The English rock band formed by Siouxsie Sioux and bass guitarist Steven Severin in the mid 1970s brought the raw edge of Punk to the Post-Punk era with equal parts Pop and Avant-Garde, joining the great band The Cure as the forerunners of the Gothic music scene. Their music didn't really hit the US shores until 1980, when their odd Kabuki-like make-up stood in sharp contrast to the American rockers making their way to the 1980s. The sound of the band flowed between raucous Punk to Psychedelic, never becoming predictable.
Over 30 years ago, in 1982, the band released a single that was not featured on any album at the time. "Fireworks" was written and produced by the band, and leaned more toward the Psychedelic end of the spectrum. I thought it would be a great way to celebrate the birth of the American nation, as much of the nations holds firework displays. So here are Siouxsie & the Banshees with "Fireworks"
I am an unabashed fan of Casey Stratton and the music he makes. His voice is amazing, and the piano playing - I could watch for hours. I could (and have) listen to Casey original music for hours on end. He makes such gorgeous and rich melodies. But he also has a wonder way with the music of other great artists. Here he covers Siouxsie & the Banshees 1985 song, Cities In Dust, from the Tinderbox album.
Another example of Casey's musical strength would be the 1985 song written by Patrick Leonard and Madonna, Live To Tell.The power of his voice is startling, and his sparse arrangement really highlights the beauty of the song.
For more about Casey, check out his official website here. You can also follow him on Twitter here - he is a great read. You can check out the music he has available in his digital store here.
It's hard for me to know what song Siouxsie & the Banshees are most know for in the US, as they really didn't have much success in this market. They made a bit of a splash as part of the Neo-Punk/New Wave movement, showing the early signs of Goth tendencies with The Cure. Formed in 1976, vocalist Siouxsie Sioux and bassist Steven Severin were initially part of the burgeoning English punk rock scene. Siouxsie's look was bold, androgynous, and highly stylized, almost the Goth Ziggy Stardust. Soon the flavor of the band was moving in a Post-Punk direction, one that was a harbinger of sorts for the New Wave movement. I leaned of them through my fandom of The Cure. In fact, lead singer Robert Smith at one time had an affiliation with the band. At the first public gig the band played, the drummer was John Simon Ritchie. Mr. Ritchie later became known by the name he used in his other band, Sid Vicious. The other band? The Sex Pistols. I think the first song I remember hearing was Spellbound, a 1981 single. I seem to remember it getting some play in the clubs and on college radio. It was off the album Juju.
While Robert Smith was playing with The Banshees in 1983, they released a cover of the Beatles' song Dear Prudence. It was a big hit fro them in the UK, and I remember it getting lots of play on college and edgy rock radio stations. I don't remember there being a video for it, but here is Siouxsie performing it on the British television show Top Of The Pops.
One of my favorite songs was released in 1984. The band had an interesting album, Hyæna, and the amazingly layered song, Dazzle. The lyrics were smart and evocative, and delivered with just the right amount of, well, everything.
Their biggest hit in the US came in 1991 with their poppiest single to date, Kiss Them For Me. It made it to #23 on the Billboard Hot 100, and #8 on the Dance Tracks chart, and #1 on the Modern Rock chart. From the album Superstition, this is Kiss Them For Me.
By 1999, the band had been pretty much seen the direction of the music change dramatically. It was decided to put an end to the band. However, in 2003 they reunited for a tour, and much of their music was remastered and re-released in that same period. Siouxsie went on to be a part of The Creatures, and has had a solo career as well. Her 2007 album MantaRay was met with critical praise. For more about Siouxsie and the Banshees, check out their official webstore here. You can find more about Siouxsie at her official website here.
