Category Archives: UPDATE

Bemused Abused – ‘Silver Seeds’ cassette
Bemused Abused is a duo from Brighton, England, Karl M V Waugh and Paul Davies. Best described as “ambient,” their album Silver Seeds exemplifies the hallmarks of the genre while at the same time being focused on achieving a unified thought beyond simple style exercises. The five compositions were recorded in a single day in August 2011 with the two players using only guitar and keyboards to wrestle their creativity into an album that works from start to finish. Once this tape is finished the listener wants to flip it over and start again. Bemused Abused came to the attention of TBR via the online community forum at Bang the Bore (bangthebore.org). The site is a place where individuals can “write about music, connect people, facilitate collaborations and share information.” Bemused Abused’s cassette is a great example of people reaching out and working to create cool new music. Don’t miss this tape!

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Some Ember – ‘Hotel of Lost Light’ cassette $5
Named for a piece in Galway Kinnell’s Book of Nightmares, Some Ember’s debut LP Hotel of Lost Light is the culmination of a lifetime’s experience for Dylan Travis; the man behind the moniker, he is a longtime musician and most recently a member in good standing of the Bay Area music community. Some Ember began dramatically. Laid up for weeks after a car accident and loaded up with a little compensation money, Travis “blew it all on synthesizers and production software”. In the past he and various bands he played with relied on studio engineers, but he was determined to learn and use that process for himself. Though Travis describes making Hotel of Lost Light as a very intuitive process, refracting his experience with post-punk and noise pop through a more minimalist, no-wave sensibility, recording and producing it eventually drew on every technique and technology that getting hit by a car had gained for him. Appropriately enough, this is a very personal album for him; seeking catharsis in his experience of music, Travis brings his vocals to the fore, underscoring a vividly offered shared experience in their naked emotion and the darkly evocative imagery of the album. His prowess as a producer only improves the experience as subtle nuance emerges in how instruments and vocals set distinct paces or the sound of unconventional warps and effects – whether vocal distortion or sega-synths – as they come into focus.

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The Wave Pictures – ‘Long Black Cars’ 2LP
Long Black Cars, the brand new album from The Wave Pictures was released by Moshi Moshi Records on April 2nd. But to coincide with the band’s US and Euro dates in May and June, Acuarela has launched a double LP with Long Black Cars and Beer In The Breakers. The 2 x 12” is a gatefold sleeve limited to 1000 copies and includes the lyrics of both albums plus 3 songs previously released as B-sides.  About Long Black Cars: Recorded over 4 days in New York City, The Wave Pictures return with their 5th album, Long Black Cars – 13 tracks of wry, observational lyrics “peppered with details of the everyday”. Produced by long time cohort Stanley Brinks the album features star turns from Wave Pictures’ favourites Turner Cody and The WoWz, and was inspired by topics as diverse as Humphrey Bogart, the story of Job and police brutality.  Frontman Dave Tattersall’s vocals are familiarly rich, warm and soulful, with bassist Franic Rozycki’s fretwork on fine form for stand out track “Never Go Home Again”. Accompanied by an unusually mournful arrangement that perfectly reverberates the song’s narrative about a couple on the run, the result is pure poetry through an almost elegiac solemnity. Proceeding track “My Head Gets Screwed On Tighter Every Year” deals with the theme of family feuds – in it, a man addresses his long lost brother – and faces the reality that it is often those closest to you that one knows the least. Elsewhere, standout track “Eskimo Kiss” features drummer Jonny ‘Huddersfield’ Helm’s first recorded vocal on a Wave Pictures album. “This song is very New York to me… a very enigmatic, dark and mysterious lyric…” says Dave Tattersall.  Concentrating on finding the beautiful moments in the everyday, “Eskimo Kiss” ponders the little things that keep life exciting. It’s an overarching theme throughout Long Black Cars – “The point is not that it is interesting to sing about the mundane rather than the magical, but that we find the mundane magical: the everyday amazes me.”, explains Tattersall.  On this, their fifth official album, The Wave Pictures once again blend their perfect mixture of minor key ballads and characteristic rock’n’roll harmonies – the result is the ebullient, sardonic pop they’ve come to be cherished for.

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SIBELIAN – ‘Gothic Opera, 1999-2011’
This gothic-opera-rock crossover project, the brainchild of Stephen Svanholm, have been keeping a low profile since “The Sin Eater” track debuted on Cold Meat Industry’s “Flowers Made of Snow” sampler, and internet-label Magnatune put out the full length album “The Soul Rush” the following year. The Fossil Dungeon are pleased to present the group’s debut CD release, “Gothic Opera,” featuring an uncompromising blend of classical, rock, gothic and electronic sounds/loops, allayed with genuinely strong songwriting. The result is a powerful and engaging journey that is both dark and mysterious yet fanciful all the while. Stephen is also known for his multi-tracked choir-like contribution to metal albums from bands like CRADLE OF FILTH and HELL and he is also soon to guest appear on the next album from The Fossil Dungeon’s ARKANE. “Gothic Opera” comes packaged in a 6-panel Ecopak folder and would appeal to fans of DEAD CAN DANCE, DELERIUM, ARCANA, etc.

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FMG – ‘Waiting Period’ C20 £3(UK)/£4(WORLD)
After taking a break for 18 months to concentrate on other musical endeavours, London based musician John Scott, AKA, FMG is back with ‘Waiting Period’, his first release in nearly two years.  His most focused and musically driven set off songs based around thick layers of droning/looping guitars.  

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Snaykhunt – ‘Guarantee Damage Muscle Sack’ cassette
Guarantee Damage Muscle Sack, a limited (meat red) cassette release (50 copies), is the debut release from Snaykhunt, and first cassette release for Tiger Asylum Records. Snaykhunt is the solo project of Brooklyn based artist Thermos Unigarde: Tiger Asylum cohort, founder of LOXM NYC, and formerly of the bands Squamous Os and Glass Lamborghini. Handmade artwork by the artist. Recorded, mixed and duped by Champagne Sequins, without the use of any computers.

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VATICAN SHADOW – ‘a lie must tell a single story’ magazine
pro-print collage magazine. 60 pages. full color. perfect bound. hand numbered. edition of 50.

VATICAN SHADOW – ‘here is where the story falls apart’ magazine
pro-print collage magazine. 60 pages. full color. perfect bound. hand numbered. edition of 50.

PRURIENT – ‘changeless blue flame’ magazine
pro-print collage magazine. 80 pages. black and white. perfect bound. hand numbered. edition of 100.

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Florconvenas – ‘ley en das (manuscritos arrebatados del fuego)’
florconvenas is sound explorer mariela arzadun’s solo project. she is an improviser, experimental musician and visual artist from buenos aires who focuses on field recordings, soundscapes, drones, poetry, collage and concrete music. she runs the amor loco netlabel and comprises half of the free improvisation duo, criadero en seres, both with leandro ramírez. to create ley en das, mariela mixed together various elements such as: field recordings, keyboards, voices, barking dogs, cars, and hand tools. maquinaria agrícola was composed with the sound of hail falling on glass and various objects. the track titles are inspired by a trip through old books, celtic legends, dreams and poems.

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OSR3 Blanche Blanche Blanche – ‘Open Session Rock’ C42 $8
Blanche Blanche Blanche’s 6th album. 24 songs from Brattleboro VT
mixed with the dice at snake eyes.  LISTEN UP

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Blanche Blanche Blanche – ‘Wink With Both Eyes’ LP
Brattleboro VT prolific song writing duo Blanche Blanche Blanche’s second Night-People release shines even more then their excellent first cassette effort. Wink With Both Eyes is a distinct statement in the contemporary underground music environment. It is a distilled, unified, collection of songs compiled from the hundreds of songs BBB has created in the last couple of years. To add extra flavor to their weirdo synth pop songs on Wink With Both Eyes, BBB enlisted many of their Brattleboro music friends including shredders like King Tuff, Chris Weisman, and Graham Brooks. Band members Sarah Smith and Zach Phillips didn’t use any computers, samplers, drum machines or sequencers when they created Wink With Both Eyes sticking to their own unique processes of song craft. Retained from prior releases is the urgent jazzy retro synth feel, catchy monotone vocals and minimalist post punk references. BBB is a distinct creative team and this LP is there definitive statement thus far. Keep your eyes open for upcoming releases by BBB from our friends over at Feeding Tube Records and La Station Radar.

Peak Twins/Scott and Charlene’s Wedding split LP
Night-People presents a very fine split LP by little know Australian bands, Melbourne’s Peak Twins and Scott & Charlene’s Wedding who have recently relocated to NYC. This is a co-release with Aussie label Bed Room Suck our friends out of Brisbane and is the first in a string of co-released splits representing some of Australia’s best bands highlighting the distinct artistic atmopshere and friendships that have made Australian underground music so vibrant right now. Melbourne duo Peak Twins (who share members with Kitchen’s Floor, Bitch Prefect, Terrible Truths etc) ride the jams and compose their music with utmost attention to well played pop hooks, somber sublte psychedlics, and a general downer dissposition that never gets to heavy but lets the light shine through onto the 60’s psych pop flavored jangle and shamble of their great songs. Scott and Charlene’s Wedding (who share members with Panel of Judges) have a distinct punky jangly guitar pop aesthetic going that is distinctly Aussie and south hemipshere in its sound. They are good mates with rising indie rockers Twerps and have some shared influences but where Twerps keep it a bit more chill and mopey Scott and Charlene’s let the angst and grit stick out more. Perfect tunes for dreamy summertime days.

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