John Cale Collaborates with Contemporary Artists on ‘MERCY’
John Cale enlists Weyes Blood, Sylvan Esso, and Animal Collective to create a dark, unsettling new LP, MERCY, combining darkness with beauty on a knife edge.
avant-garde
The Alchemy of the Velvet Underground’s Art
In The Velvet Underground documentary, Todd Haynes shows the music catapulting across time and space to Andy Warhol’s Factory, where the alchemy worked its magic.
Roger Clark Miller Soundtracks Dreams with Composed Improvisations
Roger Clark Miller’s sonically fearless Eight Dream Interpretations for Solo Electric Guitar deserves to be considered more than just a Mission of Burma offshoot.
Trevor Dunn Defies Musical Categorization with the Spellbinding ‘Seances’
With the help of his longstanding trio and a chamber quartet, bassist/composer Trevor Dunn unleashes the messy, complex, and utterly mesmerizing Sèances.
Lutist/Composer Jozef Van Wissem Hears ‘The Call of the Deathbird’
Longtime Jim Jarmusch collaborator Jozef Van Wissem turns his attention to another film soundtrack with Nosferatu, which redefines the lute.
All Things Reconsidered/Culture/Featured: Top of Home Page/Features/History/Music/Music Features/Politics/Pop Past
It’s Time We Hung Out at Joe’s Garage with Frank Zappa Again
As extremist minorities corrode social liberties, it’s time to take our rusting democratic values to Joe’s Garage where Frank Zappa waits with his sleeves rolled up.
Bassist Max Johnson Explores Different Jazz Angles on ‘Orbit of Sound’ and ‘Sketches’
Bassist Max Johnson gives us a traditional bop album recorded with two veteran musicians and a contemporary jazz LP with two younger but no less adventurous artists.
‘Confetti in a Coalmine’ Is Matt DeMello’s Joyful Explosion Amidst a World Falling Apart
Experimentalist Matt DeMello throws his ample talents and wide-ranging tastes into a blender for ‘Confetti in a Coalmine’ which is full of chaotic, dense mirth.
Björk Orkestral in Berlin Is an Ode to a Lifetime of Achievement
Icelandic musician extraordinaire Björk finds a new outlet for artistic expression with a series of “body exploding” “unplugged”, orchestral performances.
Travis Laplante’s ‘Wild Tapestry’ Embraces Unpredictability
Avant-jazz saxophonist Travis Laplante and the weather can be equally hard to predict. His latest stunning album, Wild Tapestry, combines both.
Yoko Ono’s Greatest Work Is Aptly Represented on ‘Walking on Thin Ice’
Released in May 1992, Walking on Thin Ice is a great primer for the kind of esoteric, avant-garde pop Yoko Ono forged in the 1970s.
Tyler Mitchell Takes Listeners on a Spacey Groove with ‘Dancing Shadows’
Veteran jazz bassist Tyler Mitchell joins forces with fellow Sun Ra Arkestra alumnus on Dancing Shadows, a delightfully enjoyable sonic experience.
