Album of the Week: Swans - My Father Will Guide Me Up A Rope To The Sky

SWANS ARE NOT DEAD.

This was the message that fans of Michael Gira's bizarre gothic/industrial/atmospheric group Swans were greeted with earlier this year. The group had been disbanded since their last album, the incredibly long and excessively harrowing Soundtracks for the Blind. My Father Will Guide Me Up A Rope To The Sky is the result of this reformation and is due out next month (thank you internet).

My opinion of Swans varies quite heavily from album to album, while I love Soundtracks and their aggressive no-wave debut Filth, I never really connected with The Great Annihilator, the other album of theirs I have. My Father Will Guide Me Up A Rope To The Sky is interesting as it's the first album that sits somewhat in the middle. There are some definite highlights, No Words/No Thoughts and You Fucking People Make Me Sick, though I don't quite hold it up to the same regard as Filth and Soundtracks. Then again, that's a fucking high standard. What I like about this album is that, despite being broken up for over 10 years, it still sounds like Swans; and when you consider that Swans sound like nothing else, that's an impressive achievement. I went in with somewhat mixed expectations and, while my MFWGMUARTTS didn't blow me away, it was definitely a pleasant surprise to hear something thoroughly deserving of the title 'Swans album'.

Runner-up AotW: The Mountain Goats - The Sunset Tree

Album of the Week: Zs - New Slaves

My regular readers (that's right, all one of you) may have noticed that I didn't do an 'album of the week' last week. The reason is, simply, I didn't listen to enough music. Anyway, the point is that now I have, so I can update again before my reader gets restless.

Zs are a avant-garde rock/jazz group from New York (of course) and New Slaves is their newest effort. The band uses a drummer, two guitarists/noise-makers and a saxophonist to create noisy jams somewhat akin to Kenji Haino. Most avant-garde-noise-rock-jam albums I've heard have a tendency to sound a little "samey" by the end but New Slaves, despite being a double album, doesn't suffer from this. The tracks are nicely varied and, while still keeping the same general sounds, explore different territories and sound-scapes, Acres of Skin and the title track in particular stand out as pretty awesome tunes. If you're new to this style of music, then this might work for you (unfortunately, it's not really a genre that has nice introductory-style albums), if so, great. On the other hand, if New York avant-garde is what you breathe in for sustenance every day, then this will tide you over nicely until the next John Zorn release.

Runner-up AotW: Animal Collective - Sung Tongs

Album of the Week: Funkadelic - Maggot Brain

Yes, the cover somewhat annoys me too.

Maggot Brain is Funkadelic's third album and their most well known as it, arguably, was the album that started the funk/soul sound of the 70's. The title track, which opens the album, is nothing more than a 10+ minute guitar solo and, frankly speaking is probably the best piece of single guitar work I've ever heard (discounting Feedbacker, of course). It's somewhat akin to the solo in Pink Floyd's Shine on You Crazy Diamond, but drenched with emotion comparatively. Even if you can't be stuffed listening to the rest of the album, then you owe it to yourself to hear this piece of music, it really is an amazing feat.

The next few songs on the album are somewhat more 'standard', being shorter and containing vocals. I find it interesting that this album helped create the funk/soul sound but, really, is so much more than just funk and soul; it explores and transcends genres, but without sounding strange or pretentious. The last track, Wars of Armageddon, is essentially a giant jam session; it's great fun to listen to and caps off the album of nicely. A true classic of the 70's that still holds up today.

Very Close Runner-up AotW: Can - Tago Mago (it's been a rather 70's week)