Raw Prawn - None Left 7"

From my favorite Aussie label, R.I.P. Society, here's an awesome 7" that combines all the best irreverent parts of Taco Leg and the pop sensibilities of Royal Headache, topping it off with a kickass band name. Essentially, there is nothing not to like about the whole package.

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Let's Active -- Afoot, EP 1983

This is, in my opinion, one of the greatest sets of pop songs ever recorded. I'm a huge fan of Let's Active, but this is the strongest single release they have. Download and bliss out.

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Name Change etc.

Hey world. I decided after some consideration that it was time to change my blog name and URL. I've been using the name Apache Fashion for a few years now, as the name of this blog and also as my old radio show on WNYU. The name is actually taken from a song called "Apache Fashion Dream" by the Homostupids, a band I'm consistently amused by and that I think embodied the sense off offbeat noise rock humor I wanted to capture when I originally began the show. However, after beginning to think seriously about cultural appropriation, I don't think I should continue to be using "Apache Fashion" as a moniker. I chose the name two years ago, just before two high profile gaffes made by corporations (Victoria's Secret and Urban Outfitters) prompted a more thorough discussion of what it means to appropriate cultural symbolism. Though my use of the name is a reference to something else entirely, I don't want it to be misconstrued as flippant or insensitive. Hence, I'm switching to UPS Freakout, a nod to Longmont Potion Castle, which looking at the stats is actually the #1 reason people end up on this blog anyways.

In addition, my new radio show starts up next week on WNYU, Tuesdays 12pm-2pm: No Wave No Fun. I'll be focusing minimal synth, coldwave, no wave, and industrial.

Polvo - Can I Ride EP

Some asshat stole my laptop and phone while I was at the library the other day, so my access to my music collection is temporarily limited until I can get my hands on my old hard-drive and maybe get a real computer again. However, I'm posting this Polvo EP because holy FUCK it is so good.

And if anyone wants me to listen to anything, hit me up with linx and bandcamp crap in the comments. I'd appreciate it at this point, because I'm not really feeling like another five hours on Spotify or god forbid another Radiolab podcast.

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Mid-September Mix

 J Mascis in a Void shirt, and Deb of My Bloody Valentine in a cowboy hat/mustache, making ass contact. Welcome to Indie Rock in 2013 kiddos, these were our childhood heroes. -- Courtesy of the Dinosaur Jr. Instagram account

Life is cray, there are tacos in the streets, and here's everything I've been listening to lately. Some great new bands (many of which I've been able to catch live) and some old favorites.

1. Flavor Of The Month: The Posies
2. My Disguise: Wildhoney
3. Do You Love Me Now?: The Breeders
4. Annoying: All Dogs
5. Isle Of The Cheetah: Hum
6. Ruin The Vision II: Church Whip
7. Sadiddy: Brandy
8. Blue Ghost Blues: Loren MazzaCane Connors 
9. The Hitcher: Swervedriver
10. Blue Baby: Ovlov
11. Keep: Pity Sex
12. I'm In Love With A Girl: Big Star
13. Elizabeth (Black Hearted Queen): Scout Niblett

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Rainer Veil - "Struck" (EP) 2013

Soft, percussive electronic that hints at future garage, and surpasses the confines of the notorious “chillwave” genre. Anyone who salivated over Andy Stott’s Luxury Problems, a record that is as spacious and industrial as it is tender, will love Struck. It’s rare for me to be able to say that a record achieves continuity without losing its heart, but this one does. Loops are layered infinitely, and the soft vocals and consistent percussion hints at the foundations of great pop songs. Perhaps what people found so captivating about the Clams Casino instrumental records were the very fact that they hinted at familiar, overworked songs, but remained just pale shapes.

It would be a mistake to label Struck as just an ambient electro record. Though Rainer Veil doesn’t relish in creating the harsh, alienating soundscapes of contemporaries like Raime, there is a solid, pulsing core here, despite its ethereal feel. Very excited to see what this UK duo comes out with next.

"Struck" EP

Bastro -- Rode Hard and Put Up Wet EP

As promised, here is Bastro's EP,  Rode Hard and Put Up Wet, released in 1988 on Homestead. Highly recommended for Big Black fan's, this EP is a faster, colder, and less-polished* version of Bastro before John McEntire was added as a drummer.

three eggs in a sock

All those descriptors are very much positive.

Bastro -- Diablo Guapo

Back to school, back to dat killer library upload speed.

Bastro has Michael Gira vocals, Drive Like Jehu intensity (they went balls to the wall with a killer drummer), and some really strange piano and spoken words parts mashed in. They don't often play in any consistent register, but the moments they do, you could easily mistake them for your favorite Dischord band (Fugazi, duh). The guitarist David Grubbs also played in Bitch Magnet, so if you're into that late-80's Oberlin College noise-rock scene, this is for you. This also happens to be a must-have for Homestead worshippers like myself who have listened to Atomizer so many times that we've lost our minds and are unsatisfied by Naked Raygun. However, I will be uploading Rode Hard and Put Up Wet, their earlier EP, which was recorded before they got a real drummer so rest easy Albini fangirls/boys I got u.

can of whoopass right here

Cultural Appropriation in Music: It's Still Not Cool

Image via Rookie

Haven't posted anything in a while, but here's a quick response I jotted off quickly after getting off the plane from Chicago. I legit cannot believe we still need to have conversations about cultural appropriation. It's so fucking obvious. 

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of attending a fantastic discussion at FMLY Fest Boston about creating safe venues for shows. Part of the discussion involved an intense inquiry into cultural appropriation in music, what it means to appropriate, and how the DIY world can be more inclusive and mindful of privilege and diversity. Few would deny that the underground music scene in cities like Boston and New York is primarily white, with much of the population coming from semi-privileged backgrounds. I am personally extremely optimistic about this changing. It's great to see DIY initiatives working to be more inclusive. For example, the Smash It Dead fest in Boston this May made a concerted effort to showcase bands with greater racial, sexual, and cultural diversity. And as always, the ever-popular Ladyfest does a fantastic job of promoting greater visibility for trans and genderqueer musicians in the DIY scene.

With this in the back of my mind, attending Saturday's Pitchfork Fest in Chicago this past weekend was an interesting look into "underground" music on a mass-scale. Some of the highlights for me included watching Solange kill it onstage with her impeccably dressed band, Kim Deal's husky voiced mid-set banter, and losing not one, but both of my shoes in the pit during Metz's set.

One thing however, I was extremely put-off by. Though in the grand scheme of things, it's small and perhaps insignificant, but to me, deserves at least a passing mention. It was Carson Cox's bindi. The teardrop-shaped symbol was impossible not to notice during Merchandise's set, and after consulting Twitter, it seemed that I was not the only person who reacted with a hearty sigh of exhaustion and distaste. I acknowledge that there are probably a lot of other things that weekend that are worthy subjects for analysis: R. Kelly's misogynistic lyrics (I say this while also admitting that I happen to adore R. Kelly) and the cringe-inducing gun violence joke made during Belle & Sebastian's set. Perhaps a joke about shooting wouldn't have been so ignorant if made at another time, in another city, but in Chicago, where just last year there were 2,364 recorded shooting, the overall number increasing 12% from the year before--that joke hits a tender spot.

You can say what you'd like about artistic freedom and self-expression. I have always been supportive of artists pushing the envelope--hence my undying love for Steve Albini, who has historically been outspoken about his separation of performance from his personal life. However, blatantly taking a religious symbol that is universally considered sacred in the Hindu faith and appropriating it for fashion purposes is insensitive and demands conversation. Perhaps if Cox explained his reasoning for the bindi, if it stemmed from a deep respect and inquiry into the Hindu faith and culture, and the history of that particular symbol, it might be slightly more excusable. But I wouldn't hold my breath for a response from a guy like Carson Cox.

Again, I'd like to say that I had a blast at Pitchfork fest. The lineup was packed with fantastic female-fronted bands (which is always a win in my book), and overall I found the crowd to be respectful, and the energy was totally positive. However, we need to look at the statements we're making when we put a certain performed onstage, and try to make sure that issues like cultural appropriation don't go undiscussed. Mindfulness is everything. If we don't call bands out, no matter how "cool" they are, things aren't ever going to get better. Sorry Carson, your leopard print shirt was totally rad, but your bindi was not.

- Originally posted on Tumblr 

Violetshaped - S/T

Wherein Emma listens to something that is actually from 2013, and enjoys it. Fantastic industrial/dark techno release. Consistent stomping bass beats, crunchy feedback, dense and heavy panning. For fans of Regis, Ancient Methods, Vatican Shadow, and the whole Blackest Ever catalog. Oh and obviously it came out on Hospital: as I slowly watch LA replace NYC as the new industrial capital, and weep/consider moving to London. Fuck this record is good.

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O - O'rgasm

When I heard this, my jaw dropped and my faith was restored in the world. Classic 90s breakbeat techno with minimal synth influences, and a dash of Jamaican dancehall shout-outs. Smutty, slutty, and catchy as hell.

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Pharmakon - 2009 S/T

Per request.

This woman rules, even though the album art for this release is reprehensible. (Could it be a critique of traditional death industrial album covers? Nouveau/retro Sick Puppy? Maybe Margaret Chardiet is smarter than all of us. Probably.) 

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Last week was utterly shit-tastic (s/o to fellow Boston inhabitants: land of meathead hardcore and people who walk slowly...jk, we're great guys). Here's a twee mix with a dash of power-pop or vice versa. 

1. When You Sleep: Shonen Knife

2. Velasquez and I: Would-Be-Goods

3. Whatever I Do It's Right: The Clean

4. Your Side: Fear Of Men

5. Won't Go Wrong: Let's Active

6. Drown: Black Tambourine

7. Surf's Up: Deardarkhead

8. A Prophecy: Close Lobsters

9. Black and White: The DB's

10. Super Crush: Tiger Trap

11. Pity: Royal Headache

12. Corduroy: The Wedding Present

13. Starshy: Heavenly

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Longmont Potion Castle: Digital Goobers Revisited

A while back I posted a nearly complete discography of the inimitable Longmont Potion Castle, but many of the links were removed. In the mean time, Dirk Funk (also known as Dusty Staccato or Spicy Legato, among others) has been kickin' his boots around, and in late 2012 released a ninth volume of total inanity. 

Subliminal Propaganda (or, Volume 1) // (1988)

Volume 2 // (1992)

Volume 3 // (1995)

Volume 4 // (2001)

Volume 5 // (2005) 

Volume 6 // (2008)

Volume 7 // (2009)

Volume 8 // (2011)

Volume 9 // (2012)

All posts from 2013 are now re-upped

If you would like something I posted earlier, leave a comment and I'll get to work on it.

Watching The Dance - Aerial FX

A few other blogs have already posted this, and some of their links are still working, but I figured I'd post it here too because it's fucking fantastic and everyone should have it.

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Iron Curtain - "Tarantula Scream"

The perfect marriage of post-punk guitar work and minimal synth melodies.

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Ruth - Polaroïd/Roman/Photo

One of my favorites: a gorgeous, understated piece of genuine French coldwave with lovely cover art. It retains the naïve and tech-inspired distance of typical minimal synth, while being provocative and coquettish. The album tells the story of a boy with a Polaroid, infatuated with a young woman. (I can't resist linking to the stunning NSFW back cover photo). I've been craving a vinyl copy of this for a long time, needless to say.

Tu sais je suis si sensible/A la lumière et inaccessible/Devant ton zoom mets un filtre rose/Si tu veux si tu veux que je pose

Minimal Synth Megaposts

Hello there. Over the winter I amassed a large number of minimal synth releases, with help from stellar blogs like Systems of Romance and Kentucky Fried Wave. So before it turns into full-on summer and I start to listen solely to Western MA guitar-based bands, I am going to post my coldwave/minimal synth favorites here, starting with Linea Aspera's self-titled debut album.

LA is, in my opinion, the best new coldwave band out there. Sadly, listening to this album does not (but almost could) count towards that required college science seminar.

 LA ST 2012

Siglo XX - Answer

Stunning coldwave/post-punk record. The Belgian follow-up to Joy Division's "Closer." 

Siglo XX - Answer (1983)

Ancient Methods: Methods 1-5

First Method

Second Method

Third Method 

Fourth Method

Fifth Method

Antonin Artaud - Pour en Finir avec le Jugement de Dieu

There seems to be a dearth of spoken-word downloads on the interwebs lately, so hear you go. Because the voice actors in this recording are so evocative, it's pleasing to listen to regardless of whether you understand or agree with Artaud, (he's a bit nutters).

"After the Second World War ended, French radio opened up in a big way to some of the most challenging artists, suppressed in the Nazi-controlled Vichy regime. [Antonin] Artaud was slated, and between November 22 and 29, 1947, recorded his valedictory work, the radiophonic play Pour en finir avec le jugement de dieu (To Have Done or To Make an End of the Judgment of God) for the ORTF. Artaud proclaimed it "at last, a first rendering of the theater of cruelty," but never heard his work broadcast over the air as the program was banned and not broadcast until the late '70s; the perpetually impoverished Artaud died, sitting at the foot of his bed with a shoe in his hand, on March 4, 1948." - via AllMusic

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Haus Arafna - New York Rhapsody

Delightfully polished industrial/darkwave: New York Rhapsody is sometimes reminiscent of Raime, but a bit smoother--full of crisp popping, dripping synth tones, and murmured vocals. The record was originally made to serve as a soundtrack for a fashion show, so it's bit more rhythmic than Haus Arafna's other releases.

A contemporary minimal synth release that is neither comically macabre or overtly "dancey."

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Tuxedomoon - Desire

Post-punk does psychedelic. Desire is one of the strangest records I've ever heard: as it seems to embrace both minimal synth and prog-rock templates equally.  With a wide range of stylistic experimentation, this record somehow remains coherent and compelling for all ten tracks.

Tuxedomoon takes cues from White Light/Heat (in particular, "Sister Ray" and "Lady Godiva's Operation"), Taj Mahal Travellers, The Comsat Angels, and Swans. There are a few weak points in the album, namely the last few, dwindling minutes of "East" (of which the first half is excellent), and a touch of overexposure to Winston Tong's dirge-like vocals. However, the absolutely killer basslines and totally refreshing use of a saxophone is more than enough to make this record memorable, and utterly sophisticated.

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Songs Of The Humpback Whale - Dr. Roger Payne, 1970

A lot of good blogs have made mention of this record, but most of the links for it are dead. It's a total gem.

"The rare recordings are from a 'Bel Canto' era of whale singing. Even though Humpbacks change their songs every year, none from recent years has been so beautiful as these they sang in the 1960's."
... can you argue with that?

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Recordings of Shortwave Numbers Stations - The Conet Project

This isn't much in the way of music, more a way to spend a few hours (or a whole day) sifting through through the wealth of shortwave numbers recordings and the mythology surrounding them. I think the most incredible thing about these recordings is the fact that numbers stations are still owned and operated by different government agencies, notably Cherry Ripe (active until December 2009) and the Lincolnshire Poacher (active until July 2008). Shortwave transmissions continue to be a widely used form of covert communication given that one-pad systems are notoriously difficult to decipher and therefore there is no danger in broadcasting them publicly (assuming the key is completely randomized).

I uploaded Disc 1 and Disc 2, and maybe I will upload more, but metadata was a nightmare and there's more than enough material here for hours upon hours of conspiracy-theorizing.

While preparing to post this, I came across a Pitchfork article from 2012 announcing the anticipated reissue of these recordings. Evidently I'm not alone in my obsession with Cold War ephemera/espionage theories. Also, here's a good NPR segment on the topic, along with the Irdial website containing more information that you could ever want to absorb.

Disc One 

Disc Two

"But worse things were about to be found in the bedroom: on the jeweller’s wife’s ottoman, in a casual pose, sprawled a third party- namely, a black cat of uncanny size, with a glass of vodka in one paw and a fork, on which he had managed to spear a pickled mushroom, in the other." 

1. Intro: Pärson Sound 
2. Nr 1: Ziyo 
3. Lift Off: Nagamatzu 
4. Girl In A Fishtank: Kreng 
5. Ranta: Vladislav Delay
6. Solo d'un marin: Christian Zanési
7. Voice No Bodies: T++ 
8. The Last Foundry: Raime 
9. For Lack Of A Better Word: My Dad Is Dead 
10. Shadow From Tartarus: Actress
11. Led By Leather: Liable 
12. Musical Sculpture: Marcel Duchamp

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In Aeternam Vale - "Dust Under Brightness"

I've been spending a lot of time lately exploring the Minimal Wave catalog. I've listened to this LP nearly ten times and I still don't feel like I have a handle on what it is. Dust Under Brightness is a bit of a hybrid: standard-fare French coldwave with clear tribal and industrial influences--particularly early German new wave. (Some of the songs also sound eerily similar to The Knife, a welcome comparison in my opinion).

Dust Under Brightness