Noir Disco’s new debut album, Now! 2073, belongs to a proud tradition of art-rock. Siblings Nolan and Carter Dickson lead the Chicago group, and their music draws on specific reference points from a lifetime of shared music nerdery. On Now! 2073, the band take inspiration from 70s classic rock, 80s European new-wave pop, and 00s […]
Tag: art-rock
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Chicago art-rockers Woongi ground their ambition with whimsy on Fruits of the Midi
A couple years ago, Chicago art-rock group Woongi dropped an album intended as an unofficial soundtrack for a 1993 kids’ film featuring a magical flying skateboard voiced by Dom DeLuise. You can try to find spots where the synth-focused songs on Rip’s Cuts might fit into the movie, titled The Skateboard Kid, but their cheeky […]
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Phew’s harrowing synth-and-voice experiments on Vertigo KO channel the dread of living in our world
For more than four decades, Hiromi Moritani has been making music by her own rules. She’s largely known for the short-lived art-rock band Aunt Sally, which she started as a teenager in late-70s Osaka, and for her 1981 self-titled solo album under the name Phew. Since then she’s continually honed her craft as Phew, expanding […]
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Radiohead front man Thom Yorke proves his electronic mastery on Anima
Thom Yorke may be best known as front man of legendary British art-rock group Radiohead, but he’s also amassed an impressive discography on his own, putting out several solo releases, a 2013 album with his side group Atoms for Peace, and the score for 2018’s Suspiria remake. His third album under his own name, last […]
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Horse Lords make wordless art-rock that swarms with utopian possibilities
Update: To help slow the spread of COVID-19, these shows have been postponed until further notice. Ticket holders should contact the point of purchase for refund or exchange information. Lyrics aren’t the only way for musicians to communicate political messages, just the most obvious. When the Knife turned their live show for 2013’s Shaking the […]
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Detroit art-rock foursome Saajtak harness the power of improvisation for good
The members of Detroit art-rock group Saajtak met at the University of Michigan in the early 2010s, when all four participated in an improvising ensemble called the Creative Arts Orchestra. They’ve since carried the experimental traditions they explored as students into their work in Saajtak and into their individual creative pursuits—each has developed such an […]
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Reader’s Agenda Wed 9/17: Fifth Star Awards, Bryan Ferry, and Fay
What’s on the Reader‘s Agenda for Wednesday, September 17
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Ono celebrates the release of Diegesis this weekend
The local art-rock group welcomes its second postreunion LP on Saturday.
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Artist on Artist: John Cale talks to cellist Alison Chesley, aka Helen Money
Artist on Artist: John Cale talks to cellist Alison Chesley, aka Helen Money
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12 O’Clock Track: Dustin Wong, “Toe Tore Oh”
“Toe Tore Oh” from Dustin Wong’s recent Dreams Say, View, Create, Shadow Leads
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12 O’Clock Track: Lotion, “Rock Chick”
Remember Lotion, Thomas Pynchon’s favorite band? Who shoulda, coulda made it, like their 90s contemporaries Archers of Loaf?
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Adrian Belew
Veteran art-rock guitarist Adrian Belew, who made his name with King Crimson and the Bears, has wriggled out from under the “dinosaur” label by keeping busy: lately he’s been recording with the likes of Trent Reznor and William Shatner and churning out a steady stream of solo records. The latest, Side Three (Sanctuary), is the […]