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

Syndicate Fest 2013! and Guillemet

A few points of interest for you Canadian kitties and/or folks willing to make the drive (it'd be well worth it) Syndicate Fest (Toronto) is this Saturday and theres a massive amount of talented artists playing. The great horned owl that is Mouth to Mouth to Mouth will be there as well as Gulfer, Tiny Moving Parts, Bullet Proof Tiger, Oshwa, Junior Bob, Noxious Foxes..are few groups playing..you get the idea...the sweetness.

But but but! Our next group on deck for the checking of the out is Guillemet from Chicago that bring out a relentless hardcore punk deaths head with the structural integrity of time shifting doctor who. Mathy without the noodles. It seems as though member wise this is the voltron uniting work of two groups namely Para-medics and Options. Whom you should be versed in at this point and if not well then
you've got some work to do.

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.