great song to cover at a high school talent show

Lou Reed said: One chord is rock, two chords is pushing it...three chords and you're into Jazz.

To all complaining that they're playing just one chord in the middle part: beside the fact that the composition paired with the production is astounding, music is not about the number of melodies in a song, it's about just how intense emotional reaction it can provoke in the people who connect with it. It doesn't matter if the emotion itself is ecstacy, melancholy, tension, fear, or what have you.

I love Swans more than any other rock band, however I still think it must be hilarious to see them rehearse. Damnit Steve, it's 27 downstroke chords. not 28.

Went to this gig once called "The Wall of E" - literally 17 guitarists playing the E chord and notes within for about an hour. It was awesome!

I'm 63, never heard of this band until 5 minutes ago, and have to say 'I like it'

My 15 year old son turned me on to Swans. I have wasted my life until now....

There are, no words, no thoughts, that can possibly describe experiencing Swans live

I came here because of the 4chan picture.

Swans is literally the only band I've seen that perform, facing eachother and not the crowd.

Will never ever forget the first time I saw them live. Tears streaming down my face like a child, lost in the chaotic noise. I will always love them.

2:55

+To all people who cannot connect to Swans: It's about almost trying to break your conception of music, but by revisiting the first form of music, reducing down to its primal elements. Music, in its origins, was a trance-inducing and ceremonial beating of drums around a fire before sacrifice. A religious event, a trance state. Swans craft those moments before death, the anticipation of some End in our human lives steeped in limitations. With the use of sheer volume, the primal repetitions of root notes, use of traditional instruments to create sonic layers and patterns they are attempting to break you out of your usual musical expectations. and the improvised 'flow' of movement within the composition responds to the bands connection with one another, a live instinct kind of drives the whole thing, trying to ever build towards a climax that never comes. (Many people find that frustrating, but have patience and listen again and you might find more to it). And internally your mind explodes.

Some good dancin music right here. I could really cut a rug with this tune!

i saw Swans last night in Beijing. It was really, really good. Someone asked me today to be a bit more specific and I said it was like being beaten around the temples with a thousand of the most dense hammers possible but they were all made of incredibly heavy velvet. They seemed to understand but I remain unconvinced. It was good.

Been a Swans fan since the 80's. Was upset over the break-up in 97 and started following both Gira's post-Swans efforts as well as Jarboe's. Found myself listening more to her output than his. Was not much into Angels Of Light, but I am enjoying the reconstituted SWANS. It's just a shame Jarboe couldn't return. Her output over the last 15 years has been amazing.

I cant listen to any other band but swans right now, its like an addiction. Its been a week now, I kind of feel isolated compared to my usual daily intake of wide variety of genres. Swans took hold of me strongly, althought I didnt dig em from the beginning, not by a long shot. I am reading Crowley's Diary and it seems very much like I am going through Swans honeymoon. Its fucking great.

in 1980 a female dj played a swans song on the radio, i called her and asked her who is the Band? she said swans, my life has never been the same since i heard that song! love this band sonic swans!!

I love watching the communication between these guys as they wind up.....body language, gestures.....good Lord...... what a tight family....

Swans live shows are beyond art, they are live revealings of nature, like watching an erupting volcano. If you position yourself far away to safely observe your don't feel the heat, if you get too close you are consumed by it. Criticism or acceptance are both small next to the thing itself.