Stationary Odyssey

This band has put out some of the most solid post rock releases I have ever heard, so good. In this you'll listen too and discover that they can be the Mars Volta when they want to be the Mars Volta, that they can be Pelican too! Each album offers a little more than something from bands past/present/to come but in their own style and maybe even better. More or Less is More sounds like a complete psychedelic Post Rock Progressive trip, its sound is akin to earlier Mars Volta without vocals, think of the parts in between vocals in the songs that would go on for five minutes or so, just like that except not diluted or even boring (as the Mars Volta can sometimes get). Perpetual of The Retired Evermore sounds like its namesake, a Sludgy (at times) doomy (at times) escape into progressive metal or post-metal such as Pelican and ISIS, the album is short and will probably play amazingly quick. "UH (Rehearsal)," the last track on Perpetual of The Retired Evermore, is so good even though its just a Rehearsal track, shows what these guys can come up with at a moments whim. Head! Foot! And the Pink Axe is definitely my favorite of theres to listen too and was the soundtrack to Winter 07/08, listening to this album on long drives while it rained was really spectacular and nothing short of amazing. With Head! Foot! And the Pink Axe we return to a more post rockish stance and sort of forget the whole Psychedelic vibe they had with the other albums even though this one can just be as groovy if not more, as shown at 3:00 into Nobody Does it Better with the glitch noises and other synthesized sounds that they add (to a couple of other tracks as well). Head! Foot! And the Pink Axe is more like Do Make Say Think without incredibly long and boring songs, they keep it traditional without clocking it in at over 4:34 minutes. I think their entire catalogue is in print still so you might want to check it out, even though their web store has none of their 'actual' CDs on sale, just $5 downloads per album (there are more on there that aren't on here so if you really dig them you might wanna go ahead and check them out) and a neat t shirt going for around $15, you can also probably spot something nice on Interpunk or the label that released a couple of them, the Joyful Noise label. They're working on a new release and have already announced that it was definitely going to be weirder so be on the lookout for that.

Stationary Odyssey - More or Less is More
Stationary Odyssey - Perpetual of The Retired Evermore
Stationary Odyssey - Head! Foot! And the Pink Axe

If you're into the 'Joyful Noise' sound on Stationary Odyssey you might like to know that there IS an audio sampler for download on there site here. Enjoy it!

- Manuel