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{{genrebox|name=Post-rock |
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|stylistic_origins= [[Experimental music|Experimental]], [[Minimalist music|Minimalism]], [[Ambient music|Ambient]], [[Classical music]] [[Krautrock]], [[Progressive rock]], [[Indie rock]], [[Space rock]], [[Shoegazing]], [[Art rock]], and [[Electronica]] |
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|cultural_origins= Mid-[[1980s]], [[United Kingdom]] and [[United States]] |
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|instruments=[[Guitar]] – [[Bass guitar|Bass]] – [[Drums]] – [[Synthesizer]] – Other less common instruments, such as [[Saxophone]], [[Oboe]], [[Glockenspiel]]s, [[Piano]], [[Cello]] or [[Violin]]s. |
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|popularity=Limited, exists mostly within the indie scene. |
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|regional_scenes=[[Music of Quebec|Montreal]], [[Music of Iceland|Iceland]] and [[Music of Illinois|Chicago]] |
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}} |
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'''Post-rock''' is a [[music genre]] characterized by the use of [[musical instrument]]s commonly associated with [[rock music]], but utilizing [[rhythm]]s, [[harmony|harmonies]], [[melodies]], [[timbre]], and [[chord progression]]s that are not found in rock tradition. Simply put, it is the use of 'rock instrumentation' for non-rock purposes. Practitioners of the genre's style typically produce instrumental music.<ref name="The Wire May 1994"/><ref name="Pitchfork"/><ref name="allmusic"/> |
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As with many musical genres, the term is arguably inadequate as a concise descriptor: for example, [[Don Caballero]] and [[Mogwai (band)|Mogwai]] were among the more prominent bands of the 1990s described as post rock, but the two bands' music has very little in common besides the fact that they are both largely instrumental. As such, the term has been the subject of backlash from listeners and artists alike.<ref name="Under the Radar">{{cite web|url=http://www.undertheradarmag.com/Issue%201/Interviews/Mogwai/mogwai.html|title=Under the Radar interview with Dominic Aitchison|first=Mark|last=Redfern|publisher=Under the Radar|accessdate=2006-11-28}}</ref> |
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Although firmly rooted in the [[Indie (music)|indie]] scene of the 1980s and '90s, post-rock's style bears little resemblance musically to that of [[indie rock]].<ref name="allmusic"/><ref name="Pitchfork"/> |
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==Post-rock== |
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===Origin of the term=== |
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The term 'post-rock' was coined by critic [[Simon Reynolds]] in his review of [[Bark Psychosis]]' album ''[[Hex (album)|Hex]]'', published in the March 1994 issue of ''[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]'' magazine. Reynolds expanded upon the idea later in the May 1994 issue of ''[[The Wire (magazine)|The Wire]]''.<ref name="The Wire May 1994">{{cite web|url=http://web.archive.org/web/20011202075606/http%3a//www.thewire.co.uk/out/1297_4.htm|title=Simon Reynolds' article on post-rock|publisher=The Wire|first=Simon|last=Reynolds|accessdate=2006-11-28}}</ref><ref name="The Wire 20">{{cite web|url=http://www.thewire.co.uk/about/history.html|title=The Wire 20|accessdate=2006-11-28|publisher=[[The Wire (magazine)|The Wire]]}}</ref> |
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He used the term to describe music "using rock instrumentation for non-rock purposes, using guitars as facilitators of [[timbre]] and textures rather than [[riff]]s and [[power chord]]s." He further expounded on the term, {{cquote|Perhaps the really provocative area for future development lies... in [[cyborg]] rock; not the wholehearted embrace of Techno's methodology, but some kind of interface between real time, hands-on playing and the use of digital effects and enhancement.}} |
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In a July 2005 entry in his blog, Reynolds claimed he had used the term "post-rock" before using it in ''[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]'', previously using it in music newspaper ''[[Melody Maker]]''.<ref name="blissblog">{{cite web|url=http://blissout.blogspot.com/2005_07_01_blissout_archive.html#112140209965630241|title=Simon Reynolds' blog entry on 2005-07-14|first=Simon|last=Reynolds|accessdate=2006-11-28}}</ref> He also said he later found the term to not be of his own creation, saying in his blog, "although I genuinely believed I was coining the term, I discovered many years later it had been floating around for over a decade." The term was used by American journalist [[James Wolcott]] in a 1975 article about musician [[Todd Rundgren]].<ref name="Wolcott">{{cite web|url=http://toddstuff.home.comcast.net/articles/TR-creem-exile.html|title=Todd Rundgren - Street Punk in Self-Imposed Exile|first=James|last=Wolcott|date=July 1975|accessdate=2007-09-30|publisher=Creem magazine}}</ref> |
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===Historical development=== |
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====Early precedents==== |
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Post-rock appears to take a heavy influence from late '60s U.S. group [[The Velvet Underground]] and their "dronology" — "a term that loosely describes fifty percent of today's post rock activity." <ref name="Audio Culture: Readings in Modern Music">{{cite book| isbn=0826416152|authorlink=Simon Reynolds|editor=Cox, Cristoph and Daniel Warner|last=Reynolds|first=Simon|publisher=Continuum International|pages=359|title=Audio Culture: Readings in Modern Music}}</ref> [[Public Image Ltd]] (PiL) were also pioneers, described by the ''[[NME]]''<ref name="Plastic Box">{{cite web|url=http://www.nme.com/reviews/public-image-ltd/641|title=Plastic Box album review|accessdate=2008-01-15|publisher=NME}}</ref> as "[a]rguably the first post-rock group." Their second album ''[[Metal Box]]'' (1979) almost completely abandoned traditional rock and roll structures in favor of dense, repetitive [[dub reggae|dub]]- and [[krautrock]]-inspired soundscapes and [[John Lydon]]'s cryptic, stream-of-consciousness lyrics. The year before ''Metal Box'' was released, PiL bassist [[Jah Wobble]] declared, "rock is obsolete."<ref name="Frieze">{{cite web|url=http://www.frieze.com/issue/article/heavy_metal/|title=Heavy Metal|publisher=Frieze Magazine|first=Simon|last=Reynolds|date=November 2007|accessdate=2008-01-15}}</ref> ''[[Flowers of Romance (album)|Flowers of Romance]]'' (1981), their third album, was an even more radical departure, emphasizing rattling percussion and abstract [[tape music]]. |
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====1990s post-rock==== |
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Bands from the early [[1990s]], such as [[Slint]], or earlier, such as [[Talk Talk]], were later recognized as influential on post rock.<ref name="Pitchfork"/> Slint's ''[[Spiderland]]''<ref name="Pitchfork"/> and [[Talk Talk]]'s ''[[Laughing Stock]]''<ref name="Sputnik Music">{{cite web|url=http://www.sputnikmusic.com/album.php?reviewid=6911|publisher=Sputnik Music|title=Talk Talk — It's My Life review|first=Chris|last=Jackson|date=2006-05-15|accessdate=2007-03-29}}</ref> are credited as giving birth to post-rock.<ref name="allmusic"/> |
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[[Image:Mogwai-799171169.jpg|thumb|right|Post-rock group [[Mogwai (band)|Mogwai]] performs at a 2007 concert.]] |
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Originally used to describe the music of such bands<ref name="allmusic"/> as [[Cul de Sac (group)|Cul de Sac]],<ref name="Birdhouse.org">{{cite web|url=http://www.birdhouse.org/words/scot/post_rock.html|title=The Post-Rock Phenomenon|accessdate=2007-03-29|publisher=The Utne reader|first=Scot|last=Hacker|date=July 1996}}</ref> [[Stereolab]],<ref name="Epitonic">{{cite web|url=http://www.epitonic.com/index.jsp?refer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.epitonic.com%2Fartists%2Fstereolab.html|title=Stereolab biography|accessdate=2007-03-29|publisher=Epitonic|date=2001-08-27|first=Jesse|last=Ashlock}}</ref> [[Laika (band)|Laika]],<ref name="VH1">{{cite web|url=http://www.vh1.com/artists/news/1124379/20000924/laika.jhtml|accessdate=2007-03-29|date=2000-09-24|title=Laika Kick Off U.S. Tour In Seattle|first=Doug|last=Levy}}</ref> [[Disco Inferno (band)|Disco Inferno]],<ref name="Epitonic_DI">{{cite web|url=http://www.epitonic.com/index.jsp?refer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.epitonic.com%2Fartists%2Fdiscoinferno.html|title=Disco Inferno biography|accessdate=2007-03-29|date=2001-08-10|publisher=Epitonic|first=Jeanne|last=Acceturo}}</ref> [[Moonshake]],<ref name="Dusted Reviews">{{cite web|url=http://www.dustedmagazine.com/reviews/1232|title=Dusted Reviews review of Minamo — Beautiful|accessdate=2007-03-29|date=2004-01-26|publisher=Dusted Magazine|first=Charlie|last=Wilmoth}}</ref> [[Seefeel]],<ref name="Pitchfork">{{cite web|url=http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/feature/10241-the-lost-generation|title=The Lost Generation|accessdate=2007-03-29|date=2005-07-11|first=Nitsuh|last=Abebe|publisher=Pitchfork Media}}</ref> [[Bark Psychosis]], and [[Pram (band)|Pram]],<ref name="The Wire May 1994" /> post-rock grew to frequently be used for a variety of [[jazz]] and [[krautrock]] influenced, largely instrumental, and [[electronica]]-tinged music made after 1994.<ref name="Pitchfork" /><ref name="allmusic"/> |
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[[Image:Domakesaythink01.jpg|thumb|left|150px|Post-rock group [[Do Make Say Think]] performs at a May 2007 concert.]] |
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[[Tortoise (band)|Tortoise]] is also widely considered as being among the founders of the movement.<ref name="Stylus">{{cite web|url=http://www.stylusmagazine.com/reviews/tortoise/a-lazarus-taxon.htm|title=Review of Tortoise's A Lazarus Taxon|first=Todd|last=Hutlock|publisher=Stylus Magazine|accessdate=2006-11-28|date=2006-09-01}}</ref> After the second Tortoise [[Vinyl record|LP]] ''[[Millions Now Living Will Never Die]]'', the band became a post-rock icon.<ref name="Pitchfork"/><ref name="Splendid">{{cite web|url=http://www.splendidezine.com/review.html?reviewid=1081734856339505|title=Tortoise — It's All Around You|first=Phillip|last=Buchan|publisher=Splendid Magazine|date=2004-04-13|accessdate=2007-03-29}}</ref> Many bands (e.g., [[Do Make Say Think]]) began to record music inspired by the "Tortoise-sound."<ref name="Textura">{{cite web|url=http://www.textura.org/archives/d/domakeandyetreview.htm|title=Do Make Say Think — And Yet review|publisher=Textura|date=Feb. 2003|accessdate=2007-03-29}}</ref> |
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In the late 1990s, [[Chicago]] was the home base for a variety of post-rock associated performers. Both [[John McEntire]] of Tortoise and [[Jim O'Rourke (musician)|Jim O'Rourke]] of [[Brise-Glace]] and [[Gastr del Sol]] were important producers for many of the groups.<ref name="Scaruffi">{{cite web|url=http://www.scaruffi.com/history/cpt521.html|title=The History of Rock: The Nineties|first=Piero|last=Scaruffi|date=2005|accessdate=2007-03-29}}</ref> |
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One of the most eminent post-rock locales is Montreal, where [[Godspeed You! Black Emperor]] and similar groups, including [[A Silver Mt. Zion]], [[Do Make Say Think]], and [[Fly Pan Am]] record on ''Constellation'', a notable post-rock record label.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://media.www.mcgilltribune.com/media/storage/paper234/news/2002/11/19/AE/Post-Rock.A.Movement.Of.The.90s.Still.Kickin-326959.shtml|title=Post-rock: a movement of the 90s still kickin'|date=2002-11-19|publlisher=the McGill Tribune|accessdate=2007-03-29|first=Ian|last=Weinberger}}</ref> These groups are generally characterized by an aesthetic rooted in, among other genres, [[musique concrète]], [[chamber music]], and [[free jazz]].<ref name="Aural Innovations" /> |
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Canadian post-rock outfit [[Godspeed You! Black Emperor]] and Scottish group [[Mogwai (band)|Mogwai]] were among some of the influential post rock groups to arise during the turn of the 21st century.<ref name="ARTNOISE">{{cite web|url=http://deepfrybonanza.com/artnoise/?page_id=62|date=2005-05-05|title=Constellation Interview|publisher=Deep Fry Bonanza}}</ref><ref name="allmusic">{{cite web|url=http://wm07.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=77:2682|title=AllMusic summary of post-rock|publisher=allmusic|accessdate=2007-09-22}}</ref> |
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In the early [[2000s]], the term had started to fall out of favour.<ref name="Stylus" /> It became increasingly controversial as more critics outwardly condemned its use.<ref name="allmusic"/> Some of the bands for whom the term was most frequently assigned, including [[Cul de Sac (band)|Cul de Sac]],<ref name="Cul de Sac Interview">{{cite web|title=Cul de Sac Interview|url=http://people.bu.edu/nsmith/interview.htm|accessdate=2006-11-29}}</ref><ref name="Cul de Sac Interview 2">{{cite web|title=Interview with Cul de Sac's Glenn Jones|url=http://www.furious.com/PERFECT/culdesac.html|publisher=Perfect Sound Forever|accessdate=2006-11-29|date=1998-03|first=Dave|last=Lang}}</ref> [[Tortoise (band)|Tortoise]],<ref name="Stylus" /> and [[Mogwai (band)|Mogwai]],<ref name="Under the Radar" /> rejected the label. The wide range of styles covered by the term, they and others have claimed, rob it of its usefulness.<ref name="SFGate">{{cite web|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/gate/archive/2005/05/12/derk.DTL|title=Hear & Now|date=2005-05-12|accessdate=2007-03-29|publisher=San Francisco Gate|first=Derk|last=Richardson}}</ref> |
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Today, despite criticism of the term, post-rock has maintained its prominence. Post-rock outfits [[Explosions in the Sky]], [[Pelican (band)|Pelican]] and [[Mono (Japanese band)|Mono]] have risen in popularity, showing the longevity of the disputed genre.<ref name="Gigwise">{{cite web|url=http://www.gigwise.com/contents.asp?contentid=29326&p=2|title=Bang On: Explosions in the Sky|first=Laura|last=Babbili|date=2007-03-15|accessdate=2007-03-09|publisher=Gigwise}}</ref> |
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Post-rock bands are still emerging; [[Hreða|HREÐA]], [[65daysofstatic|65daysofstatic]], [[Youthmovies|Youthmovies]] and other such bands still maintain the fundamental principles of the genre. Though it can be argued that post-rock as a genre has been rendered obsolete through change of attitude and natural evolution, it is still a musical description and genre, yet to dissipate.<ref name="About.com">{{cite web|url=http://altmusic.about.com/od/genresstyles/p/post_rock.htm|title=What is Post-Rock? A Genre Profile|first=Michael|last=Keefe|accessdate=2007-12-03|publisher=About.com}}</ref> |
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==Musical characteristics== |
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[[Image:Reykjavik05a-01.jpg|thumb|right|Post-rock group [[Sigur Rós]] performs at a 2005 concert in [[Reykjavík]].]] |
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The post-rock sound incorporates characteristics from a variety of musical genres, including [[ambient music|ambient]], [[jazz]], [[electronica]], and [[experimental music|experimental]].<ref name="allmusic"/> The traditional method of power chords is replaced with timbre and texture for guitar-play while the song and voice is abandoned by its ambiance. The rebellious overtones of rock as we remember it is no longer the theme for post-rock groups. In fact, utilizing dub reggae, hip hop, and rave, post-rock manages to create an androgynous and softer means of subversion. The clubs were also a response to the emergence of a new post-rock vibe where musicians escaped musical genre lables and traded ideas. <ref name="Audio Culture: Readings in Modern Music"/> Early post-rock groups also often exhibited strong influence from the [[krautrock]] of the '70s, particularly borrowing elements of "[[motorik]]", the characteristic krautrock rhythm.<ref name="allmusic"/><ref name="Aural Innovations">{{cite web|url=http://www.aural-innovations.com/issues/issue16/postrok1.html|title=What Exactly Comes After Post-rock?|last=Henderson|first=Keith|publisher=Aural Innovations|date=June 2001|accessdate=2007-09-28}}</ref><ref name="The Net Net">{{cite web|url=http://www.thenetnet.com/reviews/newelec.html|title=What You Need to Know About Electronica|accessdate=2007-09-28|publisher=The Net Net|first=Chris|last=Tweney|date=May 1997}}</ref><ref name="Birdhouse.org"/> |
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Post-rock compositions often make use of repetition of musical motifs and subtle changes with an extremely wide range of dynamics. In some respects, this is similar to the music of [[Steve Reich]], [[Philip Glass]], and [[Brian Eno]], pioneers of [[minimalism]].<ref name="Aural Innovations"/> Typically, post-rock pieces are lengthy and instrumental, containing repetitive build-ups of [[timbre]], [[dynamics (music)|dynamics]] and texture.<ref name="The Wire May 1994"/> |
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Vocals are often omitted from post-rock; however, this does not necessarily mean they are absent entirely. When vocals are included, the use is typically non-traditional: some post-rock bands employ vocals as purely instrumental efforts and incidental to the sound, rather than a more traditional use where "clean", easily-interpretable vocals are important for poetic and lyrical meaning.<ref name="allmusic"/> When present, post-rock vocals are often soft or droning and are typically infrequent or present in irregular intervals. [[Sigur Rós]], a band known for their distinctive vocals, fabricated a language they call 'Hopelandic', which has been described by the band as "a form of gibberish vocals that fits to the music and acts as another instrument".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sigur-ros.co.uk/band/faq.php#07|title=Sigur Ros frequently asked questions|accessdate=2006-11-28|publisher=Eighteen Seconds Before Sunrise}}</ref> |
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However, in lieu of typical rock structures in the vein of "verse-chorus-verse," post-rock groups generally make greater use of soundscapes. As Simon Reynold's "Audio Culture" states, "A band's journey through rock to post-rock usually involves a trajectory from narrative lyrics to stream-of-consciousness to voice-as-texture to purely instrumental music." <ref>{{Citation|last=Reynolds|first=Simon|author-link=Simon Reynolds|editor-last=Cox|editor-first=Christoph|editor2-last=Warner|editor2-first=Daniel|year=2004|title=Audio Culture: Readings in Modern Music|isbn=978-0826416155}}</ref> Reynolds' conclusion defines the sporadic progression from rock, with its field of sound and lyrics to post-rock, where samplings are stretched and looped. |
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Some bands, such as [[Rachel's]] and [[Clogs (band)|Clogs]], combine post-rock with classical music, while others such as [[Godspeed You! Black Emperor]] are so far removed from [[popular music]] in their sparseness of arrangement and use of repetition, that they are frequently compared to [[minimalism]].<ref name="allmusic"/> |
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Wider experimentation and blending of other genres have recently taken hold in the post-rock scene. [[Isis (band)|Isis]] and [[Pelican (band)|Pelican]], among others, have fused [[heavy metal music|metal]] with post-rock styles. The resulting sound has been termed [[post-metal]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/09/19/features/heavy.php|publisher=International Herald Tribune|date=2005-09-20|first=Jon|last=Caramanica|accessdate=2007-09-28|title=The alchemy of art-world heavy metal}}</ref> |
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==See also== |
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* [[List of post-rock bands]] |
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* [[New Prog]] |
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* [[Post-metal]] |
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==References== |
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{{reflist|2}} |
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==External links== |
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* [http://web.archive.org/web/20011202075606/http%3a//www.thewire.co.uk/out/1297_4.htm Reynolds' article] |
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* [http://www.thesilentballet.com The Silent Ballet: A Post-Rock Webzine] |
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* [http://www.mp3blog.ch/mp3blog/?cat=1 Post-Rock Mp3 Blog] |
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{{Alternativerock}} |
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[[Category:Rock music genres]] |
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[[Category:Alternative music]] |
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