By Surprise - Mountain Smashers

Im Tempted to say of the new school of 90's emo revival By Surprise might just take "most impressive" award. Unlike their contemporaries we have crystal clear instrumentation and lyrics that aren't just tacked on but feel vital and most importantly tell a story. A lot of heart runs through this release that seems more than pleased to bounce around alternative rock genres like a Sunday stroll. It can be silly at times but I would rather use the word charming. I couldn't begin to think of someone that wouldn't at least find one thing they enjoy about this.

Mountain Smashers

metaghostin' Vol. VI - Doxylamine Daze

Doxylamine Daze - ~30'00"
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For the past two weeks I've had this goddamn cold that just won't go away, feeling like a plague-ridden toddler, spreading disease everywhere I go.

Thankfully, we got legal drugs that get you high as shit to help you sleep when your brain is corrupted with mucus and your lungs are just freaking out all the time.

This mix is dedicated to Nyquil Liquigel capsules, giving me dem 9 hours I crave.
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1. Bad Dudes - "Eat Drugs" / Eat Drugs

I wanna do drugs, I wanna do drugs, but I'm afraid of drugs. (Na nana naa naa)

2. Ebu Gogo - "Never Ending Hole" / Chase Scenes 1-13

We done an Ebu Gogo post yet? Y'all know I love deez dudes. Sometimes their awesomeness makes it hard to appreciate similar but less awesome bands. Like that time Acey tried to get me to listen to Adebisi Shank and I was all "FUCK DEEZ DUDES EBU GOGO BE SHITTIN IN DEY MOUF!"

True story.

3. Enslaved - "Giants" / Axioma Ethica Odini

I haven't been a legit metal-loving dude for very long, and metal in its various forms only takes up a marginal part of my library, but these guys were one of the first metal bands that I could really dig. They aren't especially mind-blowing from any perspective, but the production is super slick and they just got dat craft.

4. Jardín de la Croix - "Synaesthesia" / Pomeroy

Acey just dropped a slick post about their most recent jam, Ocean Cosmonauts, that brought these guys to my attention. I thought this was an interesting track because whether they would admit it or not, the King Crimson influence on math/progressive can be witnessed in full force here. Mega-heavy Discipline vibes.

5. Make Believe - "Television Cemetary" / Shock of Being

Kinda surprised we haven't had a Make Believe post yet, but I suppose they're one of the lesser Kinsella bands with a couple very uneven releases. But Sam Zurich was really showing his ass on these riffs and the rest of the band ain't no chumps.

6. Mastodon - "Aqua Dementia" / Leviathan

Acey and I once had a short talk about whether Mastodon is metal or just modern hard rock. Obviously classification doesn't really matter, even though we do it all the time, but sometimes I wonder if a big part of why someone might think Mastodon is "hard rock" is because of how so much of their sound is built from this crazy southern-fried blues framework that just gets hella sped up and crunchy.

7. sunn O))) + Boris - "Akuma no Kuma" / Altar

Sippin' on some sizzurp.

Well Weapon Records Compilation #2

 

     Well Weapon Records are a Northern England based independent label. Having just released their 2nd compilation, they were nice enough to extend a chance for me to get a crack at a review.  So first things first what are we in store for here? Well a heaping helping of math mayhem is in store for your ears from some of the most promising new groups on the scene:

Track one from Bearcubbin'! starts things off a flurry of taps and builds from there. I was actually impressed structurally with where they ended up taking this 6 plus minute mini epic and each turn was sensible and well thought out. Looking forward to hearing more from these guys in the future. 

The second track by Girlfriends (aka Jerry Joiner) perhaps even one up's Bearcubbin'! by offering some of the slickest dancey math rock I've heard in some time. Think Foals with a set of cajones but with post-hardcore scream singing. Very much into this joint, expect a full write up on his album at a later date.

"No Monster Clubs" offering while a solid song is unfortunately the odd man out in this comp. Not even for the fact that it doesn't follow math rock tropes like the rest of this release. Actually the last two songs here by "Russia Today" and "The Widest Smiling Faces" are great low key acoustic based offerings that really help close out the album. No Monster Clubs inclusion seems like an addition rather than something to further the comp.
   
"Laps Around the Sun" bring it back with an inspiring electro based song with rock conventions and instrumentation slowly added in. Very unique take that eventually saddles into an almost entirely post-rock affair.
   
Previously blogged about "Duck. Little Brother, Duck!" amp up the post hardcore math rock with one of their better songs "Billy Mays" It's a lot of fun and reminds me exactly how good a band firing on all cylinders can sound. They are a cohesive unit that doesn't monkey around any extras and they are all the better for it.

Bringing the jazz that I so richly love is "Suffer Like G Did." Kinda low key but starts setting the tone for the second half of the album. Great name by the way also.

Einhorn, which features Dominic Kesterton of zefs chasing cara, carries some ideas from his other group to Einhorn. Sparse intricate drumming and structurally interesting for math rock. This and the next track from "Lost From Atlas" might be my two favorites of the release. Atlas bring some powerhouse math to the party that breaks the mold for the second half really well.

All I can say is if this sounds even mildly interesting you owe it to yourself to make the small 5$ purchase. PLUS you get a zine with it. I know I am grabbing myself a copy.

Well Weapon Records

Bandcamp

Algernon Cadwallader - Parrot Flies

 

I'm going to say that the first time (and many other listens after) I did not get the big deal. The 90's emo revival is in heavy swing these days and what better band to ape than the many incarnations of the kinsella boy's projects especially Cap'n Jazz.  Just recently I've made my peace and found that i really do enjoy Algernon Cadwallader. The main difference's are the vocals and instrumentation which happen to have a better handle on being melodic when they need to be. Parrot Flies marks their newest release. Its emo indie rock with touches of angular guitars and scream sung vocals. There lo-fi approach is charming but honestly I feel like cleaning up things could really bump these kinds of bands in a more positive direction. 

Parrot Flies

The Foreign Exchange- Authenticity 2010

I have mentioned Little Brother in previous posts, as well as featuring some Strong Arm Steady in a madlib mix post, and both showcase the excellent harmonies that singer Phonte would kick out on all kinds of jams; dude is a melodic, harmonic vocal master, and at some point in the early 2000s, Phonte connected with a dutch producer named Nicolay through the Okayplayer message boards, and soon the two pulled a Postal Service style exchange of instrumentals/ vocal takes (the name The Foreign Exchange stemming from this strange musical connection), and put together their first album Connected in 2004.

Alright the Captain - Snib

An English rock band with one foot in that classy ass 90's math sound and the other firmly planted in their own bass monster death march. Very well thought out structure and in your face production make this a real treat to sit through thats for sure. You can almost sense the amount of fun these guys are having playing these songs.  I will say though that this wont change your summer vacation plans.  It just doesn't push in any one direction too much not enough to break out of the mold. Still its worth a glance, isn't everything?

Snib

The Grand Rapid City Lipdub 2011

it is blowing up real fast since memorial day weekend, but im not sure how many of you swords dudes had seen the craziness that is the grand rapids lip dub. I know I hadnt until earlier today when i heard about it on NPR. The story went that recently, a list came out of the Top Cities in Fast Decline, and Rapid City was near the top of the list. The citizens of Rapid City said fuck that, and a local filmmaker gathered $40,000 and the support of the city to put together the most intense, single shot lipdub video of all time. And this didnt just reach to the citizens of the city; the government was involved, as well as local police and firefighters, business owners, artists, nerf gun enthusiasts, etc. Everyone represented themselves to unite and give a big FUCK YOU to the world that saw them in decline.

And i mentioned, it is a single shot; 10 minutes long, and one continuous shot of so many crazily arranged things. The undertaking of this project was a daunting idea, but holy shit did they pull it off. Not to mention the nurf gun fight on the bridge all Braveheart style.

"We need a slogan. You need some stuff" contest

WINNER! WINNER!

Thanks Clay for your slogan of "Cutting edge music"

We love you for it.... I mean that in a completely not scary way.

Clay will receive an amazing prize package that will not include a trip or a car!

WOW! WE ARE AWESOME!



UPDATE 6/1:
We will be running this through Sunday 6/5/2011. Looking good so far guys cant wait to shower the winner with pointless treasures.
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Having almost hit our 10,000 view mark I would like to extend a contest to our readership. If you haven't noticed we have a very lame slogan quickly made by me when I started the blog.

"it's about awesome music....and swords"

Doesn't really scream awesome slogan, I know this. That is the reason why we need help here at the swords for someone to come up with something better (admittedly anything would be better)

As a way of saying thank you to the person who gets picked by us for best slogan, they will receive a handsome package of music and non music related goodies!!!!#$^#$&*#$

So lets get this going, please leave in the comments your proposed slogan and we will do the rest.