raise your skinny fists…

One thing that generally annoys me with the state of music journalism and publications is the lack of coverage of post-rock. For the uninitiated, post-rock is a genre in which traditional rock instruments are used to perform classical tasks. That is, a focus on composition, timbres, crescendos and what have you. The songs performed by post-rock artists are typically long, often pushing the 8 minute or over mark, and void of any song. Now, I do realise that there are two million things that sound infinitely better on paper, but bear with me. Post-rock groups like Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Explosions in the Sky have created some of the most beautiful pieces of modern music. Songs that build up from a meagre beginning, only to end in a heart-wrenching crash, boom and a bang 8 minutes later as guitars are throttled, drummers ravage their kits and violins float on top.

As I am a great fan of this genre, I’d like to see more coverage of it in the press. Usually the average review of a post-rock album is short, mentions something about the artist being from Canada, and gives it a high rating without explaining why. Because of this, I feel that many people are passed by these wonderful artists and the music they make. As such, here is a list of some great bands you should experience:

– Godspeed You! Black Emperor
– Explosions in the Sky
– Mono
– A Silver Mt. Zion
– Fly Pan AM
– 65 Days of Static
– The Cathode Ray Syndrome*
– The Exploits of Elaine
– Mogwai