Ithaca NY 7/10/13: MTMTM, Cameron Wisch, Perhaps, Our Daily Fix, Nicknames, Sovereignties

Ithaca NY 7/10/13:

Tour season has been in full swing for a bit now and it has been no exception for one of my favorite local bands (Mouth to Mouth to Mouth) that are currently on tour with Cameron Wisch as both their touring guitarist and as a solo act. 

Sadly I happened to miss most of Sovereignties set which happened to sound pretty killer walking into. Really wished I could have caught more of it as it seemed a pretty fair blend of spot on drums and mathy emo guitar. Nicknames (sans new bassist) did a highly energetic run through of their set which was a decent take on more classic 90's emo sounds with the very in scream/sing vox. 

Perhaps came on next and was certainly a group that I was excited to experience live. Their blend of psychedelic prog I knew would be perfect for an in your face performance.  An unimaginable amount of endurance must go into practices with these guys as it was about a 30 minute non stop straight assault to my brain. Extremely impressive as the lines between rehearsed portions and improv were blended seamlessly. In talking with the bassist after the show composition falls squarely on his shoulders and that was perfectly clear watching him play almost in a trance of bass runs.

Our Daily Fix next as always puts on an amazing show and it was great to hear the newer songs on their tour single again. What is great about these guys is the balance of that emo "skramz" sound and some highly technical jazz prog math. Not too mention any horns in a math rock band get automatic extra points. No band does it as good as ODF and they prove it each and every time I see them. Ending with "Two Cats" put a big old smile on my face for sure. Wonderful stuff. 

It was a bit hard to guess what Cameron Wisch was going to pull out for the night as he has seemed pretty focused on his modern comp pieces. Which for the most part is exactly what we were treated to albeit with pre-recorded strings (obviously) and guitar and vocals from Cameron. Doing things in that way is incredibly difficult but was pulled off with near flawless accuracy. It was a great change of pace for the show thus far slowing things down a bit. For the last two songs Cameron had stolen Gabe (MTMTM's) drummer for two songs that were more in the style of fast alt math that we are used to from him. With the short amount of time Gabe had to pull this off (as you could guess Mr. Wisch's drum parts are never straight forward) Gabe did a superb job.

Last but certainly not least was Mouth to Mouth to Mouth minus Corey (stuck in Chicago) plus Cameron Wisch on second guitar. With four practices under their belts together it was a disgustingly amazing performance and a show stealer in my opinion. These guys have synthesized a large amount of influences into an incredibly engaging blend of punk rock energy and technical prowess via the maths. Great emotional breakdowns and pleasing mid range tap fests all are mashed into a pie that is as fun to eat as it is to watch.  It may seem like I am playing favorites but they certainly should be getting some heavy cred with all the wokr they've been pouring in. Having just finished playing Rochester and Buffalo the boys are currently in Canada about to rip it up in Toronto and then Montreal:

7/13: Toronto (house show) w/ Junior Bob

7/14: Montreal at Casa del Popol w/ Golden Python, tba

7/15: Ithaca w/ GIRAFFES? GIRAFFES! // Goddard

Yes you see that correctly ill be back soon with another review after Monday's show with the boys in double G's. All is right in the world. 

metaghostin' Vol. XI - In Fidelity

In Fidelity - 43'07"

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1. Caçada / Chico Buarque / Quando o Carnaval Chegar (1972)
2. She's Too Much for my Mirror / Captain Beefheart / Trout Mask Replica (1970)
3. Emily Sagée's Secret / Giraffes? Giraffes! / More Skin With Milk-Mouth (2007)
4. Invention 1 / Vismal / Inventions (2004)
5. Double Bind / mouse on keys / An Anxious Object (2009)
6. Little Bird / Troop of Echoes / Days in Automation (2010)
7. Signals / The Appleseed Cast / Low Level Owl Vol. 1 (2001)
8. Colorado / Grizzly Bear / Yellow House (2006)
9. Life in the Hair-Salon-Themed Bar on the Island / Owls / Owls (2001)
10. New Grass / Talk Talk / Laughingstock (1991)

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Have you ever noticed that the phrase "beat around the bush" serves as an easily understood sexual entendre that as an act (masturbating in proximity to a hairy vagina)  happens to be something that could be construed as "beating around the bush"?

Linguists, please tell me there is a term for this phenomenon.

Giraffes? Giraffes! - Pink Magick (2011)

Its here, and its a ripper! The new album from Giraffes? Giraffes! is out - their first studio effort since 2007.

I've been eagerly awaiting this disc for a long time. G?G! is one of my favorite bands of all time. Their stuff is super complex and mathy, but the melodies are what really sets them apart. They're not super obvious - they have some depth which requires a few listens to really dig into.

They seemed to take this a step further with Pink Magick. They get a little noisier and more aggressive than previous releases. While at first there are no "hit singles" that really pop out at you, after a few listens the rich complexity and depth is really apparent.

G?G! have also taken a more aggressive approach to production, using overdubs, looping, effects, and EQ to their advantage. There are shouts and bells and whistles all over the record.

While this record may not contain any iconic individual works, it is more consistent than their previous releases. More notes are played, making this record more subtle, if that even makes sense!

Pink Magick is available on Bandcamp.

Giraffes? Girraffes! - More Skin With Milk-Mouth

These days the math-rock genre is brimming with young bands trying to claim their place among so many. Giraffes? Giraffes! is one such group.  A two piece that has a lot of technical skill and does not write themselves in a corner. Admirable, considering the amount of two man math groups trying their hand. What really sets them apart and really why I'm posting at all is actually one song on this release.

"A Quick One, While She’s Away"   the last song

It has just that right amount of melody and skill that pulls you in. The kicker however is that this song unlike the others transcends the music and pours forth with emotion. If these guys can some how bottle this bad boys energy and spread it around the sandwich, well youve got yourself a fucking nice little sandwich.

More Skin With Milk-Mouth