EventsGateway to Post-Metal | Isis
Rhythm. That’s the best word to describe Isis. They are one of the heaviest bands I listen to and definitely the most rhythmically inclined. I believe Isis is among the most influential artists in rock (you just might not realize it), and they’re certainly one the most influential groups among my personal musical influences. It took a few albums for Isis to really develop, but their last two have done rather well for such a niche audience.
Post-Rocked Jazz | The Samuel Jackson Five
I’ll be honest, I purchased The Samuel Jackson Five strictly for the name. I can’t quite remember, but I’m pretty sure I saw their name under one of those “listener’s also bought” type categories when purchasing the new album by Russian Circles. I suppose they both somewhat fit into the Chicago math rock scene. However, there are two key differences between the two bands. The Samuel Jackson Five has a much more apparent jazz influence and even a little experimental rock from time to time. The other difference is that The Samuel Jackson Five isn’t from Chicago, but instead Oslo, Norway.
From One | Ra
Perhaps it’s just me, but I feel like Nirav and I have been giving the impression that good new rock music falls into some sort of new obscure sub-genre. That might be true for the most part, but there really are some bands that we love that can only be classified as rock.
Enter | Russian Circles
Russian Circles, although hailing from the Chicago math rock scene, doesn’t really fall into the genre exclusively. I’m sure I’ll get some criticism out of this, but I think they’ve found a really solid mix of the two genres. I hear a mixture of Isis , God is an Astronaut, and Pelican… with just the right amount of math rock.
Progressive Jazz | The Bad Plus
Remember when I said you don’t listen to enough Jazz. Then I reminded you that it was true. Well, it is true, I did say that, and you still don’t listen to enough jazz. I’ve got another jazz band that everyone should check out. The Bad Plus is a three piece band consisting of a piano, upright bass, and one hell of a drummer.
Top Jazz Albums
David Remnick suggess the top 100 Essential Jazz albums to date to be, “more as a guide for the uninitiated than as a source of quarrelling for the collector.”
A Brighter Day | Ronny Jordan
The jazz genre itself really never stirred any interest in me when I was younger. I was looking for something I could latch onto and something that vibed with me. Though of course I had heard of the leaders like Thelonius Monk and Miles Davis, they just never hit me in a way that I could just put them on my ipod or I could jam out to on my 7.1 sound system. I particularly was looking for something more soul-driven and something that was smooth. Then came Ronny Jordan, my introductin into the world of jazz.
God is an Astronaut
Our first set of music videos focus on a band from Ireland that goes by the name of God Is An Astronaut. We started listening to them about 9 months back when they released their latest album Far From Refuge (2007). They are an amazing instrumental-only band which you can jam out to without ever feeling the need for lyrics. I love bands like that. Though lyrics wouldn’t hurt, they can do without them and still produce quality music.
Blackstar | Mos Def & Talib Kweli
The most influential artists to the world of conscious (aka real) hip hop, they’ve managed to inspire and make popular the sound of hip hop artists like Kanye West and Lupe Fiasco, Jazz musician like Ronny Jordan, production artists like Hi-Tek and Minnesota, and soul singers like Floetry and Faith Evans. Their music and art form, as a group and as individuals, has changed the way we listen to hip hop music today.
New Progressive Rock from… Poland? | Riverside
Just when I thought my only source of new good progressive rock was Porcupine Tree and potentially another album from Tool in the next five years if we’re lucky… I came across Riverside. If you like Dream Theater, Porcupine Tree, Tool, and/or Opeth, then Riverside deserves your attention.
