Lloyd Cole first made a name for himself in 1984 with the Commotions, the British band he founded in Scotland before relocating to New York City four years later. Since, he has released records both as a solo artist and with the Negatives. Now based in western Massachusetts, Cole recently formed the Small Ensemble. The trio is joined by the likes of Fred Maher, Joan Wasser and Kendall Meade for new album Broken Record (Tapete), Cole’s first “rock” LP in almost a decade. Cole will also be guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week. Read our new Q&A with him. Says Cole as an introduction/disclaimer for his guest-editing posts, “I am 50 years old. More than twice the age I was when I began making music. I have developed opinions, certainly, and these opinions have evolved, but I can only speak for myself. I am still astonished by music. I am still perplexed by it. I am still moved by it. I am still revulsed by it. And I am more and more confused by how others make use of music in their lives. Music seems to be everywhere. Here are some of my thoughts on it.”
Cole: Steve Reich’s Music For 18 Musicians is my favourite classical piece. This I know. At 50, I’m trying to learn about classical music. Like so many of my generation (and class), my knowledge is pitiful. I know I enjoy Chopin’s preludes, the usual Erik Satie, and I have great difficulty with opera. So I’m reading Alex Ross, and I’ve downloaded his playlists. I’m enjoying the reading. I think I like Mahler. I’m still struggling with opera; the dynamic is too great to listen to on headphones. One moment I’m struggling to hear the bass and baritones, and the next the soprano is endangering my eardrum. But I will persist. I didn’t read Dickens until I was 45, and I know I’ll have a lot more fun than I would with the new R.E.M. album.
Video after the jump.
