Browse by Label: TAPETE (GERMANY)

Artist:	PALAIS SCHAUMBURG
Title:	Palais Schaumburg
Label:	TAPETE (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	TR 002CD

Tapete re-issues the classic debut album by Hamburg-based post-punk/electronic pop band, Palais Schaumburg. In the early part of the '80s, Palais Schaumburg were revered for their eclectic mix of minimalistic analog-electro sounds, weird speak-singing and surrealist/nihilist lyrics. After a few single releases on Zick Zack, they recorded their 1981 debut (produced by David Cunningham) for Phonogram Records. "Wir Bauen Eine Neue Stadt" became a cult song, and the band went on to enjoy much international critical and popular acclaim. Palais Schaumburg founders Thomas Fehlmann (Flowing and The Orb) and Holger Hiller (Mute recording artist) haven't lost any of their creativity or sense of purpose and continue to delight us with their own projects, after Palais Schaumburg's demise in 1984. This is truly weirdo dance music filled with slanted, not-disco bass grooves, industrial clangs, and shout-y German monotone vocals that absolutely charm with their stark, art-pop appeal.

Artist:	PALAIS SCHAUMBURG
Title:	Lupa
Label:	TAPETE (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	TR 039CD

Tapete re-issues the legendary second album by Hamburg's avant/new wave electro-pop band, Palais Schaumburg, originally released in 1982, and now released on CD for the very first time. Shortly after the release of their debut album, founding member Holger Hiller left the band, and was replaced by lyricist/vocalist Walter Thielsch. Produced by Andy "Sugar Coated" Hernandez in New York and Zürich, Lupa further established the band as "great German pop constructionists" (NME) with some newly-added jazz-funk fuelled horns. This re-issue of the original album includes three bonus tracks and an extensive 24-page booklet with artwork by Walter Thielsch himself, as well as private photos, press clippings, and extensive liner notes. The original photos for Lupa were taken by Anton Corbijn, whose first video effort was for "Hockey." Twenty-seven years after its original release, Lupa still sounds fresh and vibrant today (the album was remastered by veteran engineer, Willem Makkee), having lost none of its urgency and avantgardist, jazz-infused charm.

Artist:	MAPLEWOOD
Title:	Maplewood
Label:	TAPETE (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	TR 068CD

This is the sought-after debut album by Brooklyn's Maplewood, originally released in 2004. Rising up on a breeze of three-part harmonies and 12-string acoustic guitars, Maplewood evokes a joyride up the Pacific Coast Highway. Like the scent of night jasmine in bloom, the Maplewood sound wafts from the canyons to the beaches and out into the desert, an ode to a Californian ideal mapped out by such precursors as America, Bread, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Gene Clark, '70s-era Beach Boys, late-period Byrds, The Stone Canyon Band, John Phillips, Neil Young, Hearts And Flowers, and even CSNY. For the five dudes who make up Maplewood, lost gems like "Ventura Highway" and "Make It With You" evolved from guilty pleasure to buried treasure: in such castoff anthems of mellowness, Maplewood managed to find improbable inspiration. Call it canyon rock, call it breeze rock, Maplewood is like a desert sunrise, like a dappled afternoon up in the orange groves, like a moon-lit walk on the beach and a swig of dandelion wine with the one you love the most. Maplewood is Mark Rozzo, Steve Koester, Craig Schoen, and Ira Elliot.

Artist:	COLE, LLOYD
Title:	Cleaning Out The Ashtrays
Label:	TAPETE (GERMANY)
Format:	4CD BOX
Price:	$46.00
Catalog #:	TR 138CD

For singer/songwriter Lloyd Cole, now is the time for Cleaning Out The Ashtrays -- for sorting through dusty boxes of cassettes, DAT tapes and CDs in his Easthampton hideaway, to take stock and try to make sense of all that forgotten music. All those lost songs; half remembered sessions, much-missed friends and fellow-musicians and gifted co-producers. A goldmine of music from 21 years as a solo artist. Here, then, are 59 -- count 'em -- nuggets from the Cole vaults. Four CDs bursting with alternate versions, rare B-sides, cover sessions (Lou Reed, Marc Bolan and Leonard Cohen songs among them), and a few tracks that the record companies -- and on occasion, even Lloyd himself -- just didn't get at the time. The launch of the new Lloydcole.com, along with a healthy appetite for touring his folk singer set around the world, has helped establish a vibrant online community of Cole fans. Countless queries about lost B-sides and rumored remixes sowed the seeds of the Cleaning Out The Ashtrays project which Cole has researched and compiled himself. Now, all of us can share in the riches that lay hidden inside that dusty old box. Includes a 36-page booklet with notes on each CD by the artist himself.

Artist:	NOURALLAH, SALIM
Title:	Constellation
Label:	TAPETE (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	TR 145CD

This is the fourth solo release by Dallas, Texas-based singer/songwriter/producer Salim Nourallah. In 1998, Salim and his brother Faris Nourallah recorded their debut CD, Nourallah Brothers, on an 8-track recorder. Before it was even released, the brothers decided to go their separate ways and have not recorded music together since. Salim released his first solo record, Polaroid, in May of 2004 on Western Vinyl/Secretly Canadian. He went on to release the critically-acclaimed Beautiful Noise in 2005 which won "Best CD/Best Song" and "Best Producer" in the 2006 Dallas Observer Awards. 2007's Snowing In My Heart yielded the successful single "Don't Be Afraid" which appeared on HBO's TV show, The Wire. Constellation was recorded in the spring of 2008 with singer/songwriter/producer extraordinaire, Billy Harvey. Salim and Billy played and sang everything themselves with the notable exception of guest appearances on the song "Saint Georges" by Austin musicians Bob Schneider (vocals & piano) and Bruce Hughes (upright bass). Constellation is a joyous sonic return to the indie-pop sounds of Nourallah Brothers while also maintaining the emotional directness of Salim's previous solo efforts. With comparisons to a post-Beatles/George Harrison/Jeff Tweedy vibe, Constellation rewards with more soaring vocals, catchy melodies and evocative words, promising to be one of Salim's best efforts to date.

Artist:	LATE CALL, THE
Title:	Leaving Notes
Label:	TAPETE (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	TR 146CD

This is the debut full-length release by The Late Call aka Stockholm singer/songwriter Johannes Mayer (The Cedar). Leaving Notes is definitive proof that a long-distance relationship leaves its mark, and that you don't need much more than some acoustic instruments and simple lyrics to create a staggeringly brilliant pop album. In the time spent waiting for late phone calls from his girlfriend, Mayer appears to have frequently reached for his guitar, producing the tangible and bittersweet emotions contained on this record. From the first notes, you are drawn into a very special, quiet, intimate atmosphere. The feelings on this record are real, and they do not let go of you over the full length of the album, giving you the kind of goosepimples one usually only associates with listening to Nick Drake, Damien Rice or José González. Warm acoustic instrumentation creates The Late Call's distinctive sound. "Thinking What To Say" is carried by a vibraphone, while in the background, an old piano is playing a haunting refrain. Accordions and harmoniums often pave the way for lighter acoustics, and the great string arrangements such as those on "Cards On The Table" and "The Summertime" speak of a musical aesthetic that is grand, without being overwrought or melancholic. Leaving Notes sounds like a manifesto against modern Saturday night partying, and is a rare musical find. The album furthermore contains a wide range of collaborations with Andreas Söderström (Ass, Rubies, Taken By Trees), Elias Åkesson (Elias & The Wizzkids), Björn Kleinhenz and Henrik Roger (Ghost Of Tom Joad). These intimate acoustic songs manage to convey the contemplative spaces between the farewell, the departure and the arrival.

Artist:	LACROSSE
Title:	Bandages For The Heart
Label:	TAPETE (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	TR 147CD

This is the second full-length release by Sweden's Lacrosse. Their debut album This New Year Will Be For You and Me had the critics using words like "euphoric," "perky" and "sunshine pop." On the follow-up, the six-piece pop combo teamed up with acclaimed Swedish producer Jari Haapalainen (The Concretes, Ed Harcourt, Moneybrother, The International Noise Conspiracy, etc.) to create an opus with no less euphoria, but a lot more edge. "Lacrosse's music sounds as if it's being performed by children, but written for adults who stumble their way through life," explains Haapalainen. Recorded at the legendary Studio Gröndal in Stockholm, Bandages For The Heart reveals a heavier and darker side of Lacrosse. With traces of disco, punk, flamenco, synth-pop and Krautrock, the album will have you bouncing on the brightest lit dancefloor and crying in the darkest corner, all in the span of 37 minutes. During their extensive European tour in 2008, Lacrosse also gained a reputation for being an explosive live act. This is no less apparent on tracks such as "It's Always Sunday Around Here," "Come Back Song #1," and the upcoming single "We Are Kids." Sounding very much at times like a Swedish Arcade Fire, theirs is a thoroughly modern sound with an enthusiastic, infectious, boy-girl pop vibe that will have you snapping gum and lighting fires.

Artist:	JACK BEAUREGARD
Title:	Everyone Is Having Fun
Label:	TAPETE (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	TR 151CD

This is the debut full-length by Berlin-based Jack Beauregard, the musical duo of Daniel Schaub (vocals, guitar) and Pär Lammers (keyboards, electronics). Both met as students at the Music Conservatorium in Amsterdam and named themselves after a world-weary Spaghetti-Western hero played by Henry Fonda. However, instead of sharp-shooting, they shoot soft, but with a nonchalance that should suit every old gunslinger. Naturally, the combination of folk and indietronics isn't the newest thing in this age of laptop productions, but the sleek and slinky way these guys pull it off is just amazing. Everyone Is Having Fun features 12 finely-crafted confections thinly coated with a harsh glaze. For, despite all their balladry and sweetness, every song holds a certain twist, a sarcastic-ironic bit, a second, opposing dimension. With synthy, beat-driven pop hooks, acoustic ruminations matched with electro hand-claps, piano runs and bell-chimes, Jack Beauregard sound as if José González, having just left Take That, had hooked up with early Kraftwerk. Perfectly-honed indie-pop songwriting meshed with well-planned beats.

Artist:	MAPLEWOOD
Title:	Yeti Boombox
Label:	TAPETE (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	TR 159CD

This is the second full-length album by Brooklyn's Maplewood. When the band released their self-titled debut in 2004, it was as if a strong, hot Santa Ana wind had blown through New York's indie-rock scene. Here was a New York band that cast its eyes westward, toward the golden shores of California and -- unusual for any band from Brooklyn -- to the laidback legacies of the Beach Boys, The Byrds, The Flying Burrito Bros., and CSNY. If fans of the members' previously well-received bands Nada Surf, Champale, and Koester were a bit thrown off by the breezy turn, it didn't take long for the harmony-heavy Maplewood sound to catch on, as the group showcased at CMJ, SXSW, and were soon finding their way into press everywhere. After tours in Europe and shows in the U.S. with Luna, The Sleepy Jackson, Vic Chesnutt, and The Notwist, Maplewood went on to collaborate with legendary '70s group America on their 2007 comeback record. Maplewood returns with Yeti Boombox, and the 12-song set picks up where Maplewood left off. Featuring amazing guest performances, this time from Gerry Beckley (America) and Alan Weatherhead (Sparklehorse), the atmosphere may be a little snowier, and the mood a little spacier, but the Maplewoodian hallmarks are all there: lush harmonies, shimmering guitars, evocative storytelling, and gorgeous soundscapes.

Artist:	MAPLEWOOD
Title:	Yeti Boombox
Label:	TAPETE (GERMANY)
Format:	LP
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	TR 159LP

LP version. This is the second full-length album by Brooklyn's Maplewood. When the band released their self-titled debut in 2004, it was as if a strong, hot Santa Ana wind had blown through New York's indie-rock scene. Here was a New York band that cast its eyes westward, toward the golden shores of California and -- unusual for any band from Brooklyn -- to the laidback legacies of the Beach Boys, The Byrds, The Flying Burrito Bros., and CSNY. If fans of the members' previously well-received bands Nada Surf, Champale, and Koester were a bit thrown off by the breezy turn, it didn't take long for the harmony-heavy Maplewood sound to catch on, as the group showcased at CMJ, SXSW, and were soon finding their way into press everywhere. After tours in Europe and shows in the U.S. with Luna, The Sleepy Jackson, Vic Chesnutt, and The Notwist, Maplewood went on to collaborate with legendary '70s group America on their 2007 comeback record. Maplewood returns with Yeti Boombox, and the 12-song set picks up where Maplewood left off. Featuring amazing guest performances, this time from Gerry Beckley (America) and Alan Weatherhead (Sparklehorse), the atmosphere may be a little snowier, and the mood a little spacier, but the Maplewoodian hallmarks are all there: lush harmonies, shimmering guitars, evocative storytelling, and gorgeous soundscapes.

Artist:	LACROSSE
Title:	We Are Kids
Label:	TAPETE (GERMANY)
Format:	7"
Price:	$7.00
Catalog #:	TR 161EP

This is the first single from Lacrosse's album, Bandages For The Heart in a limited run of 500 copies on transparent red vinyl. Recorded at the legendary Studio Gröndal in Stockholm by the highly-acclaimed Swedish producer Jari Haapalainen (The Concretes, Ed Harcourt, Moneybrother, The International Noise Conspiracy). Lacrosse has a reputation for being an explosive live act, which is no less apparent than on the thoroughly modern sound of "We Are Kids" and the extended version of the album's title track.

Artist:	DIAL M FOR MURDER!
Title:	Fiction Of Her Dreams
Label:	TAPETE (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	TR 163CD

This is the debut full-length release by Sweden's Dial M For Murder!. After 2008's Oh No!/The Mourning Comes The Morning After vinyl single stirred up much interest all over Europe, Sweden's Dial M For Murder! fulfills all the promises made by that 45 rpm gem. Fiction Of Her Dreams is a powerful and dark manifesto celebrating the everyday highs and lows of life in Europe's North in the first decade of the new millennium. Winter's anxieties, summer's confusing adrenaline rush and springtime's yearly hopeful new beginnings are all part and parcel of this multifaceted album. References to '80s British dream-pop bands such as A.R. Kane and The Chameleons are to be found, as well as the aesthetics of classic bands like Joy Division or current contenders Interpol and Ladytron. Theirs is a sound that has been scraped raw -- moody, haunting vocals, gritty melodies, fuzzy electric guitars, mean-sounding synths, dirty drum-boxes -- it's all here. Dial M For Murder! is a duo comprised of David Ortenlöf and Andy Lantto. Stating Alfred Hitchcock, love and hate, low-frequency bass, old drum machines, London and indie fashion as outside influences, Dial M For Murder!'s sense of style and purpose comes as no surprise. Produced by Fredrik Jansson and the band, recorded mostly at night, Fiction Of Her Dreams is a strong post-punk/dark wave statement with some very cool songs and attitude in abundance.

Artist:	ELEPHANTS, THE
Title:	Take It
Label:	TAPETE (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	TR 164CD

This is the second full-length release from quickly-rising Danish indie-pop group, The Elephants. Their music is so infused with an uplifting, sunny vibe that it instantly puts a smile on your face. This is Brian Wilson-esque power-pop awash in gorgeous melodies, harmonies, backing vocals and quirky instruments such as horns, ukulele, harmonium, banjo, keyboards, etc. The Elephants' debut album came out in 2007 to ecstatic reviews all over Europe, in Japan and even in the Philippines, followed by a string of impossibly-great live shows. 2009 sees the band, based around vocalist and guitarist Bjarke Bendtsen, returning with a strong second album, once again full of great tunes, albeit more thoughtful and reflective this time around. Written and arranged in a house deep in the Danish forest, Take It is a testament to the beauty of life, the deep sadness that surrounds us and the unyielding power of friendship and love. With bouncy, propulsive guitar strums, rhythmic piano anthems, and dreamy, mournful lap steel, this is pop music as it was meant to be: strong and sad, timeless and uplifting, all at the same time. Take It was produced by the band, and engineered and co-produced by Mads Andersen. Fridolin Nordsoe mixed and mastered. Coming out at a time when especially pop music is usually shallow and banal, Take It is a testament to the grandeur of the 3 min. 30 sec. pop song, which is alive and well, even in Denmark.

Artist:	DOWNPILOT
Title:	They Kind Of Shine
Label:	TAPETE (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	TR 166CD

This is the third full-length album by multi-instrumentalist Paul Hiraga aka Downpilot. Downpilot has given the music world two albums of lush and atmospheric pop in collaboration with producer Tucker Martine (R.E.M., The Decemberists, Laura Veirs), with influences as diverse as Americana rock, ambient electronica and jazz. Their first full-length album, Leaving Not Arriving, garnered shining reviews from Rolling Stone, Harp, No Depression, amongst others, and their 2006 follow-up, Like You Believe It, was named "Best Local Album of the Year" by Seattle's influential arts weekly The Stranger. Always curious and looking for new ways to express his musical vision, Hiraga delved into the technical world of classic studio electronics in order to actually construct wire-by-wire most of the vintage-based analog recording gear that would soon capture the sounds on the album he subsequently produced for The Wedding Present bassist Terry de Castro (A Casa Verde). Hiraga's multi-instrumental musicianship and engineering artistry (as well as contributing two songs) have since earned praise in the UK (8/10 stars in NME). This new audio laboratory was then put to work in the creation and recording of They Kind Of Shine. Drawing some individualistic inspiration from the first Paul McCartney solo albums (on which the former Beatle played nearly every instrument himself), Hiraga embarked on a private studio exploration that has many songs performed entirely by himself on acoustic/electric/lap steel guitars, drums and percussion, acoustic and electric piano, humming old Farfisas and Hammonds and creaky old pump organs, with an occasional banjo and ukulele thrown in for flavor. Long-time band mate Jeff Brown contributes rich background vocal support, and cameos by former Posies drummer Mike Musburger, pedal steel master Maggie Bjorklund and Tucker Martine contribute to the remarkably cohesive band sound. The result is a rich acoustic-electric-chamber-pop-roots-Americana-rock-country album that doesn't really hold on to any of those simplistic labels, but is completely timeless. Soaring, accomplished singer/songwritership imbued with rich harmonies and alt. country swagger.

Artist:	FEHLFARBEN
Title:	Glücksmaschinen
Label:	TAPETE (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	TR 171CD

Tapete presents an album by one of Germany's most legendary indie acts, Fehlfarben, comprised of former members of DAF, Mittagspause, S.Y.P.H. and Der Plan -- a "who's who" of the most influential bands of the late '70s German new wave and punk scene. Their epochal 1980 album Monarchie Und Alltag was one of the '80s most important albums, as well as being a top-seller, including the Neue Deutsche Welle anthem "Ein Jahr (Es Geht Voran)." Now, quite unexpectedly, they present Glücksmaschinen (loosely translated to "bliss machines"). It's important to listen to these 8 tracks without any notion of the historical importance/ballast of the band that produced them, for Fehlfarben prove that they still reign as post-punk/new wave masters. Produced by Moses Schneider (Tocotronic, Kante, Beatsteaks), this album was recorded mostly live, with no overdub sessions to even out the sound. Fehlfarben haven't sounded this fresh and vital since the peak of their heyday, with driving, abrasive guitars, and of course, vocalist Peter Hein's rousing lyrics. Thirty years after Monarchie Und Alltag, it would do well for every young band to have half the clarity and power of Fehlfarben in 2010.

Artist:	FEHLFARBEN
Title:	Glücksmaschinen
Label:	TAPETE (GERMANY)
Format:	LP
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	TR 171LP

LP version. Tapete presents an album by one of Germany's most legendary indie acts, Fehlfarben, comprised of former members of DAF, Mittagspause, S.Y.P.H. and Der Plan -- a "who's who" of the most influential bands of the late '70s German new wave and punk scene. Their epochal 1980 album Monarchie Und Alltag was one of the '80s most important albums, as well as being a top-seller, including the Neue Deutsche Welle anthem "Ein Jahr (Es Geht Voran)." Now, quite unexpectedly, they present Glücksmaschinen (loosely translated to "bliss machines"). It's important to listen to these 8 tracks without any notion of the historical importance/ballast of the band that produced them, for Fehlfarben prove that they still reign as post-punk/new wave masters. Produced by Moses Schneider (Tocotronic, Kante, Beatsteaks), this album was recorded mostly live, with no overdub sessions to even out the sound. Fehlfarben haven't sounded this fresh and vital since the peak of their heyday, with driving, abrasive guitars, and of course, vocalist Peter Hein's rousing lyrics. Thirty years after Monarchie Und Alltag, it would do well for every young band to have half the clarity and power of Fehlfarben in 2010.

Artist:	FEHLFARBEN
Title:	Wir Warten
Label:	TAPETE (GERMANY)
Format:	7"
Price:	$7.00
Catalog #:	TR 174EP

Fehlfarben are one of Germany's most legendary indie acts, comprised of former members of DAF, Mittagspause, S.Y.P.H. and Der Plan -- a "who's who" of the most influential bands of the late-'70s German new wave and punk scene. Fehlfarben have -- quite unexpectedly -- come up with their strongest album to date, Glücksmaschinen (TR 171CD/LP). This is a limited-edited red vinyl 12" with album track "Wir Warten" on one side and a live version of the non-album track "WWW" on the other.

Artist:	MEN AMONG ANIMALS
Title:	Run Ego
Label:	TAPETE (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	TR 175CD

The Danish quintet Men Among Animals release their sophomore album Run Ego. Most of the recordings were done by themselves in a wooden cabin during the summer of 2009. Afterwards, they joined forces with Quentin Stoltzfus -- founder of the critically-acclaimed band Mazarin -- and together they have now finished what Men Among Animals consider their masterpiece. After the release of their debut Bad Times, All Gone in autumn 2007, Men Among Animals toured from the most southern part of Europe to the most Northern. They've played Spain, Norway, England, Belgium, Holland, Switzerland, Germany, and Denmark. They also played several festivals including Reeperbahn in Germany, Roskilde Festival in Denmark, By:Larm in Norway and many more. They have received top reviews for their live performances. In summer 2009, the band played at Roskilde Festival where they again received excellent responses from the festival press. Men Among Animals is on a constant search for new paths in music and they will never stay in the same place for long. If Bad Times, All Gone was day, then Run Ego is night. Bounciness gives way to indie-pop balladry, still with plenty of kick and verve.

Artist:	MEN AMONG ANIMALS
Title:	Run Ego
Label:	TAPETE (GERMANY)
Format:	LP
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	TR 175LP

LP version. The Danish quintet Men Among Animals release their sophomore album Run Ego. Most of the recordings were done by themselves in a wooden cabin during the summer of 2009. Afterwards, they joined forces with Quentin Stoltzfus -- founder of the critically-acclaimed band Mazarin -- and together they have now finished what Men Among Animals consider their masterpiece. After the release of their debut Bad Times, All Gone in autumn 2007, Men Among Animals toured from the most southern part of Europe to the most Northern. They've played Spain, Norway, England, Belgium, Holland, Switzerland, Germany, and Denmark. They also played several festivals including Reeperbahn in Germany, Roskilde Festival in Denmark, By:Larm in Norway and many more. They have received top reviews for their live performances. In summer 2009, the band played at Roskilde Festival where they again received excellent responses from the festival press. Men Among Animals is on a constant search for new paths in music and they will never stay in the same place for long. If Bad Times, All Gone was day, then Run Ego is night. Bounciness gives way to indie-pop balladry, still with plenty of kick and verve.

Artist:	NOM DE GUERRE
Title:	Love Thy Neighbour
Label:	TAPETE (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	TR 176CD

After their debut album La La La received rave reviews and resulted in a couple of successful Swedish and German tours, power-pop trio Nom De Guerre went back home to Stockholm to ponder their next move. How could they take things to the next level? The answer was to discover new horizons. Lead singer Hector moved to Berlin and immersed himself in the music and art scene. Over the course of countless emails and endless phone calls, the de Guerre brothers realized that they didn't want to just record another bunch of songs. They wanted to tell a story. A murder story, a whodunit, a classic tale of how true love comes up against pure, naked greed and... well, you'll have to listen to the whole ten songs, in the right order, to find out what happens. Because this is a concept album -- but not in the standard "tedious-overlong-songs-about-a-vague-and-pretentious-theme" way. This is a collection of polished, snappy songs, any of which works fine by itself, too. From the impassioned vocals and fuzzed-up bass solos to the pounding piano and frantic drumming, along with chunky synths, smooth strings and stonking tunes, there's plenty to keep listeners happy. The cynical, sometimes brutal lyrics set to joyous pop music will send an unexpected chill down your spine. Teaming up with talented Berlin artist Sandra Tebbe is: Hector de Guerre (lead vocals and piano), Louis de Guerre (harmony vocals and bass), and George de Guerre (harmony vocals and drums). Includes a guest appearance by TokTok's Soffy O.

Artist:	HERPES
Title:	Das Kommt Vom Küssen
Label:	TAPETE (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	TR 177CD

This is the debut album by Berlin's Herpes. Hard to say if the boys and girl in Herpes haven't made their lives a little more difficult by choosing the name of that very nasty infectious disease as their band name, but, being a punk band from Berlin, they couldn't really give a hoot about any kind of marketing or commercially-minded arguments/objections from anyone. And so, Herpes it is! After their first tour of Europe (France, Sweden, Germany, etc.) before they even had a record out and the subsequent release of club hit "Fette Muttis," Herpes finally present their first full-length release for Hamburg's Tapete Records. Das Kommt Vom Küssen (trans. "What You Get From Kissing") is punk rock with a very artschool twist. Rather than the beer-drinking, riff-rocking, fist-fighting variety found too often in European clubs these days, Herpes are cheeky and fun with weirdo synths, driving drums, German speak-sing shouting, and angular guitar lines. Devo and Plastic Bertrand are just some like-minded artists that come to mind here. Even before their first release, Herpes were invited to London to play the almost painfully-hip Playground Club. A knightly accolade for any continental European band, for sure. Herpes will make you hysterical, Herpes is infectious (ooops...sorry).

Artist:	BAMBI KINO
Title:	Some Other Guy/Falling In Love Again
Label:	TAPETE (GERMANY)
Format:	7"
Price:	$7.00
Catalog #:	TR 182EP

In cooperation with Tapete and in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the first Beatles concerts in Hamburg, Germany, Bambi Kino, comprised of members Mark Rozzo (Maplewood), Ira Elliot (Nada Surf), Daron Murphy (Moby), Erik Paparazzi (Cat Power), will play a run of four shows at the Indra. The band will resurrect the sound and the spirit of those heady days in August 1960 by performing exactly the same songs that comprised the Beatles' set 50 years ago!

Artist:	COLE, LLOYD
Title:	Broken Record
Label:	TAPETE (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$14.50
Catalog #:	TR 186CD

"About a year ago, after almost a decade in self-imposed exile as a would-be folksinger, I developed an itch I wasn't expecting. It seemed that there were aspects to my old life in rock and roll that I missed. Tour buses and product managers, certainly not. But the interacting with musicians, the camaraderie and the joy of hearing one's music enhanced, and elevated by the aesthetic of others, absolutely. Damn. I never wanted to make records alone, but somehow I ended up spending much of the 2000s in a studio with just a bunch of equipment and a computer, or touring with a suitcase and two guitars. Two things made me realize that I needed to rejoin the fray, at least for a little while -- I had written some songs which demanded a beat, and I was having great fun with my new acoustic trio -- The Small Ensemble. Why not make a rock(ing) record, or whatever it is that 49 year-olds make when they try to do that? I emailed my ideal band -- I was making a record, in a studio, old school with tape. Interested? All said yes. I had a studio band: drums, percussion - Fred Maher (Scritti Politti, Lou Reed, Matthew Sweet, my first two solo records), bass, vocals - Rainy Orteca (Joan As Police Woman, Antony And The Johnsons, Brilliantine), guitars, mandolin, vocals - Mark Schwaber (The Small Ensemble, Spouse, Hospital), guitars, banjo - Matt Cullen (The Small Ensemble, The Sighs, Ware River Club), keyboards - Blair Cowan (The Commotions, Paul Quinn, Alisdair Robertson), pedal steel - Bob Hoffnar (Hem, Crash Test Dummies, my Bad Vibes album), piano, violin, guitar, vocals - Joan Wasser (Joan As Police Woman, Antony And The Johnsons, Dambuilders), vocals - Kendall Meade (Mascott, Grammercy Arms), production and vocals - Dave Derby (Dambuilders, The Negatives, Grammercy Arms, Brilliantine), mixing - Mick Glossop, Dave Bates, my man at Fontana way back when, kindly agreed to A&R the record. I played acoustic guitar, banjo and sang. The final lyric was written and then recorded at Mick Glossop's Magazine Studio in West London on April 22nd, leaving us two days to mix the song and fine-tune the rest. The whole experience was, for me, rewarding, perplexing, fabulously enjoyable and heinously stressful. Singing with a rock and roll band in the studio, I felt exactly as I did in 1987, or 1995 and then I would see my reflection in the glass of the gobo and wonder who this old guy was? I'm happy we got these songs finished, because I'm not sure I'll make another record like this again. Having said that, I'm never going back to that room with the computer..." --Lloyd Cole, June 2010, Massachusetts, USA

Artist:	COLE, LLOYD
Title:	Broken Record
Label:	TAPETE (GERMANY)
Format:	LP
Price:	$25.50
Catalog #:	TR 186LP

Gatefold 180 gram LP version. Includes free download code. "About a year ago, after almost a decade in self-imposed exile as a would-be folksinger, I developed an itch I wasn't expecting. It seemed that there were aspects to my old life in rock and roll that I missed. Tour buses and product managers, certainly not. But the interacting with musicians, the camaraderie and the joy of hearing one's music enhanced, and elevated by the aesthetic of others, absolutely. Damn. I never wanted to make records alone, but somehow I ended up spending much of the 2000s in a studio with just a bunch of equipment and a computer, or touring with a suitcase and two guitars. Two things made me realize that I needed to rejoin the fray, at least for a little while -- I had written some songs which demanded a beat, and I was having great fun with my new acoustic trio -- The Small Ensemble. Why not make a rock(ing) record, or whatever it is that 49 year-olds make when they try to do that? I emailed my ideal band -- I was making a record, in a studio, old school with tape. Interested? All said yes. I had a studio band: drums, percussion - Fred Maher (Scritti Politti, Lou Reed, Matthew Sweet, my first two solo records), bass, vocals - Rainy Orteca (Joan As Police Woman, Antony And The Johnsons, Brilliantine), guitars, mandolin, vocals - Mark Schwaber (The Small Ensemble, Spouse, Hospital), guitars, banjo - Matt Cullen (The Small Ensemble, The Sighs, Ware River Club), keyboards - Blair Cowan (The Commotions, Paul Quinn, Alisdair Robertson), pedal steel - Bob Hoffnar (Hem, Crash Test Dummies, my Bad Vibes album), piano, violin, guitar, vocals - Joan Wasser (Joan As Police Woman, Antony And The Johnsons, Dambuilders), vocals - Kendall Meade (Mascott, Grammercy Arms), production and vocals - Dave Derby (Dambuilders, The Negatives, Grammercy Arms, Brilliantine), mixing - Mick Glossop, Dave Bates, my man at Fontana way back when, kindly agreed to A&R the record. I played acoustic guitar, banjo and sang. The final lyric was written and then recorded at Mick Glossop's Magazine Studio in West London on April 22nd, leaving us two days to mix the song and fine-tune the rest. The whole experience was, for me, rewarding, perplexing, fabulously enjoyable and heinously stressful. Singing with a rock and roll band in the studio, I felt exactly as I did in 1987, or 1995 and then I would see my reflection in the glass of the gobo and wonder who this old guy was? I'm happy we got these songs finished, because I'm not sure I'll make another record like this again. Having said that, I'm never going back to that room with the computer..." --Lloyd Cole, June 2010, Massachusetts, USA

Artist:	SCHWEFELGELB
Title:	Das Ende Vom Kreis
Label:	TAPETE (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	TR 188CD

This is the second full-length album by Germany's Schwefelgelb. A lot has happened since their acclaimed debut album Alt Und Neu -- Sid and Eddy aka Schwefelgelb were invited to the Wire festival in Tokyo, the biggest festival for electronic music in Asia. The picky, well-informed audience went crazy over Schwefelgelb's mix of electro, new and dark wave, and their eccentric stage performance did the rest. The same happened on tour in England, Spain, and Poland, and during that time, Schwefelgelb found the time to remix a number of other artists. If on their debut Schwefelgelb brilliantly combined brute electronic body music with catchy melodies and melodic detail, they now not only further continue to do so on Das Ende Vom Kreis, but take it to the extreme. On the one hand, a cool elegance, that keeps reminding you of the sound of the Sheffield scene (Human League, Cabaret Voltaire); on the other hand, the hard, but never overly simplistic beats. In this respect, Schwefelgelb have managed to square one and the same: smart music that gives you the chance to pogo dance that nevertheless sounds as fresh and progressive as if the Roland TR-808s had just recently rolled off the assembly line. Das Ende Vom Kreis will cause a stir in the discos around the globe, with the exhilarated, worn-out masses soaked with sweat.

Artist:	SCHWEFELGELB
Title:	Das Ende Vom Kreis
Label:	TAPETE (GERMANY)
Format:	LP
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	TR 188LP

LP version. This is the second full-length album by Germany's Schwefelgelb. A lot has happened since their acclaimed debut album Alt Und Neu -- Sid and Eddy aka Schwefelgelb were invited to the Wire festival in Tokyo, the biggest festival for electronic music in Asia. The picky, well-informed audience went crazy over Schwefelgelb's mix of electro, new and dark wave, and their eccentric stage performance did the rest. The same happened on tour in England, Spain, and Poland, and during that time, Schwefelgelb found the time to remix a number of other artists. If on their debut Schwefelgelb brilliantly combined brute electronic body music with catchy melodies and melodic detail, they now not only further continue to do so on Das Ende Vom Kreis, but take it to the extreme. On the one hand, a cool elegance, that keeps reminding you of the sound of the Sheffield scene (Human League, Cabaret Voltaire); on the other hand, the hard, but never overly simplistic beats. In this respect, Schwefelgelb have managed to square one and the same: smart music that gives you the chance to pogo dance that nevertheless sounds as fresh and progressive as if the Roland TR-808s had just recently rolled off the assembly line. Das Ende Vom Kreis will cause a stir in the discos around the globe, with the exhilarated, worn-out masses soaked with sweat.

Artist:	LATE CALL, THE
Title:	You Already Have A Home
Label:	TAPETE (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	TR 192CD

This is the second full-length release by The Late Call aka Stockholm singer/songwriter Johannes Mayer (The Cedar). Throughout the record there is an energy which remains a driving force, all the way through to its gratifying end. You Already Have A Home comes as a marked contrast to the acclaimed debut Leaving Notes on which Johannes Mayer was given the opportunity to cut his teeth with an album of beautiful songs exercised in the art of restraint. On his sophomore record, he has put together an album full of punctuation marks, giving a completely new perspective to the introverted nature of Leaving Notes. This record features a stronger emphasis on percussion and strings with old pianos and brass thrown in for good measure. The result is a collection of songs that have been arranged with great love and attention to detail. However, you will not find any form of musical overload or effect-fireworks in any of the songs. You Already Have A Home, in evolutionary terms, could be described as the missing link between Kings Of Convenience and Bon Iver. The situation in the studio reflects life's circumstances which The Late Call describe on this record: the attempt to build your life, the struggles, the set-backs and the belief in a rewarding and positive end. You Already Have A Home arrives with an impressive clarity and sharp observation, combining a beautiful interaction of lyrical content and melody with a simplicity that demonstrates how much this artist has developed as a songwriter and musician. The album was recorded and co-produced by Tapete stable-mate John Roger Olsson (The Grand Opening) in his Stockholm studio. Furthermore, the album features collaborations with, among others, Ylva Ceder (who Johannes Mayer toured with in December 2009), bass player Patric Thorman and Maria Eriksson (The Concretes).

Artist:	LATE CALL, THE
Title:	You Already Have A Home
Label:	TAPETE (GERMANY)
Format:	LP
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	TR 192LP

LP version, featuring an extra vinyl-only track. This is the second full-length release by The Late Call aka Stockholm singer/songwriter Johannes Mayer (The Cedar). Throughout the record there is an energy which remains a driving force, all the way through to its gratifying end. You Already Have A Home comes as a marked contrast to the acclaimed debut Leaving Notes on which Johannes Mayer was given the opportunity to cut his teeth with an album of beautiful songs exercised in the art of restraint. On his sophomore record, he has put together an album full of punctuation marks, giving a completely new perspective to the introverted nature of Leaving Notes. This record features a stronger emphasis on percussion and strings with old pianos and brass thrown in for good measure. The result is a collection of songs that have been arranged with great love and attention to detail. However, you will not find any form of musical overload or effect-fireworks in any of the songs. You Already Have A Home, in evolutionary terms, could be described as the missing link between Kings Of Convenience and Bon Iver. The situation in the studio reflects life's circumstances which The Late Call describe on this record: the attempt to build your life, the struggles, the set-backs and the belief in a rewarding and positive end. You Already Have A Home arrives with an impressive clarity and sharp observation, combining a beautiful interaction of lyrical content and melody with a simplicity that demonstrates how much this artist has developed as a songwriter and musician. The album was recorded and co-produced by Tapete stable-mate John Roger Olsson (The Grand Opening) in his Stockholm studio. Furthermore, the album features collaborations with, among others, Ylva Ceder (who Johannes Mayer toured with in December 2009), bass player Patric Thorman and Maria Eriksson (The Concretes).

Artist:	DAVENPORT, BART
Title:	Searching For Bart Davenport
Label:	TAPETE (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	TR 194CD

Bart Davenport releases an album of cover songs dear to his heart. Davenport grew up in California, devoured his hippie parents' vinyl collection, and learned to play guitar at 8 years old. He was the frontman for The Loved Ones and The Kinetics. His first solo album Bart Davenport came out in 2002. He has toured with Kings Of Convenience and opened for many of his heroes, including Arthur Lee, Robyn Hitchcock, Jonathan Richman and John Lee Hooker. His second solo album Game Preserve came out in 2003 and Maroon Cocoon followed in 2005. The absolutely brilliant Palaces came out in 2008. Bart is also the singer of Honeycut. One of California's coolest songwriter/performers, this is a totally fab collection of tracks. "At the turn of the century I found myself at a crossroads, transforming from axe-less frontman into solo voyager. I clearly was a singer already but I also wanted to write. I spent days, months, years cocooning, trying to become a songwriter. Time flew by, and eventually I re-emerged with a handful of decent tunes and lyrics. I've been fortunate to have so many friends around, musicos who've helped me record those little gems. I've performed on what feels like a thousand stages and often, out of pragmatism, I'm alone up there. Also, along the way, I've taken to performing the songs of my heroes. That these cover versions should fit so seamlessly into one of my sets could be seen as living proof of just how derivative my own music is. If that's true, I'm not bothered by it. In performance, I tend to forget which ones are mine and which ones are theirs. I forget where the songwriter ends and the singer begins. Or perhaps I've been trying subconsciously to reveal my influences for a long, long time." Searching For Bart Davenport is the musical chronicle of an artist seeking his soul with words from others made into his own. Songs by Broadcast, Kings Of Convenience, Caetano Veloso, Sandycoates, The Incredible String Band, Bridget St. John, Love/Arthur Lee, David Byrne, Bert Jansch, Jackson C. Frank, The Changes, and Gil Scott-Heron.

Artist:	BAMBI KINO
Title:	Bambi Kino
Label:	TAPETE (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	TR 202CD

New York City, summer 2009: Four young Beatles and Hamburg aficionados from New York form a band, naming themselves after the first lodgings of The Beatles during their first string of Hamburg shows, the Bambi Kino in Paul-Roosen-Straße in St. Pauli. Their plan: to play the Indra on the 50th anniversary of the Beatles' premiere. Hamburg, August 2010: In cooperation with their label Tapete Records, who are also based in Hamburg, Bambi Kino play a four-day residency at the Indra (August 17-20, 2010). Bambi Kino are: Ira Elliot, drums (Nada Surf), Erik Paparazzi, bass (Cat Power), Mark Rozzo, guitar and vocals (Maplewood) and Doug Gillard, guitar (Guided By Voices). The band revive the sound and spirit of those August days in 1960, playing the exact set the Beatles played for the Indra crowd 50 years ago. Sleep was not an issue on those hot and humid August days and nights in Hamburg as Bambi Kino played three sets, averaging around five hours of show time every night. Rehearsals in the afternoon further extended their repertoire of rock'n'roll classics, obscure R&B tracks, standards and even some country songs to play at the shows. This album was also recorded during afternoon sessions at the historic venue. Out of over 12 hours of material, the band selected these 12 songs. And a treasure trove it is: a long-forgotten episode of musical history, the sounds and songs of the Hamburg Beatles are finally given the respect they deserve, and Bambi Kino are nothing like a conventional cover band. Knowledgeable, passionate and highly original, the band makes these early masterpieces accessible to the general public once again. The tough, driving beat, rough and soulful harmony vocals and the rockin' guitars take the listener back to the dark alleyways and side streets of London, Liverpool and, naturally, Hamburg where in 1960, thin young men in black leather jackets re-interpreted American rock'n'roll, giving it a whole new lease on life.

Artist:	BAMBI KINO
Title:	Bambi Kino
Label:	TAPETE (GERMANY)
Format:	LP
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	TR 202LP

LP version. New York City, summer 2009: Four young Beatles and Hamburg aficionados from New York form a band, naming themselves after the first lodgings of The Beatles during their first string of Hamburg shows, the Bambi Kino in Paul-Roosen-Straße in St. Pauli. Their plan: to play the Indra on the 50th anniversary of the Beatles' premiere. Hamburg, August 2010: In cooperation with their label Tapete Records, who are also based in Hamburg, Bambi Kino play a four-day residency at the Indra (August 17-20, 2010). Bambi Kino are: Ira Elliot, drums (Nada Surf), Erik Paparazzi, bass (Cat Power), Mark Rozzo, guitar and vocals (Maplewood) and Doug Gillard, guitar (Guided By Voices). The band revive the sound and spirit of those August days in 1960, playing the exact set the Beatles played for the Indra crowd 50 years ago. Sleep was not an issue on those hot and humid August days and nights in Hamburg as Bambi Kino played three sets, averaging around five hours of show time every night. Rehearsals in the afternoon further extended their repertoire of rock'n'roll classics, obscure R&B tracks, standards and even some country songs to play at the shows. This album was also recorded during afternoon sessions at the historic venue. Out of over 12 hours of material, the band selected these 12 songs. And a treasure trove it is: a long-forgotten episode of musical history, the sounds and songs of the Hamburg Beatles are finally given the respect they deserve, and Bambi Kino are nothing like a conventional cover band. Knowledgeable, passionate and highly original, the band makes these early masterpieces accessible to the general public once again. The tough, driving beat, rough and soulful harmony vocals and the rockin' guitars take the listener back to the dark alleyways and side streets of London, Liverpool and, naturally, Hamburg where in 1960, thin young men in black leather jackets re-interpreted American rock'n'roll, giving it a whole new lease on life. Includes free download code.

Artist:	HERPES
Title:	Symptome Und Beschwerden
Label:	TAPETE (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	TR 209CD

This is the second album by Berlin's Herpes. Herpes caused a sensation with their hit single "Fette Muttis" (trans. "Fat Mums") and the debut album Das Kommt Vom Küssen (trans. "It Comes From Kissing"). The band was even invited to the United Kingdom -- a country traditionally more skeptical about all things German -- and the legendary group Fehlfarben had them supporting during their tour. And now, Herpes is back: Symptome Und Beschwerden (trans. "Symptoms And Ailments") mixes bone-dry art school punk (Devo, Gang Of Four, early Mekons) with some mid-period Goldene Zitronen, refined here and there with clear Krautrock influences. Not the hippie-blues-rock Krautrock, of course, but rather the NEU! Krautrock. It's presented with such vehemence and naturalness, as if Herpes had never even heard a note from any of those bands (which may be the case), as if Suicide were to cover Pere Ubu. This album is both rugged and elegant at the same time. Hysteria and brevity meet and shake hands. Herpes front man Florian sings "I hate this city/which made me a man," and in his own way pays homage to the city that made Herpes so well-known with their hit "Very Berlin." As long as frustration among young people leads to albums like this, you would almost wish it upon yourself. What a nasty, a selfish thought.

Artist:	HERPES
Title:	Symptome Und Beschwerden
Label:	TAPETE (GERMANY)
Format:	LP
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	TR 209LP

LP version. This is the second album by Berlin's Herpes. Herpes caused a sensation with their hit single "Fette Muttis" (trans. "Fat Mums") and the debut album Das Kommt Vom Küssen (trans. "It Comes From Kissing"). The band was even invited to the United Kingdom -- a country traditionally more skeptical about all things German -- and the legendary group Fehlfarben had them supporting during their tour. And now, Herpes is back: Symptome Und Beschwerden (trans. "Symptoms And Ailments") mixes bone-dry art school punk (Devo, Gang Of Four, early Mekons) with some mid-period Goldene Zitronen, refined here and there with clear Krautrock influences. Not the hippie-blues-rock Krautrock, of course, but rather the NEU! Krautrock. It's presented with such vehemence and naturalness, as if Herpes had never even heard a note from any of those bands (which may be the case), as if Suicide were to cover Pere Ubu. This album is both rugged and elegant at the same time. Hysteria and brevity meet and shake hands. Herpes front man Florian sings "I hate this city/which made me a man," and in his own way pays homage to the city that made Herpes so well-known with their hit "Very Berlin." As long as frustration among young people leads to albums like this, you would almost wish it upon yourself. What a nasty, a selfish thought. Includes free download code.

Artist:	THE HORROR THE HORROR
Title:	Wilderness
Label:	TAPETE (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	TR 212CD

Sometime in 2006, The Horror The Horror emerged from the Swedish club circuit, heavily deriving on influences from the late '60s and early '70s, ending up sounding like the bastard child of a one-night stand at CBGB's. Their self-titled debut album (released 2006) was instantly dubbed "Record Of The Week" at prestigious Rough Trade Records and Piccadilly Records, UK. Euphoric press reviews were followed by ecstatic fans and touring in the UK, Germany, Spain, Austria and Sweden, showcasing the band's explosive live sound. In 2011, the direction has changed, leaving the shabby clubs for yacht parties, showing more resemblance to David Gilmour than David Johansen. On their third album Wilderness, the sound of The Horror The Horror is evolving into something rather luxurious. It still has an indie rock thorn, but grit has given way to gravy. THTH is coming in from the wilderness. Lyrically, this album is less "me against the world" and more "where in the world am I?" In fact: closer to the Stockholm Archipelago than the Lower East Side.

Artist:	THE HORROR THE HORROR
Title:	Wilderness
Label:	TAPETE (GERMANY)
Format:	LP
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	TR 212LP

LP version. Sometime in 2006, The Horror The Horror emerged from the Swedish club circuit, heavily deriving on influences from the late '60s and early '70s, ending up sounding like the bastard child of a one-night stand at CBGB's. Their self-titled debut album (released 2006) was instantly dubbed "Record Of The Week" at prestigious Rough Trade Records and Piccadilly Records, UK. Euphoric press reviews were followed by ecstatic fans and touring in the UK, Germany, Spain, Austria and Sweden, showcasing the band's explosive live sound. In 2011, the direction has changed, leaving the shabby clubs for yacht parties, showing more resemblance to David Gilmour than David Johansen. On their third album Wilderness, the sound of The Horror The Horror is evolving into something rather luxurious. It still has an indie rock thorn, but grit has given way to gravy. THTH is coming in from the wilderness. Lyrically, this album is less "me against the world" and more "where in the world am I?" In fact: closer to the Stockholm Archipelago than the Lower East Side. Includes a free download code.

Artist:	BEAUREGARD, JACK
Title:	The Magazines You Read
Label:	TAPETE (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	TR 213CD

"Jack Beauregard (pronounced: 'Zjegg.Burre.Garr') is Pär Lammers and Daniel Schaub from Berlin, Germany. They have been making music together since 2006. The Magazines You Read is their second album. In addition to Jack Beauregard, they sometimes write songs for other artists -- some may know their compositions for the German pop starlet Lena Meyer-Landruth. They missed the award ceremony for Lena's platinum album because they were stuck in traffic. Jack Beauregard have successfully toured in England and Sweden and in Germany they toured supporting Mika and Hurts. The Magazines You Read is all about the fantastic notion that you might one day understand who you really are. Ideally, it would happen through a soulmate who explains the world to you, brushes away all those nagging questions and makes you forget your doubt. But no one can do that: not the girl who finds all her answers in magazines ('All These Tears'); not the person across from you, who can tell by looking into your eyes just how empty you feel ('Gold Mine'); and not that wonderfully eccentric person beside you ('Lullaby'). It's an album about that moment just before sleep, when it seems as if everything is clear. And yet nothing is clear, because: this is also an album about love -- an album about love that was made with love. Daniel and Pär produced it themselves and have ensured that it does everything to you that makes you come to life. You want to dance to 'Hollywood' until you don't care if somebody is watching. The beginning of 'You Or My Guitar' finds you on the floor with a broken heart, but in the end you fly away. And the first single 'You Drew A Line' has you longing for nothing more than to be unhappily in love, because even that feels so nice with Jack Beauregard." --Raffaela Jungbauer

Artist:	OTTUM, JOSH
Title:	Watch TV
Label:	TAPETE (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	TR 217CD

Although Watch TV is only Josh Ottum's second album, it is the result of years of songwriting, experimentation, sonic exploration, and personal introspection. Recorded piece-by-piece at both Richard Swift's National Freedom studio in Cottage Grove, Oregon, and Casey Foubert's Metal Camp in Enatai, Washington, between 2007 and 2010, Watch TV is a sonically unified album, even as it remains a study in contrasts. Josh consciously chose to utilize an accessible musical palette in both his melodies and in his instrumentation. Indeed, a lot of the programming for the album was done on the consumer music software GarageBand. There are pop hooks galore and there are heartbreaking ballads that fit somewhere between some of Paul Simon's most transparent work and David Foster-produced '80s ballads by Chicago and Lionel. As Josh notes, "I've always loved midi sounds, fake choirs and sampled steel drums. I am also aware of how ridiculous these things are. I don't like them -- I love them." But at the same time he's stressing consumer instruments and technology and accessible melodies and hooks, Josh remains interested in compositional complexity. This juxtaposition of the "accessible" with the experimental bespeaks of the larger conceptual scope of Watch TV: What can be hidden beneath that which seems simple or easy to understand? What kind of emotional content lies underneath sounds that can seem almost cliché? And in what ways are our emotions and personal lives interwoven with pop music "clichés?" It is this, the album's admixtures of human and technological, of studio musicianship and consumer software, of melodic naiveté and compositional complexity, of accessibility and depth, of cliché and expression that come together around the human experience in modern society. Much like our relationship with TV music, each song on Watch TV provides a cinematic palate for the listener to project his or her feelings onto. The album means to be evocative.

Artist:	OTTUM, JOSH
Title:	Watch TV
Label:	TAPETE (GERMANY)
Format:	LP
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	TR 217LP

LP version with free download code. Although Watch TV is only Josh Ottum's second album, it is the result of years of songwriting, experimentation, sonic exploration, and personal introspection. Recorded piece-by-piece at both Richard Swift's National Freedom studio in Cottage Grove, Oregon, and Casey Foubert's Metal Camp in Enatai, Washington, between 2007 and 2010, Watch TV is a sonically unified album, even as it remains a study in contrasts. Josh consciously chose to utilize an accessible musical palette in both his melodies and in his instrumentation. Indeed, a lot of the programming for the album was done on the consumer music software GarageBand. There are pop hooks galore and there are heartbreaking ballads that fit somewhere between some of Paul Simon's most transparent work and David Foster-produced '80s ballads by Chicago and Lionel. As Josh notes, "I've always loved midi sounds, fake choirs and sampled steel drums. I am also aware of how ridiculous these things are. I don't like them -- I love them." But at the same time he's stressing consumer instruments and technology and accessible melodies and hooks, Josh remains interested in compositional complexity. This juxtaposition of the "accessible" with the experimental bespeaks of the larger conceptual scope of Watch TV: What can be hidden beneath that which seems simple or easy to understand? What kind of emotional content lies underneath sounds that can seem almost cliché? And in what ways are our emotions and personal lives interwoven with pop music "clichés?" It is this, the album's admixtures of human and technological, of studio musicianship and consumer software, of melodic naiveté and compositional complexity, of accessibility and depth, of cliché and expression that come together around the human experience in modern society. Much like our relationship with TV music, each song on Watch TV provides a cinematic palate for the listener to project his or her feelings onto. The album means to be evocative.

Artist:	NEXT STOP: HORIZON
Title:	We Know Exactly Where We Are Going
Label:	TAPETE (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	TR 220CD

Next Stop: Horizon is Pär Hagström and Jenny Roos from Gothenburg, Sweden. Their music is so special that it's difficult to explain their sound. Perhaps, Kurt Weill-esque, achingly unique, anarchic and melodramatic music of bizarre beauty, sounding archaic and totally contemporary at the same time. The band attempts an explanation: "We spent the whole winter at our own recording studio in Gothenburg, recording the Next Stop: Horizon debut album. We wanted to try out a few things that we had thought of for quite a while. We wanted to find new sounds. And old sounds. We wanted to create soundly images of who we were that specific winter. What we dreamed about. What we cared for. How we felt. Who we wanted to be. It's all there, on the album. We recorded all the melodies we could hear in our heads and invited the finest musicians and friends we could think of to add their own feel to it, and tiny fragments of their minds. On top of that, we put a certain amount of snow and rain and wind, along with pictures of warmer places which we dreamed about. And echoes from lands so far away that no one can go there. It turned out to sound like music. Our music."

Artist:	NEXT STOP: HORIZON
Title:	We Know Exactly Where We Are Going
Label:	TAPETE (GERMANY)
Format:	LP
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	TR 220LP

LP version. Next Stop: Horizon is Pär Hagström and Jenny Roos from Gothenburg, Sweden. Their music is so special that it's difficult to explain their sound. Perhaps, Kurt Weill-esque, achingly unique, anarchic and melodramatic music of bizarre beauty, sounding archaic and totally contemporary at the same time. The band attempts an explanation: "We spent the whole winter at our own recording studio in Gothenburg, recording the Next Stop: Horizon debut album. We wanted to try out a few things that we had thought of for quite a while. We wanted to find new sounds. And old sounds. We wanted to create soundly images of who we were that specific winter. What we dreamed about. What we cared for. How we felt. Who we wanted to be. It's all there, on the album. We recorded all the melodies we could hear in our heads and invited the finest musicians and friends we could think of to add their own feel to it, and tiny fragments of their minds. On top of that, we put a certain amount of snow and rain and wind, along with pictures of warmer places which we dreamed about. And echoes from lands so far away that no one can go there. It turned out to sound like music. Our music." Includes free download code.

Artist:	DOWNPILOT
Title:	New Great Lakes
Label:	TAPETE (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	TR 221CD

For the follow-up to the acclaimed They Kind Of Shine (TR 166CD/LP) (including songs featured on television series One Tree Hill), Hiraga sequestered himself on Seattle's nearby Vashon Island in a spacious woodland studio and set to writing and recording, far from the distractions of the city. Although several Downpilot alumni would later make cameos, the feeling from the start was that this would be a more intimate, solo-style album. With his arsenal of self-made recording equipment and surrounded by an extensive collection of vintage keyboards and other instruments, the multi-instrumentalist recorded ideas in a spontaneous, stream-of-consciousness fashion. After a solitary week, the foundation was laid for the fourth Downpilot LP: New Great Lakes. Time and distance function like a filter, obscuring some details while bringing others into sharp relief. Time might heal all, but we always, inevitably, find ourselves back where we started. Why isn't an issue. Whether you can go home again or not is actually an issue, because there's an inherent need to revisit the past at some point in our lives. The landscape itself may have altered -- the landmarks eradicated or erased or at least redecorated -- but there's a part of ourselves that will always see the skeleton of what was there back when; a part of our soul that needs to process the journey; a longing that we might never find the words to identify but persists nonetheless. Home. Whatever that means. It's here, and yet it's inescapably there -- and it creeps up on you in the strangest ways. It certainly does on Downpilot's latest offering. Singer/songwriter Paul Hiraga may not have set out to revisit his Midwestern roots, but if you listen closely you can hear the wind whipping off the great plains, or the desperation of the industrial rust belt. The disorienting sights and sounds and sentiments of displacement, made all the more profound because you never expected to be displaced (or distanced) from the place that you disowned. And yet hopefulness somehow inexplicably prevails. Forward progress is a human impulse -- we just forget that sometimes we need to stop and consider what got us to our current vantage point. You can run, as they say, but you can never, ever hide.

Artist:	DOWNPILOT
Title:	New Great Lakes
Label:	TAPETE (GERMANY)
Format:	LP
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	TR 221LP

LP version. For the follow-up to the acclaimed They Kind Of Shine (TR 166CD/LP) (including songs featured on television series One Tree Hill), Hiraga sequestered himself on Seattle's nearby Vashon Island in a spacious woodland studio and set to writing and recording, far from the distractions of the city. Although several Downpilot alumni would later make cameos, the feeling from the start was that this would be a more intimate, solo-style album. With his arsenal of self-made recording equipment and surrounded by an extensive collection of vintage keyboards and other instruments, the multi-instrumentalist recorded ideas in a spontaneous, stream-of-consciousness fashion. After a solitary week, the foundation was laid for the fourth Downpilot LP: New Great Lakes. Time and distance function like a filter, obscuring some details while bringing others into sharp relief. Time might heal all, but we always, inevitably, find ourselves back where we started. Why isn't an issue. Whether you can go home again or not is actually an issue, because there's an inherent need to revisit the past at some point in our lives. The landscape itself may have altered -- the landmarks eradicated or erased or at least redecorated -- but there's a part of ourselves that will always see the skeleton of what was there back when; a part of our soul that needs to process the journey; a longing that we might never find the words to identify but persists nonetheless. Home. Whatever that means. It's here, and yet it's inescapably there -- and it creeps up on you in the strangest ways. It certainly does on Downpilot's latest offering. Singer/songwriter Paul Hiraga may not have set out to revisit his Midwestern roots, but if you listen closely you can hear the wind whipping off the great plains, or the desperation of the industrial rust belt. The disorienting sights and sounds and sentiments of displacement, made all the more profound because you never expected to be displaced (or distanced) from the place that you disowned. And yet hopefulness somehow inexplicably prevails. Forward progress is a human impulse -- we just forget that sometimes we need to stop and consider what got us to our current vantage point. You can run, as they say, but you can never, ever hide. Includes free download code.

Artist:	THE HORROR THE HORROR
Title:	Leaving/Vangelis
Label:	TAPETE (GERMANY)
Format:	7"
Price:	$7.00
Catalog #:	TR 223EP

Instead of a third single off the Wilderness album, The Horror The Horror chose to record again and are now releasing two brand-new tracks on beautiful white vinyl. Leaving/Vangelis is movie soundtracks from the early '80s. It is campfire. It is club music from the time when anyone with a sampler was king. It is a tiny bit disco. It is those cheesy hit songs you used to hear on the radio. And still, it is simply The Horror The Horror.

Artist:	ME AND CASSITY
Title:	Appearances
Label:	TAPETE (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	TR 224CD

For the past year and a half, Dirk Darmstaedter has been stockpiling a stunning new collection of ten songs, grabbing time to write in hotel rooms while on tour across Europe, in the offices of Tapete Records (the label he co-founded) or at his house in the countryside near his native Hamburg. The result is Appearances, Dirk's sixteenth release, this one under the guise of Me And Cassity. Appearances manages to sound as fresh as any first record by an emerging artist, full of energy and urgency, while at the same time tempered by a certain level of maturity, experience and sensibility that has built Dirk's reputation as "one of Germany's underground pop heroes," according to the New York Times. The agenda for the new album was to record everything live in the studio, right onto analog tape in order to achieve a more old-school sound. "Fuller, louder, towering, climactic," said Dirk. "This is how I learned to make records from folks like Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley (Elvis Costello, David Bowie, Morrissey) and Fred Maher (Material, Lou Reed)." The Me And Cassity group, featuring drummer Lars Plogschties, bassist Ben Schadow, keyboardist Nikko Weidemann, stormed through a five-day recording session at Le Chatelet studios in Hamburg's Altona neighborhood to create this ten-song collection, which references influences such as Todd Rundgren, The Lovin' Spoonful, Nick Drake, and Bob Dylan. A wide panorama of moods, the songs on Appearances range from sweet to passionate, pastoral to gritty, vulnerable to tough. Sparkle and hum, truth and grit. Appearances can be deceiving, but not this album.

Artist:	ME AND CASSITY
Title:	Appearances
Label:	TAPETE (GERMANY)
Format:	LP+CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	TR 224LP

LP version. For the past year and a half, Dirk Darmstaedter has been stockpiling a stunning new collection of ten songs, grabbing time to write in hotel rooms while on tour across Europe, in the offices of Tapete Records (the label he co-founded) or at his house in the countryside near his native Hamburg. The result is Appearances, Dirk's sixteenth release, this one under the guise of Me And Cassity. Appearances manages to sound as fresh as any first record by an emerging artist, full of energy and urgency, while at the same time tempered by a certain level of maturity, experience and sensibility that has built Dirk's reputation as "one of Germany's underground pop heroes," according to the New York Times. The agenda for the new album was to record everything live in the studio, right onto analog tape in order to achieve a more old-school sound. "Fuller, louder, towering, climactic," said Dirk. "This is how I learned to make records from folks like Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley (Elvis Costello, David Bowie, Morrissey) and Fred Maher (Material, Lou Reed)." The Me And Cassity group, featuring drummer Lars Plogschties, bassist Ben Schadow, keyboardist Nikko Weidemann, stormed through a five-day recording session at Le Chatelet studios in Hamburg's Altona neighborhood to create this ten-song collection, which references influences such as Todd Rundgren, The Lovin' Spoonful, Nick Drake, and Bob Dylan. A wide panorama of moods, the songs on Appearances range from sweet to passionate, pastoral to gritty, vulnerable to tough. Sparkle and hum, truth and grit. Appearances can be deceiving, but not this album. Includes a CD version of the entire album.

Artist:	HELLSONGS
Title:	Long Live Lounge
Label:	TAPETE (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	TR 225CD

Hellsongs are a Swedish lounge metal band. They're famous around the world for their outstanding cover versions of metal and hard rock songs. Once you've heard their versions of Iron Maiden or AC/DC you will NOT forget them. This is especially true seeing the band perform live. Long Live Lounge is a very special live performance recorded in their hometown of Gothenburg with members of the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra. This recording features Hellsongs' take on classics like Metallica's "Seek & Destroy," Black Sabbath's "War Pigs," Alice Cooper's "School's Out," Twisted Sister's "We're Not Gonna Take It," Slayer's "Skeletons Of Society" and more. It was a legendary moment in the history of Swedish lounge metal. And a special night for the band, who described the Gothenburg Symphony as "monster musicians."

Artist:	SOFT HILLS, THE
Title:	The Bird Is Coming Down To Earth
Label:	TAPETE (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.50
Catalog #:	TR 227CD

The Soft Hills are the musical adventure of Garrett Hobba, Brittan Drake, Randall Skrasek, and Brett Massa. A Seattle band with an appreciation for experimentation and harmony, their songs draw from a wide range of influences from folk to psychedelic to ambient, drawing on literary influences and incorporating experiences from dreams and visions. To listen to The Soft Hills' music is like wandering through a magical landscape where horse-like creatures run wild across velveteen fields and mythological birds soar under melancholy clouds. It is the band's love for space, melody, and sonic exploration that shines through their compositions. With a growing sense of recognition, The Soft Hills find themselves developing a focused and crafted sound, and playing major venues across the U.S. In order to create a deeper, mind-altering experience for the audience, the band incorporates visual art into their live performance, projecting surreal images interspersed with live video. The band's unique blend of vocal harmonies, reverb-heavy guitars, synth textures and visuals has made their show a rare spectacle pleasing both to the eye and ear. During the winter of 2011, the band went into the studio to record their new album, The Bird Is Coming Down To Earth, with producer Matt Brown (Trespassers William, Memphis, Lucinda Williams). Working with Matt proved to be a fruitful and enlightening experience. He helped the band capture the naturalness and spontaneity of each song, allowing them to blossom into strange, mysterious animals. The album features 10 new tracks and explores themes such as death, chaos, rebirth, sadness for things lost, and takes the listener on a journey back to a time of childhood wonder. People might hear influences from artists like Neil Young, Sigur Rós, and Grizzly Bear. The record was mixed by Erik Blood (Moondoggies, Shabazz Palaces).

Artist:	SOFT HILLS, THE
Title:	The Bird Is Coming Down To Earth
Label:	TAPETE (GERMANY)
Format:	LP+CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	TR 227LP

LP version. The Soft Hills are the musical adventure of Garrett Hobba, Brittan Drake, Randall Skrasek, and Brett Massa. A Seattle band with an appreciation for experimentation and harmony, their songs draw from a wide range of influences from folk to psychedelic to ambient, drawing on literary influences and incorporating experiences from dreams and visions. To listen to The Soft Hills' music is like wandering through a magical landscape where horse-like creatures run wild across velveteen fields and mythological birds soar under melancholy clouds. It is the band's love for space, melody, and sonic exploration that shines through their compositions. With a growing sense of recognition, The Soft Hills find themselves developing a focused and crafted sound, and playing major venues across the U.S. In order to create a deeper, mind-altering experience for the audience, the band incorporates visual art into their live performance, projecting surreal images interspersed with live video. The band's unique blend of vocal harmonies, reverb-heavy guitars, synth textures and visuals has made their show a rare spectacle pleasing both to the eye and ear. During the winter of 2011, the band went into the studio to record their new album, The Bird Is Coming Down To Earth, with producer Matt Brown (Trespassers William, Memphis, Lucinda Williams). Working with Matt proved to be a fruitful and enlightening experience. He helped the band capture the naturalness and spontaneity of each song, allowing them to blossom into strange, mysterious animals. The album features 10 new tracks and explores themes such as death, chaos, rebirth, sadness for things lost, and takes the listener on a journey back to a time of childhood wonder. People might hear influences from artists like Neil Young, Sigur Rós, and Grizzly Bear. The record was mixed by Erik Blood (Moondoggies, Shabazz Palaces). Includes a CD version of the entire album.

Artist:	NOURALLAH, SALIM
Title:	Hit Parade
Label:	TAPETE (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.50
Catalog #:	TR 228CD

This is the fifth album by Texas singer/songwriter Salim Nourallah, formerly of Nourallah Brothers. The story of Hit Parade began in a window overlooking Paris' Marais district in May of 2009. That's where Salim Nourallah wrote the opening track, "38 Rue De Sévigné," a love letter to the "green and pleasant land" of France. This happened at the end of Salim's third European tour and at the time he was thinking his next record would be recorded and produced by his new friend Wreckless Eric. The title track "Hit Parade," a Lennon-esque psychedelic thumper, was written on the plane ride back to Texas with the Wreckless sound in mind. But, with Eric's busy touring schedule, plans to record together quickly dissolved. It all worked out because Salim had also just formed the best group of his career and was itching to make his first band record in at least ten years. The goal being a record that combined his love of The Clash's London Calling, The Kinks' Village Green..., The Beatles' White Album, with his own melodic and lyrical sensibilities honed into a style instantly recognizable as his own. A year of writing ensued, followed by Salim bringing his stellar five-piece band to the Treefort in Austin, Texas. In just five days in August of 2010, the songs were fully tracked with the help of expert record maker Jim Vollentine (Spoon, White Rabbits, ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead). It was a joyous and intense explosion of sound -- enough to yield most of Hit Parade and the 6-song Friends For Life EP. Hit Parade's lineage can be traced directly back to classic mid-'60s rock'n'roll and the post-punk 1979 explosion, but its main influence is in its various creators' lifetimes dedicated to crafting their own specific style and sound. From the intense, unsatisfied pulse of "Never Felt Better" to the AC/DC-cum-Kinks swagger of "Goddamn Life" on through the tumbling Who-esque "Quitter" and the plaintive, acoustic guitar-driven "Friends For Life," Hit Parade will take you on a rollicking good ride through rock's rich and varied sonic pageantry. Strap on your headphones and prepare to enjoy the trip of a lifetime.

Artist:	NOURALLAH, SALIM
Title:	Hit Parade
Label:	TAPETE (GERMANY)
Format:	LP+CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	TR 228LP

LP + CD version. This is the fifth album by Texas singer/songwriter Salim Nourallah, formerly of Nourallah Brothers. The story of Hit Parade began in a window overlooking Paris' Marais district in May of 2009. That's where Salim Nourallah wrote the opening track, "38 Rue De Sévigné," a love letter to the "green and pleasant land" of France. This happened at the end of Salim's third European tour and at the time he was thinking his next record would be recorded and produced by his new friend Wreckless Eric. The title track "Hit Parade," a Lennon-esque psychedelic thumper, was written on the plane ride back to Texas with the Wreckless sound in mind. But, with Eric's busy touring schedule, plans to record together quickly dissolved. It all worked out because Salim had also just formed the best group of his career and was itching to make his first band record in at least ten years. The goal being a record that combined his love of The Clash's London Calling, The Kinks' Village Green..., The Beatles' White Album, with his own melodic and lyrical sensibilities honed into a style instantly recognizable as his own. A year of writing ensued, followed by Salim bringing his stellar five-piece band to the Treefort in Austin, Texas. In just five days in August of 2010, the songs were fully tracked with the help of expert record maker Jim Vollentine (Spoon, White Rabbits, ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead). It was a joyous and intense explosion of sound -- enough to yield most of Hit Parade and the 6-song Friends For Life EP. Hit Parade's lineage can be traced directly back to classic mid-'60s rock'n'roll and the post-punk 1979 explosion, but its main influence is in its various creators' lifetimes dedicated to crafting their own specific style and sound. From the intense, unsatisfied pulse of "Never Felt Better" to the AC/DC-cum-Kinks swagger of "Goddamn Life" on through the tumbling Who-esque "Quitter" and the plaintive, acoustic guitar-driven "Friends For Life," Hit Parade will take you on a rollicking good ride through rock's rich and varied sonic pageantry. Strap on your headphones and prepare to enjoy the trip of a lifetime.

Artist:	JUNIOR HIGH
Title:	Junior High
Label:	TAPETE (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.50
Catalog #:	TR 231CD

This is the self-titled debut by Michael Deakers and Josh Ottum aka Junior High. Junior High celebrates the sounds and emotions that are inextricably linked with the emergence of the synthesizer, the warmth and nostalgia of a pastel-colored windbreaker, sailboats, and the unapologetic lyrical positivity of the 1980s. Both Deakers and Ottum grew up in the 80's with older sisters who directly and indirectly exposed them to the beautiful collision of athletic sentimentality, relentless grooves, and the technological innovations of a digital age. Whitney Houston, The Pointer Sisters, Prince, the St. Elmo's Fire soundtrack -- these are just a few of the cassettes that have been worn out by the members of Junior High. Not content to pretend they're living in the past, the group's songs embrace a number of influences from different periods in history. "My Number One" features a Roy Orbison-esque post-chorus; the epic "Shufflin' The Cards" is reminiscent of Steely Dan and M.I.A.; and the anthemic and undeniably catchy single "PSA" has nods to Michael Jackson and soundtrack composers Harold Faltermeyer and Giorgio Moroder. In an age thick with irony and emotional distance, Junior High is a sincere, catchy, and highly danceable breath of fresh air. This is music made by instinct. And these instincts say, "Pretend you are 13 and you're alone in your bedroom dancing in front of the mirror!" The album also features some choice contributions by Los Angeles musicians John Wood (The Black Keys, Sebastian Tellier) and Frank Lenz (Richard Swift, Jesca Hoop).

Artist:	JUNIOR HIGH
Title:	Junior High
Label:	TAPETE (GERMANY)
Format:	LP+CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	TR 231LP

LP version with CD. This is the self-titled debut by Michael Deakers and Josh Ottum aka Junior High. Junior High celebrates the sounds and emotions that are inextricably linked with the emergence of the synthesizer, the warmth and nostalgia of a pastel-colored windbreaker, sailboats, and the unapologetic lyrical positivity of the 1980s. Both Deakers and Ottum grew up in the 80's with older sisters who directly and indirectly exposed them to the beautiful collision of athletic sentimentality, relentless grooves, and the technological innovations of a digital age. Whitney Houston, The Pointer Sisters, Prince, the St. Elmo's Fire soundtrack -- these are just a few of the cassettes that have been worn out by the members of Junior High. Not content to pretend they're living in the past, the group's songs embrace a number of influences from different periods in history. "My Number One" features a Roy Orbison-esque post-chorus; the epic "Shufflin' The Cards" is reminiscent of Steely Dan and M.I.A.; and the anthemic and undeniably catchy single "PSA" has nods to Michael Jackson and soundtrack composers Harold Faltermeyer and Giorgio Moroder. In an age thick with irony and emotional distance, Junior High is a sincere, catchy, and highly danceable breath of fresh air. This is music made by instinct. And these instincts say, "Pretend you are 13 and you're alone in your bedroom dancing in front of the mirror!" The album also features some choice contributions by Los Angeles musicians John Wood (The Black Keys, Sebastian Tellier) and Frank Lenz (Richard Swift, Jesca Hoop).

Previous Page Index of Labels Next Page

Artist:	PIXIE CARNATION
Title:	Speed Up Your Heart
Label:	TAPETE (GERMANY)
Format:	7"
Price:	$7.00
Catalog #:	TR 203EP