Post rock is a term coined in 1994 by music journalist Simon Reynolds referring to bands "using rock instrumentation for non-rock purposes." Post-rock bands abolished the riff--the repetitive, chord-based cornerstone of rock 'n' roll--in exchange for dynamic textures. Many bands were inspired by the ambient jazz recordings of Talk Talk and the stuttering instrumentals of Slint. Foremost among these bands was Chicago's Tortoise, whose members created an interwoven patchwork of melodies with guitars, bass, keyboards, and marimba on their 1996 album Millions Now Living Will Never Die. Quickly the term was applied to anyone making mostly instrumental, vaguely jam-based, cerebral indie music, from the psych-noise of Flying Saucer Attack to the orchestral soundtracks of Rachels. Post rock has become an institution unto itself, and new directions are frequently being staked out, whether it's the gently undulating soundscapes of Iceland's Sigur Ros or the violin-based compositions of the Dirty Three.

Notable artists: Godspeed You Black Emperor!, Cul de Sac, Tortoise, Labradford