Gary Lucas

Add Date: August 2 

Artist: Gary Lucas & Gods and Monsters 

Album: The Ordeal of Civility 

Label: Knitting Factory 

Genre: Rock, folk rock, experimental 

Comments: The Ordeal of Civility is the latest work from avant-rock heavyweight Gary Lucas, whom The New Yorker has dubbed "the thinking man's guitar hero". Because of his guitar-playing prowess, Lucas has collaborated with many kingpins in the rock world--perhaps most famously Jeff Buckley, as the two released a joint album called Songs to No One in 1992.

The new LP includes his band Gods and Monsters, featuring the Hungry March Band's Jason Candler on saxophone and Faddy Acids' Joe Hendel on trombone and keyboards. This art-rock outfit bounces through psych-rock jams and acoustic-based folk-rock numbers, but always with Lucas' guitar work at the forefront. Start with "Hot and Cold Everything", "Whirlygig" and "Lady of Shalott".