You have to hand it to Luke Haines, former frontman of The Auteurs and Black Box Recorder, and (for quite some time now) culturally astute pop music contrarian. Described by Haines as a "mythic reimagining of the New York rock'n'roll scene, 1972-79," New York in the '70s is the final part of his concept trilogy, following 9½ Psychedelic Meditations on British Wrestling of the 1970s and early '80s (2011) and last year's Rock and Roll Animals. Self-explanatory as the title is, it still doesn't prepare you for how cleverly Haines constructs such an insightful and knowing pastiche. Drone City is the Suicide that we all know and love; Lou Reed Lou Reed is a downtown Manhattan druggy-groove that's as silly as it's sincere; and Dolls Forever is, as Haines himself says "corny, but in a good way". Just like the album, then. lukehaines.co.uk
Download: Drone City, Lou Reed Lou Reed, Dolls Forever