Got sent a link to this band’s site recently, they’re called Capillaries and they’re from Atlanta, GA. Their music is indeed instrumental and I wondered if I am allowed to call it post rock or has this become a dirty word? I think bands have always hated being labelled. I know it’s difficult to endure having your creativity pigeon-holed, but it simply serves the purpose of description. It can be kind of handy sometimes. Granted, it is a lazy method, but it’s one we can all understand, particularly in music (RIYL). But we do it for literature and art also because well, let’s face it, we all borrow from one another, and then we add our unique stamp or interpretation and it becomes something else. I think derivative should be a dirty word, because even though I have used it before (ashamedly so), I think we’re all at risk from being labelled derivative at some point or another. It can be damaging to the creative spirit to think you must come up with something from nothing. We’re all prone to influence and inspiration.
‘Good writers borrow. Great writers steal’. T.S.Elliot.
The Capillaries don’t mind being labelled post rock from what I gather, which is great. It’s not an offensive term. It’s just become a broad one. I don’t think anyone was ever offended of being labelled a rock band. According to Wikipedia, the phrase postrock has been bandied about since the Velvet Underground days and used in every decade since, to describe the more avant-garde genres reactive to the mainstream.
The Capillaries music is pretty cool. I’m not very familiar with the genre, but I’ve enjoyed listening to their album and reading about the bands they say have influenced them like Mono and This Will Destroy You. Into the History of Light is heavy on the guitar and drums, and makes judicious use of some other instruments from time to time which is nice. There are some nice swimmy sounds and the beats are nifty in parts but a little too intense and distracting for my taste. If you like post-rock, I think you’ll probably like these guys.
Thanks for sharing your music Neal.
