Indie-Prog Search & Destroy.

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Pashmina (i think) called Levitation 'Indie-Prog' on another thread. I've also seen various bands like Radiohead,Flaming Lips,Mercury Rev, The Mars Volta, Spiritualized all called the same (usually as a derogatory remark)
So what else could be labelled Indie-Prog? Search & destroy ...

― Ramon d, Friday, 13 February 2004 21:05 (twenty-two years ago)

omg, this so totally harkens to the math rock thread from a while ago.

then this

Anyway, I suggest The Flying Luttenbachers and that's about it. But if you want to include math rock, then see the 2nd thread?

― Ian Johnson (orion), Friday, 13 February 2004 21:10 (twenty-two years ago)

the feud "language is technology"

― cutty (mcutt), Friday, 13 February 2004 21:16 (twenty-two years ago)

Bardo Pond

― Kathleen Robbins, Friday, 13 February 2004 21:24 (twenty-two years ago)

bardo pond would be indie-psychedelia-drone.. nothing PROG about them.

― cutty (mcutt), Friday, 13 February 2004 21:29 (twenty-two years ago)

don caballero during their frippiest of KC-idol worship.

― gygax! (gygax!), Friday, 13 February 2004 21:35 (twenty-two years ago)

Ozric Tentacles!! Spock's Beard!

but you probably want indie rock bands who sound like prog, right?

sunny day real estate! except they aren't a band anymore.

Arcturus! but you probably don't want indie-metal bands that sound like prog.

― scott seward (scott seward), Friday, 13 February 2004 21:39 (twenty-two years ago)

Trans Am used to sound prog sorta sometimes before they sounded like the gleaming spires.

― scott seward (scott seward), Friday, 13 February 2004 21:43 (twenty-two years ago)

I suppose I was really wanting to know what Pashmina thought was Indie-prog as i hadnt thought of Levitation like that. And I did wonder if math-rock was the same thing as indie prog, except Indie-Prog always seems to be used in reviews as a derogatory term.

― Ramond D, Friday, 13 February 2004 21:44 (twenty-two years ago)

HI MY NAME IS JON AND THE CONVOCATION OF... SOUNDS VERY PROGGY THANKS!

― Jon Williams (ex machina), Friday, 13 February 2004 21:44 (twenty-two years ago)

Barbara Manning's 1212 opens with a 20-minute 4-part suite about a pyromaniac before seguing into an incredible cover of richard thompson's "over the rainbow"...

― gygax! (gygax!), Friday, 13 February 2004 21:46 (twenty-two years ago)

some of that elephant 6 shit could be considered proggy. and lots of electronic music is proggy. any 15 minute techno song is prog if you ask me.

― scott seward (scott seward), Friday, 13 February 2004 21:51 (twenty-two years ago)

A Minor Forest & June of '44 come to mind, but maybe I'm missing the distinction between math rock and prog. MK Ultra distilled prog down to three minutes per song to great affect and their albums are available for download on the band's site.

― scott m (mcd), Friday, 13 February 2004 21:52 (twenty-two years ago)

That's "great effect" - how annoying.

― scott m (mcd), Friday, 13 February 2004 21:54 (twenty-two years ago)

Might Muse count?

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 13 February 2004 23:10 (twenty-two years ago)

Gorky's Zygotic Mynci and Polyphonic Spree

Anyway, some of the acts mentioned above are post rock while others clearly aren't. A new term is needed for those of them who are not post rock (as some of those psychedelic "alternative" pop acts aren't very proggy - "indie prog" just doesn't fit with Beck or Eels)

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Friday, 13 February 2004 23:30 (twenty-two years ago)

Haha, 1-0

― dleone (dleone), Saturday, 14 February 2004 00:02 (twenty-two years ago)

neutral milk hotel

― anthony kyle monday (akmonday), Saturday, 14 February 2004 00:13 (twenty-two years ago)

the first name that came into my head when i saw this thread was elbow. the second was mansun.

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Saturday, 14 February 2004 00:14 (twenty-two years ago)

TS: INDIE PSYCH VS. INDIE PROG

― Ian Johnson (orion), Saturday, 14 February 2004 00:39 (twenty-two years ago)

Ultrasouuuuuund.

― cis (cis), Saturday, 14 February 2004 00:48 (twenty-two years ago)

Are the Scissors Sisters indie disco prog now they've covered Comfortably Numb?

― Disco STUdent, Saturday, 14 February 2004 00:52 (twenty-two years ago)

So That new Ghost album.....

― brg30 (brg30), Saturday, 14 February 2004 01:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Faraquet is pretty great math rock. I also enjoy The Fucking Champs.

― Steev, Saturday, 14 February 2004 03:11 (twenty-two years ago)

Ok, then: Polvo, specifically the "This Eclipse" ep.

― Kathleen, Saturday, 14 February 2004 03:52 (twenty-two years ago)

Combining two of the most useless genres of all time - like it, like it!!!!

― Dadaismus (Dada), Saturday, 14 February 2004 04:50 (twenty-two years ago)

I second that Polvo nomination

― Russ, Saturday, 14 February 2004 13:57 (twenty-two years ago)

Search - Oceansize

― Stupid (Stupid), Saturday, 14 February 2004 15:04 (twenty-two years ago)

What about CHAVEZ? They had some kinda proggy guitar parts.

― Ian Johnson (orion), Saturday, 14 February 2004 18:01 (twenty-two years ago)

Giddy Motors' "Magmanic" is superjived contemporary indie prog. Giddy Motors are fun, unlike most indie prog. And if you mention this song, you'd have to mention Magma, too, but I have no clue what they actually sound like.

Mars Volta are asscakes.

― Shaun (shaun), Saturday, 14 February 2004 18:49 (twenty-two years ago)

I don't think much really fits in w/the term "indie-prog", unfortunately really, b/c it could be a lot of fun. I thought some of the original shoegazers had some interesting prog-ish tendencies, but I have no idea how intentional it was. Levitation were a different case I thought, I mean I remember reading their first interview in IIRC "Sounds", where they were going on about Gentle Giant, which was fucking UNPRECEDENTED at the time. It's a shame they didn't last longer, or do better, b/c I would have liked a little bit more of that. About the only other stuff I can think of which I'd call indie-prog would be Dark Star, who were 3/5 of Levitation anyway, and Mansun, on their album "Six". Other than that, as the original poster notes, it was really just a way for reactionary music writers to bear down on EG Ride for playing an 8-minute song, or Supergrass, for having a synthesiser solo on one of their rekkids or suchlike. OH NO!! PROG!!1! THE KIDS!!! (etc) In the little bit of music press I read, there doesn't seem to be so much of this, which is good perhaps.

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Saturday, 14 February 2004 19:44 (twenty-two years ago)

xpost

neutral milk hotel

huh? i can hear indie-punk-folk but prog?

― Elliot (Elliot), Saturday, 14 February 2004 20:12 (twenty-two years ago)

Built To Spill, Perfect from now on. their only good one.

― tod (tod), Saturday, 14 February 2004 20:57 (twenty-two years ago)

SDRE may not be around anymore, but the new Fire Theft certainly qualifies as indie-prog.

― JC-L (JC-L), Sunday, 15 February 2004 00:06 (twenty-two years ago)

Elbow and Aereogramme might count. Elbow's last album wasn't the best but the first one is fantastic.

― Chris Jones (Crackity Jones), Sunday, 15 February 2004 15:42 (twenty-two years ago)

Pavement's "Terror Twilight" and Malkmus's "Pig Lib" are very prog on reflection.

― dog latin (dog latin), Sunday, 15 February 2004 15:53 (twenty-two years ago)

Swell Maps - "Loin of the Surf"

― Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 17 February 2004 15:13 (twenty-two years ago)

two months pass...

Crime In Choir.
Made up of former members of Hella and At the Drive-In, Crime in Choir is a bizarre blend of indie math pop and complicated prog rock. Offering very technical, complicated takes on alternative rock, the band recorded and released its debut album in 2002. The Hoop followed two years later.

Has anyone heard this album at all? Sounds quite interesting.

― Helmet, Monday, 26 April 2004 07:50 (twenty-one years ago)

one year passes...

I was reading the review of Oceansize's Everyone Into Position at musicOMH, and am skeptical. Any review that doesn't acknowledge the fact that the debut Effloresce was spotty, I'm not gonna trust. After Opeth's new one, I'm open to more proggy (heh) stuff, but just can't go down the Porcupine Tree/Marillion slippery slope.

Anyone hear it yet? Is it any better than the first, or more of the same?

― Fastnbulbous (Fastnbulbous), Monday, 19 September 2005 15:56 (twenty years ago)

Haven't heard Oceansize yet, but thanks for reminding me. I've been wanting to check it out.

Since Levitation and Dark Star both contained ex-members of Cardiacs,
I'm surprised no-one has mentioned them yet. Surely ground zero for most indie-prog of the last 25 years? Not a single bad album from them. In fact, they keep getting better and better.

― everything, Monday, 19 September 2005 16:12 (twenty years ago)

texas is the reason always sounded proggy to me, like a post-hardcore Rush

― jb, Monday, 19 September 2005 16:27 (twenty years ago)

Prog-Core Is Sweeping The Nation!

― scott seward (scott seward), Monday, 19 September 2005 16:30 (twenty years ago)

three months pass...

Haha i was just gonna mention Gospel on here and Scott kinda beat me to it.
Add Circulus to this list too.

― Last Of The Famous International Pfunkboys (Kerr), Monday, 2 January 2006 01:21 (twenty years ago)

I listened to the Ultrasound for the first time in ages the other week, and it's genius. World of Twist were groovy but tune-light, too.

― I Am Sexless and I Am Foul (noodle vague), Monday, 2 January 2006 01:34 (twenty years ago)

I had an ultrasound cd single that i picked up for 99p. It was in a rubber sleeve. Don't think I ever opened it either. I do remember hearing the song on either later...with jools holland or TOTPS.

― Last Of The Famous International Pfunkboys (Kerr), Monday, 2 January 2006 02:01 (twenty years ago)

I've got the 2 disc version of the album, the last track is nearly 40 minutes long and most of it's a free noise freakout that sounds wasome.

― I Am Sexless and I Am Foul (noodle vague), Monday, 2 January 2006 02:02 (twenty years ago)

The band Nuh Uh has 10 minute songs that actually go somewhere.

― mcd (mcd), Monday, 2 January 2006 05:22 (twenty years ago)

pure reason revolution are pretty good

― jim p. irrelevant (electricsound), Monday, 2 January 2006 05:32 (twenty years ago)

Indie Prog Hmm? Let's see. Probably Aloha (especially "The Great Communicators, The Interpreters, The Nonbelievers" EP)

Antarctica 81:03

I'd go so far as saying Of Montreal also

How could I forget! The Flaming Lips' SOFT BULLETIN

― Cliftonb, Monday, 2 January 2006 06:00 (twenty years ago)

>xpost
>neutral milk hotel
>huh? i can hear indie-punk-folk but prog?

I won't speak to the relevance of NMH here, but
I don't think people realize how hugely into folk/roots the original
prograndpas were. Cue ELP - "Lucky Man", King Crimson - "In The Wake Of Poseidon,"
and Yes "The Clap," and the hoedown section of "Starship Trooper," "Dusk" by
Genesis (and half of their first album), and lots of Gentle Giant tracks. And
that's just the biggies. True, the folk influence may be wedged in between towering
walls of Tchaikovsky-on-drugs moogery, which would turn off most folk fans in
the first place.

A related thought:
Why has the indie audience been slow to listen to pure, unashamed, balls-to-the-wall
prog? it's the lyrics, mate.

― Skwerl Police, Monday, 2 January 2006 23:42 (twenty years ago)

ten months pass...

REVIVE

first of all, let me express my dissatisfaction at the term 'indie-prog'. it's a vague, all-bases-covered means of describing more or less any music nowadays that combines modern guitar/production effects with ambitious song/album structures. however, making do with the description, it is my firm opinion that this is roughly the sort of music that should, one day, take over the world, whenever somebody finally nails it. mansun got there with 'six' back in '98, but it was all too much, too soon. nowadays we have a growing swell of proggy bands, all vying with one another to create the perfect listening experience. one day, one of them will write the greatest album of all time (hopefully).

they are: oceansize, the mars volta, the secret machines, the electric soft parade, the cooper temple clause, possibly engineers, and possibly mew. i'm sure i've missed a few out, but herein lies prog potential supreme.

other recent bands who valiantly tried but have probably by now passed their (brilliant) peaks: elbow, the fiery furnaces, mogwai (oh, but they weren't prog, sorry. DUDES, LISTEN TO YOUR OWN SONG '2 RIGHTS MAKE 1 WRONG' WHICH MIGHT BE YOUR BEST TRACK AND TELL ME THAT AIN'T PROG), and again i've probably missed an absolute ream out, for which i am sorry.

thread revive actually inspired by new purchase of ultrasound's 'everything picture', which makes mansun's 'six' look like 'revolver'. It doesn't quite reach the same heights, being more unfocused, unsure and just not quite as mighty, but nonetheless it's pretty fucking stunning. 'aire and calder' is one of the best songs i have heard in an AGE. the whole album is essentially suede's 'dog man star' rewritten by hugo drax and then blasted off into space, crew fighting james bond with lasers all the while.

destroy: pure reason revolution :-(

― You've Got Scourage On Your Breath (Haberdager), Tuesday, 7 November 2006 21:12 (nineteen years ago)

I knew before I opened this who it would be who revived it.
New Crime In Choir album is pretty good.

― Brigadier Lethbridge-Pfunkboy (Kerr), Tuesday, 7 November 2006 21:26 (nineteen years ago)

"Pavement's "Terror Twilight" and Malkmus's "Pig Lib" are very prog on reflection"

i agree. that's why i really am not into either.
bah! to them.

― edde (edde), Wednesday, 8 November 2006 02:16 (nineteen years ago)

what's wrong with pure reason revolution?

the ultrasound album has some awesome highpoints but as a whole is pretty disappointing.

― electric sound of jim [and why not] (electricsound), Wednesday, 8 November 2006 02:39 (nineteen years ago)

I'm glad yr feeling EP Louis. Whoever said they were short of songs was WAY HIGH.

xpost

HI DERE

― You've Had Your Chances (noodle vague), Wednesday, 8 November 2006 02:40 (nineteen years ago)

xpost

IT's LIKE SOME ARISTOTELEAN PARADOX

― You've Had Your Chances (noodle vague), Wednesday, 8 November 2006 02:42 (nineteen years ago)

they had quite a few good b-sides. 'underwater love song' is top

― electric sound of jim [and why not] (electricsound), Wednesday, 8 November 2006 02:45 (nineteen years ago)

aire and calder was meant to be the last single from that album but they broke up first

― electric sound of jim [and why not] (electricsound), Wednesday, 8 November 2006 02:45 (nineteen years ago)

Did Ultrasound just split up after 1 album?

― Brigadier Lethbridge-Pfunkboy (Kerr), Wednesday, 8 November 2006 13:34 (nineteen years ago)

No one on this thread has mentioned Maher Shalal Hash Baz (I mean, how independent can you get, huh?) -- now has one, anyone?
Well their "Return Visit to Rock Mass" - 3 CD's no less - IS one mutha of a flabbergasting prog-opus, innit?!

― tiit (tiit), Wednesday, 8 November 2006 13:44 (nineteen years ago)

pure reason revolution = well, put it this way, I wrote a review for Nick Southall's delectation as a sort of Stylus trial, it sums up why I reckon PRR built up my hopes with their EP and then smashed them to bits with their album, I could post the review here, or I could just say that their sound is entirely 'monochromatic' (heh, long critical word cominatcha) and relies upon pure-sounding major-key keyboards and guitars that sound like keyboards and voices that sound like keyboards and there's NO DAMN VARIATION and NO ROUGH EDGES. also, no invention. grr. you may have the odd riff, but you don't have the COJONES, pure reason revolution.

― You've Got Scourage On Your Breath (Haberdager), Wednesday, 8 November 2006 13:44 (nineteen years ago)

mogwai (oh, but they weren't prog, sorry. DUDES, LISTEN TO YOUR OWN SONG '2 RIGHTS MAKE 1 WRONG' WHICH MIGHT BE YOUR BEST TRACK AND TELL ME THAT AIN'T PROG)

I see, you decide what's "prog" do you?

― Dadaismus (Takin' Funk to Heaven in '77) (Dada), Wednesday, 8 November 2006 13:49 (nineteen years ago)

yep!

― You've Got Scourage On Your Breath (Haberdager), Wednesday, 8 November 2006 13:51 (nineteen years ago)

Well you can't because I've decided to do it

― Dadaismus (Takin' Funk to Heaven in '77) (Dada), Wednesday, 8 November 2006 13:52 (nineteen years ago)

not fair! it's MY prog!

― You've Got Scourage On Your Breath (Haberdager), Wednesday, 8 November 2006 13:53 (nineteen years ago)

seek you one Chromelodeon.

― Ghost Bear Junior High Attendance Party (Ghost Bear Junior High Attenda), Wednesday, 8 November 2006 13:55 (nineteen years ago)

not fair! it's MY prog! (and I'll cry if I want to)

― Brigadier Lethbridge-Pfunkboy (Kerr), Wednesday, 8 November 2006 13:56 (nineteen years ago)

Is it your Indie too?

― Dadaismus (Takin' Funk to Heaven in '77) (Dada), Wednesday, 8 November 2006 13:57 (nineteen years ago)

Gorky's Zygotic Mynci are sort of indie-prog, no? At least they are heavily influenced by English symphonic rock from the 70s.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 8 November 2006 13:58 (nineteen years ago)

i'll thkweem and thkweem until i'm thick. i can!

indie belongs to that guy from pavement amirite

― You've Got Scourage On Your Breath (Haberdager), Wednesday, 8 November 2006 13:59 (nineteen years ago)

At least they are heavily influenced by English symphonic rock from the 70s.

They were influenced by Gong and the Incredible String Band, I know that much. What is "English symphonic rock from the 70s" anyway? The Enid? Barclay James Harvest? Genesis?

― Dadaismus (Takin' Funk to Heaven in '77) (Dada), Wednesday, 8 November 2006 14:03 (nineteen years ago)

Also Soft Machine/Canterbury.

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Wednesday, 8 November 2006 14:10 (nineteen years ago)

Louis. Do not say amirite.

― Brigadier Lethbridge-Pfunkboy (Kerr), Wednesday, 8 November 2006 14:12 (nineteen years ago)

iwasrong :-(

― You've Got Scourage On Your Breath (Haberdager), Wednesday, 8 November 2006 14:14 (nineteen years ago)

What, again!

― Dadaismus (Takin' Funk to Heaven in '77) (Dada), Wednesday, 8 November 2006 14:16 (nineteen years ago)

two months pass...

ROLLING INDIE-PROG THREAD 2007

― to scour or to pop? (Haberdager), Monday, 22 January 2007 17:27 (nineteen years ago)

one month passes...

In the last few months, it appears that David Francolini from Levitation/Dark Star has stuck up a load of clips on "youtube":

OHMrecordings

The levitation set @ manc academy is fucking fierce, the Dark Star "box set" TV performance great also. "Dragons", which appears to be a project put together by Francolini and a singer, they've put together a touring band incl francolini, hayes and o'keefe. These guys played so well together, I'm really, really thrilled to see they're still doing it in some form. I'd love to see them get Dark Star together again, even as a side project, I think there was tons more mileage in what they had. I'm amazed that Levitation and Dark Star haven't been picked up as some kind of cult/lost great act. Best british bands of the 1990s for me, easily.

Francolini is the best drummer I've ever seen, bar none. I've never seen anyone play with such power & physical force.

― Pashmina, Monday, 12 March 2007 19:23 (nineteen years ago)

I have the 1st Dark Star cd.

― Brigadier Lethbridge-Pfunkboy, Monday, 12 March 2007 19:29 (nineteen years ago)

storm & stress

― M@tt He1ges0n, Monday, 12 March 2007 19:46 (nineteen years ago)

I think of Storm & Stress being more like avant-garde or free-rock than indie-prog.

― Hurting 2, Monday, 12 March 2007 20:08 (nineteen years ago)

The Advantage sound pretty proggy.

― Hurting 2, Monday, 12 March 2007 20:08 (nineteen years ago)

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