QUIT "Fucking" TAPE

So if the glamorous, prestigious and accessible band Liturgy can get away with calling themselves "transcendental black metal" and be taken seriously, then QUIT is a free jazz post-punk band made up of bitter nihilists living in a world without redemption.

Here is some heavy instrumentals that are downright anti social! Brutally lazy and primitive but effective walls of open chords played to exhaustion. Moments of blissful childish narcissism galore ... the players go into their own Hendrix worlds and collide accidentally through jazz. There is complete and utter unrecognition of the other players at times. Loud and clear, QUIT has no desire to impress an audience, but Blondie, K and Jim still have the audacity to record such a session displaying an admirable level of musical freedom and experimentation.

What makes Quit stick out in the world of freak out jams and metal "clear the hall" blast beaters is their complete lack of distortion or fuzz. The amplifiers reverberate, change in frequency, wah wah around and pick up whale call feedback, but rarely do they ever feel dirty, rough or sleezy. THey do, however, sound broken. This is also what makes QUIT special.

The juxtaposition of clean tones with loudly strummed guitars gives an impression of lost sanity in traffic ala Michael Douglas in "Falling Down". The amplifiers are set to wedding band. I imagine the musicians dressed up in tie with their collared shirts tucked in, and then rebel with the most furious sonic attack.

Blondie's rhythms are not complex and do not challenge the limits of tempo or multiplicity in drums, but they are played with strength and consistency. They slowly morph from a heavy bass jazz 4/4 rhythm to high energy tribal tom tom dances accented by symbols. And then at times they allow themselves to powerfully accompany drone.

QUIT is welterweight in tone compared to the Mountains and Lightning Bolts of the world, but all the musicians showcase a fierce desire to demonstrate and narrate an enormous amount of negative musical content. Their clean tone complements their downbeat and disturbed improvised compositions, an irony subtly thrown in a deeply sincere cassette.

At points this cassette gets a little space madness. If I was listening to this in the shower I may think that the bar of soap is actually an ice cream bar. Through my drugged and whiskey soaked haze of nihilistic oblivion the shower would lose gravity and I would become weightless, which in reality would actually be just my knees giving out. The moral of that story is if you're black out drunk always take a shower instead of a bath in case you lose consciousness.

Lost my train of thought. Anyway, this cassette sounds like a jazzy nightmare. I really liked it for what it was. Sometimes I feel bad doing these reviews because people send me these really well considered singer songwriter tapes with well over 20 fairly well considered and constructed songs on them, all edited and mixed and mastered and blah blah blah. But it looked like these guys were calling out for help in some way shape or form. I hope QUIT is doing alright. Your cassette is bleak. We hope you guys the best. Your cassette is a solid B+.

-- Jack Turnbull
www.jackturnbull.com

JESUS IS ANGRY & THE FEMALES OF DOUBTFUL REPUTATION “Big Band” (Full Wave Rectifier Labs)

This album is a collaborative effort between Jesus Is Angry and The Females of Doubtful Reputation, although is does sound cool as one name. Jesus is Angry is a touring musician who specializes in analog recording techniques. The Females of Doubtful Reputation are a proto-industrial band made up of real industrial workers. This is the debut album for them.

I thoroughly enjoyed this release for many reasons including its use of non-instrumental sounds combined with instruments, its slow progression to a heavy feel, and its use of spoken word within the track. The tracks on the cassette are Side A: “The Institution”, “My Big Black Beard”, and “Electrical Safety Test” Side B: “Robots”, “What the ..?” and “Baghdad to Beograd”. There is a clear blues influence on “My Big Black Beard” which worked well with the experimental aspects of the other songs. Most of the songs have a slow heavy atmosphere to them, which is usually carried by the drums. This allows the other instruments to experiment more, and keep structure in the composition. An aspect that stands out on the entire album are the electronic experimentations on almost the entire release. This adds a compelling dimension that sets it aside from other bands with a similar heavy sound. The vocal spoken word adds a lot to the album as a whole because if it were only instrumental tracks, the listener might loose focus. The vocals add to the haunting feeling on “The Institution”, but the vocals have range as well, for example there is a humorous monologue complaining about the sound guy’s lack of care on one track. Over all this was a worthwhile listen that I would recommend.

Listen to “The Institution”: https://soundcloud.com/fwrl/theinstitution
Jesus Is Angry: http://www.jesusisangry.org
The Females of Doubtful Reputation: http://femalesofdoubtfulreputation.blogspot.com


-- Seymour Polatin

BLUE EIGHT: KATIE GATELY “Pipes” (Blue Tapes)

On this release, Katie Gately put three songs, but not all the songs are in the traditional format in succession on the Ep. The first song, “Pipes” is a very pleasing mixture of ambient vocal pulsing that transitions into complex rhythmic textures. The beginning sounds similar to some of the vocals on The Breeders’ “Last Splash.” Somewhere in between all of this Gately fits in a pop song sound for a short amount of time, which was a very welcome surprise. "Pipes” repeats on both sides of the tape. The second song of the release is “Acahella” and is available for download at bluetapes.bandcamp.com. The third song is hidden inside “Pipes” and can be heard by slowing down the track and listening closely.

One of the things I appreciate the most about this release is the places that “Pipes” goes, both in the varying moods and tones that Gately achieves with the vocals and her ability to make the song flow by combining the different parts of the song which span genres. When listening to this cassette in a traditional way, which is questioned in the format of the third hidden slowed down song, the listener is subject to listen to “Pipes” twice. This helps the listener grasp the strength of the composition of the song. Only listening to it once could leave the listener overwhelmed with its many changes throughout. When viewing the album online there is a prominent disclaimer, which states “NO INSTRUMENTS WERE USED IN THE MAKING OF THIS RECORDING.” Although I enjoy this blanket statement being applied to the release, it makes me wonder where the line is for considering something an instrument. Either way, “Pipes” is definitely worth the listen and I look forward to hearing what Katie Gately comes up with next.

Listen: https://soundcloud.com/blue-tapes/blue-eight-katie-gately-pipes
Buy: http://bluetapes.co.uk/product/blue-eight-katie-gately
More from Blue Tapes: http://bluetapes.bandcamp.com/

~ Seymour Polatin

FRANK HURRICANE "Fall Iz The Best Season" (Anonymous Dog)

this tape has been out for a while but I figured I should post this anyway - ed.

Wow, I say this with no irony what-so-ever, this is a magical tape. Why do I use the word magical? Because Frank Hurricane has the ability to turn nothing into something similar to the techniques of a man who dabbles in the arts of illusion. Frank Hurricane is a post modern gem of a musician because this output is so gentle and humble, a rarity amongst struggling bohemians bending backwards to have their voices taken seriously. His songs are interesting because his decision making in song structure is fantastic and his influences are eclectic and from the far away places in the sonic universe, like banjo and hip hop. He does not rely on tons of effect pedals or sonic do-dads to make something that sounds contemporary, awesome and worthwhile.

Frank's voice swings in and between instrumentals. His lyrics cry out like a delta blues legend of way back when and a little off tune. That era's philosophy of low-fi recording is evident, making for the perfect intimate cassette experience.

But he can also rap and just tell good stories too! What if Jerry Garcia made a hip hop duo in 2012 with the guy from Casiotone for the Painfully Alone? It may sound like his hit "Real Talk", which is as heavy as Fall Iz the Best Season gets.

Then there are some simple drum and beat loops that are just meditative and complex in their own way while remaining repetitive and restrained. They're pleasant.

Frank Hurricane is also a great freak folk string player. The cassette's closing track "Autumn Love" is intimate, nostalgic, spare ... dare I say romantic? It's definitely moving.

The album goes through so many changes without ever feeling heavy handed or jarring. It's smooth as jamba juice. The closest comparison I can think of to an album would be Beck's ODELAY, but this album is more challenging and DIY. It was made with a simple grocery list of instruments: a yamaha keyboard, voice, banjo, guitars and cymbals.

I hold this in high prestige! www.anonymousdog.com to check it out.
Here's Frank's bandcamp: http://hurricanesoflove.bandcamp.com/album/fall-iz-the-best-season

-- Jack Turnbull

REGLER LPKONSTRUKT/MARSHALL ALLEN LP (8mm Records)

Pretty intense new LP from Regler, the duo of Mattin (Billy Bao, Josetxo Grieta) and Anders "Drajan" Bryngelsson (Brainbombs, No Balls) out now on Portugal's 8MM Records.  Mastered by Rashad Becker.  This is pretty assaultive but might be up your alley. Check it out here: https://soundcloud.com/8mmrecs/8mm-059.  Limited to only 200 copies.

You might want want to pick up the other new release which is a free jazz collaboration between Marshall Allen (Sun Ra Arkestra) and Konstrukt. http://soundcloud.com/8mmrecs/8mm-061a & http://soundcloud.com/8mmrecs/8mm-061b & http://soundcloud.com/8mmrecs/8mm-061C. Also limited to 200.

It doesn't appear that these are up on the website (http://www.8mmrecs.com/) yet, but they are out, so just write to the email on the site and you can figure it out.

GEB THE GREAT CACKLER"Tin Rooster House" TAPE

Wow! Here is a welcome change of pace. Geb the Great Cackler's new album "Tin Rooster House" at its best sounds like acoustic Neutral Milk Hotel song structures song by dual female vocals akin to the Softies with a pinch of Joan Jett thrown in there for good measure. Interesting horns and sounds immerge under dramatically strummed acoustic guitar rhythms and two girls singing clearly, forte and with sincerity. At times it feels a little too forced and almost in deep blues territory, but then the next thing I know its going into a 3/3 time signature and feels like the soundtrack to a merry-go-round.

pedals and effects are present but only exist to assist in the mood of a song, they do not play an overproduced central role. The illusion of sitars emerge, reverbed guitars give a bow to west coast surf fender tone, but at the core of all these songs is that Earthly acoustic at all times. The rhythm can get full throttle and compliments well on sounding current. "Hurricane" is an obvious nod to girl group power pop punk, but still remains truly the creation of Geb the Great Cackler by not stepping out of formula and introducing a GLOCKENSPIEL 3/4 through the song!

Right when you think you've figured this band out they shift gears. the sensation is akin to listening to an early Magnetic Fields album; the theme is consistently present and the tonal range only limited to their humble musical equipment (which is a total added bonus in my book because it sounds ... you know, real).

The title song "Tin Rooster House" gets into Marnie Stern level experimentation, but gets a little too "Cotton Eye Joe" for me. This may be a little harsh on my part, but it is a kinder way of saying the male's vocals are off tune and just kind of sound goofy. It's clear the female vocals on this album are superior. But the violin/guitar/tambourine/bongo instrumental at the end of the song makes it all worth going through. The supremely fast guitar picking and bongoing is stupendous!

"Worm World" sounds mediterranean or arab in scale structure. Again, a reverberated woodblock beat makes this song have the most subtle dance backbone making it mysteriously seductive - right before it goes into breakbeat tempo guitar bar chords. This juxtaposition is radical and shows just how out there Geb the Great Cackler can get at times. Again, "Worm World" goes through a chordal progression that gets too melodramatic for a moment, but ends with expertly recorded and reverberated plucked violin strings.

Heart of the World is a great ending. The instruments sound battered, chugging and dirty tube amps but the female vocals are still smooth and full. It's a true psychedelic song during the refrains, but then chanting and surfing in the chorus.

There's a lot going on in Geb the Great Cackler's "Tin Rooster House". Check this tape out!

http://gebthegreatcackler.bandcamp.com/

-- Jack Turnbull

SETH SMITH “Lowlife OST” (Fundog Productions)

I can’t seem to find a way to watch this movie from my couch, but after listening to the score, I’m making it an imperative to get ahold of a copy. This tape is a score to a film which seems to depict a horrific trip, set off by a binge of psychedelic starfish. The tone of the films various trailers is overtly bleak, and the score is suitably bleak as well. A dark miasma of harp-like prepared guitars, mournful looped tubas and metallic clangs. A dim and mournful haze of unsettling sound that occasionally lashes out in urgent tribal drumming. It feels like being lost in the woods with no cell reception or waking up in a dank underground cave with only your bic for comfort. I don’t know how many times I’ll feel like accessing shiver inducing tones like these, but it’s a worthwhile and singular experience worth delving into.

http://fundog.bandcamp.com/album/lowlife

  

- - Timothy Johnson

PASSENGER PERU (Fleeting Youth Records)

When I put this tape in for the first time, and noted that the main song crafter of the group was formerly a bassist for The Antlers (a band I’ve found somewhat underwhelming), I was tempted to write this off as an unexciting indie pop offering before even giving the sounds a chance. Within thirty seconds of the first song I felt like an asshole for thinking that, and I was won over immediately. On the surface the format for the songs is pretty standard, the kind of fun-time music for driving to the beach with your friends. That formula is easy to execute, what makes this a great tape is that underneath the surface the two multi-instrumentalists manning this band flesh out these tracks with inventive and hypnotic song structures and instrumentation. Over the span of these 10 songs, they manage to glue onto a poppy assemblage an assortment of buzzy bass riffs, chugging guitar passages, lush vocals, fuzzed out countrified licks, mechanized drum rhythms and sparse electronic noise. It’s enough variation to make each track exciting, free of filler, and quite danceable. Apparently the product of three years of basement studio work, this EP is clearly the work of two perfectionists fiddling with every song component until it fit the goldilocks standard of just right. Some of these tracks are genuine ear worms. In the Absence of Snow has been stuck in my head for days, thanks to it’s combination of sparkly acoustic guitar and thumping sub octave bass. It’s locked in my head and it doesn’t want to leave and this is a good thing. Very much recommended.

http://www.passengerperuband.com/#/about/4565751168

-- Timothy Johnson

PLASTIC CRIMEWAVE SOUND "Oblivion Programme" (Galactic Zoo Disk)

I've always taken a liking to this kind of slow druggy psych rock.  Plastic Crimewave Sound sits somewhere in between the darkness and the light, though if you stare too long into either, you'll get sucked down, so it's all the same really. Up is down man! PCWS leader Steve Krakow is behind numerous projects in his hometown of Chicago: reissuing rare private press LPs on his Drag City sub-label, curating live events, writing/drawing the secret history of Chicago music as well as doing lots of free lance psychedelic art.  If you're not hip to this guys sphere of wicked awesome shit, then now is definitely the time to familiarize yourself.  http://www.plasticcrimewave.com/

Here is some sound for you to check out from the related Plastic Crimewave Syndicate. It's not the above tape (which is currently available from the website linked above), but it will give you a good idea of what you're in for.  The Oblivion Programme itself is rumored to be the last release from the group, and it features contributions from the legendary Michael Yonkers, but there is no telling what's what when you're dealing with infinity.

HEALTH PROBLEMS "A Glut of Plastic" CS

Punk Rock is a strange thing to get right. Mathematically, everyone in the universe should logically be able to put out a stellar punk rock cassette. But even though two acts can play the same song almost note for note, the difference can be as drastic as Stevie Ray Vaughan to Jimi Hendrix, the former sounding cold and the later sounding full of soul. What separates the Ramones and early Devo from some dinguses off Burger Records or the flavor of the month band that just passed through your one trick pony town on the Warped Tour? The answers aren't always black and white. They can be straight up mysterious at times.

This brings me to the case of Health Problems new EP "A Glut of Plastic". Logically, this should be a four song cassette I can really get behind. Health Problems recorded this cassette in Olympia, Washington in February 2013. That communities specific sound is very present; add a guitar to their line up and Health Problems sound a lot like "Some Velvet Sidewalk", a main player in the early nineties Olympia indie rock explosion (watch the documentary Songs for Cassavettes to see them interviewed and rocking out).

Health Problems minimal and untraditional trio set up is also in line with the Olympia DIY philosophy. The band is a vocalist, a bassist and a drummer. Bands like Cadalatica (guitar, keys, drums), Beat Happening (Guitarist, Vocalist, drummer), Kicking Giant (guitar and drum duo) GodHeadsilo (drum and bass) also fall into this category, bands whose instrumentation imply that perhaps getting a more formal power pop trio line up is not accessible due to a lack musicians in the area. But these minimal line ups is also what made Olympia sound special and unique.

Health Problems kind of feel 20 years late to the party. If this came out on Kill Rock Stars in 1994 I wouldn't be surprised at all. It isn't over produced, the lyrics are great and the vocalist truly sings his lungs out and the drummer has some pretty good rolls in here.

This cassette is simply just not innovating. They're good at what they do but the envelope isn't being pushed, which is what punk rock is all about. Emotionally I completely trust these guys. Their hearts are in the right place and it is obvious. So I give this cassette a solid B-. I hope Health Problems keep it up and push forward!

-- Jack Turnbull
www.jackturnbull.com

GREAT VALLEY "Lizards of Camelot" (NNA/Feeding Tube)

"Lizards of Camelot" doesn't explicitly claim to be a concept album yet folds open like a pop up book, each page a vignette in the amphibian kingdom.  Multi-layered guitar and drumset (sometimes midi, sometimes real, always real cymbals...) pump and groove as one engine.  This piece represents a marked twist of style for GV throughout, no doubt influenced by Peter's fantastic 2013 solo EP "Peter's Window" and Joe's work in Blanche Blanche Blanche / Big French.

( ↑ lots of free music in these links!!! ↑ )

 The opening scene starts with climbing major/chutes and ladders to wild tremolo fantasies established in some odd meter or another, prodding flippantly at the notion of pop music.  In a midnight gesture, more tremolo blows through a snorkel underwater through wreckage of drums and into a deeper trench.  The whole thing somehow achieves buoyancy and floats to the top, up and over a moat of love.  Green angels arrive in the bath and there's a party goin' on, inviting all to a hard boogie-ing permanent x-mas.

An all star list of guest musicians makes itself known across the record: Chris Weisman, David Lineal, Christine Brown, Luke Csehak, Francis Carr, Zach Phillips and Ruth Garbus make time in this freaky sect of "The Brattleboro School".

Excellent artwork by John Broadley.

Available on cassette from NNA and LP from Feeding Tube

- -Matt Robidoux

NIGHTSHADE and GEL NAILS"Tartarus" (Self-released)

 SIDE A "Muskrat Tail"

Hyper wet vocals vibrate monotone nightmare "siri" lyrics that are incomprehensible. Amplifier feedback and effect pedal super slow chord progressions linger and barely convey a structure. The mastering and mixing of this drone out is well crafted. Borrowing from the Wolf Eyes playbook the vocals sound not like voice but rather vocals as instrument to assist gizomos and gadjet sonic effect modulators! Nightshade & Gel Nails portray a dingy and foreboding mood that is psychedelically meditative while sounding sonically avant-garde and bad ass.


Side B "Fast Food for Fast People"

Wobbly tape loop opens side B. It frankly makes me a little sea sick. Then modulating synthesizer escalating hum acts as a rhythm as frequencies melodically descend like depressed bombs. Everything is a little too casual, most notably the vocalist who is awkwardly not in tune. There's J Mascis whiney and then there is this guy whiney. His lyrics are too distorted to be easily comprehended leaving its overly emotional tone unsympathetic. And it's frankly just mixed too loudly. I miss the inventive dirty keyboard noise in the background that are actually playing some interesting major/minor chord progressions, but they're drowned out by the lead singer's psyched out vocal effects. It's too bad because with a little more studio time on this one it could have been just as successful as side A.

In fairness, both songs provide a lyric sheet. And the lyrics are really, really good.

The cassette itself has a minimal yet tasteful silkscreen job with various stamps to show its DIY authenticity.

http://www.discogs.com/Gel-Nails-NightSHADE-Tartarus/release/4940846
http://gelnailsnoise.tumblr.com/
http://ramshackledayparade.bandcamp.com/album/nightshade-nightshade-rdp-036

--Jack Turnbull
www.jackturnbull.com

HUMAN ADULT BAND "Creepy Classics" CS (D.I.H.D.)

Here is a nice DIY crafted four song EP. It contains 3 originals and a Neil Young cover from his Ditch trilogy era classic album "On the Beach" - "Vampire Blues". The songs seem authentically bummed, exhausted and frustrated but also pleasantly revealing in the bliss which is making poor life decisions late at night. An anything goes noise philosophy is apparent in the band which leaves the originals sounding like the Birthday Party played by Velvet Underground loving Brooklyn NYC burnouts.

The players sound as if they suffer from insomnia. The singer doesn't have young Nick Cave's peppy, crooning wolf howl or the intensity of Australia, 1981. This being said, the character he portrays in song is captivating nonetheless. While strained and bleak, the singer can get into some hardcore territory. He has the cathartic and forceful bark of the guy in Pissed Jeans. On their "Vampire Blues" cover, he does not have Neil Young's signature Alto range, but his voice is distinctively passive aggressive which gives the song's blues structure a nice punk rock charm.

The guitars are distorted and frantic but at their least meandering and helpless. They never give up however; the band has the energy of rock and roll and even when they play on only fifteen minutes of sleep the music is still more fierce than the bleeps of robots. They are playing some harsh noise here with rock song structure, but it is still music that is warm from tube hum.

I bet this band would be interesting to see live, a mixture of Lou Reed cool with Nick Cave mean and a heartfelt impersonation of Harry Pussy guitar playing at half speed. Pretty good tape, it's like 15-20 minutes, check it out.

http://dihd.net/

-Jack Turnbull
www.jackturnbull.com

A HANDFUL OF DUST"From a Soundtrack to the Anabase of St-John Perse" C42PHILIP CORNER WITH PHOEBE NEVILLE"Concerto For Housekeeper and Other Dances With Phoebe" C60+C102 Box Set (Imminent Frequencies)

Just a brief heads up on two interesting releases I just heard about on the Imminent Frequencies label:

Second reissue of this cool 1995 album from the duo of Bruce Russell (Dead C.) and Alastair Galbraith, originally issued on Corpus Hermeticum on cassette and put on vinyl in 2000 by Bluesilver records.  Limited to 150, check it out.

Another archival release available from the label that is worth picking up is the Philip Corner cassette box. Corner is a founding member of the Fluxus movement and this album contains plenty of interesting clangs and drones.

www.imminentfrequencies.com

Pure Horsehair's new album, "Ambergris", not to be mistaken with the musician Ambergris, presents a musical range from wood cabin freak folk jams, early "Microphones" territory (before it was Mt. Errie) of blurry and harmonized vocals, psychedelic story-land underwater blues to a subtle, under played dedication to dark synthesizer melodies, drones and drum beats. This cassette is one of the most well executed and challenging I've heard in a while.

All the songs are understated downer bad trips but still highly organized, complex in structure and well orchestrated into quartet or trio parts. My guess these recordings were done with a four track? Phil Spector "wall of sound" influence is somewhere deep in here as various guitar tones, keyboards and unexpected harmonies bounce around. Good examples of this can be heard in "waxwing", and "first fig".

A big part of Ambergris's successful sound is his ability to utilize cold, synthetic keyboards and analog effects to feel warm like the humble, introspective acoustic guitars they are mixed with. The most anatomic Ambergris gets is on "high hopes", but then brilliantly the tone switches to some early late 60ties bad ass rock drawl in "as if". The drums are still 8-bit but it is hardly distracting jarring. It doesn't sound tacky like overly digital music. It is so precise in repetition however it becomes transcendental and meditative. And my god, these blues lyrics on this song are AMAZING. The singer's voice isn't distinctive like a Bob Dylan or Neil Young, but he has pipes and range. It is also a laid back but still authentically sad voice, which melts in very well the cassette's overall DIY casual typewriter aesthetic. This is a great tape.

The cassette only lists an e-mail: purehorsehair@gmail.com ... Pure Horsehair does have a bandcamp but his recordings sound far superior in tone on cassette over a Soundcloud. It's the difference salt can add to food.

--Jack Turnbull
www.jackturnbull.com

JAAP BLONK "Songs of Little Sleep" (Scumbag Relations/Sleepy Cobalt Sound)

On a loosely conceptual album concerning the entering and exiting of sleep, its cycles and the subconscious, Dutch composer/performer/video artist Jaap Blonk fractures into a chamber ensemble of clones of himself, extending far past the outer limits of extended vocal technique.  

Jaap forms the base of his repertoire around a lineage of Dada sound poets, his recording of Kurt Schwitter's 1922-32 masterpiece "Ursonate" being his most well known.  His live performances border on scholarly presentation- he's an expert on this subject and one of the few preservers of the literature on the underground circuit.  As in the Dada tradition, Blonk's pieces are based on phonetic vibrations with no logical context, only emotional/aesthetic.  As if aurally observing a sleep study, you hear Jaap enter into a deeper subconscious state- yawns turn into low guttural grunts and blistering harsh noise coming unbelievably from a human voice.  Tossing textural scrapes and use of electronics allow for plenty of sonic variation on this extended player, though i'd be just as convinced by the vocal alone.  

stream/purchase at http://sleepycobalt.bandcamp.com/album/songs-of-little-sleep

- -Matt Robidoux

SMASHED 40: SLUMMER JAMS

Now that we're really starting to feel the frosty breath of old man winter, I thought it would be appropriate to share this awesome double cassette compilation of covers by artists all across the underground spectrum.  Featuring tracks by the likes of Alvarius B (Sun City Girls), R. Stevie Moore, Carla Bozulich, Amps for Christ, Charlie McAlister, Simon Joyner (and tons more I've never heard of) this hot compilation will be sure to keep you toasty during the dark days of the impending season.

BASKETBALL SHORTS "The Total BS EP"BIG BILL "A Hard Day's Bill EP"

 Here's two eps for the price of one that's something everyone can get behind for the upcoming Holiday season. These two bands exhibit a wide melodic and rhythmic range. Do you like Modest Mouse, Death, Grateful Dead jams, Mountain, Wavves, Blink 182, the Beach Boys or Buddy Holly? If you said yes to one or more of these contributors to the ROCK than this 2013 gem of a two band rock/roll album split can fulfill at least one of your sonic protopunk desires. This release is strictly for the KIDS who are still pumped on skateboarding, Alicia Silverstone and their newly acquired Fender Squire. It bursts with enthusiasm, energy and youth but also shows an impressive song education by referencing tones and rhythms from so many different eras. I get images of high school hallways and school cafeteria food fights. References to Bill Murray and some pretty clever lyrics are in these songs. Both singers of both bands have good voices that are well harmonized with other members.

A couple highlights:

BASKETBALL SHORTS:
* The angst lonely bedroom song Genevieve focuses on the passage of time and it's a Archie Comics pop romance of a good punk song. "We used to call you Jenny, ... but now you go by Genevieve" - HEART MELTING! It's like a younger and less soothing Roy Orbosne. I feel like I am listening to the fucking Beets on Nickelodeon's Doug, (Not the Brooklyn band ... although that band is the fucking best). There are some great major to minor chord transitions in the song as well.

* East Sides Lies is my favorite song because it sounds like early DEVO mixed with the cartoonish Angst of the RAMONES. But it also contains a solo that emulates and equals the greatest liberating riffs and hooks of DEATH.

BIG BILL:
Big Bill is a little more garage with some poppy bass lines and party rock beats. The vocalist even sounds a little like the CRAMPS or even, again, an early demo DEVO. Their fun party rock song Get with the Goblins is like if the lead singer is attempting to impersonate an alien from Mars with his domineering, staccato alto-tenor. They are surprisingly surfy, even hitting some Fred Schneider recorded by Steve Albini solo album territory (It's not as good as that album mind you, just reminiscent).

... This recording is distinctly inspired by the city is it recorded and mastered in, Austin Texas. It equally captures the energy of an Austin concert with that cities' strong commitment to home recording culture. GREAT guitar solos and psychedelic tones similar to the gnarl of MOUNTAIN.

BUY TAPE HERE: http://fleetingyouthrecords.bandcamp.com/album/big-bill-basketball-shorts-split-cs

Artwork by http://www.showdeer.com

-- Jack Turnbull
www.jackturnbull.com

TASHI DORJI "Hills Rose Up....." (Turned Word)

Beautiful solo guitar tape, no effects pedals.  Somewhere in-between Derek Bailey and Robbie Basho, but trending closer to the Englishman (I swear I just wrote that before looking at the label's description quoted below).  Lovely screen printing.  Always a treat to get new releases from this fantastic label, sometimes stylized as Trd W/d.

http://www.turnedword.com


I found myself out in the gardens’ July sun pencil scratching onto an old receipt. All about friend and improvisational guitarist Tashi Dorji and how wonderful he is and how much I adore his music. Thinking about the time we were jamming and some sound I made on the guitar caused him to outright belly laugh. And some scrawl about the story he once told me, about how the prince of Bhutan had asked him to play some Elvis songs in Thimphu , and Tashi declining the request. Or the countless times that we shared a meal together, or a fire. And how Tashi showed up at my job once, dragging me away because I was overstressed and needed food. “I’m way too hungry to cook now…..and plus, all the food that I have at home would take far too long to make, “ I whined.


He calmly demanded that I list the things I had lying around. Next thing I knew we were eating the most toothsome dish of something so simple. Potatoes, tomatoes, a little oil and some spices. Maybe one more ingredient? His presence and his music is like this too. Bare of pretension yet full of newness and uncompromising inertia. Seemingly quick, sharpened and then mellowed, presenting an intensity to fall into the moment and nourish oneself with the ingredients at hand. Reminiscent of the rythmn experiments of Derek Bailey, the lavish east leanings of Robbie Basho's playing and the intensity of Bill Orcutt's attack. Featuring the artwork of Amy-Moon. Offset printed. -- Dan Beckman

TOUCHSTONE PICTURES (Meltmeltdripdrip Records)

Hip hop inspired 8 bit late night dance sequences. 808 drumbeats galore that bleep, get wet and get stuck in your head. "Nighteraser", the cassette's opener, could easily be the walkup introduction music for a heavyweight boxer in a Super Nintendo universe. The melodies in these songs are strong and nicely escalate in complexity. Elements of noise are incorporated but are balanced with the melodies.

"It's Kronk" is a little more atonal and reverberated. A minimalistic hi-hat is the only constant as the more cerebral, mysterious effect laden melodies hypnotically repeat through higher and lower frequencies. Later on in the song it changes mood and isn't menacing any longer, but it is still challenging music.

Side B opener, "That's Rite", is a little more funky. Fat bass lines are accompanied by wah-wah synthesizer. It sounds like eating greasy french fries. Some nice computer chords are played and the song at times feels straight up weirdo.

"Netwerk" finally gets the human touch and opens with some non-standard tuning guitar duo that is quite pleasant to the ears. It is followed by a droned out organ and finally an upbeat, uplifting looping synasizer part with fuzzed out low notes. A great end to a diverse electronic release.

One thing I appreciate about this tape is that while the sounds are all pretty much made by computers, which for my tastes is a turnoff, I do get a sense the musician is using his instrument to its full capacity. There is a lot going on in this tape sonically. The genres and moods switch and yet it is all being clearly played by Touchstone Pictures.

I am also about 90% sure it was made using Buzzmachines, some great free Windows shareware from 2002 that allows you to conduct and produce some fantastic beats. Maybe I'm totally wrong, but even if I am Buzzmachines is worth experimenting with. What do you have to lose, it's free!

Label: http://www.meltmeltdripdrip.co.uk

-- Jack Turnbull

GERMAN ARMY "Burushaski" (Belaten Records)

When the world ends, and we're salvaging the ruined world for canned beans and purified water, German Army will probably be setting up to play in some crazy bunker venue, assuming they can scavenge enough batteries to power their synths. Their last tape, Youtan Polou, which came out on Chondritic Sound was one of the best tapes I heard last year, and Burushaski actually tops it. This is some truly other music, floating somewhere between industrial, noise, and synth-pop. Lots of minimal, pulsing beats, chilled out synthesizers, and baritone vocals clashing with whirring electronics and scrambled radio samples. The overall tone is extremely desolate and post apocalyptic, like a bunch of survivors piecing together entertainment from a vague memory of yesteryear. Germany Army know when to challenge your head and when to pull back. Some of these tracks are pretty scary, especially one particular track on the A side that has some of the most unsettling vocals I've ever heard, but they never linger in a frightening vibe too long before switching it up with a more melodic and dancey track, which makes for a really well paced listen. I can't recommend this enough, this a tape truly worth tracking down. 

http://belaten.bandcamp.com/album/burushaski

-- Timothy Johnson

SCKE//“Ornaments” 7”(KIKS/Girlfriend Records)

This 7” is from UK-based Benjamin Hallatt, recorded under the name SCKE//. An electro-acoustic spectacle, it lives somewhere between the minimal glitch of a similar-era Kompakt, Kranky or Mille Plateaux release and something more homemade and warm. Hallatt definitely abandons the hi-fidelity, in your face side of glitchy, experimental music for a sound that’s more suitable for travelling or looking out of a train window.  

Side A, “Ornament 2,” is a slow-burning piece that has a plucked and distinctly Asian flare, sampling sounds that veer from percussive to melodic. It’s undoubtedly got a folky vibe until it intensifies and Hallatt starts reversing stuff. 

Side B, “Ornament 7,” gets the more classic low-key glitch workout, as Hallatt tweaks his modular into static pops, hisses, and squeals over comforting, motoric electric piano chords. Neither track has any beat-oriented activity.

The 7” is pressed on quality, heavy vinyl and includes a folding sheet with a picture of some sort of Asian Chiffarobe on it.

Buy here:

http://www.kiksgfr.net/p/scke-ornaments-heavy-weight-7-vinyl.html

Stream/Buy Here:

http://kiksgfr.bandcamp.com/album/ornaments-7-2004-heavyweight-vinyl-re-issue

-Dan Hockstein

CURT OREN "Home" (Personal Archives)

This tape kind of baffled me. Curt Oren, who hails from the University of Iowa (The tape includes an expired parking pass from the school), has crafted 7 tracks consisting entirely  o fsaxophone compositions utilizing extended techniques, with breathy vocal accompaniments. If that sounds a lot like Colin Stetson to you, that's because this is ostensibly some sort of tribute to Stetson's approach to the instrument. Some of the songs on the bandcamp are even tagged with his name. I don't want to call this a ripoff, because he isn't just rehashing and reusing material from New History Warfare although clearly that album left a pretty big mark on Oren, and it's impressive that he managed to replicate the techniques and components of it so accurately (even down to the vocal accompaniment, Laurie Anderson is replaced by someone named Nora Petran). I loved that record, and I guess I love this tape. Oren takes the clanking and meandering contact mic'd saxophone a little further down the road, but it's hard to sell this as being much more than lo-fi version of New History Warfare. Still, I enjoyed the experience, I can’t get enough of this sound.

http://curtoren.bandcamp.com/

-- Timothy Johnson