Maybe it’s because I met porcupine tree when I was largely falling out of live with contemporary metal and prog but almost none of the bands people say sound like porcupine tree do anything for me or even really sound enough like them to me. They’re all too technical or sterile and often feel like xerox of a xerox of music I’d actually like. Obviously if you like them, great. They’re just not for me.
But I assume I’m not alone here so to the people here who also are into stuff that’s neither prog or metal: what’s stuff that scratches that PT itch.
I’ve got a few to get it started:
XTC - Easter Theatre
Suede - Asphalt World
Japan - Gentleman Take Polaroids
ABBA - Head over Heels
The Stone Roses - I Wanna Be Adored
Spiritualised - I Think I’m In Love
Slowdive - 40 days
The Cocteau Twins - Heaven or Las Vegas
The Flaming Lips - Feeling Yourself Disintegrate
Donovan - Wear Your love like heaven
Maybe obvious the more lush, psychedelic side of PT is what I’m drawn to more.
Red house painters- Down colorful hill
Love this. Reminds me of Low.
The lyrics are a huge influence on Wilson
Doves - Sea Song
Great pick!
Some early Elbow does it for me. Check songs like Newborn (the full 7 minute version, not the silly 3-min edit), Bitten by The Tailfly or Fugitive Motel.
Archive is kinda proggy but in a heavy ambience and long-drawn instrumental work kinda way (much like the lesser technical PT stuff or most of Pink Floyd) but they come from trip-hop. Check Again (the 16 min album version, not the 5-ish single edit), Noise and Sleep.
For something more in the psych side, this is a bit more out there, but jamtronica band Papadosio. I'd say give the album Extras in a Movie a full try, but if not, at least check the songs Monochrome, Epiphany and Gazing the Great Oscillator/Moon Entedre (the two final tracks from Extras, but honestly one song cut in half) a try.
I like but don’t love Elbow but I do think do think the fit the vibe I mean. Archive on my list and trip hop very much qualifies. I think portishead’s self titled has a very strong vibe that feels a bit like Signify era tree
Yeah, Portishead kinda remind me of PT at times too! I edited to include one more band btw. It's a long shot, but a lot of your picks seem to be more feel based rather than entirely sound based, so maybe they'll click.
Feel is all I can go on I’ve found. Things that sound alike may feel different. On it!
Yeah, I totally get that! It's one of the reasons I dig PT, I just resonate with their stuff emotionally. And that's what really matters at the end of the day. Not genre tags por whatever.
It’s a band that sort of doesn’t sound like anything wise mostly because SW to his credit has enough variety of. Stuff he’s drawing from. Like there’s beach boys harmony and shoegaze textural stuff swirling creating a really lush sound. And course Richard’s contributions might be my favourite part.
Totally! It's a very unique and diverse sound. It's what I dig the most with bands/artists, not being afraid of shaking things up, fusing different genres or just taking left-turns with their sound.
I love artists where different albums are essentially a different sonic experiment entirely. Whether it’s successful or not. The Beatles being the most obvious example but you get it in bowie, Kate Bush. More recently Radiohead, Goldfrapp etc.
Love all those artists! I have to ask now. Have you listened to The Dear Hunter? They tend to get labelled as prog but their stuff is very eclectic. Very different vibe in terms of sound, but still. My favourite project by them, The Color Spectrum is a 9-EP collection that spawns everything from industrial rock to alt-country to 60s inspired bubblegum pop to theatrical rock to experimental electronica. And yet their latest project draws from psychedelic soul/funk for instance.
Nope but happy to add them to the listen list. I don’t actually not like prog. I’ve just found most of the usual prog bands people suggest are not my flavour. But I love king Crimson, another babd that very consciously shifts about.
Also your description is very appealing because as un cool as it might be 60s bubblegum pop is a guilty pleasure of mine.
Have you tried any Sigur Ros? I guess they were labeled in the post rock category in the late 90s early 00s. Try 'Svefn-g-englar'. The album it's from is probably the best place to start, and the next 2 albums. They sing in a mix of Icelandic (Hopelandic, it's also called) and a made up language,as its not about the lyrical message.
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard also do a fantastic job at being progressive without falling squarely in the prog category. My main musical obession over the last 5 years. First band that has hyped me up as much as PT/Opeth/Dream Theater did when I was young.
What’s the best starting point coming from PT?
Polygondwanaland (think early King Crimson, Gentle Giant with a polyrhythmic core, lots of woodwind instruments, suite-like compositions)
Omnium Gatherum (kind of like their White Album; a lot of different styles on that album, from krautrock/garage rock to heavy metal, to indie pop and blues)
Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms and Lava (each track is based on one of the modes of the major scale; psychedelic funk rock and lots of cool jams)
PetroDragonic Apocalypse; or, Dawn of Eternal Night: An Annihilation of Planet Earth and the Beginning of Merciless Damnation (progressive thrash metal meets Tool.. absolute belter of an album and one of my favorite albums of all time; epic as hell)
The titles alone go so fucking hard. I really need to get into this band
True! Good luck and have fun. It took me some time, I was put off by the quirkiness and the relatively lo-fi sound compared to most of the modern prog I like.
This KEXP session is awesome: King Gizzard KEXP
I think Keane and Doves have some songs that feel transcendental. Henry by Silver Moth is a heavy hitter. Neptune by Foals is great too
All “non-prog”
Doves was already suggested on this thread and I fully agree. The rest on my list.
Coldplay’s debut album Parachutes, I feel has some of that Stupid Dream / Lightbulb Sun sound.
Radiohead, Nine Inch Nails, Massive Attack are a few ‘mainstream’ alternative acts that Steven Wilson is definitely influenced by.
Sea Change by Beck. It scratches a similar itch to me as the classic, melancholy, softer PT tunes like Stop Swimming, Fadeaway, A Smart Kid... stuff I love
Beck an unfortunate blind spot to me except for loser so on it!
Riverside (Poland) is a must-listen. Not sure if they're 'less prog' but I guarantee they'll scratch that sorrow/melancholia/anger itch.
On the no fly list I’m afraid. Tried a bunch. Not a fan.
Give them another chance. Maybe you heard a few songs and they weren't what you were expecting.
Obviously they won't be like PT exactly but they do their own thing well. To me, they tap into the same basket of emotions.
Happy to give them another shot but this is not an opinion formed from a cursory listen. When I first got into happy to give them another shot but it wasn’t an opinion formed lightly. There was a few months where I listened to all the usual suspects that people tend to throw out. And it’s not that they don’t sound like PT. Most of what I listen doesn’t sound like PT. It’s just that I couldn’t get into them.
A lot of my prog taste skews older. Like King Crimson or folk rock stuff like Pentangle.
I'd recommend only trying the songs Time Traveller and perhaps Wasteland if you're feeling generous with your time. It's totally reasonable to not gel with them though, you like the music you like!
Try the riverside offshoot - Lunatic Soul
Catherine Wheel - Future Boy
Fair to Midland - The Wife, The Kids & The White Picket Fence
Kent - Stoppa mig juni/Stop Me June
Sunny Day Real Estate - How It Feels to Be Something On
Jimmy Eat World - Just Watch The Fireworks
Placebo - Without You I’m Nothing
Seconding Catherine Wheel, Ferment and Chrome are brilliant albums and there's lot to like for a fan of 90s PT in there.
You've probably heard it but on the off chance you haven't, "Your Wilderness" by Pineapple Thief is a masterpiece. Akin to the more sentimental side of Porcupine Tree while still having their own unique sound and style, not technical or sterile. But they do lean a bit into prog so that might be a deal breaker.
Pineapple Thief one of the bands that does nothing for me. I’m sort of looking any band not from the usual prog answers. So Riverside, PT, Anathama, Devin Townsend etc.
Have you tried their album "Tightly Unwound" though? I feel like it's leagues better than Your Wilderness but nobody talks about it because no Gavin Harrison. I feel like TPT honestly had better composition before gavin joined.
Yes, great album. Love their early stuff then the became somewhat meh for me. Same for Elbow that I saw mentioned, first couple great. Also check out first couple of albums by Mew, Glass Handed Kites fantastic.
Honestly the same for me except that one album. Also agree on the others you listed. Not sure why I'm getting downvoted for a genuine rec but it is Reddit after all
This and most prog subs are very defensive of traditionally ‘prog’ bands. I got downvoted on the r/prog sub for saying that Anna Von Haouswulf was maybe doing more challenging work than most actually ‘prog’ bands.
I don’t know if people thinking you’re wrong qualifies as them being very defensive.
I mean. If they’d heard Iconoclasts and genuinely think it was worse and less prog than the dream theatre album then sure I’ll accept I’m wrong in their eyes. Most probably just didn’t listen.
Checked it out. Disclaimer: I’m a huge Porcupine Tree fan. Some of their songs mean more to me than I can really make sense of.
I also like Ethel Cain.
This album, to me (obviously, right? Just my feelings here) sounds like the epitome of “less smart and deep than it thinks it is” kind of music. The same kind of energy I don’t like about indie artists.
Like the priority was to be quirky. The kind of band that Portlandia would make up.
While progressive rock/metal has its downsides, what I admire is a commitment to risk-taking.
This album feels so safe. So to me, not progressive.
Appreciate the effort and given that will gladly concede I might just be wrong in some ways but I also think it’s heavily dependant on how you define risk taking.
A lot of the metal and prog people tend to bring up largely fall into a bit of a formula, which maybe are different from pop mainstream but otherwise heavily resemble each other. Are you really that challenging if you are just the 71st person to write a riff over 9/8 beat. Especially when it’s sonically largely the same sounds and textures as all your contemporaries.
I think I just prefer that weird church organ swirling with sax overdrive is more out there in someway. I have similar opinions about Rosalia’s Berghain.
Happy to chalk both up to taste differences but I do think it’s not insane.
You are objectively not insane. And the ways that prog falls short are extremely annoying to me. I love that we have different tastes and I love checking out new bands, so thank you for that.
I've looked her up, she sounds interesting! Listened to one song reminds me a bit of grizzly bear mixed with Fleetwood mac.
I don't get the occasional proghead opinion that prog is the only challenging genre. It's definitely false, plenty of great post rock, folk, metal, rap and singer songwriter music that does interesting work.
It's also not like steven wilson is 100% prog anyway. Its his mix of styles I like.
Avkvrst have been huge for me. Been wearing out both their albums. Still from the prog vein but not the tired and deflated prog vein.
Prefab Sprout - I trawl the megahertz
I would say that problem with those similar bands are that you find one you love than rest are in category it is OK, But I alredy know something better.
Really would suggest getting oppsite direction in blies maybe or something like that than looking for similar PT band.
Oh definitely and I’ve found a LOT that I like that feels like it’s playing with similar feel but just outside of prog. I figured it was just a fun thing throw to this group as well.
Subsignal's 2018 album La Muerta is a masterpiece and really scratches the itch for me.
It is prog with lots of impressive poppy melodic elements to it so it's not overly prog if that makes sense.
Haven’t heard and will check it out but definitely would like non prog answers
Just gave it a go. Not my flavor. It’s the same old derivate prog progness. I’m searching suggestions up hoping for a win.
This randomly popped in my head, but try Ok Bear by Jeremy Enigk. Lead singer of Sunny Day Ral Estate, but I prefer most of his solo stuff over the band albums. Moody, melancholy but gorgeous
Not totally for me based on a quick listen but I’m giving you full credit for at least not picking a prog band after the post explicitly says don’t pick a prog band.
Idk why, but Justice Cow.
She has very strange lyrics that make since, the composition is amazing etc.
Doesn't have much in common though but they are my two most listened to.
Bent knee is another good one too
Who ever knows why with music.
In the exact same boat as you where I'm always on the lookout for non-similar music to scratch the itch of my favorite group. I'm not entirely sure how much our tastes overlap, but here are some tunes that may be of interest:
Ambulance by Blur (as well as some other Think Tank tracks). Make sure it's the standalone version, 5 minutes.
Disco Inferno (artist). Try "The 5 EPs" compilation. You'll know from the first track if it's up your alley.
Stereolab- Cybele's Reverie, Super Falling Star, How to Play Your Internal Organs Overnight, Peng! 33, Metronomic Underground, Tempter
The Dandy Warhols- Good Morning, Nietzsche
The The- Good Morning Beautiful
Scenic- Year of the Rat
Magdalena Bay- Wandering Eyes
Happy listening!
Lot of overlap. I love stereolab and also broadcast in a similar vain. Love The The. Like a lot of blur with caveats. The rest will look into.
Tiger Lou - A Partial Print
My Morning Jacket are a non-prog band that scratch a similar itch for me, particularly the ‘Z’ album.
Kalandra - Brave New World might be one you like. Folky rock with occasional prog flourishes that I think is great. I saw them supporting Leprous but from what you said I don't think you'd like them as they're mostly metally. I also saw them at Arctangent festival last year where spiritualised also played!
Alcest - Voyage des L'ame. Some of their stuff is heavy but there's some nice songs on this, albeit ones in French. They do have slightly black metal hints to warn you but its a pretty lush wistful album.
Beach House. Not sure which to put as an album, I'd just say listen to Space Song and some songs on Once Twice Melody to see if you like them. More on the shoegaze side.
Also, years ago steven wilsons blog recommended the band Shearwater who'd just released The Golden Archipelago. I think thats right up your street.
Shearwater and Midlake (check especially their new album and the song Within/Without, it has a very Steven Wilson vibe).
Also, for atmospheric moodiness check Patrick Watson-Love Songs for Robots and last two albums by Slowdive.
Love the two new Slowdive albums. And the rest are on the list now.
Try Dark Synthwave, like Nine Inch Nails latest album: the movie soundtrack Tron: Ares.
To me it's fucking perfect. Psychedelic as fk, real different from prog. yet it has that same dissonance of constant unease, that feeling of 'angst' PT and Opeth have.
Like, I like a lot of other genres. Jazz, Hiphop, Trance, Pop, I have my artists in almost every genre. But if you ask me which genre I find closest to that PT/Opeth sound but is not progressive rock/metal, I'm going dark synthwave 100%. Funny Thing is that there are amazing rockbands out there who have some crossover in these amazing soundscapes. NiN for exampe, but some Depeche Mode albums also come to mind. Lunatic Soul also kinda borders genres from melodic progrock into synthwave.
For some try outs of what I mean, here's:
Nine Inch Nails - Shadow Over Me (Tron: Ares soundtrack)
Depeche Mode - Home
Lunatic Soul - Self in Distorted Glass
The Midnight - First Night in Paris
Trent Reznor - A Familiair Taste (The Social Network soundtrack)
Big NIN and Depeche Mode fan. The rest on the list. Lunatic soul not fully clicking when I’ve tried it in the past though.
Possibly a really long shot, but I really adore these gents. Check out Thirteen Senses newest album The Bound and the Infinite. Not prog, but definitely in the spirit of exploration. If not that, their album The Invitation has some fun moments too.
Nosound, their music is very reminiscent of The Sky Moves Sideways album.
I made a dedicated playlist for all the songs I found to have a PT "moments" in them. Pretty subjective, more pop oriented but still some psych and progressive:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/79eZQxWcowXHkoWk7QHi4C?si=QGaFHBRvQ72zll8aw93a0A&pi=dwBZhrPdS2i-d
Airbag too
The track Butterfly Net by Caroline Polachek reminds me of something SW would write, especially the beginning. The rest of her stuff is not that similar to PT/SW obviously (but is amazing).
Honestly I’ve heard a bunch of her stuff that’s actually more my taste normally. PT is more the anomaly in my taste these days.
Same really, I love PT but listen to very little other modern prog. Classic prog I can enjoy but that's a very different ball game, but the PT fan starter kit of Haken, Tool, Riverside etc does very little for me.
Actually based on the list in your post I think your taste is pretty similar to mine, to the point that I'm not sure what else to recommend as you'd probably already have heard it.
I like old prog too. King Crimson I selectively adore (there’s too many versions of that band to love everything) and i will happily fall into the cliche of liking Floyd (lately more the Barrett era though)
I think my take that is hard to defend is that most modern prog feel like they didn’t draw on either of these bands much and instead are offshoots of Rush (a band I can maybe take or leave) where the complexity feels a little like an intellectual exercise rather than an emotional one.
Tool is a different story. They are trying to King Crimson whether they admit it or not. U don’t mind them but they’re a little too sterile for my taste.
Definitely, a lot of modern prog is basically heavy prog or prog metal as well which itself is not that interesting to me. There are exceptions that I like such as Wilderun and Boss Keloid but overall it's not a style of music I seek out. Some older prog/power metal bands like Fates Warning are incredible but again that's nothing like most modern prog.
Sterile is exactly the word for Tool. Despite all the apparent musical skill there is just not a lot going on in their music for me. I used to be into them as a teenager but can't really listen to them any more. And it really bugs me when people compare them and PT as for me they are light years apart.
Japan: yeah, those keyboards sound familiar XTC: I think it’s very obvious Stephen Wilson is a big fan.
40 days is amazing, makes me feel like I am flying.
You can try some NIN stuff, the Fragile onwards
40 days quite possibly one of my favourite songs ever. The second verse when Neil and Rachel are Harmonising together and the guitar starts doing that muted arpeggio
https://youtu.be/u2qfOOWbXHU?si=xxOcMhsFWDOxnIb3
Aww look at all those heartbroken comments… they don’t know what’s coming.
A similar story is with Sonic Youth with their Incinerate. I think they are what you are looking for btw
Oh I love Sonic youth already
Seeing your comments, that doesn't surprise me. You have excellent taste
You can also check Warp groups by the way, if you hadn't already
Why thank you! And no that’s a bit of a blind spot so on it.
You know what makes it more haunting? Rachel and Neil actually broke up during the period it was being written. In a live version she even smiles at Neil briefly while they are playing the song, but they already broke up at that point. Neil is singing about her while they both are playing it.
The band Pinkroom is possibly the closest band I have ever heard that is similar to Porcupine tree. I don't believe they exist anymore, but there are 2 albums on Spotify. Psychosolstice is a good album. The other one is Unloved Toy. I am not quite as familiar with it. Might be worth checking out.
Pineapple Thief is excellent
Pineapple Thief coming up thrice when I sort if explicitly said no bands like Pineapple thief really helping my case that there’s a set of bands over discussed on this sub
Have you heard of the Pineapple Thief? Same drummer.
PT don’t also bring PT challenge I guess. I’ve checked them out. Don’t get it.