Midnight Parade / Kitten - split (2011)

quick post of some pretty decent japanese post-hardcore emo mathy bizz.

Druk - Compostélion (2013)

Here's a promise for you, first five seconds of this and you'll be hooked.

Druk are an instrumental math rock band from Mexico.  Surprisingly a three piece for the amount of amazing noise these guys create. Lots of tight turns to be had here folks. Some honest to god hooky alt/post punk/metal tinged riffing from the the stellar guitar work. We can also talk the jazz/prog elements but theres no need to dissect any further as this will hit all of your pleasure centers. Seriously this one caught me on the jaw..wasn't at all prepared but I am loving every minute. Not to worry because these guys never stay in one place for two long. 

Something sounded cool 15 seconds ago? they bring it back 3 minutes later or mutate it a bit. 

Brilliance. Pure. Brilliance.

Highly Recommended

Brother Rutherford- Take Root (2013)

Sibling of no one, Brother Rutherford (also known as Ethan Johnstone, from Night Idea and Houdan the Mystic) just released an LP at the end of March. I do not know much about Brother Rutherford or if there are more albums or EPs by him, nor have I had time to check into his two bands, but I did not want to wait to share his music with everyone.

The music on Take Root is performed largely on acoustic guitar, bass, and drums, and Ethan produces some well written, dynamic songs with a relaxing, atmospheric vibe that still provides the musicianship and cohesion that demand your attention. His drums in particular provide the listener with a very strong sense of the intricate writing and performances that went into the album. I am excited that he shared his music with us, and my first listens to his other work have me raring to write up their own separate reviews.

HIMSELF - SELFLESS (2012)

Just posted a track off this on the Facebook page and decided it wasn't fair for everyone not to fully enjoy this wonderful noise. UK based alt rock math with spoken word sing songy vocals?? 

Honestly there have been some rumblings on these guys around the interwebs and have been a little surprised to not see more. The vocal style is a little ugh how should i say "gonzo"  while not being annoying and adds a nice bit of personality. Not horribly mathy but progressive never the less. these guys can bring the party down to a really tense chill level and raise up some heavy crushing riffs. Certainly to be checked out.

Blastronaut - EP I: We Were Once Cro​-​Magnon (2013)

Something must be going on in the water up north because we are seeing a huge influx of Canadian groups these days. Me likey. 

Any who this is a Toronto group that play a nice alternative bent instrumental math rock. Side elements are what set these guys apart however. There is this almost 90's sounding noise/metal element in the guitar aesthetic but on the whole there is a lot of interesting noodling for your brain to wrap around. The group description lists "improv" and I suppose in more of a live setting that would be more evident. If they mean theres some guitar solo's....hell yea theres a couple crammed in their and that certainly doesn't slow things down at all. The drums are always a "make it break it" affair for me so it comes as no shock within the first 12 seconds that everything is A-OK. They are just the right amount of complex without getting too heady.  Really enjoying this as you should be too.

Plini - Other Things (2012)

 

Plini is a solo project based out of Sydney, Australia. Plini offers to us an amazing three track EP, showcasing an amazingly atmospheric jazz fusion/post-rock/djent sound. The third track, Selenium Forest, while less jazz influenced, is still absolutely amazing (perhaps even the best track on the EP). If you are looking for something a little different (albeit excellent!), give this a shot. I promise you won't think twice about listening to it more than once.

Check 'em out on Facebook and Bandcamp.

Other Things

BRIAN! - BRIAN! I

It's rather lovely when you see a lot of hard work paying off for an individual and his group. BRIAN! is a group from Ithaca NY and play a lovely blend of genres.  At the heart of it all is a clear harkening to classic progressive rock and R.I.O groups. Close behind in the race is our favorite stand by math rock and some experimentation.  Its admirable that the left field throws don't get out of hand and stay pretty grounded for the most part. What is made even more interesting in this three piece is the inclusion of a bassoon player. Which to be honest is done incredibly well and lends an almost modern comp. bent to the whole affair.

When I first saw them play they were a much more experimental duo with just guitar and bassoon. They had a lot of great idea's to be sure but still had some thing's to figure out. The drums were the final key to fleshing out the song's and its obvious a lot of time was put in to making them click just right. Gotta say its a lot of fun and there really is something for everyone into this sort of biz. Can't say there is much going right now that is on this vibe..all the better. Wonderful

Plenty of Swords: Logo/Banner Contest

NEW LOGO/BANNER FOR PLENTY OF SWORDS

CONTEST

 *This is a new area that we are starting up so check back in regularly for 

different types of contests and promotions :)*

So it's pretty simple....we need to replace our banner with something new and exciting and we would like you (our readers) to create one for us.

GUIDLINES?
There are no guidelines for exactly what we are looking for but if you frequent the page and have seen our past and present logo's you already have a bit of a sense of the styles we enjoy.

END DATE?
  We will take submissions through the end of May.

PRIZES?
Yes there are. We are all throwing in various musical related items either from bands
we are in or from our personal collections. I know I myself will be putting up some legit vinyl
to give away among other things.

Please send your submission's via our email account:
plentyofswords(at)gmail.com