Rank and Revue - VOL. 4, ISSUE 3

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Swans
By Trevor J Wallace

In the waning days of the previous century, Swans were the forerunners of both the noise and ambient industrial folk scenes. Alongside Sonic Youth, Swans were the epitome of New York artcore, and the European press crowned them "the loudest band in the world" (take that, Metallica). Later eschewing the massive columns of sheer noise in favor of a more ambient, folky feel, in 1986, they released Children of God, a record that definitely showed the influence of newcomer Jarboe to the band.

After a decade and a half of critically acclaimed albums and tours, Gira broke up the band in 1997, making it official with the release of Swans Are Dead.

Now resurrected after a decade of the Gira group Angels of Light, Swans have a new record, My Father Will Guide Me Up a Rope to the Sky. Gira makes it clear what this band is about in the press release: "THIS IS NOT A REUNION. It’s not some dumb-ass nostalgia act. It is not repeating the past. After 5 Angels Of Light albums, I needed a way to move FORWARD, in a new direction, and it just so happens that revivifying the idea of Swans is allowing me to do that. "

Core contributing musicians are: Michael Gira / guitar / voice / mendicant friar act (original swans); Norman Westberg – guitar (original swans); Christoph Hahn – guitar (mid period swans and most angels); Phil Puleo – drums, percussion, dulcimer etc (final swans tour and most angels); Chris Pravdica – bass and gadgets (flux information sciences / services/ gunga din); Thor Harris - drums, percussion, vibes, dulcimer, curios, keys (angels, now also with Shearwater and an Austin native).

Swans play the Mohawk in Austin. Tx Friday, February 18th.

- Trevor J Wallace

12/21/2010 - 12/31/2011

CONFIRMED SWANS SHOWS 2011

Six clowns will slaughter a cow for your amusement.

2/18/2011, Austin, TX, Mohawk Austin
2/19/2011, Dallas, TX, South Side Music Hall
2/20/2011, tba
2/21/2011, OFF, OFF, OFF
2/22/2011, Denver, CO, Summit Music Hall
2/23/2011, OFF, OFF, OFF
2/24/2011, OFF, OFF, OFF
2/25/2011, Vancouver, BC, Rickshaw Theatre
2/26/2011, Seattle, WA, Neumo’s Crystal Ball Reading Room
2/27/2011, Portland,, OR, Roseland Theater
2/28/2011, OFF, OFF, OFF
3/1/2011, San Francisco, CA, The Regency Grand Ballroom
3/2/2011, Los Angeles, CA, El Rey Theater

3/6/2011, Auckland, New Zealand, Powerstation
3/10/2011, Melbourne, Australia, Forum Theatre
3/11/2011, Brisbane, Australia, The Hi-Fi
3/12/2011, Sydney, Australia, Metro Theatre

3/15/2011, Tokyo, Japan, Club Quattro Tokyo
3/17/2011, Osaka, Japan, Club Quattro Osaka

4/09/2011 Lisbon, Portugal, Aula Magna
4/10/2011, Porto, Portugal, Porto Casa da Musica
4/11/2011 OFF
4/12/2011, Tel Aviv, Israel, Barby
4/13/2011, OFF, OFF, OFF
4/14/2011, Athens, Greece, Gagarin 205
4/15/2011, OFF, OFF, OFF
4/16/2011, Tilburg, Netherlands, Roadburn Festival at 013 Popcentrum - Main Stage

5/2/2011, Copenhagen Demark, Vega
5/3/2011, Aarhuis, Denmark, VoxHall
5/4/2011, Malmö, Sweden, Babel
5/5/2011, OFF, OFF, OFF
5/6/2011, Oslo, Norway, Rockefeller
5/7/2011, Drammen, Norway, Union Scene
5/8/2011, Stockholm, Sweden, Strand
5/9/2011, OFF
5/10/2011, Tampere, Finland, Klubi
5/11/2011, Helsinki, Finland, Tavastia
5/12/2011, Tallinn, Estonia, Von Krahl Theatre Bar
5/13/2011, Riga, Latvia, VEF Culture Palace
5/14/2011, St. Petersburg, Russia, SKIF Festival - Sergey Kuryokhin Modern Art Center
5/15/2011, Moscow, Russia, Avant Club
5/16/2011 OFF
5/17/2011 tba
5/18/2011 Leipzig, Germany, Central Theater
5/19/2011 Munich, Germany, Feierwerk
5/20/2011 Graz, Austria, Explosiv
5/21/2011, Budapest, Hungary, Trafó House of Contemporary Arts
5/23/2011 OFF
5/23/2011, Zagreb, Croatia, Teatar Itd
5/24/2011, Ljubljana, Slovenia, Kino Kiska Centre for Urban Culture
5/25/2011 Salzburg, Austria, Rockhouse
5/26/2011 Düdingen, Switzerland, Bad Bonn Kilbi Festival
5/27/2011 OFF
5/28/2011 Barcelona, Spain, Primavera Sound Festival

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