Two day’s after Lou Reed’s death, my dad sent me an email asking after his best songs, and his best album. In other words, “why should I care?” Before dutifully sending on YouTube links and “probably Transformer (although not my favorite),” I stewed for a bit. Since Reed was really a generation between us, at […]
The Velvet Underground Goes to California (RIP Lou Reed)
From 1966 to 1969, a non sequitor invaded California which was, at that point, ground zero for the hippie movement. Being the locus of this particular subculture, the vibe of peace, love, and the one-ness of human existence was in the air as if it were a new idea. Since it was believed to be a […]
Silent Night Day 1: A Kraut-Rock Christmas
Are you familiar with the German band CAN? They are legends in the world of alternative/hipster music (and with good reason), a bit like the German equivalent of the Velvet Underground. Their best lp is probably Ege Bamyasi, which you should get. They recorded much of their music in a castle and featured the odd-ball […]