NP059 Peaking Lights – Imaginary Falcons LP reprint
This is the debut full length LP by Madison Wisconsin’s Peaking Lights. Members Indra Dunis (Numbers/Rah Dunes) and Aaron Coyes (Rah Dunes) created a stunner that’s full of hypnotic analog electronics, pulsing drum sounds, perfectly somber pop layered keys, blown psych guitar, and Indra’s warm drifting vocals. This record is all its own, everything it needs to be, and it won’t disappoint any expectations of its harmony and beauty. Groovy, spacey, heartfelt music for a new age. Art work and silkscreen by Shawn Reed. LISTEN
NP152 Bebe Fang C152
Dutch duo Bebe Fang shares members with Eklin who released a cassette recently on Night-People as well. Bebe Fang although stripped down in comparison to Eklin in number of members has many similar aesthetic and sonic tendencies. They present the same kind of foreboding but elegant glacial ambiance but with a different sense of minimalism and soulfulness. The mood is always in a state of flux with Bebe Fang never quite settling always subtly evolving depending on the listeners thought or vision moment to moment. At times unsettling in tune with vintage horror soundtrack vibes and at others hypnotic and almost heavenly the greatness lies in the subtle details of Bebe Fang’s music. LISTEN
NP151 Golden Hours – ‘Floating Weeds’ C20
Golden Hours is long running Portland based flower pop guitar band with ties to Eggy Records, The Polyps, The Woolen Men etc. who predate much of the recent resurgence of this sound. Distinct pop and twee flavors of sound ride around on the upbeat waves of guitar, keys, and distortion. A rock solid effort with no overt posturing to retro tendencies, just honest well made creatively written catchy indie pop, that rides a little bit like other excellent contemporary lady fronted post punk/twee/ etc groups like Grass Widow etc. A really killer follow up to the excellent “Spooky” cassette that came out on Eggy awhile back. If you missed that def. check this one out. LISTEN
NP149 Sore Eros – ‘Sickies Volume One’ C32
Very siked to get a chance to release something by our western Mass. friends Sore Eros, a great live band thats even better on record and always pushing the limits of their sound and song writing. A band truly doing their own thing in a time of much retro posturing. The articulation of their sound and approach is always interesting because it embodies so many sources of potential influence and sound language. At times folky, sometimes rocking, always seeping with dreamy atmosphere and warm psychedelic melody their representation of pop music radiates, resonates, and sparkles like big sun on syrupy water. This cassette is very well recorded and even professionally mastered. One of the finest NP releases thus far. LISTEN
NP148 Hot & Cold – ‘Conclusion Introduction’ C20
Hot & Cold are two brothers Simon and Joshua Frank who divide up time in Beijing and NYC/Toronto respectively. This tape had its origins on the very stellar Rose Mansion Analog label out of Beijing and we felt it fitting to re-release it state side to try and increase its profile as this is an excellent collection of tracks for this young duo. Some cool Martin Rev. fuzz tones shake over propulsive post punk bass and drum machine pop to create some weird cross section of south east Asian style psychedelic garage groove and loner darkness ala 39 Clocks and the like. Killer. LISTEN
NP147 The Pink Noise C26
With previous vinyl releases on prolific contemporary indie labels like Sacred Bones, Kill Shaman etc. Montreal’s Pink Noise are not an unknown presence in underground music circles. This new cassette plays out similar to a 7inch in duration but packs a solid punch of glittery psychedelic synth punk and raucous post punk nihilism. Coming off even a bit more odd then previous releases this current material has a cold annihilated feel similar to early Chrome. Visions of late night drugged out concrete jungle lurking come to mind. LISTEN
NP146 Bomber Jackets – ‘Larching’ C32
Bomber Jackets made their release debut recently on a split 7″ with the Rebel that is out on Savory Days and Kill Shaman and this tape gets deeper into the odd world they create. Consisting of members from the excellent UK group the Pheromoans and with ties to other recent NP release Charcoal Owls this cassette offers further necessary obstruction of contemporary art punk and synth aesthetics. Crisp odd synth pop tones collide against the distinct vocal style represented on many of these fellows other outputs. Overtly a hard to pin down affair as would be expected but with of course no disappointments. LISTEN
NP145 Alps – ‘Golden’ C32
Newcastle NSW AU main man Chris Hearn, long time solo ripper and old school vegan punk with a deep record collection who hits US tours traveling by Greyhound. Like the wild mind behind them his recordings tread all territory from ambient synth to fuzzed out garage punk steps out with his first release on Night-People, but sitting solid in a discography that is as deep as it is diverse. Chris released a killer solo LP last year himself under the Past Futures label that is as good as anything we heard from down under last year which is a high mark for how much great music is being made in Australia these days. This tape sits like a nice extra chapter to that LP and retains Alps diverse approach.
LISTEN
NP143 The Garment District – ‘Melody Elder’ C40
Melody Elder is the debut release by Pittsburgh-based The Garment District, the new musical project of multi instrumentalist Jennifer Baron, who was a founding member of Brooklyn’s The Ladybug Transistor (Merge Records). Recorded both with Kevin C. Smith in Friendship, PA, and in her home-base Golden Mountain studio. Sometimes hazy, sometimes articulate, the songs and sound collages of Melody Elder lie somewhere at the intersection of pop music sensibility, soundtracks, experimentation, and synth-driven ambience. Making an appearance on Melody Elder is Jennifer’s cousin Lucy Blehar on lead vocals, and legendary Television Personalities/Swell Maps’ member Jowe Head on bass. A truly distinct new voice and musical presence is presented by The Garment District. LISTEN
NP143 German Army – ‘Papua Mass’ C40
Germany Army comes from mystery periphery LA zones, transmissions from submarine or some Hollywood studio closet, who knows. The Kill Shaman axis might have some hidden knowledge on the subject of said origins but we can’t figure it out. Regardless this cassette gets deep into a mutant lab rat labyrinth of synth tones, concussion drum machine hiss, and warped spoken vocals. Post punk poetics ranting in some forgotten dream hole speaking to the speakers up close and personal. LISTEN