The Milk of M. Gira (SWANS, The Angels of Light and related projects)

Detritus

Teenage Lightning
A few days ago, Michael Gira's Young God Records announced that Filth, the debut album from Swans, would be getting remastered and re-released on vinyl on October 28th. There was much rejoicing. Finally, this unrelenting blitzkrieg of sound would be widely available in LP form.


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Swans are notorious for their unpredictable and very loud live shows, and in July I was finally able to see them after years of waiting. They did not disappoint one bit. It was visceral and intense, and although they only played a six-song set, the show lasted for nearly three hours. It felt like it should have been longer.

Seeing them live prompted me to revisit the vast bulk of Gira's output over the years. Swans have had one of the most fascinating, impressive and dramatic evolutions of any band I've ever heard, and the music he's making with them now, in his 60s, is the most challenging and ambitious of his career. Their last few albums---The Seer in particular---are simply astonishing. To Be Kind, their new triple album which was released back in May, immediately made my AOTY shortlist. Pitchfork described it as "a mix of cinematic drone, pummeling post-rock, and bloody incantations" which is a fair, though reductive, description of the album, but the only way to really grasp the gravity of this two-hour monolith is to simply experience it for yourself.

If you're unfamiliar with Swans, this handy flow chart can help you decide where to start listening.

Gira has one other major project, The Angels of Light, which emerged while Swans were on a 13-year hiatus. Usually when I talk to people about Gira's work, they're very familiar with Swans but have never heard of Angels. It is basically a revolving door of musicians with Gira at the helm, recording largely folk, country, and Americana-influenced music. It shared few musical characteristics with Swans, while still retaining a lot of the same thematic preoccupations (death, violence, self-loathing, nebulous sexual identity, etc.). New Mother and We Are Him are my two favorite albums from this period of Gira's career, and what I'd recommend to listen to for the uninitiated.

Any other Swans fans here?
 
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Swans fan here. Thanks for the info.

I have much of Gira's work. It's very good. I enjoyed the Swans, especially with Jarboe. Her voice, I thought really went well with with the Swans. The Seer and To be Kind....I've really enjoyed. I believe Gira was very much influenced by Lou Reed and even Iggy Pop and you can hear it especially on the Great Annihilator. I feel that Reed was actually influenced a bit by Gira on his album with Metallica..."Lulu"...underrated in my opinion.

Anyway best to you....from a fellow Swans fan.
 
agree with pretty much all of the above. i loved the seer and thanks for the heads up
 
Swans fan here. Thanks for the info.

I have much of Gira's work. It's very good. I enjoyed the Swans, especially with Jarboe. Her voice, I thought really went well with with the Swans. The Seer and To be Kind....I've really enjoyed. I believe Gira was very much influenced by Lou Reed and even Iggy Pop and you can hear it especially on the Great Annihilator. I feel that Reed was actually influenced a bit by Gira on his album with Metallica..."Lulu"...underrated in my opinion.

If you like Jarboe, you should check out her side-project with Gira called World of Skin if you haven't heard it already. Their first release (Blood, Women, Roses) features her on vocals exclusively. And it's funny that you mention Gira's Iggy Pop influence, because he covers "I Wanna Be Your Dog" on the follow-up, Shame, Humility, Revenge.
 
If you like Jarboe, you should check out her side-project with Gira called World of Skin if you haven't heard it already. Their first release (Blood, Women, Roses) features her on vocals exclusively. And it's funny that you mention Gira's Iggy Pop influence, because he covers "I Wanna Be Your Dog" on the follow-up, Shame, Humility, Revenge.

I will, thanks. BTW did you do that flow chart? It's great.
 
I did not do that flow chart. I'm not sure where it's from. A friend posted a link to it on my Facebook page a while back.
 
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