The Post-Rock Thread

[Jack In The Box]

I missed this thread most of all.

I haven't listened to the new Russian Circles yet, but I'm going to fix that soon, on the other hand, the new EitS it's good, but I think just for fans, "Trembling Hands" and "Postcard from 1952" are two of their best songs.

Maybeshewill released one of the best post-rock albums this year, "I Was Here For A Moment, Then I Was Gone", much better than "Take Care..."

Here some band for your consideration:

Flies are spies from hell
Kid Ikarus
New Century Classics
Worrytrain
Immanu El

And please, don't mention "Sigur Rós" and "post-rock" in the same sentence.

 

[LemonMelon]

Empros rules hard. So much better than Geneva, which was occasionally lovely but generally boring.

 

[nielsgov]

Sigur Ros, post-rock.

 

[LemonMelon]

LemonMelon, grimacing.

 

[Axver]

Homer Simpson, smiling politely.

 

[Axver]

But in seriousness:

The only thing I didn't care for was Praise Be Man - I don't think the vocals work and it doesn't really go with the rest of the album. A poor closer.

I didn't really think much of it on first listen, but a good number of spins later and I'm really starting to feel it's the come-down the album needs at the end.

Maybeshewill released one of the best post-rock albums this year, "I Was Here For A Moment, Then I Was Gone", much better than "Take Care..."

Yeah, that Maybeshewill album is pretty solid - though I think their previous one, Sing The Word Hope In Four-Part Harmony, was better.



Can I take this opportunity to again tout the glories of Sleepmakeswaves' new album? Definitely in my top five albums of the year (currently with Russian Circles at #1). Pretty thrilled they've just announced a Melbourne show for next month - I missed their album launch thanks to being overseas. Though they've got a new drummer now ... it's so weird to think that the band playing now has only half the same members as the band I first fell in love with two or three years ago.

 

[Jack In The Box]

I listened to the new Russian Circles... wow, really, one of the best works this year and not just in the post-rock department

I remembered this collab... great job, this is what I call the new post-rock royalty

Black Moon Empire by Collapse Under The Empire & Mooncake (official video) Genre: Post-Rock - YouTube

 

[u2popmofo]

JitB!

 

[Jack In The Box]

You missed me, I know

 

[phanan]

Can I take this opportunity to again tout the glories of Sleepmakeswaves' new album? Definitely in my top five albums of the year (currently with Russian Circles at #1). Pretty thrilled they've just announced a Melbourne show for next month - I missed their album launch thanks to being overseas. Though they've got a new drummer now ... it's so weird to think that the band playing now has only half the same members as the band I first fell in love with two or three years ago.

Didn't even know they had a new album out. Really dug the first one. Thanks for the tip - I'm gonna go take a listen.

 

[joyfulgirl]

I've seen Explosions in the Sky before, but for some reason had forgotten how absolutely fantastic they are live. Good golly, I'm on a crazy music high still. You listen to this band's albums and think, "This is beautiful, but there's no way it'll sound this good live", but somehow it ends up being even better. Their music, in many ways, sets the bar for how beautiful and moving music can, and should, be to me. Their live translations also set the bar for how good a band should be able to sound live. Beautiful show, beautiful songs, beautiful night.

I'm totally going to buy an album or two of theirs and just give them to people I know this weekend. More people need to know this band.

I had a similar response when I saw them in West Texas this fall. It was a small, ugly concrete building and the sound was bad. It was supposed to have been outside under the massive West Texas sky which would have been so amazing since they hail from that area and apparently some of the music is inspired by that landscape, but they had to move it inside because of a frightening storm.

So, point being, even in a crappy environment with bad sound, I was seriously moved. A couple of people came up to me the next day around town and said things like, 'I saw you at the show last night and wanted to say hi but you looked like you didn't want to be disturbed from the music.' They were right.

 

[u2popmofo]

Strangely, I remember reading something or other they posted about that show on Facebook. Had no clue you were there, cool stuff.

 

[Axver]

Can't wait to see Explosions In The Sky next month. I thought I was going to have to cut short a trip to New Zealand by a few days so that I didn't miss them in Melbourne ... then they added a couple of Kiwi dates. Any excuse to stay longer in New Zealand is a good excuse! Plus the tickets are cheaper and the venues they're playing are about a quarter the size of the place they're playing in Melbourne, so those are big bonuses.

Their Melbourne show in 2008 remains one of my most cherished concert memories. Just overwhelmingly good. Their albums never really seem to capture how exceptional they are on stage.

I remembered this collab... great job, this is what I call the new post-rock royalty

Black Moon Empire by Collapse Under The Empire & Mooncake (official video) Genre: Post-Rock - YouTube

Ooh, thanks for posting this. Mooncake are pretty good (shame about the band name) and I wasn't aware they'd done this collaboration.

Didn't even know they had a new album out. Really dug the first one. Thanks for the tip - I'm gonna go take a listen.

You should quite enjoy it, I hope. It's actually technically their debut album - I always think of In Today Already Walks Tomorrow as an album, but they only count it as an EP. Despite the personnel changes, it's still got that SMW sound. I had a bit of trepidation about that when I first played it, but turns out there was nothing to worry about!

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

Flies are spies from hell

Holy shit, that's an awesome band name!

 

[Jack In The Box]

^ of an awesome band

I must say, Axver, the new Sleepmakeswaves it's amazing, beyond words, "One Day You Will Teach Me To Let Go Of My Fears" is one of the best songs this year by far, beautiful... although, I think it's just an EP, right?, I can't count an EP like an album for my "best of" list at the end of the year

 

[Axver]

I must say, Axver, the new Sleepmakeswaves it's amazing, beyond words, "One Day You Will Teach Me To Let Go Of My Fears" is one of the best songs this year by far, beautiful... although, I think it's just an EP, right?, I can't count an EP like an album for my "best of" list at the end of the year

One Day is such an awesome song, but that's from the 2008 EP, In Today Already Walks Tomorrow. This year's album is And So We Destroyed Everything. I can't even pinpoint a favourite track on that album, it's just consistently fantastic.

Though my personal favourite SMW track remains I Will Write Peace On Your Wings And You Will Fly Over The World from 2008. One of the best opening tracks to a post-rock EP/album that I've ever heard.

 

[joyfulgirl]

Strangely, I remember reading something or other they posted about that show on Facebook. Had no clue you were there, cool stuff.

Marfa's kinda like home away from home for me. For a town with a population of some 2,000 people, they get some unbelievable music - most of which I miss out on, sadly. The week after I was there for that show, Robert Plant showed up and did a surprise show.

 

[Jack In The Box]

One Day is such an awesome song, but that's from the 2008 EP, In Today Already Walks Tomorrow. This year's album is And So We Destroyed Everything. I can't even pinpoint a favourite track on that album, it's just consistently fantastic.

Though my personal favourite SMW track remains I Will Write Peace On Your Wings And You Will Fly Over The World from 2008. One of the best opening tracks to a post-rock EP/album that I've ever heard.

Oh!, I see... I must find that album right now, if it's half as good as the EP, it would be an awesome LP

 

[Axver]

Oh!, I see... I must find that album right now, if it's half as good as the EP, it would be an awesome LP

If you're digging In Today Already Walks Tomorrow, then I've no doubt you're going to enjoy And So We Destroyed Everything.

I think they're Australia's best post-rock band now. I used to consider them about equal with Melbourne band Laura, but this year I think SMW have staked their claim as superior.

And as for New Zealand, we only have about one good post-rock band, but they're amazing - a trio from Napier called Jakob. If you're in this thread and not listening to Jakob, well, why not? Desperately hoping they'll be the opener for EITS in Auckland.

 

[Jack In The Box]

"And So We Destroyed Everything" is amazing, thank you!, Laura is a great band too, they sound different to me, SMW and Laura I mean

I know Jakob, more in the post-metal vein, I haven't listened to them in ages

 

[Axver]

Yeah, I reckon Laura have a really distinctive sound. Their new album this year, Twelve Hundred Times, is pretty good, though it's not as good as Radio Swan Is Down. And that's why I think Sleepmakeswaves are now Australia's best post-rock band - this year, they've taken themselves to new heights with And So We Destroyed everything, while Laura have gone a little bit backwards.

That said, I'm just glad Laura are still around. They supported Mono in December 2009 and then there was absolute silence from them until they suddenly announced a gig in March. I was afraid they were going to break up.

 

[phanan]

Loved the new Sleepmakeswaves. Very impressive.

 

[Axver]

Thought some of you might find this an interesting read: Russian Circles Euro Tour Diary Pt. 1 | Line Out

 

[nielsgov]

Because of Axver's constant hyping of the band, I gave the Sleepmakeswaves EP a listen. I liked it a lot. It reminded me of Mogwai.

As the EP cost only 2 dollars I bought it immediately. If more bands did that I'd be buying a lot more music.

 

[u2popmofo]

I keep forgetting to ask, has anyone listened to Pelican's "new" EP?

 

[martha]

Yes, and I love it.

 

[u2popmofo]

Mono Announce New Album | News | Pitchfork

Sept. 4th

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weZLy-_ncUg

 

[nielsgov]

Never listened to them. What are they like?

 

[u2popmofo]

Never listened to them. What are they like?

Pretty similar to early Mogwai, but with a lot of orchestration added into the music. The band says they'd prefer to be lumped in with "contemporary classical music" than "post-rock". They're really good though, the only Japanese band I still keep up with.

I just realized that new album is supposed to be a double album, and is the first since they've been added to a semi-large indie label that wasn't recorded with Steve Albini. I think he's a great producer (or at least used to be, looks like he's not doing much these days), so hopefully the move away doesn't hurt the sound.

 

[u2popmofo]

I think Mono must have watched Heima.

Mono - "Legend: A Journey Through Iceland" (Official Music Video) - YouTube