Tag: noise

669. Glenn Branca

~ ernopepper ~ Leave a comment

(August 2025) Episode 669 of the “opus project” is GLENN BRANCA. A shorthand way of describing his work is this what you would get by combining Sonic Youth and Steve Reich. Or minimalism with loud guitars. He came out of the no wave movement (thus the connection to SY) and became known for composing in conventional form (13 symphonies) with very unconventional orchestration, such as a full orchestra of amplified, alternately and microtonally tuned guitars. What it produces is a wall of noise, often unsettling to the ear, droning with subtle or negligible shifts in pitch and rhythm. He did experiment with different instruments and had a few vocal tracks. This is not easy listening music, but I find it fascinating.

Favorite album: The Ascension

Favorite song: The Smoke (Guitar Concerto for Arad Evans)

Compared to expectations: ↑

Recommendation: Not for everyone, but it may appeal to those with a taste for the avant-garde and experimental.

450. Spacemen 3

~ ernopepper ~ Leave a comment

(November 2022) Episode 450 is SPACEMEN 3. They’re labeled neo-psychedelic (perhaps for their ample drug use) but I hear them as noise rock — a transformative band, molding elements of MC5, the Stooges and Lou Reed and creating sounds you hear later in shoegazers (My Bloody Valentine) and sonic adventurers (Yo La Tengo). Few if anyone else was doing this in the 1980s, and I regret not knowing them then. But beyond the noise, Spacemen 3 offered surprisingly infectious low-structure songs, the kind of stuff you’ll hear with Spiritualized (not surprising, since Jason Pierce led both), Brian Jonestown Massacre and Beta Band.

Favourite album: Playing with Fire

Favourite song: Suicide

Compared to expectations: ↑

Recommendation: strongly recommend. Beautiful noise: Suicide, Revolution, Rollercoaster.  Low-structure songs: Come Down Easy, How Does it Feel?, Hypnotized, I Love You

276. The Jesus and Mary Chain

~ ernopepper ~ Leave a comment

(August 2020) Episode 276 is THE JESUS AND MARY CHAIN. Another band whose influence was greater than their sales, their biggest mark is planting the seed of Shoegazing with the fuzzy noise of their stunning debut album.  But they chose not to stay and till that ground, instead meandering through many alt forms from the late 80s through 90s.

Favorite album: Psychocandy

Favorite song: Degenerate

Compared to expectations: same

Psychocandy

238. Acid Mothers Temple

~ ernopepper ~ Leave a comment

(November 2019) Episode 238 of the “opus project” is ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE and its various emanations.*  In all my project, there is no greater gap between the love I have for a group and the revulsion that others have of it.  I adore Beautiful Noise, and they are masters — feedback, distortion, psychedelic, freakouts, weirdness.  AMT is a Japan-based collective of musicians with Makoto Kawabata at its center, producing prolifically (80 studio + 48 live albums).  They humorously honor their inspirations (Zappa, Hendrix, Pink Floyd, King Crimson, Terry Riley, etc.) with clever word-play album and song titles.** A-E-D-A-G-D

Favorite album: Crystal Rainbow Pyramid Under the Stars

Favorite song: The Tales of Solar Sail ~ Dark Stars in the Dazzling Sky

Best psychedelic: Crystal Rainbow Pyramid

Best acid rock: Cosmic Soul Death Disco

Best space rock: Pink Lady Lemonade

Best ambient: The Holly Mountain in the Counter Clock World

Best drone: In D

Compared to expectations: ↑

AMT Crystal_Rainbow_Pyramid_Under_the_Stars

* Acid Mothers Temple & the Melting Paraiso U.F.O.

Acid Mothers Temple & The Cosmic Inferno

Acid Maso Temple

Acid Mothers Afrirampo

Acid Mothers Gong

Acid Mothers Guru Guru

Acid Mothers Guru Guru Gong

Acid Mothers Kaidan

Acid Mothers Temple & Space Paranoid

Acid Mothers Temple & The Pink Ladies Blues

Acid Mothers Temple SWR

Tsurubami

Yamamoto Seiichi & Acid Mothers Temple

 

** Top 20 punny AMT album/song titles

  1. Son of a Bitches Brew
  2. Starless and Bible Black Sabbath
  3. 41st Century Splendid Man
  4. Absolutely Freak Out (Zap Your Mind!!)
  5. The Ripper at the Heaven’s Gates of Dark
  6. Does the Cosmic Shepherd Dream of Electric Tapirs?
  7. Minstrel in the Galaxy
  8. Pataphysical Freak Out MU!!
  9. Ziggy Sitar Dust Raga
  10. Are We Experimental?
  11. Doobie Wonderland
  12. Babe, I’m Gonna Reave You
  13. Hardcore Uncle Meat
  14. Electric Heavyland
  15. In Search of the Lost Divine Arc
  16. Shine on You Crazy Dynamite
  17. Just Another Band from the Cosmic Inferno
  18. Maggot Head Cheese
  19. Born Free Stone Free
  20. Close Encounters of the Mutants

10. Sonic Youth

~ ernopepper ~ 2 Comments

(September 2013) Completed phase 10 of my “opus project,” wherein I listed to the entire discography of a band from start to finish. This episode: Sonic Youth.

Favorite album: Daydream Nation
Favorite song: Youth Against Fascism
Favorite period: 1987-92

Low point: NYC Ghosts and Flowers

Tunings: various

Radical adults lick: Godhead style

Special sauce: Lee Ranaldo

Compared to expectations: same

SonicYouthDaydreamNationalbumcover.jpg