PRESS » Michael Gira
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Entertainment.ie Album Review: Swans - 'To Be Kind'
() - Michael Gira, SWANS
Album Review: Swans - 'To Be Kind' Who could have seen this coming? Thirty two years since they first emerged as the enfants terribles of the New York music scene, Swans have just delivered the year's most uncompromising, thundering and blindingly brilliant album so far. Nothing even comes close to this; To Be Kind is two hours of music of gut-wrenching intensity, a series of never-ending peaks that take the rudiments of rock music and summons up something that is strikingly original. With To Be Kind, Michael Gira and his cohorts have delivered an album that surpasses their critically acclaimed 2012 release The Seer in all respects. The days when listening to a Swans record was something of a masochistic experience, a brutal form of aural punishment are long gone; To Be Kind is arguably their most accessible album while still challenging and demanding more from the listener than any other rock band would dare to. It's a record that requires patience - two hours of music spread over just ten tracks with every minute resonating with a clarity of purpose and a vibrancy beyond the capabilities of most contemporary rock acts. Michael Gira turned sixty this year; it is......
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Uncut: To Be Kind #18 in Albums of the Year
() - Michael Gira, SWANS
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Uncut: Michael Gira's My Life In Music
() - Michael Gira, SWANS
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Swans To Be Kind is #42 in MOJO's 50 Best Albums of 2014
() - Michael Gira, SWANS
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Live In Limbo: Capsule 33 Swans
() - Michael Gira, SWANS
Michael Gira is the founding member of Swans. After three decades of challenging music of which remains entirely humanistic in nature. In 2010, Swans returned to the music scene and created three albums, each earning more acclaim than the last. With their 2014 release “To Be Kind” they continue on this track with high praise from the likes of NME, Spin and Pitchfork. The Needle Drop’s Anthony Fantano gave “To Be Kind” a perfect rating, whileLiL gave it a 9.7/10 On knowing when a track is right. Hint, it’s never right! Why “To Be Kind” clicks with today’s generation and society Gira listened to the first Jimmy Hendrix album on acid Performing at NXNE with St. Vincent and collaborating with her Gira highly recommends listening to Savages 00:00 00:00 Podcast: Download (18.9MB) ...