Bardo Pond- Dilate (2001)

The first time that I was introduced to Bardo Pond was seeing them live. I remember watching them and enjoying them live, but felt like they weren't the liveliest of bands to see.  I did like the fact that they introduced a flute and violin into a modern psychedelic sound, but I figured that since I was anticipating Mogwai to perform after them, I was just getting antsy.  Well Dilate was the album that I got, after seeing them live, in order to check out what their studio recordings sounded like.

More often then not, it seems like a band is either better live vs their studio recording or vise versa, well, I think that Bardo Pond might just not be what I'm into.  I wasn't that impressed with them live, but wanted to give them a try, and I have heard three different Bardo Pond releases, and they all seem to him me with the same relatively stagnant sound.  I am not going to say that they are bad, I just find them pretty boring.  They have great song structure and really do a good job at this sort of modern day psychedelic/acid rock sound.  I like the fact that they throw in the flute and violin, it adds a twist of sounds that you don't usually hear with modern day experimental rock bands, add in the female vocals and you will have a good mix, for some, but not me.  I guess that maybe the music just didn't grip me enough.  Since seeing them live, which was many years ago, I have tried giving them chances, multiple times, as my taste changes; but none of those chances have led to a different opinion.  Dilate has 10 tracks, and lasts over an hour, which makes the album seem to last forever.  Now, there are some great parts to some of these tracks, but not enough to keep you anticipating more

This album, and probably the band as a whole, will speak to a different audience, that I am not a part of.  Like I said above, Bardo Pond is not a bad group, just not my style.

Official Score-3.25/5

Godspeed You! Black Emperor-Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven (2000)

Godspeed You! Black Emperor is one of my favorite all time bands. Years ago I was lucky enough to see them live, and out of all the live shows that I have been to, their live performance ranks in my top 5.  (If I was to refine the list, maybe even top 3 live shows that I have been to!)  Live they were amazing!, seriously there's no other way to describe it.  They had multiple different projectors showing different images that they played along to; more or less social based imagery.  I still remember watching them in aw, and if I remember correctly, they had 9 people playing music.  Usually when you have that many people playing at once, things have a tendency to sound jumbled, but they did not.  GYBE is one of those bands that even with an amazingly stellar live show, their sound transitions easily to a studio recording.

Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven was the tour that I saw them play live, and the album is just as amazing and emotional as they were live.  This 2 cd release has 4 continuous tracks with a running time of nearly 90 minutes!  I know what you're thinking: 90 minutes?!  That is correct, 90 minutes, and not any of that time are you itching for it to hurry up and end. Canadian based, GYBE has a very unique way of playing the Post-Rock genre.  Each song builds slowly and quietly, then ends up becoming a huge growth of stylized sounds that will tantalize your auditory senses.  Great guitar work mixed with on the spot stylized violin/cello molds easily into their drums and percussion, reaching a point where all come together in one seamless sound; and that's with 8-9 members playing at once!  GYBE has 5 albums in total, but has many side projects that continue their sound, since GYBE is seemingly no more.  I have checked many many times, since I saw them live, in hopes that they would be touring again, with no success.  It seems as though the most prolific Post-Rock group has disbanded in this form in order to carry on in their side projects/sister bands.

If you are unfamiliar with Post-Rock, this is the band to get into first; you won't be disappointed.  In my opinion all the GYBE albums should be in your music collection.  It's very very difficult to say which album of theirs is better, for they all are very very good.  My suggestion: buy them all.  The only drawback, and seriously ONLY, is that post rock as a whole is not something that fits every occasion; it fits for an everyday listen, but due to the style of the genre, it produces feelings that might be a little downtrodden than what most circumstances ask for. 

Official score-4.75/5