Since the late '70s, Australian singer and songwriter Nick Cave has proved to be one of the most enduring talents to emerge from the post-punk era. In addition to being a remarkably consistent recording artist, his songs have been covered by everyone from Josh Groban, PJ Harvey, and Johnny Cash to Arctic Monkeys, Metallica, and Chelsea Wolfe, to name a few. However, his often dramatic, romantic, and/or harrowing tomes sound best on his own recordings...Formed after the breakup of the Birthday Party in 1983, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds became one of the most original and celebrated bands of the post-punk and alternative rock eras in the '80s and onward. Playing music that meshed with the dark, multi-layered narratives of Cave's lyrics, the Bad Seeds created sounds that were physically and emotionally powerful, but with a sense of dynamics and drama that set them apart from their peers...
From Her to Eternity (Nick Cave) 5:35
In the Ghetto (Nick Cave) 4:06
Nick Cave is a singular figure in contemporary rock music; he first emerged as punk rock was making its presence known in Australia, but though he's never surrendered his status as a provocateur and a musical outlaw, he quickly abandoned the simplicity of punk for something grander and more literate, though no less punishing in its outlook. Cave also had an approach to collaboration that made his backing band, the Bad Seeds, an integral part of his creative vision, even as their membership changed and their sound evolved over the space of three decades of fury and eloquence. In Kirk Lake's liner notes to Lovely Creatures: The Best of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, 1984-2014, he celebrates the band as much as their charismatic leader and songwriter, and the 45 songs collected on this three-disc set make the case that while Cave may be the frontman -- and a profoundly charismatic one with a powerful voice that can communicate from a whisper to a scream -- his musicians bring a color, shape, and texture to his songs that focus and amplify his gifts as a singer and lyricist... Lovely Creatures is a superior introduction to Cave's post-Birthday Party work, and while the lack of unreleased material might make it superfluous for serious fans, this remains a splendid summation of the work of a major artist who continues to create deeply personal, profoundly moving music.
Vibraphonist, percussionist, and songwriter Mike Dillon is an eclectic, highly adventurous musician with a sound steeped in post-bop jazz, funk, and avant-garde rock. Drawing upon such wide-ranging influences as Harry Partch, Thelonious Monk, Tom Waits, and Frank Zappa, he has led and co-led numerous ensembles, including the Dead Kenny Gs, Garage a Trois, and Critters Buggin'. As a sideman, Dillon has also worked with a varying cadre of acclaimed performers, such as Primus' Les Claypool, Karl Denson, Ricki Lee Jones, and Ani DiFranco. In addition, he has released his own genre-bending albums...Homeland Insecurity (Mike Dillon / Jon Richards / John Speice / Clark Wyatt) 2:54
Missing (Mike Dillon) 3:48
Vibraphonist, percussionist, composer, and bandleader Mike Dillon has been a musical outsider since beginning his professional career more than 25 years ago. Though he's a jazz virtuoso, he's never restricted himself: he's played punk, post-punk, funk, rock, jazz, R&B, indie folk, and more, with his own bands and as a deft sideman and collaborator. Band of Outsiders features Dillon in the company of three New Orleans musicians: trombonist Carly Meyers, bassist Patrick McDevitt, and drummer Adam Gertner. Dillon handles electric vibes, marimba, xylophone, and a plethora of percussion instruments in addition to lead vocals. Everybody sings backup. There are a slew of guest spots by well-known friends, too. Band of Outsiders is unclassifiable; it careens across genres, tempos, dynamics, and textures with joy, fury, and an inherent spirit of mischief that the group developed over a the course of year spent touring through Mexico and Brazil... On Band of Outsiders, Dillon's vision makes generous room for his influences but ultimately, it's also his own, articulated with grit and sophistication by his bandmates and friends. This album is for those who like their music, raw, bawdy, challenging, and outrageously humorous.
Duke Garwood is a London-based multi-instrumentalist and recording artist whose expertise on a wide range of instruments has graced numerous albums by an eclectic range of musicians. While Garwood's own music is rooted in the blues, generating a dark and spectral sound full of late-night atmosphere on albums like 2009's The Sand That Falls and 2014's Heavy Love...Some Times (Duke Garwood) 4:16
Heavy Love (Duke Garwood) 4:00
Snake Man (Duke Garwood) 3:27
Heavy Love is Duke Garwood's fifth full-length solo album. It is a natural follow-up to Black Pudding, the collaborative album he cut with Mark Lanegan in 2012. Recorded in London and Los Angeles, Garwood self-produced the set and enlisted Lanegan and Alain Johannes from Queens of the Stone Age to mix it. Garwood plays many of the instruments himself, but gets selective assistance from friends along the way, including Johannes on various keys, backing vocalists Jehnny Beth and Johnny Hostile of Savages, and longtime friend, collaborator, and drummer Paul May. Garwood's guitar is the album's most recognizable feature, but his singing voice is its most natural companion. The songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist has always utilized a minimalist approach to the blues and the same holds true here... As a whole, the songs on Heavy Love seem to emerge from the soul's longest, loneliest night to meet the raw, bleary edges of a new dawn that makes no promises. In sum, Heavy Love is all of a piece: slow, slippery, jungly. It is easily the most confident, fully realized album in his catalog to date, and his most poetic to boot.
Songwriter Sam Cohen spent long stints as a bandleader, working as the core of the ecstatic Apollo Sunshine for the entirety of the aughts and then with Yellowbirds for the first part of the 2010's. After Yellowbirds called it a day in 2014, Cohen spent some time working on other people's projects but still managed to write a new set of sun-dazzled synth-rock tunes for his first album under his own name, 2015's Cool It...The Garden (Sam Cohen) 3:49
El Dorado (Sam Cohen) 4:14
Kepler 62 (Sam Cohen) 4:27
Beginning with his 2000s indie group Apollo Sunshine and then with his solo bedroom project-turned-collaborative band Yellowbirds, singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Sam Cohen has been cultivating a finely tuned brand of sunny throwback indie pop. When Yellowbirds fizzled out in 2014, Cohen decided to issue music under his given name, and though Cool It is a debut, it comes from a seasoned veteran years into sculpting a specific style of both songwriting and production. Among his other band projects, Cohen's stellar guitar playing and engineering skills have earned him session work on a plethora of big-name records. Both of those skill sets are in full force on Cool It... The album strolls by in a warm amble, with unexpected but subtle production moves bolstering Cohen's thoughtfully constructed but still easy-going tunes.
Singing with a deep, nicotine-ravaged growl that was rich, strong, and sensuously forbidding, Mark Lanegan rose to fame when his band the Screaming Trees won a taste of mainstream recognition in the '90s. Though his first success was tied to the grunge scene, Lanegan subsequently carved out a strong identity of his own as a vocalist and songwriter. Lanegan's music was nearly always informed by the blues, but the singer was willing to take his darkly poetic sensibility wherever his muse pointed him...Death Trip to Tulsa [Mark Stewart's Exopolitix Demix] (Mark Lanegan) 3:30
The Killing Season [UNKLE Remix] (Sietse Van Gorkam / Mark Lanegan) 5:54
Seventh Day [Tom Furse Extrapolation] (Mark Lanegan) 8:18
With this collection, Mark Lanegan offers his fans a different perspective on his 2014 album Phantom Radio. Lanegan and his collaborator Alain Johannes have handed off most of the tracks from Phantom Radio (as well as several from the EP No Bells on Sunday) to other musicians and producers to create new mixes of the material. With the help of Soulsavers, Moby, Mark Stewart, UNKLE, Greg Dulli, Moon Gangs, Alastair Galbraith, and others, A Thousand Miles of Midnight spins new soundscapes from the moody frameworks of Lanegan's original recordings, bringing his electronic influences to the forefront and confirming the strength and versatility of Lanegan's work.
One of the greatest stars of the rock & roll era, David Bowie evaded easy categorization throughout his career, operating as the artiest rocker within the mainstream and the most accessible musician on the fringe. Bowie may have trafficked in ideas cultivated in the underground, but he was never quite an outsider as far as rock & roll was concerned. From the outset of his career in the 1960s, he attempted to break into the Top 40, playing British blues, mod rock & roll, and ornate pop before finally hitting paydirt as a hippie singer/songwriter... Blackstar (David Bowie) 9:57
Tis a Pity She Was a Whore (David Bowie) 4:52
Lazarus (David Bowie) 6:22
David Bowie died within days after the January 8, 2016 release of Blackstar, an event that immediately shaped perceptions of his 25th album. Unbeknownst to all but his inner circle, Bowie wrote and recorded Blackstar after receiving word that he had liver cancer, so the album was certainly shaped through the prism of this diagnosis... Bowie's remarkable achievement with Blackstar is how it's an album about mortality that is utterly alive, even playful.
Unlike its predecessor, 2013's The Next Day, Blackstar doesn't carry the burden of ushering a new era in Bowie's career... Certainly, the luxurious ten-minute sprawl of "Blackstar" -- a two-part suite stitched together by string feints and ominous saxophone -- suggests Bowie isn't encumbered with commercial aspirations, but Blackstar neither alienates nor does it wander into uncharted territory. For all its odd twists, the album proceeds logically, unfolding with stately purpose and sustaining a dark, glassy shimmer... Bowie recruited saxophonist Donny McCaslin and several of his New York cohorts to provide the instrumentation (and drafted disciple James Murphy to contribute percussion on a pair of cuts), a cast that suggests Blackstar goes a bit farther out than it actually does... This progression brings Blackstar to a close on a contemplative note, a sentiment that when combined with Bowie's passing lends the album a suggestion of finality that's peaceful, not haunting.
Moving from Sonic Youth-like art punk to eclectic pop over the course of their decades-long career, Blonde Redhead remained one of indie rock's most creative acts. The band formed in 1993 after Japanese art students Kazu Makino and Maki Takahashi randomly met Italian twin brothers Simone and Amedeo Pace at an Italian restaurant in New York. (The name was taken from a song by the '80s no wave band DNA.) With Makino and Amedeo on guitars and vocals, Simone on drums, and Takahashi on bass, the band's chaotic, artistic rock caught the attention of Sonic Youth drummer Steve Shelley, who produced and released the band's debut album, Blonde Redhead, on his Smells Like Records label...I Don't Want U (Kazu Makino / Amedeo Pace / Simone Pace) 5:04
Astro Boy (Kazu Makino / Amedeo Pace / Simone Pace) 4:21
U.F.O. (Kazu Makino / Amedeo Pace / Simone Pace) 5:37
Before they made intricate, transporting pop for labels like 4AD, Blonde Redhead took inspiration from '70s no wave and released singles and albums on Smells Like Records, the label of Sonic Youth drummer Steve Shelley. This connection between the bands led some to call Blonde Redhead derivative, but in hindsight -- and especially on this collection -- the elements that endured in their music and made it special are what stand out. Another installment in Numero Group's 200 Line reissue series, Masculin Feminin gathers the band's first two albums, Blonde Redhead and La Mia Vita Violenta, which arrived in a prolific burst of creativity in 1995, as well as a generous amount of singles, rarities, and radio performances...
Thurston Moore's work with Sonic Youth rearranged the parameters of indie rock to an almost incalculable degree, merging experimental art rock tendencies with unconventional guitar tunings for a sound that would influence generations to come. Moore's abstract poetic lyrics and perpetually mysterious aura were core ingredients of Sonic Youth's 30-plus-year run, but also bled into countless side projects and less-frequent solo albums like 1994's sprawling and loose Psychic Hearts. After the group's breakup in 2011, Moore continued with his ambitions...Exalted (Thurston Moore) 11:54
Cusp (Thurston Moore) 6:33
Turn On (Thurston Moore) 10:17
Reunited with his backing band for The Best Day -- My Bloody Valentine bassist Deb Googe, Nøught guitarist James Sedwards, and longtime drummer Steve Shelley, as well as poet/songwriter Radieux Radio -- Thurston Moore delves even deeper into that album's contemplative, redemptive side on Rock N Roll Consciousness... With two tracks stretching beyond the ten-minute mark, Rock N Roll Consciousness' songs are consistently longer than Sonic Youth's output, but they're not just expanded; they're heightened. The band locks in on the most transporting aspects of Moore's music, allowing his deadpan vocals to be the eye of the of the storms surrounding him... Another fine addition to his solo work, Rock N Roll Consciousness proves that Moore's search for enlightenment through noise remains vital.
The Jimmy Chamberlin Complex is an exploratory jazz and rock outfit led by Smashing Pumpkins drummer Jimmy Chamberlin. A longtime jazz and fusion aficionado, Chamberlin formed the Complex in 2004 as an outlet to do something more experimental than his more alt-rock-oriented work. Also featured in the band are bassist/producer Billy Mohler, guitarist Sean Woolstenhulme, pianist Randy Ingram, and saxophonist Chris Speed. The group debuted in 2005 with Life Begins Again on Sanctuary...The Parable (The Jimmy Chamberlin Complex) 6:50
Magick Moon (The Jimmy Chamberlin Complex) 4:51
Hard-hitting drummer Jimmy Chamberlin is famous among rock fans for his years of work with the Smashing Pumpkins. Jazz fans know Chamberlin from his recent work with saxophonist Frank Catalano. And diehard fans will recall Life Begins Again, his 2005 album by The Jimmy Chamberlin Complex. Bassist Billy Mohler and guitarist Sean Woolstenhulme, who both played on that album, are back for the band’s new release, a jazz effort titled The Parable, on which they are joined by Randy Ingram (piano, Fender Rhodes) and Chris Speed (tenor sax, clarinet). Here, Chamberlin combines the energy and production values of a rock album with the spontaneity of an improvised jazz session. “Jazz really allows you to paint in real time,” Chamberlin said in the press materials for The Parable. “You’re painting first drafts and being OK with them.” This program of six tracks contains some killer “frist drafts” that succeed wonderfully... Overall, Chamberlin proves himself to be a gracious bandleader, providing a platform for his colleagues to soar.
Featuring members of Portishead and Moon Gangs, Beak> is a trio crafting dense and atmospheric music inspired by dub, Krautrock, and the Beach Boys.., The moody sound of albums such as the group's self-titled 2009 debut made Beak>'s music a perfect fit for soundtrack work, which included 2016's Couple in a Hole soundtrack. On later efforts like 2018's >>>, the band's sound expanded to more structured songs as well as farther-flung experiments while retaining their unmistakable vibe...The Brazilian (Geoff Barrow / Billy Fuller / Will Young) 4:12
Brean Down (Geoff Barrow / Billy Fuller / Will Young) 3:52
Birthday Suit (Geoff Barrow / Billy Fuller / Will Young) 4:32
"You don't like our music cuz it ain't up on the radio," Beak>'s Geoff Barrow sings on >>> with something approaching pride. This contrarian attitude defines the band's third album: Barrow and company could have easily made another album of sinister motorik-driven instrumentals like >>, but this time, they blow up their music. Since Beak> haven't released a full-length in six years and now include Moon Gangs' Will Young among their ranks, some evolution was inevitable. Even so, >>> reveals some drastic changes. The lock grooves that powered Beak>'s first two albums are almost entirely absent, freeing them to double down on their distinctively murky, eerie moods and express them in new ways. The vocals that served as texture on the band's previous work come to the fore on >>>, bringing with them more structured songwriting. However, the closer Beak> get to conventional notions of pop music, the stranger they sound... Some of the band's most entertaining and most challenging music, >>>'s eclectic experiments prove that the greater-than symbol at the end of Beak>'s name isn't just for show -- they keep pushing forward, and it's thrilling to go along on the ride with them.
A meeting of the minds between respected members of Washington, D.C.'s experimental music and punk rock communities, the Messthetics are an instrumental trio who combine soaring, visionary guitar work with one of the tightest and most powerful rhythm sections in rock. The Messthetics feature bassist Joe Lally and drummer Brendan Canty, members of the iconic punk/indie band Fugazi, marking their first collaboration since the band went on extended hiatus in 2002. Rounding out the trio is guitarist Anthony Pirog, an artist steeped in jazz who is also a major figure on Washington, D.C.'s experimental music scene, as well as working with the groups Janel & Anthony (featuring cellist Janel Leppin), Skysaw (who also include Smashing Pumpkins drummer Jimmy Chamberlin), and New Electric. The trio came together in 2017, rehearsing and recording material at Canty's practice space, and they began playing out late that year. In March 2018, the Messthetics released their self-titled debut album, primarily drawn from their practice space recordings and cut live without overdubs...Once Upon a Time 4:20
Crowds and Power 4:53
Ever since Fugazi went on indefinite hiatus in 2003, there's been a steady murmur from their fans for a reunion, with many hoping against hope that the band would once again create new music. Given this, it was no surprise that the announcement that Fugazi's rhythm section -- bassist Joe Lally and drummer Brendan Canty -- had formed a new band was greeted with much enthusiasm in the indie music community. And the debut album from Lally and Canty's new project, the Messthetics, will certainly resonate with a certain part of Fugazi's audience. Listeners who embraced Fugazi's more experimental side, especially their travels through dub-like space and guitar dissonance, will doubtless be pleased with The Messthetics. Guitarist Anthony Pirog, a Washington, D.C.-based artist whose background is in jazz and avant-garde music, is the third member of the Messthetics, and while Lally and Canty's playing is as taut, muscular, and expressive as one would expect, it's Pirog's work that gives this music its most distinct aural signature. Though the rhythm section makes this music rock, Pirog picks and chooses between atmospheric extended tones, rapid volleys of notes, and clouds of inspired noise that certainly contain elements of the rock vocabulary but don't acknowledge the clichés of the typical guitar hero. (If Pirog's work recalls anyone, it's Robert Fripp, though mostly in his sense of intelligence and adventure rather than any explicit similarity.)... In short, the Messthetics are not Fugazi, but they are a bold, bracing, fearless band from Washington, D.C. playing music that challenges and dazzles, and that's more than enough reason to make their debut album worth your time.
