Year-end articles always seem rather arbitrary and questionably pointless, but one thing is for certain…this year-end article is late. It’s already the fourth week of January 2013! To make the list even more arbitrary I decided to do the Top 12 of 2012 (I did the Top 11 of 2011 last year) and you can expect the Top 52 Tracks of 2012 soon. I refuse to make honorable mentions as that defeats the purpose. I hope that you deem this article worthy of reading despite its tardy release. Continue reading
Lessons in Post-Rock, Final Episode: Mogwai
31 JanEvery time I listen to Government Commisions (Mogwai’s collection of live recordings from the BBC) I get the same feeling. Radio 1 DJ John Peel introduces them in a minimalist, but succinct and no-nonsense way: “Ladies and gentlemen… Mogwai.” My heart starts beating faster, breath shorter. I can feel the little hairs in my ears and the small brittle bones in my eardrum perking up in anticipation. Mogwai.
It all begins and ends with Mogwai. In a mere moment Continue reading
Lessons in Post-Rock, Episode Four: Russian Circles
10 JanI consider Russian Circles to be the post-rock band that people who like classical music might be down with. Not because there is an overwhelming use of orchestral pieces or anything, but because there is beauty in every fucking detail. Every sound you hear blowing through your headphones was carefully constructed and recorded to have that very effect. There is nothing that is left up to chance and Continue reading
Lessons in Post-Rock, Episode Three: Pelican
4 JanPelican is one of my favorite bands of all time. In fact, my long and torrid love affair with heavy instrumental rock began with this band. I was listening to ISIS, whose lead singer is also one of the owners of the Hydra Head label which Pelican was on (until they made the switch to Southern Lord).
Earlier Pelican leans toward long song structures that focus on building up to heavy driving metal riffs. In a musical genre where it’s difficult to get to know the names of songs, I know Continue reading
Lessons in Post-Rock, Episode Two: This Will Destroy You
20 DecWhen this band was first described to me, at one point I heard the term beardgaze, which actually ended up being a pretty apt description. This Will Destroy You tries to get away from the post-rock label by venturing further and further into outer space. There are a few things that TWDY do that few of the other bands on this list do, like use drum machines and record tracks of nothing but ambient feedback and reverb.
They’re not my favorite band, but I do feel that they merit mentioning. They have this kind of “fuck you and your categorization of musical genres” attitude, which Continue reading
Lessons in Post-Rock, Episode One: Red Sparowes
14 DecI hate calling it Post-Rock. Not in a self-important “categorization of art kills it” way, I just don’t think it really captures what it is. Other people might call it experimental metal, post-metal, instrumental metal, metalgaze, but I just call it what it is: contemplative experi-instrumental post-metalgaze.
This is part one of six, where I will be examining one band per post. I would recommend using headphones when listening to these bands (or any music for that matter) and, in most cases, cranking it. Sure, I’m probably Continue reading





