Classic Albums: How I Love You by The Angels Of Light

So I’m really dragging these 2001’s albums out, hey? Here’s finally my part three now on Monday morning blog post this week, kind-of of how the hell I remember the music of… or just I should I just say my fave albums from that year.

It’s back to NYC again today so now the second act from New York but if your getting sick and tired of all these septic tanks, the last two albums which yeah are still coming posts are from elsewhere in the world next, OK? After a couple of weeks ago talking about a some what over hyped NYC band and a solo album from guitar player from one of LA biggest bands so now a lesser act but maybe ever more important act. Two songs on this album even have New York in the titles of the tracks!

The Angels Of Light are most likely the most unknown or under rated of these few albums I’ve or I’m going highlighting on here my blog. If you don’t them? You might know the main man and singer-songwriter from the more well known act called Swans. Micheal Gira calling time on the Swans in the late 90’s only the reform a new version a few years back but this year calling time again on that line-up of them. In the 2000’s Gira had a new band or at least a new name to work under, if truth be told. This band really is some what more mellow acoustic guitar version of everything he’s done, mainly recording with Swans band but he’s had a few under his own name so solo album. Fun fact or maybe not very fun for him about Gira at that time of his sixteen birthday he somehow ended up spent four and a half months in an adult jail in Jerusalem for selling hashish.

Smiley Micheal Gira

The Angels Of Light were a band which seem to have even more members come and go than his sometime Swans line-up, if your going to compare both bands. Which I guess I’ve just been doing this whole paragraph or two, so I stop doing that now and say something else. The How I Love You album features contributions from Bee and Flower bassist and vocalist Dana Schechter, drummer Thor Harris formerly of Shearwater, worked with Devendra Banhart, Bill Callahan etc. The ex-member of The Gun Club, The Cramps and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds’ singer-songwriter and guitarist Kid Congo Powers.

The How I Love You album was released in the month of March in 2001 and was the second album by this band. Gira and his angels pre-dated the weird or freak folk moment which was pretty big in the 2000’s if you remember it and I say this because you can’t find everyone more weird or freaky than Micheal. Plus Gira did discover the poster boy of that moment too, also even Devendra Banhart earliest recordings are released on Gira own label Young God Records.

I got to say something about the very interesting album cover’s black & white photo is really Gira’s mother Alice Schulte Gira and then on the back cover features a picture of his father Robert Pierre Gira too.

To me and maybe no one else I don’t know? But find this album the, if I can use the word happy to describe it? It’s most likely a very bleak record to most people but even with songs like My Suicide I just find it full of happiest and enjoyment. Who knows but that’s how I see it or hear it I should say? One thing more to finish off this post, it’s now the second time Micheal in my list here after Swans’ Love Of Life album!

So which insane buggers out there think this is a great album or is a fave as well? Who’s never heard it before out there? Who’s in the middle ground, if there is such a thing?

How I Loved You track listing and times:

1. Evangeline – 8:45
2. Untitled Love Song – 4:54
3. My True Body – 6:04
4. Jennifer’s Sorry – 3:41
5. Song For Nico – 4:07
6. New York City In The Future – 11:54
7. My Suicide – 5:41
8. New York Girls – 8:11
9. Public Embarrassment Blues – 4:46
10. Two Women – 11:48

All my Classic Albums posts are in that link or they’re all linked below too!

• Tales From The Australian Underground – Volume 1 & 2 by Various Artists
• Station To Station by David Bowie
• Unplugged In New York by Nirvana
• Rust In Peace by Megadeth
• Gunfighter Ballads And Trail Songs by Marty Robbins
• Henry’s Dream by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
• Whatever You Love, You Are by Dirty Three
• Gala Mill by The Drones
• Black Monk Time by The Monks
• Ex Tropical by Lost Animal
• Work (Work, Work) by HTRK
• In The Wee Small Hours by Frank Sinatra
• The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn by Pink Floyd
• Songs Of Love And Hate by Leonard Cohen
• Warm Leatherette by Grace Jones
• The White House by The Dead C
• Silence Is Sexy by Einstürzende Neubauten
• Lulu by Lou Reed & Metallica
• Kaira by Toumani Diabaté
• Kings Of The Wild Frontier by Adam And The Ants
• Drowning In The Fountain Of Youth by Dan Kelly And The Alpha Males
• Aerial by Kate Bush
• The Future by Leonard Cohen
• Rock For Light by Bad Brains
• Last Splash by The Breeders
• Sex by The Necks
• Emergency Ward by Nina Simone
• Paradise by My Disco
• Batman by Prince
• Sings Christmas Carols by Mark Kozelek
• What Are Rock Stars Doing Today by Magic Dirt
• Love Of Life by Swans
• Big Name, No Blankets by Warumpi Band
• Blue Valentine by Tom Waits
• In The Pines by The Triffids
• Where Joy Kills Sorrow by Various Artists
• TV Sky by The Young Gods
• King For A Day, Fool For A Lifetime by Faith No More
• Jean Lee And The Yellow Dog by Ed Kuepper
• Law Of Nature by Laughing Clowns
• (I’m) Stranded by The Saints
• Super Ape by Lee “Scratch” Perry & The Upsetters
• The Soft ‘N’ Sexy Sound by Dave Graney ‘N’ The Coral Snakes
• Mutiny/The Bad Seed by The Birthday Party
• Bahdeni Nami by Omar Souleyman
• Ascension by John Coltrane
• The Definitive by Blind Willie McTell
• Rid Of Me by PJ Harvey
• Horses by Patti Smith
• Vespertine by Björk
• Hex Enduction Hour by The Fall
• Flesh Of My Flesh, Blood Of My Blood by DMX
• I’m New Here by Gil Scott-Heron
• Charcoal Lane by Archie Roach
• In My Own Time by Karen Dalton
• Stay Sick! by The Cramps
• Primary Colours by Eddy Current Suppression Ring
• Veedon Fleece by Van Morrison
• Trainspotting by Various Artists
• After School Session by Chuck Berry
• Body Language by Kylie Minogue
• Bricks Are Heavy by L7
• Trailer Park by Beth Orton
• Arular by M.I.A.
• Moon Pix by Cat Power
• White Light/White Heat by The Velvet Underground
• Y by The Pop Group
• The Human Jukebox by Scientists
• The Shape Of Things by Pere Ubu
• Congotronics by Konono Nº1
• High Voltage by AC/DC
• Self-tilted by The Seeds
• His Best by Bo Diddley
• Embracism by Kirin J Callinan
• Benji by Sun Kil Moon
• Betty by Helmet 
• Late Registration by Kanye West
• Under The Western Freeway by Grandaddy
• What The Sea Wants, The Sea Will Have by Sarah Blasko
• Regret Is An Inevitable Consequence Of Life by Ricaine
• Tu-Plang by Regurgitator
• Hourly, Daily by You Am I
• In A Bar, Under The Sea by dEUS
• Gurrumul by Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu
• Twin Peaks by Angelo Badalamenti
• Some Girls by The Rolling Stones
• Adult Themes For Voice by Mike Patton
• Candy Apple Grey by Hüsker Dü
• This Is It by The Strokes
• To Record Only Water For Ten Days by John Frusciante

Basically the idea is write a little about each of my fave albums but I don’t know why really I titled/tagged them all as classic albums? Please feel free to leave a reply about this one or any of them or all of them all, Thank you!

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