Veil of Light - S/T (Belaten, 2013)

The chill in the mountain air signifies an annual return to the dark side. Tis the season for a cold, numb, masochistic aesthetic. I'll still be reviewing many genres, just don't be surprised to see mostly melancholy and blackness up in here til around late March.

Veil of Light is a solo project from Switzerland. This cassette reveals no surprises, and it doesn't reinvent the wheel. He worships Faith / Pornography era Cure, nods to 13th Chime, and throws in some Death in June albeit without the questionable lyrical content. VOL is definitely in the same revival camp as Blessure Grave, with its self-pity and self-hatred right up there with the best black metal subject matter. Similarly to The Soft Moon, what distinguishes this act for me is the guitar. This guy really knows how to play. Sometimes the musical skill in this genre is forgiven when the vibe is delivered so well. Not so here. Nothing is sacrificed.



Incidentally, the Belaten  label is really cooking at the moment. Its run by ritual ambient / industrial artist Thomas Martin Ekelund. Check out his latest mix for Secret Thirteen:

Nest Egg - Demonstrational Cassette #1 (Harvey Leisure Recordings, 2013)

I don't know about you but for the past few years I've felt lost in a sea of psych an kraut revival bands. Trying to dig through all of it has become rather tedious. There are hundreds of acts in this vein, emulating the past, trying to be trippy, trying to be different, trying to sound exactly like something from the 60's... My point is that they're merely trying, and entirely too hard. It exhausts me.

Well, here's a new one that's not trying. It just IS. Asheville's Nest Egg rises from the ashes of  Soft Opening, a long running heavy psych / experimental group. The new venture sees them burning through mostly uptempo motorik jams, with a flawlessly executed repetitive groove. The aesthetic is minimal yet explosive. No one else is doing it like these fellows.  I haven't been this excited about a rock outfit in a long time. This demo is captured on half inch tape because... they wouldn't have it any other way. Check out samples of the band below. If you're interested in gripping this sweet reel, email therealjamiehepler@gmail.com





Check them out on tour NOW:

10/21 pilot light Knoxville
10/22 open. Book us
10/23 green lantern Lexington
10/24 Burlington Chicago
10/25 magnetic south Bloomington
10/26 cincy psych fest
10/27 the moth light asheville with cave
Come hang out.

Also check out their first LP:

John Carpenter's "Escape From New York" - OST (Death Waltz, 2012)

The Death Waltz label is quite possibly the coolest thing happening in the vinyl world. This UK label is reissuing horror and sci fi soundtracks on high quality wax with beautiful and elaborate custom artwork. John Carpenter's score for his B-movie masterpiece is still stunning thirty years later. Now we can hear it the way true analog geeks are supposed to. Last ye we received Vangelis' Bladerunner score on wax and now this? Be still my beating heart. DO grab this fast! Death Waltz only presses extremely limited quantities. Don't miss out.

Return of the Swing

Well, well, well... Look everyone, I'm back. Its been four months since my last post and I'm eternally sorry. I've been very busy for a while. Between promoting shows and working on my record label (plug plug Headway Recordings), I've not been able to sit around and wax nerdy a la musique.

So here's the way its going to work from now on: I won't be writing at length about albums. The point will be simply turning you on to albums. I feel that its important to share what I like, even if I don't have time to ramble on about why you should pay your rent late and buy that record now before its out of print.

A couple side notes... I'm very excited about my label's latest  LP release:



Also, if you're in Asheville on Halloween, check out my vinyl event...

Music From My 18th Summer / Just Chillin' With Lewis Largent (1993)

Happenings of 1993:

Czechoslovakia ceases to exist when it splits into the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Bill Clinton is sworn is as the 42nd President of the United States.

Six people are killed at the World Trade Center in New York City when a bomb in a van explodes in a parking garage.

The Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas is raided by agents of the Bureaus of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. The raid was intended to arrest Branch Davidian leader David Koresh on firearm charges. In the botched raid 5 Davidians and 4 BATF agents die. It leads to a 51 day standoff.

President Clinton announces his "Don't ask, don't tell" policy about gays in the military.

Lorena Bobbitt cuts off the penis of her husband John Bobbitt in Manassas, Virginia.

Israeli Prime Minister Yitzak Rabin shakes hands with PLO leader Yasser Arafat in Washington, DC after signing a peace agreement.

I can't believe that was twenty years ago. A lot of pretty significant world events occurred. What did I care? It was the summer of my 18th year. I was finally hanging out with girls and I was completely obsessed with music. I spent Sunday nights hanging out watching MTV's '120 Minutes' as Lewis Largent rambled on, feeding my brain with all the useless information I am now known for caring too much about.

So without further ado, here is my soundtrack to that summer. First is a list of the songs (in no particular order), then a youtube playlist of all of them. Clean your house to this mix. I'm sure there will be a moment in which you'll stop, suddenly overwhelmed by a particular memory. Enjoy:

Bjork - Human Behavior
Tool - Prison Sex
Nirvana - Heart-shaped Box
The Posies - Dream All Day
Afghan Whigs - Gentlemen
Mazzy Star - Fade Into You
Smashing Pumpkins - Cherub Rock
Slowdive - When the Sun Hits
James - Laid
Morphine - Cure for Pain
Type O Negative - Summer Breeze
Cracker - Low
Digable Planets - Rebirth of Slick
Janet Jackson - That's the Way Love Goes
Wu Tang Clan - Method Man
Ice Cube - It Was a Good Day
Radiohead - Stop Whispering
Frank Black - Los Angeles
Catherine Wheel - Crank
Seefeel - Moodswing