THE NEW YORKER, August 18 & 25, 2003

"Jarboe... sang with New York's legendary nihilists Swans for more than a decade... Jarboe's voice is eerie and stirring ; touches of gospel and old-time country music mix with anguished rock histrionics not unlike those of the German singer Dagmar Krause . (Her childhood included snake handling rituals.) But Jarboe is more than just a spine-tingling chanteuse; she's an uncanny performer. At her last new York City appearance she captivated a staid C.M.J. crowd; in an S&M-tinged moment she approached a middle-aged man and wrapped her hands around his throat, pulled him out of his chair, and began slow-dancing with him. Like everyone else in the room, he couldn't take his eyes off her."