Baroness is a metal band that plays an eclectic brand of sludge, embracing the ferocity and sharp technique of new-millennium metal but with melodic accents and intelligent guitar work that suggests the influence of Indie, sludge and post-metal bands. Baroness formed in the Summer 2003 in Savannah, GA, United States with all members, past and present, hailing from Lexington, VA in the foothills of the mighty Blue Ridge Mountains.
www.meniscusband.com Meniscus's lush ambient soundscapes, driving bass lines and poly-rhythmic beats create a unique musical experience that has been hypnotising Australian audiences since 2005. The Sydney trio's unique brand of instrumental post rock blends the moody dynamics of acts like Mogwai and Sigur Rós with the prog rock technicality of King Crimson. The critical success of the band's 2007 EP The Absence of I elevated Meniscus's profile globally with rave reviews from The Silent Ballet (“Beautifully crafted and impeccably conceived.
Holy Fuck is an electronic rock band based in Toronto, Canada. Their current line-up includes original and core members Brian Borcherdt and Graham Walsh along with Matt Schulz on drums and Matt McQuaid on bass. Holy Fuck uses live drums and bass along with a myriad of toy keyboards, guitar pedals, mixers and even a 35mm film synchronizer to mimic modern electronic music, consciously avoiding modern fail-safes like laptops and programmed backing tracks. They have brought their live show to festivals like Glastonbury, Roskilde, Coachella, Lollapalooza, Fuji Rock and All Tomorrow's Parties.
Usurper of Modern Medicine is a three piece post-rock / electronic / experimental group from Perth, Australia. Debut EP 'Acid Chess' released in May 2011
Second EP 'Turbo Handshake' released in April 2012
Menomena are an experimental rock band from Portland, Oregon, made up of Brent Knopf on guitar, keyboards, and glockenspiel; Justin Harris on bass, guitar, baritone sax and alto sax; and Danny Seim on percussion. All members of the band share singing duties. The band formed in late 2000, when Knopf graduated from Dartmouth College and returned to Portland to collaborate with Harris and Seim. They played their first show in July 2001, at The Meow Meow, a now-defunct all ages venue in Portland.
aheadphonehome is a small collective (sometimes of 1) based in Brisbane Australia. Founded by noise maker/producer Phil Laidlaw in 2006, aheadphonehome draws on eclectic loves of experimental, guitar based, electronica, ambient, DIY, folk, psychadelic and pop traditions to create layed, evolving songs. The debut album "in the static" was released in late 2007.
Formed by previous members of the band Tusk, the instrumental post-metal outfit Pelican formed in Chicago in 2001, by guitarists Trevor de Brauw and Laurent Lebec with sibling rhythm section Larry Herweg and Bryan Herweg (drums and bass, respectively). Owing a great debt to the pioneering band Neurosis, and often compared to Boston's Isis and Sweden's Cult of Luna, Pelican were initially signed to Hydra Head Records (whose founder, Aaron Turner, was a member of Isis).
Scissor Lock is an experimental ambient project of Sydney musician Marcus Whale, primarily using voice, tape feedback and laptop processing. Since 2005, Scissor Lock has released music on sound&fury, HellosQuare, Monstera Deliciosa, Curt and La Main Gauche and performed around Australia with, among others, Seaworthy, Shannon O'Neill, Anonymeye, Seth Rees, Pimmon, Justice Yeldham, Jeff Burch, Oscar Vincente Slorach-Thorn, Knitted Abyss and No Anchor.
Grails is an American <a href="http://www.last.fm/tag/instrumental" class="bbcode_tag" rel="tag">instrumental</a> rock band from Portland, Oregon. Initially going by the name "Laurel Canyon", guitarist Alex Hall, drummer Emil Amos (also of 'Holy Sons') and second guitarist Paul Spitz garnered positive reactions following their first show, played on a whim. Portland musicians Timothy Horner (violin) and Bill Slater (piano/bass) later joined the group to record their first EP.