Swans are an American experimental rock band formed in 1981 by singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Michael Gira. One of the few acts to emerge from the New York City-based no wave scene and stay intact into the next decade, Swans have become recognized for an ever-changing sound, exploring genres such as noise rock, post-punk, industrial and post-rock. Initially, their music was known for its sonic brutality and misanthropic lyrics. Following the addition of singer, songwriter and keyboardist Jarboe in 1986, Swans began to incorporate melody and intricacy into their music. Jarboe remained the band's only constant member except Gira and semi-constant guitarist Norman Westberg until their dissolution in 1997.
Michael Rolfe Gira is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, author and artist. Now based in New Mexico, he founded the band Swans, in which he sings and plays guitar, in New York City in the 1980s at the height of the no wave movement. He is also the founder of Young God Records and previously fronted Angels of Light.
Angels of Light was an American neofolk band that was formed circa 1998 by singer-songwriter and musician Michael Gira after he disbanded Swans, the group he had founded in 1982. The band has marked a distinctly different style for Gira since he left Swans, most noticeably being musically more melodic and less brutal than his previous efforts and with emphasis on acoustic instruments and folk and country influences.
Young God Records is an independent record label formed by Michael Gira in 1990 that specializes in experimental, avant-garde and often non genre-specific releases. The label was named after an EP released by Gira's band Swans called Young God.
Adore is the fourth studio album by the American alternative rock band the Smashing Pumpkins, released on June 2, 1998, by Virgin Records. After the multi-platinum success of Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness and a subsequent world tour, Adore was considered "one of the most anticipated albums of 1998" by MTV. Recording the album proved to be a challenge as the band members struggled with lingering interpersonal problems, musical uncertainty in the wake of three increasingly successful rock albums, and the departure of drummer Jimmy Chamberlin. Frontman Billy Corgan would later characterize Adore as made by "a band falling apart". Corgan was also going through a divorce and the death of his mother while recording the album.
Reuben were an English three-piece musical group from Camberley, Surrey. Their music is a fusion of alternative rock and heavy metal, as their songs cover a variety of styles, ranging from heavy and upbeat, such as their 2005 single "Blamethrower" to slower, more melodic songs such as their 2004 single "Moving to Blackwater". The former style of song often featured vocalist Jamie Lenman switching between shouting and whispering, a technique often used in heavy metal and post-hardcore music. The band performed in the UK underground music scene. Although they attracted a significant fanbase, Reuben never achieved mainstream success, but did chart four songs in the UK Singles Chart. Their highest charting single was 2004's "Freddy Kreuger", that reached UK No. 53.
Richard Youngs is an English musician based in Glasgow since the early 1990s. His catalogue of solo and collaborative work formally begins with Advent, first issued in 1990. He plays many instruments, most commonly choosing the guitar, but he has been known to use other instruments including the shakuhachi, accordion, theremin, dulcimer, a home-made synthesizer and even a motorway bridge. He also released an album which was entirely a cappella.
Amber Pacific is an American pop-punk band that formed in 2002 in Federal Way, Washington. The band has released four full-length albums, The Possibility and the Promise in 2005, Truth in Sincerity in 2007, Virtues in 2010 and The Turn in 2014.
Konono Nº1 is a musical group from Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. They are known for their DIY aesthetic, combining electric likembé with vocals, dancers, and percussion instruments that are made out of items salvaged from a junkyard. The group's amplification equipment is equally rudimentary, including a microphone carved out of wood fitted with a magnet from an automobile alternator and a gigantic horn-shaped amplifier. The genre of the band's music has been characterized as difficult to classify; the group themselves have classified their music under the labels of "tradi-modern" and "Congotronics".
Calla was formed in New York City in 1997 by Aurelio Valle, Sean Donovan, and Wayne B. Magruder. Their fifth album, Strength in Numbers, was released in 2007.
Akron/Family is the debut album by Akron/Family, released in 2005. The album was released on Young God Records on March 22 and was produced by the band with Michael Gira, head of the aforementioned record label.
Rick Tomlinson is an English, Bolton based musician, best known for one of his projects, Voice of the Seven Woods, with Chris Walmsley and Pete Hedley. Tomlinson is most commonly associated with the Manchester alternative music scene, and is regularly associated with the B-Music collective; a Manchester based DJ, music and arts collaboration that includes DJ Andy Votel, Super Furry Animals's frontman Gruff Rhys and various other DJs and artists.
Akron/Family & Angels of Light is a split album between New York band Akron/Family and Michael Gira's band Angels of Light. It was released on November 8, 2005, via Gira's own record label, Young God Records.
Love Is Simple is the third studio album by experimental rock band Akron/Family. It was released on September 18, 2007, on Young God Records.
The Angels of Light Sing 'Other People' is the fourth studio album by Angels of Light. Produced by band leader Michael Gira, it was released on March 21, 2005, via Gira's own record label, Young God Records. It is the band's first album to feature extensive contributions from American folk music outfit Akron/Family, who played on every song of the album.
My Father Will Guide Me up a Rope to the Sky is the eleventh studio album by American rock band Swans released on September 23, 2010; it was their first studio recording in 14 years. Swans founder Michael Gira funded the recording of this album by creating the limited-edition album I Am Not Insane and chose several collaborators from previous Swans line-ups as well as his side project Angels of Light to record and tour for this album. My Father Will Guide Me up a Rope to the Sky has received positive critical feedback for the return of Swans as well as the rich spiritual themes of the lyrics.
Akron/Family II: The Cosmic Birth and Journey of Shinju TNT is the fifth studio album by experimental rock band Akron/Family, released on February 8, 2011, on Dead Oceans Records. This is the group's second album following the departure of founding member Ryan Vanderhoof as well as their second for Dead Oceans.
Megafaun is an American psychedelic folk band based in Durham, North Carolina.
The Seer is the twelfth studio album by the American experimental rock band Swans. It was released by Young God Records on August 28, 2012. Producer and front man Michael Gira funded the recording of the album with the sales of the live double album We Rose from Your Bed with the Sun in Our Head (2012).
Sub Verses is the sixth and final studio album by experimental rock band Akron/Family. It was released on April 30, 2013, on Dead Oceans Records.
