Cassette
You'll probably remember XV from their great under-the-radar debut album we had in midway through last year, a raw but ambitious no wave unspooling that was equal parts Rosa Yemen and The Raincoats. The rawness of that record imagined a lively live show, and All Gone have done us the good service of making that vision real with a tape that puts together two local performances from the Ann Arbor trio. It's a neat exercise in expressing the duality of the band - the first side is dissonant and formless, phatic utterances blasted into the night, the second underscored with a primitive swing and a dada like absurdity. You don't get much clarity here, but you do get serious intent. XV are a noisy and unapologetic band, winding down rabbit holes and opening trapdoors at will, but they've also called this tape Fresh Lettuce cos they know the value in the wry smile, too. Fun and it makes you think. You'd have thunk it. Edition of 50. Sold out at source.
