Be honest with yourself: Have you ever sat down and listened to a Siouxsie and The Banshees album from beginning to end? If you haven’t, hear me out.
Some bands can seem ubiquitous, and so it’s easy to glaze over when one of these hyper-exposed bands comes up in conversation. I do it all the time with art and media, especially movies- I’m still not sure if I’ve ever actually seen Jurassic Park or if I’ve just heard about it so much that I tricked myself into believing I have.
Between Siouxsie and The Banshees’ 1981 album Juju and ’86’s Tinderbox, you’re bound to be exposed to a handful of their songs either at goth nights, Halloween parties, or who knows where. So it probably wouldn’t hurt to know what you’re talking about when they come up in conversation- love ‘em or hate ‘em.
Tinderbox is essential listening for all kinds of people- I’ll spare you a list, as instead of reading who* should hear it you could just listen to it instead. (*people who read music blogs to discover new music would be on that list anyways)
Siouxsie and The Banshees was one of a small handful of fundamental Post-Punk groups, coming out from under the Malcolm McLaren iteration of Punk Rock in London in the late 1970s and developing into a darker, more atmospheric sound. This push towards rich darkness helped usher in both Goth Rock and the Goth subculture, which Siouxsie also served as a primary style icon for.
Tinderbox is this sound in its most accessible form, and perhaps its best. If Juju is the culmination of The Banshees’ first three albums (The Scream, Join Hands, and Kaleidoscope), than Tinderbox is Juju with the experimentation and lush orchestral production of the interim albums (A Kiss in The Dreamhouse, Hyæna) folded in.
If I can only choose one album out of the Banshees’ impressive catalog of work, I’m choosing Tinderbox every time. The band and their songwriting had matured since Juju, the production is incredibly luscious, and Sweetest Chill is the best non-single the band ever released. Do I need to say anymore?
For fans of: Slowdive, The Cure, Kate Bush
Like Siouxsie & The Banshees? Give these a listen: Wire, The Church, Strange Boutique
Tedious ‘fun’ fact; Sid Vicious was an original member prior to joining the Sex Pistols. True, I guess, though only for their first live performance. His presence in their story speaks more to the insular nature of the Punk scene in London at the time than anything else.
The Resident Sound 