2/13 Cayuga Lodge Ithaca NY (LIVE SHOW) Elos Arma, Jr. Bob, Yakbak, Quirky Love Interest

Hey friends just a few words on this very excellent show I attended a few nights ago. Some extremely intriguing things for me for every single band on this bill....not to mention the snow storm..

Yakbak (math-punk) were up first and honestly after seeing them a few times now and with a new EP just released that morning, they are in my mind a force of sheer death (thats a positive).  Not to discount the able bass work but drummer Gabe and guitarist Mr. Pillardy (both from PoS favorite Mouth to Mouth to Mouth) have formed an unstoppable unit of rock that is as immediate and in your face as any punk band yet with the complexity of solving 40 rubik's cubes under water. I was blown away to say the least. (also swear to god there was a fall of troy esque post hardcore break down somewhere in there that almost stole my soul)

Quirky Love Interest (math rock) next up was a group that I've been anxious to see for awhile now and they did not disappoint in the least. Lots of variations for the style which is what I enjoy about them and certainly a heavy metal aspect that takes a back seat to a lot of the math elements but is surely informed.  Worth mentioning also it takes a bit for me to really enjoy double bass drumming but Mike tastefully sprinkles it around his kit work and its a solid win. High energy.

Oddly enough the two wild cards for me were a group I was pretty positive I wasnt all about Jr. Bob and one I wasn't familiar with Elos Arma. Boy did I form some new opinions. Both groups from Canada brought their A games. Both share drummers but couldn't be further from each other even being under the blanket of math. Junior are heavy jazz heads with some of the most intricate fret work on a guitar i've ever seen. Extremely tasteful yet dynamic playing just a straight pleasure to witness. Elos cant seem to completely make up their mind of exactly what their bringing to dinner. Math with twinkly indie rock and poppy vocals seems to be the best determination I could muster and its pretty joyous in person.

Really a wonderful night and surprising turn out for everyone in the Cayuga Lodge Catacombs

1/5/14 Ithaca NY (The Haunt) Moonstriker, The Changing Light, MTMTM, Yakbak, Alberto Alaska

Hey guys first great show of 2014 alert and its a doozie. Five groups that all run the range from math to punk to psych rock to post hardcore BUT all sharing the common ground of progressive flair. Sadly I can not make it out However that shouldn't stop anyone in the NY, PA or Jersey area's to pop in for this. Its at the always excellent Haunt as well too so plenty of room. click below to get a taste sensation of each group.

MoonStriker (PA) (prog space rock)

The Changing Light (PA) (prog psych post hardcore)

Alberto Alaska (NY) (alt post rock)


MTMTM (NY) (math rock)

Yakbak (NY) (math punkers)

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. 

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

Paper Mice - Paint it Pink (2009)

Chicago, a name that is notorious for post-rock also houses the ever energetic Paper Mice. A power trio in every sense of the word. This is tightly tidy twitchy post punk group with a healthy dallop of the Math Rock we crave on a daily basis. I use the word tidy above because these guys keeps things generally around the 2 minute mark or less. It's a great way to really condense everything down to the best of the rest. Twitchy? well they tend to stop on a dime (frequently), pick it up, chew it around in their mouth and spit out gold.  Vocals are also pretty prominent and only add an extra dimension to the otherwise bonkers punk experience. GREEEAAAT stuff gentleladymens. 

Can not forgot to mention that they will be playing along with Our Daily Fix and Mouth to Mouth to Mouth.  http://www.facebook.com/events/402437086473256/
If anyone is even considering coming out to Ithaca NY, I promise it will be a wonderous show

Not to mention.. DIONAEA is playing that Sunday!
http://www.facebook.com/events/325861787497140/

Should prove to be a lovely weekend :)

Paint it Pink

Mouth to Mouth to Mouth - 2/LIVE/RMX

When we last left MTMTM.... on The Plenty and the Swordsless!


Yes Ithaca NY's very own sons of the time change are back with their newest release (two brand spankers, a live track and remix's) Right out of the gate we are smacked upside the head with dizzying drums and guitars that are dangerously close to a miss step on the tight rope followed by a blissfully distored , all inclusive breakdown (re: AWESOME). It's these kinds of risks that I appreciate the most on these new songs. Where as in their first EP the argument of keeping the guns holstered could have been made they are fully drawn and taking head shots here. You come to really appreciate a math rock group that has both rhythm (drum, bass) and lead (guitars) at a point where neither are wrestling for the spotlight. It makes for that much better of a listen especially in a genre such as this. The occational vocal addition, notably in track two, are tastefully done and keep the intensity high. In my estimation a hopefully forthcoming full length will tie in their excellent balance of chaotic shuffling and lock step vocal specked math. The remix's all do a great job of creating a new song with flecks of the old but all in all I would handily trade three remix's for one more new track :) Really really pleased with this showing and seeing these four progress at this level. A must for any well rounded math head.


Edit: the remix's grow on you be warned

MTMTM

4/26 Hi Donna Here, Cattle Drums, Racebannon (live Ithaca NY, The Haunt)

     To say that I don't get out much to shows like I used to is a vast understatement so when I do it has to be something worthy of the scheduling shifting and lack of sleep it involves. Hi Donna Here was the only group I was unfamiliar with playing a rather short set of hard rock inspired instrumentals that were pretty easy going. Headliners Racebannon very much brought their A-game and showed us the many sides of their wierdo metal alt noise jams with Mike Anderson screaming like a crazed demon (thats a good thing)
     Now onto Cattle Drums (commence gushing) Last time I saw these guys they were a 5 piece and playing songs from their deput ep "the boykisser sessions" and while i was impressed they seemed to still be trying to find a foothold in something concrete. They currently play with one less member these days and gained a new drummer. The results of which has seemingly allowed guitarist Gulab Singh to unleash his inner guitar god and lay down some seriously inspired riffs. math-rock meets alt punk with some delightful finger picking as well. Lets of course not forget about Sam Judd (vocals) as the rock is being layed down behind him he easily careens through poetic ramblings that have just the right amount of emotion and word play with the screams.
     It should be noted as well that after their set  Sam and Gulab completely at random layed down a nasty instrument cover of Converges "Cutter" As shown in the picture above. If that sounds completely out of place it honest to god wasn't at all.  It's this kind of evolution and unpredictability that have me chomping at the bit for a full length...like yesterday.


Thanks to Bubba from Ithaca Underground for putting this on BTW :)

http://cattledrums.bandcamp.com/

http://hidonnahere.bandcamp.com/album/hi-donna-here-ep


http://www.myspace.com/racebannonrocks

Mouth to Mouth to Mouth - MTMTM EP

Wanted to take a second and highlight an excellent release from a group that is from Ithaca NY.  Mouth to Mouth to Mouth is relatively new on the scene. They have a very exciting blend of math rock that we at the swords know is king around here. Chock full of complex drums and sprightly guitars.  The addition of vocals is a very excellent touch for these guys and really adds an extra layer of depth.

Please if your in the area check these gents playing at the always fun Big Day In on May 7th presented by Ithaca Underground at the Haunt. There are tons of other awesome bands on the bill, do yourself a favor.


mouthtomouthtomouth

PS Sincerely L o v e  the handclaps boys. A quick and speedy way to my heart. (not to mention the breakdown after)