Post-Rock – The Concordian

The band’s first EP combines psychedelic post-rock with ambient vibes

Ostrich Bouquet’s sound has been described by some as “Pink Floyd on a spaceship,” according to drummer Michael Tomizzi.

The band’s mix of psychedelic, progressive post-rock and ambient vibes with a side of jazz and blues influence plays out on the seven tracks of their first EP, On Time as Usual. The day before its release on Nov. 17, the Montreal-based group performed at O Patro Vys.

Tomizzi and keyboardist Kyle Podwalski, both 20, are currently studying at Concordia University. Bassist Davide Ventulieri, 20, and guitarist Jeremy Bozzo, 19, are students at Vanier College.

The band was created less than a month after high school friends Tomizzi, Ventulieri and Bozzo were introduced to Podwalski through a mutual friend last February. Needless to say, the name Ostrich Bouquet garners a variety of reactions from different people—some are puzzled while others are amused. The idea came from Ventulieri’s realization that the German words for ostrich and bouquet are homonyms.

Although Ventulieri is the lead vocalist, he said people come to see the entire band. For Ostrich Bouquet, the combined instrumentation is more important than the vocals. “Vocals are just like the fifth instrument,” Ventulieri said. “It’s like adding a new rhythm to the song.”

Although the band tends to stray from conventional song structures, they don’t think of themselves as unconventional.

“We have some pop structures,” Bozzo said. “It’s not like we’re just doing weird, wonky stuff—we follow forms.” Instead of following a common bridge-to-chorus structure, they experiment with the flexibility of a song’s blueprint, often volleying between multiple parts that don’t repeat. The song “Behind Schedule” off their EP, in particular, explores this by making each section of the song sound different from the rest. The song starts with an emphasis on the rhythm between bass and drums; it then slowly trickles into a spacey-vibe. The guitar’s slow strumming comes into play, and soon the keyboards combine with the drums—it’s like listening to distinct parts of the same song.

“I like experimenting with tones that are dissonant or spacey, and just outside the norm,” Podwalski said. On Time as Usual plays around with time, chord changes and set boundaries in terms of writing music. When asked about the choice to experiment, Tomizzi responded bluntly: “I personally feel that, if you’re a musician and you’re not trying something new, you might as well not be a musician.”

Ventulieri had a slightly different opinion. “If I’m writing something, I want to write something that I’d listen to, instead of just verse/chorus.” Tomizzi added that he believes, once a person knows how to play an instrument, they should want to make it their own instead of being a carbon copy of someone else.

“I agree with both of them,” Podwalski said. “But it’s not like: Why would you make music that’s similar to everyone else? It’s more like: ‘Why not do something different?

Although the band always takes constructive criticism seriously, if someone dislikes their music because it doesn’t follow standard structures, they disregard the critique. “I think there’s a genre for everyone,” Tomizzi said. “We definitely have our niche, and people who like that type of music will be able to like us.”

According to the members of Ostrich Bouquet, liking your own music is the key to any band’s success. When discussing their music, their passion is clear—but it’s even more apparent when the musicians speak about their instruments. Bozzo praised the versatility of the guitar and its ability to “do everything.” Ventulieri described being connected with the drummer and holding the song together on bass. For his part, Podwalski said he believes the keyboard can lock into any groove and find a perfect fit in any song. However, the drums are the backbone of any song in Tomizzi’s opinion. “Nobody notices it until it’s not there anymore,” he argued.

While the band puts a lot of emphasis on their sound, Ostrich Bouquet puts equal passion into their performances. When the group took the stage at O Patro Vys, Bozzo closed his eyes as he strummed the guitar, Venturelli made eye contact with the audience, Podwalski had a small smile on his face and Tomizzi mouthed the words to the song from behind the drum set.

Despite the distinct performing style of each band member, the friendship that links Ostrich Bouquet is hard to miss on stage when their collaborative creativity comes to life.

Ostrich Bouquet’s EP, On Time, As Usual, is available on Apple Music, Spotify, Tidal and bandcamp.

Photo Courtesy of Ostrich Bouquet

The rise of post-rock

Introducing the most influential bands in the realm of experimental rock

Pink Floyd and Velvet Underground are not only the bands whose contributions to rock music are uncomparable, but they are also the source of an entire genre of droning, cinematic, music—Post-rock. The co-founder of Pink Floyd, Roger Waters, said in an interview with Rolling Stone that their track, “Echoes,” is a 23 minute instrumental ode to “The potential human beings have for recognizing each other’s humanity and responding to it, with empathy rather than antipathy.” This track is filled with mind-bending guitar riffs, swirling piano chords and a haunting vocal performance, along with more than enough instrumental improvisation. After this song came out, the genre of post-rock rose.

Pink Floyd’s album, Meddle, is where post-rock was first heard.

Montreal has become one of the most prominent pioneers of this style, with groups such as Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Fly Pan Am emerging from the city. Godspeed has reached such prestige and recognition that during the 80s and 90s, the Montreal Plateau was dubbed the “Godspeed Generation.” The band managed to find inspiration during the political turmoil of the 90s and the societal separation running through Quebec at the time. “It was a very [melancholic] time,” said Norsola Johnson, the group’s cellist, in an interview with the Red Bull Music Academy Daily. “Instead of angst, a rage and a desire to change things, we became more reflective about the decline of society as a whole.”

A unique characteristic of this genre is the notable lack of vocals—it is almost exclusively filled with instrumental riffs and hooks. Vocals often consist of samples of spoken word or non-traditional singing styles. Also, the polished, clean and produced style is replaced by an often grimier, more industrial sound. Traditional instruments like the guitar, drums, and bass are still present, but are now joined by violins and cellos to provide a sound that is rich with texture. It can make your blood boil, as if the walls are closing in on you, counter that with explosive, victorious melodies that could conquer any fear. Glorious crescendos of noise rain down, demanding an awaiting triumph.

Montreal has had an impact on the rise of post-rock with the album Lift Your Skinny Fingers like Antennas to Heaven by Godspeed You! Black Emperor.

The genre also contains jarring, crowded, claustrophobic and nerve-racking drones of distorted instruments. They offer a glimpse into not only the artist’s psyche, but society. Without even speaking a word, post-rock offers insight into a specific time and place that is rarely seen in any other music genre.

The most prominent post-rock groups and albums emerged from the trenches of MTV music and Nirvana knockoffs in the 90s. It includes the aforementioned Godspeed You! Black Emperor, whose 2000 album, Lift Your Skinny Fingers like Antennas to Heaven is considered by many to be a classic of the genre. It’s a massive project, with all four songs hovering around the 20 minute mark. It’s an elegant record that features vicious instrumental climaxes. The claustrophobic nature of the song “Static” builds up to an unrelenting, anxious guitar riff which makes your heart pump. It puts you on the edge of your seat. The opening song, “Storm,” carries soothing violins with a slow-building drumline as new instruments join in. Cellos and violins elevate the album, and provide a more awe-inspiring, cinematic listen.

The group has a strong political stance, with many songs reflecting their perspective on the world. They won the 2013 Polaris Prize for Best Canadian Album for their record Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend!

From across the pond, Glasgow band Mogwai has produced critically-acclaimed albums for the past two decades. Their latest record, Atomic, was the soundtrack to a BBC documentary on nuclear disaster called Storyville – Atomic: Living in Dread and Promise. With a topic like that, it would be easy to focus on explosions of sound and violence. Instead, Mogwai turns their attention to the aftermath with a more subdued sound. Minimalist in nature, the gentle violins and electronic keyboards provide a futuristic bassline, like on the song “U-235.” Droning drumlines march through the album, supporting each song and giving it texture.

Mogwai’s album, Atomic, explores minimalist post-rock sounds

Another group that has risen to post-rock glory is American band Cul de Sac, a group that was founded in the early 90s. They were one of the groups less willing to accept being labelled in the genre because “the term was soon being tossed about indiscriminately,” said guitarist Glenn Jones in an interview with online magazine, Perfect Sound Forever. Their 1992 record debut, ECIM, featured the track “Nico’s Dream” which offers an eerie, scratchy, static feeling. The band members have said in past interviews they use Cul de Sac as a way to explore the creativity of the guitar and to push boundaries. The experimentation is obvious—each track is laced with a psychedelic, punk attitude.

Post-rock continues to reflect the state of society, pointing the mirror back at us. The genre was best described by music publication Pitchfork as the “raw grace of noise.” Its ability to tell compelling stories without saying a word, building on emotions through pure musicianship and passion, separates it from the rest of the musical world.