The Post-Rock Thread

Anybody here listening to post-rock music? I do, a lot.
Feel free to share your favorite songs\albums\artists.
Let me start with a classic, very ahead of its time:

Bark Psychosis - Hex (1994)

 

I recommend you check out Jakob, from New Zealand. There is a good video of "Blind Them With Science" from their latest album "Sines". The previous album "Solace" is also good. If you like Mogwai you should check out Jakob. They build up large, impressive soundscapes of the quiet-loud-quiet variety.

 

I really like mogwai! I didn't know Jakob. I'm listening to "Solace" and enkoying it. Nice band.

Speaking of mogwai, I like to remember them like with this album:

Mogwai - Come on ddie young (1999)

 

Mono from Tokyo, Japan.

Melodic and aggressive at the same time

 

Mono would have been one of my next entries for sure

"Hymn to the immortal wind" by Mono is one of my favourite postrock album ever. They blend explosions and melody like few others, and in addition this album is imo successful in combining a rock band and a symphonic orchestra, strings and guitar distorsion never felt so right together to me until this album.
Huge emotional impact, I can hear the wind of memory in my room when I play this album. So beautiful it makes me cry. A milestone for the genre.

 

Sigur Ros is a long-time favorite of mine. They have such a unique sound, some might not think of them as post-rock, but there you go. Jonsi is easily one of the best vocalists within this type of music. These acoustic versions on Heima are just stunning:


Magyar Posse might not be familiar to many, but man, these guys can build some great pieces. This album is basically one long journey that never gets boring. It's pretty dark and melodic with strong keyboards and strings too. Very much recommended:


Godspeed You Black Emperor! is not the easiest band to get into, but very rewarding if you have the time & patience to sit down and listen. Lift Your Skinny Fists... is maybe their strongest album, imo:


Are you guys familiar with so-called post-metal? Cult Of Luna, Neurosis, Isis (yeah, the name got fukt bad), Callisto and many others have a heavier edge to their sound, but might offer lots for fans of post-rock too.

 

Excellent recommendations above! I got some new bands to check out.
I got into this genre with Explosions in the Sky. I really like the albums "The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place" and "All Of A Sudden I Miss Everyone".

Check It

 

Gasparrer - those are the exact albums that got me into EITS too, high five! "All Of A Sudden..." gets my preference because of its very nicely gritty sound. "The Earth..." has a cleaner sound overall. Both albums are great, though.

Truth be told, I found Explosions In The Sky because someone commented my own tunes sounded like them.. Had to check them out

 

Nice, I'm getting some very good suggestion to dig into

Eits and Sigur Ros are bands I like very much.
Though I'm not in love with Jonsi as a solist, "agaetis byrjun" is definitely a sweet album, it was an instant classic. "()" is worth mentioning too.
Eits were one of the band who changed their sound a lot during years. I started fom "Those Who Tell The Truth Shall Die...", which is certainly less "clean" but nontheless equally great than the "All of sudden..." and the "Earth".
Any of you Eits lovers checked the new album, "the wilderness" ? Not love at first sight but it is definitely growing into me.



And now for something completely different...



Dirthy Tree - Ocean Songs (1998)

I would say only: "just listen to it, damn it!" 'cause this album deserves it.
It is a concept album about the ocean, produced by Steve Albini. If that wasn't enough for you to listen to it, I'll say that Warren Ellis' violin was to me a breakthrough in the use of this instrument in rock. It is not very compliant to post rock's paradigm, someone could definitely say there's more folk rock in it, but I would deem this as a virtue.

It pictures a wide landscape, no cinematic claustrophobia in here at all. It's like being on a boat sailing to unknown land. There's something contemplative in this album, like when you sit alone on the beach at night and start to think about your life in ways you've never thought before. You smell the breeze, you hear the waves' backwash and watch the moon's reflection dancing in the water.

 

I have been listening to Explosions In the Sky "The Wilderness" all morning. I dig it, but not enough to buy on vinyl. I am glad I can stream via Tidal HIFI.

 

How about we go a bit before the term was coined?

Can (Ege Bamyasi onwards)
Talk Talk (Spirit of Eden onwards)

 

Suomi Finland!! Magyar Posse one of my all time faves, too bad they stopped.. I don't know if one can even classify them as pure "post-rock", they have so unique sound to me. I hate classifications. I got into post-rock listening to stuff like Collapse Under The Empire, Explosions In The Sky etc.. but honestly most of the stuff I've heard is too similar (ohh look I'm making sad music) and not captivating (like.. Magyar Posse..), so I haven't looked there in a while.. perhaps time to try once again..

 

Another classic from before the term post-rock was cool. Slint. Full album linked just because if you're going to listen to it, you have to straight through because of how well composed it is. And a great read from the guardian on the album's construction for context

http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/may/01/spiderland-slint-album-reinvented-rock

 

1 part post-rock, 1 part minimalism, 1 part chamber music: enjoy Balmorhea

Balmorhea - Constellations (2010)

 

Hyvä Suomi (Go Finland)!

I agree with lots of post-rock sounding too much alike. Very simple minor/major riffs that drone on way longer than they should are heard too frequently. Just playing the same riff over and over doesn't make it "hypnotic" or "atmospheric" And at it's most basic forms it's at least technically easy to play. Compositions and an ear for building tension & release are more important than with many other genres. This is where the great bands (GYBE! etc.) excel, imo.

 

I usually don't like too much post rock soundtrack... but I'll make an exception for this.
Imo it is brilliant in certain parts, a strange union of rock, electronica and orchestra. Give it a shot:

Hideki Taniuchi, Yoshihisa Hirano - Death Note Original Soundtrack (2006)

 

Rachel's - Systems/Layers (2003)