Charts and Maps - Dead Horse (2011)

Genre: Jazz Fusion/Post-Rock
Country: United States

This record is so, so, soooo much fun! Combining eclectic jazz freak-outs and rigorous post-rock movements can't be an easy thing, but Charts and Maps do it in such a seemingly carefree manner, creating a thoroughly enjoyable and chillaxing listen in the process. The interplay between the guitars and horns is so awesome, both shining but not at the detriment of the other. Sometimes (like right now, where I am in a public place) it's hard for me not to close my eyes, lay back and imagine I'm not in some cool, smokey jazz club enjoying a cigar in my pin-striped suit and fedora. This is some classy shit right here.

no horses were injured during the recording of this album

Kairon; IRSE! - Ujubasajuba (2014)

Genre: Shoegaze, Post-Rock
Country: Finland

If you've been on the front page of RYM in the past month or so, you've probably seen a review for this with the caption "BRUTAL POST ROCK" (the author changed it unfortunately). I was pretty hesitant to listen to it considering the cover is mildly unappealing but I gave it a shot anyway since my friend recommended it to me. I think the best way to describe this album is saying that it's essentially a post rock album with progressive leanings with shoegaze production. Kairon; IRSE! don't get lost in forming a huge wall of sound that many shoegaze bands tend to fall under. Rather, they really like to add riffs and solos to support that wall of sound to engage the listener which is how the separate themselves from all the other bands in the scene currently. Even if you're not a fan of shoegaze, there are other characteristics that you can latch onto to and find enjoyment out of it. It's possibly the best album on Bandcamp that's name-your-price as well so get listening!

Name-Your-Price on Bandcamp

Corea - Los peores 7 peores Km de mi vida (2004)

Genre: Screamo, Post Rock
Country: Spain

In all honesty, the whole screamo/post rock hardly does anything for me anymore. Only a few bands out there are able to capture the same spirit and vibe of earlier screamo and balance it out with emotive post rock. Every other band starts to sound like watered down post rock coupled with uninteresting and weak screamo. Corea seems to be the exception to this rule because they're able to really emulate the violent and rough aspect of screamo while being able to add post rock/ambient interludes to provide atmosphere and emotions in a different way. This sounds really rough around the edges so if you really enjoy the more violent side of screamo/post rock, then check this out.

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Vaura - Selenelion (2012)

Genre: Black Metal, Post-Punk, Post-Rock
Country: United States

This isn't exactly obscure or anything, but it sure is under-appreciated and overlooked. I can see there being a lot of hype for this seeing as this has Toby Driver in the band among others, but it seems people's expectations were a little bit too high because of it. Regardless, this is an excellent release as long as you don't expect it to blow your mind. It sort of has that black metal / shoegaze feel but it's more of an influence more than it is integral to their sound. They also switch between the gruff harsh vocals and the gothic post-punk kind of vocals similar to The Cure. It's a pretty unique in its own right, just don't expect some avant-garde type of thing. It's just good for what it is.

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Kacica - Kacica (2006)

Genre: Dream Pop, Post Rock
Country: Japan

I think the biggest appeal for this band would be the fact that their vocalist sounds a lot like Bjork. Like the vocalist here goes for the long sprawling kind of vocals as if she's moving her body slowly to the music which I think perfectly goes well with the vibes this album. The instrumentation isn't too dramatic or complex; rather they're just simple to match the relaxed and dazed nature of dream pop. The combination of the Bjork-esque vocals and the relaxed nature of the instruments brings a very entrancing nature to just vibe with. Nothing to really think too hard about.

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I Was A Cosmonaut Hero - MMXIII (2014)

Genre: Screamo, Post Rock
Country: France

Another screamo/post rock hybrid from France featuring members from Gantz and Daitro. Songs at longest go as long as 7 minutes so it never really drags at points. Musically, it sounds just like a bunch of other screamo/post rock bands (perhaps most like Envy) but it's done well and isn't completely derivative of the members' past work. Rather it sounds like an extension of it. Chords progressions sound triumphant and the screams sounds passionate. A definite listen for those looking for this type of screamo from this year.

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Kulara - Fragmental Remembrance, a Switch of Resurrection, and My Hearing Vanished (2001)

Genre: Screamo, Experimental, Post Rock, Psychedelic
Country: Japan

I guess it should be no surprise that a really strange and experimental take on screamo comes from Japan. At times you can hear the traditional post rock/screamo similar to Envy and then they throw you off by adding some psychedelic, jazzy or whatever else genre they feel like adding. Don't go into this expecting some progressive psychedelic screamo like Gospel's The Moon is A Dead World because this is a completely different and intriguing beast of its own.

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Vampillia - The Divine Move (2014)

Genre: Black Metal, Modern Classical, Post Rock
Country: Japan

Featuring screamed vocals mixed with soft operatic vocals while string instruments and piano play on top of blast beats and fast riffing, this will without a doubt be one of the strangest and most interesting albums you'll listen to this year. It's all about build and release here and the pay off is definitely worth it. The climaxes mix up the two halves of this album (the soft and the heavy) beautifully and fittingly. It's a fun and beautiful experience as much as it's bizarre.

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Homesick for Space - Unison (2003)

Genre: Post Rock, Dream Pop, Emo
Country: United States

Think of a mix of Deer Leap and The World is a Beautiful Place and I Am No Longer Afraid to Die but much sadder and depressing and you got Homesick for Space. Using airy vocals similar to Deer Leap's vocalist and the two aforementioned bands approach to post rock without too many climaxes accompanied by melancholic piano, Homesick for Space deliver an album on par with their contemporaries and bands in the future of similar style.

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Ghastly City Sleep - Ghastly City Sleep (2007)

Genre: Post-Rock, Shoegaze, Dream Pop
Country: United States

Ghastly City Sleep is basically a supergroup made up of members from City of Caterpillar, Majority Rule, and Gregor Samsa. Plenty is Godspeed You! Black Emperor worship can still be found here thanks to the members of CoC. Think all the post rock parts of City of Caterpillar except they sound prettier and they have dream pop vocals instead of screams and you got this album. This also features Mia Matsumiya playing violin and doing vocals on the first track so that song is at least worth listening to.

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RiLF - Ferris Wheel (2010)

Genre: Post Rock/Ambient/Dream Pop
Country: Japan

Just think Sigur Ros with more ambient sections and less use of vocals along with spacey vibes and then you have RiLF. This album clearly influenced by Sigur Ros' ( ) using sparse passages throughout the album and is actually structured in a similar way (happier first half that leads to a more darker tone in the second half). Not the most original band out there but at least the music is done well and sounds incredibly lush.

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Le seul élément - Gin Pleos (2012)

Genre: Post Rock/Ambient
Country: France

Piano-based post rock that incorporates elements from sludge, ambient, noise and drone. It has that bleak feeling that gives off a hopeless and maybe even a post-apocalyptic atmosphere by combining a sense of melody with dissonance. It's just a thirty minute EP so it's definitely worth a listen.

Free Download on Bandcamp

49 Morphines - Partial Eclipse (2008)

Genre: Screamo/Post-Rock
Country: South Korea

This is basically the South Korean equivalent to Japan's widely known screamo/post-rock hybrid Envy. They aren't as good as Envy obviously but they definitely do their style of screamo justice while focusing a little more on their post rock influences. Not much to say other than if you like Envy, you'll enjoy this.

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Québec - Together We Have Grown, Together We Shall Bloom (2007)

Genre: Screamo/Post-Rock
Country: Australia

If you ever wanted to hear screamo with a saxophone for some odd reason, this is the album to hear it. It may seem like a gimmick, but these guys definitely make it work. On the few tracks that it's on, the saxophone adds more beauty and melancholy to the instrumental/post rock portions and maybe even make it a little jazzy. The saxophone shouldn't be the selling point though; these boys craft some of the best screamo songs you'll hear through spectacular songwriting through post rock climaxes and jazzy math rock breaks and melodies. If anything off this is worth checking, it would be the last song off this. If you dug that, check it the rest out!

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