A quick heads-up on the next free Uncut CD today, which Allan has compiled (with a few suggestions from me) to go with the new issue’s Velvet Underground cover story.

Continued...

“The Velvets Revolution” is a pretty neat survey featuring a mere 15 out of the tens of thousands of bands that the VU have influenced in the 45 years since they formed. Some nice rare-ish things here, like the Eno/Manzanera project 801 and a Suicide track I’ve never personally come across before; plus some classic ‘80s stuff like The Feelies and Loop.

Most interesting, maybe, are some new tracks that Allan’s included, like “Destroyed Fortress Reappears” by Thee Oh Sees, the ultra-productive John Dwyer’s latest fierce garage band, and a group who I really haven’t listened to enough. I’d previously dismissed The Black Angels as one of those MOR indie-dronerock bands like Black Rebel Motorcycle Club or The Brian Jonestown Massacre, but “Never/Ever” is surprisingly good; some explanation, perhaps, for why Roky Erickson has used them as his backing band.

And finally there’s The War On Drugs, who I was a bit uncommitted about on the Kurt Vile blog a while back, and who, on the strength of “Show Me The Coast”, I really need to revisit.

Here’s the tracklisting, with one or two links to old blogs. Let me know what you think when you’ve had a listen (Oh, and sorry about the hype, but the cover story about the VU is a good read, too, not least when Paul Morrissey calls Lou Reed a “minor Simon & Garfunkel imitator…”).

1 The Feelies - Slipping (Into Something)

2 Thee Oh Sees - Destroyed Fortress Reappears

3 Orange Juice - Blue Boy

4 The Black Angels - Never/Ever

5 Suicide - Rain Of Ruin

6 Vivian Girls - Tension

7 Magik Markers - Risperdal

8 Espers - That Which Darkly Thrives

9 Fursaxa - Tyranny

10 Smog - Natural Decline

11 Hush Arbors - Fast Asleep

12 Loop - Too Real To Feel

13 Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions - Wild Roses

14 801 - Third Uncle

15 The War On Drugs - Show Me The Coast