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The Curmudgeonly King of Noir Chronicled in 'Notes From the Velvet Underground: The Life of Lou Reed'

Howard Sounes' Notes From the Velvet Underground is a beautifully considered book, with enough detail about the life and career of Lou Reed for the geeks, enough context for the historians, and just enough juicy stuff for everyone else.

Books

Nils Lofgren Celebrates Love, Loss, Friendship Via 'Blue With Lou'

Bruce Springsteen and Neil Young collaborator, Nils Lofgren's Blue With Lou is a career high that frequently recalls his early work with Grin, while rising to new, majestic heights.

Music

Meet Ex-rocker Turned Poet, Lou Reed, in 'Do Angels Need Haircuts?'

Reed's brand of experimental and reactionary art always contained some of his trademarks in tone, syntax, and content.

Books

'Shot!' Mick Rock Documentary at Tribeca + After Party (Photos)

Following the world premiere of SHOT! The Psycho-Spiritual Mantra of Rock, attendees were invited to an after party which featured the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and some special guests.

Film

The Velvet Underground: The Complete Matrix Tapes (take 2)

Lou Reed and friends were miles away from New York City but that didn't matter a bit. These are fine hours of VU at their best.

Music

Laurie Anderson: Heart of a Dog

The companion to the film of the same name, Heart of a Dog is a welcome and beautiful story from an American great.

Music

The Case for the Velvet Underground's Sterling Morrison

Even as the Velvet Underground has graduated from cult favorite to part of the '60s canon, guitarist Sterling Morrison has largely faded from public view.

Richard Buxton

Music

Last of the Rock Stars? An Interview With Elliott Murphy

As Elliot Murphy tells PopMatters, the new reimagining of his 1973 debut Aquashow may be the most profound musical adventure of his 40-plus year career yet.

Music

Lou Reed: Uptown Dirt, Downtown Man

Waiting for the Man is a beautiful read, fluid like a long conversation with a friend in your favourite coffee shop.

Reviews

The Velvet Underground: The Velvet Underground - 45th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition

Few bands ever had a year like the Velvet Underground did in 1969. Even fewer have a set that documents a year like that as beautifully as this one.

Music

Tits of Clay's Memorial for Lou Reed: 27 October 2014 - Mercury Lounge, NYC

Tits of Clay and Hedwig co-creator Stephen Trask paid tribute to the passing of Lou Reed with a performance of Transformer.

Events

Five Observations About the 2015 Rock Hall of Fame Ballot

The just-unveiled ballot for next year's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction class attempts to honor Generation X as well as continue to rectify past oversights.

Music

Nils Lofgren: Face the Music

Possibly the mother of all box sets, Nils Lofgren’s Face the Music contains 169 tracks, 20 video clips, and a 136-page book, covering a big talent’s long career.

Music

Pronounced Dead: The Art of Cultural Assassination

Two critical catfights are claiming to have buried art-forms which have shaped our civilisation for decades and centuries apiece. Are they entitled to do that?

Music

Counterbalance: 'The Velvet Underground'

Put jelly on your shoulder, lie down upon the carpet and dig into the Velvet Underground’s eponymous third album. A 1969 classic is this week’s Counterbalance.

Music

There Isn't a Single Insertion in 'There Goes Gravity' That Isn't Intriguing

An invaluable look into the lives of our most adored musicians, written with wit, humility, and vibrancy by one of our most revered music journalists.

Reviews

Pop Ten

The 25 Best Classic Progressive Rock Albums

The 100 Greatest Alternative Singles of the '80s: Part 1: 100 - 81

The 100 Greatest Alternative Singles of the '80s: Part 5: 20 - 1

The 70 Best Albums of 2019

The 20 Best Hip-Hop Albums of 2019

Jackie Chan's 10 Best Films

The 100 Greatest Alternative Singles of the '80s: Part 3: 60 - 41

The 100 Greatest Alternative Singles of the '80s: Part 4: 40 - 21

The 100 Greatest Alternative Singles of the '80s: Part 2: 80 - 61

Collapse Expand Pop Ten

Mixed Media

Collapse Expand Mixed Media

PM Picks

Collapse Expand Pm Picks

The Curmudgeonly King of Noir Chronicled in 'Notes From the Velvet Underground: The Life of Lou Reed'

Howard Sounes' Notes From the Velvet Underground is a beautifully considered book, with enough detail about the life and career of Lou Reed for the geeks, enough context for the historians, and just enough juicy stuff for everyone else.

Nils Lofgren Celebrates Love, Loss, Friendship Via 'Blue With Lou'

Bruce Springsteen and Neil Young collaborator, Nils Lofgren's Blue With Lou is a career high that frequently recalls his early work with Grin, while rising to new, majestic heights.

Meet Ex-rocker Turned Poet, Lou Reed, in 'Do Angels Need Haircuts?'

Reed's brand of experimental and reactionary art always contained some of his trademarks in tone, syntax, and content.

'Shot!' Mick Rock Documentary at Tribeca + After Party (Photos)

Following the world premiere of SHOT! The Psycho-Spiritual Mantra of Rock, attendees were invited to an after party which featured the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and some special guests.

The Velvet Underground: The Complete Matrix Tapes (take 2)

Lou Reed and friends were miles away from New York City but that didn't matter a bit. These are fine hours of VU at their best.

Laurie Anderson: Heart of a Dog

The companion to the film of the same name, Heart of a Dog is a welcome and beautiful story from an American great.

The Case for the Velvet Underground's Sterling Morrison

Even as the Velvet Underground has graduated from cult favorite to part of the '60s canon, guitarist Sterling Morrison has largely faded from public view.

Last of the Rock Stars? An Interview With Elliott Murphy

As Elliot Murphy tells PopMatters, the new reimagining of his 1973 debut Aquashow may be the most profound musical adventure of his 40-plus year career yet.

Lou Reed: Uptown Dirt, Downtown Man

Waiting for the Man is a beautiful read, fluid like a long conversation with a friend in your favourite coffee shop.

The Velvet Underground: The Velvet Underground - 45th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition

Few bands ever had a year like the Velvet Underground did in 1969. Even fewer have a set that documents a year like that as beautifully as this one.

Tits of Clay's Memorial for Lou Reed: 27 October 2014 - Mercury Lounge, NYC

Tits of Clay and Hedwig co-creator Stephen Trask paid tribute to the passing of Lou Reed with a performance of Transformer.

Nils Lofgren: Face the Music

Possibly the mother of all box sets, Nils Lofgren’s Face the Music contains 169 tracks, 20 video clips, and a 136-page book, covering a big talent’s long career.

Pronounced Dead: The Art of Cultural Assassination

Two critical catfights are claiming to have buried art-forms which have shaped our civilisation for decades and centuries apiece. Are they entitled to do that?

Counterbalance: 'The Velvet Underground'

Put jelly on your shoulder, lie down upon the carpet and dig into the Velvet Underground’s eponymous third album. A 1969 classic is this week’s Counterbalance.

There Isn't a Single Insertion in 'There Goes Gravity' That Isn't Intriguing

An invaluable look into the lives of our most adored musicians, written with wit, humility, and vibrancy by one of our most revered music journalists.

'Doctor Strange': It's About Time

Folk-pop's the Sweeplings Find Solid Ground "In Between" Connected Projects (premiere + interview)

Rose Cousins' "The Return (Love Comes Back)" Is a Gentle Reminder of Human Spirit (premiere)

Texas Psych-Rockers, the Cuckoos Release Debut LP (album stream)

Imaginary People Mourn the Death of a "Hometown" (premiere)

Lisa Heller Goes on a Journey to Find Herself in "Figure It Out" (premiere)

Star Parks Go for the Immediate with "Something More" (premiere)

Electro's Sotomayor Merge House and Merengue on "Menéate pa' mí" (premiere)

Gab De La Vega Turns and Faces the Familiar, Strange on "YYZ" (premiere)

British Soul/Blues Artist Izo Fitzroy Asks for "Blind Faith" (premiere)