Matt Schwartz’s recent post, Music to My Twisted Ears, got me thinking about my music collection and the horrors it might contain. Genuine horrors — not bad music, of which there is, of course, none on my iPod (okay maybe a track or two from the ’80s but, hey…).
It took just one pass through the iPod to realize that to my twisted ears, Slint makes the most truly frightening music I know of. Hands down and for many reasons, not the least of which is the seeming normality of the band’s members, photographed here in a quarry in their homeland of Kentucky by Will Oldham (aka Bonnie “Prince” Billy), another dark Kentucky musician. More after the jump…
Their definitive LP is called Spiderland. All the lyrics are of a psychological-scary variety, none more so than on Good Morning, Captain, the last cut on Spiderland. The lyrics (Written by Brian McMahan, David Pajo, Britt Walford, and Todd Brashear. Copyright Bug Music, as best as I can tell.) are worth reading in their entirety as they hold up on their own, I think. The punctuation is mine (the lyrics did not appear in the sleeve of the CD).
"Let me in," the voice cried softly
from outside the wooden door.
Scattered remnants of the ship could be seen in the distance.
Blood stained the icy wall of the shore."I'm the only one left. The storm took them all,"
he managed as he tried to stand.
The tears ran down his face.
"Please, it's cold."When he woke, there was no trace of the ship.
Only the dawn was left behind by the storm.
He felt the creaking of the stairs beneath him
that rose from the sea to the door.There was a sound at the window then.
The captain started, his breath was still.
Slowly he turned.From behind the edge of the windowsill,
There appeared the delicate hand of a child.
His face was flush and timid.
He stared at the captain through frightened eyes.The captain reached for something to hold on to,
"Help me," he whispered, as he rose slowly to his feet.
The boy's face went pale,
He recognized the sound.Silently, he pulled down the shade against the shadow.
Lost in the doorstep of the empty house."I'm trying to find my way home.
I'm sorry...
...and I miss you.I miss you.
I've grown taller now.
I want the police to be notified.
I'll make it up to you,
I swear, I'll make it up to you.I miss you."
The music enhances and amplifies the mood perfectly. Throughout the record it is math-y, loud/soft, building, atonal (when warranted), and complex. On listening, one realizes the title of the album best describes the music, not any lyrics. The music is the thing that's spidery and frontman McMahan's delivery is devastating. Clearly the last line is screamed...a few times...and horrifically.
If you need it, the front cover of their eponymous EP gives you further sense of what they're about.
Yikes, right? What are those things? Seriously, what are they?! Now I'm just freaking myself out...
Try Slint. They're great, utterly unlike anything else, and recently re-formed and may do a new album. But don't just take my word for it, check out the shout-outs and top album listings they, and specifically Spiderland, have recieved from music journo outlets from Pitchfork to Spin.
I'm definitely checking this out. Thanks for the suggestion. The clips I just listened to are right up my alley.
Music to make your skin crawl! When I have that sleeping too much problem I will definitely bust this out.
Slint is a major and inexcusable gap in my musical education, one which I'll remedy immediately. Awesome post!