The Yiddish language originated in the 900s and peaked in the early 1940s with around 11 million speakers, primarily in Europe’s Ashkenazi Jewish communities. But of the six million Jewish people murdered by the Nazis during World War II, 85 percent of them were Yiddish speakers. Just as the worldwide Jewish population has not yet […]
Tag: postrock
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Elder explore individual journeys through their proggy new album, Innate Passage
When Elder emerged in Massachusetts in the mid-2000s, they worshiped at the altar of stoner-doom heavyweights such as Sleep and Eyehategod. But in the years since, they’ve emerged from behind the weed to establish a voice of their own. By their fifth LP, 2020’s Omens, most of the band had relocated to Berlin, and as […]
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Brutus enter their ‘ambitious third album’ phase with explosive results
Brutus have entered their “ambitious third album” phase, and it sounds like it’s really working for them. The Belgian trio made waves with their second record, 2019’s Nest, which showcased their posthardcore-meets-postrock chops. Anchored by the soaring vocals and complex rhythms of singer and drummer Stefanie Mannaerts, their dynamic, aggressive songs swerved between emo introspection […]
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Steve Von Till of Neurosis gets stripped-down and cinematic with his solo material
Neurosis have spent more than three decades redefining what heavy metal is and what it can be. They’re a multifaceted beast, moving in many directions depending on where their creative forces guide them and combining sludge metal with prog-rock arrangements, spacey soundscapes, and postrock instrumental layers. The members of the five-piece band frequently break away […]
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Deftones merge metal and dream pop to remain one of rock’s most enduring heavy acts
Even though the ongoing reappraisal of nu metal has recognized that era as a significant cultural moment, Sacramento band Deftones still manage to catch a bad rap. Sure, they came up as part of the same movement as Korn and Limp Bizkit, and they toyed with some dated, aggro rap-rock on a couple songs in […]
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Chicago postrock misfits Monobody smooth out their frenzied style on Comma
Instrumental five-piece Monobody have the tenacity and vision to add to Chicago’s storied postrock legacy, and they proved it with 2018’s Raytracing, which borrowed its frenzied energy from punk and metal. On their new third album, Comma (out on Sooper, the label co-owned by Monobody drummer Nnamdi Ogbonnaya), the group maintain the seat-of-the-pants spirit of […]
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Mogwai celebrate 25 years of postrock exploration with As the Love Continues
Mogwai have never presented themselves as a sentimental band, but the (mostly) instrumental Scottish postrock group are leaning into nostalgia to commemorate their 25th year: they’re releasing their tenth studio album, As the Love Continues, almost exactly a quarter-century after their debut single, “Tuner” b/w “Lower.” Though the new record explores novel musical channels of […]
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Crippled Black Phoenix make an urgent plea for humanity on Ellengæst
Listening to a new Crippled Black Phoenix record is a bit like unwrapping a present. Even if you have an idea what’s under the intricate ribbons and shiny paper, you can still get surprised. That’s partially by design. Though the the songs of British multi-instrumentalist Justin Greaves provide the group with a common thread, Crippled […]
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Emerging Chicago band Lifeguard play noisy, retro-leaning rock without getting stuck in the past
Chicago band Lifeguard make the kind of noisy, brooding rock that’s been foundational to generations of punk and indie bands, all the way back to the dawn of hardcore and no wave. On their self-released debut album, Dive, Lifeguard dispense driving bass lines that could enliven even the dreariest postpunk tune, impassioned drumming that ratchets […]
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Two of Chicago’s rising dark rock groups collaborate in the studio and onstage
It would be worth an outing to the Empty Bottle just to see two of the most compelling bands Chicago has produced in recent years on one bill. Dark postrock trio Lume entered the fray last year with their full-length debut, Wrung Out (Equal Vision), a raw, emotional, and cinematically dreary work that examines loss […]
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Local power trio RLYR premiere the first song from their upcoming debut
Three masters of boundary-pushing metal go shiny, pretty, and epic in RLYR.
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12 O’Clock Track: Russian Circles go extra crushing on “Deficit”
Today’s 12 O’Clock Track is “Defecit” from the upcoming Russian Circles album, Memorial.
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Best shows to see: Engines, Houses, Wovenhand, and KEN Mode
A selection of shows to get out of the house to see include Engines at the Green Mill, Flatlanders at Mayne Stage, Wovenhand at the Empty Bottle, and KEN Mode at the Empty Bottle
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12 O’Clock Track: Explosions in the Sky, “The Birth and Death of the Day”
Today’s 12 O’Clock Track is Explosion in the Sky’s “The Birth and Death of the Day”