Post-Jam is the new genre.

Normally whenever you try to describe a band or a sound as it pertains to the topic of conversation, you do so by naming genres and/or similar artists.

“They’re like a shoegazer Wilco…” (Dr. Dog)
“It’s like but more lighthearted…” (Ratatat)
“If Tortoise, STS9, and the Duo got together…” (The Lymbyc Systym)

I’ve done it a million times…

And finally…finally…I actually have a genre title to use now when I describe what the Benevento/Russo Duo sounds like. Or what The Slip sounds like. Post-Jam.

Village Voice coined the term first in a recent writeup on The Slip and their new album, Eisenhower (which is fantastic, by the way…). Update: I stand corrected on that “first” statement; Relix used this term in their last issue — before the Voice write-up hit the internet. Sorry, Relix.

Screw your other genre buzz words — post-jam is the new genre that will bring the rest of the music world into 2007. Mark it!

More: Post-Jam [The Greenhaus Effect]

December 4, 2006 |  by  |  Open Thread
About the author

Justin Ward is the Editor at Live Music Blog and has been with the site from the very beginning. He currently lives in San Francisco and regularly tweets other stuff over @justinpward.

He also plays in NVO and sometimes calls himself dudha.us ("dude house"). Follow his projects over at JustinWard.org.

 
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  • http://www.rrr.com Paulie O

    Welcome to last week, man.

  • http://www.rrr.com Paulie O

    Welcome to last week, man.

  • http://www.burningoak.com Kane from BurningOak

    You know I’ve always considered The Duo to be just a jazz band that thought they were Phish, and was never too impressed – both due to your writeup and not seeing anything notable from their 10KLF’06 performance (as the Duo, not GRAB). But I’m trying man, everyone else seems to frickin love em.

    As far as MMJ, I think I’m going to the Champaign show tomorrow simply on how much you seem to get into them. I haven’t gotten the vibe from them yet but maybe it just takes a live show for me.

    The Slip, I’m actually looking forward to.

    Anyways, Post-Jam will work as well as anything, I just called it IndieJam.

  • http://www.burningoak.com Kane from BurningOak

    You know I’ve always considered The Duo to be just a jazz band that thought they were Phish, and was never too impressed – both due to your writeup and not seeing anything notable from their 10KLF’06 performance (as the Duo, not GRAB). But I’m trying man, everyone else seems to frickin love em.

    As far as MMJ, I think I’m going to the Champaign show tomorrow simply on how much you seem to get into them. I haven’t gotten the vibe from them yet but maybe it just takes a live show for me.

    The Slip, I’m actually looking forward to.

    Anyways, Post-Jam will work as well as anything, I just called it IndieJam.

  • http://www.burningoak.com Kane from BurningOak

    Oh yeah, this was the writeup from you – Duo Superjam at Jam in the ‘Dam.

  • http://www.burningoak.com Kane from BurningOak

    Oh yeah, this was the writeup from you – Duo Superjam at Jam in the ‘Dam.

  • http://www.jambase.com Andy Gadiel

    Jam = Just All Music

  • http://www.jambase.com Andy Gadiel

    Jam = Just All Music

  • paul

    Post Jam…finally something. I hate the term jam band music. Every style of music has a name except for ours. I was just talking about this with a friend of mine. I always use the phrase new organic jazz but post jam is fine. Personally I’d like to get the word jam out of the genere name. Sure it’s a jam but that just sounds so cheesy to me. And jamming is found in many genres. What is jazz? Often a long jam often with horns. What is techno? Often a long jam with computers. Obviously our music is centered around a jam but that’s a decription not a genere name. I’ve never heard anyone say I listen to jam as they would say techno or metal if they listened to that type of music. Atleast post jam is better than saying jam band music. Guess this is a somewhat unimportant topic but it bugs me none the less.

  • paul

    Post Jam…finally something. I hate the term jam band music. Every style of music has a name except for ours. I was just talking about this with a friend of mine. I always use the phrase new organic jazz but post jam is fine. Personally I’d like to get the word jam out of the genere name. Sure it’s a jam but that just sounds so cheesy to me. And jamming is found in many genres. What is jazz? Often a long jam often with horns. What is techno? Often a long jam with computers. Obviously our music is centered around a jam but that’s a decription not a genere name. I’ve never heard anyone say I listen to jam as they would say techno or metal if they listened to that type of music. Atleast post jam is better than saying jam band music. Guess this is a somewhat unimportant topic but it bugs me none the less.

  • Aaron

    I don’t understand this term AT ALL. Why the need to label music? The Duo and My Morning Jacket are so different, I could never see recommending one to a fan of the other.

    Plus, Radiohead and Wilco? I for one was into Wilco (and so were many others) far before Phish ever disbanded.

    That article is frightening on so many levels. There is no basis for this term “post-jam”. I think someone thought…”Oh wow, these bands who jam are putting more work into song structure and lyrics… Lets coin a phrase”

    Ugh

  • Aaron

    I don’t understand this term AT ALL. Why the need to label music? The Duo and My Morning Jacket are so different, I could never see recommending one to a fan of the other.

    Plus, Radiohead and Wilco? I for one was into Wilco (and so were many others) far before Phish ever disbanded.

    That article is frightening on so many levels. There is no basis for this term “post-jam”. I think someone thought…”Oh wow, these bands who jam are putting more work into song structure and lyrics… Lets coin a phrase”

    Ugh

  • ChrisP

    …”Oh wow, these bands who jam are putting more work into song structure and lyrics… Lets coin a phrase”

    Sure, since “Grateful Dead” was already taken :-)

  • ChrisP

    …”Oh wow, these bands who jam are putting more work into song structure and lyrics… Lets coin a phrase”

    Sure, since “Grateful Dead” was already taken :-)

  • dave

    “I don’t understand this term AT ALL. Why the need to label music?”

    So we can have a convenient term to use when talking about related bands. I don’t know that I particularly like the term “post-jam”, but I agree that a new term is needed for jamband + indie. Both of those labels carry certain stigmas that don’t really apply to any of these bands. If we could come up with a term without “jam” or “indie” in it, that would be great.

  • dave

    “I don’t understand this term AT ALL. Why the need to label music?”

    So we can have a convenient term to use when talking about related bands. I don’t know that I particularly like the term “post-jam”, but I agree that a new term is needed for jamband + indie. Both of those labels carry certain stigmas that don’t really apply to any of these bands. If we could come up with a term without “jam” or “indie” in it, that would be great.

  • Marianne

    i’m not a fan of this “post jam” title. i think it sounds stupid. how about jindy? just kidding. Or maybe both of those genres can just stay under the genre of ROCK!!

  • Marianne

    i’m not a fan of this “post jam” title. i think it sounds stupid. how about jindy? just kidding. Or maybe both of those genres can just stay under the genre of ROCK!!

  • http://www.myspace.com/thedeadsticklanding Greg

    I’m cool with the term post-jam if only concerning bands like Duo or maybe MMJ. I’ve heard description (and I agree) of Duo’s music incorporating elements of post-rock. What I’m not cool with is lumping all jambands under this new descriptor. For example, Tea Leaf Green is absolutely not post-anything. Similarly, diehard fans of electronic music cringe at the words “electronica” and “techno” because they are such vague blanket description that ignore the spectrum of sub-genres.

    Dave, how ’bout “post-improv”?

  • http://www.myspace.com/thedeadsticklanding Greg

    I’m cool with the term post-jam if only concerning bands like Duo or maybe MMJ. I’ve heard description (and I agree) of Duo’s music incorporating elements of post-rock. What I’m not cool with is lumping all jambands under this new descriptor. For example, Tea Leaf Green is absolutely not post-anything. Similarly, diehard fans of electronic music cringe at the words “electronica” and “techno” because they are such vague blanket description that ignore the spectrum of sub-genres.

    Dave, how ’bout “post-improv”?

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