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.
experimental rock
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.
The Smile’s American Tour Rolls on Through New York City
For the Smile, Sons of Kemet’s Tom Skinner provides a deeper London jazz groove to lock into while the Radiohead side offer moody rock elements.
Fifty Years of Motorik Celebrated in ‘Neu! 50!’
Neu! 50! highlights how when Neu! were good, they were great, and when they weren’t great, they had the good taste to be interesting, at the very least.
We Are Future Ghosts: Haunting David Bowie’s ‘Heroes’ 45 Years Later
David Bowie’s Heroes expresses Berlin’s fractured psyche in 1977, caught between decadence and desolation, and mirrors his struggles to make a fresh start.
Can’s ‘Live in Cuxhaven 1976’ Still Packs a Punch
Live in Cuxhaven 1976 enjoys life as a short-but-sweet footnote in a mind-blowing campaign reminding that a live Can performance must have been incredible.
Lou Reed Unplugged: The Velvet Underground Reimagined on ‘Words and Music’
Lou Reed and John Cale hint at the other side of the swinging ’60s with a fascinating collection of mid-’60s demo recordings for the Velvet Underground.
Ron Anderson Releases Demos Foreshadowing His 2011 Masterwork ‘Secret Curve’
Ron Anderson’s The Ashfield Session features early takes of the Secret Curve material from Anderson’s famed PAK trio. This thing will blow your mind.
Black Midi Continue Their March Into Madness with Excellent ‘Hellfire’
With their third LP Hellfire, Black Midi continue to put out adventurous and challenging music that keeps listeners on the tips of their toes.
Wire Finally Embrace the Old, Forbidden Bootleg ‘Not About to Die’
Not About to Die is a bootleg cassette of scrappy Wire demos recorded in the late 1970s that circulated in the early 1980s. It’s finally an official release.
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds in Berlin: God, of Sorts, Is in the House
Melodic carnage, transcendental lyrics, cathartic delivery, and divine communion between Him and his flock are expected and delivered from Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds performing live in Berlin.
Malka Spigel Updates ‘Gliding’ EP with New Songs for ‘Gliding & Hiding’
Malka Spigel fastens an older EP of reworkings to a newer EP of reworking. Gliding & Hiding is a small-scale revolution and a highly listenable one.
