It’s very rare to come across a band that can only really be described by playing one of their albums. It’s even rarer if such a band has an ever-changing sound and line-up, yet still has the ability to keep their fans guessing. A perfect example of such a band is Black Tape For A Blue Girl, who has constantly created atmospheric masterpieces for over twenty years! The first time you hear Black Tape it’s immediately obvious that if this group can do one thing it’s create some of the spookiest, moodiest and darkly beautiful songs out there. Black Tape For A Blue Girl, who recently released their tenth studio album, 10 Neurotics, has an ever-changing line-up with Projekt Records owner Sam Rosenthal as the only constant. While often relegated to the Goth genre, I’ve never found this tag to be an appropriate one and often think that the group has been deemed as such due to the almost-indescribable nature of their music. Like he does in his band with Nicki Jaine, Revue Noir; Sam Rosenthal and Black Tape create full-on moods rather than simple songs. They transport the listener into their expertly-orchestrated atmospheres and each album is almost like a field-trip to an oddly fascinating yet macabre spectacle; a sonic sideshow of musical proportions with Rosenthal taking on the roll of ringmaster. Black Tapes’ 10 Neurotics re-creates the band and expands the sound to make quite possibly their greatest release.  

On 10 Neurotics, Sam is joined by the Dresden Dolls’ Brian Viglione, as well as vocalists Athan Maroulis (Spahn Ranch), Laurie Reade (Attrition) and Nicki Jaine. Guest appearances on the album come courtesy of Lucas Lanthier (Cinema Strange), Elysabeth Grant, Michael Laird, Lisa Feuer and Gregor Kitzis. While the music on 10 Neurotics finds the band in a dark cabaret setting, according to Rosenthal himself, the songs lyrically “deal with a range of taboo topics: dominance/submission, furries, police state fetishists, pro-anna, exhibitionists, humiliation, self-destruction, cuckolding, and anonymous sex.” (www.projekt.com). The first track on the album, “Sailor Boy” explores the power dynamics of a dom/sub relationship and sounds like a cross between a marionette show and a salt-drenched sea song. “Inch Worm” is an especially-haunting song that is told from the point-of-view of an anorexic. Musically the song could be a sibling to and always reminds me of Black Tapes’ “Knock Three Times” (from 2004’s Halo Star album). “The Perfect Pervert” is another song that explores a dom/sub relationship; a conversation between the submissive (Laurie) and the dominant (Athan). Two of my favorite tracks on the album (“Rotten Zurich Café” and “In Dystopia”) feature the evocative and addicting vocals of Nicki Jaine. I am always immediately drawn to any song that Sam and Nicki have worked on together as it’s never anything less than pure magic. “The Pleasure In The Pain” is perhaps the “heaviest” track on the album and is a perfect example of the aforementioned mood that Black Tape creates. From the mix of drums and synthesizer to the choir-like backing vocals; this song has an almost-epic feel to it. The video for “Pleasure In The Pain” which was directed by Sam Rosenthal and availlable here is equally as mesmerizing albeit slightly unnerving. After stand out tracks such as “Tell Me You’ve Taken Another,” “Marmalade Cat,” and “Curious, Yet Ashamed” the album ends with “Love Of The Father.” The track, which is another contender for favorite song, is the one of the most heartbreaking songs I’ve ever heard. Told from the point of view of an abused boy - the extremely powerful song finds the boy questioning faith (and quite possibly life) because of his horrible experiences.  

Housed in a beautiful digipack packaging with a full-color, 28-page booklet, 10 Neurotics is Black Tape for a Blue Girl’s finest moment. From concept to creation, every aspect of this release was thoroughly thought-out and because of that; 10 Neurotics is an inimitable tour de force that shows the full power of Black Tape for A Blue Girl.“  

Brand-new album from this prolific band, whose since 1986, is delighting us with their musical beauty rooted in darkwave, gothic ethereal and neoclassic. The interesting thing about this project headed by Sam Rosenthal, composer, producer and founder of the prestigious label Projekt Records, the band is that it remained throughout the decades to reinvent itself.

Sam had the collaboration of artists of weight on the music scene as Brian Viglione (The Dresden Dolls), Nicki Jaine (Revue Noir), Lucas Lanthier (Cinema Strange) and Athan and Laurie displaying his vocal art.

This fusion of magnificent artists, coupled with the evolution of the band, resulting in a sumptuous and brilliant album, the typical dark melodies alternating with the refreshing aura of dark cabaret in texture and deeply nostalgic.

Since the first issue, we see a greater force than in previous works, incorporating electronic sounds and percussion that give accurate pace. Without losing the ethereal aura, during the album invites us to delight maximum, creating a stage full of images, based on provocative, erotic, passionate and theatrical feelings.

The letters, all written by Sam, speaks of desire and play upon the conscience, the passions, fetishism, anonymous love and deepen their love relationships and bonds.

The photographic art of the booklet makes clear, we are immersed in a play in which each scene is represented by the musical atmosphere precise, and engaging interpretation of each of the singers.

Knowing the complete works of the band from its beginnings to the present, I can rightly say that this is the masterpiece of Black Tape for a Blue Girl. Wonderful and essential.

My favorite songs: Sailor Boy, Inch Worm, Rotten Zurich Cafe, The Pleasure in the Pain, Curious, Yet Ashamed

Nuevo y flamante album de esta prolifica banda que desde 1986, nos viene deleitando con su belleza musical arraigada en el darkwave, ethereal y gothic neoclasico. Lo interesante de este proyecto encabezado por Sam Rosenthal, compositor, productor y fundador del prestigioso sello Projeckt Records, es que la banda permanecio a traves de las decadas por reinventarse a si misma.

Sam conto con la colaboracion de artistas de peso en la escena musical como Brian Viglione (The Dresden Dolls), Nicki Jaine (Revue Noir), Lucas Lanthier (Cinema Strange) y Athan y Laurie desplegando su arte vocal.

Esta fusion de magnificos artistas, sumada a la evolucion evidente de la banda, dio como resultado un album suntuoso y brillante, alternando las tipicas melodias oscuras, con el aura refrescante del dark cabaret en su textura mas nostalgica y profunda.

Desde el primer tema, se percibe una fuerza mayor que en trabajos anteriores, con incorporacion de sonidos electronicos y percusion que otorgan un ritmo certero. Sin perder el halo etereo, el transcurso del album, nos invita al deleite maximo, creando un escenario colmado de imagenes, basado en un sentimiento provocador, erotico, pasional y teatral.

Las letras, todas escritas por Sam, hablan del deseo, juegan con la conciencia, las pasiones, el fetichismo, el amor anonimo, profundizando en las relaciones amorosas y sus ataduras.

El arte fotografico del booklet deja en claro, que estamos inmersos en una obra teatral, en que cada escena, esta representada por la atmosfera musical precisa, y la comprometida interpretacion de cada uno de los cantantes.

Conociendo la obra completa de la banda, desde sus comienzos hasta la actualidad, puedo afirmar certeramente que estamos ante la obra maestra consagrada de Black Tape for a Blue Girl. Maravilloso e imprescindible.

Mis canciones favoritas: Sailor Boy, Inch Worm, Rotten Zurich Cafe, The Pleasure in the Pain, Curious, Yet Ashamed

Sam Rosenthal has released his next album on his very own Projekt record label.

Whilst the label likes to delve into the gothic and darkwave subcultures of music, “Black Tape for a Blue Girl” represents something of a variety. Whilst we begin with the cabaret sound of “Sailor Boy” which captures the masquerade pantomime of the heave-ho folk music.

Not sticking around here the album delves into different sounds. Female vocals take over here and there, the pastoral creeps in and yes the darker ambient side of music is very much present throughout. Some tunes dare to become sound scapes themselves (Marmalade Cat) which is ingenious in creating an album that has many reflective surfaces.

“Rotten Zurich Café” is a tonally beautiful song; swaying too and fro with downtrodden vocals to boot. As the album progresses you can just about visualise the sepia tones coming through the blend of vocal and musical stylistics. From opera, brass, string, wind and percussion - the band manage to capture masterful ballads. The sound work on each song too is also noteworthy. Full of sensual, erotic and fetish imagery, “10 Neurotics” is a creation for the dark, and artistic of mind.

Black Tape For A Blue Girl, de band rond Sam Rosenthal van Projekt Records, is inmiddels al sinds 1986 actief. In die tijd leverder ze 10 albums af, waarvan dit 10 Neurotics dus de laatste is. De constant wisselende bezetting van de band heeft zich ook hier weer verder doorgezet. Nieuw zijn bijvoorbeeld drummer Brian Viglione (Dresden Dolls) en zangeres Laurie Reade (Attrition).

Ook de muziek heeft zich weer vernieuwd. Begon het ooit als darkwave-act, brachten ze al ambient, nu zijn ze over op een mix van dark-cabaret en rock. De boodschap en toon blijft echter hetzelfde, heftige emoties en gevoelens die je direct raken, over je heen trekken. Waar je wel aan moet geloven kortom.

En ik kan niet anders zeggen dan dat ze dat weer goed doen. Het is even wennen om Black Tape ineens weer van stijl te horen verschieten, maar de muziek blijft hangen en doet je nogmaals willen luisteren. Dus daar is helemaal niets mis mee. Bekijk daarbij dan ook nog eens het mooie begeleidende boekje en je hebt weer een topalbum.

Voor hen die de muziek graag benoemen in termen van andere bands dan? Lastig, misschien nog het best een iets minder folk, iets meer rock versie van Ordo Rosarius? Maar oordeel zelf ook op basis van de clip die ze bij het album maakten voor het nummer "The Pleasure In The Pain".

What Viglione brings to the 20-year-old group on the new disc, 10 Neurotics, is drums and bass - meaning Black Tape - essentially a new band now - slides somewhat toward the rock band world. But just somewhat, sort of like Tom Waits or Serge Gainsbourg or Beat Circus. There's strange beauty and gloomy darkness, compulsion, revulsion and decadence. As former Spahn Ranch vocalist Athan Maroulis sings in "Tell Me You've Taken Another," a song of betrayal, "Yet there is a painful joy."  In "Sailor Boy," Maroulis sings of losing his feeling, his need for his lover, the result being I "lose myself in this puddle of drugs."


Rosenthal, who handles the electronics, words and music, says, "Many of the scenes take place in the fetish lifestyle: a culture of heightened sexuality, relationship dynamics, power and control. Naked and honest, they lie along the continuum from the erotic to the neurotic. I wrote from real life as a way to plug directly into the core of pure experience without filtering it. I developed something genuinely fresh and vital. These are poeple I have met, dated or created."
 Maroulis handles most of the male vocals; Laruie Reade and Nicki Jaine handle the female vocals. And, yes, Rosenthal and company are creating a charged, sometimes spooky, very sexualized, male/female dynamic. (There's some stylishly provocative photos included in the CD insert booklet, too.)

Black Tape for a Blue Girl does not bang you over the head. It insinuates its way into your brain and creates this world of pleasure and pain.

This is a review of the Quadranotics maxi-cd: Five Stars | As evidenced by the odd lyrical reference and the lush packaging that accompanies their albums, there has always been a sensual element to the work of Black Tape for a Blue Girl. However, this erotic undercurrent has sometimes been obfuscated by the swirling depths of the group’s epically ethereal aesthetic. If Quadranotics, a sampler of songs from the upcoming album 10 Neurotics, is a good indication, the next Black Tape record will substantially amp-up the sexual content and pair it with a new and exciting musical direction. At first blush, this seems like a risky prospect; not for nothing, Black Tape is one of the few darkwave acts who have a sound that is both immediately recognizable and distinct from the more imitative practitioners within the gloom-and-doom underground. 10 Neurotics, then, will be something of a gamble, but the songs on Qaudranotics indicate that such a bold artistic move that could potentially alienate the average Black Tape fan is actually poised to revitalize the project.

The first track on the sampler, a reworked version of As One Aflame Laid Bare by Desire’s “Tell Me You’ve Taken Another,” illustrates just how far Sam Rosenthal and company are willing to expand the group’s sonic palette. Where the lyrical narration of a man with a fetish for being cuckolded was formerly delivered amidst waves of synthesizer, it now floats along a breezy arrangement of guitars, flute, and Brian Viglione’s archly musical drumming. More startling is the increased range that the album promises; “Inch Worm” is a piano-based cabaret number, while “Sailor Boy” is a sea-shanty-with-a-twist. And yet, despite the changes, fans of ethereal whisperings shouldn’t turn up their noses at what is to come; “Caught by a Stranger” blends ethnic touches with electronics in a way that will likely please devotees of Wench, Dead Can Dance,Unto Ashes, et al.

I can honestly say, with no trace of hyperbole, that after hearing Quadranotics, 10 Neurotics has shot to the top of my list of albums I am most anxious for in 2009. As a bonus, Sam R. has been blogging about the process of writing and recording the album here. Check it out and become enthralled!

The advance press release for this made clear that the subject matter Sam Rosenthal had thrown himself into, immersing himself in a world of observational lyrical sin, had resulted in former singers associated with Black Tape For a Blue Girl declining the opportunity to be involved. It is certainly an unusual and refreshing album for its more forthright musical tone, kissing goodbye to the ethereal atmosphere and carrying on through the Revue Noir experiment into more traditional sounds. He has a band who include some stalwarts of old such as Nicki Jaine, Michael Laird and Athan Maroulis, with Dresden Doll’s Brian Viglione and Laurie Reade from Attrition leaping abroad, and Lucas Lanthier found among the luggage on this creepy voyage.,/p>

Sam says, “I set out to create an album that looks at our sexuality, obsessions and fetishes with a mature (rather than sensationalized) eye. Our life is a constant churning of desires, sometimes overtaking us - more often subverted, submerged and repressed. I wanted to directly confront reality: who are we when the disguise is stripped away? I wrote from real life as a way to plug directly into the core of pure experience without filtering it, I developed something genuinely fresh and vital.” That, or he wants to rock out with his cock out. (I hope they work a cover of ‘The Internet Is For Porn’ into their live set, because this isn’t some po-faced encounter.)

There is disturbing material to consider but just how controversial the subject matter here actually is I’m not sure. Having always been supportive of people’s fetish-related confessions and interests when doing my books, knowing it did represent a growing trend during certain times, whether that was the fetish dress of the 90’s, the ‘furry’ developments earlier this decade, or whatever might be poking through these days, none of it has ever been of any interest to me. I actually find it hard to stop regarding such things as strangely ludicrous, so I can’t imagine the passing listener would hear a song and either find topics alluring or repulsive. (Mostly.) True, some might having decided in advance that whenever they approach any album they require the full blueprints, of lyrics, personal testimonies, weather conditions when recordings took place, several sharp HB pencils, graph paper, set square and an attractive hat, but these people are very rare. When dealing with themes of body image, body abuse, body worship, is it really that challenging? A truly controversial album would probably be where someone admitted to a delirious interest in rape, incest, bestiality and necrophilia, sometimes all during the same family Christmas party, with Miss Marple in attendance to give it that much-needed frisson, and I can only hope nothing like that ever crosses my path.

Oh, what’s the album like? Read on diligent one, read on….

Actually packaging first. The booklet is so luscious it smells. It’s gloss. The cover shot of a crouching girl with the bad spots touching a radiator? I don’t know what’s she represents, but there’s a nude cover as well, in certain territories, as well as a luxury booklet with beguiling imagery.

‘Sailor Boy’ is a rollicking, lolloping rasping, gnarled encounter with someone caught in the old master/slave relationship and barking dementedly, as Athan swaggers, and you can sing along. ‘Inch Worm’ is also absurdly slippery, slinky and catchy, Laurie purring proudly and this one is apparently ‘pro-ana’ which is an anorexia thing? Would I have known if someone hadn’t told me? I doubt it. The song has almost an old school fantasy feel rather than anything seedy, slipping into the surreal, and delivered with scrupulously sublime melodic sensibilities.

‘Tell Me You’ve Taken Another’ which concerns a man who likes being cuckolded clearly won’t outrage anyone, although the fact the term cuckholded is still around might, but the smooth throwback to 80’s crooning which wouldn’t have been out of place in Glenn Glegory’s mouth, is bound to impress. It’s quite beautiful, and the addition of Brian Viglione comes into its own with his relaxed drumming strength and succulent bass, Lisa Feuer also reappearing with some chaste flute.

‘The Perfect Pervert’ sees the mood darken while actually becoming lighter, as people ‘play non-consensual’ Laurie and Athan tripping over somewhat clumsy lyrics and really it’s all rather embarrassing. It sounds sweet musically, but the words are sixth former wank. ‘My hand makes contact with your skin, I push you down, I plunge within’? Oh, God, they’ve gone and woken Hugh Hefner. Here he comes, dressing gown flapping with excitement.

‘Marmalade Cat’ covers furries, although someone singing about being a cat needn’t necessarily go so far as someone believing they’re a cat when dressing up, and I never considered all furries have a fetishistic attitude, more a tribute of sorts, but I could be wrong. It’s not like I ever look too deeply. There’s a cool gloomy post-punk aura about this one. Ponderous but uncoiling with a tremulous ache. The plainer acoustic ‘Love Song’ doesn’t paint a particularly happy picture of a relationship but beyond that I don’t know where we’ve gone with Laurie’s depiction of a dismal character.

‘Rotten Zurich Café’ finds Nikki back in swaying, haughty cabaret tones, and again someone’s created a bad violent, dismissive example, but it’s vague and decayed.

‘Militärhymne’ is a mesmerising little slice of sound, with some warmly rising vocal noise, and deceptively inspiring, while the dark, doomed ‘In Dystopia’ is only marred by the spoken end effectively repeating the same words when lines could have gradually lessened in length. It’s a tale of intentional suffering, I guess.

‘The Pleasure In The Pain’ covers the same territory, with people accepting abuse, and Athan juggling clunky words skilfully. A full-blooded post-punk majesty unfurls and it’s a surprise it all seems so short. The delicate ‘I Strike You Down’ just confused me, as I had no idea who was doing what to whom, or whether it was intentional, as Elsyabeth’ Grant’s vocals swirled around the sparse setting. ‘Caught By A Stranger’ is another exquisitely ghostly blend of the exotic and the moody, but not the erotic for this boy. It concerns exhibitionism but I’m lulled by the knobbly percussion and weird remote sounds weaving their way through and behind Laurie’s smoky vocals. ‘Curious, Yet Ashamed’ is slightly mental, Lucas trembling with excitement and dementia, over panoply of pervy possibilities.

We end with something awful in ‘Love Of The Father’ but not in any ineffectual way. Anything involving child abuse will always be upsetting, and here we have something strikingly painful, through the eyes of a child, denying God through the obvious wrongs of his situation, with a controlled, plaintive vocal delivery and a tensile backing, creating an image of desolation and despair which is seriously powerful. It also has an open-ended aspect in that you don’t know if you’re also hearing of further debasement or simply the knock-on effect of abuse then creating unstable relationships further down the line. Either way it’s a bit of sledgehammer to the senses after the disguised and dimpled debauchery of previous tracks.

With the exception of ‘The Perfect Pervert’ this is a compelling album and one which marks a totally modern Black Tape which can reach out to a new audience almost, as well as carrying existing followers along into new areas, just the way Ataraxia do with the unpredictability of their output. The question I guess we have to ask is will Sam ever now go back into the shadows, or is he fully out there in the light, ready to rawk? Well, not that far perhaps, no Sigue Sigue Sputnik outfits being prepared, but you know what I mean.

There may be some odd themes here, for some, but really it’s a stylish collection of songs every bit as evocative as they may be provocative, and I think that’s what interests us most, isn’t it?

The mark of a resilient band is its ability to expand on its style in such a way so as to be consistently progressive and yet maintain the core of their sound. This is what Black Tape for a Blue Girl has achieved with their monumentally effectual new album, 10 neurotics. The main component of Black Tape for a Blue Girl is Sam Rosenthal, who has striven to improve upon his band's original, gothically-tinged classical element. As his musical direction changes, so does the band.

10 Neurotics is emotionally charged, theatrical, bold, raucous, heartbreaking, and beautiful, and is a grand and exciting musical direction for Black Tape for a Blue Girl. Traversing fresh musical ground including the evocative flavouring of Dark Cabaret, they never fully relinquish their well-known sensually provocative sound.

The opening track is a solid venture into that cabaret-styled genre with its theatrically raucous vocals and its piano-led cabaret sound. Blacktape emerges that much more important for its willingness to fearlessly incorporate unexpected elements into its work. They add a stronger, more theatrical component; you feel as if you are watching a powerful stage show in motion.

As the album moves forward, you'll find that the music has not so much moved away from their known neo-classicism but has evolved. Maintaining the sensually provocative music that Black Tape helped to pioneer, Black Tape now adds a stronger, more theatrical component that thrusts it onto a new stage of awareness. Looking at relationships and their chains, desires and their paths of destruction, and the rawness of emotions, Rosenthal has outfitted Black Tape for a Blue Girl with the power of an interactive stage show, yet still delivering on the promise of a metamorphosing band with its use of operatic vocals, flute, and gorgeous keyboard treatments. Added to the sound are drums and bass that changes the sound of Black Tape for a Blue Girl for the better.

10 Neurotics is a great album! It may be Blacktape’s best! Rating: 4.5/5

the soundtrack to a cabaret hosted by Caligula
It's been a long time since Lou Reed encouraged us to "take a walk on the wild side".


Not surprisingly it's another New Yorker, Sam Rosenthal, who gives us a road map for our lascivious explorations: Black Tape for a Blue Girl's newest full-length 10 Neurotics.

If you haven't checked in on this group in awhile you may be in for a surprise. It's still the result of Rosenthal's singular vision, but he's razed the group in order to rebuild it. Sam has carefully created a collection of songs exploring a wide variety of kink and perversion, and to perform these songs he's assembled a new band. Up front are vocalists Athan Maroulis (Spahn Ranch) and Laurie Reade (Attrition). Most notably Sam's found a very puissant partner in actually arranging his songs: Brian Viglione (Dresden Dolls).

Vigilione doesn't exactly bring "the rock," but his skills allow Black Tape for a Blue Girl to explore a wider variety of sound and style. Each tale of lust and desire has its own sound, and that is what really makes this set work.

The album kicks off with the Tom Waits-ish doom waltz of "Sailor Boy." If you didn't know that the band had changed you do now. Dirty sound, dirty SUBject matter, your mouth should go a little dry wondering if you're ready for the rest of the journey. This song is like a road sign that reads "Abandon purity and hypocrisy all who enter here." Later in the album the talented Nicki Jaine sings "Rotten Zurch Cafe." It comes from similar territory as "Sailor Boy" musically but is slower, more melancholy. And beautiful. By the second number it's clear that gone are the days of darkwave for BTfaBG. "Inch Worm" is a confessional that turns to chant with the chorus, a tale of obsession over body issues. This song seems created to ask us what is pretty, is pretty even good? "Tell Me You've Taken Another" is the most strikingly different of the pieces offered here. Its tale of a willing, no begging, cuckold may be a bit much for some, but musically it comes from left field. It evokes the 70s French pervy pop of Serge Gainsbourg. I love this little sleazy listening number.

The rock does come, eventually. Viglione's drumming brings a pounding urgency to "The Pleasure in the Pain." This song is *honestly* sinister, desperate and the rock bombast acts as an excellent counter point and emphasis. Track 13, "Curious Yet Ashamed," is the partner to "Pleasure in the Pain." It comes out of the speakers like the soundtrack to a cabaret hosted by Caligula. The desperation here is even more palable, the vocal delivery almost crazed. Electronic music may be able to sound kinky, but "Curious Yet Ashamed" proves that rock is better at making music sound *dirty*.

The songs aren't all about dominance and submission (though you can understand a frequent returning to this theme: so many kinks involve issues of control and power even if they're not obviously dom/sub situations). If furries ever wanted an anthem they could do worse than "Marmalade Cat."

10 Neurotics has a level of perverse exploration that falls somewhere above Soft Cell and the Normal, but never gets quite as graphic as Coil. Exploring sexual subcultures can be a harrowing experience. It can leave you blushing or short of breath, but it will definitely get your attention. With these tales of desperation, degradation and dirty whispers Sam Rosenthal commands our attention, controls it. By revealing his desires and setting them to compelling music he's illustrated not only what he wants but what he's capable of. If confidence is the ultimate aphrodisiac than Sam Rosenthal has it in spades.

Highly recommended.

BLACK TAPE FOR A BLUE GIRL has long been considered a leading light in the so-called “darkwave” movement in goth rock. Like a lot of innovators, however, SAM ROSENTHAL (the act’s principal songwriter and sonic architect since the beginning) doesn’t fit so easily under the usual notions of a single genre – listening to an old BTFaBG album, with its classical songs structures and atmospheric arrangements, won’t bring to mind the same scene that spawned BAUHAUS, CHRISTIAN DEATH or SISTERS OF MERCY. Having said that, the band explored straightforward gothic rock on its last album Halo Star, and spends time with the burgeoning subgenre “dark cabaret” on its latest album 10 Neurotics.

Despite its title, 10 Neurotics has fourteen songs and revolves around themes of alternative sexuality. Joined by vocalists ATHAN MAROULIS (SPAHN RANCH), LAURIE READE (ATTRITION) and dark cabaret pioneer NICKI JAINE, as well as DRESDEN DOLLS drummer BRIAN VIGLIONE as musical co-conspirator, Rosenthal digs into sexual practices not usually covered by your average episode of Desperate Housewives. With lush, minor key music that draws more from JACQUES BREL or COLE PORTER than anything overtly gothic or even rock, BTFaBG goes from public sex (“Caught By a Stranger”), to cuckolding (“Tell Me You’ve Taken Another”) to dominance and submission (“The Perfect Pervert,” “The Pleasure in the Pain”), even pondering the myriad of choices in the sexual arena (“Curious, Yet Ashamed”). There’s little explicit content here – even the nudes adoring the graphics would fit better in an art gallery than a girlie magazine. Rosenthal is clearly more interested in motivation and feel than detail.

It’s not all pleasure, after all – Rosenthal also takes hard looks at anorexia (“Inch Worm”), abuse (“Love of the Father,” “I Strike You Down”) and self-esteem issues (“Love Song”). An intelligent guy and astute observer of human behavior, Rosenthal knows our romantic and sexual choices aren’t made in a vacuum – while there’s little of which to be ashamed, we should realize that our behavior has deeper meaning than superficial actions might indicate. Arguably that theme of prodding what lies beneath the surface is the engine driving Black Tape’s entire career, and 10 Neurotics, erotic nature aside, continues the story in rich, compelling detail. - Michael Toland