walking upstream…
Siouxsie and the Banshees
photo: malco23 · cc by-sa 3.0 ↗Siouxsie and the Banshees
sourcesWikipedia
Siouxsie and the Banshees emerged from the London punk scene in 1976, led by singer Siouxsie Sioux and bassist Steven Severin, who had first surfaced among the Sex Pistols' 'Bromley Contingent' of fans. Across a run of albums from 'The Scream' onward, they moved from spiky post-punk toward a darker, more textured and psychedelic sound that became foundational to gothic rock and helped shape the wider post-punk and dream-pop lineage. Siouxsie's commanding, dramatic vocals and the band's atmospheric arrangements influenced a generation of alternative artists before they disbanded in 1996.
the sound in question
1981
SpellboundSiouxsie and the Banshees
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Sex Pistols1970s · Punk rock
Siouxsie Sioux and Steven Severin first came up as part of the Sex Pistols' 'Bromley Contingent' of fans, and the Banshees' debut performance grew straight out of that scene; the band's early sound carries punk's raw, confrontational charge.
listen: upstream & here
1976
Anarchy in the U.K.Sex Pistols
1978
Hong Kong GardenSiouxsie and the Banshees
listen forPlay the jagged 'Anarchy in the U.K.,' then 'Hong Kong Garden' — hear the same fast, aggressive punk drive, now sharpened by a bright, needling guitar riff.
David Bowie1970s · Art rock / Glam rock
Siouxsie has often cited David Bowie as a formative influence, and his glam theatricality and restless art-rock reinvention echo in the Banshees' dramatic personas and shifting, stylized sound.
listen: upstream & here
1974
Rebel RebelDavid Bowie
1980
Happy HouseSiouxsie and the Banshees
listen forSet the strutting glam of 'Rebel Rebel' beside 'Happy House' — hear a shared taste for angular, art-rock swagger and a vocal that performs a character rather than just a lyric.
The Velvet Underground1960s · Art rock / Proto-punk / Experimental rock
The Banshees drew on the Velvet Underground's darker, more hypnotic art-rock — the droning repetition and detached menace that ran beneath the New York band's cooler songs.
listen: upstream & here
1967
I'm Waiting for the ManThe Velvet Underground
1985
Cities in DustSiouxsie and the Banshees
listen forPlay the insistent, one-chord churn of 'I'm Waiting for the Man,' then the driving 'Cities in Dust' — hear the same hypnotic, repetitive momentum pushing a coolly detached vocal.