New Stuff: Swans

 

New Stuff: Swans

 

New Stuff: Where Does a Body End?

 

Where Does a Body End? (2019)

The worldview of Michael Gira, through his life as a globetrotter and his four decades leading Swans, a group that he founded in the noisy and iconoclastic New York underground of the early '80s and that keeps reinventing itself today.

A sweeping view of Michael Gira and his band Swans' history (although it mysteriously skips the Angels of Light phase) does a good job depicting their music, philosophy and development over the decades, although it mainly appeals to those already familiar with the band.

The Movies I Watched in February

Bad Samaritan 2018  6
Before I Fall 2017  6
Beoning (2018)  7

Black Sea 2014  6
The Cabin in the Woods 2011  6
Hell or High Water 2016  7

The Hole in the Ground 2019  6
L'Homme de chevet 2009  6
Hostile 2017  5
Kehraus 1983  7

Marriage Story 2019  7

Morgan 2016  6
The Net 1995  5
Only the Brave 2017  6
Prospect 2018  6
Scarface 1983  6
The Strange Love of Martha Ivers 1946  6
The Thing 2011  6
True Grit 2010  6
Where Does a Body End? 2019  7

New Stuff: Swans

New Stuff: Swans

Concert: Swans

Feierwerk, Munich, November 2016

New Stuff: Norman Westberg

Norman Westberg, guitarist with the Swans, most recent solo project.

New Stuff: Swans

Swans' last album to be produced (and performed) in this constellation, marking the end of the band's most creative era.

New Stuff: Swans

A 3 cd set reissue with additional prveiously unreleased material.

New Stuff: Swans

Another self-released limited edition double live cd to finance their next album.

New Stuff: Electronic Beats

I bought this German edition of this music magazine, because it had a Michael Gira interview in it (and Karen O.).

Rarely Heard: Jarboe - Lavender Girl

I first came across Jarboe when she joined the Swans in the 80s and I also saw her perform live with the band. Thereafter she has been prolific with her solo projects, mostly self-released. She has had years of professional vocal training and she uses her voice to produce powerful and rousing songs. "She is an intelligent and aggressive artist possessed of striking musical skill who has rejected the music industry's all-too-easy stereotyping and exploitation to create shockingly powerful visions. Helping strongly in this is her one-of-a-kind vocal talent, ranging from emotive blues/gospel tones to wild shrieking, matching excellently with her wide-ranging preference in musical styles." (Allmusic.com)

Concert: Swans

Swans at the Feierwerk in Munich: I can only begin with saying that there is (or ever was) no other band like the Swans! I've seen them since their reunion for the third time now (and twice in the 80s), same town, same place, and every time audience attendance had doubled. This time the concert was probably sold out. Pharmakon was the perfect support, and the Swans began quite punctually with the already classic slow build-up of a song: first percussion, then the other musicians joining in and presenting their monumental wall of noise. The concert was 2 hours and 40 minutes of tonal assault, and I counted six songs (another critic mentioned there were seven). Swans' music has over the decades deconstructed the elements of rock music and pieced them back together again to a symphonic sound all their own. I realized - sandwiched within the audience - that it was best experienced with your eyes closed. This way you could ignore your surroundings and take in the whole wall of mayhem - and enjoy it. There was no encore, but that wasn't necessary, since the whole performance was in itself of one piece. Why stick something onto that? And next time around: I'll be there!

Rarely Heard: Swans - Cop

I can recommend the book "Our Band Could be Your Life. Scenes from the American Indie Underground 1981-1991" by Michael Azerrad. It depicts an essential part of what I loved of the music of the time and nearly all the bands described have some importance for me. The bands that are still essential to my life are Pere Ubu, The Residents - and the Swans! (I'd count Sonic Youth, too, but they don't exist anymore). I saw Swans twice live in concert in the 80s, and since their reunion nearly every year, next concert is next week on November 1st. Swans live are a menacing and catharthic experience and one you'll hardly ever forget, and probably the loudest you'll ever get to hear. Swans are the only band I ever had been frightened of, especially when seeing them the first time in the 80s. Even today they appear to me like a motley crue of outlaws, and their sound has evolved from the congenial simplicity of their early work to a more complex but even more all-consuming music. A nice story (taken from the book mentioned above) is that the Swans had invited a very early Sonic Youth to support them on their US tour. For some reason, however, Sonic Youth played after the Swans, and although their sound must have already been as sensational as we love it today, the audience had no more interest in hearing them after having been exhausted and drained by the Swans. I hear that their recent work has been much more commercially successful and that their two concerts in Berlin a few days ago were hopelessly sold out. So maybe now after nearly 35 years they're not so rarely heard anymore.

New Stuff: Swans

So far this year this is the album I have been looking forward to the most!

New Stuff: Swans

The packaging to this handmade limited edition is made with a linoleum block print (printed on hand-brushed white ink). The drawing for the print and the printing itself was expertly accomplished by Nicole Boitos (signed and numbered 1 – 2000 by Nicole), based upon a concept/sketch by M.Gira. Each individual cover is further drawn upon / personalized and signed by M.Gira.

New Stuff: Swans

I was so much looking forward to their new album...

New Stuff: Swans

Finally got this album after missing the limited edition.