A New York band that blended post-punk with ambient textures and global sounds from the late '80s onward.
For a good sense of their sound, try 'Pearls Of Wisdom' or 'Elizabeth Stride (1843-1888).' They both have that slow-burn, hypnotic quality they did so well.
They carved out a space where post-punk's edge met something more atmospheric and patient. Songs like 'Pearls Of Wisdom' move on hypnotic rhythms with spare, haunting vocals that feel more like a trance than a shout. Their name even came from a shared appreciation for Sun Ra, which tells you something about where their heads were at.
They formed in New York City around 1985 and put out their first album, 'Hope Against Hope,' in 1989. The lineup shifted over the years, with players like Ray Winstone and David Wingo coming through, and they kept recording through the '90s and into the 2000s. They released what they called their final album, 'Farewell,' in 2004, but put out another called 'Susans' in 2016.
Keep it compact: a lyric you come back to, a live memory, or the part of the catalog you would point someone toward first.
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