STANDARDS

Tortoise are what I think of as 'texture rock'; they utilize rhythms, lines, sounds and ideas as a basis for music as opposed to normal structure. This sets them apart from almost any other contemporary rock band, even among those also pegged as postrock. The group allows their music to start moving on its own, carefully adding, subtracting or changing parts for atmosphere and effect as they string together strange and intriguing sounds from prog rock, industrial, psychedelic, dub/dance hall, and particularly film music. If you're craving something different but still enjoyable and still rock, Tortoise's 'Standards' is top notch nu-rock.