Liturgy’s ‘93696’ Delivers Ecstasy, Physicality, and Intellectual Endeavor
Already noted for their determination to challenge themselves and their listeners, Liturgy’s 93696 shows them refusing to settle for less when more is possible.
avant-garde
Filling Hearts With Diamonds: An Interview with Ravenna Hunt-Hendrix of Liturgy
Exemplified by the new album 93696, Liturgy have moved ever further out into space all their own, tethered only by a slender cable to their sonic point of origin.
Stephanie Lamprea Creates a Fearless Interpretation of an Avant-Garde Song Cycle
Colombian-American soprano Stephanie Lamprea brings a spectacular amount of vocal technique to a challenging, unique, and weirdly playful piece of music.
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.
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.
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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.