Swans - Uncompromising

About this episode

This episode tells the story of the band Swans from their formation in 1981 through their initial run ending in 1997.

The band Swans formed in 1981 by singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Micheal Gira and began as part of the New York City based no wave scene. Swans early years' music was known for a very intense and abrasive sound. Following the addition of vocalist and keyboardist Jarboe in 1986, Swans began to slowly incorporate melody into the music moving beyond the brutal music of the early years to a more diverse sound. The band's music would venture through a variety of styles and explore many different genres over the years including industrial, post-rock, drone, and neo-folk, among many others. Throughout their career, Swans become known for creating intense and experimental music that has often led to the band being referred to as "Uncompromising." This episode will tell the story of Swans from their beginning through the end of their initial run as a band in 1997.

Topics covered

• Swans
• no wave
• alternative music
• experimental music
• music history

Keywords

• Swans
• Micheal Gira
• Jarboe
• no wave
• industrial music
• post-rock
• drone
• neo-folk

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Swans

Places: New York City

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