Sunday, March 20, 2016

This goes with this (sincerest form of flattery edition)

In the blue corner: "Ljoss", by Forest Swords, from 2013 (is it really that long ago?), and very specifically the sound he conjures up around the 53-second mark.

In the red corner: "The Catastrophist", title track from the new album by Tortoise, and very specifically the sound they conjure up around the 1:35 mark.

Of course, both sounds could have been arrived at independently. But it would also be kinda nice to think that, just maybe, the Titans of the thing that gets called "post-rock" (although it is in fact neither) have been listening to the music being made by the new generation, and absorbing its lessons (some of which lessons the new generation most likely absorbed from Tortoise in the first place).

Tortoise may never make another "Djed". (Talk about building a rod for your own back.) But their music since then has never been anything less than fascinating. And, of course, highly listenable. (The new album? There are vocals! Shock! Horror! Does that make it post-post-rock? Or maybe pre-post-rock? (Would that be "rock"?))

You be the judge: