[DrBenway]

So, I'm listening to Explosions In the Sky, beautifully recorded on 03-29-07. This was a legal download from archive.org/audio. I'm wondering why I don't hear more praise for this band.

Anybody else mesmerized by this band...?

 

[tintin47]

They are just great. I don't know if you already know about them, but if you enjoy explosions you should look into Sigur Ros, specifically Agaetis Byrjun and (). Fantastic albums with the same sort of musical idea.

 

[Sabrage]

They're actually fairly well-known. I was pretty big into them a year or so ago, but after seeing them live almost all of my interest waned and flickered out. They lacked energy, interest and distinction, and it started to show through in their albums. They're fun for a little while but they get pretty old. (in my opinion anyways)

 

[Darek]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrBenway /img/forum/go_quote.gif So, I'm listening to Explosions In the Sky, beautifully recorded on 03-29-07. This was a legal download from archive.org/audio. I'm wondering why I don't hear more praise for this band. Anybody else mesmerized by this band...?

did you mean their "all of a sudden i miss everyone" album ? or ?

 

[Hot Pixel]

Be sure to check out mono. They're even awesome-er (imo)
Post rock is wicked; but be sure to consume it in moderate amounts lest you get tired of the genre (it happens rather quickly and suddenly for some)

 

[Calexico]

I haven't picked up any live sets from them, but I have a lot of their albums and find them all really boring. And while post-rock is a sort of boring genre, I am able to enjoy some, such as Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and occasionally Sigur Ros/A Silver Mt. Zion.

 

[Gberg]

hmm you must of gone to a bad live show.
that rarely happens for me

 

[asmox]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Calexico /img/forum/go_quote.gif I haven't picked up any live sets from them, but I have a lot of their albums and find them all really boring. And while post-rock is a sort of boring genre, I am able to enjoy some, such as Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and occasionally Sigur Ros/A Silver Mt. Zion.

You might like God is an Astronaut - it's sort of post rock for people who think post rock is boring.

Personally, I'm more into post rock bands along the lines of Tortoise, The Mercury Program, 65daysofstatic, and Grayceon. GYBE, Zion, Sigur Ros, Mono, EITS, and others like them tend to just bore the living **** out of me.

 

[mbd2884]

They are decent. I place them on my list along with Boards of Canada as decent, ok, stuff.

@ liking Mono, agreed, but prefer Air

 

[Calexico]

I really enjoy Your Hand in Mine though, it's excellent.

 

[Vel]

Explosions in the Sky are excellent! As someone said before definitely check out Mono and I would also like to add The Album Leaf to this too (sample here: YouTube - The Album leaf )

 

[DrBenway]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tintin47 /img/forum/go_quote.gif They are just great. I don't know if you already know about them, but if you enjoy explosions you should look into Sigur Ros, specifically Agaetis Byrjun and (). Fantastic albums with the same sort of musical idea.

I've heard a little bit of Sigur Ros, including a recording of a show that they did at The Museum of Modern Art (NYC), which I found on one of the music blogs. They are very good, but a little pretentious in my opinion. But not so much that I am prevented from liking them.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darek /img/forum/go_quote.gif did you mean their "all of a sudden i miss everyone" album ? or ?

I have that one, and one other studio album, The Earth Is Not a Cold Dead Place. The live performance that I referred to in my OP was recorded by a taper and posted to archive.org. That site has a staggering amount of free, legal music by name bands. The inventory is a little heavy on on jam bands, which is not really my taste, and recording quality varies widely, but there is just a ton of great stuff there.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hot Pixel /img/forum/go_quote.gif Be sure to check out mono. They're even awesome-er (imo) Post rock is wicked; but be sure to consume it in moderate amounts lest you get tired of the genre (it happens rather quickly and suddenly for some)

If you are referring to the Japanese guitar band (I think there is another band with the same name), then yes, I have definitely heard them. I've got a couple of their CDs, and I saw them about five years ago at the Mercury Lounge here in NYC. One of the best shows I have ever been to. The way they build to musical peaks (ala Mogwai) is almost unbearably beautiful. People in the crowd were getting emotional at times.


Quote:

Originally Posted by asmox /img/forum/go_quote.gif You might like God is an Astronaut - it's sort of post rock for people who think post rock is boring. Personally, I'm more into post rock bands along the lines of Tortoise, The Mercury Program, 65daysofstatic, and Grayceon. GYBE, Zion, Sigur Ros, Mono, EITS, and others like them tend to just bore the living **** out of me.

I like Tortoise very much. They're geat live and TNT is an amazing CD.

But to tell you the truth, I'm skeptical that post rock is really even a style. Looking at the list of bands in your post, I'm not sure I can think of a single thing that all of them have in common. I've often heard the "rock instruments used for non-rock purposes" definition, but that sounds hopelessly general and non-specific to me. Mogwai, Mono, and Explosions sound like instrumental rock to me, plain and simple. Tortoise, Sigur Ros and others don't sound like rock to me, but either does Pink Floyd at times. What all these bands have in common, aside from a very high level of musicianship, completely eludes me.

Which doesn't prevent me from enjoying many of these bands on their own terms. I'm just fascinated by the way that certain labels or catch phrases become accepted. Don't get me started about the label "emo."

 

[somestranger26]

Explosions in the Sky is great, really nice if you're just looking to chill out and relax.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tintin47 /img/forum/go_quote.gif They are just great. I don't know if you already know about them, but if you enjoy explosions you should look into Sigur Ros, specifically Agaetis Byrjun and (). Fantastic albums with the same sort of musical idea.

AHA! That's the band I keep forgetting to add to my collection. Thank you.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Calexico /img/forum/go_quote.gif I really enjoy Your Hand in Mine though, it's excellent.

Me too, I recall seeing a post to reddit's music subreddit praising it

.

Quote:

Originally Posted by asmox /img/forum/go_quote.gif You might like God is an Astronaut - it's sort of post rock for people who think post rock is boring. Personally, I'm more into post rock bands along the lines of Tortoise, The Mercury Program, 65daysofstatic, and Grayceon. GYBE, Zion, Sigur Ros, Mono, EITS, and others like them tend to just bore the living **** out of me.

Mmmm... post rock. I'll have to check out some of the bands you listed. I'm a huge fan of 65days... each song is so drastically different it's like you're switching bands each time the song changes. My favorite by them is Massive Star at the End of its Burning Cycle... parts of it are loud and like white noise, but with lots of hidden detail, there's something about it that my ears just love. (I don't believe it's on any of their released albums or EPs, it's part of "Unreleased & Unreleasable Vol. 2")

 

[ZepFloyd]

if you're gonna check out sigur ros, along with agaetis byrjun and ( ) try takk... probably my favorite album of theirs, glosoli might be one of the greatest songs ever

 

[DrBenway]

O.K., so I'm not getting a lot of traction on my objection to the post-rock label. Let's take it a step further. Amiina are closely associated with Sigur Ros. Does that make them post rock? I mean come on, they're a string quartet. Anybody?