John Cale Mercy (Domino) I will admit, with rock stars dropping all around us, listening to this CD made me a little nervous. It sounds like John Cale is reviewing his life, looking back with a critical eye and looking forward with trepidation. Initially, I found myself wondering if Mercy was to be another Blackstar, The Wind or You Want It Darker. Musically, however, this is a forward looking album – as Cale collaborates with a number of fresh musicians,...
A deeper look at the grooves pressed into the clear, colorless 2LP pressing of 5EPs by Dirty Projectors. From the very first instant I heard the music contained on 5EPs by Dirty Projectors, the clear and colorless 2LP set gave me pause. True, I had heard the group’s music before (the first album I heard was Swing Lo Magellan in 2012, and it really won me to the band’s banner), but 5EPs featured a sound so captivating that, the first...
A deeper look at the grooves pressed into the Can You Really Find Me LP by Night Moves. Without intending to date myself, how many readers remember the Nineties? It was a pretty unique time, aesthetically; Seventies fashion was retro en vogue, and a lot of that transitioned into both music and visual art as well. Oranges, browns and rich reds were really common (post-plaid) color schemes to use, and ornate gold furniture and accessories were common as well. After...
Buzzcocks A Different Kind of Tension (2019 Remaster)photo: Turntablelab.com The Buzzcocks had a major impact on me. At some point in my musical curiosity I started to understand the importance of musical homework: listening to bands to understand a reference more than out of sheer enjoyment. But with the Buzzcocks, it was love at first listen. In my unending need to understand every inch of punk rock history long ago it became painfully obvious that the Buzzcocks would be a...
A deeper look at the grooves pressed into the Wheeltappers and Shunters LP by Clinic. Speaking as a father, I can tell you that a lot of things can change in seven years – in fact, it’s entirely possible that the whole world will will look completely different from one side of that duration to the other. It’s for that reason Clinic reappearing after seven years with an album of new music – seemingly without warning (other than appearing with...
Buzzcocks Singles Going Steady (2019 Remaster – Domino Records)photo: turntablelab.com The Buzzcocks belong up there with the Clash and the Sex Pistols for contributing the most to the punk rock of the 70s. Sure the Damned belong there also, but they were never Buzzcocks-calibur in my book. And the Sex Pistols are the Sex Pistols but there’s no denying what a similarly overrated and underrated album Nevermind the Bollocks is. And the Clash? They’re just untouchable. There can be no...