If you don't like Explosions in the Sky....

[Silent Shout]

.....I will fight you. That's no lie.

It's actually taken me a little while to finally be completely won over by these guys. I've been a fan and had their albums or a few years, but I never seemed to like them as much as every else did. For some reason their newly released album (as of this week), 'All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone', has completely taken me by storm. Oddly enough, I see a lot of long time fans saying they're disappointed by it, but I seem to have finally been won over by it. I'm even liking their older material more.

Anyways, anyone else here a fan? What are your thoughts on the new album, past albums, Friday Night Lights soundtrack, the clip from The Thin Red Line in 'Have You Passed Through This Night', etc.?

For those interested, they performed this week on Conan. You can watch the performance here (until it's likely taken down):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CT0LGeFAOIg

[Ribbons]

If you don't like Explosions in the Sky...
...I will fight you. That's no lie.

You're a poet and didn't know it! Or maybe you did know it. But still, that rhymed!

I haven't heard any Explosions in the Sky (besides for the Conan clip). What kind of music do they play?

[Silent Shout]

They're an instrumental band from Austin, Texas. No lyrics or vocals, post-rock is the exact genre title. They have a rock band type structure, with guitarists, bass, drums. Their signature sound is probably their beautiful chiming guitars, which seem to amazingly always retain their beauty whether they're playing a slow quiet segment or wailing unbelievably loud. If you've seen the movie, Friday Night Lights, you've heard Explosions in the Sky, as they did the soundtrack with help from some orchestration (similar to The Fountain which employed the post-rock group, Mogwai, and orchestration as well).

And you're right, I really didn't know that opening part rhymed. I was just trying to sound tough and/or cool.

[stereosforgeeks]

It's funny that this is the album that one you over when in reality its basically them just sticking to their formula.

However, I have to admit that the opening track and track 3 are great.

[instant_karma]

...avoid firework displays.

[burlivesleftnut]

Well I don't dislike Explosions in the Sky at all, but I have a hard time getting into instrumental rock. But they are a good band.

[Fried Gold]

In a strange coincidence, I heard them for the first time on 6music this morning and was about to make a thread about them.

The songs I've heard so far don't sound a million miles away from some of Mogwai's stuff.

[Silent Shout]

It's funny that this is the album that one you over when in reality its basically them just sticking to their formula.

That's the arguement I'm disagreeing with from other "fans" (who all seem to suddenly make this argument after reading Pitchfork's review, such a coincidence!), but it's one I don't think sticks at all. Was Those Who Tell the Truth that different from How Strange, Innocence? Was The Rescue that different from The Earth is a Cold Dead Place? All of the albums are similar, why pick now to use that as a complaint? If anything, I think this album is far more accomplished than The Earth is a Cold Dead Place, which for some stupid hype-related timing reason received the most critical acclaim. To my ears, it mixes their rocking sound with the beautiful sound in a far more flowing and interesting way than any previous effort. Also, it includes pianos in the fore front on a few songs, which is something they've never really done before (is that sticking to formula?)

Regardless, I realize it's all irrelevant as everything falls down to personal preference. I personally like the new album a great deal, certainly more than The Earth is a Cold Dead Place.

[Silent Shout]

The songs I've heard so far don't sound a million miles away from some of Mogwai's stuff.

And Mogwai's stuff isn't a million miles away from Slint's work. They're both post-rock groups, they use the same instruments to try to meet the same end. That all said, the vast majority of Mogwai's work (who are one of my all time favorite groups) tends to be far more rocking and prone to the big build up you expect with post-rock. Explosions tend to rely more on the chiming guitars and deviating and then returning to earlier melodies. But yeah, there are definitely similarities between every post-rock band in existence, particularly the instrumental types.

[stereosforgeeks]

It's funny that this is the album that one you over when in reality its basically them just sticking to their formula.

That's the arguement I'm disagreeing with from other "fans" (who all seem to suddenly make this argument after reading Pitchfork's review, such a coincidence!), but it's one I don't think sticks at all. Was Those Who Tell the Truth that different from How Strange, Innocence? Was The Rescue that different from The Earth is a Cold Dead Place? All of the albums are similar, why pick now to use that as a complaint? If anything, I think this album is far more accomplished than The Earth is a Cold Dead Place, which for some stupid hype-related timing reason received the most critical acclaim. To my ears, it mixes their rocking sound with the beautiful sound in a far more flowing and interesting way than any previous effort. Also, it includes pianos in the fore front on a few songs, which is something they've never really done before (is that sticking to formula?)

Regardless, I realize it's all irrelevant as everything falls down to personal preference. I personally like the new album a great deal, certainly more than The Earth is a Cold Dead Place.

Absolutely correct! I am never disappointed with an EITS record but i know what to expect. For note if I was talking about the last album I would have something similar without the 2 great tracks i pointed out here.

[Nordling]

Fucking phenomenal album. You don't need a singer in a band like this.

[Ribbons]

Hey Nordling, you're from Tejas. Have you ever seen them live?

[Nordling]

You know, they were in town last week but I was out of town in Corpus Christi for work. Tickets were only $10. I really wish I could have gone, but Nordling gotta eat.

[Silent Shout]

Fucking phenomenal album. You don't need a singer in a band like this.

Indeed.

Too bad you had to miss them last week. Last year I had tickets to see both Sigur Ros and Mogwai the same week. A week and a half before the show a sudden business trip came up and I had to miss both, I'm still bummed about that. Oh well, gotsta make the cash to go to pay for the musics. Explosions seems to come through Texas squite frequently since they're from there, I'm still hoping they'll make it over to my neck of the woods sometime this year.

[Sir Shit Stain Sr.]

I keep having my children try to make me listen to Your Hand in Mine all the time. I find it ucontrollably dreary. Also it repeats itself for 8 minutes. How can anyone like such a song as this? They are the poor man's Sigur Ros. Yes they DO need a singer. It might make it 2% better. No wonder this page has no one posting in it hardly. I think that settles the argument.

[Ribbons]

I am not an expert on Explosions in the Sky. But I've been listening to All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone recently and have been digging it a lot. The music alternates between intimate and epic in a way that's pretty cool. It's hard to single out one track on this album like you would with other songs since they all kind of run together, but my favorite is probably "It's Natural to Be Afraid":

[The Garbage Man]

"It's Natural to be Afraid" is my favorite Explosions song, too - I've used a snippet of that one as my ringtone for years.

I've found This Will Destroy You makes a great companion band to Explosions in the Sky.