Post Hardcore

Of all the genres of rock, one could argue that none have been more influential for the current rock scene than the genre of post hardcore. Itself a derivative of punk rock, it includes groups expanding the boundaries of hardcore punk similar to what post punk did with punk rock. Utilizing hardcore punk’s fast tempo and energetic approach, it built upon it with complex and dynamic song structures and as a result its impact is felt from noise rock all the way to dance-punk.

Though there had been experimentation in hardcore before, the first real band that embodied all the aspects of post hardcore were Fugazi. Incorporating dub and soul into hardcore punk, they were one of the most distinctive and celebrated indie bands of all time. Interlocking guitar parts in the vein of Television, innovative song structures and funk and reggae beats, all became the calling cards of Fugazi.

Fellow rockers Rites of Spring, Embrace, Jawbox and Nation of Ulysses unfortunately gave rise to the emocore genre, influencing a new generation of bands such as Sunny Day Real Estate, Fall Out Boy, Panic at the Disco and My Chemical Romance.

However this era also produced two exceptional bands in At the Drive-In and Drive Like Jehu which were considered the flagship bands of 90’s post hardcore scene. Both these bands produced extremely complex punk rock with art and progressive influences.

Shudder To Think’s pop and R&B influenced post hardcore along with Craig Wedren’s operatic singing voice, technical precision and melodic virtuosity made them a major influence on the budding math rock genre. They also influenced the Dismemberment Plan who by adding rhythmic danceable beats to their music became the fathers of dance punk whose members include the oddly named !!! and Q and Not U.

Probably the preeminent post hardcore bands were the dense and heavily distorted Helmet and Quicksand characterized by by repetitive, syncopated, staccato guitar riffs, often in odd time signatures. A trademark of both these bands is the use of drop-d tuning which has become a staple in modern rock.

Cult indie noise rockers Unwound used jagged angular guitar lines to develop a sound all of their own. Although post hardcore has maintained till the new decade, the new breed of bands like Thursday, Thrice are however not upto the mark of the bands that popularized the genre.

Recommendation #1

Let me just start by saying….I absolutely love Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, they are by far the best band I’ve heard in a long, long time. So imagine my excitement when I read in their myspace page that they were about to release an instrumental/ambient album called ‘Effects of 333’ independent of any record label and that it would be available for download free on their site. I was totally beside myself; I couldn’t wait for it to come out. I’m a fan of instrumental albums and I thought it would be their trademark bluesy guitar riffs just without the vocals……boy was I wrong! Complete and utter piece of garbage!! I have never had so much revulsion for any album before…..I’m relatively opened minded, I’ve come to appreciate different kinds of music, but this….this is just too much! This is not an album that will grow on you in time….no this is an album that sounds like it was made by three 10 year old’s on crack!! Were any real instruments used in the making of this album or were the kitchen appliances sufficient??.....Is this the same band that gave us classics like ‘Love Burns’ and ‘Whatever happened to my rock n’ roll’?? ….Now I understand a band needs to experiment with their sound so that it remains fresh and BRMC have done it in the past….their 1st two albums were psychedelic influenced garage rock done in the trademark BRMC style. Their 3rd album ‘Howl’ turned away from this formula with more of a bluesy country tinge to it, which was still extremely entertaining….their 4th and best album to date ‘Baby 81’ was a culmination of all these styles and truly my favorite album of 2008 which I strongly recommend to anyone who’s a fan of good, dynamic rock n’ roll! In conclusion I just pray that 'Effects of 333' is just a one off album and not the new direction the band is headed in.

A perfect accompaniment to any BRMC album is the astounding documentary ‘Dig!’ released in 2005 on the friendship/rivalry between cult indie bands the Brian Jonestown Massacre and the Dandy Warhols. Being completely honest, before I saw this movie I wasn’t a fan of the Dandy’s and I hadn’t even heard of BJM…..I had just heard rave reviews about the movie and decided to check it out. Well I was absolutely stunned…it was riveting, fascinating, appalling and amusing all at the same time!
Dig! Is basically the story of these two neo-psychedelic bands which are believed to be at the helm of a musical revolution which they maintain will take over popular music in the years to come. Both bands lead very dissimilar lives….the hardworking Dandy’s sign to a major label and face the challenges and pressures of a being a mainstream band while BJM, the more talented of the two bands remains underground and experiences a meltdown due the pressures of drugs and their own talent. This movie is a fascinating look on the paths an indie band can take and should be viewed by anyone who has anything to do with music!

P.S:- This movie is made more enjoyable by the amazing soundtrack filled with stellar songs from these two talented bands. People interested in the neo-psychedelic sound should also check out their partners in crime - BRMC, Miranda Lee Richards, the Black Angels and the Warlocks.

2009 in Retrospect

Ok so I may be jumping the gun a little but I thought since everybody’s reminiscing about 2008 I should go one step further and tell you how 2009 was…..and the answer to your question is….yes, I can see into the future, but with great power comes great responsibility…{sorry cant seem to get that line out of my head :-P}. Anyway, I may not be able to say how Barrack Obama’s first year in office was or if the India-Pakistan conflict was resolved but I can say how the year was music wise and I think we can all agree that’s the most important thing.
So here we go…the newly reunited Alice in Chains along with their new singer William Duvall finally released their long awaited album and since it’s been around 15 years since grunge died out, the album was regarded as an unremarkable metal album and clumped in together with releases from Godsmack and Staind. However it still had considerably high sales as AIC fans from across the world ran out to get this album so that they could be the first ones to compare Duvall’s singing to Layne Staley’s, while exceptional playing by the three original members allowed three singles to be released ,one of which was even played on vh1! Speaking of Layne Staley….the biopic of the late singer was released late in the year and opened to generally negative reviews… {Screw them….I can’t wait to watch it!}
Also, Jesus Lizard once labeled ‘the world’s most dangerous band’ reunited to play a couple of shows to moderate response but disbanded for a second time due to disagreements between the band mates…{noooooooo!}
Other bands that reunited were 90’s favorites the Stone Temple Pilots and Blur, both of whom played for sold out crowds {but one of the bands didn’t survive till the end of the year….guess which one! :-P}
Fellow 90’s alumni Chris Cornell released yet another solo album to lackluster reviews… {Seriously this guy can’t catch a break unless he’s playing in bands like Soundgarden or Audioslave}
2009 saw its share of heavy music, thanks to releases from Deftones, Helmet and Slayer, all of which were appreciated by the mass audience. {God I miss Helmet!}
The indie circuit saw new albums by Franz Ferdinand and Built to Spill along with newest masterpiece by Radiohead with which they proved once again that they are the greatest band in the world today. {Incase you haven’t guessed I love Radiohead!!}
So that was 2009 in hindsight….oh and some other bands formed, disbanded, released albums…you get the idea. One major event in particular happened in 2009 which rocked the music world to its core….which you will have to wait and see though…..come on, there has to be some mystery in life.
Anyway this has been a prediction by me; hope you enjoyed it….. Nostradamus eat your heart out!! :-P