Goaty Tapes:


El Jesus De Magico - Ragtime Hors - Goaty Tapes

El Jesus De Magico - Ragtime Hors (deluxe version) - Goaty Tapes
Somewhat under-the-radar release by these Columbus, Ohio hypnotic scuzzers, who have been cruising the fringe scene for the last couple years with some killer 7"s. It's been a while since I've heard their earlier stuff but I think the songs on this tape are relatively raw and direct in comparison (maybe less reverb and echo?). The basic format is the same, though -- lock into a groove and ride it into blasted infinity. Sonic Youth-y, Wooden Shjips-y vamping and freak-outery. Really nice tape, I'm surprised it's been so low profile (here's write-up, though). $6, or deluxe art edition is $7.



Street Drinkers - Circles - Goaty Tapes
The nice thing about this tape is that the six or so songs are placed in the context of a very interesting, shifting soundscape that flows through everything. Crackles, hisses, low rumbles, scrapes, train-like rhythmic patterns -- evocative stuff, and there's sometimes a good 30-seconds or minute between songs to soak it up. The songs themselves, too, have a nice, worn quality to their sonics. A little muted and frayed. That said, the singer definitely has an Ian Curtis thing going on which I'm not crazy about -- the tape works best when the songs are half-way buried in the soundscape and less well when they're front and center. Still some very interesting ideas going on and some really nice passages. $6