Glenn Branca for RIO (possibly post)

Surprised to find he's not already here. Instrumentalist who makes dense/complex music out of using guitars in odd ways. Elements of coventional rock in places but a strong, challenging avant aesthetic, often scary, sometimes ugly. His 1981 album The Ascension is a masterpiece.

Gonna check his YouTube stuffs after work.

Thanks Text.

+1 for Glenn Branca in Avant.

I'm rather apathetic as to whether he makes it on this site or not. When I was on the team I'd thoughts on bringing him up. For me his roots can most heavily be found in minimalism (from a compositional point of view), post-punk, noise rock, so I guess in essence experimental rock in regards to the latter (tho' I don't like that sort of terminology), which could fall under the avant-rock umbrella quite easily; all depends on how you want to sell it ;) 

Glenn Branca...hmm,hm. A contemporary (avangarde) music influenced by rock?

He doesn't sound like other post rock but he to me is a post artist in that he moved on from the traditional sound while remaining in the idiom. And notice that I said avant-rock, not avant-prog. Still, "not sounding like other prog" is a ridiculous objection on a progressive site. They are long, serious, dynamic and unconventional pieces with themes/concepts using rock arrangements. I call that prog-rock.

Textbook wrote: Oh I know everyone hates the "if x got in" argument but Terry Riley got in and this is a lot more rock.

Terry Riley added to prog related

Why can't he get into Krautrock? If it's a genre, not a "thing for bands from Germany", people who have the same sound should be eligible.

NP Text, I owe you one for exposing me to Branca. Are his other works that you recommend also guitar based?

RE Krautrock, it's complicated. Krautrock doesn't stand for just German prog (half of the whole German prog can be found in other genres, like Symphonic, Fusion, Psychedelic, Folk or Heavy) or just a style, but for a historical German prog movement with a specific aesthetic (same as with RPI and RIO). Bands that either 1) are 70s German bands but only borderline kraut from a musical point of view or 2) are non-German and non-70s bands but adhere to the Kraut aesthetic were added on PA in Krautrock, but since Branca doesn't fit no 1) and IMO doesn't fit 2) either (there are only similarities with Krautrock, not a clear adhesion), I think his chances for Kraut are lower than for Psyche and Avant. Hopefully things go well with either Psyche and Avant so we don't need to try with Krautrock too, but if needed, I'll submit him there.


Edited by harmonium.ro - October 05 2010 at 05:31

OK, two "move" votes from the Psych team, which means they rejected Branca. I'll head it for Avant.