Avant-Bird – A2
Bird Bard, out on cassette from Lincoln, NE’s Gay Hippie Vampire label, is a split between the artists Avant-Bird and Avant-Bard. “A2” is the second track from Avant-Bird, who I can only assume to be an artistically experimental goose that sets up a bunch of instruments in an enclosed space and then thrashes its wings around to create a dense cacophony of noise. If you like avian guitar shredding and four-minute drum fills, this track is for you. Plus, if you order a physical copy, you get a complimentary keychain looped through a hand-drilled hole in the tape.
Julian Terrell Otis – Beethoven was Black
Despite what many people think, Ludwig van Beethoven was not a white dude. Chicago, IL experimental artist Julian Terrell Otis uses this little-known historical tidbit as the central conceit of the song “Beethoven was Black,” the opener from his upcoming album All The Pretty Flowers. The track is a stunning display of the power and versatility of the human voice; Otis scats, ululates, weeps, and bellows himself into an operatic, almost religious fervor overtop a free (verrry free) jazz instrumental. Chaotic and raw, this is one of the more unique songs I’ve heard in a while.
Reamer – Flower
“Flower,” the opening track on the self-titled debut album from Halifax, Canada’s Reamer (named for a metalworking tool, in case you were wondering), is a concise slice of fluorescent, glittering shoegaze. Crunchy, compressed guitars and half-whispered vocals combine to create a palpable wall of music that seems to shimmer with energy. Let yourself be overwhelmed by the sonic forcefield.
Bored In Pittsburgh 