What is "zounds"

Zounds \Zounds\, interj. [Contracted from God's wounds.] An exclamation formerly used as an oath, and an expression of anger or wonder.

c.1600, oath of surprise or anger, altered from (by) God's wounds!, in reference to the wounds of Christ on the Cross. "One of the innumerable oaths having reference to Christ's passion" [Century Dictionary]. Compare gadzooks.

interj. Expressing anger, surprise, assertion etc.

Zounds are an English anarcho punk/ post-punk band from Reading formed in 1977. Originally, they were part of the cassette culture movement, releasing material on the Fuck Off Records label, and were also involved in the squatting and free festival scene. The name of the band is derived from the old English minced oath "zounds", a contraction of "God's wounds", referring to the crucifixion wounds of Jesus Christ, formerly used as a mildly blasphemous oath.

Zounds is the third album by Dappled Cities, released in 2009 through Dangerbird Records. The album comes two years after their previous release, Granddance, during which time the band was touring the US with the likes of The Fratellis and Tokyo Police Club, with a few forays home riding shotgun to Silverchair, Modest Mouse and LCD Soundsystem. At this point, the band had uprooted from their home of Sydney and settled Stateside. They shot videos in Wyoming gas stations, played impromptu gigs in South Dakota sound factories, partied with Hugh Jackman and Steve Malkmus and even managed to film a 26-episode children’s odyssey for Disney called ‘Alphabreaks’.

Under the expert A&R guidance of Justin Meldal-Johnsen (Beck, Ladytron, Nine Inch Nails) and respected American co-producer Chris Coady ( TV on the Radio), Dappled Cities got busy making music. The band spared no expense, using new-fangled electric guitars and importing a Gakken — a $40 build-it-yourself cardboard synthesiser from Japan — used on all 12 songs. Their drive to succeed saw them hire and conspire with no less than three mixers for Zounds — Coady, Scott Horscroft and Wayne Connolly — in the quest for perfection. The result: "It's an album that really shows the growth and depth of Dappled Cities. Zounds is both grand and emotive and full of euphoric melodies and unique story-telling."