Noxious Foxes - Legs (2011)

 Instrumental Math Loopers from Brooklyn NY. Surprising sense of melody with songs that are so rhythmically interesting.  Excellent use of pedals where it doesn't feel like your getting pummeled  over the head with odd noises for heavens sake. Technical without drawing too much attention. Super amazing stuff. 


Legs (2011)

Gifts from Enola - S/T (2010)

These guys tend to run in the same circles as a lot of really boring post-rock bands. At first, I lumped them in with some of the worst offenders. However, they actually have some pretty interesting guitar work and nifty rhythms. I wish their songs were 4-5 minutes long instead of 6-10, but I suppose that comes with the territory.

My favorite thing of theirs is their 2010 self titled EP (5 songs, 35 minutes). It loses a little steam during the fourth song. Production is a little heavy-handed in trying to make them sound HUGE, but overall good. These issues aside, a lot of the is really good. I heard a snippet of the first song, "Lionized," during an NFL game one time. So at least they have a good agent!

They have some older and newer material. Quality ranges from good to boring, but I haven't really listened to their other stuff too closely.

Check it on their Bandcamp, and if you like it, mediafire links abound.

Russian Circles- Enter (2006)

I met a new friend tonight, and once Don Cab was mentioned in our conversation we went math on each others asses. I showed him some Stage Kids and Mister Metaphor, and he in turn told me to check a bunch of bands.. handsome boy modeling school, pelican, isis, and above all Russian Circles. I know nothing of them, and though I have seen them referenced here at the Swords, I have never checked a review of any of their albums. I know they are a trio; that is it. Listening in a second; track one off their first album, Enter:



enter

Cloud Nothings - "Attack on Memory" (2012)

Before this album, I didn't get the buzz behind Cloud Nothings. They consisted of a young dude with a laptop kicking out the occasional catchy song with stretches of grating, immature material in between.

And then "Attack on Memory" happened.

And how it happened. This album is a ripper.

After two releases as a solo artist, Original Dude recruited more dudes to join his band, and after some extensive touring, hired Steve Albini Dude to record them.

Whatever happened to this band on the road did them wonders. Subtle but edgy and propulsive instrumentals occasionally boil over into pure frenzy, while Original Dude's impassioned emo-y vocals soar over the whole mix. Most bands I listen to seem to have an amateur steering the vocals/lyrics/songwtiting ship, so it is an absolute treat that Cloud Nothings have packaged interesting instrumentals with a frontman achieving at high levels.

I tried to find a stream of the album somewhere, but instead I found a link to download:

Cloud Nothings - "Attack on Memory"

Macho Muchacho

Math Rock from Ecuador.  Fairly new as of last year. Couple solid tracks on the bandcamps. I sense a pretty amazing full length in future.


bandcamp