THE DUST BLOWS FORWARD, AND THE DUST BLOWS BACK: Hooker Vision recently re-released the 36-track Hymns For Phones by Kitchen Typists. The album, originally released in 2001 as a CD-R on Dust Bunny Records, is available now for the first time on cassette tape. Kitchen Typists was the temporary collaboration between Jeramy Lamanno (Hot Fudge, Garbage Island) and Philadelphia’s Jason Henn (Honey Radar), and everything here was recorded between 1997–2001. This is less a collection to which one needs to pay close attention than one to let play on repeat and be surprised by. These are very short tracks that range from nearly-indie rock numbers to clashy noise to scrape-laden drones to ghost folk numbers. None of the tracks are titled. It’s not essential, but still feels special when listening. Find this at hookervision.bandcamp.com.
HOMEWORK: The debut album by the person who is, hands down, one of the most consistently positive and upbeat folks in town, Libbaloops, is out now. This is the performance/artist name of Libba Beaucham, also a Flagpole ad rep, and the album is named Thanks. Each track originated as an electronic improvised loop either on her Twitch channel or during a live performance. The album tracks were produced by Chris Byron at Nuçi’s Space. The longest song (“Sweet Little Kitty”) clocks in at the relatively epic length of four minutes, but everything else hovers around the three-minute mark. It starts with the relatable and punchy “Where Is My Phone?” before sliding straight into the R&B of “Wondering.” The title track is a firm rejection of interlopers offering assistance. The boom-bap beats of “Doop Doop” are a nice addition to this release, as is the understated donk of “Tired.” This whole record is just casual cool while simultaneously being very fun, human and approachable. Think of it as a hyper-indie Daft Punk record and, while that may not be surgically accurate, it’s close enough to get you through the door. Find this at libbaloops.bandcamp.com.
DEATH VALLEY 2025: The band that has so deftly straddled aggressive heavy rock and art rock, Kwazymoto, has returned after four years with its most ambitious album yet. The 15-song album Kwazymoto Is Dead comes out this Friday, Sept. 12. None of these songs have titles. Instead, they’re just numbered i–xv. At first blush, you’d think the opening song “i” was a lost Elf Power track, but that changes very quickly. The band uses every brush in its tool kit to paint sweepingly claustrophobic tunes that feel less like an attack on the listener than an admonishment to join them. Their ability to creatively and effectively multi-layer tracks is truly stupendous at some points (e.g. “iii”). Further, the shift within the same song from near-Baroque-pop into destructed electro (“iv”) is something to hear. This is an album to spend some time with, and is not necessarily an easy listen. It can be unsettling but, unlike some other Athens bands, that’s not its reason for being. Find out for yourself how much you can stand over at kwazymoto.bandcamp.com. Follow along at instagram.com/kwazymoto.band and facebook.com/kwazymot0.
SEPTEMBER’S COMING SOON: Phantom Dan will have a new track out at the end of this week named “Summer Haze,” and that’s good because he’s squeezing it out just in time for autumn. This release is also his first with Atlanta’s 59X Records (59xrecords.com). This one opens up a little slower than his previous songs, but maintains a steady pace throughout. This is Dan’s recalling of whiling away the summer days of his deep youth, and he specifically namechecks the Warped Tour, backpacks, goofing around with his punk band, etc. And while he says in a press release that the “song doesn’t try to be overly polished—it’s meant for blasting from a busted car stereo,” it’s still pretty dang pro to my ears. This will be out on all major streaming services on its release date, but you can also count down the days by constantly refreshing facebook.com/phantomdanmusic.
SECOND CHANCES: As threatened a couple of weeks ago, Kenosha Kid has added a second 20th anniversary show this month at Hendershot’s. The multi-faceted jazz group will now also perform Friday, Sept. 19 in addition to its show the previous night. And, like I said before, this will very likely sell completely out, so if you slacked on the first one just try to make your best effort with this one. Doors open at 7 p.m.; music begins at 8 p.m. Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door, but don’t count on any being at the door. To purchase, please see hendershotsathens.com, and for all other information, please see kenoshakid.com.
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