2020 * 2021 * 2022 * 2023 * Music Exchange Guidelines
After I was getting some momentum for the other exchange group, I got a message from my friend Obadiah, who was wondering if the exchange was going to be for “weird music only,” of if he could participate. This used us to hit on the idea of doing an exchange for artists who are not making experimental releases.
Again, members were allowed to use any format for their final release. The goal was to get the releases done for “your month,” but with 2020 being what is it, we have been very liberal with the deadlines.
Here are the participants from the 2020 Exchange. A 2021 Exchange is being planned now. If you would like to participate, please message me to work out the details.
01: January: Jeff Wilson
This release came on a 3″ CDr and came with and “Ether Creeps / Petit Sac” split tape, as well as a couple of buttons. A strange slice of odd tunes from the east coast. A very strong first release!
02: February: Brett Opel
This CDr came from singer / songwriter Brett Opel, which includes a few original songs, as well a number of covers. This is the kind of release that would be difficult to put of officially, but is perfect for an exchange like this.
03: March: Cozeth & The Ilwacos
This EP of original tunes by Cozeth & The Ilwacos straddles the line between country and rock, DIY home recordings and a small release on a hip label of which you haven’t yet heard. Beautiful and haunting, intimate and funny, and 100% fun, this is an excellent little EP to add to our group.
04: April: Cyveiliog
(hearmyburningbush.bandcamp.com)
One of the many projects by William R. Harris (of My Burning Bush) is called Cyveiliog, a project they’ve been working on for over 20 years. As I understand it, the first part of this tape contains new material, while Side B contains various older tunes.
05: May: Heather Zajkowski
Heather is the host of The Sound of Tomorrow radio program, and they perform ukulele versions of original songs (and covers). This disc came packaged with a disc of Rochester NY local music too, as well as a grip of stickers and other schwag.
06: June: Max Eastman
Max Eastman is involved in a number of projects, and is the head of Tribe Tapes, which releases original and reissued material of a number of different artists. This particular release, by his project “greathumor,” collects a variety of tunes fromm compilations of out-of-print releases.
07: July: Kelly Taylor
This new EP of material offers a glimpse into Kelly’s project, Years For Months, a labor of love for him, Mick, Stan & Andy, who offer up songs with a rock music flavor and their own spin on the depraved world around us. This CD comes packaged with a custom “tarot” card that was designed by the artist who did the covers.
08: August: Jay Decosta Peele
Jay offered us a copy of this professionally duplicated CD from his group from the late 90’s, which featured his work between 1996 and 1999. It’s a wonderful slice of time and place.
09: September: Obadiah Baird
(facebook.com/TheAudientVoid/)
This EP of original tunes and a couple covers is a musical effort by the editor of the Lovecraft Zine, “The Audient Void.” While Obadiah uses an acoustic guitar to accompany his singing, this isn’t exactly singer-songwriter style music, but more like small sort narratives and horror stories in song form. This is a joint effort, as these songs were engineered and mixed by Austin Rich, too..
10: October: Alex / Jen Carmichael
(Alex & Jen are a husband and wife team of artists who carefully construct their music, combining the perfect blend of indie rock and noise. The covers for the CD are individually hand-painted, and each one is different. Additionally, there is a 7″ of some recent Kalaloch jams.
11: November: Andy Alvarez
(postrichbear.bandcamp.com), (adieucaribou.bandcamp.com)
Our November release was a bit of a blockbuster, with three old releases by Adieu Caribou, Andy’s old band, a download code for a brand new Postrich Bear release (Memento Mori), and a wonderful Adieu Caribou button! 
As someone who missed Adieu Caribou in their original incarnation, and as someone who enjoys this brand of indie-rock, this will give me far too much to dig into.
12: December: Shot Reverse Shot
(shotreverseshot.bandcamp.com)
Our first December Release is the debut album by a brand new act that was formed entirely for this exchange: Shot Reverse Shot. This loose collection of clones, cyborgs, robots and androids provide electronic rock / space grunge for the discerning fan who appreciates the finer elements of deep space travel. 15 songs, offering the story of the Starship Hyperion. Concept album meets rock effort meets electronic narrative… what more do you want in this world? Old Time Radio on Your 21st Century Stereo.
12: December: Jonathan Zachary Giusti
(youtube.com/channel/UCBhmIwTbwZFVNrLjwUdyP1g)
Our final release for 2020, and the second release for December: Jon G’s VHS tape! Two hours of music baked into old-fashioned video tech, and just in time, too!
Austin Rich 