Lesson No.1

After cutting his teeth in late ’70s No Wave with Theoretical Girls and The Static, Glenn Branca made a striking first solo statement with Lesson No. 1 in 1980. As the first release on 99 Records, it lays out Branca’s radical guitar ideas across two side-long pieces that helped shape downtown New York art-punk.

The title track is Branca at his most inviting, with a driving pulse and interlocking patterns that feel like Neu! meeting Philip Glass. It’s a thrilling blend of minimalism and momentum. On the flip, Dissonance turns darker, leading guitar, keyboard, bass, drums and sledgehammer through a tense, industrial sprawl.

Its impact was huge, reaching generations of young bands including Sonic Youth and Swans. A foundational record that still sounds bold, physical and brilliantly singular.