After Hours: A Tribute to the music of Lou Reed

With the multitude of tribute albums out there, why is it that nobody thought of doing a tribute to Lou Reed? Finally, it’s here. What’s more, this is a tribute album done entirely by Indie bands. Therefore, the result simply amazing!

After Hours runs the gamut of Lou Reed’s eclectic career, from Velvet Underground nuggets (Cordalene’s Who Loves the Sun, The Crowd Scene’s Candy Says, Joe Scinta’s Temptation Inside Your Heart, The Special Agents’ All Tomorrow’s [Beach] Parties) to vintage early solo material (Okapi Guitars’ Vicious, tvfordogs’ How Do You Think it Feels, Silent4’s I Love You, Music for Violas’s Going Down) to latter-day Lou (The Underhill’s Turn to Me, Lee Rude’s Cremation). After Hours paints a portrait of an adventurous auteur of American song.

The project was producer Mark Doyon’s idea. “We had submissions from all over the world. Choosing the tracks was, realistically, impossible, so we dug right in. It was less about ‘merit’ than it was about creating a narrative, weaving a story,” says Doyon.

For anyone who enjoys the music of Lou Reed (and who doesn’t?), this tribute album is a must. It’s also a good starting point for someone who wishes to get acquainted with the music of one of rock’s greatest icons.

The selection of songs itself is refreshing; not the usual classics, but songs that may be less well known. Thanks to Mark Doyon and Wampus for this album. And thanks to all the great artists playing on it.