Well, I don't think even any of us are big enough geeks to do an extensive search of the first use of the term. The first I ever heard it used was in reviews of Tortoise and the explanations of what it meant were all built around what Tortoise do. That was some time ago, and now I see it used to describe all sorts of bands, many who seem much more grounded in straight ahead rock or post-punk or ambient. My understanding of why Tortoise were considered post-rock was that they couldn't exactly be considered a rock band though they were grounded in that world in terms of background and fanbase.

"The term Post-Rock was first used in a modern context by journalist Simon Reynolds in a review of Bark Psychosis' 1994 album, Hex."

from here http://altmusic.about.com/od/genress.../post_rock.htm , no idea if that's a reliable source of infos.
actually I just typed "birth of post rock term" in google. Not an "extensive" search at all :D :D ;)

Well, perhaps I am a big geek because the term was first used by Simon Reynolds in an article on The Wire. You can even download the article from that magazine's website, if they still have it on. You'd even find it surprisng that the bands he was referring to have little to do with your Godspeeds, Mogwais etc etc.

Actually, I wouldn't find that surprising at all. I'd just find it surprising if they didn't have something to do with Tortoise. I'll go look now and see.

I'm currently listening a LAAAAAAAAAAAAAAArge bunch of CDrs that i wan't too sure about and that i had put away in the "may end up inthe bin" corner of the record collection.
I stumbled on BARK PSYCHOSIS 's Hex + Dustsucker
this suff is really good although it really embodies the term "grower".

you know Talk Talk Lps were grower as well, but you know these two BARK PSYCHOSIS Lps fit right next to Talk Talk and Mark Hollis or even DAVID SYLVIAN's Blemish or Slowdive on the other end.

Very lush production, "Hex" was released in 1994 wich was kind of early but then Tortoise's first LPs were realeased round about that time (1992/93 if rememebr well).
oh well i wanted to start a thread about BP but then i found this relevant thread so yah any BP love here?

actually post , sure but "Rock"?

Post rock always seemed like an oxymoron (more like a dumb buzzterm made up by the underground music press) to me. Rock is about bombast, loud distorted guitars, often is influenced by blues, and usually the songs are 5 minutes or less.

Most of the "post rock" I've heard doesn't really "rock" at all...

i've got a soft spot for mogwai (even though they're getting a bit shit) and Explosions in the Sky and Sigur Ros but at the moment i'm playing the latest silver mnt zion loads

I searched the site for that article (which I think was in issue#124) but it didn't come up. All I could find was this quote in which he seems to define it as, "using rock instrumentation for non-rock purposes, using guitars as facilitators of timbre and textures rather than riffs and power chords." I'd be interested to know the names of some of the bands he mentions in relation to it though.

I tend to think of post-Rock as signifying just as much a move away from standard rock rhythm patterns as it does a commitment to move away from riffs, etc. In that sense, and in terms of precursors, I've always thought Can pretty much laid down its earliest template. I might say Beefheart too, but that'd be for slightly different, and altogether less convincing, reasons.

Anyway, until someone comes up with a solid definition, I'm gonna say that Twin Infinitives era Royal Trux are my favourite post-Rock band - even though I've never thought of them as being a post-Rock band at all, and doubt if they actually are.

slint

or sigur rós

If anyone is really really really keen to read the article, I'm fairly sure that it's reprinted in Simon Reynolds' "Bring The Noise" book.

world's end girlfriend

oh this is an old thread where i said the same thing.

world's end girlfriend.

^
Have you heard his collaboration with Mono? Beautiful stuff.

I was actually listening to some old Aerial M stuff (the self-titled CD plus some EPs) in my car on my way from the regular Monday evening football match and I reminded myself how much I love this period of mr. Pajo's music career.

currently, I'd say Apse.

good call. they had this decent album called "spirit", didn't they?

they used to have that article on the wire's website a few years ago. i'm absolutely certain of that 'cause it was the first time i read it.

me too. post-rock means nothing to me now, but i'd have lumped them in that category when i wasn't as smart as i am now.

yeah, the collab with mono is essential.

Tortoise