Thanks for the heads up! I use soulseek :)

Re: Favorite Bands?
 

O.K., my personal line-up:

Technically, I like anything that is either actually musical or interesting. Therefore I nominate the below bands.

The Decemberists are very flexible, and simply so entertaining. "Odalisque" is a dark indie-rock gem. The cynicism in "Los Angeles, I'm Yours" is irresistable. And "On the Bus Mall" is somber wet flourishing. And lest we forget the "Mariner's Revenge Song"! To perform this live you would have to be a compleat drama geek, but the studio version is, in a way, spine-tingling. But even greater as a whole are their albums Casaways and Cutouts is absolutely magnificent, and Picaresque is solid gold. Even Her Majesty, their least coherent album, has songs with great single potential, such as the solemn, soft-spoken, bleak "The Bachelor and the Bride". Then there are the EPs: The Tain is based of of an Irish myth cycle, and at 18 minutes long it's their longest song...cycle? And it's i still catchy. And 5 Songs, wonderfully, has six. Poppier, and yet it does give you a perspective on their later work.

Swans are perhaps the most evil-sounding band inrecorded history that actually sounds good. Their first EP was like Joy Division, Current 93, Coil, and some unheard-of experimental jazz band playing in hell. Imagine it. Their first LP, Filth, however, nearly borders on the unlistenable, but pulls through. Their next few releases were almost farcical, yet utterly terrifying.Cop is pure, vicious noise. The Young God EP is no doubt their nastiest; Listen to their live 1984 version of "Raping a Slave" in Berlin on Body to Body, Job to Job. It's loud as a tidalwave breaking, but hypnotic, mesmerising. So is the truly monstrous A Screw 12'' and "Time is Money (Bastard)", which is pure abuse set to a disco beat. Then Jarboe came along. Now the ugly duckling is a marvelous swan, but with even sharper fangs. After Jarboe's arrival, Gira's sound became mellower, but still was terrifying. So was her's. Case in example that the song "Killing for Company" from 1996's The Great Annihilator is just as strong as their earliest work. Just listen. For starters, the aforementioned The Great Annihilator, Various Failures, and Children of God. Advance in this order: Soundtracks for the Blind, Swans are Dead, Feel Good Now, Greed/Holy Money, Public Castration is a Good Idea, and Cop/Young God or Filth/Body to Body, Job to Job.

[More to come...]

Do any of you guys listen to Univers Zero? It strikes me as something people here would be into....

I definitely agree on Swans. Very accurate description

Re: Favorite Bands?
 

Hey, here's where I belong...

Swans are one of my Top 5 artists ever in any medium, in terms of sheer importance at the very least. They went where I've heard no one go before in music, certainly. Maynard James Keenan, of Tool, boweth down unto Swans... And do you know: They never made a record that actually depressed me (whereas a couple of King Crimson's songs do, because of the chords or something). Swans are savagery and onward to a haunting "beauty" and depth unmatched. Michael Gira's intuitive psychological insight is simple and staggering. His was a real catharsis, it's so easy to tell. (He's fairly sane at this moment.) Jarboe is the darkest female presence in music as well. But flexible and human and smart.

The other 5% of Swans' lyrics were more or less political/social. It's amazing when you read the lyrics along with the music, though they're hearable without reading. It comes across as the starkest poetry(?) -- or actually just something that someone needed to say. What the hell else still needs to be said anymore? And in such a powerful way, with a lot of care what went into the actual art of their music. That's why they're in my Top 5, right along with, well...Samuel Beckett. Or Ligotti.

Yes, I have all Univers Zero. Art Zoyd were better in terms of being a consistently viable entity for a longer period, not getting stuck.

The darkest intentionally "evil" music out there is Shub-Niggurath. Expert stuff, and it can actually scare (I mean, we know the French can't rock & roll). Gira's post-Swans experiments were truly harrowing. He and Jarboe are still going, though separately. Read my Amazon reviews on all this if you want... I'm trying to get into Gyorgy Ligeti of late.

There's a Dutch band called Blast that's the most complex avant-progressive rock I've ever heard. Overall, the Americans have caught up so well, though: to wit, Thinking Plague, 5uu's, and Motor Totemist Guild.

I'm all over the place musically, and also go in for the extreme other half of my self, the light as opposed to the dark. Standouts are Deuter, Jon & Vangelis, Daevid Allen, etc.

Re: Favorite Bands?
 

True. "Killing for Company" is the perfect image of shear loneliness. "(She's a) Universal Emptiness" is the epitome of a good folk-rock song. Even the abraisive Young God EP has its moments of catharsis. On the soul-eating "Raping a Slave", Gira's practically sobbing in self-loathing. It's marvelous.

"Eat it out..."
TN-S-SO

Re: Favorite Bands?
 

I'd have to recommend Devil Doll as having a very Ligotti-ish sort of atmosphere. From artwork, to lyrics, to instrumentation this band is the epitome of music inspired by several forms of horror, from the psychological to the supernatural.

BTW, so many of you have very good taste in music!

Re: Favorite Bands?
 

Devil Doll, eh? I wish I had something else by them other than Sacreligium, which I find derivative and almost clownish in its over-the-top attempt to appeal to horror fans. Maybe it's the foreign thing, I don't know. Other bands from overseas I love to death.

Devil Doll are definitely over the top, but that is one of the reasons I like them. I'm all for ostentation in music (in all forms of art, really...)

Re: Favorite Bands?
 

Has anyone heard of the band "Bohren and the Club of Gore"? Fantastic stuff. Most of their work sounds like it could easily be the soundtrack to a David Lynch film. All instrumental. It's very slow and dark like a dream that has subtly warped and shifted into a nightmare without one realizing it. The albums range from dark-ambient to what I can only call "jazz-noir". I highly recommend it. Here's a link to the band's site...

http://www.bohrenundderclubofgore.de/html/index.html

tool, death in june, c93, andrew king (who's done a lot of work with andrew liles, incidentally), novy svet, sol invictus, the watersons, levoi pravoi, a challenge of honour. 16 horsepower.

and so forth.

Re: Favorite Bands?
 

Albums listened to most often in recent times:

Leonard Cohen - Songs of Love and Hate

Six Organs of Admittance - Dark Noontide

Philip Glass - Glassworks

Re: Favorite Bands?
 

Hey New Nonsense, thanks for the lead on Bohren & the Club. I just read more reviews and ordered Black Earth. Since I'm trying to quit spending on CDs, I'll have to avoid this topic as a discipline. I don't think I'm long for this world actually, so will take two years to listen to my 2,500 albums and no more. Thanks again, though.

Re: Favorite Bands?
 

Ildjarn is a Norwegian solo project, associated with the Black Metal scene of the early 90s but I hesitate to call it Black Metal. As noisy and violent as it is I find Ildjarn albums as hynotising as Burzum's 'Hvis Lyset Tar Oss,' and 'Filosofem.' Ildjarn himself reminds me of an Idiot Savant version of several of Ligotti's characters.

Also the new Coil album, 'The Ape of Naples' is the most haunting piece of music I've heard in ages and ages.

Tactile's 'Bipolar Explorer' is one of my favorite albums of this year, following Coil, and Justin Broadrick's Jesu is nothing short of stunning. Think Soundtracks for the Blind-era Swans meets My Bloody Valentine, but with more depth than any comparison i could compose.

I don't know...I like Burzum a lot more than Ildjarn, even though there are countless Burzum clones (almost as many Darkthrone clones)

Devil Doll are okay...Bohren and the Club of Gore I recently checked out and really liked them. You should check out Lustmord and Gruntsplatter

Re: Favorite Bands?
 

Burzum is my favorite Black Metal composer, Ildjarn is my second fave. As much as I appreciate Ildjarn, I can understand why someone would not... But I will never deny how deeply and profoundly many of his albums have affected me. (BTW: If you've got any Ildjarn CDs you want to get rid of, please contact me via skinbeak@hotmail.com)

As for Lustmord and Gruntsplatter: Now you're talking! Have you heard New Risen Throne? How about Post Scriptvm, Angel of Decay, Hollow Earth??? Highest reccomendations for each...

P.

I don't have any Ildjarn, but I can, if you'd like, obtain some cds and send them to you (granted they will be burned copies)

The only Lustmord release I have is "The Place Where the Black Stars Hang". As for Gruntsplatter I have the Eulogist's Assembly, The Death Fires, and The Passions of a Cripple...but I am slowly diving deeper into both of their musical careers. If you like Gruntsplatter, I highly recommend Nothing. Scott Candey of Gruntsplatter and Jason of Nothing are both good friends and often collaborate on each others' projects

Re: Favorite Bands?
 

I'll thow in my hat...

Can
GYBE
Swans
M.Gira (spoken word CD - if you want to test your mettle)
Faust
Nick Drake
David Grisman
Bill Monroe
Sam Bush
Grateful Dead
Phish (what can I say? once a hippie always a hippie)
Disco Biscuits
Late Coltrane
Late Miles Davis
Bela Bartok
Shostakovich

Re: Favorite Bands?
 

1. What fun. G-SYBE! are great and truly weird.
2. Read The Consumer. Freaky. "My Birth" is a trip.
3. Very nice!

Re: Favorite Bands?
 

Damn - I need to track that down. The last time I looked for it I couldn't even find a used copy. Amazon.com has a lot more used books now than it used to. I'll give it a try. Thanks Silent.

Re: Favorite Bands?
 

Well, what I never thought I'd do, I've done: made a 1CD sampler of my favorite Current Ninety-Three tracks (yes, I like the hyphen). Fifteen in all, among them my very favorite among the 12-14 albvums I own -- "Imperium V" (live version at end of Hitler As Kalki). Such ecstatic soberness in that vocal by Tibet. You know, the Book of Ecclesiastes is now, I realize, my favorite book in the Bible. I'll put that in my Basket of Tolerance, along with the Gospel of John.

Re: Favorite Bands?
 

Come on, good man, let us see the entire list! I would have trouble narrowing down such a list.

Ummm...gonna be difficult. I didn't list them. Let's see, there were two from his already comps of Emblems and Calling-- . "Coal Black Smith" is there, again; "Broken Birds-- "; from Thunder PM there's the title about "Rain," duet w/ the female and one other; the Cave vocal of "Horses"; "Bobby Sunshine" from Nodding God; Ah!-- the Stapleton collab on "Dead Moon"... I skipped Halo and Islands, I know that... Basically one or two from each that I have, and usually the more melodic ones. For example, I didn't place "Blood Bow/Piss Bow, etc." which clocks in at 17 min or so... Sorry. I got Bloodstreamsrun." Heavy on the violin-backed tunes.

Just got Heresie. I'm going to listen to it ASAP. Supposed to be a marvelous album.

Also, has anyone mentioned Pere Ubu? In particular, say, the first few singles? "Heart of Darkness" is one of my favourite rock songs.

Not Available referenced Can earlier, so I thought I might suggest Tago Mago to the throngs. Faust, too, especially their rather bizarre debut. Both are a clear influence on industrial music.

Yet another band I'm starting to get into is the Soft Machine, specifically before Wyatt left. I have a live recording of "Facelift" which may just be one of the nuttiest things confined to tape. Ambient, free jazz, psychedelia...

I think this might be a good time to say I consider Piper at the Gates of Dawn one of my guilty pleasures.

Re: Favorite Bands?
 

Heresie is very nice. What's kinda' funny is how it doesn't, for me, live up to its rep as the scariest album ever made. Not at all. Just great somber talented music. If I want scare I go to Shub-Niggurath or M. Gira.

Don't like Pere Ubu, at least it seems not in this lifetime.

Can is good, Faust I enjoy even more. Ege Bamyasi ans Soundtracks favorites by Can. Faust IV... I have a really strange on called Cosmic Jokers, a band starring Klaus Schulze, early tripped-out experiment KS didn't even want released...

I'll tell ya, TL made some scary #### with that The Unholy City disc. Especially "You Do Not Own Your Head."

Re: Favorite Bands?
 

I agree with the first comment, at least on the track "Jack the Ripper". Eerie, yes, and extremely cool, but not quite as out-and-out disturbing as, say, Coil's "Ether". Then again, I haven't heard the other two songs yet. "La Faulx" seems promising...

I think the appeal of early Pere Ubu is not in Thomas' voice, which is, from a technical perspective ("30 Seconds Over Tokyo" non-withstanding) pretty grating. But the composition and lyrics of these early tracks are fantastic.

Soundtracks is a fine album, but Tago Mago was more innovative. Plus, the first half is absolute genius.

Tom has shown himself to be a proficient musician as well as a brilliant writer. The backing on the track you mentioned is perfect, as is the wonderful "Nobody is Anybody".

Re: Favorite Bands?
 

GSC assures me that Pere Ubu is a band I would really like. He seems to recall that "Sentimental Journey," from the 1978 release The Modern Dance, is the song which features breaking glass (probably bottles) as a musical instrument. I desperately need to hear that. As well as his other Pere Ubu albums on vinyl, Dub Housing (1979), and Song of the Bailing Man (1981). He also has one or two Pere Ubu releases on tape which are buried in boxes amid this mess. The clutter, the clutter. Get off your ass, GSC, and get a turntable or two repaired. I want to listen to "Transmaniacon MC" by BOC really loud!

Re: Favorite Bands?
 

I hadn't thought of Pere Ubu in a long time - I used to love that band when I was in college; 390[sup:6dcb14d499]0[/sup:6dcb14d499] of Simulated Stereo was quite an eye-opener to my once young and innocent self.

I think they still tour and record irregularly these days, but I haven't heard any of the recordings since Song of the Bailing Man, which came out in 1982 or thereabouts. Has anyone heard any of their newer material?

Re: Favorite Bands?
 

I've got all their new material, and it's pretty much all good.

Recommendations: 'Raygun Suitcase' and 'Why I Hate Women.'

Re: Favorite Bands?
 

Just listened to all four Birthday Party remasters. To me they are an incredible band, a raw mix of everything good about no-holds-barred music.

Did I mention before somewhere how insane Nick Cave is in this band?

Have I mentioned how damned freakin' good The Birthday Party are?

Have you heard how much I like them?

Are they better than Swans? hahahahahahahahaha......

But %$#%^)$(^_&( are they GOOD!!

Re: Favorite Bands?
 

Birthday Party shall likely remain one of my all-time favorite bands. I also enjoy Nick's solo efforts immensely, though for me it is of quite a different mood. Lastly, I hold a special fondness for Crime and the City Solution. Simon Bonney's vocals are some of the most expressive to be heard.

Resurrection of the Sine
 

I am a huge enthusiast of the various projects of Providence composer Peter Scartabello. His work ranges from experimental classical, to Zen inspired sound portraits, to grindcore metal.

Check him out at http://www.yuggothrecords.com. He's also on Myspace (as is everyone)

I'd suggest starting out with Disease Scrolls.

I heard Univers Zero composed one of the most frightening albums ever. Is that Heresie?

Re: Favorite Bands?
 

Yes, that would be Heresie. What it is is dark and brooding and serious. A few spooky parts creep up, they do... The band made other great music too, like Ceux du Dehors.

A new band for me is called Main. I have Hz and Firmament II, both of which are excellent guitar-based sounds stretching over a bleak canvas that you can listen to without getting jarred or jangled. That may sound pretty ubiquitous, but they really are the best I've heard along these lines.

Re: Favorite Bands?
 

I've heard the name before; Will check out.

In mentioning Pere Ubu, I've started from the beginning. "Heart of Darkness" may be one of the best "punk" songs to pretty much never get radio play.

The Birthday Party make me incredibly happy in strange ways, especially the Live '81-'82 CD. The versions of "Zoo Music Girl" and "The Dim Locator" are fantastic. The debut is a hoot, too; A little much of the same, but so utterly demented.

And then, of course, the man himself. "O'Malley's Bar"'s something. What, I don't know.

Re: Favorite Bands?
 

Here's a link to an amazing find, the very first Shub-Niggurath album, 1985, released only on cassette. Great sound here in the download...burned a copy last night. Check out the Word file listing the tracks as well. And the art file! It's not indexed by individual song, only by Side A and Side B, two 20+ min tracks, but the first song title is "Yog-Sothoth." Hope someone out there likes it. French band, I've praised them here before. Won't describe again, but if you like Univers Zero with more chaos, just listen... I had no idea of this album till last night, a friend from Ukraine sends me the following:

http://mutant-sounds.blogspot.com/2007/03/shub-niggurath-st-tape-1985-france.html

Re: Favorite Bands?
 

Downloading...

On an utterly different note, I've grown rather fond of the earliest releases of Public Image Ltd. Namely, while they were more a band than John Lydon's solo project. There is something utterly scintillating about the interplay of the bass and guitar, the throbbing, low melody against the other's treble wail. Particularly on "Theme", which I don't think a lot of people actually get; The lyrics don't actually mean anything except to suggest the average punk-rock listener's state of mind, i.e. dying of boredom. It's actually pretty ridiculous. Furthermore, I prefer the lyrics where Lydon isn't making a statement, but creating an incomplete image, like on most of Metal Box and Flowers of Romance.

Also, they were, from what I've scoured, a wonderful live band, if overly abrasive in persona. The song "Poptones" especially is improved: Overlong and disordered on vinyl, live versions accentuate the hypnotic underlying melody while adding more musical, warbly vocals, keeping the alien tone of the piece while adding to its resonance.

Plus, at the end of it all, Michael Gira is an admitted fan, and I am sure that Norman Westberg was on some level inspired by Keith Levene.

Re: Favorite Bands?
 

Blondie (one of the most versatile bands ever)

This Mortal Coil

Steeleye Span (early especially)

Mike Oldfield

Emerson, Lake & Palmer (early to mid)

Re: Favorite Bands?
 

My favourite bands/artists at the moment

Kinks
Genesis
Gil Scott Heron
Pixies
RHCP
Andrew Bird

Re: Favorite Bands?
 

More faves:

Genesis
Bohren & der Club of Gore
Main
Van der Graaf Generator
Henry Cow