Discussion on Rock and "Post-Rock"

**Janszoon** · 06-13-2012, 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr dave

Does Chuck Berry sound like Led Zeppelin? Does Black Sabbath sound like Motley Crue? How about Guns n Roses and Nirvana?

Rock is an ever changing style meant to appeal to the youth of a generation as one of their first common voices in the mainstream of society. You can distinguish it if you feel necessary to play into the stylish hand so many hipsters purport to hate but really, at this point 'post' rock is this generation's 'alternative' rock.

I would say indie is this generation's alternative rock. Post-rock is actually a fairly distinct genre on it's own.

blastingas10 · 06-13-2012, 11:44 AM

That's true. But I know post rock is a music for the youth, from my experience. Not to say there aren't older people who dont like it, but there are also older people who like rock n roll.

**Janszoon** · 06-13-2012, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blastingas10

That's true. But I know post rock is a music for the youth, from my experience. Not to say there aren't older people who dont like it, but there are also older people who like rock n roll.

Is it? I think of it as fairly "mature" music, in that it tends to be complex and subtle rather than having the immediacy and simplicity of music I associate with youth. It's also something I've been listening to for about 15 years so I don't think of it as a particularly young genre or genre with a very young fan base.

For the record, when I say post-rock here I'm talking about actual post-rock bands (Tortoise, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Mogwai, etc.) as opposed to the music the OP's girlfriend mistakenly thinks is post-rock.

blastingas10 · 06-14-2012, 01:50 AM

I know, modest mouse is definitely rock. I said "from my experience", and my experience has shown me that's it's still youth oriented. Maybe you don't consider explosions in the sky to be post rock, but I once saw them live and there was pretty much nothing but young people there.

mr dave · 06-14-2012, 04:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Janszoon

I would say indie is this generation's alternative rock. Post-rock is actually a fairly distinct genre on it's own.

Fine. In that case it's the new grunge

But you also seem to be defining it based on what it was rather that how it's currently seen. While I agree that groups like Tortoise and GYBE fit the bill it seems a lot of listeners just want to apply the term to their generation of groups that deviate from the twist our own generation applied to the mainstream.

Kind of like how we didn't like being told Pearl Jam sounded like classic rock when they first came out because they totally didn't.

**Janszoon** · 06-14-2012, 06:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blastingas10

I know, modest mouse is definitely rock. I said "from my experience", and my experience has shown me that's it's still youth oriented. Maybe you don't consider explosions in the sky to be post rock, but I once saw them live and there was pretty much nothing but young people there.

One concert for one second-generation post-rcok band doesn't really define the genre or it's audience imo.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr dave

Fine. In that case it's the new grunge

*pukes a little in mouth*

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr dave

But you also seem to be defining it based on what it was rather that how it's currently seen. While I agree that groups like Tortoise and GYBE fit the bill it seems a lot of listeners just want to apply the term to their generation of groups that deviate from the twist our own generation applied to the mainstream.

No, I'm defining it by what it is. Read the other replies in this thread, all from people younger than me, who define it the same way I do. Heck, read the Wikipedia entry for it. That agrees with my take on it too. The only person I've seen define it as anything else is the OP's girlfriend.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr dave

Kind of like how we didn't like being told Pearl Jam sounded like classic rock when they first came out because they totally didn't.

Heh. Speak for yourself. I always thought they sounded classic rock-ish.

mr dave · 06-17-2012, 06:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Janszoon

No, I'm defining it by what it is. Read the other replies in this thread, all from people younger than me, who define it the same way I do. Heck, read the Wikipedia entry for it. That agrees with my take on it too. The only person I've seen define it as anything else is the OP's girlfriend.

Heh. Speak for yourself. I always thought they sounded classic rock-ish.

Agreed but that didn't stop the majority of people from associating PJ to a different term because they wanted to apply a level of specialization to their tastes.

Same as the post rock thing, the average poster on this forum is not the average listener. We know how to dig a little and do a bit of research, the average hipster, not so much - and unfortunately they seem to be the ones redefining the terms in the commercial mainstream. The Wikipedia definition doesn't matter much when there are a bunch of people with dollars in their hands wanting to rename something to suit their tastes.

(I also really don't miss the call center world

)

duga · 06-17-2012, 12:05 PM

Another label war, huh?

Surely we can all agree that the bands that fall under "post rock" and the bands that are just referred to as "rock" are very different from each other, yeah?

I like to think of it this way... Rock songs create a moment to enjoy while post rock creates an atmosphere and a world to live in. They can still cross paths, but generally I think they are different enough to distinguish.

The Batlord · 06-18-2012, 10:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by makéman

rock post rock

That's very true.

GrapevineFires · 08-21-2012, 07:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glassjawx

A few days ago, my girlfriend and I were discussing our tastes in music. She likes bands like La Dispute, Explosions in the Sky, Radiohead, Glassjaw, and Modest Mouse, but she claims not to like rock music. I was puzzled. Most of the bands she likes would fall under rock as a sub-genre of rock.

She said this - "I don't like rock, I like post-rock."

I tried explaining to her that that's basically impossible. A lot of the music she listens to, I would say, is a form of rock. Post-rock isn't usually a term that bands in the "post-rock" scene/genre identify themselves as. In fact, they try to steer clear of being called post-rock, as it sort of implies that rock is dead and gone.

What do you guys think? Is my girlfriend making sense? Is post-rock just a term coined by critics, or is it something entirely separate from rock?

Your feedback would be much appreciated. Thanks.

I agree with your girlfriend. I have a similar opinion infact.
I love Post-Rock. But I'm not a fan of modern rock.

Rock music is generally the same as pop music, but less accessible. Post rock is completely different as it doesn't tend to follow any patterns of verses, choruses and bridges that rock and pop do.

This isn't why it's better, this si why they are different.

^This is a very general explanation - there will be exceptions.

06-17-2012, 12:05 PM	#18 (permalink)
duga MB quadrant's JM Vincent Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Washington, DC Posts: 3,762	Another label war, huh? Surely we can all agree that the bands that fall under "post rock" and the bands that are just referred to as "rock" are very different from each other, yeah? I like to think of it this way... Rock songs create a moment to enjoy while post rock creates an atmosphere and a world to live in. They can still cross paths, but generally I think they are different enough to distinguish. __________________ Confusion will be my epitaph...

06-13-2012, 11:44 AM	#12 (permalink)
blastingas10 Music Addict Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 2,126	That's true. But I know post rock is a music for the youth, from my experience. Not to say there aren't older people who dont like it, but there are also older people who like rock n roll.

06-14-2012, 01:50 AM	#14 (permalink)
blastingas10 Music Addict Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 2,126	I know, modest mouse is definitely rock. I said "from my experience", and my experience has shown me that's it's still youth oriented. Maybe you don't consider explosions in the sky to be post rock, but I once saw them live and there was pretty much nothing but young people there.