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NEWS: email teenaction DOT records AT gmail DOT com with any questions, or to obtain retail or wholesale ordering information. - - - or - - -visit us on myspace - http://www.myspace.com/teenactionrecords TAR024 - Al Qaeda / Cave Bears split C30 now available through Revolver / Midheaven TAR023 - Allein Luddite - Untitled C40 now available through Revolver / Midheaven New to distro: Hiss & Hum - S/T C41 self released Seven Lies About Girls (Jacy Eisold) solo 3" CDR on Lost Treasures Of The Underworld! various TAR releases available at: Revolver / Midheaven - wholesale / mailorder Aquarius Records - San Francisco, CA Apop Records - St.Louis, MO / mailorder Eclipse Records - mailorder Hanson Records - mailorder Used Kids Records - Columbus, OH Volcanic Tongue - mailorder DNT Records - mailorder Tomentosa Records - mailorder
REVIEWS: from Indieville : TAR020- "Eclectic comp's worth of synth-pop, wacked-out garage, digigrind, electro-hop, brou-ha-rock, lo-fi grumble, freaky improv, and indefinable ephemera. Well, that covers some of it. Seriously, D;O;UXF? is out there, but what might be labelled a lack of cohesion actually makes for an appealingly unpredictable grab-bag of sonic lunacy. As one might expect from a gallery of unknowns (I didn't recognize a single name upon cracking this baby open), the quality level fluctuates, though there are several gems and a few promising finds. For me, one of the biggest treats was Columbus, Ohio's Anna Ranger, an eighties-obsessed dinky synth-pop trio that designs swell pop songs out of tinny drum machines & keys. "They Don't Bury Their Dead in Columbus" is brilliant and infuriatingly catchy, whereas the macabre juxtaposition on "Mutant Beast" is tongue-in-cheek goodness. Elsewhere, The Judy Experience's jazzy dub gracefully bonks, The Shudders' scuzz-rock gracelessly ferments, and Mystic Defender's deformed groove-funk exuberantly bounces along. Not every experiment pays off (I like no-wave and noise, but Eliyas is just annoying), but then you have tongue-in-cheek treasures like Hugs and Kisses' "Condoms Make My Dick Go Limp," which somehow don't disappoint. Anyway, to summarize -- a solid, bizarre, hopelessly eclectic comp. Just how I like 'em." - Michael Tau TAR023- “ France's Olivier Dumont, whose sole other release under the 'Allein Luddite' banner is a 2009 CDR on the Ambolthue label, uses this five track cassette to carefully explore the sounds produced by several instruments of sound – a water pipe, an unconventionally-played guitar, a “scraper and rod,” and some metal sheets. Each instrument is allotted its own composition (though the guitar gets two), meaning the listener becomes very familiar with each sonic platform. My favourite piece on this tape is the very self-descriptive "Water Pipe." Whereas the other tracks feature metallic equipment more closely associated with industrial rumblings, this composition is a unique study in liquid gurgles and frothy squeaks. Compositionally, it isn't brilliant, but it is a fascinating passage of sound from a textural standpoint. Elsewhere, Dumont's two guitar tracks tread the same ground as insane junk guitarist Brian Ruryk, pushing the boundaries of the guitar by utilizing varied textures – he experiments with prepared guitar and also appears to use a bow. The second of the two tracks is my favourite due to its no-holds-barred urgency, which drops the listener helpless into its craggy inferno of noise. Meanwhile, “Metal Sheets” toys smartly with negative space and percussive attack-and-decay. Try playing it at high-speed for an added layer of amusement. Altogether, Allein Luddite's artifact is a curious cassette that explores sound for the joy of it. It's perfect for those of us who walk around particularly attuned to the sounds wisping around us." - Michael Tau
from Animal Psi : TAR017 & TAR018 - “ Documenting Ohio, Teen Action Records has released a small flurry of no-fuss cassettes capturing the sound of this bizarre musical way-station. Of a yet to be fingered artistic disposition, the state has produced a sizeable contingent of today’s hottest acts (Emeralds, Lambsbread, Burning Star Core) and foundational experimentalists (16 Bitch Pile-Up, Mike Shiflet, and on). Less of an attempt to capture “raw energy” or some rare event, these live recordings have a filthy, vérité quality to them which suggests a well-liked dog freely exploring a festival with a Zoom strapped to her back. With the less-woolly, rainstick-free jam approach of The Punks, Teen Action house-band Seven Lies About Girls drops ‘Post Apocalyptic Panty Pudding’ (subtitle: ‘The out sound from within’), a C60 inundated with free-form mayhem. Initially divided into a series of even segments as if it were some old greatest hits dub, side A is centered around a mid-tempo beat (really the only constantly figurative sound in this extreme lo-fi) played by Nathan Snell, the mass of sound emerges as whirlers, whistles, and whatever, an absurd swarming of carnival noise melted down into a thick blocks of dull color. Voices, applause, and some tape snippets break up this waxy wall and reinforce the liveliness and spirit which underpins the overwhelming mess. Side B, apparently demarcated by the sometimes presence of Aaron Hibbs (Noumena, Sword Heaven) on guitar, is a deeper collection of sounds without division, appearing like the mechanical innards of the other side’s festivities: sparking whips of steel, a scraping, churning murmur from outside, MIDI-afflicted chattering, and a relentless din suffocating the detail of whatever treble appears. This is the arcade of Ohio, inside and out. Cassette comes with Xeroxed J-card, limited to 50 copies. Curled for a nap, we catch a shared set by Jason Zeh and David Reed: meditative and cold, this collaborative/live side of Reed chafes the evocative imagery of his syntheses as Luasa Raelon and Envenomist, perhaps jeopardized by Zeh’s barrage of tape noise. Filling one half of the C32, this performance from June of 2007 never leaves the room, trapping the sounds and the listeners in a tight yet breathable space of clattering tape emissions - though the clacking of the medium is more demanding than the sounds they contain - and frosty, malicious synth tones. Enthusiastic applause concludes the piece. In a suitably similar vein, the reverse side contribution by Teeth Collection (Matthew Reis) is an equally immediate event, though far more dynamic as it moves leisurely through pockets of harsh noise, textured calm, and tense juxtapositions of high detail and wide berth. Recorded March 2008, this is the certainly the most vivid of the sides, as the clatter of live garbage sounds fill the stage to be swallowed in a cleansing burst of dry hot noise, and into a sequencer symphony of three-dimensional shapes. It perks up the ears and lures us from the room before the set is finished. Cassette comes with Xeroxed J-card, limited to 50 copies. .” - Animal Psi
from Tiny Mix Tapes (Cerebus) : TAR007- “ Ohio-based Teen Action Records house band Seven Lies About Girls has created a monster. This quadruple CD-R straps a couple megatons of psychedelic dynamite to its stomach, lights itself on fire, and runs straight into your stereo. The release is essentially one truly massive track, clocking in at a preposterous 3 1/2 hours, that redefines the term “jam band.” Comprised of guitar, drums (helmed by Aaron Hibbs of Sword Heaven), and some electronic manipulation, the group blazes a trail through the sonic sphere with alternately noisy, forceful tribal blasts and more open, outer space meteor gunk. Through it all, there is not one second that could come close to being described as flimsy, weak, or just not awesome. From the get-go (the first disc dives straight into pure psych groove delirium), a tone of “no bullshit” is established so concretely that even when the pace seems to drop below spine-distorting, the track is held confidently together by its own gravity and inertia. The release comes in some of the coolest packaging I can ever remember; the four CD-Rs are housed in the four slit open corners of a glued-together, old, decorated LP sleeve (mine came in a copy of Men at Work’s Business as Usual)..” - Gabriel Keehn
from WIRE : TAR011 - “ Two live shows, recorded in Columbus, Ohio, during one of 16 Bitch Pile-Up's swings through their state of origin. The band is in fine form, doing that kind of 'frenzied but low volume' form collapse thing they've perfected over the last few years. They are absolutely one of the most interesting groups on the noise scene, and this recording clearly shows why. Twink Bully include Aaron from Sword Heaven and various other living humans, who craft another set of low-bore improvised actions. Has a nice free rock feel.” - Byron Coley for WIRE
from Smooth Assailing : TAR010- "this columbus, ohio-based cassette starts off with nathan snell, of anna ranger. that right there is weird. anna ranger's an unabashed homage to 80's new romanticism with vocals that take their cue from echo & the bunnymen and dave gahan. nathan's two tracks on stay in school are worlds away from that, centering around experimental guitar playing. his loose style, which wavers between heavy-handed chord-work and moments of clarity, tends to get lost in the beautiful, swirling, noisy background drones of both pieces of music. it works out well this way as the formlessness of snell's guitar adds to the music's hazy mystique. next up is the compilation's mystery duo, gagging nuns. i can't find out a damn thing about them other than that they're a drums and guitar duo. i also can't really pick up on anything that sounds remotely like a guitar, but i'm totally digging these guys. the drumming is perfectly normal; there's rhythm, it's good, kind of buried, but serving its purpose. the guitar is affected beyond all recognition and it's great. with its squeals and hiccups, this is not so much a discordant onslaught as it is a display of unique noise. while it's got an open jam (in a matter of speaking) aura, the guitar will get into a few separate instances of teetering rhythm, which makes it standout even more. psychedelic drones and jamming... the title's denouncement of drugs is about to get even more ironic with lambsbread. google "lambsbread stoner" and that'll really tell you everything you need to know about that. lambsbread aren't so much my thing, but i'm feeling this live track. for one, it fits wonderfully with the feel of the cassette's first side. secondly, i like the dynamics of it; after a noisy beginning with great feedback, they'll push things into gear, being propelled by a jangly cymbal explosion. about a third of the way through, lambsbread'll slow it way down for a minute, seemingly saving their energy for when they'll turn it back on. when they do, they'll almost completely forgo guitar riffs for nonsensical instrument abuse abetted by a percussive blowout. nicely done. side b opens with furfur, which is actually not the name of a pokemon, but a hell-residing demon. cute. their eleven minute long track focuses mainly on sustained tones, modulating ones and electronic humming. everything else that the duo adds to it is what makes it more interesting. there's a certain restlessness to it, as it progresses, musical ideas will pick up and drop off at random: a faint layer of pleasing guitar, what sounds like 8-bit gameboy music, clatter (as well as chatter), slow, rhythmic cymbals and nice turntable manipulations. none of the elements are overpowering, so it has a sparse feel to it, but at the same time, there's a lot of subtlety to discover. that's followed by honey mountain whistlers. this group's made of aaron hibbs (sword heaven, twink bully), someone or someones from 16 bitch pile-up, and nathan snell, i think. i can only find vague information about them online, just like most of the artists on here. anyway, this track is the weirdest. after beginning with ten seconds of building percussion, it shifts into some whistling over a light layer of distortion. soon a conversation breaks out in the background, steeped with terrific reverb. then, disconnected whistling will float in and out of the mix. occasionally tuneful, mostly it reminds me of feedback, just not quite as abrasive. for a nice spell, the conversation will die off and then hmw will get more melodic, helped out by a faint marching rhythm and a tambourine(?). strange, but definitely unique. i like it a lot. lastly is homo the wolf. no fucking clue. well, i do know that he's also a visual artist, but that's all. it's a shame, really, because this might be the best track on the compilation. quasi-dense, murky, squealing, exceptionally layered, dynamic and repetitively catchy... plus there's howling! surprisingly, it doesn't come across as kitschy. killer. given that lambsbread is the only recognizable name on the compilation (outside of the members of honey mountain whistlers) to anyone not in ohio, stay in school is rather insular, appealing more to those who are already in the know (this is the first entry of teen action's ohio series). while they'll find a lot to be happy with here by their local musicians, the quality of experimental music on this cassette is good enough to extend beyond the state of ohio." :::posted by avant gardening TAR014 - "this dual artist showcase of columbus talent is pandering heavily to the drone and minimalist lovers out there. If you've heard shiflet before, you know what to expect. if he's one thing, it's incredibly consistent. his nine part droner, study in choreography, mostly focuses on the balance between a low, somewhat choppy (or, in other parts, softly undulating) hum and a higher pitched drone. even though these elements will change their shape slightly throughout the course of study, there's always that high / low dynamic. there's a distinct beauty in the solitude of study's underlying drones and hums (no overdubs!), but i also find that the higher pitched tones create a sense of uneasiness. immersing myself in this certainly makes me feel a little detached (in a good way), but that bit of tension that i pick up on makes study in choreography compelling .rgh, it's so hard for me to write about ryan's piece, trees r just passing through, without using a bevy of bad puns and metaphors. but i promise not to use shine, gem or diamond. starting now. after beginning his track with (what i'm guessing are) urban field recordings (oxymoron, yes), ryan will almost resurrect some of the drone work from shiflet's side. no, it's not exactly the same, but it's a welcomed logical continuation of the cassette, whether intended or not. trees won't stay so minimal for long though, as lovely metallic percussion comes in under the main drone. then, it sounds like he's possibly bowing a drum to produce a deeper sounding drone. both of those elements will fade out, leaving the main drone to remain as a faint, but more obvious rhythm crops up. while that turns into a supporting background loop, the attention's turned towards squeaks and squeals, then back to (muffled) drum rolls and pounds. the way that all of the more conventional drum-based aspects sound so distant is great, providing even more character to already nice sounds. trees r just passing through will remain like this, with the drumming, adding random screechy drones and sparse noises for about six minutes. then, the drone, which had been present for nearly the duration, drops out as additional minimal clatter takes its place, then the track will revert back to its early minutes; soothing droney minimalism and chime-like percussion. very good." :::posted by avant gardening yan jewell is an experimental percussionist who mostly seem from Blastitude.com : TAR014 - "MIKE SHIFLET/RYAN JEWELL split CS (TEEN ACTION) Man, I listened to this once about two months ago and I guarantee you, it was REALLY GOOD. I think Shiflet does some kind of piercing high computer tones, very well composed, not annoying at all in fact, and Jewell... I can't remember. I wanna say it was a 15 minute drum solo, because I saw a picture of him playing drums once in the Married Life zine, but I think it was noise, and GOOD NOISE at that. Sorry about the caps, but I'm being a little defensive because it's hard to recommend an album that you can't even remember, and can't find anywhere in your apartment for a re-listen. (No cassette organization system whatsoever around here, sheez, I tell ya...)" TAR011 - "Always more tapes, like this split cassette on a Columbus-based label called Teen Action Records, part of their "Ohio series." Side A is a jam by Blastitude #19 cover stars 16 Bitch Pile Up that is downright…. incredible. It’s a quiet jam, but within the quietness they build up so much haze and tension and weirdness and grossness and distraction that by the time you realize someone is screaming it’s waaaaay to late, and that's when the backwards satanic chanting starts up. (Only in my head, but still......) It’s live before an audience too -- I don’t know how they did it. After this work of genius I wasn't exactly jonesing to hear the B side, especially because it was by someone named Twink Bully, but they/it quickly won me over with a nice bit of slowly accumulating crunch-burrowing. About 6 minutes in you realize there’s a free-crashing drummer playing along – it’s so nice when you don’t notice things right away. I guess this is what I wish the Dead C sounded like these days…. It does kinda go on and on, and that's even before the second ending, the one that's supposed to go on and on. But hey, both jams were recorded live in Columbus in June 2007, so this really is some up-to-the-minute shit, and the 16 Bitch thing is just beyond…." TAR010 - "And also from Teen Action comes a compilation on a C60 called Stay in School Drugs are for Losers You Suck. It comes with this sticky fake rubber maggot sitting right there on the A side that actually made me jump when I opened the case. Then I checked out the list of artists, all from Ohio, and I scratched my head because Lambsbread was the only one I'd heard of at all. Still, that and the maggot was enough to get me to play the whole tape, and it's good stuff. Someone named Nathan Snell starts off with two tracks of solo heavy guitar damage that might be the best shit on here, unless it's the spaced-out track by the Honey Mountain Whistlers (which really is a whistling ensemble, and they seem to do 'originals,' which means that their track is some mega-weird reverb-drenched ghost-story meander). The Lambsbread track is decent, not awesome, pretty shitty live recording, but it's still enough to remind that somehow no other band sounds quite like Lambsbread. (The high tension wire guitar feedback duel that opens the thing is especially nice.) Gagging Nuns, Furfur, and Homo the Wolf are on here too, and I don't remember too much about them except that their stuff was pretty crazy. I would listen again. All these tracks were recorded live in Columbus, OH at one of two venues, Animal Hammock and Skydad, the same two venues that the sides on the 16 Bitch/Twink Bully were recorded at......"
from KFJC : TAR004
-
"Six different and challenging tracks, from 7LAG
out of TAR001 - "This bizarre collection features sounds & artists I’ve not heard ever before. Wonderful! Discovery abounds on this gathering of experimental sound waves, scratchy IDM glitch, industrial synth pop, freaky frequencies, swelling ambience, and forays into untold weirdness. This is an extremely rare & exciting compilation, one that perplexes as much as it amazes. Despite its unusual presentation it is surprisingly accessible to almost any listener. I enjoy this immensely!" - Guy Montag, KFJC |
NEW RELEASES: paypal address: teenaction DOT records AT gmail DOT com
TAR025 - Million Brazilians / Seven Lies About Girls split C80 - $8 (limited
to 70 copies)
TAR024 - Al Qaeda / Cave Bears split C30 - $8 (limited
to 100 copies)
TAR023 - Allein Luddite - Untitled C40 - $8 (limited
to 50 copies) Each
copy comes in a hand made rubber pouch with xeroxed insert.
TAR022 - Seven Lies About Girls / Al Qaeda split C40 - $8 (limited
to 28 copies)
TAR020 - V/A - D;O;UXF? CD - $8 one
of a kind, hand stenciled sleeve
(limited to 100 hand numbered copies)
Maskinanlegg
/ Solveig Kjelstrup - Solveigs Lied Remixes
CD - $8 (Co-release with Subjam Records (China), Quagga Curious Sounds (UK), Teen Action Records (USA), Stront Tapes (The Netherlands), Heilskabaal (The Netherlands), How Is Annie Records (Norway), Ambolthue Records (Norway), October Party Records (China/Norway), Shasa Records (China) and TIBProd. (Norway).)
TAR019 - V.A.- Confluence Park C60 - $8 (limited
to 100 copies) The
Ohio Cassette series comes to an end with this six way split. Four solo
visionaries and two free jam super groups take you on a brownish-green
journey through the wilderness of the mind.
TAR018
- Jason Zeh & David Reed / Teeth Collection split C31
- $8
TAR017
- Seven Lies About Girls - P.A.P.P. C60 -
$8
TAR015
- Sword Heaven / Tusco Terror split C51-
$8
TAR014
- Mike Shiflet / Ryan Jewell split
C40 - $8
TAR013
- Seven Lies About Girls / Honey Mountain Whistlers split C60
- $8
TAR010
- V.A.- stay in school drugs are for losers you suck C60
- $8
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