The Films

The Films were a Brooklyn band that started putting out music in the early 2000s. Their sound was built on dissonant guitar work and abrasive vocals, which made them a fixture in the underground scene. Songs like 'Amateur Hour' and 'Strange Hands' captured that raw, intense energy they were known for from the beginning.

Michael Gira wrote most of the material, and his lyrics often dealt with violence, sexuality, and existential themes. The band's performances could be confrontational, sometimes involving nudity or self-harm on stage, which sparked plenty of debate about what constituted artistic expression.

They released several albums over about a decade, starting with the raw debut 'No Pussyfooting' in 2002. Later records like 'Ice Cream' and 'Shadows in the Sun' showed them experimenting with more polished production and atmospheric textures, though they never lost that abrasive edge. Their 2007 concept album 'A History of Violence' continued exploring dark themes with some notable collaborators.