Alan McGee Goes It Alone With New Label Creation 23
From a multi-million dollar record label to an iPhone and an Instagram account, Alan McGee is reinventing the record industry once again, one single at a time.
Ian Rushbury
It's all my big brother's fault. If he hadn't played me Abbey Road a thousand years ago, I'd have turned out normal. Being a bassist, writer, and music geek is huge fun though. And the hours are great. Favourite Beatle: still Paul.
Rufus Wainwright Makes a Welcome Return to Pop with ‘Unfollow the Rules’
Rufus Wainwright has done Judy Garland, Shakespeare, and opera, so now it's time for Rufus to rediscover Rufus on Unfollow the Rules.
Irmin Schmidt Meets John Cage on ‘Nocturne’
Irmin Schmidt goes back to his Stockhausen roots with a new live album, Nocturne: Live at the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival.
Reaching For the Vibe: Sonic Boom Fears for the Planet on ‘All Things Being Equal’
Sonic Boom is Peter Kember, a veteran of 1980s indie space rockers Spacemen 3, as well as Spectrum, E.A.R., and a whole bunch of other fascinating stuff. On his first solo album in 30 years, he urges us all to take our foot off the gas pedal.
The Fall Go Transatlantic with ‘Reformation! Post-TLC’
The Fall's Reformation! Post-TLC, originally released in 2007, teams Mark E. Smith with an almost all-American band, who he subsequently fired after a few months, leaving just one record and a few questions behind.
Nearly 50 and Nearly Unplugged: ‘ChangesNowBowie’ Is a Glimpse Into a Brilliant Mind
Nine tracks, recorded by the BBC in 1996 show David Bowie in a relaxed and playful mood. ChangesNowBowie is a glimpse into a brilliant mind.
Drum Machines? Samples? Brendan Benson Gets Contemporary with ‘Dear Life’
Powerpop overlord and part-time Raconteur, Brendan Benson, grafts hip-hop beats to guitar pop on his seventh solo album, Dear Life.
Pere Ubu ‘Comes Alive’ on Their New, Live Album
David Thomas guides another version of Pere Ubu through a selection of material from their early years, dusting off the "hits" and throwing new light on some forgotten gems.
The Dream Syndicate Spontaneously Combust on ‘The Universe Inside’
The Universe Inside isn't a typical Dream Syndicate album. The verse/chorus structure has been neatly sidestepped in favor of a free-wheeling, improvised, truly experimental approach, and it's marvelous.
“Weird Music Is Still Good”: Erik Hall on Isolation and Pulling Off an Impossible Steve Reich-ian Feat
Finding himself at a loose end, Erik Hall doesn't indulge in Netflix marathons or spends time sorting out his closet, instead he recreates Steve Reich's seminal masterpiece Music for 18 Musicians in his basement. And then he tells PopMatters about it.
Maria McKee Puts Down Her Electric Guitar and Picks up Dante on ‘La Vita Nuova’
"Show Me Heaven" was another country. Maria McKee has moved to England, immersed herself in the Classics and turned away from the 21st century.
Anna Calvi Re-writes Her Own History on ‘Hunted’
With the help of some celebrity friends, Anna Calvi tinkers with her past and creates an alternate version of her last album.