Archive for Don Caballero

Top 10 Best Post-Rock Instrumental Bands: Godspeed, Caspian, Russian Circles, Explosions in the Sky, Mono

Posted in Lists with tags , , , , , , , , , on 09/13/2026 by Kurt Orzeck

With last week’s announcement that Caspian (not to be confused with Far Caspian, who formed 14 years after the much better band mentioned earlier in this sentence) are coming back after a six-year break, it seemed somewhat fitting to remind those of you who aren’t terribly familiar with instrumental post-rock to get educated. Not only is the subgenre all too often overlooked – because the bands feature neither lyrics nor a shamelessly self-promoting frontman to promote them – it’s also a cohort whose music is both ensconcing for picky underground-music enthusiasts but also generally appealing for grandparents, regardless of they wear hearing aids.

With the longest sentence ever written this side of James Joyce’s Ulysses, one note before we begin: Mogwai would’ve topped this list without a second thought had the Glasgoweenies not introduced vocals later into their career. Same goes with Trans Am, The Album Leaf, Battles and Hella. Now that we’re done venting, here’s The Bad Penny‘s list of Best Post-Rock Instrumental Bands, which our recommended album noted in each entry:

1. Godspeed You! Black Emperor‘s Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven (2000)

2. Red SparowesAt the Soundless Dawn (2005)

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Top 20 Touch and Go Bands of All Time

Posted in Lists with tags , , , , , , , , , on 09/06/2025 by Kurt Orzeck

(Note: The number of releases and duration of time spent by the bands on the label factored into this ranking. Nor did it take into account bands that issued records through Touch and Go‘s sister label, Quarterstick Records.)

1. Shellac
2. The Jesus Lizard
3. Big Black
4. Slint
5. Scratch Acid
6. Die Kreuzen
7. Don Caballero
8. Girls Against Boys
9. The Black Heart Procession
10. The Delta 72
11. Killdozer
12. Blonde Redhead
13. Didjits
14. Quasi
15. The New Year
16. Silkworm
17. Man or Astro-man?
18. Laughing Hyenas
19. Brick Layer Cake
20. CocoRosie

(PS: Fuck Butthole Surfers)