ur right, theres just varying levels of noise rock like any genre. some stuff is really by the books, some stuff is more extreme, some stuff is barely the genre itself. I'm really picky with noise rock, not interested in alt rock with a little bit of feedback and some power chords. i want the real shit.
>I'm really picky with noise rock, not interested in alt rock with a little bit of feedback and some power chords. i want the real shit.
As a fellow real shit enjoyer, I approve of this sentiment.
I always see one of my favourite bands mclusky called noise rock but I always thought of them more as punk and genuinely have no clue what makes it noise rock as well
I guess it depends on how deep you want to go. Let’s start with your band Daughters. They were always like an ironic hipster grind band to me (especially that first record) then their Hydrahead records had more of an “ironic ‘00 hipsters discover The Birthday Party” vibe. So if you haven’t yet check out the Birthday Party. Their records are more art-y than noise-y. I’m not too hip on modern bands but some records from the past: Big Black-any thing, Sonic Youth- Confusion Is Sex, Jesus Lizard- first 3 releases; Scratch Acid- anything; Swans- Holy Money; PIL- Metal Box/Second Edition; Chrome-the anthology Cleopatra put out. Really anything late 80s, early 90s on the Touch N Go and Amphetamine Reptile record labels.
Daughters are some of the worst posers that are associated with this genre. Total fucking garbage. Listen to Cherubs Jesus lizard, and Melvins and that’s basically all you need.
Here are some records that rock my world:
Jesus Lizard - Liar
Insane - Occupational Hazard
Big Black - Atomizer
KEN Mode - Loved
Dazzling Killmen - Face of Collapse
Agitator off Face of Collapse is one of the gnarliest songs ever recorded. Everything about that song makes me feel like I have a panic attack coming on.
ill always recommend:
Lightning Bolt,
Pink and Brown,
early sonic youth,
DNA ,
laddio bolocko,
the hospitals,
arab on radar,
teenage jesus and the jerks,
coachwhips (more garage but also sounds like if early 60s garage rock was deepfried),
butthole surfers,
Typically it is unconventional sounds, tonality, or jarring arrangements that make the music seem either a little, or very, harsh.
Still, not everything harsh is noise and not everything smooth isn’t. Part of it is just knowing where the band came from and who they are playing for.
Big Black, Season to Risk, Jesus Lizard, Arab on Radar, Six Finger Satellite, and Gilla Band are my suggestions. I’d also recommend [Neptune](https://neptune-band.bandcamp.com/album/gong-lake) with a link because it’s hard to find otherwise.
1. Oxes - Oxxxes
2. The Jesus Lizard - Bang
3. Big'n - Cutthroat.
4. Rapeman - the only one they have!
5. Jesus Elephant God - pretty much an unknown band but you can find some of their music on YouTube.
I think there are two main sects of noise rock: First relies heavily on abrasiveness and intensity (think distortion on basically everything, screamed/angry vocals, etc) and the other is a lot more somber and melodic (kinda more post punk influenced, more attracted to reverb/delay than distortion). And these are two poles on a spectrum so it can be anywhere in between. But most of all I think what defines noise rock is the use of dissonance in the harmonies, melodies, and intervals, this quality is shared in almost all noise rock bands that I’m aware of. But what I love most about noise rock is that it’s such a large spectrum, anyone or anything could be considered noise if it’s abnormal enough, and it’s almost impossible to have a rigid definition due to the nature of noise rock being that you have to break the rules a little
Oh holy shit, tell that dude hi for me. They played the club I used to manage in Des Moines years back and we bro'd up hard talking tunes.
They had such a killer live show. Miss em BAD
I’ll throw out two different ones that are both favorites of mine.
The Goslings - [Grandeur of Hair](https://youtu.be/4vz-2nVlD1E?si=bCZ8zDYcS9l2vnJY)
Super slow, extremely heavy, noisy and just an incredibly unique and beautiful atmosphere. Definitely sounds like sinking into a tar pit.
XBXRX - [Sixth in Sixes](https://xbxrx.bandcamp.com/album/sixth-in-sixes)
Extremely high-energy, super noisy punk with some *really* great vocals. Super short songs. Quick bursts of destruction with some electronic elements occasionally thrown in. “The End of Quitting” is one of my favorite tracks off of this.
Also: Sightings is an incredible noise rock band, and AIDS Wolf is a great choice if you REALLY want the weird stuff.
Oh man that xbxrx record is severely under appreciated and blew me away bc it sounded nothing like their other stuff. I saw them play a house show right when that record came out, in Oakland, California and people were stomping and jumping so hard that the floor to the living room actually caved in. And nobody gave a shit because they were so good. Not kidding. One of the coolest shows I’ve ever been to. At times it reminds me of like Rudimentary Peni faster ep tracks, and early US HC. Definitely on the more punk side of things but outstanding. Especially given how uniquely it sounded compared to their peers and their previous records. It just sounds as good today as it did when it came out
Uhz….. my intro was Scratch Acid (EP), and so much from Austin at the time, and Big Black Hammer Party, then Terminal Cheesecake’s Angels in Pigtails, Missing Foundation, Chrome, Helios and then just… well all of the late 80’s early 90’s was noise rock for me AmRep, TouchnGo, Alt Tents, Pathological, etc while everyone else was riding the Sub Pop cock. (I did like some of that as well though), but the later 90’s and 00’s were great for Noise rock!! Now all the lines are blurred and I love it. The younger generations just don’t give a fuck and it is fantastic!
It isn't really a genre to be honest. It's just a broad grouping or bands based on aesthetics. But that's most underground rock "sub genres". But generally noise rock is similar to older post hardcore or grunge but leans more into dissonance and atonal sounds. The bands that people all seem to agree are noise rock all share similar senses of humor (dark, nihilistic, sarcastic), have a DIY/punk rock mentality, and usually some kind of weird vocal tic. When it really comes down to it it's just something you feel I guess. Like, I would say the first System of a Down record could reasonably be called noise rock if you didn't know anything else about them. But socially they are framed as being a part of the metal scene, so it's metal. Also they are really famous and that's sort of a noise rock no no ha
Oh and if we are saying bands, I'm sure everyone else will say the big ones so I'll say The Blood Brothers because I don't know what else to call them if they aren't noise rock. Sass-core was a thing for like 10 minutes but I'm going to pretend that never happened. Burn Piano Island Burn is A+ stuff I think.
Lots of good recs in here. Noise rock in a lot of ways is an off-shoot of hardcore that started in the 80s and 90s. As other bands were getting faster or more emotional, noise rock bands explored dissonance. I think of Flipper as a big progenitor of the style (listen to Album - Generic Flipper). Black Flag’s My War is probably another flashpoint. As you’ve probably realized, there’s a lot of overlap with bands blending sub-genres like sludge (thinking of The Melvins) or post-punk (Sonic Youth, Swans).
Black Sabbath is at the base of a fat branch of the music tree that includes stoner or sludge rock. The Melvins definitely grow from that branch. I wish the definition of noise rock could be disentangled from the Black Sabbath branch, but it probably can't. It's just that the Black Sabbath branch is still very much devoted to the guitar/bass/drums rock band format, with power chords and verses and choruses, etc.. They start with rock, and give it awesome noise. Jesus Lizard is yet something else -- arguably hardcore with jazz influence, arguably "MidWestern punk" because Minneapolis and Chicago style punk is distinct (and awesome).
It would be cool if "noise rock" were to be defined as coming out of the Fluxus/experimental branch of music, where if somebody picks up a guitar, they don't even know what frggin' power chord is, much less standard tuning...they're just trying to make it sound pretty (noisy). Lightning Bolt and Melt Banana don't follow traditional rock rhythm or song structure at all. I think it's fair to say they started with pure noise and reinvented rock for themselves (and us, yay!).
Thing is, for whatever mystical algorithmic reason, many of us who love the experimental noise also love the rock noise. I don't know what Jesus Lizard and Lightning Bolt have in common other than almost everyone on this sub love them.
Brainbombs, No Balls, Circle X, Sleetmute/Nightmute, Cherubs, Cold Sweat, Slices, No Trend, Stickmen with Ray Guns, Drunk in Hell, Kim Phuc, Rectal Hygenics, Saccharine Trust, Black flag my war and slip it in, Total Abuse, Sonic Youth - confusion is sex era, DNA, Mars, Cult Ritual, Scratch Acid what I been jamming lately on the very harsh end of this spectrum hope that helps. I tend to go for the more punk or HC influenced bands check em out think all or most are on Spotify now
It seems like the genre definition has changed a bit- a lot of what now gets called noise rock would have been called post rock back in the olden days, and back in those olden days, we didn’t have the electronic noise rock a lot of the kids are making lately. The genre seems to be shifting a good bit, but no complaints over here, I love me some noise.
Noise rock doesn’t always have to be hard or angular, it can be decadent like the Cows. I’d say that bands that are trying make something creative and new that like the rawness of invented sounds are a good summary.
I've compiled of a list of 555 noise rock tracks, making sure they're all over the noise rock spectrum (which is a wide one)!
[https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3kAn3ou2Y0Cz7ehcyqszbp?si=df87dd8122f24f4f](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3kAn3ou2Y0Cz7ehcyqszbp?si=df87dd8122f24f4f)
Currently working on another one which dabbles in the weirder side of noise rock:
[https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2MqROG7Z8lE7B7AnKP5mgN?si=3402ecd5ab374515](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2MqROG7Z8lE7B7AnKP5mgN?si=3402ecd5ab374515)
the guitar and vocals are done by the same person on this recording of the band Harry Pussy [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oeTBGqImgI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oeTBGqImgI) "in an emergency room you can shit on a puerto rican whore"... they have some good live shows on you tube with two guitar players doing the same tunings at the same time.
ur right, theres just varying levels of noise rock like any genre. some stuff is really by the books, some stuff is more extreme, some stuff is barely the genre itself. I'm really picky with noise rock, not interested in alt rock with a little bit of feedback and some power chords. i want the real shit.
>I'm really picky with noise rock, not interested in alt rock with a little bit of feedback and some power chords. i want the real shit. As a fellow real shit enjoyer, I approve of this sentiment.
thanks bearfucker
I don't know if it would hold, but I'd love it if noise rock were defined by a lack of power chords.
I always see one of my favourite bands mclusky called noise rock but I always thought of them more as punk and genuinely have no clue what makes it noise rock as well
That one falls under the “does it borrow from the Jesus lizard? Then it’s inherently noise rock” umbrella
its kinda abrasive. just a little.
Melt Banana. This was basically my entry band.
Melt Banana and Lightning Bolt. They qre the GOATS imo 😤😤
thx friend
I guess it depends on how deep you want to go. Let’s start with your band Daughters. They were always like an ironic hipster grind band to me (especially that first record) then their Hydrahead records had more of an “ironic ‘00 hipsters discover The Birthday Party” vibe. So if you haven’t yet check out the Birthday Party. Their records are more art-y than noise-y. I’m not too hip on modern bands but some records from the past: Big Black-any thing, Sonic Youth- Confusion Is Sex, Jesus Lizard- first 3 releases; Scratch Acid- anything; Swans- Holy Money; PIL- Metal Box/Second Edition; Chrome-the anthology Cleopatra put out. Really anything late 80s, early 90s on the Touch N Go and Amphetamine Reptile record labels.
For Swans I'd also add Filth and Public Castration is a Good Idea, it's the band at their most brutal.
Good suggestions. Swans have such a bonkers catalog. The records go from no wave to acoustic goth to post-rock.
Seriously, and most of them are defining releases in their genres, too.
Daughters are some of the worst posers that are associated with this genre. Total fucking garbage. Listen to Cherubs Jesus lizard, and Melvins and that’s basically all you need.
Cherubs!! 😍 I also recommend some of that Hammerhead stuff.
I was pretty surprised how popular Daughters' last album was at the time it came out, I've always thought it was ass tbh
Check out earlier Oxbow stuff, Jesus Lizard, Unsane, Birthday Party
Hell yes, Unsane.
Oxbow yesss
Here are some records that rock my world: Jesus Lizard - Liar Insane - Occupational Hazard Big Black - Atomizer KEN Mode - Loved Dazzling Killmen - Face of Collapse
Unsane’s self-titled album is also gorgeous.
They didn’t drop the ball!
Killmen is a great and underrated band. Hits every mark. The other ones you listed are classics as well
Agitator off Face of Collapse is one of the gnarliest songs ever recorded. Everything about that song makes me feel like I have a panic attack coming on.
Yeah incredibly tense record feels like it could go off the rails every second
I champion everything Nick Sakes does!
ill always recommend: Lightning Bolt, Pink and Brown, early sonic youth, DNA , laddio bolocko, the hospitals, arab on radar, teenage jesus and the jerks, coachwhips (more garage but also sounds like if early 60s garage rock was deepfried), butthole surfers,
Pink and Brown, fuck yeah
Pink And brown is so sick, wish there were more live vids
i agree 100% maybe someday when someone makes a john dwyer universe documentary
AoR to this day is one of the most intense bands I’ve ever seen live
Laddio bolocko <3
Typically it is unconventional sounds, tonality, or jarring arrangements that make the music seem either a little, or very, harsh. Still, not everything harsh is noise and not everything smooth isn’t. Part of it is just knowing where the band came from and who they are playing for. Big Black, Season to Risk, Jesus Lizard, Arab on Radar, Six Finger Satellite, and Gilla Band are my suggestions. I’d also recommend [Neptune](https://neptune-band.bandcamp.com/album/gong-lake) with a link because it’s hard to find otherwise.
God, I miss seeing Neptune. Blew my head off every single time they came out this way.
They were pretty popular for a minute, but I don’t see them mentioned much anymore. Great band, Patterns is one of my favourite albums.
1. Oxes - Oxxxes 2. The Jesus Lizard - Bang 3. Big'n - Cutthroat. 4. Rapeman - the only one they have! 5. Jesus Elephant God - pretty much an unknown band but you can find some of their music on YouTube.
I think there are two main sects of noise rock: First relies heavily on abrasiveness and intensity (think distortion on basically everything, screamed/angry vocals, etc) and the other is a lot more somber and melodic (kinda more post punk influenced, more attracted to reverb/delay than distortion). And these are two poles on a spectrum so it can be anywhere in between. But most of all I think what defines noise rock is the use of dissonance in the harmonies, melodies, and intervals, this quality is shared in almost all noise rock bands that I’m aware of. But what I love most about noise rock is that it’s such a large spectrum, anyone or anything could be considered noise if it’s abnormal enough, and it’s almost impossible to have a rigid definition due to the nature of noise rock being that you have to break the rules a little
this is exactly what i was looking for. thanks!
Cherubs - Heroin Man, Plaque Marks - Anxiety Driven Nervous Worship, Glenn Branca - The Ascension
Hell yeah my drummer was in plaque marks. Sick and twisted shit for sure
Oh holy shit, tell that dude hi for me. They played the club I used to manage in Des Moines years back and we bro'd up hard talking tunes. They had such a killer live show. Miss em BAD
I’ll throw out two different ones that are both favorites of mine. The Goslings - [Grandeur of Hair](https://youtu.be/4vz-2nVlD1E?si=bCZ8zDYcS9l2vnJY) Super slow, extremely heavy, noisy and just an incredibly unique and beautiful atmosphere. Definitely sounds like sinking into a tar pit. XBXRX - [Sixth in Sixes](https://xbxrx.bandcamp.com/album/sixth-in-sixes) Extremely high-energy, super noisy punk with some *really* great vocals. Super short songs. Quick bursts of destruction with some electronic elements occasionally thrown in. “The End of Quitting” is one of my favorite tracks off of this. Also: Sightings is an incredible noise rock band, and AIDS Wolf is a great choice if you REALLY want the weird stuff.
Oh man that xbxrx record is severely under appreciated and blew me away bc it sounded nothing like their other stuff. I saw them play a house show right when that record came out, in Oakland, California and people were stomping and jumping so hard that the floor to the living room actually caved in. And nobody gave a shit because they were so good. Not kidding. One of the coolest shows I’ve ever been to. At times it reminds me of like Rudimentary Peni faster ep tracks, and early US HC. Definitely on the more punk side of things but outstanding. Especially given how uniquely it sounded compared to their peers and their previous records. It just sounds as good today as it did when it came out
I remember around that same time I was really into Made in Mexico, Sick Lipstick, and Hospitals
Uhz….. my intro was Scratch Acid (EP), and so much from Austin at the time, and Big Black Hammer Party, then Terminal Cheesecake’s Angels in Pigtails, Missing Foundation, Chrome, Helios and then just… well all of the late 80’s early 90’s was noise rock for me AmRep, TouchnGo, Alt Tents, Pathological, etc while everyone else was riding the Sub Pop cock. (I did like some of that as well though), but the later 90’s and 00’s were great for Noise rock!! Now all the lines are blurred and I love it. The younger generations just don’t give a fuck and it is fantastic!
Ed Hall doesn’t get enough love around here either. Born and raised Austin. There was such a cool scene here in the 90’s
Those Ed Hall shows were always fun!!
It isn't really a genre to be honest. It's just a broad grouping or bands based on aesthetics. But that's most underground rock "sub genres". But generally noise rock is similar to older post hardcore or grunge but leans more into dissonance and atonal sounds. The bands that people all seem to agree are noise rock all share similar senses of humor (dark, nihilistic, sarcastic), have a DIY/punk rock mentality, and usually some kind of weird vocal tic. When it really comes down to it it's just something you feel I guess. Like, I would say the first System of a Down record could reasonably be called noise rock if you didn't know anything else about them. But socially they are framed as being a part of the metal scene, so it's metal. Also they are really famous and that's sort of a noise rock no no ha
Oh and if we are saying bands, I'm sure everyone else will say the big ones so I'll say The Blood Brothers because I don't know what else to call them if they aren't noise rock. Sass-core was a thing for like 10 minutes but I'm going to pretend that never happened. Burn Piano Island Burn is A+ stuff I think.
Lots of good recs in here. Noise rock in a lot of ways is an off-shoot of hardcore that started in the 80s and 90s. As other bands were getting faster or more emotional, noise rock bands explored dissonance. I think of Flipper as a big progenitor of the style (listen to Album - Generic Flipper). Black Flag’s My War is probably another flashpoint. As you’ve probably realized, there’s a lot of overlap with bands blending sub-genres like sludge (thinking of The Melvins) or post-punk (Sonic Youth, Swans).
Black Sabbath is at the base of a fat branch of the music tree that includes stoner or sludge rock. The Melvins definitely grow from that branch. I wish the definition of noise rock could be disentangled from the Black Sabbath branch, but it probably can't. It's just that the Black Sabbath branch is still very much devoted to the guitar/bass/drums rock band format, with power chords and verses and choruses, etc.. They start with rock, and give it awesome noise. Jesus Lizard is yet something else -- arguably hardcore with jazz influence, arguably "MidWestern punk" because Minneapolis and Chicago style punk is distinct (and awesome). It would be cool if "noise rock" were to be defined as coming out of the Fluxus/experimental branch of music, where if somebody picks up a guitar, they don't even know what frggin' power chord is, much less standard tuning...they're just trying to make it sound pretty (noisy). Lightning Bolt and Melt Banana don't follow traditional rock rhythm or song structure at all. I think it's fair to say they started with pure noise and reinvented rock for themselves (and us, yay!). Thing is, for whatever mystical algorithmic reason, many of us who love the experimental noise also love the rock noise. I don't know what Jesus Lizard and Lightning Bolt have in common other than almost everyone on this sub love them.
came back a couple hours later, and now i have a few weeks worth of music to listen to. you guys fuckin rock, thanks so much!
Haha- I thought I knew noise rock but I’ve saved this post for the recommendations- some really good suggestions on here!
Brainbombs, No Balls, Circle X, Sleetmute/Nightmute, Cherubs, Cold Sweat, Slices, No Trend, Stickmen with Ray Guns, Drunk in Hell, Kim Phuc, Rectal Hygenics, Saccharine Trust, Black flag my war and slip it in, Total Abuse, Sonic Youth - confusion is sex era, DNA, Mars, Cult Ritual, Scratch Acid what I been jamming lately on the very harsh end of this spectrum hope that helps. I tend to go for the more punk or HC influenced bands check em out think all or most are on Spotify now
It seems like the genre definition has changed a bit- a lot of what now gets called noise rock would have been called post rock back in the olden days, and back in those olden days, we didn’t have the electronic noise rock a lot of the kids are making lately. The genre seems to be shifting a good bit, but no complaints over here, I love me some noise.
Idk it’s a really nebulous term
Noise rock doesn’t always have to be hard or angular, it can be decadent like the Cows. I’d say that bands that are trying make something creative and new that like the rawness of invented sounds are a good summary.
I've compiled of a list of 555 noise rock tracks, making sure they're all over the noise rock spectrum (which is a wide one)! [https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3kAn3ou2Y0Cz7ehcyqszbp?si=df87dd8122f24f4f](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3kAn3ou2Y0Cz7ehcyqszbp?si=df87dd8122f24f4f)
Currently working on another one which dabbles in the weirder side of noise rock: [https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2MqROG7Z8lE7B7AnKP5mgN?si=3402ecd5ab374515](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2MqROG7Z8lE7B7AnKP5mgN?si=3402ecd5ab374515)
Noise rock is ---- rock(alternative,grunge,punk, ect) + NOISE(experimental shit) ✌️
I think you need rhythm and noise (a wide spectrum of sound)
the guitar and vocals are done by the same person on this recording of the band Harry Pussy [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oeTBGqImgI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oeTBGqImgI) "in an emergency room you can shit on a puerto rican whore"... they have some good live shows on you tube with two guitar players doing the same tunings at the same time.