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Noise rock is a of that originally emerged in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Artists fuse rock music to , while utilizing extreme levels of guitar distortion and feedback, primarily through the use of .

Notable acts include , , Swans, Flipper, Cows, , and the Jesus Lizard.


Characteristics
Noise rock is a term that can refer to two distinct styles, each stemming from different influences and stylistic origins. In the early 1980s, music critic coined the term "pigfuck" to describe , the label later took a life of its own encompassing artists like , the Jesus Lizard, Flipper, Cows, and who were more rooted in the and scenes and often associated with labels like Amphetamine Reptile and Touch and Go. The other strain of the genre originated in the late 1960s with more art-based influences, aligning itself with avant-garde music and , pioneered by bands like the Velvet Underground, , and Les Rallizes Dénudés and later and . Bands like Sonic Youth incorporated both the genre’s punk rooted origins as well as its art-damaged sound, by including the use of alternate tunings and unconventional techniques, such as playing guitar with drumsticks.

Sonic Youth are the only noise rock band to achieve commercial success with the single " 100%" from their album " Dirty" reaching #4 on the US charts with frontman stating: Additionally, the scene helped further develop the sound of noise rock, with the compilation album " No New York" serving as a pivotal influence. Subsequently, bands like and Swans, emerged out of the scene as key noise rock artists, drawing inspiration from composers and .

Noise rock fuses to noise, merging extreme levels of guitar distortion, electronic effects, , improvisation, and with that of traditional .

While noise rock has never had any wide mainstream popularity, the raw, distorted and feedback-intensive sound of some noise rock bands had an influence on , which enjoyed some popularity in the 90s, especially in the UK, and , the most commercially successful with Nirvana's final studio album produced by and generally taking influences from bands like , Wipers, , Dinosaur Jr. and the Jesus Lizard. ' mix of , heavy metal and noise rock was a major influence, particularly on the early work of . Other influential acts were 's Killdozer, 's , and 's Flipper.


History

Forerunners
During the mid-to late 1960s, the use of and distortion in rock music was becoming further incorporated by and bands, with its predominance being primarily pioneered by artists such as , , ,Shaw, Thomas Edward and Anita Klemke. Black Monk Time: A Book About the Monks. Reno: Carson Street Publishing, 1995. , , the Velvet Underground, and the whose guitar playing and techniques were beginning to border on "". In 1968, the Velvet Underground released White Light/White Heat, which was later widely recognized as the first noise rock album, with Spin magazine deeming it the genre's "ur-text". Guitarist drew influence from saxophonist , incorporating feedback as well as a discordant atonal approach to electric guitar, which was expanded upon from their previous release The Velvet Underground & Nico.

Although, some contemporaneous underground experimental and groups were later recognized by music critics as early pioneers of what would become noise rock such as , , Cromagnon, , the Godz, the Ethix, and Nihilist Spasm Band.Unterberger, Richie (1998). Unknown Legends of Rock 'n' Roll: Psychedelic Unknowns, Mad Geniuses, Punk Pioneers, Lo-Fi Mavericks & More Most notable of these artists would be Les Rallizes Denudés, formed in Kyoto, Japan in 1967, who drew inspiration from the Velvet Underground's White Light/White Heat, and later influenced several artists in the early and scene.

Additionally, U.S. experimental music groups would also prove influential, such as who released a noisy version of "Satisfaction" in 1976, and , whose 1977 EP Calling All Girls later influenced Sonic Youth and .


1970s–1980s: Origins
The term "noise rock" was coined on July 22, 1972 by writer Nat Freedland in an issue of Billboard magazine, the article outlined the influence of Germany's scene on English rock bands, which was then followed by Freedland stating, "Is America the next step for teutonic noise rock?" During the late 1970s to early 1980s, the term "noise rock" became associated with an offshoot of punk groups that showcased an increasingly abrasive approach which merged extreme levels of atonality, distortion, and guitar feedback with traditional rock music instrumentation.

By the late 1970s, the advent of and , inspired bands in adopting a more abrasive approach to rock music, some of these early artists included San Francisco's influential acid-punk band Chrome, as well as group MX-80 Sound who influenced and Sonic Youth. However, most notable of these artists were 's the Birthday Party, who inspired by the Pop Group, went on to influence "a generation of US noise-rock groups, from Sonic Youth to and the Jesus Lizard". Other influences include , , Wire, the Fall and . In addition, "Weird Noise E.P." the British various artists 7" single released in 1979 was the earliest noise rock compilation album.

Guitarist of noise rock band stated in 1984 in an article that "good noise is like orgasm". He commented: "Anybody can play notes. There's no trick. What is a trick and a good one is to make a guitar do things that don't sound like a guitar at all. The point here is stretching the boundaries."Albini, Steve. (September - October 1984). "Tired of Ugy Fat ?". Matter a (10). He said that of "made squealy death noise feedback" on "'s monstruous songs". Albini also mentioned John McKay of Siouxsie and the Banshees, saying: " The Scream is notable for a couple of things: only now people are trying to copy it, and even now nobody understands how that guitar player got all that pointless noise to stick together as songs". Albini also said that of Public Image Ltd had this "ability to make an excruciating noise come out of his guitar". Additionally, of Gang of Four would incorporate drawn-out abrasive guitar feedback on their song "Love Like Anthrax".

In an article about noise rock, Spin wrote that the US compilation album No New York, produced by and released in 1978 was an important document of the late '70s New York scene that acted as an influence to bands like and Swans. It featured several songs of 's first band Teenage Jesus and the Jerks along with material of other groups Mars, DNA and James Chance and the Contortions, other bands who were not featured on the compilation such as Theoretical Girls, Suicide, , , and Jack Ruby were also influential to the scene.'s Union Station in 1986; left to right: Riley, Albini, and Durango]] During the 1980s, , Sonic Youth and Swans were the leading figures of noise rock with Sonic Youth becoming the first noise rock band to get signed by a major label in 1990. Subsequently, Robert Chrisgau would coin the term "pigfuck" which later became associated with many of the prominent noise rock bands during this period. Other influential groups were , Oxbow, , Pussy Galore, the Dead C and . Noise rock bands like Ruins and began drawing influences from . Subsequently, Japan would also contribute with influential bands such as High Rise, , and Mainliner. Later notable bands of the noise rock scene included Cows, , 's , Season to Risk and Unsane. retrospectively described 1986 as one of the most formative years for extreme music genres like noise rock.


1990s–2000s
Subsequently, as genres like developed into the early 1990s, noise rock bands such as , U.S. Maple, , , Drive Like Jehu, Today Is the Day and Cherubs began further incorporating these influences into the noise rock genre whilst bands like Helmet infused influences indebted to heavy metal, and most notably Brainiac who merged with . formed the influential noise rock band Shellac in 1992, further proliferating the genre, while the Jesus Lizard emerged in the early 1990s as a "leading noise rock band" in the American scene with their "willfully abrasive and atonal" style.

Later on in the 1990s, the term "noise punk" began developing with the band Lightning Bolt serving as key players in the 2000s noise punk scene in Providence, Rhode Island centered around the art music venue, although Brian Gibson, the band's bassist, is dismissive of the noise punk label, stating "I hate, hate, hate the category "noise-punk" I really don't like being labeled with two words that have so much baggage. It's gross." Other noise punk artists include Arab on Radar, Liars, Boris, the Flying Luttenbachers, Zs, , Hella, and . In Japan, notable noise rock bands began to emerge out of the , such as , , Destroy 2 and . Notable noise rock bands that emerged in the early 2000s were Daughters, , METZ, and Death from Above 1979. As well as poppier acts such as , and Karp.]]


2010s–2020s
During the early 2010s, noise rock artists such as , Whores and emerged onto the scene. London's pioneers 's debut album was referred to as noise rock by . In 2018, Daughters released You Won't Get What You Want, which became a critically acclaimed noise rock album.

Subsequently, bands like Sprain and would later follow, gaining prominence as noise rock groups.


Related genres

Pigfuck
Pigfuck is a noise rock coined by music critic in the early 1980s, the term was originally used to describe the caustic sounds of emerging noise rock band Sonic Youth (similar to another term he coined "skronk" as a descriptor for jagged and noisy guitar music). Later taking on a life of its own, pigfuck became associated with the sounds of adjacent bands like , , Cows, , and Flipper as well as artists on labels such as Touch and Go Records and Amphetamine Reptile Records.


Noisecore
Noisecore is a of and which emerged in the mid-1980s. Notable acts include , Gore Beyond Necropsy, and the Gerogerigegege.


Shitgaze
Shitgaze is an early internet coined in the early 2000s by the Midwestern rock band Psychedelic Horseshit who pioneered a brand of noise rock they dubbed "shitgaze". Notable acts include , , Times New Viking, early , , , , Sealings, early , Meth Teeth, Pink Reason, the Bitters, and P.H.F.


See also
  • List of noise rock bands
  • List of noise musicians


Sources

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