Joan Of Arc
“Truck”
1984
Coming from the wilds of Chicago (and it is a wild town, I love it), come Joan of Arc. Being around since 1996, they have honed a sound unlike any other. They have always said that they create “music for no audience”. Not true; they have at least one huge fan right here. Comprised of Tim Kinsella, Bobby Burg, Theo Katsaounis, Melina Ausikaitis, and Jeremy Boyle, Joan of Arc create uncompromising music that is beautiful and grating at the same time. Ausikaitis has one of those unique voices; just listen, there is no one like her. Tender yet gruff, intimate yet distant, her voice is an amazing instrument. The only artist I can compare her to even slightly is Pal Shazar from Slow Children. Joan of Arc’s bio says it all:
Joan of Arc began in 1996 with the clear goal of “creating music for no audience.” And by this we meant that we were constant and voracious consumers and keen observers of many scenes contemporary at the time: hardcore, punk, post-punk, post-rock, riot girl, emo, math rock, no wave, noise, experimental, drone, free jazz, kraut rock, dub, glitch, drum and bass, psych, folk, and twee. All of these scenes had their own codes of membership and conformity. We set out knowing that our failure to be embraced by any prefab audience would be the proof of the singularity of our expression.
Give them a chance. You will be swept away. Screw labels. We don’t need no stinkin labels.