Celebrating the things I’ve loved in music over the last 25 years.

What is it about me and Post-Rock?

Let’s be honest: the post-rock format is pretty much the same, regardless of the band. A song starts quietly, roars to life, then goes quiet again. Repeat ad finitum.

Solos of any kind are rare to nonexistent. This also goes for band movement onstage. Grooves are slow. Guitar chords are sparse and drenched in reverb. Everyone in the band is wearing black. Concerts are almost always played in relative darkness. The sound of one band can easily run into the sound of another.

And I LOVE it.

All I know is post-rock resonates deep within me like only a few musical styles can. It touches my soul. It’s the only place where the brutal weight of heavily distorted de-tuned guitars can move me to tears.

Post-rock seems to require a certain mindset that revolves around certain musical parameters. This was what Google AI gave me when I asked for post-rock’s definition.

“A genre of experimental, largely instrumental rock music that utilizes traditional rock instrumentation—guitars, bass, and drums—to create texture, atmosphere, and sonic landscapes rather than relying on standard song structures, blues-based riffs, or verse-chorus formats.”

That’s hard to argue with, though I would include occasional keyboards to the mix. There are more than a couple of bands who use keys to set up atmospheres the rest of the band uses to drive its musical point home.

Does that help? Well, let’s move ahead anyway.

I came to learn about post-rock sometime in the year 2000. It all started with a Chicago-based band called Tortoise. Their eponymous debut album had actually been released six years before, but I was clueless about it.^

One thing I can’t remember is just how I got to them. I’m all but certain it was my friend Kim at Streetside Records in St. Louis who guided me in this direction. Why remains a mystery. I guess certain things slip one’s mind after 25 years. No matter. All I know is that Tortoise followed me home, and my musical world hasn’t been the same since.

The music was deep and ambient. It had an ethereal groove. There was a bit of melody, but no dominant lead. It was, in its own way, almost orchestral.

Tortoise’s eponymous album was the first I ever heard. The opening track, “Magnet Pulls Through,” set the tone.

At the time, I was neck-deep into playing and listening to guitars. So, it didn’t take me long to notice the absence of said instrument. Then I had another thought: I noticed the absence, but I didn’t miss the guitars. They didn’t fit within this particular context. The music was doing just fine without them.

I was hooked.

I continued to explore Tortoise’s back catalog, becoming particularly enamored with a 1996 album called Millions Now Living Will Never Die. The grooves were even deeper and heavier. The melodies (such as they were) changed direction on a dime. I could never come up with the proper adjective that said why I loved this band so much. I still can’t. And it doesn’t matter. All I knew — then and now — is that I was all about what was happening.

Tortoise eventually added Jeff Parker as guitarist. His sparse and tasteful playing fit right in. The rest of the band settled in nicely around him. “TNT” is a perfect example.

I all but burned a hole through my CD when Tortoise released It’s All Around You in 2004. The tour around that album also afforded me the chance to see them live for the first time.

I went to the show with a friend who was unfamiliar with the band. As we listened, his face grew quizzical. Between songs, he leaned over and said, “What are you supposed to do to this?” It was a fair question. Tortoise didn’t have a dance groove, there were no instrumental histrionics, and there were no vocals. The music was just … there.

I smiled and said, “You don’t have to do anything! Just experience it.” My friend got it. A smile came across his face and he was suddenly just as addicted as I was. We talked about that show for days! I’ve had the pleasure of seeing Tortoise live three or four times since then. Each gig left me feeling the same way. I had experienced something special.

Post-rock became part of my musical vocabulary without overwhelming it. Bands like Slint, Trans-Am, El Ten Eleven, and God Is An Astronaut just kind of wandered into my world at a slow but steady pace. Some of the music relied on deep grooves, some relied on ethereal guitars, some had a punk edge. That’s the beauty of post-rock: it can come from just about anywhere.

Without a doubt, my current favorite post-rock band is We Lost the Sea. They hail from Sydney, Australia. My choice is a little ironic, because members of the band hate being identified with the post-rock label. Yet there they were, headlining the POST.fest music festival in Indianapolis in the summer of 2025. Sorry, boys … it be like that sometimes.^^

All I know is that I couldn’t get to Indy from Chicago fast enough. The band played a set on two of the three nights of the festival. They were also kind enough to get me a media pass. So, despite the absolutely staggering pain in my lower back (which has since been surgically repaired), I was there — ten feet away from them — as they played the whole of Departure Songs, my favorite of their albums. The music from this record has never gotten old. Not. One. Bit. It’s hard to believe they released it a decade ago.

I was thrilled to get the chance to interview guitarist Mark Owen a couple of years before the show. Like the rest of the guys in the band, he’s low-key, affable, and extremely easy to talk to.

The band released a new album called A Single Flower in 2025. It bumps right up against Departure Songs as a favorite these days. Though it would be a bad idea to sleep on Triumph & Disaster, the album they released in between.

We Lost the Sea is definitely a band you experience rather than simply hear. I’ve recommended them to at least three dozen people over the years. I’ve yet to hear a cross word about them.

There are so many post-rock bands to explore. They come from all over the world. Some can be found in your back yard. I got a real kick out of a Chicago band called Rhone, who opened a show I saw a couple of years back.

Another favorite band is a Texas group called This Will Destroy You. Their music has traveled the most, which is to say I’ve heard it in other places besides their own albums. While watching the movie Friday Night Lights, I began to hear music I knew I recognized from somewhere. Sure enough, a check of the credits revealed the music was played by This Will Destroy You. A tune called “The Mighty Rio Grande” was the centerpiece.

This Will Destroy You’s albums are great. But the best way to experience this band, I think, is live. Their album Live in Reykjavik, Iceland is a great way to go.

There are so many groups I can name-check, it’s a wonder I figured out where to begin. And there are a couple of bands I’ve seen live more than once. Each show is an experience unto itself. Rare is the day I leave a post-rock show without feeling wonderfully, emotionally drained.

Caspian is one of those bands that does it for me. I’ve been lucky enough to see them a couple of times. Each time, I was right up against stage.+ Funny thing is, I could literally be six feet from one of the band members and STILL have trouble seeing them! Take the photo that starts this piece, for example. Philip Jamieson was standing directly in front of me, and that was the image I got. On the plus side, I love the way it came out!

At POST.Fest, I had the privilege of seeing a variety of new (to me) post-rock bands. The festival hosted bands from around the world. Even from within the U.S., I was surprised to see a band from Montana. Post-rock is à language spoken everywhere! Among my favorites were NRTHRN, hubris, and Ranges.

What I loved even more was the size of the crowd at the festival. There are times when I’ve felt very alone in my love for this music, aside from when I go to a concert. I’m forever explaining what post-rock is and why it has such deep meaning for me. Now I was surrounded for two days by like minds getting as much out of this music as I do.+

Back in Chicago, I’ve also been treated to shows by Explosions in the Sky, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, And So I Watch You From Afar, and Russian Circles.

My post-rock bucket list was fulfilled not just by seeing We Lost the Sea, but also by seeing Icelandic powerhouse Sigur Rós, who played two of the most beautiful sets of music I’ve ever heard. It’s not like me to cry in the middle of a crowded theater, but I was very close.

The only downside to the show was Sigur Rós’s failure to play a tune originally known as “Untitled #8.” They normally close the show with it, which is as fitting as it gets. Alas, it didn’t happen this time. I understand. No doubt they had been closing shows with the song for quite some time. No doubt they were eager to shake things up. I got over it. I put together a playlist of the band’s set, then tacked my favorite tune on as an encore.

Post-rock is a genre worth exploring if only because of the seemingly endless possibilities. Bands like Old Solar, April Rain, The American Dollar, and many others are out there, waiting to be discovered.

But don’t take my word for it, discover it for yourselves. Here’s a playlist to get you started.

Bring a hankie.

^ Which is why it qualifies for this series.

^^ We Lost the Sea also headlined two nights at the Dunk! Festival in Belgium, another massive post-rock event. Looks like that label is gonna follow them around for a while.

+ POST.fest is actually a three-day event. Unfortunately, I found myself in absolute agony when I awoke for Day Two. Instead of enjoying another dull day of music, I was stuck in my hotel and treating and resting my back.

#cirdecsongs

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