SWANS: Is there animosity between Michael Gira and Jarboe ???

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And how is the new Gira band.... Angels Of Light? I've checked out his website but there aren't sound files.

― Todd, Thursday, 21 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Animosity -- not unless I missed something. They just wanted to retire Swans and explore other things -- last I checked they're still a couple.

Angels of Light is quite excellent, based on the two albums so far. A live release has been planned, but most of the tapes they were going to use turned out to be messy, so they're looking into alternate sources.

― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 21 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Jarboe can be heard weeping bitter tears on the Body Lovers album, which I quite like.

― Colin Meeder, Thursday, 21 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Angels of Light are just as quality as the Swans, it's really creepy how old that man is getting and yet how much cred he retains. I only have the first Angels of Light, "New Mother," and the songs are very careful and poised, very well-written. Unsurprisingly, though, they're incredibly gloomy ... I never feel good after listening to them. You can download "Praise Your Name" at epitonic.com, I think. The background chanting in the chorus might seem pretentious at first, but it once it sets in there's a creepy attraction ..

― Dare, Thursday, 21 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

ten months pass...

The new Angels of Light (Everything is Good Here/Please Come Home) is incredible.

― dleone (dleone), Wednesday, 15 January 2003 13:34 (twenty-three years ago)

Didn't Jarboe get in some car accident? I seem to remember some benefit shows (spearheaded by Gira) to help cover her medical costs.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 15 January 2003 14:01 (twenty-three years ago)

Gira is a frightening man. He always hangs out at this frat-type bar in my old Brooklyn neighborhood reading the NY Times, wearing a suit and a fedora. I spoke to him on several occassions there, and he was extremely nice (through friends, he strangely knew who I was), but intimidating. What I would imagine Truman Capote would be like if he were crossed with, say, Clint Eastwood or some other alpha male.

Anyway, did that Angels of Light record just come out? Same world/folk sound?

― Yanc3y (ystrickler), Wednesday, 15 January 2003 15:45 (twenty-three years ago)

Advances have been sent out, it doesn't come out until February I think. It's their best one yet to my ears: it was financed entirely by sales of the live Angels of Light album and the feeling I get from it is the Gira was mindful of if not driven by the desire to give the people what they wanted, i.e., pretty intense Gira. It's much more rhythmic than the previous two Angels of Light albums and the songs lean more toward droney stuff, not surprising given that Gira has been releasing stuff by Charlemagne Palestine and David Coulter on his label. Yes: same worly-y/pseudo-folky sound but again louder and more interested in repetition (not that the last two didn't continue Gira's career-long fascination with repetition). This one is his best work since "The Great Annihilator," to my ears. (Or maybe since "Soundtracks for the Blind," not sure, it's been a while since I listened to that one.)

― J0hn Darn13ll3 (J0hn Darn13ll3), Wednesday, 15 January 2003 16:10 (twenty-three years ago)

Wow, thanks John. I'll email Gira. Sounds very good.

― Yanc3y (ystrickler), Wednesday, 15 January 2003 16:12 (twenty-three years ago)

This all sounds good to me, I have to say. :-) His recent solo live album is also quite wonderful.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 15 January 2003 16:13 (twenty-three years ago)

"What I would imagine Truman Capote would be like if he were crossed with, say, Clint Eastwood"

Insert acronym for laughing out loud on the floor etc here.
I usually hate the critic formula x thing plus y thing but this makes it all work while. You captured MG *exactly*.

― Paula G., Wednesday, 15 January 2003 16:18 (twenty-three years ago)

His last Chicago show included the wince-inducing words "My hand is raw hamburger!" after he sliced himself on a stray guitar string.

― Amateurist (amateurist), Wednesday, 15 January 2003 16:22 (twenty-three years ago)

He makes rather too much of the fact that he plays without a pick, I must say. I mean, some of us have been playing acoustic guitar without a pick for years, strumming just as violently as you please, but you don't have to read about how we made our hands bleed in our press kits or hear about it from the stage...you just have to read about it on message boards :-)

― J0hn Darn13ll3 (J0hn Darn13ll3), Wednesday, 15 January 2003 16:49 (twenty-three years ago)

"My hand is raw hamburger!"

Mike is misinterpreted (as usual). Here he is actually revealing the secret identity of "America's Comic".

― Paula G., Wednesday, 15 January 2003 16:58 (twenty-three years ago)

"America's Funnyman", I mean. I'm dying out here.

― Paula G., Wednesday, 15 January 2003 17:11 (twenty-three years ago)

Zipper lips, zipper shits...

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 15 January 2003 17:30 (twenty-three years ago)

they havent been a couple for quite some time now.

― chaki (chaki), Wednesday, 15 January 2003 21:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I guess this is probably answered above, but what's the recent Michael Gira stuff like? He's playing with Devendra Banhart here, and I wanted to give a listen to some of it before I go.

― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Wednesday, 15 January 2003 22:24 (twenty-three years ago)

The animosity between the two stems from two basic arguments:
1. Which one of theSE talentless fools blows more ass and
2. Which one of these ass suckers has the least talent.

LIVE SKULL LIVES! Marnie Greenholtz has great hands, baby.

― Ceti Tau Prime, Thursday, 16 January 2003 02:37 (twenty-three years ago)

You seem bitter.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 16 January 2003 03:30 (twenty-three years ago)

Bitter and just plain wrong.

― matt riedl (veal), Thursday, 16 January 2003 19:19 (twenty-three years ago)

thirteen years pass...

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CcGX62VUMAM5FYJ.jpg:small

larkin grimm's facebook

― mookieproof, Friday, 26 February 2016 00:44 (nine years ago)

that whole post and her comments on it ring very true to me

this is probably the best thread of the three that just got bumped, but w/e we'll see what happens

― the 'major tom guy' (sleeve), Friday, 26 February 2016 01:15 (nine years ago)

https://t.co/iO2IF5x1ZX

― the 'major tom guy' (sleeve), Friday, 26 February 2016 01:16 (nine years ago)

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