a decade-less, nonstop barrage of every available(and unavailable) "wave" out there.This is a highly recommended debut, and it may just get the loners and introverts dancing, outside of their bedrooms for a change.Fingers crossed for a possible tour, because this probably kills live.
Get one from Crash Symbols.

SEWN LEATHER "Blood Runs Down the Drain/No Light in the Hall"RYAN JEWELL "Radio: Vol. 1"(Friends and Relatives)

2012-01-12T13:00:00.002-05:00

This is the first time I've actually heard the music of Sewn Leather. I wasn't sure what to expect and in fact I'm not sure I've actually heard Sewn Leather at all. The note written by the artist to Friends & Relatives head honcho Justin Clifford Rhody is reprinted on the inner J-card and reads as follows: "Use as much or as little as you want. Dear Justin, I hope these recordings are satisfactory. I was on drugs, mostly hydrocodone, when I made them. I don't think it's Sewn Leather. I think it's 'Riz-La-Rink.'" Alright. This shit is all over the map. We've got some messed up Slang Tang, acoustic songs with variable tape speed and a number of other jams with hip hop undercurrents. Like the music of The Savage Young Taterbug, you can tell that this guy is more than a little "off". This is an aesthetic that really speaks to me. Some people might be turned off by a recording with such a variable nature, but for me it's like a golden nugget.

Ryan Jewell is a percussionist and this is ostensibly a percussion record, but it's actually so much more. He uses very simple textures to work his magic across this tape's two 20 minute sides. From little crinkly sounds to more droned-out textures, Jewell's music fits into what I hear is being called the Reductionalist school of contempo "jazz" (think Bhob Rainey, Greg Kelley, Dave Gross, Forbes Graham and more recently Jack Callahan), but could just as easily be something else entirely. Both of these pieces were recorded on the radio. As Justin says "free of genre, pure of essence."

I think you'd be foolish not to pick up both of these tapes. Contact info available at the Friends & Relatives blog-o-site y'all. Justin's offering a bunch of special deals on tapes, records, cds, human hair and sticks right now. Help him move off this godforsaken rock!

Brave Mysteries:Occult Music for the 21st Century

2012-01-11T17:00:00.008-05:00

I'd like to share with you my appreciation for Brave Mysteries, a Madison, WI cassette and vinyl label that specializes in a cryptic form of music that I'm not sure has a proper name yet. Like Night People, Not Not Fun, NNA and countless other labels these days, Brave Mysteries has a very specific aesthetic that can be found on each and every one of their releases. But, while those aforementioned labels traffic in an 1980s obsessed retro-futurism, our friends in Madison are more comfortable with 1580s mysticism. The cleanly recorded music released on BM straddles the line somewhere between psych, drone and noise, but it manages to feel both fresh and timeless. These are recordings that take you on a journey, often towards some darker areas of the human experience, but their affect is never off putting or confrontational. The music welcomes you in, like getting an invitation to join a cabal of hooded Crowleyites. I suggest you attend their black mass.

Peruse the strange goings on at this web portal. Think of checking out the 5 tapes for $30 ppd deal. I've heard six different releases on the label and they were all top quality!

BEBE FANG - "s/t" c32 (Night-People)

2012-01-10T13:36:00.003-05:00

Bebe Fang are a very promising new Dutch duo, who share members with recent Night-People alumni, Eklin.Bebe Fang creates a fairly similar universe, with their cavernous percussion, glacial atmospherics, and some rather haunting, yet, mesmerizing vocal pairing.Their music is completely free of specific genre, and they never cover the same ground twice.Their subtle movements are constantly evolving and taking a new form, like an icicle patiently melting into a puddle on the warm ground, then evaporating to start again.The first few minutes of side A brings a dark and unsettling swell, falling somewhere between 1970's horror soundtrack and hypnotic drone.A desperate and breathy female voice floats atop a translucent bass line, like some kind of bluesy apparition.The steady thudding of a singular drum creeps in, and things really start to bloom.By the end of side A, a deeply rhythmic seance is happening around you, and it's an all-consuming and otherworldly sound indeed.
Side B offers something fairly similar, beginning with a lengthy drone made up of scathing repetitions, howling wind, and the deep vibration of an underlying synth chord.It's not until "Dirt" that their ambient exploration really begins to shine, with a dense and distant pounding, not unlike that of a heartbeat, and an uneasy male voice gliding over miniature guitar and bass intertwining.Things close with a choir-like tune, called "Light", a short vocal workout that really shows what their voices are capable of, and a perfect exit to their other-wordly beauty.Highly recommended headphone listening.Checkout Eklin's "Onwa" cassette, too.Get both from Night-People.

YORK FACTORY COMPLAINT "Live Document 09-10" c40 (Robert and Leopold)

2012-01-10T11:46:00.006-05:00

Yow that's loud! Let me turn this down...one sec. Shit this is some loud fucking noise music. Okay let me see here...Ahhh I can't deal with this...{takes tape out of deck. three weeks pass} Okay let me try to listen to this again....shit that's loud! Let me turn this down...hold on. Okay, I'm good. This is some pretty brutal stuff.

Though the group has come to include other members from time to time,York Factory Complaint originally formed as a duo of Ryan Martin (not the guy who does Hot Releases) and Michael Berdan, who both are represented on all three cuts of "Live Document." The A side is a complete live set featuring Genesis Breyer P-Orridge of Throbbing Gristle. Now if that's not a ringing endorsement of YFC, then I don't know what is. And ringing it is: terrifying oscillations with mangled yelling underneath. Not friendly, but it sure packs a punch. The B side takes it down a little bit with two (respectively) mellow sets featuring different four piece lineups, one with Cory E. Card and Louis Caldarola and the other with Theresa Smith and Michael Yaniro. Many folks will be drawn to this for the P-Orridge collaboration, but I think they'll be presently surprised by the more dynamic sounds found on the other segments of the tape.

Robert & Leopold releases all sorts of brooding and serious noise tapes. Check out their catalog here.

NOAH WALL "Heloise" (Crash Symbols)

2012-01-10T11:18:00.006-05:00

Very compelling album of singing and keyboarding by Noah Wall. It's got lyrics, it's got synths. If what you need is singing and synths, it's got what you need. The first thing it's got is synths, cause that's the first thing you hear. Then you hear singing. Singing from a guy named Noah. It's got singing. You need singing. You need Noah singing. As it progresses the album achieves some of the grandeur of Eno's best pop. That's good. You need that grandeur. Noah puts his vocals through a bunch of filters and stuff. Did I mention it's got filters? It's got those. You need those. You need this. If you want...

Best to listen for yourself. Hey this is available on cassette and vinyl! You can do the listening and buy the tape or LP version of "Heloise" here.

Crash Symbols looks like they've got a hecka ton of other stuff out too. SEE.

HIMBERT and HERBERT / GOLDEN ARROW HOLY FACE "It's Happening" split c60 (Teflon Beast)

2012-01-10T10:36:00.005-05:00

Teflon Beast sent me this very well produced split tape of pop music awhile back. Apparently it's a tribute to the little known split record between The Supremes and Neil Diamond! Himbert & Herbert (The Supremes) are a neato mix of 60s girl group vocals, and 80s dance music. I had a great time with this, you probably will too. The B side is an entirely different (Teflon) beast: Houston's Golden Arrow Holy Face (Diamond) provides a collection of rich syrupy folk country ballads with nice atmospheric production and plaintive vocals. Rather lovely. As it progresses I started to feel like we were more in Dave Berman (Silver Jews) territory, which is a good thing in my book. Both of the artists on this tape deserve a much wider audience, so what are you waiting for?

Also available from the label is "Christmas with the Beast", a compilation that features tracks from the above mentioned artists and a few others. This seems like a good label to watch if you are into well made "real" music. Go for it.

Check it all out here.

SUNBURNED HAND OF THE MAN meets BYRON COLEY "In Orbit" c45(Feeding Tube Records)

2012-01-06T09:28:00.009-05:00

A live recording of music writer and poet Byron Coley reciting text as a handful of Western MA regulars conglomerated under the Sunburned moniker jam out behind him. I believe Byron is reading from the recently published book "This Planet is Doomed: The Science Fiction Poetry of Sun Ra", a collection of writings by the late great bandleader that reads as much as an admonition of earthlings as it does a paean to the joys of space travel. The writings reveal a deep paranoid streak in Sun Ra, which comes across less in his music, but makes perfect sense when considering the life and work of that celibate monk of the astral spaceways. I'm not sure if Byron adds any of his own words to the Sun Ra material, but if he does, it all blends seamlessly. At times his reading conjures up the psychedelic fury of the wild-eyed Kesey. Pretty fun stuff. Check out the sample of the live set on youtube. If you like what you're hearing, go "glank" this "scozz". If you're only going to buy one object today, you might get the Sun Ra book instead. More info on that here. Actually you might want to write Feeding Tube and see if they have the book in stock and kill two birds with one stone. Now that's an idea I like.

The tape is an edition of 90 and will probably sell out fast.

Feeding Tube webzone. Look under the "tapes" heading.

Midday Veil “Subterranean Ritual II” & Fungal Abyss “Bardo Abgrund Temple” (Translinguistic Other Recordings)

2012-01-04T10:45:00.000-05:00

Here are a couple of newish releases from TranslinguisticOther Recordings, a relatively fresh Seattle-based imprint started by MiddayVeil members Emily Pothast and David Golightly. In terms of packaging andoverall presentation, these folks don’t cut any corners: sleek professionallyprinted j-cards, digital download cards, editions of 250, and evencolor-printed promotional one-sheets. This may not sound earth shattering byany means, but it’s also not what you typically encounter within cassetteculture. The music contained on both of these releases sounds pretty impressiveas well.

The “improvised sound rituals” featured on Midday Veil’s “SubterraneanRitual II” shimmer and sway in a slow motion psychedelic breeze. With droninganalog synth, reverberant baritone guitar, and gentle tom strokes leading theway, Emily Pothast’s treated wordless vocals fill in the spaces between,creating a spectral ambience that recedes and crests to the group’s own highlyattuned sense of time and (s)pace. Even at the most outright rockist moments(the end of “Moon Temple”), the sound is more ‘ceremonial’ than ‘space’ rock.But you can call it whatever you want, group catharsis seems to be the mainobjective here.

Fungal Abyss, an alter ego of the bizzaro metal outfitLesbian, operate along similar long form improvisational lines. This quartet,however, plays within a more classic psychedelic rock set-up: guitars, bass,drums. That’s not to say that “Bardo Abgrund Temple” sounds dated or re-hashedin any way, quite the contrary in fact. At roughly 70 minutes in length, FungalAbyss head out on a truely psychedelic journey. I say that both because it wasnoted that the group recorded these improvisations under the influence of psilocybinmushrooms (as if the group name didn’t tip us off to their interests) andbecause the music itself moves in and out of various passages, from peaceful,droning drift to epic, gurgling guitar shred, pushing towards something grandand unknown. This is first-rate modern psych rock by a group that knows how to walkthe walk.

Hot Face / Shearing Pinx - split (Isolated Now Waves)

2012-01-04T05:12:00.000-05:00

What better way to consumate my relationship with Cassette Gods -- after a ridiculous delay -- than through the prism of Shearing Pinx and the Isolated Now Waves label, two of my main squeezes of the last three years. With Hot Face along for the ride one can only assume the ride will be bumpy and exhilerating.

Hot Face, I'm assuming, man the sticker side and promptly kick the listener's dick in with jams halfway between Les Georges Leningrad, AIDS Wolf and Sleetmute Nightmute, which means: simplistic, albeit devastating, drums, mangled guitar lines, loose-ass high-hats and a singer, female, with so much personality she scares the timid and enchants the high-strung.

ShPx's side is more of a shaded sketch than a concrete body of lyric, instrument, skin and muscle. I mean there's a bloke shouting in the back, but he's kickin' it from his head, almost surely, and the rhythms and smears of guitar string grind so hard they dissolve like a crank-yanker's teeth and reform like Mario after a Koopa-borne death.

There's a high-pitch squeal overtop this bubbling cauldron that's driving me nuts, so ... there's that. If you poke underneath, much gravy is to be found; I just can't get past that squeal. Probably the least impressive piece of work I've had the pleasure to peruse from this camp, but when you consider that includes a dozen releases by Shearing Pinx, a half-dozen Mongst tapes and an LP, ditto for Aerosol Constellations and several more I can't even think of right now, well, it's apparent these guys are normally a good go. Onward!

FAVORITE TAPES OF 2011

2011-12-31T23:59:00.021-05:00

Just to be safe I've waited until the final minute of 2011 to post my best of list for the year just in case somebody scored right before the buzzer. It goes without saying that this is by no means definitive or complete, but if you don't have these tapes, your cassette playing power is certainly diminished. In no particular order:

ALTERED GEE "European Gees" c69 (L'anumaux Tryst) - what a great surprise. This is a 19 year old kid making extreme chillout R&B/electro that completely tops every synth and drum machine album released this year. The fact that I seriously doubt this guy knows he's part of a trend makes it all the more enjoyable. Sample here but definitely purchase here.

RYLEY WALKER & DANIEL BACHMAN "Of Deathly Premonitions" c30 (Plustapes) - steel string guitar duets that definitely have the spook about them. There's plenty to love when both of these young fingerstyle acolytes get together. Some of the material also has an Indian influence. Listen here or buy here. Ryley's solo tape "The Evidence of Things Unseen" on Plustapes is no slouch either.

GYPSY TREASURES "Buried Goods" c28 (Not Not Fun) - for a band that doesn't even play live and probably isn't even really a "band," this tape is seriously great. Modern psychedelic music. Listen here.

VILLAGE OF SPACES CORNERS "Morning Nap" c46 (Turned Word) - lovely folk album from Village of Spaces, nee Uke of Spaces Corners County. A demo version of the fine "Alchemy and Trust" LP. The tape is sold out from the label, but you can score a copy from Second Layer in the UK if you've got the dough, or just buy the LP version (different recordings, same songs, plus it's got Michael Hurley on fiddle on one track!) from Turned Word.

TOMY GARM "This Eros" c90 (Creature King) - This is probably my favorite tape of the year. I just wrote about this last week, scroll down...write to theancientmainer@gmail.com for a copy.

R. STEVIE MOORE "Ariel Pink's Picks Vol.1" (Laughable Recordings RSM Cassette Club) - really fine compilation of tracks from out Moore's distinguished home recording career, compiled by Pink. Available as a free stream and maybe purchase a few places.

NUDE SUNRISE "Should Be" c62 (Spooky Town) - expansive and gritty rock, a la "Sister Ray." Still available from the label.

BRUCE HART "Music For Drawing" c31 (Not Not Fun) - Zach Phillips, keyboardist and songwriter for Blanche Blanche Blanche and man of many pseudonyms plays to the sci-fi soundtrack set and does it better than rest. Audio sample or purchase.

BLANCHE BLANCHE BLANCHE "Songs of..." c32 (Night People) - I'd be crazy not to include this one here as well. A spotty dubbing job mars the quality of this outstanding first effort from the Brattleboro, VT duo of Sarah Smith (vocals) and Zach Phillips (keys, vocals). The song writing takes front seat and arrives with the same kind of freshness that must have been felt when Truffaut and Godard released their first 12" chillwave singles in 1959 and 1960. Still available from Night People.

UNTITLED TAPE that I received while playing a show at Gay Gardens this Spring - not sure what this project is called but it's an exceptionally well done collection of skewed folk. email nathanrainer@verizon.net and tell him Cassette Gods sent you.

BLOOD STEREO "Tape Hiss For Brainwash" c30 (Feeding Tube) - now that I don't work for the label, am I allowed to finally sing it's praises on Cassette Gods? I hope so...this murky and frightening little number is a fine addition to Blood Stereo's catalog of twisted vocal and tape experimentation. Get it here.

LEFT BEHINDS "Recess At The Psych Ward" c9 - great muppet hardcore a la the first Meat Puppets LP. Go here and you'll figure it out.

BIG BLOOD "Dark Country Magic" (Don't Trust The Ruin) - anything from this Portland, ME duo is worth checking out. They have lots to listen to on the Free Music Archive, but you really should buy some of their releases for the beautiful hand printed packaging that comes with tons of inserts. Their "Dead Songs" LP on Time-Lag is one of my favorite records of recent memory.

PUBLIC IMAGE LIMITED "Second Edition" & "The Flowers Of Romance" (Virgin) - finding sealed copies of these on cassette during the most recent Cave Bears/Knight Howls tour just about made my day. Thanks to the Cambridge In Your Ear!

that's all yolks.

TOMY GARM "This Eros" c90 (Creature King)

2011-12-26T13:14:00.037-05:00

Happy Boxing Day! Just about once a year I find something that I can unequivocally recommend to just about anyone. Last year it was Chris Weisman's Fresh Sip. This year it is the music of Garm. I will go on to review the cassette I'm holding in my hands by Tomy Garm, but first off I'd like to recommend that you go right out and buy B.R. Garm's just released first LP "The 78th Morning Tide" from Don't Trust The Ruin the swell imprint run by the band Big Blood. It's the best new LP I've heard all year. Completely skewed apocalyptic folk for all centuries. Okay, are you back from doing that? Good. Go back and buy another one or two copies for your loved ones. Done with that? Then read on...

The Garm moniker is used by Brendan Evans of the band Visitations (R.I.P.???), one of the most delightful and mysterious groups of the mid 2000s "free-folk" renaissance. Both their single LP/CD and double LP on Time-Lag are essential. Visitations also performs from time to time as AM Frank, a Suicide tribute band. On top of all that, Brendan is also the owner of Portland freak-haven Strange Maine, one of the coolest little music, movie and curio shops in the Union.

On This Eros or 'Something No One Wants To Hear' This Year's Opus...Down Home Whisperings he goes by Tomy Garm. The tape plays almost like an outtakes compilation of the LP. But like the best of those kinds of releases, it is more unfinished, sprawling and, in many ways, more illuminating than the LP. That being said, both albums are absolutely stunning, blending warped folk songs with weird sonic effects. The cassette is the first release on Creature King Tapes and CDs, a little home brew operation run by Brendan and Caleb from Big Blood out of the back of the record shop.

This long 35 song, 90 minute album is divided into a Garageband side (as in the Apple program) and a four track side. The first section is mostly made up midtempo eerie electronic vocoder songs (I'm feeling a little bit of Trans but also the dark pop of Danielle Dax circa Jesus Egg That Wept), but also touches down onto some wobbly folk-psych terrain that finds Brendan harmonizing with himself in a high falsetto recalling the work of his friends and collaborators in Big Blood. Wide ranging is the name of the game here. Some people may be turned off by such a long diverse album, but to me it plays out like a mix tape made with the utmost love and care. The apocalyptic edge of the Garm LP is somewhat subdued here. This is both due to the songwriting and the presence of synthesizers on many tracks. This Eros is by turns sad and sexy and at it's best occupies some sort of middle ground where erotic love and romantic love seem mingle with the bittersweet. He even throws in fucked up covers of Neil Young and Gordon Bok for good measure.

There isn't an immediate differentiation is sound once we get to the four track material on the B side, which goes to show how well Brendan utilizes the usually scummy sounds of Garageband to create natural sounding music. The instrumentation remains about the same: guitars, acoustic or electric percussion and keyboards. Upon closer examination, the four track cuts are definitely less dense and more reliant on stringed instruments. I'd say that the material on this side is darker, more experimental and improvisational, but there are many defined songs here as well. While I probably could have gone for 90 minutes of the more fully fleshed out material on the A side, it's hard to argue with an album that is as good as This Eros.

The double sided three panel fold out has great artwork that my poor cellphone camera photo does not do justice to. My copy is also hand water-colored, and I bet yours will be too. There is nothing on the internet about this tape, so you're really going to have to trust me on this. If you want a copy I suggest writing Brendan directly at theancientmainer@gmail.com

SAMPLE from This Eros Tomy Garm TAPE (starts at 1:45)
SAMPLE from The 78th Morning Tide B.R. Garm LP

A HAPPY JAWBONE FAMILY X-MAS GIFT TO YOU, 2011 "Vol. One: Operation HO! HO! HO! (Spooky Town)

2011-12-25T06:00:00.002-05:00

Merry Holidays dear weevils! I thought I'd share a little bit of the x-mas cheer with ye all. I received this delightful cassette as part of the Happy Jawbone Family Band Christmas Spectacular Musical Paegent and Jamboree up in Brattleboro, VT a few weeks back. It contains a number of cheerful holiday numbers performed in the glorious ramshackle way that only the Family can provide. The cassette first appeared as a freebie at said show and is now available on the Spooky Town website. The band has been kind enough to offer it as "name your price" download here. Ron Schneiderman has also been kind enough to release it as a CDr on his Spirit of Orr sublabel Blueberry Honey. Grip that here.

Happy Jawbone website

A FULL COSMIC SOUND c30EARTHMASTERS "Dwellings" c20(Fabrica Records)

2011-12-22T13:19:00.003-05:00

Still catching up on back-submissions. I apologize if I'm writing too much, thus sending some tapes that deserve a much longer time in the spotlight hurtling towards the nether regions of Cassette Gods. That reminds me: did you pick up that Selbyville tape yet? Be sure to look forward to a very special post of my favorite tape of the year on Boxing Day (the day after X-mas) and a best of 2011 list that will be posted the minute before the ball drops and we enter the final year of our lives... JK...In the words of my main man Danny Cruz, "DONT BELIEVE THE LIE. 2012 IS NOT THE END"!

Today I'll let you in on a little secret known as Fabrica Records, purveyors of fine tapes aimed at sending your innersoul into the stratosphere and also distributors of LPs with similar goals. Check out their site here.

A Full Cosmic Sound brings what might be one of the best mind expanding recordings I've heard in awhile. The group is a loosely coagulated assemblage of weirdos from Santiago, Chile and they've scrabbled together whatever stringed instruments, keyboards and drum machines they can find to make this excellent recording. The whole tape is made up of one driving kosmische bass riff with various sounds coming in and out of the mix. The drum machines are straight out of Suicide and the bass from Pärson Sound. It makes for a heady mixture. I can't recommend this highly enough if you're a fan of this sort of thing. AFCS comes at it from such a pure place that I can't help but be swept away. Highly recommended. Check out some AFCS sounds.

Earthmasters deliver a nice set of woozy drone. It's much more organic than many similar projects and has a lot of heart. Were it not for the aforementioned tape, I would probably recommend this just as highly. You might as well pick this up too when you buy the A Full Cosmic Sound tape, which you're going to do. Right? Check them out here.

This is a great label and surely one to watch. They'll have their first LP released by February. It'll be by Maryland droner Insect Factory.

COLLAPSED ARC "In Cursive" c20 (Imminent Frequencies)

2011-12-21T11:38:00.005-05:00

Whenever I get music by David Russell, I'm like, "oh God, not another Kirtan chanting tape!" But then I realize, "oh not that David Russell." Then I'm like, "oh cool David B. Russell!" But I put the music on and instead of horrific mongoloid shrieking I hear some heavy noisescapes. Finally I realize "oh David Russell Stempowski of Cleveland". This tape recorded under Collapsed Arc moniker is alright. Contact mic and vocal loops of moderate to moderate/high levels of harshness. There are some decent dynamics going on. I've got to say, this kind of stuff is never going to move me that much. I mean, this tape is pretty well done. It's not just a wall of noise and the loops don't go on for so long as to become boring. It's got a nice tactile feel to it, but I can't help but think it would have been much more enjoyable as a collection of discreet sounds without the loop pedal repeating everything 8 to 12 times. You hear that noise people? If you send me your loop pedal tape, I am liable to not like it. Until these three Davids get together for that epic chant/shriek/scrape trio set, I'll be left wanting more. Label website.

DISSERIPH "s/t" c11 (self released)

2011-12-21T11:37:00.002-05:00

Not entirely pleased to post two not-exactly-glowing reviews in a row, but sometimes these things just have to be done. At first when I played this right after the Collapsed Arc tape I thought to myself "oh lord, not another loop station tape." But upon checking the Disseriph bandcamp, I learned that this music was in fact recorded live. Well I give the dude props for that at least. What do we have here? One guy playing four short songs with repetitive acoustic guitar figures and vocals. Self-tagged as "acoustic math rock new jersey." I really would have thought the licks were looped and it definitely takes some skill to play that way and sing over it. But that singing is some kind of emo-tionality heart-feelieness that just always rubs. me. the. wrong. way. And that kind of guitar playing has surely seen better days. Does anyone remember Storm & Stress? They were a gateway drug between Don Caballero and Battles (guitarist Ian Williams was in all three bands) and their 1997 debut on Thrill Jockey was letter perfect. I was even able to forgive them for their similar singing style, because the vocals took up about 3 minutes total of the 2LP set. Check THAT band out.

FROM KETTLES TO CLOAKS "Widows" c44 (Buffalo Tapes)

2011-12-20T23:11:00.004-05:00

From Kettles To Cloaks gives us a good tape of weary tunes. The instrumentation is pretty basic (guitar, minimal keys/electronics, mildly distorted male vocals) but all the songs are fully formed and recorded well. Most of he songs are semi-acoustic dirges, but a reverb drenched female vocal enters on the last track on the A side ("Morrina") and suddenly we are in different, more electronic-psychedelic territory, giving the first hint that this might be a band, as opposed to a solo project. Flip the tape and we're back to the sound of the first songs again. Almost sounds like two bands. The male sung cuts are reminiscent of One Foot In The Grave-era Beck or anything by Charlie McAlister, though one song ("Porcupine Park") sounds very much like acoustic Sun City Girls. Imagine all that, but with definite electronic underpinnings. Couldn't find anywhere where you can order the tape, but you can listen to the music here, you might just like it.

EX-CROWN "646 592 3423"(Whiteness and Pinkness)

2011-12-20T14:31:00.012-05:00

What a cool tape. The A side is a collection of recorded phone calls made by Ex-Crown (aka "Miles Pflazn") to various payphones in New York City. First he says where the payphone is located (New York Chess Club, subway payphone F line 6th avenue, Angelika Film Center, etc...) and then we hear the recording of the call. If anything it shows the disappearance of the payphone in the American landscape. Almost all of the calls result in "I'm sorry this number is no longer valid". The only one that actually gets picked up is not a payphone at all, but a Chinese laundry.

The B side "Please Say a Command" is a humorous bit of Miles talking to the voice activation system on his cell phone: "bring me oysters in a half shell", "pay my rent", "take me on a long vacation", "I have a gun", "get a job"! There seems to be a breakdown in communication between this man and his machine.

The tape is spray painted pink and comes in a white spray painted case, with a double-sided glossy photo insert.

Miles was part of an underappreciated duo called Crown Now that probably only I and Jelle Crama were fans of. Actually, I bet Id M Theft Able was a fan too. They had some really great tapes that mixed poetry with musique brut. I suggest you track those down if you can. I'm not sure how one would procure a copy of the phone calls tape. Maybe call the number of the title? (Whiteness and Pinkness website - Ed.) At any rate you can check out some of Miles' semi-recent sounds here and there are a few Crown Now tapes for sale on discogs.

JASON MARTIN "Harmonic Time Cycles & Scary Guitar Man" c60 (Yeay!)

2011-12-19T15:05:00.002-05:00

First off, I'd like to say that it's been WAY too long since the last cassette release on Yeay! (rhymes with "whey", which is pronounced like "way")... Say...HA HA HA, that rhymes with all those other words too!

First off, I'd like to say it's been way too long since the last cassette release on Yeay!, the label run (from time to time) but Fat Worm of Error drummer Neil "Neel" Young. Some of the releases that Neil was putting out 3 or 4 years ago are among my favorite tapes of all time. Track down Jeremy Latch Love Songs For Everybody and Vapor Gourds Dagger Magic at all costs!

This new release from Jason Martin keeps with the label's "out there" aesthetic and comes highly recommended. The A side is a radio play that was first broadcast over unsuspecting airwaves in upstate New York during 2008. It consists of a variety of cut up music for guitar, shortwave radio, tape player, bass, drums, percussion, function generator, organ and samples of a preacher talking about the very P.K. Dickian subject matter of ancient Romans enslaving humanity by freezing time. Apparently this very particular strain of looniness wasn't exclusive to the author of "Valis", but had a few other proponents as well. The full title of the A side is Harmonic Time Cycles or How the Romans Sent A Disruptive Time Piece To Psychotronically Entrap Us Within Our Own Minds. As the piece progresses, it becomes less cut up and a little more musical in a way that is reminiscent of Caroliner, or something like that, but without lyrics. A great grating mass! Towards the end we hear Jason's voice overlaid onto the preacher's voice to awesome effect and we do finally learn just how those crazy Romans did it (entrap us within our own minds, that is). It all ends with a little fractured dirge leading into a rhythmic beeping that brings us back to reality (hopefully).

The B side, entitled Scary Guitar Man is a series of improvisations and spoken word pieces dedicated to Don Van Vliet. The music doesn't so much sound like Beefheart, but surely it's a tribute to his anarchic spirit. The poems, on the other hand, capture his mad sense of lyricism, though they owe much to Williams S. Burroughs as well (second time I've mentioned him in a review during the last week). There are passages of distorted (acoustic?) guitar that sound like lots of different kinds of animals that are really angry. That's cool. Listening to this side made me realize that my favorite parts of this tape are all the little distortions and broken sounds that push Martin's recording device to the max. The beauty is in the details, as they say.

All of this is made clearly audible by the fine dubbing job by Young. The artwork is a double sided full color fold out with insert.

For all things Yeay! - here - "yeay! plastics" leads you to the label
Jason's very informative website - check it out

QUICKSAILS "A Fantasy in Seasons" c30 (NNA)

2011-12-18T16:20:00.003-05:00

The thing that immediately stands out about this release by Chicago's Quicksails is that this is a synth album with some really excellent percussion. That makes plenty of sense when you learn that the man behind the keys is Ben Baker Billington, drummer for the assblasting free jazz group Tiger Hatchery. As if the genuinely kosmische analog synth wasn't enough, Billington tricks out each track with some exceptional accompaniment on tabla, timpani, log drum, clinking metal and drum machine...or at least it sounds like that's what it is. None of the percussion is drivingly rhythmic, but is instead used to further the expansive psychedelic thing he's going for here. I can't recommend this highly enough. Quicksails was my favorite part of the recent Raw Meet fest in Boston and this has got to be my favorite release on NNA thus far. Waiting for that LP...who's putting it out?

ROBERT RIDLEY-SHACKLETON "Shut Up Egg" (self released)

2011-12-17T18:32:00.005-05:00

We meet again Robert Ridley-Shackleton. This guy is some sort of British maniac who makes some pretty wacky music. Here is the "blurb" that came with the one-sheet for this tape:

Hi everybody my name is Robby as you know already. In this album I got into my demi-dog state where I am touching god and then I noticed that an egg was beating my wife in the kitchen. So I smashed him and saw his yoke splat all over the floor. Much later, after an incident with a naughty dog. The dog told me that the egg I beat up was actually Humpty Dumpty. I realised I had made a big mistake as I worship Humpty. I then saw a vision of him falling off a wall. When my mum finally came home from her job she saw the mess in the kitchen and as a punishment I have to eat eggs for the next 8 years.

Well there you have it. Words to live by. Robby's plays simple repetitive carnivalesque casio lines (sometimes over primitive drum machine rhythms) on top of which he "sings" his lyrics in a mildly frightening manner. Comparisons could be drawn to Wild Man Fischer, et al. One of the best things about his recordings are the way in which lo-fi recording quality makes them sound like missives from an insane asylum. That seems to be the modus operandi for just about every release I've heard from him, but hey, it works for me. I mean, you can laugh at this stuff and just say "this guy is taking a piss," but he's so committed to such a specific brand of audio insanity that you've got to give the guy credit. Shut Up Egg is actually my favorite thing I've heard from him so far. What makes this one stand out for me is the really beautiful keyboard instrumental that follows the brief song bit on the A side, the grimy riff that closes out the B side and the unified subject matter (eggs).

Robert's music webpage has tons to listen to.
This tape is distributed by Eggy in the USA.

SKELETON WARRIOR/MEAGER SUNLIGHT "Seasons Of Nudity" (Good God Energy Chronicles)

2011-12-17T16:19:00.008-05:00

Hey! I think I got tricked into reviewing a 12". I swear to you I'm holding a cassette of this split in my hand with the same artwork and everything, but all I can find on the internet is references to a split 12" EP. Either way, this'll surely get your Kwanzaa party started and have the whole family up on the dance floor. Skeleton Warrior are Florida boys who do mildly geeky dance music with songs about stuff. What that "stuff" is, I can't exactly tell. I think there is an element of mild depravity that I am picking up on. Meager Sunlight is the duo of Jeremy Harris (Lazy Magnet) and Daryl Seaver (Supernaturelle) and their music sounds like it could reach the top 40. Female singing, with songs also about stuff. Definitely stuff. Stuff that sounds good when you are dancing too it. "Show me an innocent among you"... These groups make such great split-partners it's not even funny. Happy arpeggiated keyboard riffs, throbbing bass, you know, TECHNO. Or whatever the kids are calling it. I don't think I'm getting across the fact that I like this. I LIKE THIS! OKAY? It's super fun and kind of fluffy, but that's exactly what its going for. Pick it up, whatever format you happen to find it in.

You can pick up the 12" here or here. No clue where to find the tape....Nguzo Saba

This just in from Meager Sunlight member Daryl: Tapes can be had from Jeremy and I! email themultiverse@gmail.com ... ... or just 7$ PPD to same address.

SELBYVILLE "Send Selbyville to Disneyworld" c40 (Tea First Records)

2011-12-16T17:52:00.003-05:00

If I said this evokes the same kind of feeling that Hal Hartley's music does in his films, would you catch my drift? This tape is a little thing of wondrous beauty and it comes as quite a surprise, especially seeing as some of these guys live pretty close to me. It says here that this is a reissue of something that was first recorded in 2005 and released the next year. There is very little information available on Selbyville, but what I gather is that they are a trio whose members live in Portland, ME and Pittsburgh, PA. The band's music is mostly made up of interlocking guitar figures, but is occasionally augmented by some minimal keyboard playing, wordless vocals or light percussion. Selbyville's music immediately conjures up a kind of wintry nostalgia that I find incredibly moving. I mean deeply and truly moving. This is instrumental music played with real heart and grace and it's this kind of thing that makes the world a truly better place to live in.

Pick it up here before the drifts of snow cover your door...and you really should. The label has a Selbyville LP too. Hmm... I also found this interview with Artie, who runs Tea First and is a member of Selbyville. Thanks for sending me the tape Artie!

MATTRESS - "Lonely Souls" c26 // EYES - "A Candle In The Crown Of Dawn" c40 (Field Hymns)

2011-12-16T12:18:00.001-05:00

Portland's Field Hymns label has been belting out all kinds of audible treasures this year, with a really varied batch of tapes from the likes of Oxykitten, White Glove, Zac Nelson and Adderall Canyonly.These two releases are definitely my own personal favorites from Field Hymns, and possibly even two of the more memorable cassettes I'll come across in 2011.Take a look at their catalog, listen to some tunes, they've got something for everyone.
The first is a quite addictive new album from Portland lone wolf, Mattress.Lonely Souls is dimly lit, doom-filled stagger across some rather dreary terrain, a minimalist bender soaked with drastic tones, hazy synth repetitions, shuffled beats, all of which are completely punch-drunk on Rex Marshall's brooding, haunted vocal passages.His vocals have all the deep, well-read bitterness of Stephen Merritt, with a bit of Nick Cave's demonic slurring, and Alan Vega's breathy barks and yelps.All of these are fairly obvious comparisons, but the more you hear his voice, the more soulful and unique it begins to sound, despite the blatantly bitter vibe he give off.He's got a style of phrasing that's all his own, unraveling his bold words with powerful sermon-like delivery.Unlike a lot of similar solo ventures, this isn't some barely audible bedroom tinkering.Mattress' music is completely focused and full-bodied, powered by bulky analog melodies and backed by a dense percussive swagger.He's joined by a live drummer on a few of these tracks, which fleshes them out a bit, a might give a little insight to what he sounds like on stage.
Lonely Souls has all the sleaze and muscle of early Suicide, with heavy organ repetitions and a sweaty, sexual vibe, harboring all of the elements of classic soul and r&d recordings, and gently topped off with layers of modern synthesizers and other digital sounds.A bit of a departure from 2009's Low Blows LP, this album is a severely solid listen from front to back, and is sure to end up on at least a few upcoming "year end" lists, including my own.

The second cassette comes from a relatively new band called Eyes, who shares ex-members of Roots of Orchis,The Lambs, The Finches, etc.Withing the first two minutes of A Candle In The Crown Of The Dawn, I was already hearing a bunch of early psych and prog mainstays, more specifically Hawkwind, Led Zeppelin, Can, and even some of the more modern indie-prog dudes, like Mars Volta and 31 Knots.After a few minutes, things began to really open up nicely, and I realized that Eyes have something a bit more original going for them.They are an insanely talented bunch of boys, and seem to be heavily influenced by classic Afro/Cuban weirdness, just as much as the aforementioned acts.Their music is as tight as tight gets, carefully glued together by a barrage of propulsive drum patterns and intricate instrumentation.
Personally, I think that things like this can be a rather grueling listen at times, and tend be a lot more exhausting than pleasing.Thankfully, Eyes may very well share the same opinion.Their songs are full of tempo changes, instrumental freak outs, and interesting shifts in all directions, yet they spare us from the mindless jamming that a lot of these progressive bands force into a good song.The vocals are clear and soulful, and the singer drops his lines in all the right places, leaving room for his unstoppable rhythm section to flourish, which they do quite often.They utilize the few open spaces they create very tastefully, filling in the cracks with deep, underlying organ melodies and the occasional wailing saxophone.The standout track for me was Moonwhite Hour, a pleasant and twisted labyrinth of sorts, in the form of a song, with some cool key changes and wild turns along the way.
Eyes have made a deeply original and very accessible rock album, and I can't wait to hear their most recent digi-album, Dust (self released).Get both of these great cassettes from Field Hymns.

NOISE NOMADS "Menacing Bells" c30LAURA WARHOLIC "What Comes Before The Word?" c26 (Faux Pas Recordings)

2011-12-16T11:09:00.007-05:00

Like the snarling wolfdog on the cover, Noise Nomads means business. The music of Western MA mainstay Jeff Hartford is kind of like a line in the sand, with the man standing on the opposite side not giving a fuck whether or not you cross it. As a live performer, Hartford explores the extreme reaches of volume, often with the most minimal equipment (contact mic, metal zone, digital delay), though my favorite shows are the ones where he dresses up like a pinecone, covers a bunch of junk with saran wrap or scares small children while dressed as a horrifying birdman. Due to the nearly unlistenable volume and wacky performative nature of his live gigs, it can be easy to forget that Noise Nomads makes, first and foremost, really great music. In the comfort of your home, where you can choose to listen to his tapes or records without earplugs, Hartford comes across as an expert creator of visceral yet dynamic soundscapes. Half an hour of piercing feedback shrieks and mangled clanging that'll surely help the relatives evacuate your home during the holidays.

Laura Warholic is the first (?) solo release from Mark, keyboardist for the "it girl" group Angels in America. Damned if I don't like this tape even more than the duo's work! This is some sort of poetry tape with very minimal musical backing, plus a few songs thrown in for good measure. Mark reads work that is similar in tone to Burroughs, but manages to find its own distinct voice. The songs sections are sad and murky little swamp pop children that end each side nicely. On the whole, really hep stuff that totally eschews the histrionics of the Angels material.

Buy tapes here.

SILENT ISLE/BELLTONESUICIDE"Sylvan Pass/Debt Management" c90(Gilded Throne)

2011-12-16T10:04:00.006-05:00

A fine split tape. Can't go wrong here.

Silent Isle (aka Anastasia Clarke of Hudson, NY) lays down successive layers of twinkling guitar picking and semi-wordless vocals that, as they build, become more and more washed out and trance inducing. By the end of the tape, you'd think you were listening to a hazy synthesizer jam. If you've been paying attention to my reviews, you might notice that I am generally not a fan of loop station work, but Clarke keeps it varied enough for this long-building piece to hold my interest. I had the pleasure of seeing her live set in a basement recently and it certainly delivered. Just be prepared to commit some time to this, I think we've got about 45 minutes of continuous music here.

Belltonesuicide is the (mostly) one man project of Mike Barrett of Northampton, MA. Mike has been laying it down in one way or another since 1998 ('99 under the Belltone moniker), issuing a slew of releases with inventive handmade packaging. I'm not going to pretend to understand what exactly this man is doing with his table top set up, which often includes a mixture of pedals, sound producing electronics and household objects, but the results are sonically immense. Underneath the monolithic wall of harshness that makes up the first half of this recording, you'll find subtle and melodic bass tones that belie and influence of a more danceable strain of electronica. My favorite section is when the tape "mellows out" about half way through and a there's this wonderful part where the tape sounds like it's eating itself alive under a "cathcy" feedback solo.

Silent Isle - here or here or here
Belltonesuicide - here or here

SCALPED / COGS AND SPROCKETS "Split" c7 (Exquisite Morbidity / Utopian Society)

2011-12-15T11:40:00.005-05:00

Scalped does away with the social niceties that have plagued extreme punk and metal for far too long: why dress a sick breakdown with anything at all? These naked odes to the churning pinnacles of Infest and Crossed Out songs focus on not burying the most furious and knuckle-dragging songwriting elements: no intros, no chorus, no bridge, no solo. Just the parts where your more tasteful, aware encephalic functions are drowned in a desperate injection of adrenaline. Scalped reminds us that there is literally nothing worth venerating and refining after all these years of recycled nostalgias than those golden moments of true release.

Cogs and Sprockets are one of these bands that make me so angry they are so good. I imagine whatever malcontent behind this hateful object of fascination to be, in fact, made of a drum kit. That would better suit my description of the drumming on this tape to be the sound of some organism flexing its percussive muscles before a beating so precise and well-delivered that it practically demands its victim choke out a thanks before they expire. This release expands on its brilliant predecessor (the "Black Friday" cassette was made to shame and humiliate you) by bringing Cogs and Sprockets guttural growls into a powerviolence-y bark as the tape progresses. With a band this good, this is essentially adding a new wing onto the compound of drugged out followers.

A stellar release, available here for $4.00 if there are any left.

BASTIAN VOID "Horicon Sketches" c32 (Digitalis)

2011-12-14T16:37:00.008-05:00

This is the second release from Joe Bastardo's solo project Bastian Void. Joe is a member of the great group Gay Shapes and a fine graphic artist as well. I received his first tape, also on Digitalis, but somehow never got around to reviewing it. In some ways, I'm glad I waited til now to write something about his music, because it's grown in leaps and bounds over the last year. I enjoyed Ported, released earlier this year, but Horicon Sketches, pleases my ears even more. Joe manages to showcase the range of his talent across 11 distinct keyboard pieces that segue beautifully, like flying cars changing lanes on the skyhigh highway. Huge variations in rhythm, tone and texture occur from song to song, but the whole thing feels unified by the good vibrations bubbling up from beneath the synthesizers. That's not to say it doesn't get a little spooky from time to time; one segment that sounds like a digitized witchdoctor ceremony is especially effective. This tape covers a lot of ground in its 32 minutes: raygun meltdowns, zero-g dance parties, openings of heavenly gates, sci-fi police chases and vocal sample manipulation all have their place. Now pardon me while I go ride my condor through computer chip canyon.

More info and samples here.

JUNK SICK "Rising Damp" c30 (Magik Crowbar Tapes / Altered States Tapes)

2011-12-14T15:28:00.004-05:00

A co-release between two Australian noise labels, Rising Damp finds Australian noise duo Junk Sick making Australian noise with a (presumably) Japanese tape recorder and a loop pedal made in...well what does it matter. Very murky and, well, junk-sick sounding. If the shoe fits... Junk Sick had a split 12" lathe with C.C.C.C. earlier this year, so that's pretty cool...A lot of the A side sounds like a horse being boiled alive, i.e. AWESOME. The B side, brings it down a notch, sounding like what's left over after said boiling is completed. Maybe a little too much loop station on that part, but still, a solid effort all around.

Altered States Tapes
Magik Crowbar Tapes

PERPETUAL RITUAL - "Perpetual Ritual" c17 (Skrot Up)

2011-12-10T18:04:00.001-05:00

Perpetual Ritual is the moniker under which Mitchell Saulsberry, a Seattle-based musician, performs with a revolving cast of close friends and other like-minded noisemakers.This is PR's first release for Copenhagen's wondrous Skrot Up label, which has been giving us all sorts of noisy gems as of late.Perpetual Ritual lashes out with five new scorchers, all banging with 70's garage rock swagger, and soaking with grungy, blown out guitars.The first thing that came to mind, was the rattling cave-pop of Mississippi wild man, Flight.The vocals are similar, with a thick blanket of distortion and chorus effects, laid over top of Saulsberry's straight-faced, baritone howls.The drums sound huge, and bang away like hammers beating on metal trash cans, constantly crashing through the buzzing guitar attack no matter how loud they seem to get.The verses seem to kind of wander off into choruses almost by accident, steering clear of "the norm", and it makes for an interesting listen indeed.This actually sounds like something that could just easily find a suitable home on garage-worship labels like Hozac, In The Red, or Florida's Dying, and that is absolutely meant to be taken as a compliment.These five songs are catchy, dark, and anything but polished, and I'm already searching the web for more of this stuff.Highly Recommended!
Grab one here.

MBB / RODENT split c50PISTOL PETE "Concentration EP" c45RHAGMAGMA "Silksnares" (Skrot Up)

2011-12-09T13:25:00.001-05:00

I received these three tapes from the Danish label Skrot Up, that also appears to have "offices" in Los Angeles. I first heard of this imprint from the LP they put out for Boston WTF? collective Kid Romance earlier this Fall. Here's what I thought:

Miguel Baptista Benedict (MBB) gives us a dose of noise, tape samples, guitar, song and sound manipulation with "Prom Night Wearing Nothing But An Anklet (Airconditioning For Those With Hot Faces)." Takes awhile to get going, but this MBB stuff transverses so many different sonic territories that I was really taken with it by the end. There is some really great processed guitar stuff towards the end and a few random little folk songs too. I applaud this loudly for its effortless flow and large pallet. The B side of this tape is called "Halved" and it's by Chicago's Garrett W. Anderson, who plays as Rodent. I found this stuff not as compelling as the MBB material. The whole thing felt much too reliant on the loop pedal, which never goes over well in my book. There are a few different sound sources at work here: some keyboard, one sing-songy vocal bit that dissolves into eerie looped death cries, but whereas the A side had an organic approach to sound organization, the B side feels too mechanical and it left me bored. I think the connection between the material here is that both of these artists have lived in Ypsilanti, MI. I would say this is worth picking up for the MBB material.

Sacramento, CA's Pistol Pete turn in a double A sided tape with "Concentration." Although the vocals are often buried in the mix, the instruments come out loud and clear. Noisy guitar/bass/drums rock with some decent moves, but not that great really. Some Flipper-esque snot vocals mixed with Sonic Youthicky guitar figures and some Brainbombs-lite heavyosity, then a sudden left turn into some sort of amped up version of Public Image, Ltd., and then finally to '77 UK Punk...weird. I like the last two phases of the tape a little better than the more "indie" first one. I would probably dig these guys live, but I'll stick with the real deal on record.

I was unable to track down any credible information on Rhagmagma, other than that this tape was recorded in Seattle. The music on "Silksnares" is a rather sleazy blend of keyboards riffs and beats. Definitely well-made and memorable. Nothing terribly innovative but I liked it nonetheless.

http://www.freewebstore.org/Skrot-Up

MAJEURE - "Synthesizer Of The Gods" c40 (VCO)

2011-12-08T13:49:00.002-05:00

Anthony Paterra is Majeure.He's better known for his role as drummer/human metronome for Pittsburgh's blessed synth/italo-prog duo, Zombi(he's also co-owner of VCO).On his debut solo venture, Synthesizer Of The Gods, Paterra puts down his sticks (momentarily) to give us a focused, well crafted night cruise via- deep synth workouts, glassy arpeggios, and muscly drum repetitions.At times, his work does bring a rather bare-boned version of Zombi's works to mind, but this stuff is much more straight forward and direct.A few of your favorite kraut and prog heroes, as well as a handful of b-film scores will come to mind, but he is anything but a hack-y revivalist, and these tracks aren't just any old Zombi b-sides or scrapped recording sessions, either.This is Paterra's own personal work, solely for Majeure.
Side A starts things off with "Solar Flare", a moonlit jog that will surely bring any decent John Carpenter film score to mind, respectively.Enter the pulsating percussive thump, and before you know it the beat begins to sink slowly into a vast canvas of icy synth runs and deep, gyrating analog sprints.His Arp Solus has such a warm tone and demanding presence, and really holds things down while everything else just seems to sprout up around it.There's some nice key changes that come out of nowhere, and things tend to shift in different directions pretty unexpectedly, while keeping it's mesmerizing, robotic charm.
Side B gives us the epic "Synthesizer Of The Gods", a strictly synthesizer based piece, that owes as much to Harold Budd as it does Claudio Simonetti.It's rich in texture and full of beautiful chords, and a pleasant listen from front to back.I find that most things of this nature tend to lack in any real movement, or foreseeable destination.I usually bail after the first 5 minutes of any heartless droning, but Majeure's cycles are deep and memorable, constantly flowing in that same direction, yet they all end up in no place in particular, and the slow ride there is a very rewarding trek.Recommended headphone listening.
Edition of 70 on clear cassettes.Get one from VCO.

MESSY SPARKLES/TREEHOPPING "MESSYHOPPING" c40 (MJMJ Records)

2011-12-07T16:21:00.003-05:00

It is my own personal opinion that split releases, especially those of the modern punk and indie varieties, generally involve two painfully similar sounding bands or artists, may or may not even share band mates, and rarely offer up any sort of real contrast, or even slightly varied styles.But, every once in a while two rather similar musical entities do find one another, they do the dance, and you end up with something totally worthy of flipping a hundred times.MJMJ Records (Twomichaeljordans) has recently done so, by bringing Messy Sparkles and Treehopping together.This brilliant looking/sounding split cassette is filled with delicate and brightly colored shapes and sounds.
Messy Sparkles is a Texan named JD Paul (also co-owner of MJMJ), but by listening his full-bodied and quite tropical pop mastery, you'd think he was backed by at least a handful of talented musicians.He's quite the rhythm machine, laying down fairly intricate and textured beats, and building up a skyscraper of rich guitar and trickling synth melodies on top of them.Not so different from recent Animal Collective output, with the occasional steel drum swagger and deep vocal hymn, but with a scattered, yet charming diy/bedroom production.His voice is a bit juvenile and slightly off key, and after a few listens, I've realized that this wouldn't actually work any other way.His tunes are youthful and full of life, filling your speakers with nothing but good vibes at all times, and I can't get enough of this side.A very pleasant surprise indeed.
Gainesville's Treehopping fills their side with a similar blend of shimmery island-pop, complete with dense, organic drums, and layers of fun guitar interplay.This kind of sounds like Surfer Blood's more tender and staggering moments, without all the power chords and verse/chorus/verse formula.You'll most likely hear a bit of Broken Social Scene's orchestrated guitar weaving, and tightly wound percussive bounce.There's a really nice syncopation going on between the spot-on drums and punchy bass, and they both keep things moving along at a solid pace, without being too overbearing.Fragile keyboard melodies are scattered all over the place, with a wide range of tasteful soft-synths floating throughout the songs.The vocals are for the most part sincere and tuneful shouts, with some well executed group harmonies and choruses.The recording quality is just right, and everything in it's place, without sounding "polished".These acts really complement each other in a big way, and I absolutely recommend this to anyone looking for some good vibes.
TWOMICHAELJORDANS.

Junior Pande "Tape One" cs (Spring Break Tapes)

2011-12-05T17:34:00.001-05:00

Junior Pande is a bedroom/random recording project from one Justin Peroff, drummer of Broken Social Scene.Now that we've gotten that out of the way, I'm rather pleased to tell you that it doesn't sound anything like Broken Social Scene.(Disclaimer: Not a dis.I absolutely love this band.)With his first release for Spring Break Tapes,(as well as their first release) Tape One, Peroff takes a fairly rewarding stab at minimal electronic skittering and tiny bedroom bumps.Side A plays on with more than a few similarities to the epic, yet minimal Tortoise, Mouse On Mars, and Remote Viewer albums everyone was obsessed with in the late nineties.Plenty of chirping synths, deep swelling bass lines, and a ton of open spaces to fill.The beats are in miniature and scattered all over the place, but also prominent and catchy enough to make you want to stick around.The last five minutes of this side are pure sonic bliss, with a stretch of deep, uplifting strings and woozy bursts of warm synth chords.
Side B comes from a rather different place, with a few nods to introvert hip hop jams, wobbly electric guitar samples, and piles of 90's bedroom dance and microhouse nostalgia.This side's thicker, driving beats are just a tad more present, and the machinery is beefed up with a bit more muscle.Some of these tracks are just begging for a solid remix or three.Altogether, Tape One plays on like a solid mix tape full of semi-obscure IDM and other minimal dance jams, and it's very easy on the ears.Peroff himself dubbed this a "beat ambient space junk tape", and it's actually pretty accurate.Hopefully we'll hear more from him sooner than later.
Spring Break.

THE HERMETIC TRIO "s/t" c24DAIN DALLER "Tirehouse Tapes Vol.1" c48SAM GAS CAN "Life On Earth..." c24(Lighten Up Sounds)

2011-12-03T14:21:00.002-05:00

The Minnesota based Lighten Up Sounds is run by the eminently likable Matt Himes (Shep & Me, Mole Hole) and is one of the spiffiest labels in the Midwest. From fancy lathe cuts, to beautifully designed cassettes, Himes really puts an artist's touch on the full color packaging of everything that the label releases.

The Hermetic Trio plays an occult form of free jazz known only to dwellers of basementdom's sub-sub-spheres. "Recorded beneath Providence, RI on April 25th 2011" as it states on the handsomely designed j-card. The two named members are reed players Bill Doob and Jefferson Zurna and a third "mystery" member who contributes percussion by gently pounding on basement air-ducts. The music is more in the vein of melodic instant composition, than total shriekfest. The clarinet and the zurna weave subtle patterns that recall both the ecstatic forays of the Master Musicians of Jajouka and the complexity of Anthony Braxton's best work while the percussionist lays down a framework of rhythmic echo. All in all, a very engrossing listen. Highly recommended.

Dain Daller, of the Chicago band Tiny Music, now lives in a self-constructed house of automobile tires in the desert of New Mexico (pictured on the artwork). This tape resonates with the unique vision one might expect from someone with such a hermetic existence. "Tirehouse Tapes Vol. 1" is an album length collection of thoughtful musique concrete constructions. Daller employs household objects, skipping or crackling records, snippets of radio and perhaps an instrument here or there to create 7 distinct compositions. A suite that shows the path toward a possible future for music in a post-technology collapse.

The full title of this tape is Sam Gas Can & The Charter Communications Defamation League "Life On Earth Is Pure And Golden, Life On Earth Is Hell On Earth." Our boy Sam has been working hard of late and this is my favorite thing I've heard from him so far. A really good overview of the Gas Can sound: casio jams, hypnagogabop, downer acoustic folk, humor. All in 24 minutes! Love the cover with it's "I'm standing in a corner" self portrait and the funny insert listing the negative characteristics of Pisces. Highly recommended. After 10-15 EPs, I hope I'm not the only one eagerly awaiting the arrival of the first Sam Gas Can LP, whenever that may be. For all things Gas Can, head over to here.

http://lightenupsounds.blogspot.com/

Black Cum - "The Second Cumming" (self-released?)

2011-12-01T19:46:00.005-05:00

I found this tape today, in a package sent from Salt Lake City, Utah of all places. After opening the package on the street in front of my apartment, lined with holiday lights and families buying stupid shit and eating expensive, bland food, I discovered that the sender, who had marked themselves as "BC" on the return address, was a band whose name is definitely Black Cum. Their tape, which is titled The Second Cumming, was apparently recorded in "Tucker's barn" and features a black and white fold-out j-card, the cover of which depicts an abortion being performed. Despite the overall theme of anarcho-punk nihilism, there's plenty of sarcastic, gross-out humor and juvenile Anal Cunt-ery to be enjoyed on this. Great song titles too, like "Tellin' Everyone I Know to Burn Down America", "Smother the Pope w/ a Cum Soaked Pillow", "I Want to Hang Myself and Fucking Die" and album stand-out "Every Living Thing on This Planet is Going to Die", only add to their comparison of Anal Cunt. While the band themselves expressed in their brief, information-less note on the inside of the package wrapping that this is an admittedly "shit tape", the cassette is actually pretty well-crafted, both musically and physically. Along with the xeroxed dead-baby cover, the band, while obviously recorded with one mic in a room somewhere, is surprisingly clear. The music, seemingly informed by classic spazzer punk stylings of bands like Napalm Death and Void, is surprisingly nuanced, if not a little trying sometimes. The occasional sampled lead-ins of newscasters talking about terrorism and the like are funny and well-placed. Overall, this band/tape isn't doing anything particularly new or different than any high-school-ish stoner/metalhead/punk bozo bros. They aren't even breaking any rules, to be honest. That's not a discredit; it's obvious that this band is having a pretty killer time making this music and what they're presenting here is some silly, overtly-political fun with dark and disgusting jokes that are easy to giggle over and share with your other stupid friends. I would only recommend this to a certain set and you already know who you are. I could only find this bandcamp. Kill God!

IASOS "Inter-Dimensional Music" c54(Rotifer Cassettes))

2011-11-30T13:16:00.000-05:00

I thought it might be appropriate to say a few words on Iasos, now that New Age music is cool for the very first time ever. Born in Greece in 1947, but raised in the United States and a resident of California since the late 60s, Iasos is often described as the first "New Age" musician. His 1975 album "Inter-Dimensional Music" has seen a lot of renewed interest, with a vinyl reissue on Baltimore's Hearted Hand last year and a cassette reissue on Rotifer now in it's second pressing of 200 copies. I highly recommend you check it out if you are an un-ironic appreciator of dreamy synthscapes. There are parts of the album that I would genuinely describe as tropical, with Iasos emulating the sounds of a rainforest on his synthesizer.

R. Buckminster Fuller (in a letter to Iasos)

"I find your inter-dimensional music needing new words to describe it. I feel as though I were entering a new world - a new and very profoundly beautiful world."

Alan Watts, Metaphysical Philosopher

"Iasos is doing the classical music of the New Age."

How To Put Out A Taped Cassette

2011-11-24T12:21:00.008-05:00

By way of being thankful for the tape cassette as a medium, I thought it might be kind of cool to write a little something about what I've learned from putting out scores of cassettes over the years. Forgive me if any of this seems patronizing. I sure wish I had had some of this information when I was making my first crude audio missives! I'm going to take you step by step through the process.

Making a Master/Dubbing

You can release a cassette tape of music that was initially recorded on any medium. Your cold, clinical sounding Garageband recordings may find new life on a warm sounding c23 (notice I said may). I often record my music onto cassette (4 track, handheld, stereo boombox) and then transfer it onto a computer where I piece together different segments using Audacity (or some such program). If you are going to do like I do, make sure to watch your levels as you are transferring the tape onto the computer. If it's peaking on the audio program (that means the image of the sound waves is reaching the top of the spectrum) then redo it cause it's going to sound like shit.

What I do next is I take my finished digital files (one track for each side) and put them back onto a cassette to make the master tape. Be sure that the cassette is the same length as the ones you'll be dubbing onto. If you are using a tape for your master, I suggest using a dedicated two deck player as opposed to a boom box. You can often find used ones for cheap at a Salvation Army or Goodwill. If you use normal speed dubbing, the quality will significantly better than when using high speed. Multi-tape dubbers are notoriously finicky and result in shite quality more often than not.

You can also choose not to transfer your audio back onto a cassette and use a CD or a computer file (wav or aiff please) as your master if you desire. Simply buy an 1/8" to RCA cable from radio shack and go from the headphone jack of your computer or CD player directly into the back of your tape deck. Some people might think this gets a "cleaner" sound, but I personally think putting your stuff onto a tape for the final master adds a layer of warmth to the recording. The best advice I can give you is that experimentation will provide you with the best results.

Production

I'd say that there are generally three ways of producing a cassette release.

1. Almost-free method: You may have noticed, but a lot of folks simply don't want their old cassettes anymore. What you can find in free-boxes, soup kitchens, or ultra cheap at thrift stores includes sealed boxes of blank tapes, old mix tapes, copies of Harry Chapin records, sermons, major label hits or self released albums. Oftentimes you'll find the cases included with these tapes. When I lived in Western Massachusetts I was able to make hundreds of cassettes for free by picking up whatever I could score at the Amherst Survival Center. If you're in that area, I suggest you check it out.

So now you've got all the blank media you'll need for your release. If you are using brand name blank tapes (whether blank or not) chances are the little tabs on the top of the tape will still be intact, allowing you to dub over whatever is that's already on there. If you are recording over Julio Iglesias' "Un Hombre Solo", you'll need to cover up the holes (where those tabs should be) in order to record over his saucy sounds. It's best to use two pieces of sturdy tape (the sticky kind), but even a piece of paper will do. Keep in mind that unless you are using commercial recordable tapes (c60, c90), your tapes are all going to be different lengths. I'm sure you'll find someway to work around that. Sometimes it's helpful to erase the already existing program by dubbing a blank cassette onto the one you want to record over. This will help reduce the chance of the old audio bursting through onto your music.

Now you can produce your artwork any way you'd like (more on that in the next section).

2. Buying Tape Stock and Cases: This is not a paid advertisement, but Deltamedia.com has pretty much everything you will need to get started. They sell tape stock of any length, different kinds of cases and some other stuff like labels or j-cards that you can stick in your home printer. There are a few different types of cassettes available. I suggest buying Type I Master Cassettes (Music Grade). I've had some problems buying Type II tapes, as you have to make sure that your master tape and the machine you are using to dub with supports Type II. Either way, be sure to order "tab in" tapes.

I'll often get the tapes and cases I need online and then go to a trustworthy print shop to make the j-cards myself (the j-card is where the art goes btw). You can lay out your artwork either by hand (like I do) or on the computer (like everybody else does). The cheapest way would just be a 11x17 piece of paper (any thickness you desire, card stock is the best) with 6 j-cards. Obviously, it's cheaper (and sometimes artistically more appropriate) to use black and white. Color will usually cost at least 4x as much, but all in all, the total cost of printing won't be too high either way. Just remember that the more you make, the less they'll charge you. Your print shop will also make you some rectangular stickers that you can put on your tapes. In any case, marking them someway is a really good idea. If you've got a good home printer you can run off your artwork on the j-cards and labels from home, but I actually think this will end up costing you more when you factor in the ink and all. Obviously, if you want to try your hand at screen-printing or block printing, those are affordable and cool looking options as well. However you decide to do the artwork, combine all the pieces and you're good to go!

Working this way will generally put your production cost at well under $1 per tape.

3. Pro-dubbing: Again, not a paid advertisement, but National Audio Company is really the place to go if you want someone to cover every aspect of production for you. They will duplicate your tapes from a supplied master (CD, audio file or cassette), make the artwork to your specifications, put printed text or any image you want on the cassettes themselves and even shrinkwrap your finished product! Trust me, this is probably the best way to go when you weigh the cost vs labor vs quality of the product. If you make a run of 200 copies, it will only cost you ~$1 per tape, before shipping. I've heard these guys are a "Christian company" so they might not do your project if it's called Cockdickanus or something stupid like that. But that's just a rumor...

Publicizing/Distributing

Besides Cassette Gods, there are a number of other places you can send your tape in order to get noticed. Animal Psi is a really good place if you just want to announce yourself. Send them a description of your stuff and a link to your website and they'll post it verbatim. It's sort of like a catalog of recently released stuff with very little editorial content. Foxy Digitalis is another site that will frequently review unsolicited submissions, but be aware that they will just as easily hand out a negative review as a positive one. Vital Weekly is a long-running email newsletter that reviews new underground music. They have a policy of reviewing every submission they receive. Rotten Meats is another good place to go to and so is the Auxiliary Out blog, which does really in depth analysis. Of course there are probably hundreds of other blogs that write about contemporary D.I.Y. music, but I've tried to list the ones here that seem less like "cool kids clubs." Click on any of the names in this paragraph to be taken to the appropriate website.

Getting your tape picked up by internet distributors or record stores is based on luck and connections as much as it is merit, so I won't really go into that too much. There is no secret. Just work hard and keep at it, no matter what! I am loath to name names, seeing as these people get enough unsolicited emails. I would suggest thinking about the places where you buy your tapes from and look into who sells copies of your favorite label or artist's work. If you offer your tape for $5 retail, I would suggest asking a wholesale price of $3 to get people interested. Don't sell yourself short though: maybe require a minimum order of 3 to 5 units. You can also suggest trading tape for tape.

==================================================

Hey, in other news, I've also done some updates to Cassette Gods that might go unnoticed lest I hip you to them here. For one, I've gone through every post since the beginning and updated the tags. Took a little while, heh heh heh... So if you scroll to the bottom of this page you'll see a complete list of artists and labels that have been covered by CG over the last four and a half years. Cool! I've also added a link to the old Cassette Gods page that is archived on the Deathbomb Arc website. You can find the old columns and stuff there. Find this page by clicking on the word "Founded" in the upper right corner of this page. Hopefully we'll begin posting more current non-review writing, like the piece above, and also interviews, writing about live music, etc... in the coming months. I've created a dedicated section to that kind of writing. Just click on "Editorials" on the right hand column.

Hope y'all enjoy. Just don't call me an editor...

Feel free to write me at info@onekindfavor.net or cavebears@gmail.com with any questions...

Sad Horse - "Eggy Tape" (Eggy Records)

2011-11-22T21:17:00.005-05:00

Just got this one from Raf Spileman of Eggy Records a week or so ago. Eggy Records is one of my favorites and it happens to be based here in Portland where I live. Despite being an excellent musician and artist in his own right, Raf has insanely awesome taste and Eggy has been steadily releasing music by some of my favorite bands. The tapes always look and sound amazing and his all-killer distro is always bringing in Grade A shit t00. This brand-fucking-new one is up there with the best and has been super anxiously anticipated for by many. Sad Horse is a frenetic punk duo from Portland and this, their second album, comes after a long wait following their killer first, self-titled tape. I don't know much about Elizabeth but Jeff works at Exiled Records in Portland, which is an amazing record store owned by Scott Simmons of Eat Skull and Pacific City Nightlife Vision Band. There's an element of cool and funny in this music, an element that may be one of those things that seems to come with an informed intuition only possessed by record store employees. Maybe that's totally false, I don't know, but this dude is always playing rad shit in the store and I'm not surprised to hear that his band sounds the way it does. There's elements of Dead Moon in the guitar, their two voices are both higher registered yelling and remind me of early Boredoms sometimes, the drums are snappy and quick like George Hurley when he was in the Minutemen. The songs are surprisingly well written and dynamic, utilizing simplicity and style. The songs are brief but full and there's no sounds going on that weren't meant to be going on. Awesome production quality and, no-hating, a refreshing disregard for unnecessary reverb or surf tricks that so many radical little rock bands tend to incorporate. They definitely have their own thing going on and don't seem to be interested in joining in on any garage rock posturing, as fun and addicting as it may be. I really liked this tape and it's relatively short length makes it easy to jam over and over. I hear there is an LP in the works, so hopefully the wait for more won't be as long as last time. Grab one at Eggy's Mail Order Dept. Hand-painted covers!

IDEA FIRE COMPANY "Postcards" (No Basement Is Deep Enough)

2011-11-20T12:00:00.001-05:00

This tape marks the 20 year anniversary of Idea Fire Company's first release, the double LP "Explosion In A Shingle Factory." The Amherst, MA based IFCO generally operates as the duo of married couple Scoutt Foust and Karla Borecky, though they have included other members form time to time, such as Matt Krefting on their 2009 LP for Ultra Eczema, "Beauty School." IFCO is truly one of the great band's of the last few decades and they've stuck to a pretty consistent M.O., layering Foust's random noises and found sounds over Borecky's expert keyboard and piano lines. Very similarly to Cluster and other kosmische musik, IFCO makes fairly serious work that is, nevertheless, completely fun.

Though generally well received critically, IFCO small-run LPs, often released on Foust's Swill Radio (started in 1983) generally stay in print for many years, with copies of old releases being sold unopened by distros for bargain basement prices. Well, hell, who am I to complain? If you're looking to start an IFCO collection, it sure won't cost you an arm and a leg. That's something you can't say about kindred spirits The Shadow Ring, of which Foust and Borecky were sometimes members.

"Postcards" would surely be a great place to start that collection. It is a completely stunning and deserves a much larger release then this slim run of 93 copies. All but one of the pieces are from 2011, but it is as engrossing as the group's best work from any year.

For everything IFCO, Foust and Swill Radio, go here: http://www.anti-naturals.org/swill/
Foust's commentary on the items in his distro are usually good for a laugh.

For sound samples and label contact:
http://soundcloud.com/nobasementisdeepenough
You can often find NBIDE releases here:
http://www.discogs.com/label/No+Basement+Is+Deep+Enough

LENHART TAPES "Tape Music #2"REMÖRK "Symphonie Monotrone"(No Basement Is Deep Enough)

2011-11-20T11:59:00.001-05:00

I've got four more tapes to review from the one year old Serbo-Belgian label No Basement Is Deep Enough. Besides having a really great discography, the label is taking package design to heights not seen since the last great renaissance of cassette culture in the 1980s. The label's choice of musical material is as creative as it's choice of packaging material. Being a European label, I would say it's tastes veer heavily to the aesthetics of that continent's avant-garde (weird spoken word, free improv and tape collage) but the label has also featured a number of artists from the US. NBIDE is curated by Ignace De Bruyn and the art design is by Milja R. (balkanbridesdotcom) These next two tapes are the pinnacle of the label's artistic design:

The Lenhart Tapes release comes in what is perhaps the coolest packaging I've ever seen: a makeshift crucifix housing a coil and some fake pearls in a wooden frame. The music was recorded live on Serbian radio by one Vladimir Lenhart and his four fabulous walkman tape decks. I'm not one who always takes so readily to tape collage, but this piece really astounded me. Throughout the half hour of "Tape Music #2," we are taken on a journey through middle eastern music passages (reminiscent of a Sublime Frequeincies "Radio..." release), intoning voices in various languages, goats blurting, weird electronic sounds, even a how-to instruction on the use of the E-Bow! The fact that this recording was made live in one take makes it all the more appealing. I feel that these sorts of collages can become really bogged down when they are too fussed over, and Mr. Lenhart's piece flows with the natural ease of the best music.

The tape by Remörk also has a very clever design. Housed between to slaps of wood and held together by a metal pin that goes through two wooden pegs holding the tapes reels in place. The full title of the album is "Symphonie Monotrone (Interuptions Pour Guitare Et Korg Monotrone), so If I can translate the French correctly, it's some music made by a guitar and Korg keyboard. I don't hear the guitar at all, but what I do hear sounds like the cries of a dying robot with a wrench stuck in it's head. Very simple tones that gradually become more distorted as the overtones stack up. This tape is one-sided.

Check out audio samples or contact Ignace here:
http://soundcloud.com/nobasementisdeepenough
You can usually find tapes here:
http://www.discogs.com/label/No+Basement+Is+Deep+Enough

HIDEOUS UNO / BANK OF CHRIST splitTHE BAD TRIPS / VESTRON CANNON split(No Basement Is Deep Enough)

2011-11-20T11:58:00.003-05:00

This split tape from Serbo-Belgian label No Basement Is Deep Enough offers up two slices of Bay Area music in one hand-sewn pouch. The Hideous Uno side was recorded in the late 90s and sounds like a cold wind whipping over the bodies of dead mountaineers, rending the flesh from their bones. A very sparse and beautiful vocal piece with delays and loops very much in a Henri Chopin vibe. My research tells me that Hideous Uno is none other than Grady Runyon, former lead guitarist and vocalist of the squalling mid 90s dose of bad acid, Monoshock (!!!) and also of Liquorball. While this sounds nothing like those groups, it's nice to know that Runyon had other things up his sleeve. If you haven't heard Chopin or Runyon's other work, run don't walk...

The Bank Of Christ side is a really apt choice of pairing, accomplishing the same sort of effect, but this time using more traditional instruments: violin, synth, tumpet, bass, percussion. The music here was recorded in the last few years and and is mostly very eerie and atmospheric, until it picks up for the last few minutes with an upbeat drum figure. The recording quality is really cool, sort of like old wire-spool technology.

Well, maybe I don't get a whole tape, but No Basement Is Deep Enough offers up another split with a more contemporary Grady Runyon project. The A side here is by The Bad Trips, a trio of Runyon (guitar/sound), Jeff Grimes (guitar/sound) and Gordon Roberts (keys/bass) recorded in 2007. This is about as different from Monoshock as Hideous Uno is, though I find it slightly less compelling. Basically a lot of eerie sounds and echo that sort of hang in stasis for awhile and then vanish. Doesn't so much sound like a bad trip as it does a pleasant one in some nice spooky old woods. The natural sound of the guitar becomes more apparent during the last third and I really like that part a lot.

The B side of this tape is by Vestron Cannon, a trio of Damon Sturdivant (guitar), Dusty James Hill (bass, keys, sax) and PK Maunz (drums). Listening to this side made me actually appreciate the Bad Trips side a lot more. While Runyon and co. are very methodical in their sound creation and the whole A side has a nice arc to it, Vestron Cannon's music has much more of a "let's just jam" feeling to it. The results features plenty of screechy saxophone, Les Rallizes Denudes-esque guitar rifferey and propulsive drumming, but the group never really seems to develop any of its musical ideas and I'm left wanting more. The most interesting thing about this side is the recording quality, which has a half-submerged feeling to it.

The packaging of this tape another extraordinary balkanbridesdotcom creation: an embroidered piece of fake leather that wraps around the cassette and is clasped together by an overcoat button.

To hear tracks from all NBIDE releases or make contact, go here:
http://soundcloud.com/nobasementisdeepenough
You can also find most of their uniformly great releases here:
http://www.discogs.com/label/No%20Basement%20Is%20Deep%20Enough

GERMAN ARMY - "Body Linguist" c30 (Skrot Up)

2011-11-17T12:42:00.002-05:00

This double A-side from L.A. minimalist duo - German Army, is yet another deep notch in Skrot Up's bedpost.With just nine tracks clocking in at just under fifteen minutes, Body Linguist plays out like an old punk record, but with delicate synth chords traded in for power chords, and scattered machine-drumming instead of straight forward pummeling.It's fairly moody and blatantly minimal, almost to a fault.I'm a big fan of most anything dark and desolate, especially with a vague cold war aesthetic, and these dudes pull it off handsomely on all fronts.The songs are short and sour, and might be completely improvised, but it's hard to say.It kind of reminds me of Portion Control or recent Factums, with less focus on the vocals.Bits and pieces of random dub instrumentals, snagged, stripped down to their skeletons, and spat out at half speed.
Parts of Body Linguist tend to dip into Throbbing Gristle's more subtle and tender moments, with a bit of skittering electronics and noisy interludes, but for the most part this tape keeps it's cool.This is definitely an album made for a cassette release, as their songs aren't really something to be played individually.As a whole, Body Linguist is a consistent and rewarding listen, and should be played front to back.Headphones are suggested.Check out their recent cassette on Night-People, too.
Get Body Linguist here.

R. STEVIE MOORE "Ariel Pink's Picks Vol.1" (RSM Cassette Club / Laughable Recordings)

2011-11-12T17:01:00.014-05:00

This a compilation release featuring recordings from outsider legend R. Stevie Moore's long and illustrious career. Compiled by Ariel Pink from his personal favorites, the tape starts and end's with two really enjoyable collaborations between Moore and Pink which serve as nice bookends to the tape. This tape was co-released by Colby Nathan's Laughable Recordings and the reinvigorated R. Stevie Moore Cassette Club. There were only 100 of these made (crazy huh?) so I suggest you act fast. If you miss out on a physical copy (from the label's bandcamp), you can always download the album from Moore directly (link below), but that version doesn't feature the duo tracks. While some folks might flock to this for those two collaborations (which are pretty great actually), I strongly suggest picking this up as a primer to R. Stevie Moore's vast body of work. Even if you are familiar with some of his cassettes, cdrs or records, you will surely find many tracks here that are new to you (as I surely did). The man has released a purported total of 400 albums since 1968. And is generally considered to be one of the pioneers of home recording and D.I.Y. releasing. At its best, Moore's music is as good as, if not better than, any of the mainstream 70s pop that was being created when he was in his heyday. Moore seems to be reinvigorated these days, playing shows around the country and continuing to release new music. Pink is a huge admirer of Moore and you can see where he get's a lot of his aesthetic from by listening to these cuts. A good thing never gets old.

http://laughablerecordings.bandcamp.com/releases
http://rsteviemoore.bandcamp.com/album/ariel-pinks-picks-vol-1
you might find a copy at the discogs page at some point in the future

Massive Update

2011-11-12T12:29:00.006-05:00

Oh boy! I've really been letting the submissions pile up and I'm finally getting around to writing again. I've been busy starting a new record label (hence my blogger name change from Feeding Tube Records to One Kind Favor). In addition to the R. Stevie Moore review above, I have 19 more tapes I'll be writing up. I really appreciate everyone sending me their stuff and I'd like to make a pledge to review every tape I receive. Now, this means I might not like everything I'm reviewing, but I'm going to try to be fair, and if not fair, I'll at least try to be informative. Besides the 14 tapes reviewed below, I also have 5 astounding releases from the Belgian/Serbian label No Basement Is Deep Enough. Besides getting my vote for the best label name ever, they also win awards in my book for their absolutely outrageous package design. I'd like to give each of those releases their proper due, so I'm going to let what I've written today sink in and get to the NBIDE tapes next week...oh and it looks like I've bumped a few recent reviews to the next page, so continue on further for some more great stuff.

-Nick

THE GREAT PAIN OF SPACE "s/t" c29TURQUOISE FEELING "January Sisters in Drag" c20OBVIOUSLIES "Brokedance" C62(Snow Clone)

2011-11-12T12:20:00.026-05:00

Columbus Ohio's Snow Clone is one of my favorite little labels at the moment. I totally flipped over the Day Creep tape this Summer and this other batch of earlier tapes somehow found their way to my door up here in Belfast, ME. Besides being original and quirky, all of the releases are dubbed really well and sound fantastic.

Get tapes here: http://tapesprogressadministration.blogspot.com/

The Great Pain of Space is a single-sided collection of really outstanding synth and oscillator tracks. Some are rhythmically driving, some are more spacey. I would go so far as to assume that nary a computer was touched in the making of this album, but I might be wrong. It's stuff like this that gives me hope for the current wave of keyboard madness. You can make a synth album that actually resonates with the warmth of the human spirit. FYI, the band is named after a quote from the outstanding Sci-Fi writer Cordwainer Smith's short story "Scanners Live In Vain." Dude wrote the handbook on psychological warfare. Man I love it when people geek out on this shit like I do. No clue who the artist behind this tape is...

Turquoise Feeling is a rocking rock band that rocks quite rockingly. There seems to be a definite aesthetic for bands in Columbus and these guys do that aesthetic quite well. Kinda low-fi, kinda country, kinda punk, kinda awesome! These are the kind of songs that I would love to drink a Budweiser to in a shitty bar with two other people there. If you're a fan of the Replacements or their ilk I would highly recommend picking up this and the Day Creep tape. Hell, just buy everything on this label. These guys do this shit so good and don't appear to be making a big deal about how awesome they are.
http://turquoisefeeling.bandcamp.com/
http://14inchesoflove.blogspot.com/

The one-sided Obviouslies "Brokedance" EP starts of as a bit of sing-songy male/female vocal whimsy, but soon transitions into a really spaced out/slowed down heavy jam for drums, guitar and keyboard. While the vocals are perhaps my least favorite part of the sound, sort of like a cross between They Might Be Giants and Yo La Tengo, they are still quite strong and they mostly stay out of the picture. I almost didn't want to review it based on the opening minutes, but I changed my mind and stuck with it. This tape is really awesome. Gets to a hypnotic downer-rock place that is not reached on the other two tapes. What a label!

www.obviousli.es

OTRO MUNDO "Jellied" (Ascetic House)

2011-11-12T12:09:00.002-05:00

Rather well recorded and goodly sounding acid garage (in the vein of Butthole Surfers, et al.) with a touch of touchy-feely that others might call melodicism (in the vein of what I can only describe as 90s "indie rock"). The burners on here really burn and there is some nice guitar on the slower jams. If you live near Tempe, AZ check this band out, as I'll betchya Otro Mundo are a real stellar live act, but their talent comes across quite well on tape as well. As is the case with just about every band these days, the vocals are buried in a little bit too much reverb, but maybe I just have to get with the times? Definitely more than worth the $3 the band is charging for it on their webpage:

http://www.theotro.blogspot.com/

COOKIE BROOKLYN "Get Out Of My Dreams, Get Under My Car" c40RORY STORM "Wirewreath" c30(Epic Sweep Records)

2011-11-12T12:03:00.005-05:00

Epic Sweep is a New Zealand based label that appears to release the work of NZ based artists on lathe cut 7" and cassette. All of the runs are really small, with the Cookie Brooklyn tape being the real major production with a total of 40 copies made. http://epicsweeprecords.com/

This Cookie Brooklyn tape is definitely my kind of thing. A collection of recordings made between 1996 and 1999 and then completed from 2006-2009. You get a little bit of downer folk, you get a dollop of noise/drone guitar jamming, you get a healthy helping of avant-garde spoken word with piano and plunking sounds. The guy's got a really nice voice and it shines even when buried beneath murky instrumentation, as it is on some tracks. Plus there's a really funny double-sided foldout insert with rambling commentary from Mr. Brooklyn, whose real name appears to be Mark Williams. I hope to be reviewing the next Cookie Brooklyn tape in about 15 years or so...

I feel like I just might not be qualified to comment on this music accurately. As far as I'm concerned, the most slamming "techno" I've ever heard is "Come Out" by Steve Reich. That shit really gets me dancing. Be that as it may, Rory Storm's "Wirewreath" is a completely enjoyable collection of beats and blurps to get your party started. Well, at least until the much more harsh B side kicks in. While this sort of music isn't usually my cup of tea, I have to say I enjoyed this tape.

THE CHARRED RAMPS "Hunt The Grease" c62 (FMSMPRC)

2011-11-12T12:02:00.007-05:00

From the look of the packaging, I thought The Charred Ramps was going to be a skate punk band, but they are actually and industrial/tape degradation duo that plays a little bit of thrash on the side, though it takes a while to become apparent. All in all, a very interesting and dark journey through a number of cool soundscapes. This tape is available for trade only. So send some music or art to the address below if you want a copy. Or you can download it from the label's webpage. By the way FMSMPRC stands for "Fuck Me Stupid Mountain Princess Recording Collective," in case you was wonderin'.

fmsmprc
1217 Douglas St.
unit 226
Los Angeles, CA 90026

http://fmsmprc.bandcamp.com/

BITTER FICTIONS "Percolator Glitch"BITTER FICTIONS "Looper Pedal Blues" (Shaking Box Music)

2011-11-12T12:02:00.005-05:00

Bitter Fictions sent me two self-released tapes from good old Calgary, Alberta. That's in Canada folks. Appears to be the solo project of radio DJ and music writer Devin Friesen. "Percolator Glitch" is a series of atonal live guitar improvisations processed through Max/MSP (that funny computer program that looks like a spider web). The track titles form a little joke:

Side A
1. I remember listening to I'm Your Man
2. It had some nice pop hooks, but bad instrumentation
Side B
3. I just feel that was him getting old and thinking, I gotta seem young and hip!
4. Synthesizers! That's the answer!

I've got to say I completely disagree with that statement on general principle. Leonard Cohen's "Various Positions" (1984), "I'm Your Man" (1988) & "The Future" (1992) form one of the greatest triptychs in all of music. The weird tinny production is one of the things that makes those albums (especially the latter two) stand out from most of the rest of recorded music. Case in point:

Hell I'm so rankled now that I'm not sure if I can go on... Okay fine, I will. "Percolater Glitch" just really isn't my cup of tea. I can't say that I've ever enjoyed the combination of guitars and computers. "Looper Pedal Blues" I like a little more. Kind of Lee Ranaldo inspired songs that lead into guitar jams. There's more variation in the instrumentation and rhythm here and some of the music is tuneful in that atonal way we've come to know and love from about a million bands these days.

http://bitter-fictions.blogspot.com/

ALTO JEFFRO "Echo Together" c35SKY STADIUM "Ancient" c20(Lave Church Records)

2011-11-12T12:00:00.014-05:00

I got two cassettes from Lava Church about a month back. The label is based out of Sarasota Florida and you can get all five of their releases for only $13.50. Now that's a good fucking deal. The tapes come come on with double sided color cardboard j-cards and an 80s "Super Stars" trading card. http://lavachurch.blogspot.com/

First up is Alto Jeffro "Echo Together" c35. I like this one quite a bit. Alto Jeffro is a duo from what is described as the "arctic woodlands of Massachusetts." They are a duo and they sure do echo together. Despite some of the tape's computerized Ariel Pinkisms, the proceedings are generally tuneful and enjoyable. Mostly keyboard and drum machine pop with echo on pretty much everything. There's a ukulele on one track, but no guitar that I can detect. Can't really understand the lyrics, but it seems like these boys are having a good time. You probably will too.

Next we have Sky Stadium "Ancient" c20. Sounds like what you might expect a band called Sky Stadium to sound like. What's that? You expect it to sound like a bunch of football hooligans whose idiotic screams are only hampered by the lack of oxygen in their mile high sports venue? Well you're way wrong! Vangelis is cool again (or maybe cool for the first time). This tape sounds like the opening of Blade Runner for 20 minutes. No beats of any kind, just the sound that dolphins make as they fly through space. It's okay.

HAUNTED CREATURES "s/t" (Dynamo Sound Collective)

2011-11-12T11:59:00.007-05:00

Pittsburgh, PA is a really strange place. The deeply weird concert promoters seem to be in some sort of perpetual war and the vibe can be pretty down. That being said, the city is geographically quite breathtaking, with tons of bridges and weird old buildings, not to mention one of the coolest collections of businesses ever to be assembled under one roof. 3138 Dobson St. on Polish Hill has the honor of housing Mind Cure Records, Copacetic Comics and Lili Coffee Shop. How's that for a one-stop? Apparently you can add Ryan Emmett's Dynamo Sound Collective to the list of things that are "A-OK" about Pittsburgh. The label has released over thirty tapes and this one is a nice atmospheric little bugger from the four member Haunted Creatures, that features Mr. Emmett, Micah Pacileo, Amy Hoffman and Darren Myers. The A side offers a bunch of swooshes and swoops, while the B side gets us started with a humorous sample of audience clapping before getting way into a swirling tribal jam that breaks down into sampler glitches. In conclusion, I think Pittsburgh is cool.

http://www.dynamosoundcollective.com

PROBLEMS THAT FIX THEMSELVES / MICROMELANCOLIE "Fractures" c47 (Already Dead Tapes and Records)

2011-11-12T11:47:00.008-05:00

This is a split between two electronic artists. Again, I'd like to say that electronical music is really not my "thing" by any means, but I have been known to enjoy a repeated listen of Aphex Twin's "Come To Daddy" EP from time to time. The first side of "Fractures" is by Problems That Fix Themselves and it's very much in the vein of that Richard D. James mini-masterpiece. I don't really know the correct language to use when describing this stuff, but I can say that Problems' music is quite complex and utilizes a number of interesting rhythms and textures. Hey now, they even named one track after Jeffery Tambor:

The B side is by Micromelancolié and it's a lot more slow building, sounding like a room slowly filling with bees transitioning into the dead sound of a record spinning endlessly in its runout groove. Not as instantly ear grabbing as the Problems material, but It's a good match to the energetic workout you get on the other side.

The tape comes wrapped in a cardboard holder and the graphic design is pretty pro.

http://alreadydeadtapes.wordpress.com

BLUES PATROL - "ROCK" c20 (Hot & Ready)

2011-11-09T17:16:00.001-05:00

Blues Patrol are a two piece from CA.Their newest cassette for Hot & Ready, is aptly titled "ROCK", which is pretty accurate, although after hearing it a few times, I think that "BENZO ROCK" would be more appropriate.Aesthetically, this has everything that I like about minimalist punk and pop acts of the 80's and 90's(see: awkward skinny male on cover, b+w breakfast/hangout photo insert, etc), and sounds alot like them, too.They've got the broken swagger and hiss of Beat Happening, without all the deep vox and painful cuteness.It's very simple, and could very well be 90% improvised.You start playing, and I'll catch up..and now we've got a song.Repeat.The guitars are distant and catchy, and sound just right for this kind of laced vocal style.The words just kind of fall out of his mouth.They've got a fairly heavy blues vibe going on, and like to keep things pretty laid back."Ain't No Gremlin Rock" has a rather infectious saxophone stumbling throughout most of it, and it's probably the best track on the tape.It reminds me the busted collage sound of the Shadow Ring, with a bit of that lo-fi creeper vibe of Russian Tsarlag, completely by accident..ROCK sounds like it's going to fall apart at any second, and it's a not a bad thing at all.Pick one up from Hot&Ready.

D//VV/D - "Gravitational Collapse" c30 (self released)

2011-11-09T17:10:00.001-05:00

Phew!This one was a pleasant surprise indeed.D//VV/D reminds me a lot of Coil, more specifically, a Coil film score like Hellraiser.It's a strangely accessible mish mash of dark and bloodthirsty samples, synths and drum loops, who've all joined hands to dance maniacally around a church fire.Simple.It's a deeply foreboding listen, with some sinister vocals and deep industrial pounding.SPK and Skinny Puppy are decent reference points, although this guy wins because he's got a four-track vibe that keeps it honest and charming.Most of it hangs in the instrumental territory, and relies mainly on layers of grainy synthesizers and dense drum programming, although you'll hear a few coherently creepy voices rise up through the smoldering ash."Chaotic Summer" is a real lurker, and actually offers some tasteful vocoding.
Side B will really take you for a ride.It's mostly filled with demented drones and might be something that's playing in whatever they call "the depths of Hell" in outer space.Total cosmic doom.The standout track for me was "Gas Giant" which sounds like Throbbing Gristle playing some 90's club dub tune, at three different speeds, all at once.Black gold on a blue tape.Visit his site and pick one up before it's too late.Do it here.Edition of 50.

GOOD AMOUNT "Power" cs (Holy Page)

2011-11-09T16:59:00.001-05:00

Okay, before listening to this cassette I had little to no previous knowledge of Good Amount, except for a few random internet blurbs and/or name drops by friends.By the time side B had ended, I was actually upset that nobody had bothered to turn me onto this much earlier.Power is the name of this cassette by Christian Filardo, aka: Good Amount, and it absolutely deserves it's title.From the very start, good vibes are pumped out in large amounts, like some kind of glittery neon elixir made of dolphin tears.A burst of synth chords swells up and withers away instantly.From there, they lay out a canvas so vast and endless, and begin to fill it.An arsenal of found sounds is spread out all over this thing, with random soft synth notes spattered over top.It's got a ton of open spaces, and yet it never seems to completely fade out or lag.The occasional ethereal voice will come into play, and whisper softly under a blanket of delays, followed by a swirling machine hum and percussive bump or two.This is a very warm and inviting batch of drones and loops, and it only gets deeper and more intriguing as it unfolds.I can't wait to hear more from them.Highly recommended for headphone listening, and mandatory listening for fans of Emeralds, OPN and the like.Pick one up for yourself or a friend from Holy Page.Edition of 100.

Son of A Bricklayer - Moose Without Antlers c24

2011-10-19T19:29:00.004-04:00

Son of a Bricklayer was a name I was unfamiliar with but upon receiving Moose Without Antlers with its stunning orange shell and beautiful artwork I was excited to hear what I was seeing. Moose Without Antlers may be the intriguing name that I never understand - possibly the name of a weird sex position, one could only imagine. At first listen this tape blew me away. I am a fan of the drum and this album delivers - pure dream drum beats like I have not heard in a long time - tight breaks and slamming beats that knock off the ghetto blaster speakers. Deep down I realize this is the tape I've been dying to receive. Not just a drum and bass type of album - this features fantastic soundscapes that are alluring and hypnotizing. They complement the beats in such a way that I feel is uncommon in the realm of cassette culture. Well produced tape with beautiful artwork. Congrats I had An Accident for another great release.

Babelfishh - Eyeless Terror c32

2011-10-19T18:53:00.003-04:00

Babelfishh has a long history of working with some great producers within the beat/hip hop scene. Split releases with Astronautalis, Oskar Ohlson, Tenshun, Filkoe, BeastMaster, and Edison have all shown the diversity of his talents. Eyeless Terror is not a typical beat album. In fact, its hard to call it such as all - blending thrash metal and noise into the beat style Eyeless Terror sounds more like a straight up noise album with thrash style lyrics. Self proclaimed garage racket the opening track "Vomiting Wallets" starts off with an intense guitar riff followed by a rattling of words and a crushing beat all behind a tenable noise frequency - this track really brings you into the entire album - each track following further identifies Babelfishh as out of the ordinary. Artwork was printed on hemp paper and features a collage style scene of a raccoon with knives and an eyeless George Washington. The tape itself is on lime green tapes - a rarity that I haven't seen much before. By far a surprising release that will receive much play in the tape deck.
Purchase this from I had An Accident Records for a mere $5

EKLIN - "Onwa" c45 (Night-People, 2011)

2011-10-11T15:01:00.002-04:00

Yet another total winner from Shawn Reed's Night-People imprint.This one is a real gem, too.Eklin is a fairly new Dutch band, and their newest opus, Onwa, is a much needed breath of VERY fresh air.They are completely unique in style, and it's almost impossible to pinpoint any of their musical influences.They've got this really ethereal, cavernous vibe going, sounding completely natural and organic almost always, with very minimal instrumentation, leaning heavily on they rich beauty of singer Lo's soaring vocal arrangements.Her voice is just incredible.Eklin are an absolutely perfect machine when it comes to the rhythm section, with tightly syncopated percussion doing most of the work, with deep pocket grooves, and more then enough kraut-like pounding.and light and airy guitar flourishes that trickle down into the tiny cracks.Icy blue synths flow in and out of the songs smoothly, sounding like they're underwater and rising to the surface, if only to accompany the howling breeze that is Lo's voice.There is little to no contrast here on any front, and Onwa is anything but contrived.Some parts of Onwa are similar to the primitive minimalism of Gang Gang Dance, but even that comparison doesn't do this justice.Eklin are definitely doing something painfully unique and fresh, and this amazing cassette is worth every penny.Expect plenty of chills.Get it from Night-People.

MOFODiSHU - "Rhythm is for Gals / Live at the Court Tavern" c90 (Nacht Records)

2011-10-08T20:35:00.000-04:00

MOFODiSHU (moe-foe-dee-shu) is a free-noise/jazz/what-have-you quartet (attimes a trio) that hails from New Jersey. This here bare-bones limited edition cassette brings together two of their previously released digital albums: Rhythm is forGals and Live at the Court Tavern. Their interplay of scorched analog noise, buzzing guitar, and enlivened reed work, at first, took meback to what I imagined the Wolf Eyes & Anthony Braxton album was going tosound like when I first caught wind of it several years ago. It’s been so damnlong since I’ve actually heard that album, so I’m not necessarily going tothrow that out there as an apt reference point, but MOFODiSHU certainly do share athing or two with these towering figures: lurching atmospherics, skewed melodiclines that cut straight through, and a clear understanding of tension and dynamics. Asthis c90 spins out, though, you begin to hear more of their laptop/turntable, generally ambient, flourishes come to the fore, which calls to mind some of the more abstract andforward-thinking jazzbos on the Rune Grammofon label. So like Supersilent, forinstance, MOFODiSHU doesn’t really fit comfortably into any genre-specific box.This here’s a solid introduction, though, to a group making some fascinating NEW sounds.

Nacht Records

FAVORS - "Five Million Years" c40 (self released)

2011-09-28T15:46:00.001-04:00

This randomly showed up in my mailbox last week, and I haven't been able to put it down since I popped it in my tape deck."Five Million Years" is the debut cassette from Favors, and anyone that digs on early 80's Manchester acts, and any "classic" electro-pop, is going to go bananas for this tape.Hints of New Order, ABC, Soft Cell, Cabaret Voltaire, and even Talking Heads, are all over the place, respectively.Favors are doing it right.It's all here, funky synth bass lines, heavy electro beats, icy synthesizer workouts, and the vocal hooks are cold and catchy.Some parts of Five Million Years lean more towards a rather modern electronica vibe, conjuring some more recent acts like The Faint, Holy Ghost, and Hot Chip.Whichever direction they are heading in, each track is really tasteful and easy to listen to, as this sort of thing can fall victim to the "generic" and "hacky" tags so easily, and they pretty much avoid that altogether.I didn't love every minute of it to death, but it's nice to see that someone is out there doing this kind of stuff well, really well.For a minute there, I was convinced that ecstasy was the only thing to make it out of that scene alive.If you are into this sort of dance revival, you will want to get a hold of this.Get a copy here.

SPIRES - "Puzzlebox" c30 (Lava Church)

2011-09-27T14:30:00.000-04:00

Lava Church is a fairly young cassette label out of Sarasota, FL.They've got a handful of noisy gems for sale, and this one is indeed my favorite thus far.Puzzlebox, is the newest mind melter from one man drone project, Spires.Their site says he has been making all kinds of music for the last twenty years, and if this is true, I'm about to be all over that junk.Puzzlebox isn't anything terribly original, nor will it offer any sort of religious or mind blowing experience.However, it's completely free of boundaries, and filled to the brim with weird.Most of the sounds on this tape are incoherent, and nearly impossible to make sense of, and this is a compliment.Industrial machine clank, minus the hard beats.Space signals mixed with subtle, low end drones and warm synths make up a good part of the album, and the constant shift in overall mood and tone is more than enough to keep you listening.Pieces of it are really compelling, as it swells and drops and random.You might hear a bit of Throbbing Gristle worship at times, and that is a very good thing.Rarely does a song take shape, but it's the lack of "song" that made this interesting.Nice stuff.Edition of 30!?Get one from Lava Church, quick.

HEX BREAKER QUARTET "Chemical Angel" & "Crowned And Conquering Child" (True Color Of Venus)

2011-09-19T10:53:00.011-04:00

Grasshopper and Telecult Powers are two of the most high quality acts in New York's glamorous and cocaine fueled drone scene. Wait... let me start over. Grasshopper features two of the most in demand flugelhornists on today's light-classical scene and Telecult powers meet yearly at Bohemian Grove and drink virgin's blood. That's more like it, wait not quite...

Grasshopper and Telecult Powers, both formidable space travelers in their own right, become far more powerful than you could ever imagine under the combined Hex Breaker moniker. The seldom scene Quintet version of the group comprises the trumpets and electronics Grasshopper duo of Jesse DeRosa and Josh Millrod and the synths of Telecult Powers Mr. Matthews and Witchbeam. The more common configuration of this group, (the Quartet, which performs and records as a trio without Witchbeam) is the one found on this absolutely outstanding pair of tapes released on Mr. Matthews' True Color Of Venus label. Wait a second, "Quartet? Three member?" you say? Dig this: the fourth member is a fucking ghost. Just sit back and take that in!

What really sets these guys apart from the pack (besides their downright human decency and good hygiene) is the focused group dynamics and lack of overplaying. Yeah sure, one guy or gal could make this music with the aid of ample technology, but these boys keep it simple and work together to create something astonishingly beautiful (remember "bands", yeah they still exist). Matthews uses his homemade equipment to lay down the synth based bed on which the two horn players rest. Millrod generally plays beautiful "trumpet sounding" trumpet with a light echo effect and De Rosa plays the EVI, which is a high-tech electronic trumpet that sounds more like a synth.

Hex Breaker Quartet deals in subtlety and serenity and it's the highly methodical strain in their work that really makes them an essential group in my book. Maybe it's the fact that two of these guys are making the music with their lungs and the other is using instruments he built by hand that make the group sound so organic. But mark my words, this is a living breathing world that is worthy of repeated visitations.

The Quintet has a tape coming up soon on NNA, so stay tuned.

Buy a tape: mister.matthews@gmail.com
Audio samples here: http://soundcloud.com/hexbreaker
New Telecult and Grasshopper LPs here: http://thebakeryfloor.com/bt/

DAY CREEP "Underneath The Mess" c20 (Snow Clone)

2011-09-14T15:30:00.004-04:00

Columbus Ohio. Wow! This tape is great! One man band from a guy named Aaron Troyer, who I hear has a band called Day Creeper. I think I'd sure like to hear that, cuz this tape is fitting me like a glove today. Much of it sounds like a full band and it's a rather wonderful rock mess, maybe along the lines of K Records best stuff. Or something better? This guy formed his group out of the ashes of a Thin Lizzy cover band if you'll believe that. Some of it's got a tough Johnny Thunders or whatever kind of edge, some of it is more "indie rock" but not all that cute. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for people who like music.

get at aaron here: aarondestroyer@yahoo.com
the label: http://tapesprogressadministration.blogspot.com/

PETER KALYNIUK "Willy Songs" & "Digital Dementia" c60 (Canada Goose Tapes)

2011-09-14T14:58:00.003-04:00

This is what I'd like to see more of! It's such a wonderful thing to put on a new tape from an artist I've never heard of and immediately be met with a work of compositional brilliance that is both melodically and rhythmically inventive. It's not that I don't enjoy my fair share of drone and noise tapes, but I have to say that I'm always especially pleased when folks use the cassette medium to share other forms of music than the ones that so frequently grace these pages. (hear that you eccentric popsters, folksters, punksters, etc out there: send me your tapes).

This tape actually contains two albums by Peter Kalyniuk, one recorded on a digital 16 track in 2005 and the other recorded on an analog four track in 2001, but released just this year on a new label called Canada Goose. This makes me think "where on earth has this guy been for the past ten years"? A cursory internet search reveals little information: he's from Toronto, apparently he's also a comic artist. That second tidbit makes a lot of sense because his music definitely has a madcap cartoonish feel to it.

How to describe it? Maybe like a much more dense take on Esquivel for the current millennium? That definitely does this tape some justice. Across 30 different songs, Kalyniuk layers strange and varied keyboards over beats and assorted instrumentation (all digital? I can't tell, probably) to create one of the most strangely grooving releases of recent memory. It's actually kind of shocking to me that this guy doesn't have more of a name for himself as I can see this stuff fitting into collections of decidedly diverse bents. On second thought, who am I kidding? This stuff is pretty darn near psychotic. From madhouse carnival romps & space alien waltzes to psychedelic civil war marches, Kalyniuk delivers the goods in ways I'm not sure you'll even begin to comprehend.

Lucky for you, you don't have to, I've already done all the comprehending necessary, all you need to do is go spend $5 at http://www.canadagoosetapes.com/tapes/ (they've even got some audio samples up there).

RAIN DRINKERS "Urthen Web" c32 (Brave Mysteries)

2011-09-14T13:58:00.000-04:00

This is a lovely and mature spooky/mystic kind of tape from the occult themed label Brave Mysteries. Omninous organ, desolate guitar work, bowed strings and dark chanting/moaning. Very organic. This is like some of the more atmospheric parts of some Sun City Girls records, but with none of the humor...or evilness for that matter. It's definitely something a little more than just music though, and it gets to really deep places almost from the get go. What ever portal these guys are trying to open, I think it's safe to enter. I think...

http://bravemysteries.com/

Various Artists "Negro Woman Of AmericaYour Electric Future is NowStay Beautiful"c80 (Teen Action Records)

2011-09-14T13:52:00.005-04:00

What do you say about a compilation cassette/zine that features 19 different artists? I don't know, um..."I like this. This is good". Does that do? No? Okay. The San Francisco label Teen Action Records has put out the work of some of the best and brightest: Emeralds, Sword Heaven, Skin Graft, 16 Pileup, Tusco Terror, Cave Bears, Bee Mask, Ryan Jewell & Mike Shifflet (just kidding about Cave Bears, that's my band. Those people are assholes!). Well, you won't find any of those bands on this compilation and due to the format, I was not able to decisively determine which part belonged exactly to which artist, especially seeing as they are almost all unknown to me, but I can say that this compilation all flows together really quite nicely throughout it's 80 minute running time. A lot of the stuff on here sounds like it could have come off of some long lost Throbbing Gristle demo tape. Keyboards, both shrill and droning, vocal samples, a little live percussion and Burroughsian cut ups all wend their way throughout this jungle of seething weirdness. If this were one band, then they would surely be a force to be reckoned with. I've got to start listening again and make some track markers so I can find out more about who, or what, is behind my favorite parts.

Nineteen tracks and 20 pages of audio visual anomalies, creaking, blasting, groaning, squirming and churning through your innocent head holes, welcoming you to a bold new tomorrow. From ecstatic group improvs, to pummeling electronics, to blissful drones, and beyond, the electric future IS now. Includes a bonus cassette with music from INTERSTATES ETC., FURFUR, PREGNANT SPORE, COPY LAKE, POTASIUM SIANADA, CRIBDEATH, DR PVPKHS, REACHING, HISS AND HUM, RXCCXXNS, MILLION BRAZILLIONS, CHROME GENIE, SCOAM, FORKED, HORSEFLESH, BONEYARD JITTERS, FILTH AND PISS, CELINE DION, and 73 PEOPLE WHO CARE. Limited to 99 copies.

that's the description from http://teenactionrecords.com/, which is where you can go to buy this tape, or at least find out where you might still find one. If you want to.

Geweih Ritual Label: First Two Releases

2011-09-14T12:58:00.001-04:00

I just got two really cool looking tapes from a new label called Geweih Ritual. While neither one of them is exactly up my alley, they sure might be up yours (no pun intended) and they look and feel so dang cool that I thought I tried to spread the word. Both tapes come in neat little cardboard folders with screen printed covers. One of them is hand sewn together. Cool! The main reason I'm posting this on here is that the quality of the actual tapes (as in sound quality) and packaging is astounding and I hope this guy continues to make more stuff.

The first (and better) tape is by Jah Connery, a Detroit DJ, and it's described as "30 minutes of instrumental, avant garde, break beats that consistently bloom from beautiful, erie sounds into intense hectic noises, laid over smooth and stylish grooves". Couldn't agree more! I enjoyed it. The second tape is a split between CA/OR artists Palo Verde/Cinder Cone. Both bands are guitar/drums duos. Palo Verde has no/vocals and Cinder Cone other has some/okay/vocals. Had/enough? The first band is a little more on the "heavy" side and the second is a little more on the "mathy" side. All well recorded, all well...okay. Good in fact.

This could be for you???

http://geweihritual.blogspot.com/

NUDE SUNRISE "Should Be" c62 (Spooky Town)

2011-09-10T15:51:00.007-04:00

Stoners, skaters, psychers, slackers, jammers, burners. Chillin' with this tape. First time I put this one on was after leaving Chicago on the way to Dover, OH on a tour with some dudes back in April. We had just spent a weekend with these guys, who also run that dank Nitetrotter blog, first at their homebase Schwag City, a dumpy old house with a useless ceiling fan, and then at their now-defunct warehouse paradise called Drone City (RIP). There was a lot of getting high, mostly puffing on some Mary Jane but there was DMT around and some weird pills. They had some chill ass cats with names like Fela Booty and De'mond Dekker. We watched a gang of skate videos. We saw some noise shows. It was fucking tight kicking it with this crew of weirdos and their awesome weirdo friends but I had no idea what to expect from their music. We had been listening to all kinds of records at the warehouse so there was little to infer from their tastes alone. I guess I anticipated something tripped, considering that Jay Feather put on a Rene Hell tape for us to fall asleep to (it ended up giving us killer Starcraft flashback dreams). So when I cranked up the stereo from the backseat to hear the first song, which is the title track, I was pretty surprised to hear a one-chord, six minute space-blues jam with wah pedals and a funk-ass bass line, with some scrawny sounding dude singing about some weird trippy shit and asking "Are you a God? No? Then die!" like we were at some fucked up acid party on a star-temple or some shit. I was way down. The eight or so other tracks definitely keep on the psych/kraut jammer style but reveal a distinct aspect of the band with each song. There's an excellent Neil Young cover on here that even your dad would probably like. They have the blues down, no problems. They also do a particularly drippy T. Rex jam that is perfect for rolling and smoking a fatty doobie to. There's a live track on it too with some voice samples played in reverse with a primitive drum line, wish I could have seen that performance. This music can be listened to anywhere, that's one of this tape's strengths. I've played it at work, on drives, BBQ-ing and in between sets at shows. The dudes definitely locked in on something sick here. Future Americana Midwest Industrial Mutant Vibes, Chicago Style. Spooky Town Records in Brattlebro, VT just gave the tape the pro-treatment, complete with an innercity skate art j-card and fresh, pro-dubbed, grape-popsicle-purple cassettes, limited to 200. One of my favorite tapes of the year, hands down. Feeling good in the USA.

BRUCE HART - "Music For Drawing" C31 (NNF)

2011-09-06T14:59:00.001-04:00

Goooood lord!NNF continues to just melt my brains away this year..(and Paypal balance).Bruce Hart is the solo project of Blanche Blanche Blanche's Zach Phillips.Music For Drawing is his first venture under this moniker, and it's pure magic from front to back.Diluted synth dynamics, with a heavy sci-fi and digital punk-noir vibe.This is a mysterious and all consuming noise indeed, and some of the tracks come off as somewhat heroic, even.Something like a funkier, more futuristic version of Axel's Them, smashed together with the more skittering moments of the War Games score.Each movement tells a similarly dark and seedy tale, with layers of gold spray painted bass lines and mirror-lensed keyboards, all trying to crawl atop one another.I'ts sometimes backed my dusty machine drums and the occasional foreboding vocal creepout, but all in all, it's a fresh and deeply compelling synthesizer pop workout.Deep drone interludes will bulge and then drop, giving a nice break from the constant high speed chase, but not for long.It's not entirely too far off base from Blanche Blanche Blanche's un-retro curiousities, with piles upon piles of freakishly perfect synth scales, but Hart lets the keys do most of the talking.This dude knows his way around electronic instruments, and if this were any better it would be terrible.Highly Recommended.Get one from Not Not Fun.

THE FIRST BAD REVIEW

2011-09-03T10:07:00.001-04:00

Here at Cassette Gods, we've traditionally taken the view that positivity should be paramount on these pages. The thinking has been: "well this label/band/person only put out 100 copies of the tape anyway, why waste the time to dis on it", but after an intense 24 hour meeting of the Cassette Gods, fueled by coffee cake and Merzbow tapes, we've come to the conclusion that we will let the iron curtain of positivity fall, essentially opening the floodgates to a whole new era of bilious spew. I figured I'd be the first to make a crack in the dam of good intentions and post some reviews from the last few years that I thought it better not to write in the first place. So keep those tapes coming buckaroos!

THURSTON MOORE "Black Weeds / White Death" c40 (Meudiademorte)
Thurston Moore? Talk about Thurston Less. No thanks!

NONHORSE "Subtle Revenge" c90 (NNA)
Nonhorse? Talk about FeelsForced

MERZBOW "April 1992" c48 (Green Tapes)
Merzbow? Talk about Merzboring!

DENNIS TYFUS "Kje Fij Gloo Arte Nieece" cTAPE TAPE (Ultra Eggs-ema)
Dennis Tyfus? Talk about Dennis Lifeless!

ANGELS IN AMERICA / WEYES BLOOD "split tape" c30 (Northern Spy)
Angels in America? Talk about Angels in Why-care-ica! Weyes Blood? Talk about Weyes Dud!

CAVE BEARS WITH KOMMISSAR HJULER AND MAMA BAER "You Find The Key" c43 (Feeding Tube Records)
Cave Bears? Talk about Cave Unbearable! Kommissar Hjuler? Talk about Kommissar Drooler! Mama Baer? Talk about Who Cares?

DOLPHINS INTO THE FUTURE "The Voice Of The Silence" c30 (Catacean Nation)
Dolphins into the Future? Talk about Dolphins into the Pooper!

NOISE NOMADS "Hermetic Devices" c30 (Bonescrapper)
Noise Nomads? Talk about Noise NO-mads!

UNICORN HARD-ON "Forever Fantasy" c15 (Tangled Hares)
Unicorn Hard-On? Talk about Unicorn Hard-to-really-groove on!

RUSSIAN TSARLAG "Classic Dog Control Booth c40 (Not Not Fun)
Russian Tsarlag? Talk about um...oooo spooky graveyard! Not Not Fun? Talk about not fun at all!

WOLF EYES "something something people illegible 2" c? (American Tapes)
Wolf Eyes? Talk about the Wolf must die. Like Los Lobos, but different.

DUCKTAILS "II" c30 (Future Sound Recordings)
Ducktails? Talk about Duckfails!

PAK "Box" c20 (Eggy)
Pak? Talk about Pack It In!

SAM GAS CAN "Dedicated To Lauryn Hill"c22 (Ydlmier)
Sam Gas Can? Talk about Sam Gas Can't!

DIAGRAM A "New Double Tape" (Self Released)
Diagram A? Talk about Diagram Aimless!

STRANGE BREW "Live Weird, Die Weird" c30 (Ecstatic Peace)
Strange Brew? Talk about Strange Boo!

CHRIS WEISMAN "Fresh Sip" c60 (Autumn Records)
Chris Weisman? Talk about Chris Why Man?

Hey, I love all you guys...

MICHAEL JOHNSEN & PASCAL BATTUS "Bitche Session" C50 (OMFT)

2011-09-01T14:59:00.001-04:00

Organized Music From Thessaloniki is a tape label from Greece.They cater to mainly avant-noise and improv acts from all over the world, and this is their thirteenth release.A 49+ minute cassette from improv dudes Michael Johnsen and Pascal Battus.Bitche Session is overflowing with action/reaction type minimalism, or "new music", and rarely does it hold a tune or any real melody.By standards, this is just a bunch of clicks, cracks, thwaps and hums.To fans of this type of thing, this is pure gold.Together, the Johnsen and Battus manipulate mysterious analog machines, tapes, magnets, light percussion and a saw.And although you might not pick up on it by just from listening to it just once, it's actually got plenty of replay value.Side A kind of reminds me of more recent Wolf Eyes, with about 90% less sheer terror and little to no distortion.Things begin slow, with a wobbly saw sent through the meat grinder, and over time build into some fairly intense busts of random noise.Every so often they pull out these tiny squealing notes and percussive gallops, and things almost make it into "actual song" territory, but alas, they shift the very next second into a wild thudding and scratchy electronics.Side B is a bit different, it's a bit more harsh and loud.No big finishes, or catchy grooves, but consistently weird and wildly unexpected for sure.If you are a fan of this stuff, you're gonna want this one.Edition of 135.

John Zuma St. Pelvyn "Ampex, Stolaroff, Dogwood, Rain" c41 (Lighten Up Sounds)

2011-08-22T18:52:00.001-04:00

Incredible debut release from solo guitarist/experimentalist, John Zuma St. Pelvyn (an alias that rolls right off the tongue), that came out a few months back, but is so deserving of more attention. Reportedly recorded while the artist was living in a water tower in Northern California, “Ampex, Stolanoff, Dogwood, Rain” has a highly personal and meditative sound, as though St. Pelvyn was trying to unlock some hidden tone from his minimal set-up of modified acoustic guitar and theremin. His playing over the sidelong “Balboa Spits Towards the Motherload” recalls the ghostly industrial blues that the late John Fahey was exploring at the end of the nineties on his Table of the Elements releases. The Fahey comparison is, of course, one of the more overused references in describing any solo acoustic guitar slinger with experimental leanings, but there are indeed similarities in the overall approach and sound here. While St. Pelvyn’s extended technique draws on similar blues motifs, he also has these interesting quick runs that fill in some of the empty spaces between notes. And on the closing track, “The Wreck of the Pacific Garden Mall”, he shapes squelching theremin sounds around his clanging slow motion acoustic strums, which is the point where you realize that this is an emerging new talent to keep an eye on. The tape comes housed in a fetching oversized package with the curious inclusion of a small baggie of wood shavings. Still available from Lighten Up Sounds.

BLANCHE BLANCHE BLANCHE - "Songs of..." c32 (Night-People)

2011-08-21T13:15:00.001-04:00

Blanche Blanche Blanche are a duo out of Battleboro, VT, and Songs of..is their first official full length for Night-People.With some very pleasant reactions to their recent single on Feeding Tube, along with a handful of fun videos popping up on random blogs, etc, this release is being hyped all over the place as of late.This is no flash in the pan, or accidental hit, though.This thing is really quite fantastic, and worth a hundred listens..I'm probably close, too.It's got a heap of Young Marble Giants' brilliant simplicity, with barely a single beat to be found anywhere on the album, and couple it with 80's new wave and post-punk stylishness.They make these ultra catchy, nearly perfect electro-pop ditties, carefully crafted from minimal synthesizer melodies and bare boned vocal harmonies.Their beauty is so pure and simple, that it almost drives you completely insane.The male/female duo sing pleasantly out of tune, as their voices rise and drop with ease, and it's painfully charming and easy to listen to.Parts of this remind me of Stereolab's more minimal arrangements, with a few nods towards Broadcast, with the prickly synth tones and layered vocal parts.The lyrics are smart and affectionate, with a clever delivery, somewhere between romantic poetry and comedic wit.BBB do tend to go on a bit of a noisy jazzed up tangent a times, letting the keys and analog machines do the talking, but for the most part, Songs of.. remains a refreshing and unpretentious jaunt into minimal pop music.Highly Recommended!
Get one from Night People.

VARIOUS ARTISTS "Hanged Man Vol. 1" c62 (Hanged Man)

2011-08-21T13:01:00.005-04:00

Hanged Man is a new label outta Seattle, from dudes involved in Thunder Grey Pilgrim and Hanged Man Vol. 1 compilation marks their first release.

Megabats "Lawbreaker" Nice track from local boys Megabats. They keep things really simple to their credit, with lush synth swells and slo-motion sequencer arpeggios running freely across the piece. An elegant little ditty. These guys seem to get better each time I hear something new from them.

Kristian Garrard swings his "Ice Axe IV" in mono.

COUGH COOL - "Clausen" C28 (Not Not Fun, 2011)

2011-08-19T12:53:00.001-04:00

I was really excited to see that NNF had released something from this great band.They have a handful of releases out there, on various labels like Beko and Bathetic, and all of them are worth checking out.Clausen is their most recent album, and also their most diverse.A nose dive into cavernous pop songs and minimalist gloom.Their sound has always been rather dark and looming, with their hushed, haunting vocals and foggy instrumentation.They often dip into big riffs, with walls of shoegazey guitars and swelling synths, but also make good use of open spaces and barely audible tones.Clausen has it all.Each song is completely different from the last, but they all carry this dense and hazy tone, and it makes this a pretty cohesive listen overall.Here we go.
Acid Classics starts things off with a swaggering drum machine groove, joined by layers of bluesy psych riffs, and a faint, distorted sample loops on in the background.It sounds like two men talking into a fan, in a giant metal room.It's easy on the ears, and a nice introduction to the album.Stolen is next, and this is the Cough Cool that I remember.Layers of gentle guitar melodies sneak into your ears, with a bit of wah sprayed over them, and it reminds me a bit of Real Estate.There's a quiet shaker keeping things at a laid back pace, and the vocals are pleasant and almost whispered.This one has a really loose and easy vibe, and I must have played it three times over.Things start to go dark on track five, Sucker, a slow and heavy tune, that barely changes key at all.The whole song is led by a single blown out chord and a syrupy, thudding beat, and the atmospheric harmonies just kind of build up around the two.This one reminded me of Earth's tamer moments.The vocals are again, just a notch above a whisper, but with a much dark and more serious delivery.It's quite hypnotizing, and probably the most addictive track on the album.
Clausen comes to a end with a hissy, daydreamer disco tune called And Nothing Happened.It's almost too perfect of an ending, with the ultra slow bump of the kick and snare, and the ethereal synth delays that sound like they will disappear at any second, but somehow find their way back before completely withering away.It's kind of like blowing bubbles, and just before they burst, you blow a few more to keep things moving.His voice is soothing and gray, and this could be a real bummer, if it weren't so pleasant.HIGHLY Recommended.Get a copy here.

Dick Lickerer "Title????" (Friends & Relatives)

2011-08-17T14:12:00.021-04:00

This release is part of a great new batch from the ever reliable Friends & Relatives Records run by Justin Clifford Rhody, currently of Ypsilati, MI. I just had the pleasure of meeting Justin for the first time and he was a wonderful host and a great guy all around. His label has never been one to latch onto any trend or have any pretensions of "hipness" and has released some of the best truly underground music of recent memory. "Dick Lickerer" is a trio collaboration between Rhody, Logan Durgen (formerly of the band Sports) and Mark Williams (formerly of DigShovelDig). These sessions were recorded whilst hovering over a mic late into the night. The whole thing was done without trying to wake up the roommates who were sleeping in quarters nearby. I'm not sure if these boys were successful in that regard because it sounds like they were making quite a ruckus, but the tape certainly is successful from a musical standpoint. The closeness of the sound really helps bring you into Dick Lickerer's world. There are a few noisy four-track jams that sound like guitars of basses being struck by metal objects, but most of the tape is made up of the sound of moving various objects together or across the floor within the close proximity of a microphone. The assorted instrumentation includes packing tape, dust brooms, plastic bags, paper and silverware. Sort of like a more snotty modern day Group Ongaku/Taj Mahal Travellers. I would describe the approach of these folks as "anti-technology". I think it's great that more and more artists are mining this rich vein of music and that there are people out there all over the county who are willing to put it onto a cassette or record. Hopefully you'll be willing to listen. Contact friendsandrelativesrecords@yahoo.com for a copy of this and other fine releases.

The group was only around for a brief period in Asheville, NC about five years ago. Here is their inactive myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/dicklickerermusic

GREAT SLAVE LAKE - "Untitled" C30 (Teen Action)

2011-08-17T12:25:00.001-04:00

GSL makes their Teen Action debut, with this dazzling cassette.One looonnng movement fills each side, and they are both pretty compelling listens.Al does the notorious Scotch Tapes label, and Derek has been involved with various drone projects over the years.With their Great Slave Lake project, the two lay down some seriously slow roasted loops, layering an endless collection of found sounds, deep synths, and minimal percussion, creating warm and textured landscapes."These Storms Could Have Been Avoided" begins with a subtle metal clank and a bit of tape hiss, and sounds something like a high school shop class played through a busted tape recorder.As things patiently build, random noises, possibly nature sounds and other field recordings make their way into the pot, and things really start to take shape.A giant synth chord starts to emerge, and you get the feeling that something is sneaking up on you.Without completely drowning out the percussive clicks and machine sounds, it grows slowly and becomes more present, filling in the open spaces.By the end of Side A, the synths are sounding HUGE, with the countless layers of random sounds ticking away like clockwork, and this one big chord pushing through them all.Pieces of it reminded me of Pine Smoke Lodge, but only for a minute or two.
Side B offers a similar dirge, but this one has more of a damp, murky vibe, sounding something like OPN and Belong jamming in an underwater cave.There's a howling wind blowing constantly in the distance, along with what sounds like tiny drops of water trickling down onto acoustic guitar strings, in no particular key.There's a bit of whispered conversation that lingers for a minute, and then the atmospheric synths start whirling around it all for a big finish.GSL seem to have this shit down, and as "right now" as this kind of stuff sounds, they are doing it better than most.Highly Recommended for fans of drone and sound scape type of bliss.Edition of 50 from Teen Action.

COLOUR BUK "Our Favorite Fucking Day of the Goddam Year" c30 (Weird Forest)

2011-08-16T22:00:00.005-04:00

Weird Forest, after delivering top-notch vinyl issues for years, has been making a splash in the world of cassettes recently. This tape is one of three excellent tapes released early Summer (the others were by Kevin Corcoran and The Preterite). While those two explored a certain sound over the length of the album, Colour Buk is all over the the place. With tracks ranging from 10 minutes to less than a minute, the crew covers strange junk-skronk, messy tape collage, gnarled electronics creepage and a couple lethargic and/or catchy songs. They wear a few different hats over the course of the tape but they all look pretty flattering.

"I Got Thought" is a sprawled little number consisting of various layers of shimmering organ, guitar loops and drum machine. A sleepy voice sing-speaks over the collage. The stand out though is "Magic Keys to Conv." which could seriously pass for a lost Ben Wallers track. A few intertwined melodies pump forth pushed by a couple rhythmic sources. There's plenty of tape collage gibberish smeared all over and the vocal delivery is spot on. Really awesome track, I hope they got some more in them.

The markered insert doesn't provide much info as far as personnel goes (just that the tape is presented "in true Hi-Fi.") This seems like it could be one weirdo or a few. It would be cool if this was a full-fledged "band" as the world could use more weird, totally-out rock bands.

Definitely a promising tape, I'm gonna have to investigate Colour Buk a bit more and see if I can uncover any more gems.

Weird Forest

TONGUE AND TEETH "What Have We Done To Your Quiet?" c30 (Skrot Up)

2011-08-16T12:12:00.002-04:00

I've really been digging on SUT's last few releases, and this one only continues my obsession with this fantastic label.Tongue and Teeth are a young band from Copenhagen, and they make quite an eclectic brand of noise.This thing is pounding, confrontational and overtly brash from the very first note.It's vaguely familiar, and yet totally fresh, with more than a few nods to Penis Envy era Crass, and your favorite Riot Grrrl bands, only a bit weirder, as it teeters on post-punk's deep grooves and no wave's clever absurdity.The powerful female vocal attack is equal parts pissed and woozy, as the words just seem to spill out of her mouth quite effortlessly, creating heaps of unexpected, and possibly accidental vocal hooks.The rhythm section is loose and jagged, sounding like they could fall apart at any second, but never quite get there.Funky, crawling bass lines slither throughout tight and rigid guitar scratching, and the dizzying drum patterns are hanging on by a thread.It all seems to work out very well for them.T&T's timing falls somewhere between flawless execution and pure luck, sounding air tight and improvised all at once, and it makes for a very interesting contrast.Their stumbling, yet witty sound isn't so different from The Fall, or more recent post-punks Divorce, but it's hard to pin them to any one genre.They are doing wondrous things to your quiet, and I will definitely be keeping my eye on this band.Edition on 100.Get one from Skrot Up.

MUTWAWA - "Mayan Mutations" cs23 (AEN/CNP Records)

2011-08-15T15:07:00.001-04:00

Gary Stevens and Jason Hodges are Mutwawa.They both abuse those amazing ribbon synths, samplers, and a slew of other machines and deep noisemakers.Mayan Mutations is their most recent kick to the face, and it's been on constant repeat here lately.It reminds me of a more dance floor friendly Merzbow, with it's HEAVY synth jabs and pummeling low end gurgling.Harsh 808 beats are blasted out at full volume, bringing with them an arsenal of spiraling synths and buzzing modulations.This stuff is no joke.They've got their analog toys so beefed up and their presence is crazy and unavoidable.Pure dance party trash, coupled with Industrial's forgotten sleaze and muscle.This stuff seems to play extremely loud, not matter what volume level you have it on.Some of the songs sound like they were pulled straight out of the seedy electroclash scene, the one that flooded NY's underbelly almost 10 years ago, and then given a much needed adrenaline shot and waaayyy bigger amps.Mutwawa wants to play techno, but it's not in their nature.Their music is listenable and familiar, but unkind.If you like your club jams dripping with glowing green blood, and your power electronics to bump, then this is what you have been waiting for.Killer black light poster artwork to boot.YES.Get it here.

CRAZY & THE BRAINS - "Don't Need No Snacks" 6 song cs (Baldy Longhair)

2011-08-15T14:35:00.001-04:00

Baldy Longhair is a fairly young cassette label out of Rahway, NJ, and if this surprisingly fun release(their third)is anything to go by, it looks to be a very promising punk imprint.It comes from four talented weirdos called Crazy & The Brains.This thing is packed full of insanely catchy pop and punk jams, all very well crafted and tasteful.It's all here, tight and jangly guitars, swaying bass lines, popping drums, and countless vocal hooks.Not to mention the fair amount of xylophone harmonies sprinkled atop, for good measure.The description from the label says "for fans of: The Black Lips, Moldy Peaches, Vaselines, and Dead Milkmen", and that statement pretty much describes this tape perfectly.There's an especially noticeable Dead Milkmen vibe, with all the messy acoustics and light-but-speedy delivery.All the elements of a good pop punk album are here, and then some.The vocals are goofy, yet crisp and confident, half shouted/half sung, hanging somewhere between the teenage angst of David Byrne and maybe Adam Green, but with much runnier noses.The lyrics are playful and fun, with song titles like "Lindsay Lohan" and "Snacks", but the overflow of solid songwriting makes it a less comical listen, or listens.I'm not sure who is Crazy, but he and his Brains have restored my faith in weirdo punk, and I hope we get to here more SOON.Includes digital download link.Four different covers and tape colors, one with each member of the band on them.They fun.Get them HERE.

SAND CIRCLES - "Midnight Crimes" c18 (Not Not Fun)

2011-08-02T12:53:00.001-04:00

Another shiny diamond from the amazing Not Not Fun label.Instant gratification from a talented young Swede by the name of Martin Herterich .Midnight Crimes is his newest venture into minimal synth strays, Casio bleeps, microscopic drum machines, and fuzzed out tape loops.Late night bedroom party jams in miniature.The songs are completely free of vocals, but chock-full of content and personality.Flirtatious psych pop masked as elevator tunes, made from fragments of dubby smoke-outs and unpopular micro-house cuts.Layers of deep synthesizer chords nuzzle up against each other, creating lots of open space the for sharp, glittery keys and bright scales to flourish.Things really open up on "Subaquatic Highway", a semi-robotic bounce that comes off like some kind of scrapped NEU!/Tangerine Dream collaboration. Slightly doused with ping-pong delay, the 808 stomp never lets up on this one, carrying some rather stiff keyboard hooks and scattered blips under it's arm.This one is just screaming for a remix or three.Moments of Midnight Crimes carry a hollow, and deeply ethereal vibe, similar to a more club friendly OPN, or a beat driven Emeralds.You might pick up on a touch of Hype Williams' more recent joints, too.All positive.A pleasant surprise at every turn, and I look forward to hearing lots more from them.Get a copy here.