Vasudeva - Life in Cycles (2013)

Over due posting time for New Jersey based group Vasudeva (My apologies guys). My hope is that most of you will scoff at this post as you are already knowledgeable about these busy body post rocksters. Their previous EP has been a favorite of mine since its release in aught 11. Life in Cycles finds the group with a more determined laser focus on atmosphere and a bit longer structures. The success here lies in all of its distinct parts firing on high levels. Both guitarists share a role in the proceedings with an almost lead guitar and rhythm vibe albeit neither seems stuck in one for too long. Bass fleshes out this business with chocolate milk chords that roll over the landscape and help build that above mentioned atmosphere. Drummer Derek? well its clear this cat is trained...possibly even at a classical level. His play style is effortless and technical without reaching down your throat. More so however is the drum licks are memorable and always fitting to the proceedings. It was a pleasure to catch them live fairly recently and beyond being really chill guys they bring the heat live. Honest to christmas when they ripped into "Back to the Feeding Ground" first song I thought someone punched me in the face (an awesome punch in the face) Their set is meticulous and sounds like much time has been put in with not just song writing but performance sound. Get up and get into this guygals.

VASUDEVA

Our Daily Fix - Tour Singles (2013)

Last Time on Swords o Plenty....

Once you have stood in a crowded room full of your peers in various stages of undress pouring sweat and genuinely being hypnotized by the shear brilliance in front of you....there is no way you can be "on the fence"  I am a soldier ready to do battle for them. Our Daily Fix is my perfect example of this. These guys play like the factory is about to blow at any second....seriously. It's a very organic and honest look at modern math rock today. Sure they salt and pepper with various other genre's but its the tight corners they take and the memorable structures that grant character and heart to their music.  Also to quell any doubting Thomas's that saxophone rips hard.  Sometimes its like a friendly battle between the sax and guitar for awesome riff supremacy. Need an example? Listen to "Two Cats" and check out that dueling riff work at 1:24 straight to the heavens.  You can be sure ill be seeing these gents again in about a week so expect more overly excited screaming from me. 

We Scare Coyotes - PF Flyers (DEMO)

They must know my math rock weakness!? 

Strings in math 

its all over.

ok ok ok 

Think a little old school mercury program with violin. But yes incredibly well structured post rock by way of mathy goodness. We Scare Coyotes are a five piece by way of Texas. What I am impressed the most with though is that we have:

1. A Demo

and 

2. A LIVE Demo

and its just so good. Thankfully the violin isn't content to just sit back and solo but takes various rolls throughout a song. 

Enough talking and reading. Go listen. 

http://wescarecoyotes.bandcamp.com/

Mouth to Mouth to Mouth - Hey These Aren't My Glasses! (Live)

Yes....we have enjoyed these gents twice previously (2/LIVE/RMX)  &  (EP)   

Its a true pleasure to be able to watch this group progress. Not a brand spanker but the ones that are "Dank Hill" , "Bardzo Dobze" " and  "Our Siberian Traps" well lets just say the bar has been raised. 

Memorable guitar melodies abound as well as some pretty technical time changes. 

If you have yet to scope these guys out your seriously missing out on some

 well thought out math rock with a lot of heart. 

PS. Do yourself a favor and watch the video of Dank Hill. Then prepare to watch it twelve more times after. At least thats what I did.

Hey These Aren't My Glasses! (Live)

Shield Your Eyes

London based Shield Your Eyes have been banging out incredibly solid noise for a couple years now.

They have been mentioned in passing on this site and our facebook group...but they most certainly deserve a more formal appreciation. A power trio in every sense of the word. Not your standard math rock either more of a prog-blues with time signature bending flirtations. Some pretty gal dern unique guitar riffs flying in and out of this as well  which I believe makes it that much more special. At times noisey and chaotic yet can move rather quickly to something much more subdued from song to song or within a song. 

Volume 4 is there 2011 release which is a great place to start with these guys

Live performance that is well recorded and downloadable for free....yes free. 

Also just as a question here... do people listen to podcasts? if we did one would anyone listen? The idea has been floating around to have a plenty of swords podcast but if it sounds like a bad idea...well let us know please.

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

Adebisi Shank - This is the Second Album of a Band Called Adebisi Shank (2010)

math........ RAAAAWK

Less focus on odd time signatures more worrying over face melting distortion rock. Never did I jump on the wagon for these guys until this second album. Its a more thoughtful outing altogether. The drums ground the group and the guitar revels in its pedal loving glory. From clean chunky math riff to balls to the wall of sound distortion. These guys are getting a large amount of praise for their live shows as well with a great amount of energy. Give it a shot

The is the Second Album of a Band Called Adebisi Shank