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.
“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
8 Espers – That Which Darkly Thrives
9 Fursaxa – Tyranny
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