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So I saw Appalaches again last night in Burlington.  They played at a place called Artsriot with Wess Meets West, Harborlights, and a local shoegaze band called Sleeping In.

 

First off....  fucking Appalaches is a powerhouse.  You guys all need to get to see this band at some point.  If you think they are good on record, they absolutely destroy the stuff live.  Their setlist last night was Oja, Nola, Bress, Mstqzotq, and then Milsai to close. 

 

Harborlights opened, and their band of Caspian-meets-Ranges post-rock did the trick.  Very very good.  VERY loud, and very heavy.  They have a girl bass player too which is cool, because she sounded awesome.  They played all new tunes, and it was incredible.  They are playing a lot more shows coming up too, so keep an eye on them. 

 

Wess Meets West I was looking forward to, but unfortunately they suffered at the hands of their gear.  Something wasn't working with the bass amp, and the guitarists seemed to struggle a little bit with their gear.  Their energy was through the roof, but their brand of technical post-math rock I think comes across better in the studio.  That said, their final 2 songs (i wish i knew the names) came together REALLY well and were very powerful.  One of them had vocals about family and coming home and friends or something like that... it was fantastic.  He should sing more, he has a great voice. 

 

Sleeping In was a local Burlington shoegaze band that was awesome.  Very punkish and high energy, and coupled with the dreamy vocals and reverb and delay soaked guitars.... it was a treat.  Looking forward to checking them out again. 

 

 

But seriously guys.....  Appalaches.  This band is no joke.  I wish you guys all lived closer to here so you'd have a realistic chance to see them, because they truly are one of the greats and deserve to be playing to hundreds of people.  Such good dudes too. 

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11 hours ago, Gumbo72203 said:

Wess Meets West I was looking forward to, but unfortunately they suffered at the hands of their gear.  Something wasn't working with the bass amp, and the guitarists seemed to struggle a little bit with their gear.  Their energy was through the roof, but their brand of technical post-math rock I think comes across better in the studio.  That said, their final 2 songs (i wish i knew the names) came together REALLY well and were very powerful.  One of them had vocals about family and coming home and friends or something like that... it was fantastic.  He should sing more, he has a great voice. 

 

“A Well Driller’s Son”

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On 2/11/2018 at 2:16 AM, mrewest said:

“A Well Driller’s Son”

Sick, thanks man.

 

 

So, I've been doing some research in anticipation of Dunk again, because so many of the names they're booking are totally unfamiliar to me.  This next one proved to be a very pleasant surprise, personally.  I am a sucker for this mid-tempo, delay-riff-driven style of rock, especially with the faded, indie-style production.  If anybody here, I'd wager that Don is the only one who's likely to have heard of them, as they only have 600-odd likes on Facebook, are from Europe, and have nothing released since 2015.  Please do ignore that font on the cover.

 

 

 

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On 2/10/2018 at 2:25 PM, Gumbo72203 said:

So I saw Appalaches again last night in Burlington.  They played at a place called Artsriot with Wess Meets West, Harborlights, and a local shoegaze band called Sleeping In.

 

First off....  fucking Appalaches is a powerhouse.  You guys all need to get to see this band at some point.  If you think they are good on record, they absolutely destroy the stuff live.  Their setlist last night was Oja, Nola, Bress, Mstqzotq, and then Milsai to close. 

 

But seriously guys.....  Appalaches.  This band is no joke.  I wish you guys all lived closer to here so you'd have a realistic chance to see them, because they truly are one of the greats and deserve to be playing to hundreds of people.  Such good dudes too. 

There's this band in Richmond that always plays at Strange Matter and will open for Shy, Low most often, and sometimes for shoegaze bands, called "Everyone Dies In The End." They are a three piece, sound is massive in one of the poorest acoustic venues around, yet on digital - and their newest on vinyl - they sound meh at best.  I've never mentioned them because it's such a disappointment. If Appalaches ever trek down here, I will definitely check them out. What I've listened to is not bad at all, just can't buy something I doubt I'll actually spin. Honestly, the more times I've seen Caspian and Russian Circles live, I play their vinyl less and less.

 

On 2/14/2018 at 7:21 PM, Gumbo72203 said:

Sick, thanks man.

 

 

So, I've been doing some research in anticipation of Dunk again, because so many of the names they're booking are totally unfamiliar to me.  This next one proved to be a very pleasant surprise, personally.  I am a sucker for this mid-tempo, delay-riff-driven style of rock, especially with the faded, indie-style production.  If anybody here, I'd wager that Don is the only one who's likely to have heard of them, as they only have 600-odd likes on Facebook, are from Europe, and have nothing released since 2015.  Please do ignore that font on the cover.

 

 

 

haha, no,  I haven't checked them that I can remember^, but I will do so this weekend @Gumbo72203

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Any Worm Ouroboros fans here? They've been a grower on me for some  time.

Though not officially postrock, they have enough postrock "elements" in their music that I wouldn't doubt there are some closet fans here who also listen to Chelsea Wolfe and Ides of Gemini. 

They are a trio from the Bay area with 3 releases in 10 years, and I know Flenser did the middle one on vinyl, but I just have their CDs.  I'll just say this about the latest, the opener and closer are my least favorite,  because they do some whispered vocals with cliche' lyrics that doesn't click, but the 4 middle tracks, using the same formula, seem to just fit the bill in these dark months of winter. Like right now. If you can hold out for 5 minutes per track, they might just worm their way into your rotation. The bass line never seems to stop, but also not distracting. Drummer is Aesop from Agalloch.

Worm Ouroboros - What Graceless Dawn: "Broken Movements"

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One of my all-time favorite post-rock albums is up on Discogs for $10. It's a 2xLP and you really can't go wrong. I know I've mentioned them here quite a few times but if you've got some spare cash I can't think of a better pick-up:

Not to Reason Why - Would You Hug Fire?

Edited by omik11303
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40 minutes ago, omik11303 said:

One of my all-time favorite post-rock albums is up on Discogs for $10. It's a 2xLP and you really can't go wrong. I know I've mentioned them here quite a few times but if you've got some spare cash I can't think of a better pick-up:

Not to Reason Why - Would You Hug Fire?

Thanks for the heads up, I'll check this out later.  You guys hipped me to Black Clouds which is only like $8 and something I need to pick up eventually....

 

 

11 hours ago, drds89 said:

 If Appalaches ever trek down here, I will definitely check them out. What I've listened to is not bad at all, just can't buy something I doubt I'll actually spin. Honestly, the more times I've seen Caspian and Russian Circles live, I play their vinyl less and less.

 

I'm rather surprised at this.... I feel like Appalaches is vital enough to command your interest.  Cycles is a masterpiece, both on record and on the stage.  Live, they get much more intense with the heavy sections, akin to the effect that The End of the Ocean has.  But I feel you on the Caspian/Russian Circles thing... I go in cycles with who I actually spin.  I haven't listened to Caspian vinyl in forever, and Russian Circles I never want to listen to.  I am rather indifferent towards that band; they're good, and I enjoy them, but there's so much stuff I'd rather listen to, and it's a little mysterious to me that they're the biggest USA name in post-metal.  I guess someone had to step in for Isis, though. 

But anyway, back to Appalaches!  Even on record, songs like "Oja" and "Mstqzotq" are straight from the source, imo.  Pure post-rock soul.  I could live inside that stuff.  I would strongly urge you give "Cycles" another focused listen my friend :) 

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I can also vouch that Appalaches live is top notch.  They were a highlight at Dunk.

 

Cycles is a solid listen once in a while but it’s kind of a mood thing for me.  I feel like there is a lot of down time in their songs but the highlights really standout.  The bookends are probably my favorites on the album.

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4 minutes ago, mrewest said:

I can also vouch that Appalaches live is top notch.  They were a highlight at Dunk.

 

Cycles is a solid listen once in a while but it’s kind of a mood thing for me.  I feel like there is a lot of down time in their songs but the highlights really standout.  The bookends are probably my favorites on the album.

I think I can agree with this....  I don't mind the down time though; it really sets a hovering, anticipatory mood for me.  Plus I think their sense of melody is strong enough that those calmer parts don't drag. 

Bress really impressed me live, that song has grown a lot on me.  And Mstqzotq of course....  that intro/A-section is just pure transcendence for me.  I guess I'm a sucker for post-rock with keyboards lol

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4 hours ago, omik11303 said:

One of my all-time favorite post-rock albums is up on Discogs for $10. It's a 2xLP and you really can't go wrong. I know I've mentioned them here quite a few times but if you've got some spare cash I can't think of a better pick-up:

Not to Reason Why - Would You Hug Fire?

Alright, who grabbed it? Hoping it was someone here...

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4 hours ago, Gumbo72203 said:

I haven't listened to Caspian vinyl in forever, and Russian Circles I never want to listen to.  I am rather indifferent towards that band; they're good, and I enjoy them, but there's so much stuff I'd rather listen to, and it's a little mysterious to me that they're the biggest USA name in post-metal.  I guess someone had to step in for Isis, though. 
 

WUT.

 

I thought we were friends now Gumbo.  But these are fightin’ words.

 

Brian Cook is (imo) the best bassist in the genre.  I guess RC is top dog for me because they satisfy my riff-heavy post-metal appetite perfectly.  Definitely why Cloudkicker is one of my favs as well.  I love the riff-heavy jams more than the slow build climactic stuff.  And I feel like Caspian is a perfect blend of those two styles.

 

EDIT:  Thought I posted this earlier but didn’t go through.  Oops.

Edited by mrewest
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2 hours ago, omik11303 said:

Alright, who grabbed it? Hoping it was someone here...

I'll never tell. 

 

1 hour ago, mrewest said:

WUT.

 

I thought we were friends now Gumbo.  But these are fightin’ words.

 

Brian Cook is (imo) the best bassist in the genre.  I guess RC is top dog for me because they satisfy my riff-heavy post-metal appetite perfectly.  Definitely why Cloudkicker is one of my favs as well.  I love the riff-heavy jams more than the slow build climactic stuff.  And I feel like Caspian is a perfect blend of those two styles.

 

EDIT:  Thought I posted this earlier but didn’t go through.  Oops.

Okay now that I re-read my statement, I see how it comes off a little harsh and perhaps inaccurate haha.  Russian Circles is tough for me...  I don't dislike them, by any means.  I just never really feel like listening to them.  If I want heavy, I go to Isis, Cult of Luna, Rosetta, or old WLTS.  I guess the thing that gets me is that their songs lack a noticeable trajectory for me, with not real big climactic payoff moment.  And that's probably why you love them and I don't, and why I love that cookie-cutter post-rock haha.  All great players, of course, and man.... what a guitar sound.  Also, I think I'd like them with a singer more.  There's just so many riffs in the songs, I sometimes lose focus.  They're so sprawling!

I'm playing Guidance again to refresh myself.  Memorial is the only album of theirs that I own, because Deficit and 1777 win hard :D

 

 

EDIT:  Okay Mota is pretty cool....  did they play this when we saw them?

Edited by Gumbo72203
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17 hours ago, Gumbo72203 said:

I'll never tell. 

 

Okay now that I re-read my statement, I see how it comes off a little harsh and perhaps inaccurate haha.  Russian Circles is tough for me...  I don't dislike them, by any means.  I just never really feel like listening to them.  If I want heavy, I go to Isis, Cult of Luna, Rosetta, or old WLTS.  I guess the thing that gets me is that their songs lack a noticeable trajectory for me, with not real big climactic payoff moment.  And that's probably why you love them and I don't, and why I love that cookie-cutter post-rock haha.  All great players, of course, and man.... what a guitar sound.  Also, I think I'd like them with a singer more.  There's just so many riffs in the songs, I sometimes lose focus.  They're so sprawling!

I'm playing Guidance again to refresh myself.  Memorial is the only album of theirs that I own, because Deficit and 1777 win hard :D

 

 

EDIT:  Okay Mota is pretty cool....  did they play this when we saw them?

They did play Mota.  That whole stretch on Guidance (Vorel - Mota - Afrika) is perfect.  

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I used to have an album by this great post-rock band called Sons Had Father, and I think a lot of people here might enjoy them.

 

I'm not sure if they've changed their name but I can't seem to find a lot on them, and nothing about the album I used to have. They do however have an old Reverb Nation profile kicking around with a few killer tracks.

 

 

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9 hours ago, pemulis said:

Well, this rips. There are parts of the first song that have some sounds that make me think of GnR - Use Your Illusions. 

 

 

I heard various influences all over the place, whether intentional or not.  “Ascending” sounded like older Russian Circles.  “Like A River” was pretty much a western ITTCT.  And “The Far Side” sounded like a post-metal cover of Muse’s “Knights of Cydonia”.  Really loving this one start to finish.

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On 2/16/2018 at 4:10 PM, mrewest said:

And speaking of riff-heavy badassery, this new Long Distance Calling album is a banger...

 

 

Well this is pretty great.  There was like, one riff in the first song that I was like "ehhh, this isn't so creative/engaging" but man, what songwriting.  That shit flows so well.  This is another one of those bands who I've seen their name around, and just never gotten around to listening to them really.

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21 hours ago, Thomas³ said:

Wish I could get off work, but I doubt it :(.

 

Also how do I miss they out for an EP? Ordered with a quickness.

Yeah not so sure I’ll be able to make it.  Tried to get my wife into it but I don’t think she was feeling it & I’m not gonna force the issue on her bday haha.

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9 hours ago, jlobban said:

please me that all of you listen to TESA.

 

Heartbeats From the Sky part IV is seriously my favorite song of all time.

 

my family will be instructed to incinerate that LP and mix it with my ashes when i die so i can be one with that fucking record i love it THAT much.

You’ve done a hell of a job selling this, so I’ll be checking out later haha.

Another Man Mountain song is up...

 

 

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11 hours ago, jlobban said:

please me that all of you listen to TESA.

 

Heartbeats From the Sky part IV is seriously my favorite song of all time.

 

my family will be instructed to incinerate that LP and mix it with my ashes when i die so i can be one with that fucking record i love it THAT much.

Found one of their albums on Spotify, buried under a band with the same name...

 

 

They have a great sound.

Edited by Freki
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@jlobbanJustin, tesa "Heartbeats From The Sky" went under my radar. Great album! Heavy postrock with those anguished vocals way in the back on the opener: I/II and closer: VI - kind of a shoegaze/postrock&metal blend, and then III&V much lighter.  I, IV and VI were the standouts for me, but I bet repeated listens will flesh out the other three so that the album would feel like missing something without them (first listen through seemed like nice filler or breaking  up the heavier bookends). Another one on vinyl probably impossible or $$$ to locate.

@Gumbo72203 You pegged me on the jeffk. Another one under the radar. Track 1 could easily be Maserti without the dance beat, more mathy which is right up my alley. Guitars get heavier later in the EP at times. Loving this one, too. Crap, another one on the vinyl want list, impossible or $$$. :(

edited for splleign

Edited by drds89
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