Word: avante
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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...Steppenwolf, the ensemble's sixth foray into Manhattan in the past five seasons; and a bewitchingly surreal satire with songs, Three Postcards, the second offering this season originated by California's South Coast Repertory, which, despite its setting in conservative Orange County, south of Los Angeles, specializes in avant- garde premieres...
...late 1986, the band resurfaced, with all four original members, releasing the "Snakedrill" 12-inch. It appeared that, after a lengthy lay-over, the band was ready to pick up where they left off, with a heady mixture of keyboard-based art rock, submerged in swirling guitars and avant-garde postures. And the road to reunion was sweetened by the band members' floundering solo careers and a guaranteed record deal. The generation of admirers that the band weaned would surely come out in force with their re-emergence...
...only because of this haze of idolatry, the band's reunion LP The Ideal Copy is difficult to judge. Like "Snakedrill," the record is preciously avant-garde, relying on sequencers and synthesizers to provide the requisite experimental edge. This approach proves effective in several instances, most notably the single "Ahead." However, in the wake of their own myth, their own influence upon progressive music, Wire now sounds like just another aspiring art/synth band. Instead of the kings they once were, Wire now seem mere pretenders to the throne...
...dance-rock territory of New order. The menacing "Feed Me" follows the style of latter-day quasi-industrialists SWANS without achieving the genuine horror of the latter's aural experiments. All the above-mentioned bands have each achieved their own niche in modern music. In comparison, Wire's avant-garde...
...vibrated with an energetic, standing-room-only crowd. Guest artist Illinois Jacquet ignited a spark in the audience as he displayed his love and enthusiasm for jazz and the Harvard Jazz Band. Trumpeter Lester Bowie, sporting a white silk dressing gown and purple pants, thrilled the crowd with his "avant pop" antics. The Jazz Band, playing with all the guests, gave a remarkable performance, not to mention a few outstanding solos. I fail to comprehend why The Crimson neglected to include these elements...