Silver Mt. Zion (Thee Silver Mt. Zion, A Silver Mt. Zion or simply SMZ) use a number of different variations of the name on different releases. A Silver Mt. Zion is a band formed in 1999, in Montreal, Quebec, by Godspeed You! Black Emperormusicians Efrim Menuck, Sophie Trudeau and Thierry Amar. According to an interview with VPRO Radio in The Netherlands, originally the project was for Efrim to learn how to score music, but the idea was soon abandoned as Efrim decided that he preferred music not to be defined by rules, preferring simply what sounds best. Despite this, he continued the project out of a desire to experiment with ideas that would not work within the context of Godspeed You! Black Emperor. Truly beautiful music, don't pass this one up.
Animals as Leaders is a Washington, D.C. based instrumental progressive metal project by guitarist Tosin Abasi. Animals as Leaders was formed “out of the ashes” of guitarist Tosin Abasi’s previous band, Reflux. The heavy metal record label Prosthetic Records saw Abasi’s guitar work and asked him to create a solo album for them. Abasi initially declined, feeling such an endeavor would be “egotistical and unnecessary”. When Reflux disbanded, Abasi decided to take the label’s offer. The name Animals as Leaders was inspired by Daniel Quinn’s 1992 novel Ishmael, which addresses anthropocentrism. Abasi coined the name as a reminder “that we’re all essentially animals”. Tosin Abasi is a genius at guitar, very much an inspiration to me. Give this album a chance. Instrumental metal that will blow your mind.
Take the weirdest of Discipline-era King Crimson, multiply it by 100, and then remove any and all sense of apparent melody. You’ll have something that might resemble Upsilon Acrux, whose music at one time or another has been referred to as “brutal prog”. Hailing from Los Angeles,and originating in Vista, CA, this group has gone through well over 10 members and several line-ups, including everything from a 2-piece to over 5. Genius, amazing instrumental music. Get this immediately.
Boards of Canada is an electronic music duo from Edinburgh, Scotland. Boards of Canada have had an enormous influence on the ambient, downtempo and idm scenes. They have frequently made reference to the warm, scratchy, artificial sounds of 1970s television. Indeed, the Sandison brothers admit to being inspired by the documentary films of the National Film Board of Canada, from which they take their name. Boards of Canada is an amazing band. Download everything find a peaceful place to sit, put on some good headphones, close your eyes, and sink deep into the sounds of Boards of Canada.
I Am Above On The Left is an experimentalrockquartet established in Moscow, Russia in Autumn 2004, and soon became one of the most welcomed experimental rock-act of a new local music scene. The band plays loud and noisy, mostly instrumental music, blending influences of art-jazz-nova-hardcore, pop-noise, math-rock, and avant-garde. The young musicians say that their efforts are devoted to “rethinking themselves at every single moment of time." These guys do what they do very well, give these guys a listen.
Ravi Shankar (born April 7, 1920 in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India) is an Indian musician best known for his virtuosity on the sitar. A disciple of Allauddin Khan (founder of the maihar gharana of indian classical music), Pandit Ravi Shankar is arguably the best-known Indian instrumentalist, and is well known for his pioneering work in bringing the power and appeal of the indian classical music tradition, as well as indian music and its performers in general, to the West. This was done through his association with The Beatles as well as with his own personal charisma. Ravi Shankar blows me away, his music puts me in a trance of serenity. If your not close minded and want to experience some real talent and music with passion and soul, download everything by this brilliant man. Put on your headphones, go to a beautiful place, close your eyes and escape.
Godspeed You! Black Emperor are a Canadian band based in Montreal, Quebec. Formed in 1994 in Montreal, Canada, the band has been highly influential within the post-rock genre. Working with orchestrated arrangements, the nine-piece group created tracks with wide dynamic ranges, a highly evocative use of instrumentation and sounds and uncompromising long form compositions. Their engrossing use of art and visuals in both album packaging and live performances creates an enigmatic aura. Beautiful music.
The Littlest Viking are a guitar/drums duo based out of San Pedro, CA. They play (mostly) instrumental prog/punk to put it simply. Tamborines, outrageous drum fills, wicked tapping, hoarse shouting, noise freakouts, salsa beats and the occasional Prince sample are a staple of any TLV live show. Go here and buy all there stuff : http://thelittlestvikinghellsyeah.blogspot.com/
If These Trees Could Talk is an instrumentalpost-rock band from Akron, Ohio. The band’s potential is just as large as its appeal — with a solid foundation to build upon, If These Trees Could Talk has a variety of viable options for its next record.
Hella began in 2001 in Sacramento, California as a two member band consisting of Zach Hill and Spencer Seim writing technically intricate music of a highly spastic nature. They play a blend of math rock and noise rock. Download this masterpiece NOW!