Post-Rock is a genre that was unfortunately burdened with a hilariously pretentious name that tends to turn away curious listeners at the door. However, if one were to peer through the haze of PBR and arts degrees, one would find a beautiful niche genre of music that manages to say quite a lot with very few words.
Post-Rock is defined in its simplest terms as non-rock music made with rock instruments. Most artists that work within this genre use guitars, drums, and basses as pieces of a grandiose puzzle in lieu of flashy guitar solos and drum fills that dominate other forms of rock music. Post-Rock songs are often long-form pieces owing a lot of influence to contemporary classical compositions, often lacking in vocals or traditional song structures.
For those who are interested in the genre but are not sure where to start, here are six Post-Rock bands that are worth checking out.
1.) Godspeed You! Black Emperor
GY!BE are a Montreal-based band that is probably the most infamous in the genre. The band is known for some antics, like the insane packaging of the vinyl copy of their debut album, or their demo tape which may or may not actually exist. However, the band is also known for crafting massive, apocalyptic soundscapes with bizarre vocal samples spliced in at various points. The best album to start with for this band is their sophomore record, Lift Yr. Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven!, a huge, meditative release that draws on similar themes to their other records, namely the decline of human civilization. There also exists a band called A Silver Mt. Zion that shares many members with GY!BE and therefore some stylistic similarities as well. Between these two bands, one should find a lot to enjoy.
2.) Sigur Rós
Sigur Rós are an Icelandic band who got as close as a Post-Rock band has gotten to mainstream success. The band is known by millions of people around the world, has scored films, and their frontman has even gotten his own solo release. The band is also known for having vocals, a trait shared with very few Post-Rock bands. Jónsi, the band's vocalist, sings bilingually, shifting between his native Icelandic and a language invented by the band itself known as Vonlenska. Despite not knowing what the music is about without a translation sheet, the music on their second album, Ágætis Byrjun, manages to play with the listener's emotions just as well. Jónsi is able to convey vast emotional extremes through tone and backing instrumentation alone, which is quite an impressive feat.
3.) Talk Talk
Talk Talk were a short-lived London band formed in the 80's that are often credited with forming the blueprint for the Post-Rock genre with their final two albums, Spirit of Eden and Laughing Stock. The band was considered a commercial failure by their label, EMI, and broke up shortly after the release of Laughing Stock, not seeing the influence their music hand on the underground until many years later. The band pull together a range of seemingly disparate sounds, elements of jazz, classical, and popular rock and pop sounds of the time were worked into the large, methodical, and experimental tracks the band pulled together through its lifespan. Pulling apart the various components of Talk Talk's music reveals quite a lot about where modern Post-Rock is and where it came from, making the band an excellent starting point.
4.) Mogwai
This Glasgow-based band has been at it for years, paving the way to being one of Post-Rock's defining bands. Their debut album, Mogwai Young Team, has all the elements for a Post-Rock classic, like huge buzzing guitars, climactic drumming, excellent arranged instrumentation, and a slew of intoerwoven samples keep this album fresh in a sea of copycats. Though Mogwai has seen continued success, through studio albums and a massive list of soundtrack works, the band's debut will always be my favorite of theirs.
5.) Neurosis
This may come off as an odd choice to some. If one were to go through this band's discography chronologically, one would find that the punk-influenced metal on display has very little common ground with the type of music I have been describing. However, as this band has evolved over time, their sound has as well. On The Eye of Every Storm, the band trades the typical brand of heaviness associated with the sludge metal they had come to be known for at this point in their career for a sense of emotional heaviness. Those expecting harsh, distorted metal riffs on this record will surely be disappointed, as many of the band's fans were at the time, but in the broader context of Post-Rock as a genre, this is easily one of the most well-crafted albums in the group's discography, earning Neurosis with the equally pretentious title of "post-metal."
6.) Explosions in the Sky
This Texas band is perhaps my favorite in this list. The Earth Is Not a Cold Dead Place, the band's third album, is the record that has held the title for my favorite album in this genre for the longest time. These wordless, long songs truly feel like a harrowing journey of triumph, sadness, and anger, all while building massive crescendos using only drums, bass, and guitar. This band shows that music can be moving and evocative, all without saying a single word.
