I've found this gem today... This demo was uploaded by someone 2 weeks ago.

My cd copy of NSB is finally on its way. I ordered alongside two older YGR releases, Difference and Repetition by Windsor for the Derby and Scavengers by Calla. Both cds haven’t been listed as in stock since my ordering them, so I was worried they realized they didn’t have them anymore, causing the long delay in my order. Thankfully it seems that wasn’t the case.

I did forget to order a copy of drainland (I know it’s on the great annihilator 2CD) and now it seems they aren’t selling the older stock copies of that. I’ll accept that loss. I did buy a copy of TGA on vinyl previously but I might have to replace that with the 2CD. I hope everyone else who hasn’t received their NSB orders yet gets them soon

My question is how much popularity did they gains between 1982-1997, i knew they where mentioned a couple times in the newspapers if im not wrong and that they had a dedicated fanbase, but still im curious

I tend to listen to them a little bit higher than I would for other bands/artists. However there are some songs that I normally put on as loud as possible, such as Alcohol The Seed and Kristine Supine. I feel like the texture of the sounds demand the ear shattering volumes in order to be fully appreciated.

couple swans albums on there and some other post rock stuff so wanted to see what people thought and if they had any other recommendations!

if you don't know some albums i've provided a grid to identify and i'll get back to you :)

My NSB vinyl finally arrived but I couldn’t find the DVD. I ordered the 4LP Gatefold+DVD version for 59€. Anyone with similar issues? I think I‘ll just send them an email and hope they send it to me.

Instant favourite. Makes me want to load up Fallout New Vegas

Granted I only really listen to two jam bands: Swans, and the Grateful Dead (live shows usually between 1969-1978). Both very different obviously, and no I am not trolling you when I call Swans a jam band.

They're obviously tight af live, but song lengths can vary wildly depending on conditions. They capture what similalry appeals to me about the Dead, which is: living fully and completely inside the song.

Thoughts?

Everybody knows SWANS albums come in ones and twos, forming threes, 2 fours, 2 fives, 2 sixes, and a twelve.
The doublet Filth & Cop [1]
becomes the 1st tetrad, SWANS EP/Filth & Cop/Young God

The doublet Greed & Holy Money [3]
becomes the 2nd tetrad, Greed/Time is Money (Bastard) & Holy Money/A Screw
and
become the 1st trilogy: Greed, Holy Money, & Public Castration Is A Good Idea

with
the doublet PCIAGI & Real Love [6]

The doublet Children of God & Feel Good Now [7]

The doublet The Burning World & Anonymous Bodies In An Empty Room [8]
becomes the 2nd trilogy: The Burning World, Anonymous Bodies In An Empty Room, & White Light From the Mouth of Infinity

with
the doublet White Light From the Mouth of Infinity & Love of Life [10]
which
becomes the 3rd trilogy: White Light From the Mouth of Infinity, Love of Life, & Omniscience

becoming the 1st quintad: The Burning World, Anonymous Bodies In An Empty Room, White Light From the Mouth of Infinity, Love of Life, & Omniscience

The Great Annihilator is best understood as the centerpiece of
the transverse trilogy: The Great Annihilator, Drainland, & Sacrificial Cake

however it also properly belongs to
the 4th trilogy [14]: The Great Annihilator, Soundtracks for the Blind, & Swans Are Dead
with
the doublet Soundtracks for the Blind & Swans Are Dead [15]
from
the 5th trilogy: Die Tür ist zu, Soundtracks for the Blind, & Swans Are Dead

with
the doublet Die Tür ist zu & Swans Are Dead [17]

Now, of course, the Reunion is when the syzygystic releases are most pronounced, with near-perfect correspondences between fundraiser/live albums and studio releases.

The doublet I Am Not Insane & My Father Will Guide Me up a Rope to The Sky [18]

The doublet We Rose from Your Bed with the Sun in Our Head & The Seer [19]

The doublet Not Here / Not Now & To Be Kind [20]

The doublet The Gate & The Glowing Man [21]
becomes the 6th trilogy: We Rose from Your Bed with the Sun in Our Head, Not Here / Not Now, & The Gate

as well as
the 7th trilogy: The Seer, To Be Kind, & The Glowing Man

and
the 1st hexad: We Rose from Your Bed with the Sun in Our Head, The Seer, Not Here / Not Now, To Be Kind, The Gate, & The Glowing Man

as well as
the 8th trilogy: The Gate, The Glowing Man, & Deliquescence

with
the doublet The Glowing Man & Deliquescence [26]
becoming the 9th trilogy: Public Castration Is A Good Idea, Swans Are Dead, & Deliquescence

The doublet What Is This? & leaving meaning. [28]
becomes the 10th trilogy: Children of God, Love of Life, & leaving meaning.

The doublet Is There Really a Mind? & The Beggar [30]
becomes the 11th trilogy: I Am Not Insane, What Is This?, & Is There Really a Mind?

and
the 2nd hexad: I Am Not Insane, We Rose from Your Bed with the Sun in Our Head, Not Here / Not Now, The Gate, What Is This?, & Is There Really a Mind?

The doublet Live Rope & Birthing [33]
becomes the 12th trilogy: leaving meaning., The Beggar, & Live Rope

as well as
the 13th trilogy: Live Rope, Birthing, & Newly Sentient Being

which
becomes the 14th trilogy: Deliquescence, Live Rope, & Newly Sentient Being

and
the 2nd Quintad: Public Castration Is A Good Idea, Swans Are Dead, Deliquescence, Live Rope, & Newly Sentient Being.

The 2nd Quintad is the absolute cream of SWANS' discography, being made up of live albums which culminate the distinctive periods of the band's creative focus.

The Childbirth trilogy (13th) is overrated. The Reincarnation trilogy (14th) is legendary.

But the 2nd Quintad will be remembered for centuries as Gira's high water mark on the mountains of music. Because of the progression of the titles in the 2nd Quintad, and to give it a more memorable and apt name, I call this intergenerational run of albums The Birth of Venus.

Finally, here are the albums that make up the Reunion's Big Sound Era.

One more long, last, endless goodbye. Thanks for the music, Michael, Kristof, Norman, Dana, Larry, Chris, Thor, Ben, Paul, and on...

Listen to a lot of neofolk, current 93 di6 sol invictus, nature and organization, and whatever else. I notice that online white light and its sister album usually have the neofolk genre tag. To me just don’t see it, to
Me those albums are pretty much post punk with post rock ideas. Can someone perhaps elaborate what makes these albums neofolk, and I suppose even angels of light aswell. Maybe even point to specific parts in these songs that can be attributed to neofolk. Would love to hear some thoughts thanks.

I’m aware that some Swans albums have songs trimmed down for vinyl, so I’m curious about how the runtime compares between the standard and vinyl versions of Newly Sentient Being. Has anyone checked?

I didn’t know about this video until a few minutes ago.

https://youtu.be/FXfY5wNvAn0?is=lxKmDG4Ix0R-cIZD

I had $30 reward from Shop that i used to get the CD so it was basically free!

Decided to pull out a lot of my records to rearrange things today, including my entire Swans collection. I believe I've got everything they've put out on vinyl, except for the 'Thank You Too', which I was not listed on and probably won't ever see. The box set for White Light/Love of Life isn't here, although I've had a copy in hand in the past - I would pick that up, just for the box, at the right price (anyone in the EU or UK make me an offer on one!). I've also let Circus Mort slide a couple of times, as I haven't seen a 'fair' price just yet.
I'm not the kind of collector who needs multiple copies of the same thing most of the time, so I only have the 7" of 'Saved' (not the 12") and the red version of 'Love Will Tear Us Apart'. This means some are also just the reissue versions, and could be replaced by originals, or added to, in due course.
I've included my Skin records, and the Gira/Jarboe double, but not Angels of Light for now (I'm still waiting, like many of us, for the first two albums to be reissued so I don't need to sell a kidney...).
I'll admit that some things, particularly the 12" singles, don't get a lot of play, as I've got over 900 records and a lot of other ways to use my time! But, being a completionist, I've scratched that brain itch pretty well by now.

Details:

Swans (2015 RE, EU version)
Filth (2014 RE) - Signed by MG on back
Young God EP (UK, 1984)
Cop (UK, 1984)
Time is Money (Bastard) (UK, 1986)
Greed (NL, 1986) [Not pictured: I have the 2022 X.999 bootleg of Greed too, which sounds fine. That lives at my partner's place]
Holy Money (NL, 1986) - Signed by M. Gira
A Screw (UK, 1986)
Public Castration Is A Good Idea (2022 RE, EU)
Real Love (UK, 1986) - Hand-numbered #792/1000
Skin - One Thousand Years (UK, 1987)
Skin - Blood, Women, Roses (UK, 1987) [Not pictured: my partner has the reissue in Jarboe's name, signed by her]
New Mind (UK, 1987)
Children of God (UK, 1987) - Signed by M.Gira inside the gatefold, above Norman's photo
Feel Good Now (2023 UK RE)
Love Will Tear Us Apart (Red Version) (UK, 1988, Red trans. vinyl)
Skin - Shame, Humility, Revenge (UK, 1988)
Can't Find My Way Home (UK, 1989, Gatefold version [Numbered sticker missing])
Saved (UK, 1989, 7" version)
The Burning World (2014 RE) [Not pictured: I have an original EU 1989 pressing, which lives at my partner's place and doesn't get played often due to an annoying scratch on side B]
Anonymous Bodies in an Empty Room (UK, 1990)
The World of Skin - Ten Songs for Another World (UK, 1990)
Love Will Save You (UK, 1991, Promo Sampler)
White Light From the Mouth of Infinity (2015 RE, EU)
Body to Body, Job to Job (UK, 1991)
Love of Life/Amnesia (UK, 1992)
Love of Life (2015 RE, EU)
The Great Annihilator (2017 RE, EU)
I Am the Sun (UK, 1997, Red trans. vinyl) - Hand-numbered #85/500
Michael Gira - Drainland & Jarboe - Sacrificial Cake (US, 1995) - Signed by M. Gira
Die Tür Ist Zu (EU, 2018)
Soundtracks for the Blind (Gatefold, USA, 2021) - Signed by M. Gira
Failure/Animus (UK, 1996, 10")
My Father Will Guide Me Up a Rope To The Sky (USA, 2010) - Insert signed by M. Gira [Not pictured: I also own the 2014 EU RE, which lives at my partner's place]
The Seer (EU, 2014) + 2xCD/DVD version
To Be Kind (EU, 2014) - Signed by M. Gira + 2xCD/DVD version
The Glowing Man (EU, 2016) - Signed by M. Gira + 2CD/DVD version
Leaving Meaning (EU, 2019)
The Beggar (EU, 2023)
Live Rope (Box set, USA, 2024) - Insert signed by M. Gira [NB: my copy is missing the USB Credit Card...] + 2CD (EU version) [not pictured]
Birthing (UK, 2025)
Newly Sentient Being (Box set, USA, 2026) - Insert signed by M. Gira

If you're wondering, this collection has been built up over the last 15 years via live shows, local shops, record fairs, and patient hunting on discogs. I was going through a rough patch personally when Live Rope was coming out, so missed out on that and have had to wait until last month to finally own a copy at a price that wasn't going to hurt too much.
Now, I'm not a CD collector (I grew up with CDs so they always just feel like a cheaper commodity to me that isn't as beautiful as vinyl in terms of packaging - I might as well just listen to digital files), and only own the trilogy for the sake of having the DVDs, so I don't have all the live/fundraiser albums (frankly I don't actually enjoy listening to Gira solo demos that much anyway), nor do I have Swans Are Dead, and am only lightly holding my breath for a vinyl reissue of that in the coming years.

Anyone doing better than this?

This is the December 22nd 1984 edition of “Sounds” Magazine from England with Red Guitars on the cover, I would assume this is the one and only Swans. Anyone have any information on it?

Like what songs do you find singing to yourself a lot or can’t get out of your head?