Night-People Tape Guide

Iowa City's Night-People has so many great cassettes in print right now, that I thought I'd provide a handy guide to some of the less talked about ones.  Behold a treasure trove of otherworldly sounds.

Use http://raccoo-oo-oon.org/np/ for reference and cassette ordering.

Support underground labels and artists for "doing their thing."

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

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.

Tapes I Like

Here are some newish tapes that I like:

Zaimph "Coast to Coast" C40 (Gift Tapes) - Marcia Bassett of Double Leopards newest...great stuff

Angels in America "Allergic To Latex" (self released) though i think it's now on Digitalis, but probably sold out...try epichotness@hellokitty.com , though that doesn't seem real, does it? Super great out of left field, twentyearolds from Western Mass and Baltimore play it like it ain't been played before, and maybe it's true...

Anthro Rex - all of the recent self-releases have been great, and there are a few, including a split with Id M Theft Able...this from the "front man" of Neanderthal "rockers" Grey Skull. Really deconstructed shit. brings a winsome smile....drop Dan Cashman a line: porkatron88@hotmail.com

Preggy Peggy & the Lazy Babymakers/Hjuler und Frau ++ Colorguard/Ashley Paul splits - both from a Serbian (?) label that I believe is called Male Bonding (actually it's called No Basement Is Deep Enough - ed.), but don't quote me on that. One of them is in a hand sown "pussy pouch" with public hair, blood and girl-come... contact xtabaywatch@hotmail.com or http://www.myspace.com/xtabaywatch

Mirror Tapes - located in Malaysia (again, ?) is putting our some cool looking reissues of noise and electronic music: Conrad Schnitzler, M.B., etc...http://www.mirrortapes.blogspot.com/

also gotta give it up again for Night People and Goaty Tapes whose releases are always little gems in the packaging and audio continuity department. Nice when one artist defines the look of a label. Most of their releases sound great, and they for damn sure look good on your shelf.

last, but not least, Sounds Of The Indian Snake Charmer, Vol. 2 a follow-up to the out of print first LP. Recorded by Aaron Dilloway in India...it is, as advertised, that wonderful music that snakes like to jam to so dearly - - http://www.hansonrecords.net