Noise
Noah’s Barks pages relating to the noise music genre. Combine with tags for subgenres, e.g. “noise+pop.”
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The Telescopes – “Taste” (1989)
Expecting Taste to be all shoegaze could seem honest mistake due to the melancholy, acoustic opener “And Let Me Drift Away.” However, immediately after, the band makes an immediate 180—the first sign of Taste‘s true punk aesthetic—and explodes into fast-paced noise rock. Emphasis on the rock. The ethereal sonic soundscapes commonly attributed to shoegaze aren’t… (read more)
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Sonic Youth – “Washing Machine” (1995)
Washing Machine is like, the exact definition of mid-tier Sonic Youth to me. That ain’t a bad thing; it’s Sonic Youth, so it’s still a good album, relatively speaking. But as a prelude to their post-90s sound, Washing Machine lacks an identity and strength when compared to their later refinements of that style. Even the… (read more)
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Sonic Youth – “A Thousand Leaves” (1998)
Latter career Sonic Youth, meaning A Thousand Leaves sounds more melodic than their earlier stuff and has less of an attitude. That’s not a bad thing though, because the band has crafted some beautiful stuff past their heyday, and some of it’s on this album. The Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo tracks are consistently great… (read more)
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Sonic Youth – “NYC Ghosts & Flowers” (2000)
NYC Ghosts & Flowers isn’t as bad as some reviews would lead you to believe, such as a particularly fucking awfully-written one that I likely don’t need to name. I believe it comes closest to matching the atmosphere of EVOL, something no other Sonic Youth album has attempted since. It paints a similar picture of a… (read more)
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The Jesus and Mary Chain – “Honey’s Dead” (1992)
Honey’s Dead sounds disturbingly like Screamadelica. “Sundown” makes that much really obvious. Disturbing because Bobby Gillespie left The Jesus and Mary Chain after Psychocandy to form Primal Scream, of course. The Jesus and Mary Chain are a hard band to critique. They are not a complex group; just generally skilled pop songwriters with a great sense… (read more)
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The Jesus and Mary Chain – “Psychocandy”
Often cited as the origin of the noise pop genre, "Psychocandy" by The Jesus and Mary Chain is as archetypal now as it was then. And just as much of a classic. (read more)
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My Bloody Valentine – “Tremolo” (1991)
Tremolo by My Bloody Valentine (MBV) is the precursor EP to Loveless, and it shows. “To Here Knows When” is the lead track here and is well-known due to its inclusion on Loveless, though this version features a different instrumental coda from that release, so I recommend keeping both. Otherwise, the sexual and sensual tone… (read more)
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My Bloody Valentine – “Only Shallow” (1992)
Only Shallow is My Bloody Valentine‘s (MBV) sole single release from Loveless, unless you count earlier versions of some album tracks on predating EPs. Slightly baffling when considering the incredibly consistent, high quality of every song on Loveless. Perhaps it’s a magnanimous move, as no one should be discouraged from purchasing the entire album. Truly… (read more)
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Sonic Youth – “EVOL” (1986)
Completely desolate. Wandering aimlessly through a seemingly abandoned, worn-down industrial city at the dead of night, from the streets above to the subway below and back home again. EVOL is Sonic Youth’s most atmospheric release and one of their absolute best. The whispering, anxiety-ridden “Shadow of a Doubt” is perhaps the greatest highlight. Kim Gordon’s… (read more)
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Sonic Youth – “Dirty” (1992)
Dirty is commonly called Sonic Youth’s “sellout” album. Why, I have no idea, because this contains some of the band’s most abrasive material. I’m a big Sonic Youth fan, and the piercing noise some of these songs pivot around even gets on my nerves. My primary complaint is that Dirty runs too long at just… (read more)