EventsPelican
I honestly have no clue how I found Pelican. I’m assuming I found them through suggestions related to Isis, but it’s hard to keep track anymore. I do, however, remember cranking them in my living room after purchasing The Fire In Our Throats Will Beckon the Thaw and getting a positive reaction from my roommate who is notoriously over-critical of just about any music. Then again he’s grown to detest everything except Vivaldi and Bon Jovi for some reason… so the joke’s on him.
Maserati
Post-rock. What exactly does that mean? I’ve tagged a few artists with said genre, but really that’s just to make it easier to find. I have a problem with labeling bands as post-rock. That’s like making good rock it’s own genre. To me, post-rock is just where rock has developed over the past decade or so. I’ve come across one band in particular that has managed to distinguish itself from the pack and isn’t particularly all that well known.
Danger Invites Rescue
It’s no secret, I’ve clearly got a fetish for progressive/post-rock/metal or whatever us kids are calling it these days. Isis, Pelican, Del Rey, and Russian Circles are among my favorites… but these guys are all pretty well known at this point (some more than others obviously). I’ve recently found another band among this genre that brings a fresh look.
Station | Russian Circles
I know I just reviewed Russian Circles’s first album, and yes I posted it only a couple days after Station was released… but now I’ve had about a month for Station to grow on me. I was a little unsure about it the first few listens, but now I can say with confidence that Station is one of the best instrumental rock albums I own.
A Pyramid For The Living | Del Rey
I have a semi-daily ritual of laying down on couch, popping in my headphones, and cranking some good music. Some people like come home from a long day of work and zone out to some TV or maybe grab a cold-one. I like to just lay down and relax to music. Del Rey, another great instrumental rock band from Chicago, is one of those bands that’s perfect for said scenario. It’s very chill, yet busy, instrumental rock.
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.
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.
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.
Mr. Beast | Mogwai
Usually, if everyone says so-and-so is great, you have to check them out… they suck. That’s not always true, but I’m just playing the odds. Mogwai was one of those bands that seemed like everyone but me knew. What I didn’t realize was that the only people suggesting it were people equally as obnoxious as me.
