Glenn Branca, 69, Dies

[Modernistfan]

Glenn Branca, one of the most significant figures of the New York "downtown" avant-garde scene, has passed away at age 69. I have a number of recordings of his symphonies for massed electric guitars and percussion, and, although I cannot figure out quite what is going on, I find them strangely interesting. To me, they sound like what Anton Bruckner might have done if Bruckner had been into minimalism using electric guitars (imagine that, if possible). (They drive my sweet, ever-loving wife crazy.)