Glenn Branca Day!

I love, love, love 70’s NYC underground music–Suicide, DNA, James Chance, etc. Yeah, you know that already (oh but I found a nice No Wave Primer if you are still curious)

Despite my No Wave comp cds galore, I had never, until recently, knew much about Glenn Branca or his music, even though he was a key player in the scene. A few months ago, Bryan played me Branca’s “Lesson No 1 for Electric Guitar” after we saw some posters Branca had made for his late 70’s No Wave band The Theoretical Girls at a gallery. I’ve been digging his work since–from the “maximalist” guitar music (or, rather, minimalist rock music) to his newer experimental classical music–symphonies that are slightly less abrasive than his no wave work, but still deeply avant garde and primarily guitar-based. Also, it is noteworthy that he looks like he could be David Lynch mad brother, which is a plus if you are working outside the mainstream, yes?

Here’s Branca thrashing guitar at a Soho Loft in 78

Theoretical Girls: “You Got Me” (dig that industrial-before-industrial style percussion)

Branca’s solo masterpiece “Lesson no. 1 for electric guitar” (1983)

Branca conducting like “a frenzied goat” with his orchestra at alt performance space the Kitchen, sometime in the 80s

At All Tomorrow’s Parties fest, 2007