Toasted Plastic - June Highs (2013)

I do feel a bit bad about this because New Jersey's Toasted Plastic are a group that is talked about a fair amount between the staff here at Plenty of Swords. However no official post has come (insert sad face) Well this three piece is certainly more than deserving of the praise. A high energon mix of pop punk/ punk, math rock twists and turns and newer emo. There is a lot of complexity crammed in here and that would mean next to nothing if it wasn't coupled with a heaping helping of emotion. Thankfully thats demonstrated in spades especially with the vox. There's more than a little obvious attention payed to crafting some memorable melodies which is more than I can say for a lot of groups. This is the largest element that have kept me coming back to their newest album again and again. If you're looking for a contemporary comparison our very own "black clouds" stated that they remind him of early Sirs. I would have to agree a bit with that but so so so much more. This is one to listen to all the way through. Lots to love here.

Stockades - Demo (2012)

Stockades bring the Aussie calculations to the hearts and minds with this delicious demo. I don't remember demo's sounding this good...ever. Screamo style vox with some schizo tap a tap guitars under the influence of some math dance jam? Also theres a saxophone that pops up and makes the chill parts sound that much more jawsome. Problem only TWO SONGS! ok for now you get a pass stockades....for now.

Demo

Ittō - Ittō

This is massive.  This is punk. This is Ittō from Chicago. They play screamo

Screamo? yea like when you mix emo music and screaming. Hmm that doesnt sound much better. Rest assured however that this is not what you may be thinking. This is some technical hardcore punk with screamed/shouted vocals intermixed with some spoken word.  The starts and stops are very welcome to hear but you'd be a little hard pressed to claim this fully under the math rock banner. These songs are just completely unhinged rock music with a dynamic punk spirit. If anything that I just quickly typed out sounded even marginally interesting then I suggest you make a visit. Very Very Good.  


http://ittochicago.bandcamp.com/

Drummers - Self-Titled (2011)

With a name like "Drummers," you might expect a sound with more than one drummer, guitarists who play their instruments percussively, or some jaw-dropping stick work. Although none of this is evident on Drummers' debut LP, it is a pretty solid post-hardcore/post-punk/screamo/whateverthekidsarecallingitthesedays effort. Guitars jangle, crunch, and drive throughout, punctuated by rich screamo vocals. The production has an interesting gritty quality that works pretty well stylistically. Drummers are at their best playing catchy, rhythmically interesting music. Some of the deeper cuts are clunkers, but some uninspired chugging and failed experiments are to be expected with any fledgling band's debut. Looking forward to more from these guys.

Drummers' self-titled debut is available to download for free at their Bandcamp.

Sick Electric - Haywire (2008)

Lazer. Laundry. Buffalo. Accident.

In 2008, the four aforementioned members of Sick Electric released their magnum opus, Haywire. Clocking in at 16 tracks, the album is a math/surf/prog/metal epic about surfing, robots, headless lovers, some more surfing, zombies, the future, nuclear war, outer space, and the apocalypse. While thematically this album sounds like fodder for a MST3K episode, the band manages to pull everything together by employing tight, concise song structures while remaining outrageously mathy, aggressive, and intricate. Most reviewers have attacked the schizophrenic genre-bending action as a source of confusion, but for me the multitude of sounds has kept the album interesting listen after listen.



Post-Haywire, Sick Electric put out a straight-alt-rock LP in 2010 which tanked hard. Then they broke up. But Haywire remains an essential piece of experimental rock.

Sick Electric - Haywire

Kidcrash - Jokes (2007)

Throughout there life span Kidcrash has had the pleasure of morphing their sound slightly with each release. In the end though they are mostly categorized under the blanket term post-hardcore. Extremely energetic and technical with some nice shouting vocals. Mathy with sharp edges. They have many releases but this has to be the most solid in the end. Normally this kind of stuff is a little off putting but kidcrash manages to up the technicality and lower the dramatic wailings often attributed to screamo/emo.....or dare I mention the term "skramz" blah. By the way someone tell me since when it is ok  that everyone and there brother now gets to make up genre names and they suddenly become legit. Wizard-core? gimme a break

Also a thank you Ninko for tearing shit up lately on the swords. May the mother bird float down and bestow you with golden fruit snacks of love.

Jokes (2007)