Culture Hound Music Events Art NYC April 2016

Welcome to Culture Hound, InsideHook’s deep dive into the month’s most important (pop) cultural happenings.

Remember: The music of David Lynch
No Twin Peaks revival until 2017, but we can appreciate David Lynch’s oeuvre right now, at least sonically. First: a double live album of Lynch soundtrack covers, as performed by the Flaming Lips, Karen O, Lykke Li, Jim James and Moby. Then, for Record Store Day, a double LP (2000 copies on red/blue vinyl) from indie artist Xiu Xiu that reimagines the Twin Peaks soundtrack as something both dreamier and creepier. (April 15 and 16)

Admire: Gisele Bündchen
Dubbed “The Body” by Alexander McQueen, the beautiful Brazilian model is the (occasionally nude) subject of a breathtaking new photo retrospective. Originally available only as a $1,000+ limited edition, this new hardcover will only run you $70, and all proceeds, per Bündchen’s wishes, go to charity. You’re helping the world by looking at this. (Available this month)

Experience: Red Bull Music Academy
Back for its fourth consecutive year of showcasing some of the richest original programming the city will see in 2016. This edition features live performances, club nights, lectures and workshops scattered about various locales, from a conversation with Spike Lee to a BK Record Flea to a South Bronx musician and activist revisiting his 1971 Latin funk landmark beats. (April 29 – May 22)

Listen: M83
The French band’s new disco-glazed single “Do It, Try It” was a bit jarring on first listen … until those glorious synths washed over us a minute-thirty in. With tracks like the dreamy, organ-drenched “Solitude” veering into Pink Floyd territory, a surprise contribution from Beck, a new keyboardist who was literally crowdsourced and an overall theme of “being inspired by Punky Brewster and Who’s the Boss?” … well, hey, go ahead and disrupt us.

See/Feel: Please Touch the Art
Celebrated Danish artist and all-around bad ass Jeppe Hein is known for transforming public spaces into participatory art. His Please Touch the Art spans 1.3 miles in three parts of Brooklyn Bridge Park, with raised platforms jettisoning choreographed water, a mirrored labyrinth and jungle gym-esque “social benches.” The installation is brimming with Instagram opportunities. Go get yours. (through April 17)

Listen: April Spotify Playlist
Our curated new music soundtrack for April, featuring buzzy country newcomer Sturgill Simpson, instrumental gods Explosions in the Sky, the welcome return of the Dandy Warhols and Weezer. An hour well spent.

Venture: Obscura Day Garden Party in the Cemetery
For the fifth annual affair, the creative mavens at Atlas Obscura NYC are inviting one and all to “enter a hidden world of 19th century wonder and exalt in the extrordinary.” Tucked away in the East Village, you can expect exotic birds, parlour games, croquet and absinthe at our favorite event on the schedule. (April 16)

Celebrate: 100 Issues of Electric Literature Party
Electric Lit’s weekly fiction mag Recommended Reading asks noteworthy wordsmiths to recommend a great story. Celebrating its 100th issue, the party will focus on Jennifer Egan’s selection of James Hannaham’s Card Tricks. Expect high-minded conversation, a casual atmosphere and cold local brews. (April 28)

Read: The Arm
Subtitled “Inside the Billion-Dollar Mystery of the Most Valuable Commodity in Sports,” Yahoo baseball columnist Jeff Passan’s book is a three-year investigation into Tommy John surgery and why a limb compels baseball teams to spend more than $1.5 billion per year. Happy Opening Day! (April 5)

Support: Brooklyn Artists Ball
In its sixth year, the gala will honor Brooklyn-based art-world influencers Stephanie and Tim Ingrassia. Attendees will get a first look at a major new installation — “Tom Sachs: Boombox Retrospective, 1999-2016” — followed by a lively dance party with BK Museum trustee Swizz Beatz at the helm. (April 20)

Watch: High-Rise
Kill List was one of our favorite Netflix finds, a British indie movie about a contract killer that takes an abruptly scary-as-f*** turn. So director Ben Wheatley is the perfect choice to tackle the dystopian J.G. Ballard novel, where an upscale apartment complex turns deadly when things (and people) start breaking down. (April 28)

Shh: The Big Quiet
Leave it to urbanites to make a mass event out of meditation. You and a gaggle of NYers will go zen at the world-renowned Appel Room with an 83-foot wall of glass offering serene views of the Manhattan skyline. The silent, introspective bit will be followed by a lineup of musicians, vocalists and a special guest or two to raise the vibe, along with bites from Sweetgreen and Matchabar tea to keep you sated. (April 10)

Guilty Watch: The Time Traveling Bong
Debuting on, yes, 4/20, this Comedy Central miniseries features Broad City’s Ilana Glazer as one of two cousins who discover, well, you see the title. All’s well until said titular apparatus breaks. (April 20)

Plus: He’s got the hair for it: Patrick Stewart plays a Nazi punk leader in Green Room (Apr. 15) … Star Wars: The Force Awakens hits Blu-ray with several deleted scenes (Apr. 5) … Speaking of Blu-ray: How’s the bear look at home? See for yourself when The Revenant arrives (Apr. 19) … Good month for TV returns, including Orphan Black (Apr. 15), Kimmy Schmidt (Apr. 15), 12 Monkeys (Apr. 18), Inside Amy Schumer (Apr. 21), Game of Thrones (Apr. 24) and Silicon Valley (Apr. 24) … Key and Peele make a cat funny in Keanu (Apr. 29)