25. International Karate - Minor Role in a Major Movie
International Karate impacted the early part of the decade with heavily shoegaze-inspired post-rock. The band's music mixed in just enough from the late eighties/early nineties sound palette to create a sense of nostalgia within its otherwise modern foundation. Tracks like "Minor Role in a Major Movie" are the result: a swirling spectacle of guitar layers, ambience, and lethargic [bad word] beats. "Minor Role..." doesn't build to a climax as much as it just coalesces into an immaculate artistic work where the past, present, and future converge for nearly ten minutes in a beautifully choreographed aural show. Although the band's career was not as timeless as its music, few post-rock bands have succeeded in injecting the shoegaze aesthetic into their music with such magnificent results. (Jordan Volz)