Posted April 3rd, 2009, in: Art Etc| Humanity, Culture, Philosophy, Politics, Ethics Etc| Ideas, Observations, Opinions, Rants Etc

The music most people seem to accept as “Post-Rock” is instrumental music with long songs featuring rock-ish musicians grooving on a few chords and/or a motif, with a lot of dynamic variation and intensity for as long as an hour at a time.  

For most people, the term “Post-Rock” has become synonymous with a certain aesthetic, long, slow-moving guitar-centric (largely diatonic) songs that swell and die out with musical sensibilities largely created in the seventies and eighties.  

I want to extend the meaning of Post-Rock. 

I think that Post-Rock might include (just a few ideas):

• Music that sometimes incorporates rock sensibilities, but is not made with the goal of being rock.
• A temporary early 21st century terminology for “classical” music which uses rock-n-roll instruments. 
• Impressionism in music in the 21st century
• 21st Century music that is agnostic to typical marketing-driven categories such as hip hop, rock, folk, metal, Etc.
• Rock music with a structure informed by electronica.
• Any rock-based music that stands outside of its own genre.

On the other hand, when a friend mentions “post-rock,” I usually assume what they mean is ‘long-boring-electric-guitar-music.’  

If Post-Rock is a useful genre, I think we should include bands like The Fiery Furnaces.  Otherwise we should just call it “Bedtime Music…” 

I think Bjork is post-rock.