I suppose one can call this post-rock with Chinese characteristics. Zhaoze are a progressive rock/post-rock band out of Guangzhou, China, and this is the first I’ve heard of them. Their sound is mellow, almost dramatic in a TV-theme way, yet the music, though soothing, is also engaging, especially after about the 5 minute mark, where guitars begin to shimmer.
As we near the year’s end, I wish to thank my friend who goes by the name of Corvus who turned my on this group from the Czech Republic called Kalle. They sound like a mashup of post-rock, Celtic or even folk-rock and alternative music, but still managing to sound fresh. The female vocals are solid and inviting, and the music sounds crisp and well-recorded. Quite nice!
This Penguin Can Fly is a band out of Portugal. which combines elements of post-rock, prog and math-rock into a rather brutal, mostly instrumental, concoction. Heavy, but rewarding, listening.
The Dirty Three are Mick Turner, Jm White and Warren Ellis, and between them, they have worked with a who’s who of alternative music like P.J. Harvey, Bonnie “Prince” Billy, and Nick Cave among others. What’s most impressive about their sound, however, is that they can sew together angular post-rock with a charming, nearly folkish sound. This is the band’s best album in my estimation, and that’s saying a lot considering the quality of their work, but please do give it a listen and enjoy one of Australia’s finest instrumental bands.
I had the pleasure of meeting multi-instrumentalist Ragnar Ólafsson in Bulgaria when he was performing with the Icelandic post-rock group Árstíðir many years ago. Every now and again, I see his name pop up and I came across this gorgeously-sung single track he released in May of this year. From his Bandcamp site: Urðarþráður means “the thread of Urður. The name refers to one of the three primary norns (witches) in Norse mythology, responsible for shaping the course of human destines. Uður is believed to sit at the foot of Yggrasil, the tree of the world, spinning the thread of…
I can’t say I’ve heard of post-country music until today, but as it reminds me of post-rock, this is a genre that will definitely be worth exploring. Rivers Of Glass offer an instrumental album of shimmering guitar playing, sounding like an ambient music version of rain. It’s a sublime listening experience.
Baložu Pilni Pagalmi are a Latvian post-rock/folk band out of the capita city of Riga. What’s most interesting about this 37 minute-plus track is that it covers not only the genres mentioned, but it would be comfortable listed as an alternative/indie release. I like the fact that there is a story embedded in this album, even if I am unable to understand Latvian. I look forward to learning more about the band.
417.3 appeared on my radar about 7-8 years ago when I was trying to explore more about Russian post-rock. They are a heavy instrumental band, but not overly “mathy” or anything like this. 47 is a one-track single with the sort of shimmering guitar playing that one would expect from post-rock bands, as it seems to be the calling card of the non-metal end of the genre’s spectrum.
Composer and producer Sergei Guselnikov is based out of Russia, and he sent me one of his latest releases. As far as the music goes, the first two tracks are strong post-metal / post-rock, but what really intrigued. me was the last one, which was airy, atmospheric, and features the vocals of Daria Shakhova, who also fronts Hale De Mars. Also featured are the contribution of the Brandy Kills vocalist Igor Shapransky on the second track, and as I’m new to his work, it’s great motivation to learn more about all three musicians featured on this EP.
In honor of Cinco de Mayo, we present you a new post-rock band out of Mexico City called A Shelter In The Desert. The band’s sound incorporates a lot of shoegaze sounds and has a cinematic vibe to it. Impressive, and worth exploring.