So, Swans are a thing – perhaps one of the most pivotal players in the early 80s burgeoning post-punk movement, when post-punk itself wasn't sure if it wanted to sound Weird or Dark, or Pretty or Ugly. Elements of proto-grunge, krautrock, noise, prog, hardcore, and goth all coagulated into a surprisingly pop, albeit pomo-pop, whole. An early iteration of the group featured Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore, but it's always been performance-art-damaged frontman Michael Gira that's been in charge of the band's wall of urgently directionless, no-wave noise, up until they disbanded in the 90s. Swans reformed a few years ago, to the bemused chagrin of many in the artrock community, and they'll be doing a show at the Tralf tonight. The band hasn't missed a beat in their hiatus, though New Swans eschews some of deathrock edginess of their early stuff for the sake of symphonic, cacophonous post-rock, but I really have no idea what to expect. Whether it ends up being harshly beautiful, or beautifully harsh, you'll kick yourself if you miss it and all your friends are bemusedly deaf tomorrow.