Tapelove Tapelove Tapelove Tapelove Tapelove Tapelove Tapelove Tapelove

Shudder Pulps - 6 Track EP

2011-11-21T18:34:00.000Z

I am down with Shudder Pulps. Today has had a good 5-6 repeats of this tape which is rare when i have a stack of tapes to write up reviews for. When i first caught SP live, i thought it was a good mix of the Messthetics attitude with a jagged post punk delivery, and very English which is a positive when so many look across the ocean for sound as well as influence.

This 6 track tape lives up to their live performance with all of the instruments having have space to breathe. Drums and cowbells start the layering off, then the bass creeps in and the guitars follow in suit, all adding something different which all seems to complement and come together at different times. It has the sonic space that the Minutemen occupied so well, just a little more jangly. Apparently there will be a new EP in early 2012. In the meantime pick up one of the tapes from www.shudderpulps.tumblr.com.

Cure Halls by shudderpulps

Yakuzzi Tapes

2011-10-02T17:01:00.000+01:00

Yakuzzi Tapes from Germany recently sent me a large box full of tapes of Hardcore / Grind / Garage Punk that has had my finger pointing on public transport, and picking up change in the office. To start with, all these tapes look super-amazing, with the types of card or paper used, the graphic design and the hand cut inserts that are in a few of the tapes (with lyrics or download codes), all lovingly put together. The tapes are all super clear and well mastered too, no need to pump up the stereo super loud for these guys, probably the opposite for some of the releases.
Go check out the following releases from their shop which is rammed full with loads of great hardcore records. Some of these are also in the Suplex store which will be cheaper for UK orders.

Quattro Stagioni - Discography

Holy shit, 58 tracks of power-violence style grindcore from Germany. I remember these guys from their records on the legendary 625 Records and their split with Iron Lung, but hadn't actually got round to getting any of them yet, which is handy as i now have their full 10 year career on one little cassette.
The pace rarely lets up on this discography save for the odd breakdown, with all the tracks coming in at around 30-90 seconds long, and continually punishing and brutal drumming throughout. I think it is closer to the Slap a Ham power violence scene than other grind bands like Pig Destroyer who have a more metal slant to them. This is still really punk, just shorter, faster, louder.

Quattro Stagioni - 45 RPM by spasticfantasticrecords

Irritones - (We Are) Negative Dots

One of the lighter and more trad punk tapes on Yakuzzi, this '77 punk loving band could easily fit in with fans of The Briefs and The Cute Lepers, although it doesn't have as much of a power punk feel to it. The one song that really gets me going is 'Japanese Cars', with its car loving drop outs viewpoint. It is all super catchy stuff but leans closer to the USA than the UK, definitely more of The Ramones than The Clash on this pink tape.

Irritones - Negative Dots by spasticfantasticrecords

The Ropes - Demo Tape

The Repos are back, but with a new name and the vocals are even harsher than before! Some of these demo tracks have made their way onto their already sold out 7" on Youth Attack, which will probably tell if you dig this or not. Not as arty as a lot of the Hardcore that Youth Attack puts out, and the vocals are insane, still stand out a mile.

The Ropes - Forward Defeat by spasticfantasticrecords

Uzbecks - Snaps Tape

Isreali garage punk that nods towards some Angry Samoans style early 80's melodic hardcore. It is crazy catchy and a shame it is only 4 songs, and probably the first punk band from Isreal that I have heard, which is a shame if they have more tucked away like this.

Uzbeks - Black Magic by spasticfantasticrecords

Take It Back / Mother Speed - Split Cassette

Take It Back are Indonesian, and love to thrash it up! This is real skate style hardcore a la What Happens Next and Bones Brigade. Fast, Melodic and strangely all sung in English, with Skating being the theme of the day for these dudes. Mother Speed on the flip side are representing the American thrash heritage, with some awesome breakdowns, ripping solo's and some gnarly gang vocals, not unlike the early Municipal Waste records, clocking in at less than 5mins for these 5 tracks!

Mother Speed - BBQ Island by spasticfantasticrecords

Civil Victim - The Wasted Years (2007-2009)

Some great tough 80's style Hardcore, totally ripping and mid paced in most places. The German Negative Approach or Necros. The 29 tracks on here cover their whole 2007-2009 period which takes in a handful of 7"s and Comp appearances. The last track, apparently by their roadie, is the only track that sounds totally different band and sticks out a bit, must be a good roadie?

Civil Victim - Coptown by spasticfantasticrecords

Septic Dieter - Demo Tape

According to the Yakuzzi blog, Septic Dieter are 80's influenced Krautpunk. To me this is some fast hardcore with a punk edge, especially on the breakdowns. The vocals are super croaky and raspy with all the lyrics in their native German tongue which sounds great in this type of band.

Septic Dieter - Pressure Makes Pressfleisch by spasticfantasticrecords

Cyborg - Demo Tape

Brutal power violence hardcore for fans of Spazz, Infest and Crossed Out. These 10 songs fly by and are totally unrelenting, and 15 years ago would have been on Slap a Ham records. Love this tape!

Cyborg - Pointless Rant by spasticfantasticrecords

Steve Austin - Discography Tape

This hand spray painted discography for Germany's Steve Austin is 40 songs in 38 mins of ridiculously brutal grind / power violence that is closer to the metal of Pig Destroyer than some of more punk side of grind that the other tapes i have received from Yakuzzi contain. Massive riffs which change up the speeds and go from all out blasting to slow beatdowns within 30 secs. There are some tracks that sound like a layering of multiple songs randomly that descends into noise grind chaos. Not for the fainthearted.

Steve Austin - Weg da Greis by spasticfantasticrecords

Sentridoh + Shrimper

2011-09-18T17:41:00.000+01:00

When I was a teenager, there was a veritable treasure trove of a Record shop in Reading called Green River Records, which became our central meeting point/group hangout and encyclopedia for Indie rock and punk that we had been exposed to. I was opened up to Shellac when the first 7" came out and was given discounts on classic Killdozer LP's. I bought Weezer's 'Sweater Song' single on cassette and first discovered a lot of the music i still cling to from those formative years.

One 7" that was a game changer was the Sentridoh 'losercore' 7" which was when i had just discovered Sebadoh, and it was recorded by Bob Weston of Shellac and released on Steve Shelley of Sonic Youth's label, so it was like the missing piece of a puzzle, and for only 50p!

My love for that 7" has always led me to holding a soft spot for Lou Barlow's ultra lo-fi acoustic tape recordings. Man can write a song regardless. So onto record shop story number two. I pick up a copy of the Lou Barlow's Acoustic Sentidoh - Winning Losers 10" from the increasingly amazing Kristina Records in Dalston and get offered the rare original Lou Barlow tapes pictured below plus a Shrimper Tape compilation with Sentridoh and early Mountain Goats, Franklin Bruno, Bugskull etc. Hitting gold for a second time.

I'm not going to write about these, tapes. You can't buy them anymore unless you get the CD or Vinyl re-issues (which you should) and those of you that need these recordings will already know it or not. Massive thank you to the guys in Kristina for being my new favourite place to spend money i don't have!

Sentridoh - Most of the Worst, Some of the Best of

16 songs including a covers of Bryan Adams and Sonic Youth.

Lou B's Acoustic Sentridoh - Wasted Pieces '87-'93

23 pieces in 38 minutes.
Pawnshop Reverb - (A Shrimper Compilation)

Featuring - Sentridoh, Al larson, Nothing Painted Blue, Carne A, Primordial, Undermind, Shoeface, Mountain Goats, Oar, WCKR SPGT, Lil Johnny 4, Refridgerator, Franklin Bruno, Paste, Goosewind, Buzzsaw, Bugskull, Halo, Satnam Puppets, The Jim Bishop Guitar Army, Showboat.

Sealings + Boneyards = Italian Beach Babes

2011-09-10T14:04:00.001+01:00

Italian Beach Babes has been kicking out some pretty quality releases for almost 2 years now, with Dirty Beaches, Mazes, Male Bonding, Fair Ohs, Graffiti Island, Fear of Men all making appearences across tapes, 7"s and 12"s. These are the two latest tapes with some Old Forest tape action on the way very soon (go pre-order it).

SEALINGS

I remember when the first Sealings tape (1st of 5 tape releases) came out a while back, it sounded like they had some pop songs being smeared by black metal leanings and distorted sound scapes. This new 4 track EP still retains that feeling, with screwed guitar lines and cutting drum machines beats. The vocals also sound pretty bleak, no hope anthems. Everyone seems to mark out their summer tunes, i'm marking this as my winter cassette, ripe for slipping in the walkman when leaving for work before the sun has risen and coming home after it has come down.

King Shot
Swag Chandelier
Cruel World
Black Hole

Sealings- King Shot by italianbeachbabes

BONEYARDS

Having some cartoon bong-smoking trolls on the cover of your tape is always a good thing. Throwing together some garage punk and mid 90's Indie punk is also a pretty good idea, thanks Boneyards!The first side is studio recorded, with a pretty clean sound and then side B side, which is self recorded kicks in, totally in the red and pushed to the limit. I don't know if its the reverb overkill or the strung out guitar lines that sound like buzzsaws but the second side sounds way better to me. The vocals have that Coachwhips tinny-scuzz to them and the drums are way heavier. Not too far from the Lovvers 'Think' record. I vote Side B.

Side A

Endless Summer
Dead Arm
Ride
Huanted Vomit

Side B

Snare Sneezer
Way Out
NowNowNow
Human Nature

Endless Summer by BONEYARDS

Snare Sneezer by BONEYARDS

Tense Men + Domestic Blitz = Cazenove Tapes

2011-09-10T11:57:00.000+01:00

LAC from Sauna Youth has started his own tape label. It was a no brainer that a SY member would have some choice picks to start their label with. Go buy the first two fruits of his punk loom HERE

TENSE MEN

Tense Men = Ollie Fisher of Cold Pumas + Rich Phoenix of Sauna Youth.

The four jams on this tape are tightly woven and dense workouts of noise punk with occasional deep vocal swells that hint at their musical day jobs. Switching it up from upbeat locked grooves at the start of the tape, with zoned-out repetition and sweet guitar riffs before ending on blissed out kraut waves as the tape runs to its conclusion. The loop pedal seems to be the grounding force in TM, the 2nd guitarist or bass player who doesn't drop a note when drunk and keeps the song constantly driving forwards regardless of where the other two are in the wig outs, meaning they don't relegated to the being one of those two pieces who are good but would be better as a three piece. This little pink tape kills it start to finish, buy it.

A Gruesome Discovery
Tubular Swells
Killing Birds
Dawn Tourists

TENSE MEN by TENSE MEN

DOMESTIC BLITZ - TIME IS MONEY, WASTE BOTH

Who are Domestic Blitz? They are not the late 79-81 punk band or the Australian DIY televison show? Who cares though when you have an album of skronked out punk like this. Sometime they have some garage punk inclinations, then they come over all Killdozer or maybe a drunken Modern Lovers, and then slow down and do a George Harrison cover (the best Beatle, good choice). This tape is confusing in all the right places, and has followed me to work a lot recently and always seems to be top of the tape listening pile. Waste your money on this.

1. Property Development

2. A New Man

3. Strange Feeling

4. Ancient Scroll

5. The Heartstrongs

6. Thinker

7. Ben

8. Don't Eat That Please

9. Sincerely Complicated

10. Stay In Touch

http://www.domestic-blitz.com/

Domestic Blitz - 5 by Sound Savers

Good Throb - Demo 2011

2011-08-19T17:59:00.000+01:00

Coming in the same package as The Love Triangle tape reviewed below and featuring a common member is as close to comparisons as you will get from the two tapes. Instead Good Throb deliver 9 tracks of noisey and atonal punk that drags and scrapes like the early Flipper albums.

The drums are super primal without being fast, the guitars are stabby in the right places, the bass is clangy and wire-y and the vocals grope at the song for dear life. It sounds aggressive but not macho, so maybe it is because 3/4 of this band are female that this demo shows a different side to aggressive and angry punk. The whole thing is pretty catchy too, unlike a lot of no-wave noise punk, and 'Toner Loner' has remained in my head all week, with it's office life critiques and screams of 'Paper Jams / Beyond Repair!'

Buy this tape HERE and check Good Throb out HERE

Side A

Animal Fuck

Bag

Culture Vulture

Detritus In The Kitchen

Drink 2

Sexual Pension

Side B

Shit Wife Day

Sick Party

Toner Loner

Animal Fuck by Good Throb

The Love Triangle - Tape # 4

2011-08-19T15:54:00.000+01:00

I totally love this band and love this tape! Their 7" on Dire Records last year was incredible, and the fact that 2/3 of this band are also in The Sceptres and The Shitty Limits only makes it better. These 4 new songs are not as blink-and -they're-over as previous recordings and make me hungry for an album of The Love Triangles paisley garbage punk.

This tape is only £2, it has 4 catchy as hell songs that mix garage rock and 80's punk perfectly, no reason not too really. Look out for their new 7" dropping soon, again on Dire.

Tracklisting:

Empty Head

Take Me To Bed

Simple Language

When We're Alone

The Hipshakes - Sounds We Found (Scotch Tapes)

2011-08-19T10:23:00.001+01:00

The second album from Derby garage punk kids that was only released on tape by the lovely Scotch Tapes a year or two ago. It has been in my review pile for a while, and i had forgotten that they really speed through their tracks, no psych breakdowns here. I love the group chant vocals over chaotic and fast three chord jams, which sounds like a hardcore band who picked up a Pebbles Box set instead of the obligatory Black Flag / Dead Kennedys LP's.

I don't know if this came out on vinyl, some Internet snooping suggests not, which is a shame, as these speedy garage punk tracks would fit in with both fans of Black Lips and Circle Jerks. Time someone made a tape of all their out of print 7"s maybe?

Side A

Lets Get Acquainted
I'm Alright
Wasted Time
Real Woman
I Try
Days of Destiny
Searchin'

Side B

Not Like I've Had before
Five Years Time
T-Shirt
I hate Hipshakes
Stuck In This Life
Now We Know
Bruces Party Song
Rovin Down The River

Strike a Match - Demo (Self Released)

2011-08-19T09:38:00.002+01:00

This little red and yellow tape arrived in the post this week from Norway, stuffed with gig flyers and a really cool hand written letter that made me wish this was how all packages were still sent, rather than a one line email and a link to a soundcloud account that drops into my inbox pretty regularly. Send stuff to my postbox please, not imy inbox.

From the Peanuts style ink drawing on the front, i didn't think i would be getting the Norwegian Revolution Summer style Hardcore that fills the two sides of this cassette. It kicks off sharply with the self referencial and titular track of pure anthemic Strike Anywhere esque melodic hardcore with its Anti-Capitalist lyrical content that is begging me to point my finger in the air!

Then the mood changes and the hints of Rites of Spring and One Last Wish creep in with a slightly screamy drawl which stays on the right side of not being screamo. I would put his scream closer to that of the JR Ewing vocalist when he was pushing it rather than some generic screamo band.

I dont know if there is something they put in the water in Norway, but there seemsa to be a stylistic sound that flowed from JR Ewing to The Team Spirit to Kaospilot to I.O.U and now to Strike a Match. It's the non macho approach to hardcore music and the angular lines that cut through, with a nice dose of killer rock n roll riffs which is probably why it sits in the Dischord camp.

I dont know if they still have any copies of this tape left from its 50 copy run from 2009 but you can download this demo from http://www.strikeamatch.no/ , and finger point at the guy opposite you on the bus on the way to work!

Tracklisting:

Strike a Match
1000 Eyes
Dead Time In The Living Room
You Don't Have to Fuck
Sleepers Awake
Let's Be Human Beings

http://strikeamatch.bandcamp.com/

Cum Stain - S/T (Burger Records)

2011-05-02T23:25:00.000+01:00

Another great cassette in a long line of Burger Records releases. I think a third of all the tapes I have bought in the past 2 years have come from those guys, putting to tape some of my favourite records from bands like Ty Segall, No Bunny, Traditional Fools, King Tuff, Shannon & The Clams and also a whole load of bands I have never heard of before, which are generally pretty damn good due to the Burger dudes impeccable taste in music!

Cum Stain sit firmly in the second category for me, a band I have never heard or heard of before. The artwork definitely plays on first impressions, along with it being cased in a nice yellow (pee coloured?) case, with the fez and belt wearing penis hinting that these guys are not using this tape to attract the attention of one of the big boys.
The music throws up some snotty garage punk, heavy on the snot, with some good old Ramones-esque punk. Tracks like 'Slip It off/Slip It In' throws in some slight surf vibes with a nice line in caveman stomp, not too unlike some of Ty's early bands like Traditional Fools and Party Fowl. 'I Want It Now' speeds through amazing back from the grave riffs if played by The Germs and is my pick for stand out track.

Over before it gets started, this album understands that youthful exuberance and fun time garage punk doesn't need to drag ,or hang around. Get in and get out before people need to refill their drinks.

Tracklisting:

Bachelors Life
Broke My Dick
No Hearts
Big Mean Maniac
Just A Kid
Vicdumb
Slip It Off / Slip It In
Shoker
I Want It Now
Suckher 4 U
Jack Shack
Cum Stain

Coleen Green - Milo Goes To College (Suffering Jukebox)

2011-04-18T20:08:00.002+01:00

Posted simultaneously on Ghost Panda Digital

Ok, good news or bad news first? Bad news right? This amazing tape is now long gone, totally sold out and is unlikely to made again, sorry! The good news is that Coleen Green is now recording for Hardly Art Records, the Sub Pop offshoot label that has dropped some killer records in the past few years, with new CG records on their way.

This orange slice of tape starts with a downbeat cover of The Descendents 'Good Good Things'. Although not from their namesake debut album, this is a great cover, with slowed down drum machines and fuzzed out palm muted down strokes replacing the full band original. Carrying on the punk tributes comes 'I Wanna Be Degraded', on obvious take on The Ramones 'I Wanna Be Sedated' which adds a certain sacharine quality that continues throughout the rest of the tape.

I remember when the market was flooded with the vast amounts of punk bands covering classic pop songs in the mid 90's, and in particular Me First & The Gimme Gimme's making a side career from it, but now it seems that the table has turned with dreamy indie versions of punk classics like these getting their dues. Although not all of the 8 tracks on this tape alude to a classic punk song or reference, i feel like i have heard these songs before and they become memorable instantly. Tracks like 'I Will Follow Him' have become stuck in the part of brain that usually reserves space for tunes that i hum and then take an hour to remember who it is. Thanks Coleen.

Congrats if you can find a copy of this tape and thanks to Jack from Suffering Jukebox/Mazes for finding a copy for me.

Side A

Good Good Things
I Wanna be Degraded
Goldmine
I Will Follow Him

Side B

Always On My Mind
Nice Boy (I Want A)
Worship You
The Day I Fell In Love With You

Colleen Green - Worship You by berman1125

Sauna Youth - Planet Sounds (Self Released)

2011-04-16T19:15:00.001+01:00

Serious no brainer here. My favourite UK band delivers a tape which is comprised of a 5 song radio session on Side A and 2 new covers on Side B given the SY treatment by members Pines and Boon respectively.

I think this radio session was recorded on their very first jaunt away and in the relative infancy of the band for a radio blog in Southampton, with 5 now classic tunes chosen including my favourite choice, 'Mild Horses'. Your also get cuts that have appeared on the new 'Lists' 7", the original Demo Cassette and 'Eurozone' that hasn't popped up anywhere else as far as i know? Its a good clear recording and is totally enjoyable, unlike a lot of live recordings that get thrown on tape for the sake of it.

The real reason for getting this tape though, is the two tracks on Side B. First up is SY guitarist, Pines, re-working of 'Teenage Summer' by Thee Headaches. The song is a motorik space rock journey of a song that recalls parts of Moon Duo's 'Escape' EP with minimal drum machine sounds, repetitive bass lines that could have come from a Stooges demo and some psych riffing on top. All of this is topped with a mantra of 'My teeage, my teenage, my teenage summer' over and over. That's a bong hit of a song for sure.

The second track is from Boon, SY vocalist, who remakes a track by The Magic Lanterns ( i think a mid 60's pop rock band) called Dreamlands. It definately has the hooks & chorus' that are typical of Sauna Youth records with a nice little major keyboard line that just screams summertime (in your face). In fact it makes me feel the same as when i listen to Eddy Current Suppresion Ring, wishing i could watch them on a sunny beach with a drink in hand!

Get this tape, even of you have most of the tracks already, you will go ape over the B side. Can i give Side of the year instead of Tape of the year?

Side A

Delta Caps
Pictures of Cats
Deal Castle
Eurozone
Mild Horses

Side B

Teenage Summer
Dreamlands

Teenage Summer from lindsay on Vimeo.

The Lowest Form - Some Horrible Bug (Low Tapes)

2011-04-16T14:59:00.000+01:00

Man, this tape is good! Really noisey, feedback drenched hardcore that leans slightly to the crust side without ripping too much of a D-Beat charge. References to Sex/Vid, Void and Seige have been thrown around in the small amount of online attention they have, but 'Some Horrible Bug' seems tighter than those bands, stamping ahead with dense riffs and amazing breakdowns that prevent the tape from flying past in a blur. In fact, unlike a lot of hardcore records out there, each track really stands out on its own and don't just mesh into each other.

As the tape progresses, the noise starts to creep in, and on one song in particular, a real black metal feel desends, but much more akin to the murkier USBM of Leviathan or Xasthur than their european counterparts. There is some really interesting guitar playing on this demo, maybe its the noise influence or a love of dark psychedelia, but whilst one guitar seems to hold it all down, the other grates out some amazing sonic scrapings. It made sense when you realise The Lowest Form is made up of people from noise duo Birds of Delay, psych dudes in Please and the man who runs Londons best hardcore label La Vida Es Un Mus. Fingers crossed for a vinyl release.

The Lowest Form - "Wrong Decision" by LOWRECORDINGS

The Lowest Form - "7.4.3" by LOWRECORDINGS

Coconut Coolouts - Cult Doughnuts (Scotch Tapes)

2010-11-07T17:18:00.001Z

From the get go the Coconut Coolouts pile straight into some cretin rock that fuses a little of the Ramones punk stomp with some organ fuzz of the Mummies. The song titles on this singles collection also hints heavily to what you would expect with tracks like 'Pizzafest', 'Nerd Holocaust', 'Punk House Part 1' and 'Pizza Regret'. They definitely share ground with current bands like Mean Jeans and Personal & The Pizza's with some garage punk, some power-pop, touch of glam and a love for pizza and monsters.

I have had this on the review shelf for ages (along with a bunch of Scotch Tapes releases that need reviewing)and as soon as i put it in to listen to, i felt like i knew the songs already. I cannot have listened to it more than 2 or 3 times in the past year but here i am singing along whilst doing the washing up and humming the chorus' whilst playing with the cat. It is infectious to a fault and will no doubt be ringing through the mass of empty space between my ears for days to come.

The recordings are pretty primitive on some tracks, but then they list Captain Caveman as inspiration, and if he manned the mixing desk then it would make total sense, maybe only in my head,to get that authentic primitive cave stomp going on.

As there seems to be only a handful of 7"s and one LP to the CC's credit, this tape is a perfect jumping off point and is both good for social dance parties and bedroom hair brush/mirror sessions.

Also posted on Ghost Panda!

Tracklisting

Intro
The Spinaround
Pizzafest
The Monsters Crash
Do The Dolphin
Spell It Out Dummy
We Drink Blood
Pizza Regret
The Last Man That You Will Ever See
I Want To Come Back From The World of LSD
Mary Anne
Intro Part 2
Punk House Part 1
Nerd Holocaust
Yeah, Right?
Swim
Messed Up Man

coconut coolouts music video from craig downing on Vimeo.

Jonesin' - For a Good Time (self released)

2010-08-08T16:27:00.005+01:00

This tape fell into my hands after meeting Matt & Jen from Jonesin' whilst both our bands were playing a festival in sunny Sardinia. The sun had been out, the drinks had been flowing and we all shared a similar language which resulted in alot of mutual put downs and high fives at unfunny jokes, but hey, we were on holiday! If memory serves, i didn't pay for this and drunkenly demanded it after telling him how good my tape blog was? Sorry Matt, i hope this review makes up for it!

This tape is the second album from this soon to be married duo, who when playing live, sing and dance over a breaking down boom box kicking out their happy and carefree indie pop. Mostly it reminds me of this girl/boy indie band from a while back called Joy Zipper, who also had this sun stained California vibe with a few elements of the lo-fi twee thing that alot of bands in London do, like Internet Forever and Pens. It's also pretty cool to see a couple doing this together, sharing the love with synchronised dance moves!

This tape has made me smile whilst walking to work in the rain since returning from Sardinia and i will have it on standby as my motivator to make it to that early train on time!

For all things Jonesin' go here

Jonesin' - For A Good Time

Been There Done That
Paint
Aliens 2
3D Glasses
Wouldn't It Be Wonderful
I Wanna Pass Out
Bring me The Head Of Carlos Santana
Vampires At The House Party
WWZD
Wizard Robes
Look Don't Touch
Skippin' Class
Sunglasses At Breakfast

Weird Dreams - 4 Song EP (Sleepy King Cassettes)

2010-08-08T16:27:00.004+01:00

Weird Dreams self titled tape is the first release for Sleep All Day Records little brother tape label Sleepy King Cassettes which has kicked off in good style with these four garage punk / doo-wop/ glam tracks that are all pretty catchy, but with a romantic heart on sleeve kick to them, kinda like a late era slowed down Jay Retard playing doo wop, with a little hint of T-Rex.

There is also a definate mid 90's indie feel in the guitars but with really sweet vocals, especially on 'Birthday Blues'. After seeing their first gig, it became apparent that they only recorded these 4 songs as this is all they have written so far, and it was all they played in their 10-15 minute set. But it is always better when i'm left wanting more than beeing bored by 45 min wig outs by bands who no one knows or cares about yet. I'm looking forward for more Weird Dreams soon.

Only 50 copies from SAD or Rough Trade

Weird Dreams - EP (Sleepy King)

Hurt So Bad
Where'd I Go Wrong
Birthday Blues
Little Girl

Where'd I Go Wrong? by Weird Dreams

Weird Dreams - Hurt So Bad by Brattwell Recordings

Mazes - Mixtape

2010-08-08T16:27:00.003+01:00

I have to start by giving the IBB blurb which describes this tape as:

'In the tradition of Sebadohs 'The Freed Weed' and the series of Fucked Up mixtapes, Italian Beach Babes will be releasing a 30 track mixtape of covers, acoustic versions, alternative takes, samples and ideas from the band Mazes.'

And this tape does exactly what it says on the can, with loads of tracks culled from loads of different sessions and ideas. Kicking straight off is 'Huffing NV' which is basically just Jack with his guitar plugged in which then quickly moves into 'Church Street' with its distorto keyboard refrain and fuzzy backing vox that barely lasts a full minute. All these 30 tracks keeping on going like this, a non stop mix of full band studio takes, bedroom 1 man takes and over fuzzed home recordings.

There is definately two great albums worth of ideas on here and i'm really glad these recordings are coming out now, like a pre-emptive 'Suitcase' for the UK's answer to Robert Pollard. The are definate Guided By Voices-isms on here, but not in an American lo-fi way, more so in the way that the tape flows with everything thrown in for the listener to wade through, letting your favourites climb out of the speakers themselves. Also, the version of 'Bowie Knives' on here is my favourite, what can i say, less is sometimes more!

Buy from Italian Beach Babes, only 50 copies on lilac cassette.

Mazes - Mixtape (Italian Beach Babes)

1. Huffing NV
2. Church Street
3. Urgh
4. I Don't Wanna Know
5. Bowie Knife One
6. Shuffle Board
7. A Metric Tower
8. Athens Song
9. What D'Ya Reckon
10. I Don't Know What's Wrong
11. I'm A Smoker
12. No Way
13. Iz It?
14. Checkers
15. Jarin & Jay Don't Like This
16. Sand On Your Neck
17. Munchkins
18. Temperton Tecker
19. Jump
20. Illegitimate Love
21. Urgh x 100
22. Shit Priest
23. Don't Worry Baby
24. Dire Strait's Brothers In Arms
25. Vampire Jive 1
26. Fingers
27. Amelie
28. Eva
29. Till I'm Dead
30. Danny Elfman
Don't Worry Baby - Mazes by Suffering Jukebox

Clorox Girls - Demos, Rarities and Early 7"s (Burger)

2010-08-08T16:27:00.000+01:00

I love this band. Watching them live is so fun with obligatory crowd surfing, Black Flag covers and fun time mayhems, whilst their 'This Dimension' LP was top my 2006/7 jams. This tape collects together songs from 7"s, alt versions of songs you may already know and love and some stuff i have never heard.

If you are new to the Clorox Girls then this tape is for you, with a perfect of mix Ramones punk, the snotty-ness of early Red Kross and the Germs with the power pop of the Exploding Hearts. Its a killer mix, with most of their songs making great hook filled A-sides. The one constant in the band is Justin who has also moonlighted in a hundred great punk bands whilst travelling the world, and on here he has taken his experiences and recorded one of the tracks in three different languages, German, Spanish and Italian (i think?). The acoustic demos at the end are well recorded and not throw away in the least, whilst the alternative take of 'Hitman' is a fuzzed out and less clear version, but still super fun.

I have always loved the Clorox Girls and always thought it was shame they were not as appreciated as i thought they should be, but for any fan, this tape will be a great collection addition, and for any newcomers it's a great start. Well done Burger for keeping up the quality!

Tracklisting

Baby
Get Away
Hitman
Trashy Daydream
This Dimension
Animal Eyes
Eva Braun
In My Mouth
Walk The Streets
Novacaine
Trashy Daydream 2
Nicht Miene Stadt
Mi Cuidad Natal
Minha Cidade Natal
Genocide (demo)
Bad Girls (demo)
Marina's Vampire

King Tuff - Was Dead (Burger Records)

2010-07-28T21:22:00.001+01:00

I had this tape on my walkman for a good week before i realised that Mr. King Tuff himself, was also the singer in Witch (who happen to have a certain J Mascis on drums) and the brains behind new SubPop power pop signings Happy Birthday, whose 'Girls FM' song was glued to my brain for a good month.

Does this knowledge change the tape? Not really. King Tuff sways a little more to the glam side of punk, but with his foot still in the garage door? It is all pretty sunny too, regardless of the lyrics and album title, with those melodies that float around in a happy way. Almost like if J Mascis had jumped in on a Jay Reatard session, good time rock n roll jams all the way. I was a little sad to think this tape was the nail in the King Tuff coffin since Happy Birthday have started to make waves, but the King Tuff myspace says that new songs are coming soon. I'm holding on for the next stage in KT's resurrection, and i am sure it will be as much fun.

Side A

Dancing on You
Connection
Sun Medallion
Lazerbeam
Lady
A Pretty Dress
Ruthie

Side B

Just Strut
Kind of Guy
Freak When I'm Dead
Animal
Stone Fox
So Desperate

also posted on Ghost Panda Digital

Ty Segall - S/T & Lemons (Burger Records)

2010-07-11T22:37:00.003+01:00

Picture courtesy of Panda Digital

If you have read any of my tape reviews for Tapelove or pieces for Ghost Panda before, then you may have worked out that I have a lot of love for Burger Records. It is by far and away my favourite label, for tapes or otherwise, and with this new tape they have surpassed themselves by re-issuing the first two Ty Segall albums that they had previously released as a nice 2-albums-on-one tape package, for the same low cost of one tape! They have also extended the same 2-for-1 love to both of the excellent No Bunny albums ('Love Visions' & 'Raw Romance') they had released and promptly sold out of.

So, we have the 'Self Titled' debut by Ty Segall kicking off on side A. For the newcomers to Ty Segall, he is up there with the best of them for recorded output. Off the top of my head I can think of his input to The Traditional Fools, Epsilons, Sic Alps, Party Fowl, The Perverts and the Ty Segall/Mikal Cronin collaborations, each band with a nice back catalogue of their own, and he still looks like he is in his early 20's! All of the bands he has played in have traversed a variety of styles all stemming from garage punk, with elements of surf, noise, psych and punk thrown in. His solo stuff strips it back a notch with this first album mainly consisting of one guitar, vox and simple drums which he plays with his feet live, the original one-man-band set up. This doesn't stop him from kickin' out the jams though, with a continued ferocity to match his full bands output. In fact, these songs are his most concise with party bangers like 'You Should Have Never Opened That Door' and 'Pretty Baby (You're So Ugly)' and slow burners like 'The Drag' and 'You're Not Me' making an incredibly rounded first solo full length.

Flipping over to side B we get the whole of 'Lemons', his second record (not including 'Horn The Unicorn', the collection of singles and early material) which sounds more like a band effort, reflected in his three-piece band line-up to tour this record. Starting off with 'It #1' a mid-paced fuzzy stomper with a dirty repetitive riff below some scratchy single note solos, kept constant by some sharp snare hits. The pace is picked up through the record, but it still feels purposely refrained, giving all the songs room to breathe rather than speeding through them for the sake of it, with the drums keeping the songs together as much as the guitars, which seems understandable as he drummed in any many bands as he has played guitar. There is also a lot more in the way of harmonies and backing vocals with this album too, which really elevates them and adds another layer to the usual ultra-reverbed out vocals

The two albums sit nicely next to each other on repeated plays and the differences are only ones of production and recording. I keep on expecting Ty Segall and his fellow cohorts in Thee Oh Sees, Fresh & Onlys, Dan Melchior to release a dud record as they seem to kick out an unlimited amount of albums, E.P's, 7"s and comp. appearances as well as constant touring, but the ball is rarely dropped. Quality and quantity? If this was the heyday of delta blues I’m sure there would be rumours of soul selling to the man downstairs, but hey, if it’s good, just keep the records coming.

This tape is essential, and probably the best starting point to Mr Segall's huge discography, but like a gateway drug, it will lead to more purchases and a slimmer bank balance. You've been warned.

Side A = Self Titled

Side B = Lemons

Posted simultaneously on Panda Digital

Teeth - Jammers 2008-2009 (Milk)

2010-06-29T21:00:00.001+01:00

I'm totally down with Teeth!!! I hope that with the arrival of their 1st 7" on Moshi Moshi they will get the chance to play to more people and have large crowds of indie/punk/rave kids dancing to their tunes. Coming out of the recent lo-fi explosion from the UK, but instead of the standard 3 piece power trio of guitar, bass and drums that is taking over, Teeth!!! have Veronica on vocals, Ximon on Laptop and Simon on drums, albeit a stripped back kit with an electronic kick. The first time i saw them they had an audience of Brighton/London punks dancing their socks off. Infectious and aggressive.

I came away thinking it was like the glory days of Troubleman and Dim Mak records when indie kids were experimenting with electronics but bringing their punk ideals and spirit forwards, like the Numbers and Erase Errata split record or the Tigerbeat 6 record label.

This is their debut tape which is all the early recordings, home demos and practice rehearsals which are still exciting to listen to, just a little more fractured and damaged than their new tracks. These 10 tracks are pretty psychedelic in the meltdown and punk in their delivery and if they are not making you dance around the bedroom, they will harshing your mellow in the best kind of way.

The only minor criticism i have is that the tape is just that, a tape. It had no artwork and was just a green tape in a clear case with the song titles written on the side in pen, which have already been rubbed off, hence the lack of song titles for everything below. It's a minor gripe for an awesome tape.

Buy from www.milkrecords.bigcartel.com/

Tracklist

If I Ever
Who's Afraid of Detroit
Detox Wigga
EarBlower
Hulk Dash
Dorks
Total ??? Lay
??
Dead Boys
???

Video of song for new 7" on moshi moshi

V/A - Crocodiles UK Tour Tape (Loud & Quiet)

2010-06-29T19:05:00.004+01:00

If you live in a large city in the UK and regularly go to independent record shops, chance is you may have stumbled over Loud & Quiet magazine, a old print newspaper style music rag that actually covers some good bands from the UK as well as our foreign friends. This is the tape they made to promote the Crocodiles UK tour which has a new track as well as tracks from some of the UK bands that supported them on their trip around our little island.

Obviously i'll start with Crocodiles, a two piece band from San Diego that sound a lot like the Jesus ands Mary Chain and many of the bands around today. I have their album but don't normally get past the first side, all the songs have their merits but in a row they seem to meld into one and doesn't hold my attention. But this isn't a review of their LP, so i will say this song 'Hollow Hollow Eyes' is as good as their good songs with a nice organ thrown in the mix. Mazes step up next with my fave track of theirs so far. Seriously, if this was released on Matador in the mid 90's it would have been on MTV, 'Summer Hitz' does what it says on the can.

Next is Golden Grrrls who i love and am biased about as i released a tape for them and totally heart their self titled tape and live shows. Although this is buried under some lovely fuzz and cloud drones, you know there is a great pop tune waiting to come out, and live they are more of a full band affair that shows the great Scottish heritage, which is my way of saying they remind me of The Pastels (a good thing). Finishing off this side is Cheatahs, with a track from Nathans tape onParadise Vendors Inc. Blown out recordings again covering a good pop song that really changes when you see him live. Sweet vocals float over the top with one of the catchiest chorus on this tape that is part Guided By Voices and part The Bitters cave pop.

Side 2 kicks straight in with those sexy bastions for repetition from Brighton, Cold Pumas with a really early track that only hints at the potential these guys are now stepping up to. 'Day Monk/Night Monk' is noisy like most of their tracks but not as poppy as they became with 'Jela' and 'Beat Mystery'. Brighton / London is represented next in the shape of La La Vasquez who punch their way through 'Don't Rush Me' which flows like a Girls In the Garage track for the Captured Tracks generation. Mega catchy bass lines too!

Next is the power garage punk of The Hipshakes that is a punked up does of Nuggets sort of tune. Short, fast and Paisley maybe? I really like it and recommend getting their new tape album on Scotch tapes. The next band, Egyptian Hip Hop is my least favourite on here. Multiple vocals over keys and gtrs and drum machines which just seem to float about and not head in any defined direction. Pretty boring i thought in an inoffensive way.

Good tape made up of previously released tracks, but still worth getting for the unreleased gems on here. www.loudandquietcassettes.bigcartel.com
Side A

Crocodiles - Hollow Hollow Eyes
Mazes - Summer Hitz (Main Dyke)
Golden Grrls - Duane Denison
Cheatahs - Lycanthropy

Side B

Cold Pumas - Day Monk/Night Monk
La La Vasquez - Dont Rush Me
The Hipshakes - Not Like I've Had Before
Egyptian Hip Hop - Rad Pitt

Kommie Kilpatrick / Champions of Breakfast - Split tape ( self released)

2010-06-01T18:56:00.001+01:00

Kommie Kilpatrick also sent me this tape when they sent me their self released 'Weird City' tape (reviewed below) which is on the KK side is all covers of Champions of Breakfast and vice-versa. I like it when bands kick out the odd cover with friends bands, but 9 tracks?

The KK covers of COB seems a little slower than their 'Weird City' releases, and with a change in songwriter comes a change of lyrics, so the old fare of young dumb scum punk is replaced with some real Swords N' Sorcery content with talk of dragons and spells and song titles like 'When Trolls Roam The Earth'! The 3rd track also drops in some nice keys action whilst the last track,'Nasty Bunz' reminds me more of their own tracks, a little faster and a little snottier.

Flipping over the tape i get Champions of Breakfast take on Kommie Kilpatrick which was not what i expected. Instead of Orc filled fantasy metal i get electro beats and processed vocals, a few glitches and some straight up dance rock. It's pretty funny hearing these beat inspired tracks with repeated 'Get Punched In the Face' over and over, but ultimately its only funny once and I'm probably gonna stick to side one and my ever growing fondness for Kommie Kilpatrick.

www.myspace.com/kommiekilpatrick
http://www.myspace.com/thechampionsofbreakfast

Kommie Kilpatrick - Weird City (self released)

2010-06-01T18:55:00.003+01:00

I think everyone needs a few dumb punk records in their collection, maybe the 'Cretin Rock' of the Ramones or the majority of NoFX's back catalogue, a little Angry Samoans or some modern dude punk like Mean Jeans and Personal & The Pizza's. Either way I get cravings for a bunch of peeps not taking themselves too seriously, just kicking out some good, simple, short fast and loud punk/hardcore.

Kommie Kilpatrick from Detroit, Michigan sent me this tape which is full of song titles like 'Bad News Beers' and 'Skate, Die, Stink' which makes me smile as they stumble from tune to tune. The one thing that came to mind repeatedly was Red Kross 'Born Innocent' era with that angry youth attack.

This is not anything new, but that's not why i listen to this stuff. I listen to it as it makes me happy on that long walk to work and occasionally pushes me to give a little fist pump when i think no-one else is looking.

Tracklist:

Kommie Kilpatrick - Weird City

2 Girls 2 Fuck
Amateur Cool
Crash Your Car
(I Don't Wanna) Get Stabbed Tonight
Friday Night
Bad News Beers
I Need Dinner
Outta Here
Runnin Wild!
Skate, Die, Stink
Creature of Habit

buy from www.myspace.com/kommiekilpatrick

Welcome Home 'Diggin' The Universe' A Woodsist Compilation -V/A (Woodsist)

2010-06-01T18:54:00.004+01:00

A tape collection from the Woodsist label is either a must have purchase for you or just another standard of the recent lo-fi zeitgeist. I am personally in the former camp for the majority of this tape and having recently fallen in love with label owner Jeremy Earls own band Woods through 2009's semi-breakthrough Lp 'Songs of Shame', I am glad to have a new tune kick off this nice piece of black plastic. The high pitch Neil Young-esque vocals suck me in as do the warmth of the recordings, with great simple pop songs that glue themselves to my mind using stripped back acoustics and hand clapped percussion.

Run DMT play a warped and delicious psych pop that could be lifted from an unknown Olivia Tremor Control record. Elephant 6 revivalism already? The heaviness of White Fences sends shocks with some dirty organs and squalling guitar whilst the Fresh & Onlys effort maintains their pedigree whilst also chasing the Dan Melchiors,Thee Oh Sees & Ty Segall's for the title of amount of records released each year.

I'm new to The Mantles and Skygreen Leopards and enjoy them both, whilst Alex Bleeker goes alone without his Freaks or Real Estate to finish off this first side nicely.

The biggest surprise to this Woodsist Comp. tape for me is liking the Moon Duo song, loving even. I'm not a fan of Wooden Shjips and their psych-prog wig outs, but the bass led riff on the Moon Duo track is great, totally not what i expected at all from them.

City Center don't offend, but don't enthrall either, whilst Cause Co Motion take things up a notch wit their jaunty anglophile messy indie punk before rolling through into new boys Art Museums whose 80's synth and guitar brand of pop sounds like a Captured Tracks band with an affinity to emotionally sappy songs that fill each and every John Hughes teen classic.

Nodzzz Lp and 2 x 7" are always up high in my play lists so a new track is very welcome with 'Old Clothes' having a much rawer live recording sound, but song wise, it could have come from any of their releases. I don't expect grand departures with Nodzzz, and I'm sure disappointment would only follow an Animal Collective style change in direction, so the same great guitar pop songs keeps on pleasing.

Finishing up the tape is a Ducktails song that removes the swirling keyboard melodies and summer repetition we are used to and goes with an acoustic guitar piece that sounds more like Matt's other day job as guitarist for Real Estate, just minus band. I could really do with a lot more of this type of Ducktails songs, incredible.

I'm sure this tape will sell out in seconds as do most things on Fuck It Tapes/Woodsist but i know it will soon drop as a nice piece of vinyl, definitely an essential '2010 purchase.

Tracklist

Woods - I'm Not Gone
Run DMT - Richard
White Fences - The Love Between
The Fresh & Onlys - Heel Toe
The Mantles - Bad Movies
Skygreen Leopards - Catch
Alex Bleeker - Gettin By

Moon Duo - A Little Way Different
City Center - Box of Rain
Cause Co-Motion - Over U
Art Museums - Darling Are You Out Of Your League Again
Nodzzz - Old Clothes
Ducktails - Sun Out My Window

get from www.woodsist.com

Dum Dum Girls - Blissed Out (Art Fag)

2010-06-01T18:50:00.005+01:00

I'm pretty sure that this sold out almost immediately on pre-orders, impressive for 300 copies of a so called dead format. It did help that these copies were only available from Art Fag Records (who have released Graffiti Island, Crocodiles, Pens and Ye Olde Maids etc) and special ltd tape colours were given to Sub Pop and Rough Trade records, good company by any standards.

This tape has not yet left my bag since i got it, heavy rotation will soon become worn out tape if I'm not careful. I fell for the DDG's like everyone else after her first 12" EP which stood out above the hoards of lo-fi releases that get online hype, with catchy as hell songs lying under a layer of fuzz and reverbed out vox. We have all those tunes on this tape, with songs from all her first releases, splits and comps and a few extras, including Delta 5 and Black Tambourine covers. In fact the only negative about this grey cassette, is that i thought it would have cover of G.G Allins 'Don't Talk To Me' on it, which is by far away the best G.G cover to grace my ears and is totally made her own. It's a small gripe, I'll get over it.

If you see this for sale, buy it before it becomes ebay gold, which it probably is already. If not, just tape it off a friend and photocopy the cover like we used to do.

Side A

Ship of Love
Hey Sis
Throw Aggi
Catholicked
Let It Be Me
Mercury Mary

Side B

Brite Futures
Put a Sock In It
M.Y.O.B
Longhair
Dream Away Life

get from www.artfagrecordings.blogspot.com or from Rough Trade (UK) or Sub Pop (US)

The Bitters - East General ( Release The Bats)

2010-05-31T14:50:00.004+01:00

I still haven't worked out if i like this yet. I have been putting off this write up as i think this album is a grower, it has definitely some killer parts to some of the songs, but it just doesn't sink in easily and some of it still grates my ears. I was a big fan of the 'Wooden Glove'EP that came out last year on Captured Tracks, its big choruses, triumphant guitars and killer dual vocals. This doesn't give me the same want to play it over and over again. But it's not bad. I think. I don't know?

I may have to file it under records-that-may-grow-on-me-but-i-probably-wont-listen-to-enough-to-let-it. Maybe it's because it sounds pretty grunge, one of the musical eras of my childhood i don't look back on with rose tinted specs? I do get an itching to listen to Babes in Toyland again. This is wrong. Or is t?

I'm sure all of the Young Guv's fan boys will have this on every format anyway along with the other 27 releases he has put out recently. That's not a dig at bands putting out lots of records, if the songs are all good enough to release then do it, and from what I've managed to pick up, i like alot of it, just maybe a bit more than The Bitters.

The Bitters - East General (release the bats)

1. Wild Beast
2. Nurtured Disease
3. Nails In The Coffin
4. No Anchor
5. Beggar
6. The New Real Way
7. East
8. Impatient As Can Be
9. Bitters Bust
10. Travelin' Girl
11. I'm Feelin' Good

get from italianbeachbabes.bigcartel.com (UK) or www.releasethebats.com

The Bitters - Travelin' Girl from Mexican Summer on Vimeo.

Ale Mania - Essayes ( Sixteen Tambourines)

2010-05-31T14:49:00.004+01:00

Ale Mania is 2 dudes from San Diego who also moonlight in Beaters who kick out a nice line in noisey garagey punk tunes, which carries across a little to some of the tracks on this cassette, but it is buried or nestled under layers
of swirling synths, gated drums and smooth vocal lines. I feel like i'm in a seedy 80's dive full of synth punks and bent police drinking cheap liqueur to drown sorrows.

By no means is it tropical in sound but it has a sense of heat to it, sweaty moist heat. Post punks layers sweep in, but it is too accomplished to portray the simplicity that post punk sometimes follows, and it has a sense of soul to it and i imagine if played in the right place it would get people onto the dance floor.

These tracks are culled from their recent 7"s on Volar and Hell Yes!! Records and some compilation appearances with a bonus exclusive track, in a similar vein to the recent Beaters cassette on Suplex Cassettes. The packaging also came in a nice protective plastic sleeve like an LP and the artwork includes an acetate interpretation of the artwork tucked inside, again great attention to detail which sets certain packages away from others. This tape is highly recommended if you already like this band and essential if you have no Ale Mania in your life.

Ale Mania - Essayes (sixteen tambourines)

1. Lustfulfistful
2. Robust Universe
3. DC Rails
4. I've Let Myself Go
5. Ramp Age
6. Vomitpig

http://sixteentambourines.bigcartel.com/

Ale mania-robust universe by Suplex

Blessure Grave - Live In Oakland, CA ( Italian Beach Babes)

2010-05-31T14:48:00.005+01:00

The second in the Italian Beach Babes live tape series (the first being the Male Bonding/Fair Ohs live in London tape) which sees the gloomy death punk Blessure Grave kicking out a New Years eve set in Oakland. The thing that often puts me off live sets is not being able to hear very well, more often than not the recordings are overblown to the point of unrecognisable noise, which is fine if you're listening to a Wolf Eyes tape but annoying if you're straining to hear the hooks of a good song. This tape sounds great, the bass has a real treble twang and doesn't take over the mix and the vocals are pretty well pushed with everything else.

But what does a Blessure Grave live set sound like? I have missed out on the 12" on Captured Tracks and the large amount of 7"s dropped in the last year so this is my first BG experience. I can mainly hear an 80's post punk feel to it, with the low Ian Curtis quiver to the male voice and a gentler 45 Grave esque feel to the female one, with the guitars driving the music that is not far from Echo & The Bunnymen or The Gun Club. I generally don't find myself going for alot of bands that could ever be lumped as 'Goth' as its a very lazy term and doesn't really mean much, apart from maybe the band has more black jeans than Bermuda shorts? Yes, this is not tropical and it lies somewhere in the void between depressing, ethereal music and aggressive punk/post punk.

I honestly did not think i would like this as much as i do, and its a great way to jump into a band that has alot of material out there, for a cheap cost, so well done Italian Beach Babes, you did it again!

Blessure Grave - Live In Oakland, CA / 31/12/09

Intro
Steps
Interlude
90 Plus Days
Come Back
Stranger In The House
Reduce You to Black Smoke
Interlude
Motion Sickness
Parallel Lives
Shadow
Learn To Love The Rope
Outro

www.italianbeachbabes.bigcartel.com to purchase

Daniel Higgs - Devotional Songs of Daniel Higgs (Open Mouth)

2010-05-31T14:47:00.004+01:00

At this point, i have come to realise that Daniel A.I.U Higgs is as close to a cultural icon to me as they come, along with Billy Childish. Both have a large discography of great music, have made innumerable amounts of paintings and great works of art, written books of poetry and done pretty everything they wanted to on their own terms, both with a slight nod to the eccentric side of life.

Daniel A.I.U Higgs delivers a tape of tracks that have been collected from a variety of sources and in many cases are just a voice, banjo and a tape recorder, with a variety of drone instruments that sound like harmoniums and sruti boxes. It's the delivery of these banjo ragas or vocals word plays that make all of Higgs solo work so mind warping and exciting. I get lost in his recordings and with no song titles on this 90 min tape, it makes it easier to just lose yourself and let Daniel take you on a psychedelic trip with tales of Eden, God, and the Kingdom of Death. To avid fans of Higgs solo work, you will recognise some of the tracks on this, but with many being played live or recorded at home with a simpler set up to his recent vinyl released albums. Sound quality has never prevented him from exercising his ability to tell a story and if anything, the tape format provides a perfect platform to really experience Daniel Higgs.

Whilst searching this tape out from Open Mouth tapes, make sure you get the new 'Say God' Lp on Thrill Jockey which literally blew my mind when i first dropped the needle on wax, and left other recent purchases in the dust. Essential.

Only place i found to buy is here:
http://www.mimaroglumusicsales.com/artists/daniel+arcus+incus+ululat+higgs.html

Male Bonding - Daytrotter tape (Sub Pop)

2010-05-31T14:46:00.004+01:00

If you were one of the lucky 300 people who either pre-ordered the 'Nothing Hurts' LP from Sub Pop or snagged a copy of this tape at their stage dive fest of a launch party in London then well done, you hold a copy of Male Bonding's latest tape effort which is the songs from the Daytrotter session they did in March 2010 whilst on tour in America.

As the inlay notes states, they arrived with tour buddies Vivian Girls to both record their sessions only to find that they had to record a stripped back 'acoustic' style session due to recent noise restraints. Alot of bands would crumble under the weight of having certain pedals turned off and amps not cranked up, but it works for Male Bonding, allowing the vocals to come through with very restrained drumming from the usually hard hitting Robin Silas Christian. The Vivian Girls also provide some sweet back up harmonies, replicating what they had done on album closer 'Worse to Come'. At only four songs and with the dulcet introduction of bassist Kevin Hendricks of 'Hi, we don't mean to harsh your mellow, we are male bonding welcome to daytrotter' this is a great addition to one of the best albums of 2010.

If like me you didn't pre-order the LP from Sub Pop because popping to your local record shop is easier, then try the band as they have a small boxful to sell, along with a few copies of the split 7" with Graffiti Island, Old Blood and Rapid Youth which is a mile marker in records you must have!

Male Bonding - Daytrotter Tape (Sub Pop)

1. Daytrotter Introduction
2. Before Its Gone
3. Worse To Come
4. Can't Dream
5. Your Contact

Get from the band when they are on tour or if you pre-order the LP from Subpop.com

Male Bonding "Year's Not Long" from Sub Pop Records on Vimeo.

Kid Romance - Thriller / Killer (Captured Tracks)

2010-04-04T15:31:00.005+01:00

I can't really avoid talking about the recording on this tape, which is so poor, probably the poorest of any release i own, that i never find myself listening to it. I know a song is judged on the song itself, but if i cant hear it then its pretty pointless. The second track 'Glitter & Ash' i think is a poppy rock n roll punk track but fuck knows if thats what it really is? I would hate to write off this band because of this tape, but i know 1 mic practice room recordings can be alot better than this release. Sorry Kid Romance, the tracks on the 7" that this tape came with were not much better either. I'll listen up again when they buy a 4 track or a good dictaphone.

www.myspace.com/kidromance
www.capturedtracks.com

Kid Romance - Thriller (Captured Tracks)

Fuck Punx
Glitter + Ash
Blood Worms
Fuck Sharks
Psychic Tele
Crazies
No Freedom
Darlin
Shadow
I Use Electricity
No NO NO NO NO NO
Telepathy
Piss Cop
Phantom Track
Hail Satan!

Golden Grrrls - S/T Tape (Self Released)

2010-04-04T15:29:00.002+01:00

I will tell you immediately that I'm biased on this tape as i have released the 2nd Golden Grrrls cassette which was a split with Boredom Boys (Merida from La La Vasquez & Andy from Teen Sheikhs,)so i will get straight into why you should track down this self released gem. The tape itself is an overdubbed Rita Macneil tape, so even if i hadnt liked it, i could've turned it over for some crooning from the rotund Canadian singer songwriter. The artwork itself lies on the esoteric side with 3 panels of strange artwork and a total absence of track titles or information, leaving the music just to speak for itself.

Starting with a short track of heavily effected guitar, the first proper track starts with a some distorted drums, a cutting organ line and tinny guitar line with some fuzz ridden vocals that bring on a robbie pastels for kids who dig blown out production. Its upbeat and not as doomy as some of the blank dogs stuff, but would definately fit in with some of the acts Captured Tracks have released.

The next 2 tracks keep a simlar pace with tom heavy drums and post-punk styled single note guitar lines before a breakdown comes with some awesome droney noises thatloop around like some eastern influenced repetitive mantra. I like it when a band purposefully or by total accident plans the ebb and flow of a release regardless of format so the pace and styles of the whole product is right, not just the individual tracks, and especially as the tape format doesnt allow for the skipping and jumping of tracks that most of us are used to, this choice is being made for you.

The final tracks get a bit sunnier in disposition and one in particular i reckon would sound great if cut to the '1979' Smashing Pumpkins video? Maybe thats just me? Anyway, this is 6-8 tracks of noisey indie from this Glasgow band which i hope someone has the sense to put out a vinyl release soon.

Write the band and see if they have any left for sale here:
http://www.myspace.com/goldengrrrls

Golden Grrrls @ Glasgow Social Centre 18.12.09 from Winning Sperm Party on Vimeo.

Personal & The Pizzas - Raw Pie (Burger Records)

2010-04-03T15:00:00.009+01:00

It's funny how much the cover of this tape tells you about the music contained on this tape. Firstly, these guys love pizza enough to write songs about it, include it in the band name and on the front cover. They also love The Stooges and take influence from them and The Ramones equally. The are either really funny or totally ridiculous, again probably in equal measures!

The tape kicks of with the man himself, Personal, introducing himself and the first track, which he does inbetween many of the tracks, and even going so far as to explain that he can read on the track 'I Can Read'. No hidden meanings in these tracks! As they have stated themselves on their myspace page, 'ONE RAMONES RIFF + ONE STOOGES RIFF + REALLY DUMB WORDS' which is a good enough distillation of this singles compilation.

Straight from the first song on this tape, The Pizzas let you know that they can shred, with the guitarist shredding like James Williams did on 'Search & Destroy'and then they can drop down to a more mid paced tune, like 'I Want You Around' or any number of slower Ramones numbers. I hate the fact that most of this review is mentioning the 2 influences they self reference, but i would find it hard to describe it in any other way? New Jersey surburban dumb punk made by the tall elder brother in Everybody Loves Raymond inbetween mouthfulls of meatballs??

Recommended for pizza parties, sleepovers and short drives.

Personal & The Pizzas - Raw Pie (Burger Records)

I Don't Wanna Be No Personal Pizza
I Dont Feel So Happy Now No More
I Can Read
I Aint Takin You Out
Brass Knuckles
Nobody Makes My Girl Cry But Me
Knuckles #02
Pizza Army
Tearjerker
Never Find Me
7.99 For Love
Pepperoni Eyes
Dont You Go in That Ground
Toss That Pie

www.burgerrecords.webs.com

Shannon & The Clams - I Wanna Go Home (Burger Records)

2010-04-03T15:00:00.008+01:00

As this tape has very rarely left my tapedeck since it arrived, i can see this easily being one of those bands i will obsess over, and probably buy the vinyl from 1-2-3-4 Go! records so i wont get upset when i wear out this tape. Shannon & The Clams start off with an amazing Girls in The Garage esque song called 'Troublemaker' which has this haunting backing vocal track with an upbeat motown soul beat with Shannons amazing vocals driving the track forwards. As much as i'm a big fab of non-musical musicians and the punk/lo-fi/garage aesthethic of any one can do it and find that this approach presents much better music, it is nice to really hear a voice this amazing. I'm sure that comparisons to Beth Ditto will be made if Shannon & The Clams keep making records, which is unfair and obvious in the strong, soulful female voice in a punk band sense but relative in the fact that it made my spine tingle like it did the first time i heard 'Movement' by Gossip.

Not all the songs are straight up garage, with some nice 1950's slowdance feelers that have that dreamy sound our boy L. from Spectrals is hitting right now, with as much Phil Spector and 60's soul as Nuggets/Pebbles comps.

I really enjoy the vocal interplay between Shannon and the male gutarist, both being able to wail over each other succesfully. As a bonus to this tape, they have included the 4 songs from the 'Hunk Hunt' 7" which i'm made up about, missing out on it as it was stupid expensive to buy over here in the UK. I can't stress enough how you must buy this tape or the LP and how this band need to play London!

Shannon & The Clams - I Wanna Go Home (Burger Records)

Troublemaker
The Warlock In The Woods
You Can Come Over
Surrounded By Ghosts
Cry Aye Aye Aye
Take It Back
Scuffle With The Clams
Blast Me To Bermuda
Cat Party
Waiting For You
When You're On
I Wanna Go Home
Blood
Hunk Hunt
Would You Love Me If I Was Dead
Heartbreak

www.burgerrecords.webs.com

Ty Segall & Mikal Cronin - 'Reverse Shark Attack'

2010-04-03T14:59:00.006+01:00

I was a big fan of the noisey as hell 'Pop Song' 7" these two productive chaps put out last year on Goodbye Boozy Records with its distorto-garage punk and sci-fi guitar lines, so i'm glad they are back with a full album, nicely put onto tape by what is fast becoming my favourite tape label, Burger Records.

Starting with the stomp and swagger of 'I Wear Black', you can tell this won't be a subtle record like some of Ty's solo stuff. The vocals seem a bit lower and dirtier with a hint of Lux Interior to them, and although for people like me who love anything these guys have done before like Charlie & The Moonhearts, Epsilons, Traditional Fools, Party Fowl etc this is forging a slightly different path and i wouldn't immediately judge this album against previous efforts. There is a fair amount of delay and noise effects, and i think some nicely overdriven organ/keys too which gives it a little bit of spacey feel, often coming in over the straight up four-to-the-floor sections to make the whole record an interesting listen.

There is also a cover of Pink Floyd's 'Tale Up Thy Stethoscope and Walk' which they have managed to make their own, as it nestles with the other tracks nicely. I don't know the original at all, but i'm going to presume its a Syd Barret era tune from before the prog took over the psych??

At the end of the Album is the a 10 min long freak out of a title track, starting out as a pretty psychedelic and effect driven tune with vibrating vox that starts out not as aggressive as the previous songs on this tape, which then drifts into an acoustic guitar passage with only the reverb drenched vocals remaining before the drums ride back in and the main hook is repeated on the guitars. It starts to freak out more and more with shrill brass coming in as the songs starts to climax before a stuttering sonic meltdown that finally segues into a Dick Dale surf riff that keeps on building and building building before a sharp clattering stop, bringing to an end this tape in a triumphant way.

As these two dudes seem to kick out an endless amount of records, i'm hoping there will be more from this awesome duo that builds on this album of aggressive psych, garage and punk.

Ty Segall & Mikal Cronin - Reverse Shark Attack (Burger Records)

I Wear Black
Drop Dead Baby
High School
Ramona
Doctor Doctor
Bikini Babes
Take Up Thy Stethoscope And Walk
Reverse Shark Attack

Ty Segall & Mikal Cronin "I Wear Black" from Claire Marie Films on Vimeo.

Sauna Youth - Distractions

2010-03-11T18:07:00.003Z

Here is the second Sauna Youth tape in a matter of months, which is always a good thing for me. This tape takes on a few similar characteristics to the last cassette, with a black & white photo cover and all the songs on one side, bar a single longer song/remix on the b-side but instead of just all SY songs, this time we get a mix tape format with practice room recordings of songs from thefirst tape mixed in with an amazing bag of tunes. If you haven't read the last SY tape review then just scroll down to the first blog entry and catch up on what you have been missing, which is poppy power punk/hardcore, crossing the line between Career Suicide, Brutal Knights and The Ramones but with a psych/garage edge.

Now onto the mixtape selections, which is down to Pines (gtr). With every song choice you get an SY track wedged in the middle for fun, and to kick off the tape you get an African welcome with a Ghanian funeral intro segueing into 'Weird Fiction' by SY and then a Mahmoud Ahmed track, an amazing Ethiopian singer from the 60's & 70's who is probably most know now to his inclusion on sevceral of the Ethiopiques comps. We have some great modern Garage punk from UV Race, who along with Eddy Current Suppresion Ring are bringing back good Australian punk music. I always enjoy a bit of Nodzzz who crop up half way through as do the Airfix Kits, who i have not heard before but screamed Television Personalities to me. Mix in some minimal electronics from Raymond Scott, some power pop of Frosties and a Polynesian vocal & percussion troupe called Chief & Orators Sasa and you have a magic mix in your deck.

The other band that isn't Sauna Youth that grabbed my attention on Side A is Solar Powers, which is another practice room live jam, with 2 members of SY (Pines & Boon) joined by a Cold Puma and a NRWS member. Kinda krautrock-y in its repitition but laid back in its approach, its not as full force as Cold Pumas, in some places like early Trans Am, or not?

Finally the B-side, which is a drugged out/drawn out composition of drones and bells, conversations and found sound, walkabouts and pitchbending. This piece was written to this piece called 'E2BN1BB' and more pieces will probably be written to it in the future. I don't know if this tape is still available as it was made just for the Brighton Zine Swap, but hit up the band to see if they have any left.

www.lostinidea.blogspot.com

Sauna Youth - Distractions

Side A

Ghanian Funeral Intro
Sauna Youth - Weird Friction
Mahmoud Ahmed - Aynotche Terabu
Sauna Youth - Des Animaux
Frosties - Tigers Eyes
Chief & Orators Sasa (Polynesia)
Sauna Youth - Lists
Solar Powers - Roman Numeral 2
UV Race - Gore Orphanage
Sauna Youth - Big Bobbles
Nodzzz - Highway Memorial Shrine
Sauna Youth - E2 Bang Bang
Raymond Scott - Night & day
Sauna Youth - Eurozone / Rolando
Airfix Kits - 80's Aesthetic
Sauna Youth - Delta Caps

Side B

E2BN1BB

The Super Vacations - Good Wood (Scotch Tapes)

2010-03-10T19:24:00.007Z

The Super Vacattions 10 track tape is a slow burner. i keep on coming back to it and have probably listened to it more than most of my new batch of tapes, especially the ones from the ever amazing Scotch Tapes from Canada. It definately reminds me of the music me and my friends used to listen to out of a broekn car speaker when we were 18 and driving around in my friends first mini, which means mid 90's psych like Olivia Tremor Control, Elephant 6 and the Lilys, some seminal lo-fi like Sebadoh & Guided By Voices , mixed in with some 60's psych/garage, but more the Haight-Ashbury scene than the agressive Pacific North West.

If i was to think of current bands i would say The Fresh & Onlys just because they both give me that Jefferson Airplane sense of songwriting and possibility of a freak out. I'm really digging this band and will probably track down their new Lp on Shadowplay and new tape on Snakefork.

Good Wood (Scotch Tapes)

Good Wood
Tse Guars
Sea Song
Congratulations
10 Second Freak Out
Yellow Hissing
Bee Hive
Ask a Comb
Solid Gold
The Void

www.scotchtapes.ca

Carpathian Forest - Bloodlust & Perversion

2010-02-12T15:23:00.006Z

I managed to get ahold of this little black metal cassette gem from some stupid punk internet forum page, hiding amongst the mass amounts of old screamo records being dropped like hotcakes,grim score! The tape is made up of the 'Bloodlust & Perversion' demo from '92, the 'Promo Tape' of '93 and a bunch of studio rehearsals from '92 which include Venom and Bathory covers. This stuff even predates the current and popular alias of Nattefrost and Nordavind (instead named Lord Nosferatu and Lord Karnstein on these recordings) who have pretty much been Carpathian Forest from these demo beginnings till 2000 when Nordavind left and Nattefrost remained the driving force for Carpathian Forest and his solo Nattefrost recordings (plus kult figure due to his scene stealing pics by Pete Beste that have been splattered everywhere from books to art galleries to Vice mag).

The first demo starts with some really meadieval hoof clops and dark synths with drawn out moans before the first song kicks in with a much slower feel to it than what i was expecting, like the slower Burzum songs. With most of the CF records i own being a fast to mid paced affair and a heavy punk leaning, these songs are surprisingly glacial and sparse instead and at times doomily slow with Nattefrost's sneery vocals being drawn out to create atmospheric noises, nothing like the 'Black Shining Leather' and 'Morbid Fascination of Death' era i grew to love. The rest of the tape follows in this vein which reminds me of Nortt and Xasthur from todays crop of Black Metal that isnt triggered blastbeats and speed riffing.

The song titles too are more in keeping with something from an early Darkthrone record with titles like 'The Woods of Wallachia' and 'Return of the Freezing Winds' unlike later Carpathian efforts 'Bloody Fuckin' Nekro Hell' & 'The Good Old Enema Treatment' which definately makes me enjoy their tongue in cheek version of the second wave of Black Metal from Norway.

This tape still slays though, this is by no means a criticism, just very different to what i expected but still very grim and necro, all i ever want from a BM record/tape.

From Bloodlust & Perversion (1992):
1. "Through the Black Veil of the Burgo Pass" – 2:20
2. "Bloodlust and Perversion" – 4:10
3. "Return of the Freezing Winds" – 3:56
4. "The Woods of Wallachia" – 3:27
5. "Wings over the Mountain of Sighisoara" – 4:02
From Journey through the Cold Moors of Svarttjern (1993):
6. "Journey through the Cold Moors of Svarttjern" – 5:21
7. "The Eclipse/The Raven" – 3:30
8. "The Last Sigh of Nostalgia" – 8:02
From a rehearsal:
9. "Carpathian Forest" – 3:18
10. "Call from the Grave" – 4:56 (Bathory cover)
11. "Return of the Freezing Winds" – 4:18
12. "In the Circle of Ravens" – 6:48
13. "Warhead" – 4:24 (Venom cover)

Paradise Vendors Inc Tapes

2010-01-22T12:23:00.006Z

Instead of an individual tape review i'm going to do a little label focus on Paradise Vendors Inc. who started life in Archway, North London and has now settled in Dalston, East London to continue the search for releasing the best noisey indie punk from both sides of the pond. It doesnt't hurt that t PVI is run by Male Bonding who have risen to the top of the recent musical pile in London before hitting the next level by becoming the first band since Billy Childish/Thee Headcoats to sign to Sub Pop.

When not crammed into a van, touring the world listening to GG Allin or cycling around London Town, these three PVI boys are busilyy dubbing tapes, ink stamping 7" covers and making hand crafted sleeves for their burgeoning noise empire. The Talbot Tagora / Hand Jobs and the Temperatures / Paper Legs split tapes were the first adventures from PVI with both contained in amazing hand folded cases, one in green with a triangle cut out and the other in pink with a pentagon cut out. In both cases, these lovingly created boxes contain a tape with no discernable marking and a info slip of song titles and either a picture of GG Allin or a girl, both crying. Before the cassette has started to warp around your battered tapedeck, these are releases to keep and show that the tape medium is not a throwaway format at all, especially when a bit of thought has gone into its creation. The last of the their 3 tape releases, Cheatahs 'Magic Weapons' EP comes in a glued wraparound case like the cassingles of not so long ago which used to take up space along with cds and 7"s on the shelves of most high street music retailers. Funny how only a few year after its massmarket withdrawel, the tape release is now seen as kitsch or retro?

Anyway, back to PVI, who have not just focused on the tape format, but have also released 2 amazing 7"s, the first being a split between Male Bonding & Pens which was a continuation to the cassette that Conan from Graffiti Island released previously (reviewed below). The 2nd 7" again featured Male Bonding & Graffiti Island but this time twinned with Americas Rapid Youth & Old Blood, all playing punk music, albeit in very different ways. As with alot of the smaller labels around at the moment, PVI are spending their time documenting the current and not looking back so all these formative releases have fallen out of print with most likely no view to repress, but with one eye on the future and teaming up with their G.I partner in Italian Beach Babes records, they are releasing a who's who of who's good of British bands on a 12" compilation LP, with bands linked by friendship, record collections, drinking and darts habits,including songs by Cold Pumas, Teen Sheikhs, La La Vasquez, Fair Ohs, Male Bonding, Graffiti Island, Mazes, Not Cool, Spectrals, Human Race and Plug.

If you want to buy this 12" which i think will be pretty important in the long run, if only to the people involved, just head to the PVI online shop www.paradisevendorsinc.bigcartel.com and lay down a measly £8, the London equivalent of 2 pints.

Talbot Tagora / Hand Jobs split tape

Talbot Tagora who now reside on Sub Pop offshoot label Hardly Art start their side with a mangling noise of synthy drones and feedback akin to a 50's SciFi b-movie before ultra processed drums lead into an offbeat scraggly song lead by dischordant guitars and strained vox. Sometimes slipping into space garage riffs before spinning into orthrelm esque guitar spirals this mesh of songs is pretty addictive.
Hand Jobs on the other hand sound like they're a playing a dorm room at an arts college in Portland with yelped vocals and the ghost of KRS in their fingers. It would be lazy to mention riot grrrl as they don't ape the golden Huggy Bear/Bikini Kill era so much as nod to its inclusion in their record collections along with probably hundreds of other great punk bands.

PVI 01

A. Talbot Tagora

Restoring / Family Guts

B.Hand Jobs

Watch Out!
Handle with Claire
Tornado Twist
Eat Shit & Die

Temperatures / Paper Legs split tape

To be honest i don't know which band is which on this split as they both only have 1 song on each side and there is no A/B side markings, so instead one band is a instrumental band that has krautrock rhythms that keep the song propelled forwards, locked grooves! Th eother band is less structured and falls into more of a noise band category with elements drifting in and out casually and sometimes with little regard.

PVI 02

A. Temperatures

Allogamy

B. Paper Legs

Slow Answer For Quick Question

Cheatahs - Magic Weapons

Lovely Nathan from Little Deaths solo enterprise is a two headed beast. The recordings are total fuzz fests, overdriven to distortion but with a sweet harmony lurking below, making me think these songs could handle being stripped back to just vox and guitar. Although musically quite different, the recordings reminded me of the first Wavves tape with pop songs masked by dirt.

PVI 03

Cheatahs - Magic Weapons EP

Ripper
Flake
Some Powers
Frosh

www.myspace.com/paradisevendorsinc
www.paradisevendorsinc.bigcartel.com

Explode Into Colors - The Sean, Rocky, Zach & Dekum Tape

2010-01-13T23:38:00.003Z

When i was younger and started reading about post punk bands, probably referenced from what Kurt Cobain had said about The Raincoats or Gang of Four in the NME, i had this really heavy yet rhythmic sound in my head coupled with punk fury, and what i first discovered was sometimes a lot weaker than the music i had imagined and as much as i grew to love PIL, The Slits, Wire, The Pop Group and many others, its Explode Into Colors that is the sound i had imagined and wanted.

This live set sounds better than alot of studio recordings and the playing is great, pounding quasi-tribal drums, MASSIVE bass sound and skeletal keys/gtr/vox on top. The track 'Wooden Ghost' has this repetitive booming bass line and tom heavy beat with just the vocals cutting though, leading into 'Paper (Hot Sax Version)' which starts all krautrock until the sax stabs start hitting. Some of these tracks also up the ante with a dance punk slant, almost like 'Intensify' by !!! (chk chk chk) but stripped back bare and without the uneccesary funk-isms. I need to see these 3 Portland girls play live and track down all their 7"s that have started to appear on KRS and M'Ladys Records to see if these tracks have transfered well in the studio. I would be really upset if the recordings don't have the heavy bass on them, threatening to blow my speakers.

The geometric artwork/packaging is pretty special too (see pic), with my plastic cover coming adorned with handdrawn purple,pink & silver pyramids and the tape spraypainted gold/silver with a pyramid in the corner.I don't know how many the band or KRS made but it seems like the personal touch went into all of them. I really hate long sets and self indulgent gigs but i'd still be happy with this tape having a few more tracks on it. Hot shit!

Explode Into Colors - The Sean Rocky Zach & Dekum Tape

I Believe In Crystal Skulls
How Adee Got Her Groove Back
Wodden ghost
Sharpen The Knife
Paper (Hot Sax Version)
Heat
Train Station
Purple

Black Time - Eine Kleine Trashmusik (self released)

2010-01-12T15:43:00.002Z

The 3rd and final (for now) Black Time tape is another live tape but this time without a live audience, instead its a radio session for Planet Beet Radio with a 4 piece line up which to my limited knowledge didnt last too long. I like the extra person on here, which beefs up some of the tracks although i probably wouldn't be able to tell you which i prefered, both good, but they're not Led Zeppelin so either way works for me.

I don't have all the Black Time records, there is alot to get through, hence why the Greatest Hits tape was handy for getting alot of great songs from out of print 7"s and LP's, but apparently this has 7 un-released tracks for all the collectors out there. I don't know which ones are old or new but it flows and its a worthwhile session to be slapped on a cassette. I've put the stats below again lifted from the bands myspace:-

'tour tape 1: eine kleine trash musik – 10 songs. 15 minutes. document of a 2008 radio session somewhat fucked with at rocket reducers. rare capturing of the short-lived 4-piece line-up on tape. Includes 7 brand new songs unlikely to be heard anywhere else.'

Tracks

Contract
Infestation
You Make Me
Glass Shatters
Link Wray
A Radio In The Dark
Classical Mess
No Love Lost
Fucked Up In The Head
You Dont Love Me

Black Time - East Bay Rays (self released)

2010-01-12T14:56:00.007Z

I thought i would clear out these two Black Time tapes for review as i had already written about the Greatest Hits and had a Black Time afternoon tearing through these tapes. I'll start with the East Bay Rays tape which was a tour tape in edition of 50 for their USA tour with a few coming back to the motherland.

As with the other tapes they have kicked out, it has gone through the rocket reducers process which i suspect is Lemmy Cautions bedroom armed with reverb/delay/echo. 13 tracks that sound surprisingly clear, probably because it was recorded from the desk and not just recorded on a dictaphone by a guy at the bar. This is what the guys and gals had to say themselves :-

'tour tape 2: east bay rays - 13 songs. 20 minutes. desk recording of a 2007 show in oakland, california heavily fucked with at rocket reducers to produce something along the lines of john's children's 'orgasm!' album disaster put through a noise/dub mangle. includes us annihilating "california sun" by the rivieras. i did learn the notes…they just escaped me on the night…. '

Message the band at their myspace to see if they have any of these left, its how i got them.

Tracks

Black Time Pt.1
Catholic Discipline
Middle Class
Rocket Rumble
Link Wray
Midnight World
Feel So Bad
Cold Lips Taste Better
Beat Of The Traps
Downtown
Office Suicide
Crawlin'
California Sun

Pens / Male Bonding / Graffiti Island split tape (Italian Beach Babes)

2010-01-12T12:52:00.003Z

It's pretty ridiculous to write about close friends bands without sounding like a gushing fool harking on about how important they are so i will keep this short and sweet. 2009 was a pretty amazing year in music for me as it was the first time in years that i felt England had bands to rival anywhere else, and this tape seemed to be the milemarker for what was to come. It doesn't mean it influenced everyone else who came after but it was a good starting point at least.

18 months on since this tape was made we have had Male Bonding sign to Sub Pop, release a ton of split 7"s and play some of the best, stage invaded beer sodden show. Pens released an album on Di Stijl, toured America with G.I and quit a Slits tour slot and Graffiti island again toured America with Pens, released some amazing 7"s and had a mariachi band cover their songs in an old fire station in Stoke Newington. It's more than i expected, probably more than they expected too.

If you didn't get this tape then get the Pens LP which has 'Freddie' on it, look forward to the Male Bonding debut Lp in a couple of months and grab Graffiti Island's one sided 7" repress of the songs from this tape with a snake skinned B side? on Fin Du Monde records.

I love this tape, i love these bands. It was all worth it.

PENS:

Freddie
I heart U

MALE BONDING:

Some Power Issues
Full Bonding

GRAFFITI ISLAND:

Demonic Cat
Pet Snake

NODZZZ - Live New Years Eve 12.31.08

2010-01-09T15:12:00.028Z

An awesome dictaphone style recording of a Nodzzz New Years gig which could be bought from their blog (nodzzz.blogspot.com) or given away to the lucky first 100 people to pre-order the 'True To Life/Good Times Crowd' 7" on Whats Your Rupture. I think i read that Grass Widow, Brilliant Colours, Finally Punk & Sex Vid also played, i just wish i had a copy of all those sets on tape. The sound is pretty good too, but i reckon this was probably a one mic job in the audience rather than a semi-pro sound desk recording.

Unlike alot of live recordings they haven't cut the between songs banter which is pretty funny on this tape, mainly drunken mic-talk and taunts for not playing the marijuana song from the audience and then from the band themselves! Half of the set is from their amazing self titled LP with the songs from both their 7"s minus 'I Dont Wanna Smoke Marijuana'. I don't know if they have any of these left at Whats Your Rupture? but its really worth tracking down a copy if you are Nodzzz fan or you have a love for drunken fun time indie-punk!

Side One

Is She There?
We Are The Only Animals
Controlled Karaoke
In The City (Contact High)

Side Two

I Have Bad News
Old Clothes
True To Life / Art School
Good Times Crowd

The Traditional Fools - S/T (Burger)

2010-01-09T15:12:00.027Z

Any band that starts their album with a cover of Billy Childish's 'Davy Crockett' has already won in my books and by speeding it up, making it scuzzier than the original and adding a surf touch to the proceedings just makes me even more excited to tear through this tape! Most people have probably heard of The Traditional Fools because of Ty Segall who seems to be up there will Mr Childish himself for amassing a considerable back catalogue either as Ty Segall / Ty Segall & Mikal Cronin / Sic Alps / The Perverts / Epsilons / Party Fowl and of course, Traditional Fools. Although he is drumming on this record and not playing guitar it definately fits in with his back catalogue and that of his peers such as Charlie & the Moonhearts.

Its a rough sound which sounds pretty raw but it really works on this tape, again sounding like a recorded practice session sans ANY overdubs and maybe plus a few drinks? However it was recorded, it sounds amazing in a way a week in a studio couldn't do. Along with a heavy surf vibe it also drags in a snotty LA punk feel which as their Make A Mess Records (who released the vinyl version) bio states 'The sounds of the beach blvd comp, redd kross, and ‘60s SoCal garage punk bleed through traditional fools’ blown-out amps' which i think hits the nail on the head. Its the past 50 years of California dreamin' right here with Link Wray riffs, 60's Garage punk from Pebbles compilation and a dose of early 80's LA punk ala Germs / Circle Jerks etc.

After buying this tape i fell for the charms of all the associated Ty bands and have lapped up his insane output the past 3 years, but this was my first and will probably remain my favourite but whilst you pick up this tape from the always insanely good Burger Records, grab the tape versions for his two solo albums, 'S/T' and 'Lemons' or the tapes they have done for NoBunny, Box Elders, Hunx & His Punx, King Tuff and The Audacity.
www.burgerrecords.bigcartel.com

Traditional Fools - S/T

1. Davey Crockett
2. Snot Rag
3. T.L. Defender
4. Please
5. Layback!!!
6. Get Off My Back
7. Shredstick
8. Kill Someone You Hate
9. Valley (Of the Jams)
10. Party At My House
11. Milkman
12. All-Right

also - how can it fail with the cover featuring a burger with sunglasses!

GERMAN MEASLES - Demos (Captured Tracks)

2010-01-09T15:10:00.011Z

This little 8 song tape was probably only bought whilst getting one of the Captured Tracks mailorder bundles so as not to suffer crippling prices on 7"s, but this has probably taken up more time on my stereo than alot of the CT releases i own. I was trying to work out what they sound like too. Some bands are so distinguishable by their relation to other bands its hard not to compare but German Measles only bring to mind other bands as reference through attitude more so than sound. I hear The Ramones, Television Personalities & The Beatles but dont expect it to sound like any of them.

The recordings on here are pretty basic, maybe a few mics going into a 4-track in a practice room i imagine, but it really captures everything you need, and the songs still shine through. I dont see this as being 'lo-fi' for the sake of it, just good songs recorded as a demo which someone, rightly so, decided to put out on tape, which is what tapes are perfect for. Would you feel ripped off with this quality on an expensive piece of vinyl? I dunno?

Also i should make mention of the cover which is a cut to size paper photocopy but it seems each one has been customised by a fan of felt tip pens and wavy lines, nice. Get this along with their superior quality recordings on the 6 song 12" Captured Tracks issued last year.
www.capturedtracks.com

Side One

Monkey Me Monkey You
It Could Happen
Turn On Tune In Wipe Out
Wake Up For The Weekend

Side Two

We Want You
Japanese Beetles
It's Me Babe
Mosco Beetles

BLACK TIME - Greatest Hits (self released)

2010-01-07T18:04:00.005Z

Not many bands can pull off wearing shades at night, in a dark room. So far the only proponents of this phenomena i dig are The Blues Brothers and Black Time. My introduction to watching Lemmy Caution, Janie Too Bad and Mr. Stix pogo n' shuffle was in a North London warehouse where they slammed through a blur of garage power pop punk but unlike alot of the current set of bands who ape the Americanisms of 60's garage punk revival, they seemed refreshingly English.

This Greatest Hits tape is 28 songs culled from their back catalogue of songs charting 7"s & Lp's spanning 2003-2008 and even though they cover a wide variety of recording sessions, it sounds like a layer of scuzz was laid on top of it all at the compiling stage to add some noise continuity to the proceedings. Some of the songs even sound like they are recorded live, meaning live in front of an audience armed with pints and apathy, not pressing record whilst in the same room, but then again it could be the overall dirt and tape hiss which i really like on here.

From their In The Red Garage tones to Ramones downstrokes or Mark E. Smith drawls and British Invasion, this tape is pretty mean! Contact them to see if they have any of these left at www.myspace.com/blacktimemutant77

Side A

Beat Of The Traps
Human Pinball
Made In USA
Capital Of Pain
Fever (Version)
Shadows
Scary People
Caution's Camera
Feel So Bad
(I'm In The) Fascist Bathroom
The Mummy
Public Information Film
Little Death
Mother/Whore
Secret

Side B

Crawlin'
Young professionals
The Days Are Too Long & The Nights Are Too Short
Rocket Rumble
Consumers
I Hate The World & The World Hates Me
Downtown
Girls In The Garage
Mystery Shopper
White Heat Returned
I'm Gonna Hurt You When I'm Gone
This Is A Curse
Sirens

SAUNA YOUTH - S/T (self released)

2010-01-06T23:55:00.007Z

This tape was sent to me by the much loved Rich Phoenix who has been the drummer in The Steal, Hot Damn and Capt. Everything and makes lots of nice art sometimes involving cats or family members. Either way, he is now making music again with Lindsey Alexander Corstorphine who he was in The Steal with, apart from this time Rich is on vocals and does an amazing job of it.

Although this tape starts of with a steady punk stomp in 'Delta Caps' and the slightly Shitty Limits esque 'E2 Bang Bang' in which it nods towards 60's punk as well as Wire's 'Pink Flag', this tape is more than just another punk/hardcore demo tape. The last song on side #1, 'Martin', (which i believe is a Snuff cover) see's a psych pop feel that is more Olivia Tremor Control than Minor Threat and then to finish off the tape nicely is a short story called 'Swimming' that was written and read out by Patrick Fisher from Cold Pumas/The Light Sleepers, backed by an ambient drone track that is pretty minimal but in a way that leaves room for you to listen to the story without interuption. I have listened to this tape multiple times since it dropped through my letterbox yesterday and it deserves being put on auto-reverse on your tape deck.

Order a copy for only £3 from their blog www.lostinidea.blogspot.com where you can also download it for free for your ipod/mp3 needs.

A1. DELTA CAPS
2. E2 BANG BANG
3. MILD HORSES
4. ROLANDO
5. VACUOUS IDIOT
6. MARTIN

B7. SWIMMING