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vorbis vorbilby
Apr 9, 2001

d-beat dad
My favorite part of the new Swans album is when I laugh out loud at a 60 year old man yelling TOO SAWN LOU VEE TOURRR. There are also horse sounds. Who knew they'd break into the comedy game this far into their career.

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Uncle Boogeyman
Jul 22, 2007

cf posted:

My favorite part of the new Swans album is when I laugh out loud at a 60 year old man yelling TOO SAWN LOU VEE TOURRR. There are also horse sounds. Who knew they'd break into the comedy game this far into their career.

the part where he squeals out "I'M JUST A LITTLE BOY" made me lol irl. good album.

Carly Gay Dead Son
Aug 27, 2007

Bonus.
"I'M JUST A LITTLE BOY" is hilarious/terrifying. The horse just makes me anxious and sad.

vorbis vorbilby
Apr 9, 2001

d-beat dad
Michael "Fourvel" Gira over here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJsFGWIA6to&feature=youtu.be&t=31s

God Of Paradise
Jan 23, 2012
You know, I'd be less worried about my 16 year old daughter dating a successful 40 year old cartoonist than dating a 16 year old loser.

I mean, Jesus, kid, at least date a motherfucker with abortion money and house to have sex at where your mother and I don't have to hear it. Also, if he treats her poorly, boom, that asshole's gonna catch a statch charge.

Please, John K. Date my daughter... Save her from dating smelly dropouts who wanna-be Soundcloud rappers.

Cymbal Monkey posted:

That surprises me, I thought The Burning World was widely agreed to be atrocious. I quite like My Father.

The good songs on it are amazing. Saved, God drat The Sun and I Remember Who You Are.

It's not my favorite or anything. Maybe I have bad taste. I like studio reverb and overly dramatic 80's goth music.

My only beef with My Father is it sounds like an Angels of Light record, and "The AOL Sing Other People," blew it out of the water imo.

God Of Paradise fucked around with this message at 23:32 on Dec 6, 2014

Stravinsky
May 31, 2011

God Of Paradise posted:

Pick up this year's record. It's the number one most critically acclaimed album released in 2014 according to sites that aggregate reviews.

Nothing is more exciting to me than to know something is critically acclaimed by metacritic

El Miguel
Oct 30, 2003
Despite that, it's actually good.

Akarshi
Apr 23, 2011

Last month I posted here about starting my journey into Swans. Yesterday I bought a ticket to see them live. Really loving excited though I have absolutely no idea what to expect, other than earplugs.

Pontificating Ass
Aug 2, 2002

What Doth Life?
When I went to a show last round, I didn't know what song was happening and then Oxygen came on and I got a little excited, but he didn't do it loud, and instead did a quiet version and I was a little upset but now I have this little voice in my head that I can't get rid of and it's Michael Gira whispering "the oxygeeennnnnnn"


Pontificating Ass fucked around with this message at 03:30 on Jan 25, 2015

Brodeurs Nanny
Nov 2, 2006

Swans is working on new music. Here are two innnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnncredible epic new songs, great live quality.

"Black Hole Man"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYdehdHKr7o

"Frankie M"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JqDcNf3qFc

The ending to Black Hole Man is so nuts when Gira starts yelling I AM A BLACK HOLE MAN I AM

Brodeurs Nanny fucked around with this message at 02:19 on Mar 26, 2015

Rageaholic
May 31, 2005

Old Town Road to EGOT

Brodeurs Nanny posted:

Swans is working on new music. Here are two innnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnncredible epic new songs, great live quality.

"Black Hole Man"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYdehdHKr7o

"Frankie M"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JqDcNf3qFc

The ending to Black Hole Man is so nuts when Gira starts yelling I AM A BLACK HOLE MAN I AM

So excited to see them live next week :circlefap:

Cymbal Monkey
Apr 16, 2009

Lift Your Little Paws Like Antennas to Heaven!
They played Black Hole Man when I saw them in London, it's loving nuts. The next album is going to be at least as insane as The Seer and To Be Kind.

Franz von Dada
Feb 10, 2014

A Boy and His Parasite

Cymbal Monkey posted:

They played Black Hole Man when I saw them in London, it's loving nuts. The next album is going to be at least as insane as The Seer and To Be Kind.

and the trilogy will be perfect

Cymbal Monkey
Apr 16, 2009

Lift Your Little Paws Like Antennas to Heaven!

Franz von Dada posted:

and the trilogy will be perfect

Trilogy implies Gira won't keep making albums like this forever. Don't say that.

sharktamer
Oct 30, 2011

Shark tamer ridiculous

Cymbal Monkey posted:

They played Black Hole Man when I saw them in London, it's loving nuts. The next album is going to be at least as insane as The Seer and To Be Kind.

When the hell was that? Last time I'm aware of them playing here was at Brighton. They probably played both songs, but I was so enthralled and crushed by noise that I didn't even realise.

Cymbal Monkey
Apr 16, 2009

Lift Your Little Paws Like Antennas to Heaven!
Pretty sure they ended on it.

Khagan
Aug 8, 2012

Words cannot describe just how terrible Vietnamese are.
Is Black Hole Man really 30 minutes? If so, I don't think I can make it through an entire listen of this new album since I barely made it out of TBK.

It will be totally worth it though.

Decades
Apr 12, 2007

College Slice
Combined with Bring the Sun I think. It was rad.

Although, this was also the Swans show (third in as many years) where I started to realize that the rhythm section and Thor are doing about 90 percent of the work, with a whole lot of apparent overlap in the guitars/lap steel. Westberg seems like more of a grizzled old mascot than anything else.

Haven't been following them that long so not sure if that's new, and I don't necessarily mean it as a criticism in any case. Basically the previous times I've seen them it was with some distance and they felt like an otherworldly monolith of sound. This time I was close with a good viewing angle and I feel like I've peeked behind the curtain a bit and realized they're just a band.

Decades fucked around with this message at 19:24 on Mar 30, 2015

Rageaholic
May 31, 2005

Old Town Road to EGOT

So I saw them tonight and it was loving insane. They played for 2 hours and 15 minutes. Their first song was 37 minutes long. I was right by the stage, and when they closed with Bring The Sun/Black Hole Man, I felt like I was standing right by a jet engine spinning up. My teeth were rattling at one point. So goddamn good.

Though I told my girlfriend afterwards (who didn't come with me because she can't handle Swans) that the show was like an endurance test. The show was sold out, so there was obviously a ton of interest in it, but people were leaving throughout the entire show. I guess they couldn't handle it either. By the end of the show, it seemed like only half the crowd was left. But goddamn, Bring The Sun/Black Hole Man was quite possibly the best part of the show. I didn't think there were any bad parts and I was entertained all the way through, but when that song kicked in, Jeeeeeeeeeeeeesus Christ, you could really feel the energy.

ICHIBAHN
Feb 21, 2007

by Cyrano4747
So Swans are of interest to me right now. I'm doing my own little sojourn through their work. I'll be seeing them in about nine weeks, at primavera in Barcelona. I'm curious to see how they'll translate in an open air festival environment. I've seen them before in an extremely uncomfortable, packed venue. It was horrendous, by design probably. 

I've been listening to one album a week, until the gig, ending with their most recent work. At the moment, I'm at The Burning World and thoroughly enjoying it, despite the band's own opinion on it. Children of God is remarkable, i really enjoyed the introduction of melody and relief, from the stark, brutal restlessness of the first few albums. Those albums are difficult for me. I fear and respect them but doubt I'll listen to them too much. 

I love the great annihilator. It's one of my favorite records, so I'm anticipating diving into that. Spurned on by the recent posts in here, i listened to Oxygen and Bring The Sun / Toussant l'ouverture. Wow. 

Anyway, thoughts etc. 

Whodat Smith-Jones
Apr 16, 2007

My name is Buck, and I'm here to fuck

Rageaholic Monkey posted:

Though I told my girlfriend afterwards (who didn't come with me because she can't handle Swans) that the show was like an endurance test. The show was sold out, so there was obviously a ton of interest in it, but people were leaving throughout the entire show. I guess they couldn't handle it either. By the end of the show, it seemed like only half the crowd was left. But goddamn, Bring The Sun/Black Hole Man was quite possibly the best part of the show. I didn't think there were any bad parts and I was entertained all the way through, but when that song kicked in, Jeeeeeeeeeeeeesus Christ, you could really feel the energy.

I saw them in Chapel Hill last week and noticed a lot of people leaving throughout the show. The crowd had thinned out a lot by the end of it. My friend and I started out pretty close to the stage but made our way towards the back after a few songs. This isn't even worth repeating because so many other people have said it, and the band's live shows are known for being incredibly loud, but god drat was it loud...

ICHIBAHN
Feb 21, 2007

by Cyrano4747
IN -
I can understand why people can be so devoted to this band. I got it yesterday, on the train. It's the depth of their work, as well as the depth in catalogue.

I'm listening to an album of theirs a week, until the end of May when I'll see them (as I stated above), and I'm just coming from The Burning World into White Light. The first few albums are a loving DRAIN. They imprint themselves on your psyche. It's daunting and taunting. The work doesn't relent until some light is allowed in around Children of God, then there's the ridiculous release of melody within The Burning World. I understand why people, even Girl "abhor" this album, it's such a seismic shift, but I think it's brilliant. It's probably coloured by my desire for some clear skies, some release from Raping A Slave and the like.

I was thinking about that album, how it's an odd capper for the first era of the band, the end of the punishment. The balm. I thought then of some of the new stuff, as, through this thread, I skipped forward to Bring The Sun. The size of that song whet my appetite for what lays within those albums. I remember feeling loving giddy, thinking I have so much to get into. I think it's that sense of "there's so much more here", which inspires such devotion from fans. It gets to me. I almost can't wait to get to the thick end of the wedge, but I'll wait.

I'm most familiar with The Great Annihilator, so I'm anticipating that. For now though, I'm easing into the deep, dark, though melodic period starting with White Light. I don't know where it ends, nor where the third strata begins. My Father WIll Guide Me I guess?

Anyway, I just wanted to use this area to speak a little about my thoughts regarding the band and their stock. -OUT

ICHIBAHN
Feb 21, 2007

by Cyrano4747
Beyond that, are there any good biographies of the band / band members out there?

vorbis vorbilby
Apr 9, 2001

d-beat dad
I think Norman Westberg gets his dick out and Lydia Lunch touches it or something (not sure, I covered my eyes) in a Richard Kern flick.

ICHIBAHN
Feb 21, 2007

by Cyrano4747
checking in to say White Light from the Mouth of Infinity is incredible

Carly Gay Dead Son
Aug 27, 2007

Bonus.

ICHIBAHN posted:

checking in to say White Light from the Mouth of Infinity is incredible

Yep. Might be my all-time favorite of theirs.

ICHIBAHN
Feb 21, 2007

by Cyrano4747
i can see why. this period (white light-annihilator) really is the sweet spot. really looking forward to getting to the dark, dense later albums.

this week, love of life.

El Miguel
Oct 30, 2003

ICHIBAHN posted:

i can see why. this period (white light-annihilator) really is the sweet spot. really looking forward to getting to the dark, dense later albums.

this week, love of life.


If at all possible, track down the single too. And I agree...

ICHIBAHN
Feb 21, 2007

by Cyrano4747
which single? love of life? thats on the album no?

sharktamer
Oct 30, 2011

Shark tamer ridiculous
Love of life is one of my favourites. I never really hear it get much praise.

program666
Aug 22, 2013

A giant carnivorous dinosaur

ICHIBAHN posted:

i can see why. this period (white light-annihilator) really is the sweet spot. really looking forward to getting to the dark, dense later albums.

this week, love of life.

If you like the more normal stuff maybe you'll like Angels of Light. Sing other people is one of my favorite albums of all time.

ICHIBAHN
Feb 21, 2007

by Cyrano4747

program666 posted:

If you like the more normal stuff maybe you'll like Angels of Light. Sing other people is one of my favorite albums of all time.

looking forward to listening to them yeah

El Miguel
Oct 30, 2003

sharktamer posted:

Love of life is one of my favourites. I never really hear it get much praise.

I think that it is their pre-resurrection highlight, actually. It's also the song the got me into the band.

Nanomashoes
Aug 18, 2012

Every song on White Light is boring as gently caress and uses too much reverb except failure.

Uncle Boogeyman
Jul 22, 2007

Love Will Save You is real good even though it kinda just feels like Gira trying to do a Nick Cave impression

Nanomashoes
Aug 18, 2012

im permabanned poster moneystomper58. i first started making music when i was about 12. by 14 i got really obsessed with the concept of "no-wave" and tried to channel it constantly, until my thought process got really bizarre and i would repeat things like "I see it all" and "Someone less privileged than you should rape you" in my head for hours, and i would get really paranoid, start seeing things in the corners of my eyes etc, basically prodromal schizophrenia. im now on antipsychotics. i always wondered what the kind of "no-wave" style of NY music was all about; i think it's the unconscious leaking in to the conscious, what jungian theory considered to be the cause of schizophrenic and schizotypal syptoms. i would advise all people who "get" no-wave to be careful because that likely means you have a predisposition to a mental illness. peace.

God Of Paradise
Jan 23, 2012
You know, I'd be less worried about my 16 year old daughter dating a successful 40 year old cartoonist than dating a 16 year old loser.

I mean, Jesus, kid, at least date a motherfucker with abortion money and house to have sex at where your mother and I don't have to hear it. Also, if he treats her poorly, boom, that asshole's gonna catch a statch charge.

Please, John K. Date my daughter... Save her from dating smelly dropouts who wanna-be Soundcloud rappers.

sharktamer posted:

Love of life is one of my favourites. I never really hear it get much praise.

I'm really fond of it too.

Love the transition tracks that use old tape recordings.

ICHIBAHN
Feb 21, 2007

by Cyrano4747
here's a question: does Swans play exclusively new & recent stuff live? seems that way judging by their setlists.  

flirty dental hygienist
Jul 24, 2007

All aboard the knuckle train to FIST PLANET!!

ICHIBAHN posted:

here's a question: does Swans play exclusively new & recent stuff live? seems that way judging by their setlists.  

Yes, they play stuff from the current album. I think he said something about not being a greatest hits band or something.

Michael Gira posted:

Gira gave up any notion of playing a greatest-hits set long ago. "At the beginning of this iteration of Swans, we did a couple of older things and tried to recontextualise them," he says. "We certainly didn't try to play them how they used to be. But after a while, even that started to feel a little cheesy, and so we dropped them. Now we don't really do anything from the past."

And if fans turn out, hoping for old material? "The shows are compelling enough for that not to be an issue."

flirty dental hygienist fucked around with this message at 23:26 on Apr 30, 2015

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Cymbal Monkey
Apr 16, 2009

Lift Your Little Paws Like Antennas to Heaven!
Very occasionally they'll reach back and play A Screw or something (The Seer started as an extended intro to A Screw), but they normally play current and new material.

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