Klever: In the Name of Peace and Progress (4.5/5)

Year: 2005
Genre: Progressive Post-Rock
Label: Self Released
TRT: 43:54

Post-rock has been in its death-throes for a while now, with countless bands popping up everywhere, but contributing nothing to further the sound. But every time I think “that’s it, that’s the last post-rock album I’m going to waste my time on”, I stumble on one like this.

Hailing from the frozen tundra of St. Petersburg, they pull from their roots by using many traditional Russian folk instruments (such as the zhalejka horn), as well as an assortment of flutes, strings and other more esoteric instruments, giving their compositions a decidedly prominent folk twist that helps keep your ears on their proverbial toes.

I’m definitely buying their album (if I can ever get them to reply to me), because I want more material from this innovative group of musicians. I hope you do too.

01 Trip #1
02 Trip #2
03 Trip #3
04 Trip #4
05 Trip #5


http://www.myspace.com/kleverrr

Saxon Shore: It Dosen't Matter (4.5/5)

Joshua's Non-Metal Picks for 2009
#5 of 10



Year: 2009
Genre: Post-Rock
Label: &Records
TRT: 75:41

Saxon Shore has been around for a while. Even so, they're often overlooked. I've always regarded them as a sort of pioneering older brother, who's siblings come behind and perfect their example.

With this album, Saxon Shore has stepped up their game, and established themselves as a post rock heavy weight. Everything about this album is far and away better than anything they've released previously. The build ups are better, the quiet parts are better, the pretty parts are prettier, and the climaxes are orgasmic. The addition of ethereal female vocals is also executed tastefully.

All in all, this album has the potential to become my favorite post rock album ever. Check back in five years for an update.

01 Nothing Changes
02 Thanks for Being Away
03 Tweleven
04 This Place
05 Sustained Combustion
06 Bar Clearing Good Times
07 What Keeps Us Up
08 Small Steps
09 Tokyo 412am
10 Goodnight, So Long
11 Amber, Ember, Glow
12 Secret Fire, Blinding Light

Search Amazon for Saxon Shore

Gregor Samsa: Rest (4/5)

Year: 2008
Genre: Atmospheric Post-Rock
Label: Kora
TRT: 48:02

If you're looking for the next This Will Destroy You or God is an Astronaut, you might be best suited looking elsewhere. I hesitate to even label it as post rock, as Gregor Samsa's music is not patterned after the"typical" post rock structure and motiff.

The mountaintop is not the focus, but rather the journey itself. Because of this, Rest almost has more in common with the latest records from Grouper and Valet than the aforementioned bands.

Gorgeous textures, subtle organic layers and an ethereal atmosphere, rounded out with subdued vocals (both male and female) all contribute to the beauty of this release. Very relaxing and engrossing, and the "extra" instruments used (piano, xylophone, strings, et cetera) are used appropriately, in that they enhance the songs, everything works together for the benefit of the whole instead of each vying for your attention.

I didn't hear this album until early 2009, otherwise it would have been a strong contender for my 2008 top picks list.

01 The Adolescent
02 Ain Leuh
03 Abutting, Dismantling
04 Company
05 Jeroen Van Aken
06 Rendered Yards
07 Pseudonyms
08 First Mile, Last Mile
09 Du Meine Leise

Search for Gregor Samsa on Amazon

If These Trees Could Talk (4/5)

Year: 2006
Genre: Post-Rock
Label: Self Released
TRT: 32:01

If These Trees Could Talk are part of the elite group of post-rock bands that don't need 10+ minutes to build a climax, and are as engaging during their quiet sections as they are during their riotous finales.

01 Malabar Front
02 Smoke Stacks
03 The Friscalating Dusklight
04 Signal Tree
05 The Death of a Paradigm
06 41°4'23n, -81°31'4w


Search Amazon for If These Trees Could Talk

God is an Astronaut: God is an Astronaut (4/5)

Joshua's Top 10 Non-Metal Albums of 2008
#10 out of 10


Year: 2008
Genre: Epic Post Rock
Label: Revive Records
TRT: 61:14

This might be the best post-rock band in existence. Never stagnant, always interesting, and creating epic builds in record time. If such a thing were an Olympic event, they’d take home the gold medal every time.

01 Shadows
02 Post Mortem
03 Echoes
04 Snowfall
05 First Day of Sun
06 No Return
07 Zodiac
08 Remaining Light
09 Shores of Orion
10 Loss

Search Amazon for God is an Astronaut

Coaltar of the Deepers: Yukari Telepath (4/5)

Year: 2007
Genre: Experimental Shoegaze Post Rock
Label: Musicmine
TRT: 67:23


Over the years, this group of Japanese musicians has explored a host of genres. From death metal, to techno, and many things in between. They have a massive discography that I have barely touched. But this was my introduction to the band, and I think it's a good one because they don't go too far off the deep-end with their genre-bending tendencies.

Yukari Telepath gets off to a furious start, with several parts that have almost a Meshuggah-esque feel to them. But after a few songs they begin to really mellow out into a Mew reminiscent brand of down-tempo shoegaze beauty. Very fun to listen to, and a great album to put on when you've got nowhere to go and nothing to do but drive for an hour.

01 Introduction of Zoei
02 Zoei
03 Wipeout (Retake)
04 Waterbird
05 Hedorian Forever
06 Aquarian Age
07 Automation Structures
08 Interlude
09 Lemurian Seed
10 AOA
11 Yukari Telepath
12 Carnival (Oumagatoki Mix)
13 Evil Line
14 Ribbon no kishi
15 Deepless

Search Amazon for Coaltar of the Deepers

Sparrows Swarm and Sing: Untitled #2 (4.5/5)

Year: 2005
Label: Self Released
Genre: Experimental Post Rock
TRT: 27:26

I brought these guys down from Massachusetts to play a show a couple years ago. They arrived early in their 15 passenger van, with trailer in-tow. As they began piling out of the vehicle and unpacking their instruments and gear, I started to get just a tiny inclination of what was in store. At that time, there were 8 or 9 members playing a host of instruments. From cello, to xylophone, to musical saw to random percussion and violin, along with your standard bass guitars and drums. The lights went down, a projector they had brought along began to play old reel-to-reel home movies on the back wall, and Sparrows Swarm and Sing began to play.

What ensued was one of the most beautiful, emotional and powerful things I've ever experienced, and if you pass up the chance to see these guys, you're seriously lacking for intelligence.

They've released this EP multiple times with multiple artwork. This is the MacRock 2006 edition that came in a completely hand made package consisting of a piece of backing wood with a harp burned into the back, and the number burned on the front (27/50 here), and then tied together with hemp and another wood chip sporting a design unique from all the rest. The cd it's self is contained in a vellum hand-folded sleeve, and has a pattern pressed on it in red wax.

Now, whenever a band is willing to go the extra mile with the packaging, I've always found that they're willing to do the same with their music. So it should come as no surprise that Untitled #2 is my favorite release from these northerners.

01 Part I
02 Part II
03 Part III

Search Amazon for Sparrows Swarm and Sing

65daysofstatic: The Fall of Math (4.5/5)

Year: 2004
Label: Monotreme
Genre: Post Rock Electro Glitch
TRT: 43:45

These Englishmen know how to rock. Taking the Post Rock formula of crafting songs with constantly building tension and intense climaxes, and intensifying it with some very interesting electronics and glitchy static. Sort of sounds like Mogwai's doppelganger patching it's music though The Matrix. Or, imagine The Sound of Animals Fighting playing a Pelican cover show, with a sound system possessed by Autechre.

01 Another Code Against the Gone
02 Install a Beak in the Heart That Clucks Time in Arabic
03 Retreat! Retreat!
04 Default This
05 I Swallowed Hard, Like I Understood
06 The Fall of Math
07 This Cat Is a Landmine
08 The Last Home Recording
09 Hole
10 Fix the Sky a Little
11 Aren't We All Running?

Search Amazon for 65daysofstatic

Kayo Dot: Dowsing Anemones With Copper Tongue [4.5/5]

#10 Album for 2006


















Year: 2006
Label: Robotic Empire
Genre: Experimental Progressive Post-Rock
TRT: 60:16

On this release, Kayo Dot combine post-rock sensibilities with elements of jazz and experimentation to create a lush and breath-taking journey through soundscapes that are as crushing as they are soothing. They have put together an album that, with a little patience, will enthrall you with it’s complexity.

01 Gemini Becoming the Tripod
02 Immortelle and Paper Caravelle
03 Aura on an Asylum Wall
04 _on Limpid Form
05 Amaranath the Peddler

Search Amazon for Kayo Dot

God is an Astronaut: Far From Refuge (4/5)

Year: 2007
Label: Revive
Genre: Post Rock
TRT: 43:02

Post Rock has been stagnanting over the last few years as more and more bands try to emulate the founders of the genre. God is an Astronaut must have missed the memo, because they've only been improving. Far From Refuge is a sweeping collection of songs with a wonderful brooding shoegaze atmosphere. Similar to This Will Destroy You, they find it unnecessary to draw out their compositions to make a point, with not a single song hitting the seven minute mark.

Recommended if you're just getting in to the genre, or are looking for a fresh approach to it.

01 Radau
02 Far From Refuge
03 Sunrise in Aries
04 Grace Descending
05 New Years End
06 Darkfall
07 Tempus Horizon
08 Lateral Noise
09 Beyond the Dying Light

Search Amazon for God is an Astronaut