The Post-Rock Thread - Page 2

Thanks Badgers. Yeah it's just us 2 right now, but we recorded stuff seperately so that's not a live take. We are going to be looking for people later on when we may have to play a show or something.

Rene, good luck with the new band, sounds interesting so far.

Here are a few post-rock bands I use for unwinding and relaxing as promised:

This Is A Process Of A Still Life: Post-Rock band out of Montana. Basic guitar band setup, but plenty of gorgeous melodies.

www.myspace.com/thisisaprocess

Lights Out Asia: I only have their debut Garmonia, but if its any indication, I'll be picking up their latest ASAP. They do feature sparse vocals, but they're used as an instrument like Sigur Rós, but in English.

www.myspace.com/lightsoutasia

Hammock: I'm not sure if these guys are considered strictly post-rock, but its some great mellow music nonetheless. Put it on and drift away.

www.myspace.com/hammockmusic

I saw Mission of Burma play last night. They are so awesome live. They're up there with the best I've seen ever. I don't know if they typically qualify as post-rock, whatever it is, but they're probably at least influential.

The frontman's a friend of friends. I'm kind of surprised anyone's heard of them outside of this area, actually. Not a slight on them or anything, but they're not even that super-popular band around here.

Incidentally, said frontman was briefly in a multi-guitar band (briefly, I think there were four at one time) called Self-Destruct Sequence with the two guitarists in Hoss, who also fall into the post-rock thing sort of (with a classic rock influence). At the time, one of the two guys was also playing in my old band (not post-rock), Dimes. And to make things even more complicated, the bassist in Hoss also played in Dimes, but didn't play in Self-Destruct Sequence. Such is the nature of the insular Milwaukee music scene. Hoss, by the way, may be one of the loudest bands I've ever seen live in a small venue. I think they started turning down a little because even people who liked them sometimes couldn't stand to be in the room for whole sets.

DaveB, I initially heard about LOA on another music forum. Then months later I stumbled upon their website and loved what I heard.

That's also pretty interesting about your mix-and-match bands. Kinda reminds me of the almost incestuous way the Montreal scene shared members during its heyday. GY!BE, Do Make Say Think, Broken Social Scene, Fly Pan Am and others nearly all had/have common members.

Oh and I'm really digging those Hoss songs! Mono and Mogwai are bands that are noted for their loud live sets and I've only ever seen them in small venues. I'd love to see how Hoss compare.

I think that's how every city is, really. The only really notable thing about the BSS/GY!BE/Stars/Feist/Apostles of Hustle/Metric bunch is that they all achieved some level of success.

I think the only band I've seen that comes close (in a small venue, at least) is Isis, but they were loud through the whole set. Hoss is a little more dynamic, so you really notice the loud parts.

I have not had the pleasure of seeing Isis live yet. It's on my list though. Oh and before I forget, did you PM Nick for a spot as a music reviewer?

I'm of the mind (as are the majority of folks around here) that you would do an excellent job.

I discovered today that Explosions in the Sky are opening for Smashing Pumpkins on this tour. A friend has an extra ticket. Thus, I am going to see Smashing Pumpkins.

...and EITS!
Pretty excited about that last part.

I read that MONO is touring the U.S. so I thought I'd give them a listen (not knowing they were POSTRock, and what Post-rock music really is....)

I usually give anything a listen if its J-rock, but this J-rock is definately Post-rock.

Cant say I'm a fan. Its way too sleepy time drug music for my tastes.

EITS and Mogwai are both excellent live shows. Still pissed at missing Sigur Ros in 2005.

And GYBE was great, even if they usually played live on a weekday, starting their show at 10 or 11PM...

Mono are an extremely skilled live band. They excel at recreating the sound of their records on stage, with all the fast tremelo picking and dynamics.

But that's also a problem; I feel like I've seen the band do the exact same show three or four times, and I won't see them again for a long time. I'll take more sloppiness and variation over exact studio recreation.

Yes, I've inquired about a reviewer spot. I'd love to do it, but it's, of course, Nick's decision to make, and there are certainly other qualified folks around here.

Forgot to mention I saw Do Make Say Think this past weekend and they were awesome. They had a lot more people in the band this time than the last time I saw them. They were excellent. I had an awesome birthday that day.

For anyone who is interested, Explosions in the Sky will be on Austin City Limits this Saturday at 7 PM. It's the Decemberists and them. I already set my DVR.

Interesting mix. Thanks for mentioning it.

Speaking of Isis:

"ISIS Announces 10th Anniversary Box Set Release



To celebrate a decade of being a band, ISIS, CONSPIRACY RECORDS and ROBOTIC EMPIRE announce the details for a 10th anniversary box set release. This fall, the Boston-to-Los Angeles transplants will release their entire studio recordings in one deluxe 12 vinyl-LP box set. With an oversized poster insert and cloth-bound, foil-stamped custom box, the band is aiming to make this set something their avid collector fans will be proud to own.

Long-time label associates Conspiracy Records (Belgium) and Robotic Empire (USA) have joined forces to unleash this extravagant release, which will be limited to 600 copies worldwide. 300 will be available through Robotic Empire in the US and 300 will be available through Conspiracy Records in Europe (both versions will be exactly the same). All releases will be housed in newly designed covers with artwork created specifically for this release, which includes the following records:

• Mosquito Control LP
• The Red Sea LP
• Celestial 2xLP
• Sgnl05 LP • Sawblade LP
• Oceanic 2xLP
• Panopticon 2xLP
• In The Absence Of Truth 2xLP

All records will be on 180 gram heavyweight black vinyl.

Please do not contact Conspiracy or Robotic Empire about ordering these releases yet, as another announcement will be made when ordering is available."

I'm sure this will be like $200, but if you get on it you can probably make a fortune on Ebay.

This is a great thread.

So many bands I've never heard of but bands I already really like mixed in.

Though they aren't post-rock, fans of post-rock in general might enjoy the ambient rock of Fripp & Eno.

Thank you to everyone whose posted here. Awesome reccomendations.

So I had to review Battles' EP 'Tonto' and decided to give their Mirrored album another listen. Turns out I like them a bit more. You can stop throwing rotten tomatoes at me now.

Havent found any new bands in this lovely genre to recommend to anyone, as I've been on a unashamed Visual Kei kick lately.

Not to rub it in or anything, but Sigur Ros on the "Taak" tour was the single greatest concert going experience (and way up there in general life experiences) I've ever had. Only David Byrne on the Rei Momo tour, or maybe Tom Waits at SXSW comes close.

I can't wait for Heima.

Great thread.

Bump. Thank god this wasn't lost in the revamp.

Isis- Not In Rivers, But In Drops live in Athens: http://youtube.com/watch?v=blWtVnc7Vts

Mono- Yearning:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=oY_4EkwzJcw

Mono- Moonlight:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=1B00qU5uc58

Anyone who likes Post-rocky/jazzy type stuff should check out The Mercury Program and Grimace Federation.

For crazy time changes check out Cinemachanica.

Post-rock is the 70s prog rock of today. There are some fantastic bands like Slint and Sigur Ros, who manage ten-minute epics that don't sound pointless, but mostly it's noodling played very slowly.

While the drummer is tapping his or her cymbal, and the bassist thumbs a few notes, you could order several beers, take a lover into the bathroom, clean up, by smokes at the corner store, and then return just as the set begins to go somewhere over the final two minutes (though dull feedback will be allowed to echo after the 'song' is done.)

I guess this is the new punk, since anyone can play it...

Trust me, this will be the most embarrassing musical genre in a few years.