Caspian >> That was the sea, this is the ocean

Caspian - "La Cerva"

(Radar Recordings, 2008 [split 7"] / The Mylene Sheath, 2009 [CD / 2xLP])

Note: I wrote almost all of this post on July 2nd.
Note 2: The title of this post is a vinyl etching from the stunning "Columbus" 7" by one of my favorite bands, the Church.  I found it here years ago and made myself memorize it.  See, the band Caspian is named after the Caspian Sea, and... uh, yeah, you knew that.  Did you know that seas are smaller than oceans?  Ah, you did.  Moving on then...

I've seen this rock band three times in New Orleans.  They played "La Cerva" the first two times (as their opening song in March 2010 at the Dragon's Den; at an unknown part of their set in April 2011 at the Howlin' Wolf), but alas, they did not the third time (February 2013 at Siberia).  Hopefully it's still in their setlist from time to time.  Right before Caspian went on at that Dragon's Den show, I helped to save a guy who was overdosing outside on the Esplanade median.  I then bounded up the winding staircase as "La Cerva" rained down upon me, just as it is about to rain down upon you.

I first heard this song after on a split Caspian / Constants 7" (upper left in pic above) that I bought at a Constants show in New Orleans in Oct. 2009.  I highly recommend this single, as you could imagine.  Constants are badass as hell.

Lots of so-called "post-rock" / "post-metal" bands get (justly) criticized for just relying on climax after climax, but son of a bitch if it isn't awe-inspiring when done right.  Caspian wastes no time frittering around before getting right to the heavy stuff in this track.  I bet even Beavis and Butt-head would've lost their shit over this one.  The jazzy drumming (à la Tristeza, Dif Juz, Tortoise) gives this track a certain cool swagger that most furrow-browed "post-rock" bands fail to achieve.  The cello playing is credited to a guy named John Rogers.

LIVE PIC (2013) [coming tomorrow]

Planets with similar climates: Trans Am - "Trans Am" (1995), Metallica - "Orion" (1986), Mogwai - "Mogwai Fear Satan" (1997), Sonic Youth - "Death To Our Friends" (1986).