Adventures in the noise rock-adjacent underground

Talk about noisy artists and bands here and the fun times had seeing them live or listening to their records, whatever the sound quality.

Not just rock but everything from Sunn O))) to Swans, from My Bloody Valentine to Merzbow, Dälek to doom, Butthole Surfers to Bong, Anna von Hauswolff to Acid Mothers Temple, Sonic Youth to Sun City Girls, stoner disco to sludgy breakcore.

Not just metal, not just guitars - and many of these musicians use samplers and other electronics extensively - as long as it goes up to at least 11.

And help free up some space for the OT - sound quality thread to get back on track too in a place for discussion, anecdotes and recommendations.

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I’ll chat later, trying to paint my kids’ playroom.

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Put on some righteously obnoxious noise while you do - always helps with the painting and decorating.

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Quickest mute thread ever ; )

Enjoy and See ya!

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Old Man Gloom! Aaron Turner is awesome

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I’m a fan of this weird, one-off project from the late 80s (but if you’re at work, beware the slightly edgy cover art and song title):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLWy1tSL0O0

Not noise/sludge/whatever, but we were talking about Sun City Girls in the other thread so I feel like it’s relevant.

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Especially here, as Pharaoh Overlord drift yet further away from their stoner rock origins into warped disco with guest vox from Turner:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ten-e6iECo

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I’m on a bit of a mellow slowcore vibe this afternoon. Listening to Low - long division. I’ve seen them about 10 times over the years, and met them both every year st the Brudnell social club in Leeds because it’s impossible not to be inches from them. I love how their minimal arrangements and slow tempo act as a totally different way of building an intense experience where you feel you could hear a pin drop during a in between the notes….everyone is hyper focused and the actual genius of Alan’s guitar riffing/soloing, the heart melting harmonies and the rawness of their earlier stuff. It’s the best music to do opiates to for sure.

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I just want to plug A.R. Kane in here again, since they’re so groundbreaking but also so underappreciated. Possibly my favorite band of the 80s, although I can’t really choose something like that. It’s easier to say that 69 is easily in my top 10 albums.

Literally the direct inspiration (other than Cocteau Twins probably, who were also probably the biggest non-dub inspiration for A.R. Kane) for Kevin Shields’ entire sound (the version I always heard was that he got a demo from one of them at a party when he was doing sort of conventional late 80s indie-rock and then a couple months later the MBV sound existed), etc.

This was released 5 years before Loveless:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yz0g7sRaJUY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEtp80EQOgw

Really good interview (one of the few either of them has done), really good reading for anyone who makes music:

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I’ve still yet to see them live, but Low are peerless. I could listen to them alone forever if there was only one band left on earth.

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Hard agree there. I generally can just leave all their albums on random and be content as fuck. They’re such a special band to see live, as soon as they’re able to get back over here make sure you’re ready.

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As far as noise “rock” goes I’ve always leaned towards Boredoms. The wild percussive work of Yoshimi and the blood curdling howls of Eye Yamantaka always warm my heart.

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One of the best gigs of my life, about 20odd years ago was Lightning Bolt, Black Dice and The Boredoms at the Scala in London.

I normally hate gigs in London, but that was banging.

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I saw Low at the Middle East in Cambridge, MA in 1997…what an awesome experience. Long time fan here!

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Lightning Bolt are great, unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to see them live. The drummer is amazing.

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Yeah, Chippendale’s a beast.
It’s between him and Zach Hill for my favourite drummer (that isn’t Gene Hoglan, obviously).

I don’t think Brian Gibson gets enough credit for quite how great a musician he is though.

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great great band, altho personally i love their psych albums the most. saw em live around 2007 and its still one of the best gigs ive seen

First time i saw Sonic Youth was pretty incredible, but the concert was sadly ruined by a part of the audience.
It was clearly explicit that the gig would be related to their “SYR4: Goodbye 20th Century”
but some, who didn’t know how to read their ticket, booed the band almost all the concert until they had their classic Sonic Youth tune at the end.

So, the performance was great, but it was a bit of a pain because like Slipknot says…
Well you know…

And also, this was the same day i resigned from my job at the time because…(read above)

Busy day.

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Neil Young, Sonic Youth, and Social Distortion- The Omni, Atlanta, GA 1991
Nirvana, Breeders, and Come- The Omni, Atlanta, GA 1992

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hot take: rainbow is the best boris album and and features one of the greatest unsung guitar heroes, michio kurihara

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