Dave Holland Quintet: "Not for Nothin'" (2002)

I can't say enough good things about this record. Dave Holland is among the best jazz bandleaders of all time. He got his start playing some crazy shit with Miles Davis, but has grown increasingly refined over the years.

This album is chock full of richly complex instrumental songs, like most albums posted on this blog. But the Dave Holland Quintet tells stories with their music better than most singer/songwriters.

The instrumentation is fairly unique. Robin Eubanks makes some crazy noises with a trombone. Chris Potter shreds saxophone like no other (what do you expect from a Steely Dan alum?). The band is rounded out by vibraphone, bass, and DRUMS. And the drums are nothing short of incendiary. Billy Killson ROCKS IT. In fact, I was given this album by my drum teacher when I was first learning jazz. So much for goofyass swing patterns!

Get yr mind sucked through the paper towel roll jazz tube thing by downloading this album here.

Penpal - UPDATE -

90's revival emotional math nostalgia core....or something of that nature.  Very laid back and easy to love. When former members of Marquette parted ways and the two guitarist moved away from one another, they started sharing musical ideas back and forth. Thus Penpal was born. Great for a drive or other such nightly activities. Don't miss out :)

Penpal

......AND! new EP! you'd be a be a fool to pass it up. Not to mention the guys from Penpal are telling you to download it and if that's not reason enough for you to stop stroking your facial hair I don't know what is.

Post Script EP

Volcano! - Paperwork (2008)

If hipsters went to music school and formed bands instead of grabbing laptops and drowning everything in reverb, it might sound like this fun avant-math-pop band from Chicago. The second track "Africa Just Wants to Have Fun" is a whimsical mathy romp not to be missed. The vocals are a little polarizing, a strange lovechild of Ted Leo, Thom Yorke, and Rufus Wainwright. They pirouette above the angular guitar riffs like a footrace through a junkyard full of broken glass. I am failing to properly describe this band, but hey, you can't win 'em all!

Paperwork

Pretend - Bones in the Soil, Rust in the Oil (2009)

It's hard for me to wrap my head around this band for a couple reasons. Lets get this out of the way first off, the guitar's are pretty boring.  That's heavy criticism I know especially when your talking about a genre thats fairly reliant on awesome off time guitars ( yes, math rock. what flip else do I talk about? :) They are light, airy, repetitive, occasionally aimless, lacking in dynamic's but they do get the job done not from lack of skill. Why even mention them then?
DRUMS!
This dude is seriously carrying all the weight on his back and its obvious to all because the production has him front and center. The reason I pick them apart is they have the potential to be soooo good. At times they really are good and everything comes together so nicely that you forget the past 4 minutes but then its back.  Below is the full length and 3 demo cast offs from an upcoming release.

Bones in the soil, Rust in the oil

demo