[Foreign Music] A Guide to Post-Rock: Essential Classics and a Recommended Pick

music writerKOH-1
Started working as a music writer as a side job while employed at a record shop, and have been contributing to music magazines and web media for over 15 years. Although Western music is my main field, I always strive to stay curious with the motto, “I like what I like.” I have experience playing in a band, where I was a bassist responsible for songwriting and composition. Instruments I’ve performed on include bass, guitar, and piano. I resumed piano lessons after turning 40 and have been continuing ever since!

Post-rock is a music genre that expresses itself through a variety of ideas and experimental approaches, differing from the conventional methodology of rock.

The definition is quite vague and there are many subgenres, but there are plenty of bands and artists within the umbrella of post-rock who have achieved global success, and here in Japan as well, many have been influenced by post-rock’s methods.

In this article, we’ll introduce a selection of essential albums—perfect as a “start here” for Western music fans who’ve recently become interested in post-rock.

The lineup focuses mainly on albums from the 1990s to the 2000s, the peak era of post-rock, so be sure to check them out!

[Western Music] A Guide to Post-Rock: Essential Classics and Recommended Picks (21–30)

Oui

Afternoon SpeakerThe Sea and Cake

Afternoon Speaker

Afternoon SpeakerThe Sea and Cake

Among the post-rock scene—largely dominated by instrumental-centric bands—The Sea and Cake, hailing from Chicago, the spiritual home of American post-rock, earned popularity as a band that clearly embraced songs with vocals.

Featuring top-tier Chicago musicians like Sam Prekop, Archer Prewitt, and Tortoise’s John McEntire, they’ve carved out a unique position with their refined pop sensibility, strongly influenced by jazz, and a sound that’s both gentle and forward-thinking.

Moving at their own pace while consistently delivering quality work, they released the much-lauded classic “Oui” in 2000, which we’ll highlight here.

It’s the band’s fifth album, incorporating elements of jazz, soft rock, and bossa nova, adding guest-performed orchestral instruments, and weaving in understated electronic tones that feel entirely purposeful—resulting in a supremely stylish record that would sound perfectly at home in an afternoon café.

At the same time, their finesse in executing a meticulous band ensemble—distinct from atmosphere-first lounge music—done with effortless grace is nothing short of breathtaking.

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Their Helicopters’ SingGodspeed You! Black Emperor

Godspeed You! Black Emperor – Their Helicopters’ Sing

Their Helicopters' SingGodspeed You! Black Emperor

Godspeed You! Black Emperor is a Canadian experimental music group formed in 1994.

This track is included on the album ’Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend!, released in 2012.

The album won the Polaris Music Prize.

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The Undertow65daysofstatic

65daysofstatic – The Undertow (Last.fm Lightship95 Series)

The Undertow65daysofstatic

65daysofstatic is a British instrumental experimental rock band active since 2001.

This track, characterized by its dynamic melodies, is included on their sixth album, Wild Light, released in 2013.

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Helicon 1Mogwai

Mogwai – “Helicon 1” (Official Music Video)

Helicon 1Mogwai

Mogwai is a post-rock band formed in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1995.

This track was released as a single in 1997 and became a hit in the UK and elsewhere.

It was used in the American TV dramas The Shield and Friday Night Lights.

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Where Are The Timpani HeartbeatsThe Six Parts Seven

The Six Parts Seven – Where Are The Timpani Heartbeats

Where Are The Timpani HeartbeatsThe Six Parts Seven

The Six Parts Seven is an American post-rock band that was active from 1995 to 2008.

This track is included on the 2002 album “Things Shaped in Passing.” It features melancholic guitars and a grand, soaring chorus.

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Aaron and MariaThe American Analog Set

The American Analog Set – Aaron & Maria

Aaron and MariaThe American Analog Set

The American Analog Set is an indie rock and lo-fi music band from Fort Worth, Texas, active from 1995 to 2006.

This track is included on their fourth album, Know by Heart, released in 2001.

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Broken BalladGrails

Grails – Broken Ballad

Broken BalladGrails

Grails is an American instrumental experimental rock band active since 1999.

This melancholic track, characterized by its violin sound, is included on their 2003 album The Burden of Hope.

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