ChaosResolved
03-07-2006, 11:14 AM
Tracking the Trends: US Instrumental Rock (Part III)
Tracking the Trends changes gear for its third expose of the US instrumental scene, this time dropping the "instrumental" for more vocal oriented bands. These bands still maintain the "post-rock" dogma, and in some ways, they stay more true to it than the instrumental bands previously discussed. Those who have yet to read the first two additions can do so here: (Part I) (http://www.decoymusic.com/vb/showthread.php?t=8023) (Part II) (http://www.decoymusic.com/vb/showthread.php?t=8355). This time we bring to the table Gregor Samsa, Clogs, Dreamend, The Rum Diary, and Volta Do Mar.
Gregor Samsa
Virginia
http://www.decoymusic.com/images/trackingthetrends/gregorsamsa.jpg
Website:Gregor Samsa (http://www.gregorsamsa.com/)
Music:Myspace (http://www.myspace.com/gregorsamsamyspace)
For some reason, I don't really think this is the type of music Kafka would be making had he been a musician. Gregor Samsa hails from the south, but has a devout following that extends far from its humble roots. Known to have shared the stage or half of a split cd with the likes of Kayo Dot and Red Sparowes, Gregor Samsa stitches together a more diverse fan base than the normal post-rock band manages to do. Maybe it's the serene sonic landscapes and ethereal vocals, maybe it's the heartfelt violin arching over dramatic, cathartic compositions, or maybe it's just the small subtle changes from the standard post-rock formula that make this band irresistible to so many. Although the band has been together for over five years and has a series of small releases under its belt, Gregor Samsa celebrates the release of its debut album, 55:12 this march with Kora Records. After a few initial listens, it's easy to see that this band is going to be a big hit among the instrumental crowd in 2006. Sigur Ros like atmospherics combine with an organic richness akin to Explosions in the Sky and the whole process is solidified with a dual vocal approach (male/female) which would cause even the most stubborn critics to succumb to the overwhelmingly beautiful album. 55:12 is a true artistic masterpiece. Gregor Samsa shows a unrelenting commitment to patience--the album progresses forward with a slow, deliberate pace and rarely strays from the very cautious mindset offered here. "Young and Old" is perhaps too good for words. The track begins with a single, repetitious guitar line and soft drum beat accompanied by vocals. As the space of the musical environment begins to grow, Gregor Samsa slowly fills this newfound space with an effigy of sound, carefully introducing a violin to the mix and building up a momentous storm of energy, this time with forceful drumming and guitar backup. It's been a long time since I've seen a post-rock song performed with such perfect timing and skill, and this album is surely a rejuvenating album for those fearful that the genre is beginning to become watered-down.
55:12 is full of gems, notably "Young and Old", "Loud and Clear", and "What I Can Manage." Although I've been following this band for years, it's only since the release of this full length that I truly took note of this talented quartet. I had to dig back into the collection to check out the rest of the band's material, and the roots of talent are indeed buried in its older works, such as 27:36. Probably the fact that this band has a split with Red Sparowes is enough to convince most people to spare a few minutes on this band. Hopefully they stay for the view.
Clogs
US and Australia
http://www.decoymusic.com/images/trackingthetrends/clogs.jpg
Website:Clogs (http://www.clogsmusic.net)
Music:Clogs Music (http://www.clogsmusic.com/recordings.asp)
While not a full American band, Clogs is comprised of US and Australians who have come together to offer something different to the instrumental genre. The best word to describe Clogs to someone who hasn't experience its music firsthand is cinematic. The four piece, comprised of a viola player, a guitarist, a "percussionist", and a bassoon player, is not a normal instrumental group. Clogs doesn’t really bring any component of "rock" into its music, but instead relies on classical compositional structures to portray its artistic vision. Latern, the band's fourth album, is very representative of the band's sound, but at the same time is a more forceful offering than it's previous release, Stick Music. Clogs is not a band known for being loud and cathartic, but rather it makes music that is soothing and pretty. Strings occupy the main musical space created by the band, as evident in songs like "5:4," "Death and the Maiden," and "Tides of Washington Bridge". However, everything comes together so very nicely on "2:3:5," "Canon," and "The Song of a Cricket," where a cornucopia of sounds mesh together to form a harmonious, moving piece of art. "Canon" is so smooth you can see the water droplets running off of it without leaving a single trace, and this is the style of music that is very traditional of the band--crisp, intelligent pieces that are engaging without much effort. "2:3:5" starts subtlety enough, but by the track's end a plethora of sounds collide upon one another for the listener's attention, and ultimately it is the comfortable string presence that leaves the greatest impression. "The Song of a Cricket" is a song that is very unbecoming of the band, as it is not shy about building up momentum and every reaching a loud, cathartic conclusion. Clogs is not a loud band, and is not one that generally gets the blood pumping, but in Latern it shows that the old rules are out and anything goes in the new presentation.
It's good to see Clogs really experimenting with some new sounds on Latern. Although there is a good amount of slow, quiet Clogs remaining from previous adventures, the new album does pack more a punch than the Clogs of old. This is highly pleasing to this critic, who often found that while the band made "pretty" music, it was always lacking that initial draw into the music itself. Pretty music is all well and good, but without some motivating force it becomes quite self-indulgent. Clogs is quickly becoming one of my favorite off-beat instrumental group. And with music as cinematic as this, how can you possibly resist?
Dreamend
Illinois/Vermont
http://www.decoymusic.com/images/trackingthetrends/dreamend.jpg
Website:dreamend (http://www.dreamend.com)
Music:Myspace (http://www.myspace.com/dreamend)
Dreamend is a band that says it all in its name. Dreamy, depressing music sets the foundation for haunting, eerie vocals that readily penetrate deep into the subconscious. One of my biggest pet peeves in the post-rock genre are bands that dabble too heavily into the vocal arena. It seems the case that either post-rock bands generally have below average singers who tend to clutter a well organized sonic landscapes, or that the songs themselves are so well written that no vocal presence is needed. However, I've always been quite impressed with Dreamend's ability to put all my criticisms to rest and deliver compelling post-rock with a vocal presence. Need proof? The band more than adequately blends these approaches together on its 2005 release, Maybe We're Making God Sad and Lonely, and tracks like "Iceland" reach chilling conclusions as Dreamend placates the listener with wave after wave of ambience and melodic singing. In true post-rock fashion, the track knocks down the listener's defenses with a repetitious audible attack led by fluttering guitars and a cascade of symbols. Yet, the band's best work to date is contained in the first and last tracks, "A Place in Thy Memory" and "New Zeland" respectively. Here Dreamend ventures off into more improvisational territory, adopting non-linearly forms of travel which greatly highlights the otherworldly tale that the band crafts on this album. This transcendence brings out fragile bells and melodic vocals, additional tools to harness the abundance of atmosphere conjured up by this trio. Noting that these two songs take up roughly half of the material offered on Maybe We're Making God Sad and Lonely, it's looks like the band has a very promising future ahead of itself.
For reasons I can't explain, Dreamend is one of those strangely underrated bands in the music scene, especially since they're doing most everything right. Hypnotic rhythms and mesmerizing compositions lull the listener into a heavy sleep while the gentle drums and repetitious drums dare not stir him from slumber. Dreamend is currently filling up a spring US tour and then has plans to head back into the studio to record its next release. In the meantime, demos are popping up on its myspace page, so be sure to catch a preview of its newest work before it hits selves.
The Rum Diary
California
http://www.decoymusic.com/images/trackingthetrends/therumdiary.jpg
Website:The Rum Diary (http://www.therumdiary.net)
Music:Myspace (http://www.myspace.com/therumdiary)
The Rum Diary is not a band that you'll catch playing the same tune twice. On each release, the band makes a significant change in its sound, loosely staying in the post-rock/shoegaze realm, but not really giving much thought to whether or not it is sufficiently contained within a musical genre. We're Afraid of Heights Tonight opens with a short horn introduction and then quickly transitions into the subdued indie rock atmosphere of "Back in the Hardcore Days." The Rum Diary extracts the somber melancholy from bands such as Muse and inject with a dose of airy, angelic vocals. We're Afraid of Heights Tonight is a slow, collected album that consciously tries not to get carried away with its own passion; instead, The Rum Diary creates swirling, catatonic songs that lightly tumble through the gentle sonic landscape as a young boy might explore an open field on a warm Californian summer day. The band's talent and influence does not end there. Harnessing the shoegazing ways of My Bloody Valentine and Starflyer 59, The Rum Dairy march forward through the album with lush, ambient, music that adds a little bit of post-rock/psych rock glamour to the band's indie-rock core. The longer tracks can't resist the temptation to lavish themselves in extraneous composition, and it in the tracks "Mothball," "My Lungs Have Felt Better," and "The Sunken Fields (TL-05)" that the band's post-rock tendencies tend to come closest to the surface.
In the end, We're Afraid of Heights Tonight is an impressive mix of different influences that comes together coherent as a beautiful album. Initially, I wasn't too enamored with this release, but after repeated listens, it becomes increasingly clear that The Rum Diary have a stunning work of art in its midst. If nothing else, We're Afraid of Heights Tonight shows that this band is one of California's more interesting bands; in one of the most crowded music scenes in the United States, The Rum Diary is able to create an album that is as compelling as it is creative and as enjoyable as it is breathtaking.
Volta do Mar
Illinois
http://www.decoymusic.com/images/trackingthetrends/voltadomar.jpg
Website:Volta Do Mar ( http://www.voltadomar.com/)
Music:Myspace (http://www.myspace.com/voltadomar)
Chicago's Volta Do Mar play an energetic, at some times progressive and mathy form of post-rock. After much delay, the band's second album, 03>98, saw release in 2005 among rumors of the band's demise. Although not one of the genre's more popular acts, Volta Do Mar have had its fair share of influence on bands such as El Ten Eleven and Ellis the Vacuumchild, who are more content to sprint blindly into the snowstorm than crawl through a calm summer field. Guitars are definitely at the lead of this band as defiant bass lines collapse into jazz oriented break downs. Drums furiously attempt to keep to keep up with the rogue meanderings of the guitars, but as is often the case, it is always a couple steps behind and plays upon the wake created by the turbulent axes. Tracks like "The Lawless Days of Drinking Whiskey in the 10th Grade" and "Sports Complex" feature some gruelingly complex guitar playing, but it takes a tune like "Move Sparrow Fast Toward New Season" to bring out the blistering aggression of the band in full math-rock form. However, "Fall out of Cars Fall out of Night" displays a more contemplative side of the band, one that is more restrained and calculating than the band featured on the rest of the album. The final minutes of the track slowly dies down amidst the relenting licks of the stubborn guitarist. It's in these moments that the full potential of the band reveals itself and we are left to wonder where the next step takes Volta Do Mar.
Unfortunately, this may as well serve as a tribute to the band, whom has fragmented into serval different projects and gone on indefinite hiatus -- very Godspeed You! Black Emperor of them. While it looks like they have no plans to get back together as Volta do Mar in the near future, the option is always available, and crazier things have happened in the land of rock and roll. Until then, we may always remember Volta do Mar by the legacy it left behind for the rest of the post-rock community.
~Jordan Volz
~~~~~~~~~~
Relative Links:
Tracking the Trends: US Instrumental Rock (Part I) (http://www.decoymusic.com/vb/showthread.php?t=8023)
(Part II) (http://www.decoymusic.com/vb/showthread.php?t=8355)
Top 50 Instrumental Albums of 2005:: (1-10) (http://www.decoymusic.com/vb/showthread.php?t=6772)
(11-20) (http://www.decoymusic.com/vb/showthread.php?t=6773)
(21-30) (http://www.decoymusic.com/vb/showthread.php?t=6774)
(31-40) (http://www.decoymusic.com/vb/showthread.php?t=6775)
(41-50) ( http://www.decoymusic.com/vb/showthread.php?t=6776)
Tracking the Trends: Experimental British Rock (Part I) (http://www.decoymusic.com/vb/showthread.php?t=5080)
(Part II) (http://www.decoymusic.com/vb/showthread.php?t=5512)
(Part III) (http://www.decoymusic.com/vb/showthread.php?t=6377)
Tracking the Trends: Swedish Post Rock (http://www.decoymusic.com/vb/showthread.php?t=4442)
Tracking the Trends: Australian Underdogs (http://www.decoymusic.com/vb/showthread.php?t=4257)
Tracking the Trends: Ohio Alternative (http://www.decoymusic.com/vb/showthread.php?t=3348)
Tracking the Trends changes gear for its third expose of the US instrumental scene, this time dropping the "instrumental" for more vocal oriented bands. These bands still maintain the "post-rock" dogma, and in some ways, they stay more true to it than the instrumental bands previously discussed. Those who have yet to read the first two additions can do so here: (Part I) (http://www.decoymusic.com/vb/showthread.php?t=8023) (Part II) (http://www.decoymusic.com/vb/showthread.php?t=8355). This time we bring to the table Gregor Samsa, Clogs, Dreamend, The Rum Diary, and Volta Do Mar.
Gregor Samsa
Virginia
http://www.decoymusic.com/images/trackingthetrends/gregorsamsa.jpg
Website:Gregor Samsa (http://www.gregorsamsa.com/)
Music:Myspace (http://www.myspace.com/gregorsamsamyspace)
For some reason, I don't really think this is the type of music Kafka would be making had he been a musician. Gregor Samsa hails from the south, but has a devout following that extends far from its humble roots. Known to have shared the stage or half of a split cd with the likes of Kayo Dot and Red Sparowes, Gregor Samsa stitches together a more diverse fan base than the normal post-rock band manages to do. Maybe it's the serene sonic landscapes and ethereal vocals, maybe it's the heartfelt violin arching over dramatic, cathartic compositions, or maybe it's just the small subtle changes from the standard post-rock formula that make this band irresistible to so many. Although the band has been together for over five years and has a series of small releases under its belt, Gregor Samsa celebrates the release of its debut album, 55:12 this march with Kora Records. After a few initial listens, it's easy to see that this band is going to be a big hit among the instrumental crowd in 2006. Sigur Ros like atmospherics combine with an organic richness akin to Explosions in the Sky and the whole process is solidified with a dual vocal approach (male/female) which would cause even the most stubborn critics to succumb to the overwhelmingly beautiful album. 55:12 is a true artistic masterpiece. Gregor Samsa shows a unrelenting commitment to patience--the album progresses forward with a slow, deliberate pace and rarely strays from the very cautious mindset offered here. "Young and Old" is perhaps too good for words. The track begins with a single, repetitious guitar line and soft drum beat accompanied by vocals. As the space of the musical environment begins to grow, Gregor Samsa slowly fills this newfound space with an effigy of sound, carefully introducing a violin to the mix and building up a momentous storm of energy, this time with forceful drumming and guitar backup. It's been a long time since I've seen a post-rock song performed with such perfect timing and skill, and this album is surely a rejuvenating album for those fearful that the genre is beginning to become watered-down.
55:12 is full of gems, notably "Young and Old", "Loud and Clear", and "What I Can Manage." Although I've been following this band for years, it's only since the release of this full length that I truly took note of this talented quartet. I had to dig back into the collection to check out the rest of the band's material, and the roots of talent are indeed buried in its older works, such as 27:36. Probably the fact that this band has a split with Red Sparowes is enough to convince most people to spare a few minutes on this band. Hopefully they stay for the view.
Clogs
US and Australia
http://www.decoymusic.com/images/trackingthetrends/clogs.jpg
Website:Clogs (http://www.clogsmusic.net)
Music:Clogs Music (http://www.clogsmusic.com/recordings.asp)
While not a full American band, Clogs is comprised of US and Australians who have come together to offer something different to the instrumental genre. The best word to describe Clogs to someone who hasn't experience its music firsthand is cinematic. The four piece, comprised of a viola player, a guitarist, a "percussionist", and a bassoon player, is not a normal instrumental group. Clogs doesn’t really bring any component of "rock" into its music, but instead relies on classical compositional structures to portray its artistic vision. Latern, the band's fourth album, is very representative of the band's sound, but at the same time is a more forceful offering than it's previous release, Stick Music. Clogs is not a band known for being loud and cathartic, but rather it makes music that is soothing and pretty. Strings occupy the main musical space created by the band, as evident in songs like "5:4," "Death and the Maiden," and "Tides of Washington Bridge". However, everything comes together so very nicely on "2:3:5," "Canon," and "The Song of a Cricket," where a cornucopia of sounds mesh together to form a harmonious, moving piece of art. "Canon" is so smooth you can see the water droplets running off of it without leaving a single trace, and this is the style of music that is very traditional of the band--crisp, intelligent pieces that are engaging without much effort. "2:3:5" starts subtlety enough, but by the track's end a plethora of sounds collide upon one another for the listener's attention, and ultimately it is the comfortable string presence that leaves the greatest impression. "The Song of a Cricket" is a song that is very unbecoming of the band, as it is not shy about building up momentum and every reaching a loud, cathartic conclusion. Clogs is not a loud band, and is not one that generally gets the blood pumping, but in Latern it shows that the old rules are out and anything goes in the new presentation.
It's good to see Clogs really experimenting with some new sounds on Latern. Although there is a good amount of slow, quiet Clogs remaining from previous adventures, the new album does pack more a punch than the Clogs of old. This is highly pleasing to this critic, who often found that while the band made "pretty" music, it was always lacking that initial draw into the music itself. Pretty music is all well and good, but without some motivating force it becomes quite self-indulgent. Clogs is quickly becoming one of my favorite off-beat instrumental group. And with music as cinematic as this, how can you possibly resist?
Dreamend
Illinois/Vermont
http://www.decoymusic.com/images/trackingthetrends/dreamend.jpg
Website:dreamend (http://www.dreamend.com)
Music:Myspace (http://www.myspace.com/dreamend)
Dreamend is a band that says it all in its name. Dreamy, depressing music sets the foundation for haunting, eerie vocals that readily penetrate deep into the subconscious. One of my biggest pet peeves in the post-rock genre are bands that dabble too heavily into the vocal arena. It seems the case that either post-rock bands generally have below average singers who tend to clutter a well organized sonic landscapes, or that the songs themselves are so well written that no vocal presence is needed. However, I've always been quite impressed with Dreamend's ability to put all my criticisms to rest and deliver compelling post-rock with a vocal presence. Need proof? The band more than adequately blends these approaches together on its 2005 release, Maybe We're Making God Sad and Lonely, and tracks like "Iceland" reach chilling conclusions as Dreamend placates the listener with wave after wave of ambience and melodic singing. In true post-rock fashion, the track knocks down the listener's defenses with a repetitious audible attack led by fluttering guitars and a cascade of symbols. Yet, the band's best work to date is contained in the first and last tracks, "A Place in Thy Memory" and "New Zeland" respectively. Here Dreamend ventures off into more improvisational territory, adopting non-linearly forms of travel which greatly highlights the otherworldly tale that the band crafts on this album. This transcendence brings out fragile bells and melodic vocals, additional tools to harness the abundance of atmosphere conjured up by this trio. Noting that these two songs take up roughly half of the material offered on Maybe We're Making God Sad and Lonely, it's looks like the band has a very promising future ahead of itself.
For reasons I can't explain, Dreamend is one of those strangely underrated bands in the music scene, especially since they're doing most everything right. Hypnotic rhythms and mesmerizing compositions lull the listener into a heavy sleep while the gentle drums and repetitious drums dare not stir him from slumber. Dreamend is currently filling up a spring US tour and then has plans to head back into the studio to record its next release. In the meantime, demos are popping up on its myspace page, so be sure to catch a preview of its newest work before it hits selves.
The Rum Diary
California
http://www.decoymusic.com/images/trackingthetrends/therumdiary.jpg
Website:The Rum Diary (http://www.therumdiary.net)
Music:Myspace (http://www.myspace.com/therumdiary)
The Rum Diary is not a band that you'll catch playing the same tune twice. On each release, the band makes a significant change in its sound, loosely staying in the post-rock/shoegaze realm, but not really giving much thought to whether or not it is sufficiently contained within a musical genre. We're Afraid of Heights Tonight opens with a short horn introduction and then quickly transitions into the subdued indie rock atmosphere of "Back in the Hardcore Days." The Rum Diary extracts the somber melancholy from bands such as Muse and inject with a dose of airy, angelic vocals. We're Afraid of Heights Tonight is a slow, collected album that consciously tries not to get carried away with its own passion; instead, The Rum Diary creates swirling, catatonic songs that lightly tumble through the gentle sonic landscape as a young boy might explore an open field on a warm Californian summer day. The band's talent and influence does not end there. Harnessing the shoegazing ways of My Bloody Valentine and Starflyer 59, The Rum Dairy march forward through the album with lush, ambient, music that adds a little bit of post-rock/psych rock glamour to the band's indie-rock core. The longer tracks can't resist the temptation to lavish themselves in extraneous composition, and it in the tracks "Mothball," "My Lungs Have Felt Better," and "The Sunken Fields (TL-05)" that the band's post-rock tendencies tend to come closest to the surface.
In the end, We're Afraid of Heights Tonight is an impressive mix of different influences that comes together coherent as a beautiful album. Initially, I wasn't too enamored with this release, but after repeated listens, it becomes increasingly clear that The Rum Diary have a stunning work of art in its midst. If nothing else, We're Afraid of Heights Tonight shows that this band is one of California's more interesting bands; in one of the most crowded music scenes in the United States, The Rum Diary is able to create an album that is as compelling as it is creative and as enjoyable as it is breathtaking.
Volta do Mar
Illinois
http://www.decoymusic.com/images/trackingthetrends/voltadomar.jpg
Website:Volta Do Mar ( http://www.voltadomar.com/)
Music:Myspace (http://www.myspace.com/voltadomar)
Chicago's Volta Do Mar play an energetic, at some times progressive and mathy form of post-rock. After much delay, the band's second album, 03>98, saw release in 2005 among rumors of the band's demise. Although not one of the genre's more popular acts, Volta Do Mar have had its fair share of influence on bands such as El Ten Eleven and Ellis the Vacuumchild, who are more content to sprint blindly into the snowstorm than crawl through a calm summer field. Guitars are definitely at the lead of this band as defiant bass lines collapse into jazz oriented break downs. Drums furiously attempt to keep to keep up with the rogue meanderings of the guitars, but as is often the case, it is always a couple steps behind and plays upon the wake created by the turbulent axes. Tracks like "The Lawless Days of Drinking Whiskey in the 10th Grade" and "Sports Complex" feature some gruelingly complex guitar playing, but it takes a tune like "Move Sparrow Fast Toward New Season" to bring out the blistering aggression of the band in full math-rock form. However, "Fall out of Cars Fall out of Night" displays a more contemplative side of the band, one that is more restrained and calculating than the band featured on the rest of the album. The final minutes of the track slowly dies down amidst the relenting licks of the stubborn guitarist. It's in these moments that the full potential of the band reveals itself and we are left to wonder where the next step takes Volta Do Mar.
Unfortunately, this may as well serve as a tribute to the band, whom has fragmented into serval different projects and gone on indefinite hiatus -- very Godspeed You! Black Emperor of them. While it looks like they have no plans to get back together as Volta do Mar in the near future, the option is always available, and crazier things have happened in the land of rock and roll. Until then, we may always remember Volta do Mar by the legacy it left behind for the rest of the post-rock community.
~Jordan Volz
~~~~~~~~~~
Relative Links:
Tracking the Trends: US Instrumental Rock (Part I) (http://www.decoymusic.com/vb/showthread.php?t=8023)
(Part II) (http://www.decoymusic.com/vb/showthread.php?t=8355)
Top 50 Instrumental Albums of 2005:: (1-10) (http://www.decoymusic.com/vb/showthread.php?t=6772)
(11-20) (http://www.decoymusic.com/vb/showthread.php?t=6773)
(21-30) (http://www.decoymusic.com/vb/showthread.php?t=6774)
(31-40) (http://www.decoymusic.com/vb/showthread.php?t=6775)
(41-50) ( http://www.decoymusic.com/vb/showthread.php?t=6776)
Tracking the Trends: Experimental British Rock (Part I) (http://www.decoymusic.com/vb/showthread.php?t=5080)
(Part II) (http://www.decoymusic.com/vb/showthread.php?t=5512)
(Part III) (http://www.decoymusic.com/vb/showthread.php?t=6377)
Tracking the Trends: Swedish Post Rock (http://www.decoymusic.com/vb/showthread.php?t=4442)
Tracking the Trends: Australian Underdogs (http://www.decoymusic.com/vb/showthread.php?t=4257)
Tracking the Trends: Ohio Alternative (http://www.decoymusic.com/vb/showthread.php?t=3348)