swans band members

Influential American noise rock band with an abrasive sound and glacier-speed tempos, emerging from the thriving New York underground of the '80s. Initially, their music was known for its sonic brutality and misanthropic lyrics. A reconstituted version of the band issued two albums from 1988 to 1990 before dissolving again; more recently, Simpson put a new lineup together and the group issued a new … [44] Their final album before breaking up, 1996's Soundtracks for the Blind, is a double album which emphasizes atmosphere, branching into post-rock,[42][45] drone[60] and dark ambient. So by the time I finally got that carrot dangled in front of me, it was like, 'at last, I can make a living at what I love to do. [citation needed]. • Michael Gira – guitar, vocals (1982–1997, 2010–2017, 2019–present) [2] The band's latest album, Leaving Meaning, was released on October 25, 2019. Tags: swans, public castration is a good idea, swans band, industrial, swans nyc, swans shir, natural landscape, twelve days of christmas, wild birds, a ballet education, aphrodite, bird life, cranes, dreamscape, driftwood, estuary, fall weather, fertility, geneva, hares, hera, juvenile, kookaburra, mothernature, multicolors, public castration is a good idea lyrics, public castration … singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Michael Gira formed Swans with guitarist Sue Hanel and drummer Jonathan Kane. [9], Cop (1984) and the originally untitled Young God EP were both released in 1984 and re-released together on CD in 1992. in Utrecht, The Netherlands, including Wire, Silver Apples, Ben Frost, Prurient and Words To The Blind, a project by Savages together with Japanese band Bo Ningen. 1986's Greed saw a new addition to the group with vocalist/keyboardist Jarboe joining the band. Pages in category "Swans (band) members" The following 14 pages are in this category, out of 14 total. [25] The Wild Swans formed in 1980 when Paul Simpson, who had left The Teardrop Explodes after the recording of their first single, teamed up (on vocals) with Jeremy Kelly (guitar), Ged Quinn (keyboards), James Weston (bass) and Justin Stavely (drums). In... – Facebook", "Swans Announce New Album The Glowing Man, Share Title Track: Listen", "DELIQUESCENCE (Ltd. 2CD Live Recording)", "Swans Announce New Album 'Leaving Meaning,' Release "It's Coming It's Real, "Staff Pick: Swans' grueling post-rock will send you reeling", "Michael Gira Explains Why Drones Are Central To The Sound Of Swans", "Review: Swans' Actual Swan Song Is a Cloud of Unknowing on 'The Glowing Man, "A Beginner's Guide to No Wave, New York's middle finger to the world", "Swans : in depth interview with Michael Gira", "Enduring Love: why Swans are more vital now than ever", "Swans: The Only No Wave Act That Survived", "Freaking folk out: Swans' early 90s classics rediscovered", "Neurosis: 'Crass were the mother of all bands, "My Dying Bride – Release Music Magazine Spotlight", "AARON TURNER (SUMAC, ISIS, MAMIFFER...) - interview by Peek-A-Boo magazine", "Interview with LEVIATHAN :: Maelstrom :: Issue No 5", Official site from Michael Gira and Young God Records, My Father Will Guide Me Up a Rope to the Sky, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Swans_(band)&oldid=1002026902, Psychedelic rock music groups from New York (state), Alternative rock groups from New York (state), 1997 disestablishments in New York (state), Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from February 2013, Official website different in Wikidata and Wikipedia, Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SUDOC identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Yoyo Röhm – bass guitar, double bass, keyboards, vocals (2019–present), Jon Tessler – bass guitar, percussion, tape loops (1982), This page was last edited on 22 January 2021, at 13:44. Her presence signified the addition of a new set of dynamics and textures to the more brutal soundscapes the band had previously put forth. He described these unreleased recordings as "fairly spectacular".[18]. Swans is a band from New York City, active from 1982 to 1997, reformed in 2010, founded & led by singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Michael Gira. Country of origin: Canada Location: London, Ontario Status: Active Formed in: 2016 Genre: Sludge/Doom Metal Lyrical themes: N/A Current label: War Crime Recordings Released on Uni/MCA Records, the record was produced by Bill Laswell and expanded the acoustic palette introduced on Greed and Children of God. Their early music was typified by slow and grinding guitar noise, and pounding drums, punctuated by Gira's morbid and violent lyrics (inspired by Jean Genet and Marquis de Sade), usually barked or shouted. The minimalist approach of the music, that was what really influenced me. The Burning World was the first Swans album to feature more conventional pop melodies. Swans are an American experimental rock band formed in 1982 by singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Michael Gira. That said, when called upon to do so, she was no less primal or forceful than Gira as a singer. The band is noted for its droning vocals and strange instrumentation. Find Swans bio, music, credits, awards, & streaming links on AllMusic - Influential American noise rock band with an… Live performances from Swans were another story. Joy Division, Killing Joke—Swans took the blueprint from these bands and just pushed it way, way further, more outside of the whole rock thing generally, and paved the way for me. Michael Gira has repeatedly stated he took the moniker Swans as it described the sound he wanted best. ... Swans (band) members‎ (14 P) S Swans (band) songs‎ (14 P) Pages in category "Swans (band)" The following 6 pages are in this category, out of 6 total. This list may not reflect recent changes . Swans / M. Gira; The Glowing Man Swans; Love of Life YOUNG GOD RECORDS; White Light from the Mouth of Infinity Swans; White Light. [50] The Guardian described it as "a cacophonous rhythmic throb which drew on post-punk, industrial, doom metal, NYC avant minimalism and the blues; a sound which was matched by Gira's often nihilistic, anti-natalist and existential lyrical concerns ... delivered in a stentorian and messianic manner. Explore releases from The Wild Swans at Discogs. Swans began to garner an audience in Europe. [29], The band announced on July 22, 2015 that they would be recording their fourteenth studio album in September 2015, following a fundraiser album entitled The Gate,[30] as with the three previous post-reunion studio albums. Produced by Gira, the album blended acoustic rock, blues and hypnotic guitar noise successfully, resulting in an album more complex than anything they had released in the past. Soundtracks for the Blind (1996) was a two-disc album featuring Jarboe-supplied field recordings, experimental music, dark ambient soundscapes, post-industrial epics, post rock suites and acoustic guitar. Swans ' first lineup consisted of Gira, guitarist Sue Hanel, and drummer Jonathan Kane. Both Gira and Jarboe sang lead vocals on different versions of the song. Swans are an American experimental rock band formed in 1982 by singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Michael Gira. Swans went on hiatus in 2018, but Gira briefly toured with Westberg along the West Coast of the United States, performing newly written material. [6] However, the minimal chord structures owe more to blues, while the jazz instrumentation and awkward time signatures are evidence of Swans' roots in the no wave scene of the late 1970s,[6] which had more or less collapsed by the release of 1984's Cop. Wild Beasts Explore the "Preposterous Grandiosity" of Modern Masculinity on 'Boy King', Advance Album Streams from the Black Keys, Down, Swans and More, My Father Will Guide Me Up a Rope to the Sky, We Rose from Your Bed with the Sun in Our Head. Swans is a band from New York City, active from 1982 to 1997, reformed in 2010, founded & led by singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Michael Gira. [6] The plodding tempos and distorted, detuned guitar work is reminiscent of such post-punk outfits as Joy Division. The songwriting style and musical approach, however, would take a more unusual turn the following year. [3] Gira's summation of the name follows along the lines of: "Swans are majestic, beautiful looking creatures. Further evidence of this new "accessibility" was heard on 1985's untitled EP, which featured the provocatively titled "Raping a Slave." The trio played with kindred spirits Sonic Youth and did some rudimentary recordings that showcased the abrasive, percussively assaultive sonics Swans were later identified with. [26][27], In 2014 the band announced that it signed with Mute Records for the world outside North America and that the band would be touring. . Swans then went on a series of U.S. and European tour dates,[23] and headlined the Supersonic Festival in Birmingham, England in October 2010. [1] This iteration of the group performed its last shows in November 2017, ending the tour in support of its final album The Glowing Man. Starting with the dirge-like industrial of 1986's Greed, the group's sound became more atmospheric, partially due to the addition of vocalist Jarboe, who gradually became a greater presence within the band. $19.90. Holy Money was also the first album by Swans to incorporate acoustic elements, in particular, the eight-minute dirge "Another You", which starts with a bluesy harmonica introduction. Swans' touring was relentless, and while anything even approaching popularity avoided them in the United States, their European audiences grew exponentially. I never saw any money from any of our records. + Love Of Life (Ltd. Ed. [46][47] According to Spin, the band demonstrates "unparalleled ability to translate the absurd violence of the human condition into music that’s as intoxicating as it is intense. "Saved," their first single for the label, was almost mainstream, given the band’s roots. It included Gira, Kane, guitarist Norman Westberg, bassist Harry Crosby, and percussionist/drummer Roli Mosimann. [6] The debut EP, Swans, released on Labor, is markedly different from anything they would do later. Swans were born during the heyday of New York's no wave reaction to punk rock, on the Lower East Side. The four members got Black Swan off the ground by exchanging ideas back and forth and then bringing all the songs together. The band has had multiple lineup changes over the years with the most consistent members being lead vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and frontman Michael Gira and Norman Westberg on guitar. [8] Some similarities worth noting—the music of early Swans was often based on a single riff, played repeatedly to hypnotic effect. After dissolving Swans, Gira formed Angels of Light, continued his work with Young God Records and Jarboe continued her solo work. Swans is on Facebook. One of few acts to emerge … Jarboe. Following The Gate, another limited double-CD of live recordings and demos, Swans released The Glowing Man, yet another ambitious double album, in 2016. A different lineup included Kane, guitarist Bob Pezzola, and Daniel Galli-Duani on saxophone; they released a self-titled EP in 1982. In between the two poles, there are pieces like "Sex, God, Sex" (heavy metal-like bass riffs with blues and gospel-inspired singing), "Blood and Honey" (a murder ballad with early post-rock tendencies) and "Blind Love" (a lengthy song, alternating between intoned vocals and violent instrumental passages). The band's personnel has been subject to regular turnover, with vocalist Simpson being the only constant member. He began a new recording project that focused on his songwriting called the Angels of Light, and continued running Young God, a label that became an innovative force in independent music. Both were recorded together in 1987, although Shame, Humility, Revenge was not released until 1988. [20] The band were chosen by Portishead to perform at the All Tomorrow's Parties I'll Be Your Mirror festivals that Portishead curated in July 2011 at London's Alexandra Palace, and, in September 2011, in Asbury Park, New Jersey. Swans were born during the heyday of New York's no wave reaction to punk rock, on the Lower East Side. [9] Filth was the first album to feature guitarist Norman Westberg, who would play a vital role in much of Swans' music and would feature on every subsequent studio album apart from Love of Life. The album was released on June 17, 2016 on Young God Records and Mute Records,[32] and is the final Swans album released under a mostly homogeneous lineup, although Gira continues to record Swans music with "a revolving cast" of musicians, as of 2019. [75], Post-breakup and re-formation (1997–present), Jarboe's first official recording with the band was on the, My Father Will Guide Me up a Rope to the Sky, All Tomorrow's Parties I'll Be Your Mirror, We Rose from Your Bed with the Sun in Our Head, "Justin Broadrick: Existing through risk", "Facebook: Coming Soon New Swans Album and Tour", "Coming Soon, New Swans Album and Tour(s)", "Swans – title of new swans live cd/dvd will be: NOT... | Facebook", "Swans announce plans for new album | Consequence of Sound", "Le Guess Who? A subsequent album, Shame, Humility, Revenge, with Gira on lead vocals, was also recorded at the same time, but released a year later. [4], Kane compares Swans to blues icon Chester Burnett, a.k.a. It was less successful than the previous two Skin albums. The almost baroque "In My Garden", for example, added an extra dimension with piano (used before on "Fool" and "Sealed in Skin" to far grimmer effect) and acoustic guitar. [28], In 2014 both The Seer and To Be Kind were ranked on Pitchfork Media's "Top 100 Albums of the Decade So Far 2010–2014." The intention was neither to mock nor embrace religion, but experiment with the power inherent in its messages and the hypocrisy of many of its leaders. [24] Initially released as a limited handmade edition of 1000 copies, We Rose... was re-released in May 2012 as a deluxe digipak. In 1993 Jarboe released her first solo project, Beautiful People Ltd., in collaboration with keyboardist Lary Seven, offering an entirely different side of her mysterious multi-octave vocal persona in Swans: it was a collection of neo-psychedelic pop songs. The original incarnation of The Wild Swans lasted until 1982, issuing one single. It was non-genre-specific, with a total lack of baggage... purely abstract, surreal, and violent. The band did a final tour before Gira announced in early 1997 that Swans were finished (a subsequent live album was titled Swans Are Dead). The album is not as brutal or noisy as their previous releases but is still an extremely ominous and dark record. [34], Following a nearly year-long break from Swans, Gira announced a brief tour of new Swans material playing along the West Coast of the United States, which started in September 2018 accompanied by longtime Swans guitarist Norman Westberg with recording of a new album commencing in Berlin in February 2019. Various forms of electronics were added to the other instruments, creating depth and dimension in the group's sound. ... Over 3 decades of creating music, over 30 members in total throughout Swans… Fantastically, Swans were offered -- and signed -- a contract with major-label MCA Records. The record didn't sell enough to please MCA, however, and the band was dropped. The first results of this shift in direction were the two records recorded by Gira and Jarboe under the names Skin (in Europe) and World of Skin (in the US). 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