It is not very often that you get to hear a band that features the singing saw and bouncing ping pong balls as percussion. Julian Koster (a former member of Neutral Milk Hotel) brings a bunch of unusual instrumentaiton to his latest release as The Music Tapes. I would recommend this band for any fan of Neutral Milk Hotel if you don’t mind more lo-fi recordings and lots of banjo

strumming. The Music Tapes is part of the Elephant 6 Recording Company (one of the founding members being Jeff Mangum) whose bands include Apples in Stereo, Beuluah, Elf Power, and of course Neutral Milk Hotel.

The new album spotlights Julian Koster’s songcraft and distinctive vocals, his almost religious devotion to the singing saw, and numerous contributions from other musicians in the Elephant 6 orbit. As on previous efforts, recording was done using an array of antique hardware, giving Music Tapes for Clouds and Tornadoes a timeless, texturally rich sonic palette. It is the sound of Julian’s world poking through the curtain surrounding objective reality.

Also, you might want to check out his new album that is fully streaming at the Merge Records Website that is a singing saw album full of Christmas classics, but I’ve got Jingle Bells as an MP3 for you too.

MP3: The Music Tapes – Cumulonimbus (Magnetic Tape for Clouds)

MP3: The Music Tapes – Nimbus Stratus Cirrus (Mr. Piano’s Majestic Haircut)

MP3: The Music Tapes – Jingle Bells

The Music Tapes | Elephant 6