Ongoing History of New Music

The Ongoing History of New Music, Episode 770: A Brief History of Post-Rock

I hate jargon, especially when it comes to music. I’ve always believed that music should be for everyone and that no one should be barred from discovering something wonderful just because they can’t speak the language of critics and musos.Sure you could ask, but sometimes admitting that you don’t know something is intimidating. Who doesn’t hate the feeling of encountering unfamiliar terms and phrases that make you feel stupid, uninformed or shut out?

This topic came up a while ago when I got an email from a listener about the concept of “post-rock.” What the hell is that? “After rock?” “Beyond rock?” Is this a scene or sound? Or is it something else?

The best definition I can come up with is “rock music using rock instruments in non-rock ways to create atmosphere and soundscapes.” That’s still an imperfect description, so the best thing we can do is spend an hour on the subject tracing the rise of post-rock in alt-rock culture.

Songs from this week’s program:

Velvet Underground, “Venus in Furs”

Neu!, “Hallogallo”

David Bowie, “Warszawa”

Public Image Ltd, “Swan Lake”

Talk Talk, “I Believe in You”

Slint, “Breadcrumb Trail”

Stereolab, “Wow and Flutter”

Radiohead, “Everything In Its Right Place”

Sigur Ros, “Svefn-g-englar”

Explosions in the Sky, “Your Hand in Mind”

The Ongoing History of New Music can be heard on the following stations:

We’re still looking for more affiliates in Kamloops, Kelowna, Regina, Saskatoon, Brandon, Windsor,  Montreal, Charlottetown, Moncton, Fredericton, and St John’s and anywhere else with a transmitter. If you’re in any of those markets and you want the show, lemme know and I’ll see what I can do.

Alan Cross

is an internationally known broadcaster, interviewer, writer, consultant, blogger and speaker. In his 40+ years in the music business, Alan has interviewed the biggest names in rock, from David Bowie and U2 to Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters. He’s also known as a musicologist and documentarian through programs like The Ongoing History of New Music.

Alan Cross has 38019 posts and counting. See all posts by Alan Cross

One thought on “The Ongoing History of New Music, Episode 770: A Brief History of Post-Rock

  • Please let us download from iTunes or anywhere else!! I”ll pay for petes sake!!

    Reply

Let us know what you think!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.