Moses Sumney’s ‘Blackalachia’ and the Forest
In Moses Sumney’s beautiful 2021 performance film Blackalachia, the forest is a friend, a threat, a looming watcher, and an extension of the narrator’s person.
art rock
John Cale’s Orch-Pop Masterwork ‘Paris 1919’ Is Brilliant
With his 1973 album Paris 1919, John Cale created one of his most serene and accessible works, a contrast to the frenetic style of the Velvet Underground.
‘Rome’ Captures the National’s Amazing Live Show
Rome proves to be a strikingly good example of a great National show, even if nothing quite compares to the real thing.
David Gilmour Shines in Halloween Finale at the Hollywood Bowl
David Gilmour visits 1973 early in the set with a crowd-pleasing trio of “Speak to Me”, “Breath (In the Air)”, and “Time” from The Dark Side of the Moon.
Talk Talk Brought Fire and Negative Space to ‘It’s My Life’
When Talk Talk released It’s My Life in 1984, they shook the new wave establishment with great songs and a new approach, while refusing any genre boxification.
Graeme Thomson’s Revised ‘Under the Ivy’ Captures Kate Bush’s Complexity
While Kate Bush’s work and life defy clichés and easy categorization, Graeme Thomson chronicles her story while conveying its inherent ambiguity and mystery.
Supergroup BEAT Served Up a Masterful Rock Clinic
BEAT’s tour had the potential to be a revelation, especially to the generations that were too young to catch the King Crimson foursome more than 40 years ago.
Lou Reed’s Pre-Fame Quest to Create a National Dance Craze
Lou Reed and John Cale met while touring a novelty act trying to make a hit on a discount record label. A new compilation highlights Reed’s wild pre-fame journey.
The 10 Spookiest Lou Reed Songs
From graphic depictions of violence and death to ominous and grating musical atmospheres, Lou Reed created numerous frightening tunes.
The Style Council’s Café Bleu and David Sylvian’s Brilliant Trees at 40
With Café Bleu and Brilliant Trees, Paul Weller and David Sylvian looked forward to jazz as a renewed source of inspiration; but was their pop music still pop?
Arcade Fire’s ‘Funeral’ Still Amazes As a Conceptual Statement
On Funeral, Arcade Fire found catharsis in music while processing grief for the loss of loved ones. As a result, they shifted the course of indie rock.
Xiu Xiu’s Latest Album Shows Off Their Irresistible Noise
Xiu Xiu are uncompromising and have an equal appreciation for the beauty in life and all of its dark corners. Here, they mix jarring atonality and eerie calm.