Native American Art April May 2020

Steve Wynn went from the lower reaches of the Los Angeles underground music scene to major critical acclaim practically overnight with the release of the Dream Syndicate's debut album, The Days of Wine and Roses, in 1982. It proved to be the first act in a long and fascinating career in which Wynn matured into one of the canniest songwriters in rock, penning smart, flinty lyrics that told perceptive tales of human behavior both noble and otherwise, married to tough, engaging melodies full of muscular guitar work…

When David Bowie and Iggy Pop escaped LA to go Interrailing in the mid-70s, they heard a new European music that was largely devoid of Anglo-American rock influence: the German motorik sound, flashes of jazz, experimentation and electronica. In West Berlin, one of their favourite haunts was Kreuzberg’s Cafe Exil, a smoky hang-out for beats and intellectuals. This is its imaginary soundtrack.

Brothers Ron and Russell Mael from Los Angeles, USA have been making diverse music since 1969 under various incarnations of Sparks. In 1979 they ditched the guitars and keyboards of glam geek rock and started working with Italian producer Giorgio Moroder, beginning a love affair with electronic music. Since then they have worked with a variety of people including Finitribe, Les Rita Mitsouko, Erasure and Faith No More.

American violinist Jennifer Koh’s new recording, Alone Together is based on her online performance series of the same name, created in response to the coronavirus pandemic and the financial hardship it has placed on so many in the arts community. The New York Times called Alone Together “a marvel for a time of crisis” and the lineup of composers “more inclusive than anything in mainstream classical music.”

While German Prog/Art rockers Jane may be a familiar name outside of the Prog arena, Harlis were a tremendously talented offshoot of the band who recorded two albums that didn’t conform to the Prog Rock rulebook, but didn’t stray to far from it either. Led by former Jane member Charly Maucher, Harlis were a bit looser than their contemporaries, which added a raw edge to their sound. While the band features excellent musicians, Harlis’ sound is more about the band as a whole as opposed to the skills of the individuals. Adding a bit more Blues and British and American Rock influences into the mix may have turned away some Prog fans, but in doing so, their sound has a timeless quality to it.
Harlis’ 1976 self-titled debut was a joyous slice of Rock that didn’t really belong to any defined genre…