Post-VC: Official Post-Rock/Post-Metal Discussion v.2.0

[mrewest]

1 hour ago, deafening said:

This is actually shaping up to be one of the best PR years (for me) in a while, and it's only April. 

 

I still have a lot in queue to catch up on, but Old Solar, Wander, and Kosatka are really doing it for me.

Especially Old Solar.

I hated Wander first time through.  But need to give it another listen.  I enjoyed Old Solar & Kosatka but don’t love them.  Minor Movements still my favorite so far.

[omik11303]

Here's a new one to put on your radar. First track is pretty good. https://drivingslowmotion.bandcamp.com/album/arda

 

On the other hand, that new Lost in Kiev track is really, really bad. Almost unlistenable. Someone tell me if the album is any good when it drops because I don't think I'll be listening.

[mrewest]

4 hours ago, omik11303 said:

Here's a new one to put on your radar. First track is pretty good. https://drivingslowmotion.bandcamp.com/album/arda

 

On the other hand, that new Lost in Kiev track is really, really bad. Almost unlistenable. Someone tell me if the album is any good when it drops because I don't think I'll be listening.

I actually checked that Driving Slow Motion a few weeks back.  Solid stuff leaning in the ambient direction.  Meant to revisit.

[Derek™]

6 hours ago, omik11303 said:

On the other hand, that new Lost in Kiev track is really, really bad. Almost unlistenable. Someone tell me if the album is any good when it drops because I don't think I'll be listening.

Whatever wave of post-rock Lost in Kiev is considered... makes me really lament what the genre has become.  If someone asked me to link the most boring and derivative "instrumental rock" track I've heard in recent months, I'd probably send them to that single.

[mrewest]

Another random band I came across via IG.  It’s like a mix of styles but I’d say it leans mostly post-rock.  Maybe a little prog mixed in.  But there’s a vocalist all throughout.  He sounds like a mix of From Indian Lakes & Athletics.  

 

This song is worth checking out imo.

 

 

 

[mrewest]

I feel like this band was discussed at some point, possibly because it’s a band name that’s hard to take serious, but this album is legit imo.  It sounds like if Lights & Motion actually hit the weight room.  Essentially cinematic post-metal.

 

And apologies if this was posted some time ago.  I tried a search & couldn’t find anything.

[Gumbo72203]

On 4/3/2019 at 11:59 PM, Derek™ said:

Whatever wave of post-rock Lost in Kiev is considered... makes me really lament what the genre has become.  If someone asked me to link the most boring and derivative "instrumental rock" track I've heard in recent months, I'd probably send them to that single.

That's what I feel about everything they've ever released.  It has no emotional movement for me.  It all sounds fine, and it's played well... but there just isn't any drama in the music for me. 


On a different note, I've been going back and listening to some classics and sometimes I feel like I forget how fucking GOOD the mainstays are.  Like, I threw on "Key" by PG.Lost and "Sines" by Jakob over the past week or 2, and man.....  that shit is SO fucking good.  Like, I know we all know they're good.... but after some time away, I think their impact is even bigger. 

Also growing more and more impressed with "The Woods" by A Swarm of the Sun each time I listen to it.  Very much like that one. 

[deafening]

18 hours ago, mrewest said:

Another random band I came across via IG.  It’s like a mix of styles but I’d say it leans mostly post-rock.  Maybe a little prog mixed in.  But there’s a vocalist all throughout.  He sounds like a mix of From Indian Lakes & Athletics.  

I can't say I agree with the post-rock tag or Athletics-vocals reference, but I enjoyed this a lot. It's a shame they are virtually unknown. 

 

Excited to check out that Blanket album.

[mrewest]

42 minutes ago, deafening said:

I can't say I agree with the post-rock tag or Athletics-vocals reference, but I enjoyed this a lot. It's a shame they are virtually unknown. 

 

Excited to check out that Blanket album.

Yeah thinking back I’d say there were literally only a couple moments I thought vocally it resembled Athletics.  Definitely way more From Indian Lakes than anything else imo.  I did feel like it had some post-rock moments sprinkled in.  Regardless glad you dug!

[Derek™]

51 minutes ago, Gumbo72203 said:

On a different note, I've been going back and listening to some classics and sometimes I feel like I forget how fucking GOOD the mainstays are.  Like, I threw on "Key" by PG.Lost and "Sines" by Jakob over the past week or 2, and man.....  that shit is SO fucking good.  Like, I know we all know they're good.... but after some time away, I think their impact is even bigger. 

Gotta’ agree with that.  Both the album choices and also the general appeal of “re-appreciating” albums that you know you like, but may have been dormant on your shelf for a bit.  I think it’s important to do it because it helps you prune parts of your collection that you can live without, while simultaneously getting those “damn, I forgot how good this is...” moments.  Not exclusive to post-rock by any means, but I’d rather have a shelf or an iTunes library loaded with 500 albums I love and know are good, vs. 1,000 that contain a lot of stuff I’ll never touch or revisit again.  At this stage of the music / vinyl game, I’m pretty good at gauging whether or not something will hold up or prove itself worth holding onto... but it’s still always a treat to hear a “classic” after some years and feel like you’re hearing it again for the first time.

[mrewest]

3 hours ago, Gumbo72203 said:

"Key" by PG.Lost

 

  Like, I know we all know they're good....

Apparently you don’t know me very well 

[Derek™]

5 minutes ago, mrewest said:

Apparently you don’t know me very well 

Wait, are you not down with Key?  I didn’t love the album they followed it with, but Key and everything prior is pretty nice in my books.

[mrewest]

5 minutes ago, Derek™ said:

Wait, are you not down with Key?  I didn’t love the album they followed it with, but Key and everything prior is pretty nice in my books.

It’s a hill I will die on, and die on alone.  I know this.  I listened to Key for probably a good year off & on before realizing I just don’t care for them, outside of a few moments here & there.  They just come off as far too repetitive in their song structures with songs seemingly dragging out forever without a whole lot happening.   

[Derek™]

16 minutes ago, mrewest said:

It’s a hill I will die on, and die on alone.  I know this.  I listened to Key for probably a good year off & on before realizing I just don’t care for them, outside of a few moments here & there.  They just come off as far too repetitive in their song structures with songs seemingly dragging out forever without a whole lot happening.   

This is why you’ll always be the yin to my post-rock yang, haha.  Outside of Russian Circles and Caspian, I think.  Cloudkicker is overrated. ❤️

[mrewest]

1 minute ago, Derek™ said:

This is why you’ll always be the yin to my post-rock yang, haha.  Outside of Russian Circles and Caspian, I think.  Cloudkicker is overrated. ❤️

OUCH.  Now that one hurts me haha.  But hey, it’s nice to have a balance here, right?  We’ll find common ground on something again, maybe...possibly 

[Derek™]

4 minutes ago, mrewest said:

OUCH.  Now that one hurts me haha.  But hey, it’s nice to have a balance here, right?  We’ll find common ground on something again, maybe...possibly 

There’s random stuff like HOLY FAWN, HEALTH, etc.  I think any bands that start with H and stylize their name in all caps are fair game.

 

And for what it’s worth I own and value my copies of Beacons and LYBH.  (Sort of lost me a bit after that, though.)

[mrewest]

8 minutes ago, Derek™ said:

There’s random stuff like HOLY FAWN, HEALTH, etc.  I think any bands that start with H and stylize their name in all caps are fair game.

 

And for what it’s worth I own and value my copies of Beacons and LYBH.  (Sort of lost me a bit after that, though.)

I’m still trying to decide how much I’m actually into HEALTH.  I really liked them up front, successive listens weren’t as impactful.  But I just need to soend more time with them.

 

Anyways, glad you can at least appreciate Beacons & LYBH.  He keeps teasing some ambient-esque stuff on IG so we’ll see what comes of that.

[Gumbo72203]

1 hour ago, Derek™ said:

Wait, are you not down with Key?  I didn’t love the album they followed it with, but Key and everything prior is pretty nice in my books.

Versus has moments, but the first 3 full-lengths plus Yes I Am are unfuckwithable IMO. 

 

1 hour ago, mrewest said:

It’s a hill I will die on, and die on alone.  I know this.  I listened to Key for probably a good year off & on before realizing I just don’t care for them, outside of a few moments here & there.  They just come off as far too repetitive in their song structures with songs seemingly dragging out forever without a whole lot happening.   

If you saw them live you'd get it.  Their live stuff is waaaaay more powerful, in almost a TEOTO sort of way.  Vultures and Terrain are just...  it's a whole new beast. 

Also there's only been just one Cloudkicker song where I was like "Okay THIS is fucking cool".  I can't seem to recall the name though, but it had a long, slow build and I seem to remember the song being super long.  Pretttttttty sure I've mentioned it somewhere in here before.  It might be "Seattle"... 

[Derek™]

I’m in the Pg.lost camp and in agreement that their first 3 albums hold up, but to play devil’s advocate – and mrewest’s, for that matter – saying “dude just see them live and then you’ll get it” is not an adequate defense for a band’s appeal.  A lot of bands sound even better in person, but if an artist bores you to tears outside of the 1 time you see them open for a different band you paid to see, you’re probably not inclined to race home and revisit them.  I know I wouldn’t be.  Just my own thoughts, anyway.

[Gumbo72203]

15 minutes ago, Derek™ said:

I’m in the Pg.lost camp and in agreement that their first 3 albums hold up, but to play devil’s advocate – and mrewest’s, for that matter – saying “dude just see them live and then you’ll get it” is not an adequate defense for a band’s appeal.  A lot of bands sound even better in person, but if an artist bores you to tears outside of the 1 time you see them open for a different band you paid to see, you’re probably not inclined to race home and revisit them.  I know I wouldn’t be.  Just my own thoughts, anyway.

It's more of a "don't pass judgement until you see them do what they do".  I mention this because Evan was chief among the people saying that TEOTO live is a COMPLETELY different beast than they are on record.  And that's so true.  I also say it because I didn't get Godspeed until I saw them.  I mean, I thought they were okay and enjoyed some things, but after having seen what their music is like when you experience it, my entire perception of that band changed. 

I'm having trouble following your point about seeing them open for a different band though at the moment.  My brain is a little foggy because I just found out a high school classmate of mine just died today from a heroin overdose and I'm the verge of spending too much money on records to make myself feel better.  2nd one since St. Patty's day :X 
 

 

[omik11303]

26 minutes ago, Gumbo72203 said:

I also say it because I didn't get Godspeed until I saw them.  I mean, I thought they were okay and enjoyed some things, but after having seen what their music is like when you experience it, my entire perception of that band changed. 

Now this is just a head-scratcher. I don't know if there exists a band with a more cathartic in-studio sound than Godspeed. It's hard for me to imagine that seeing them live would make a bit of difference to how I perceive Lift Your Skinny Fists, for example.

[Gumbo72203]

3 minutes ago, omik11303 said:

Now this is just a head-scratcher. I don't know if there exists a band with a more cathartic in-studio sound than Godspeed. It's hard for me to imagine that seeing them live would make a bit of difference to how I perceive Lift Your Skinny Fists, for example.

That was the only thing I ever liked before, and they don't play anything from that album anymore it seems.  I went to see them just because I knew I should, because of their notoriety.  But when I heard Bosses Hang..... oh man.  It just clicked.  Same thing happened when I finally caught Mladic.  On the studio track, it doesn't do much for me...  but man oh man oh man, that intro coming out of Hope Drone was fucking legendary.  It swallowed me whole, it was so powerful.

I couldn't really deal with the pacing from the studio stuff.... they take a long time to build, but when you're in it in the moment live, it took me on the ride.  I had the same thing happen with Au Revoir.  On record, Veles is okay but it's nowhere near a favorite of mine.  But man, when you see them play live... it's so much more powerful.  Evan can attest to how good that set was at DunkUSA. 

[omik11303]

10 minutes ago, Gumbo72203 said:

Same thing happened when I finally caught Mladic.  On the studio track, it doesn't do much for me... 

This is the crux of it. I suppose I just don't agree. But that's fine! I don't listen to post-rock for the live performances; it sounds like you do, or at least put a lot more stock in the live shows than the recorded stuff. Different strokes.

[Gumbo72203]

3 minutes ago, omik11303 said:

This is the crux of it. I suppose I just don't agree. But that's fine! I don't listen to post-rock for the live performances; it sounds like you do, or at least put a lot more stock in the live shows than the recorded stuff. Different strokes.

Hmmm....  I wouldn't say that I specifically do that either.  It just so happens that some bands have taken hold of me via their live performances and I come to appreciate or "see" their material differently after I do.  It was so weird because the parts of Mladic that I thought were badass on the record were NOT the highlight live, and the parts that were the highlight live were definitely not the highlight on the studio track. 

I just love live music and it probably has something to do with my Phish tastes, where each live show is different, so I'm perhaps conditioned to appreciate differences between studio and live stuff?  Who knows.  It's kind of like seeing Caspian live - you just don't get the whole picture until you see it, because of the live energy.  Like, Caspian is AWESOME on record but live it's a whole different beast because you're watching the music be produced in front of you, by people. 

Like, oh man....  Ef's set at Dunk last year.  That made me gain an entire new appreciation for the band.  It was just so beyond anything I anticipated; I always liked them, but now they have a much deeper connection due to that performance.  Same with Terraformer a couple years ago: their stuff live is way more enjoyable for me than the studio.  It could be song selection, environment, sound quality...  who knows.  I just know how it makes me feel haha.

[Derek™]

If studio Mladic doesn’t wallop your junk inside out you just need to turn it up a bit louder.