OSR Tapes

I only recently learned about OSR Tapes, a New York based non-profit label that's been putting out cool lo-fi, avant garde type of rock'n'roll since 2007, and no sooner had I learned about them than I learned they were closing. You can currently get the OSR digital catalog on bandcamp for $25 -- or order cassettes and albums from their webpage osr-tapes.com. They're shipping through June 17 and then that's it, so check em out while they're still around. Here's a sampling of the catalog, go over to the OSR bandcamp page and delve deeper.

CNQ27: One Year Anniversary Show

An hour and 18 minute show! Rock'n'roll and more:

Gil Scott-Heron: “Storm Music” (Reflections, Arista Records, 1981)

Doctor Nod: “I’m the Creator” (I Know It’s True, 2017)

Last Remaining Pinnacle: “To Dream” (To Dream/What’s Your Sign, Custom Made Music, 2017)

Al Marantz : “Lipsmacker Kisses” (Forgotten Devices, OSR Tapes, 2015)

Merit Badge: “Numbers” (Numbers/Waves, 2016)

Adam Holtz: “Good Rockin’ Music” (Volume 22, copyright Adam Holtz, 2017)

Jim Shorts: “Omega Undone” (Eternal, 2016)

Damien Youth: “Crying Room” (The Man Who Invented God, 1991)

Paris Obscur: “Ne M’Oublie Pas” (The King, 2017)

Dot Dash: “The Infinite” (5/5/5 Digital EP, Last Day Deaf Webzine, 2016)

Vukovar: “Masterpiece” (Voyeurism, Small Bear Records, 2016)

Piglet Outlet: “Eternal Flame” (digital single from Shallow Shit Records, 2016)

Respect Tha God: “Shake It Up” (Work Ethic, Creative Juices Records, 2017)

Run The Jewels: “Stay Gold” (Run The Jewels 3, Run The Jewels, Inc., RED Distribution (a division of Sony), 2017)

Madd Blake y Los Stalins: “Sheena Es Una Cocadicta” (Primitivo!, 2017)

Mom Jeans: “Mesh Shirt” (Chub Rub, Pecan Crazy Records, 2016)

Shudder To Think: “X-French Tee Shirt” (Pony Express Record, Epic Records, 1994)

Parlet: “Huff-n-Puff “ (Invasion of the Booty Snatchers, Casablanca Records, 1979)

T’Pau: “Heart and Soul” (T’Pau, Virgin Records, 1987)

What I Listened To Today

This is the first track off a new digital album called "Work Ethic" by Respect the God, out of Brooklyn, put out on Creative Juices Music. 16 tracks of more or less solid hip-hop, with a few skits. Shake It Up is a rad single:

This is the lead track off Damien Youth's 2011 10 song album The Citizen, also available on bandcamp as a digital album. Lo-fi freak-folk from New Orleans. Damien Youth's been at this a while, check out his catalog on bandcamp if you dig this:

New from the UK, "Twitch" by James Kruman is an interesting album in the same lo-fi/bedroom psych/freak-folk vein as Damien Youth. Put out back in December, "Twitch" is a 10 song album you can buy digital or on CD:

Usually I don't go in for anything that sounds like Social Distortion, but I wound up listening to all 8 songs on "Verne" today, by New Zealand's Liberated Squid, and hey, I enjoyed it. Besides "The Spirit of a Union Man," stand-out tracks were "Gabba Gabba Hey (Pinhead mix)" and "Verne's A Cunt." Believe it or not it's clever, fun stuff. Digital album is available on bandcamp for pay what thou wilt:

New HC from Bandcamp

Posting more on the blog wasn't one of my 2016 resolutions, but I should do more of it anyway.

This 3 song EP from a Parma, Italy hc garage punk band was originally put out on 7" back in April of '16. It sold out and now they've got a re-release available.

This 2 song EP from Shitty Life is due out on 7" from Euro Trash Records in March 2017:

From a 2 song sludgecrust effort, Black Aspirin are from Prague:

Podcast coming up later this month will feature some obscure vinyl as well as more recent material from the recently defunct OSR Tapes label.