"It was a pleasure to burn"

Hi everyone....sorry ive been gone so long from this here beast ive birthed. I do however feel as though if I am to continue this I need more honesty with my musical observations. I will give a small run down of things ive been into, not into, and saddened....





Sietch Ramshackle  has been something of go to when it comes to my own personal ideas about acoustic guitar and how it should be handled. It's honest and has its heart firmly in its progressive shifts and restless nature. Few times can you listen to music and really hear that there is a human being literally pouring their soul into a piece of art instead of stringing notes together to try and rip a solo faster. Highly suggest anyone with a passing interest in music give this a listen. Random bandcamp searching sometimes unearth's true gems...

91%
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Guy Montag will not dazzle your face with guitar heroics. If your looking for a barn blazer you can camp with the tappers. This is handily crafted post rock with extra attention placed on the melody and song progression. An Irish 3 piece that is deserving of attention for sure. With a name sake such  that you can expect the fire doesnt go out easily. Each song brings to the table its own story and from my ears a soft spot for video game music.


80.5%
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Toasted Plastic's new album? Well let me start this by saying im the wrong person to ask. June high's was one of my top releases of last year...I listen to it probably once a week, no joke its incredible. This feels safe to me and certainly a calmer Toasted than we are used to. Where are my break neck speeds? Vocals are more thought out here and hold my variation for sure but the songs unfortunately dont hold the
same urgency as before. Dont get me wrong a solid release but im biased based on my love.

78.6%
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James T. Psychopath is the wild card, the elephant in the room...too big and too fucking weird to ignore. It's awful sometimes that we have to pull into our speach "Influences" and "genre tags" because shit James T. Psychopath isn't a cold fusion pioneer but by god they would probably tell you they don't give a flying fruit. Is it noisey? yes...but equal parts rhythmic.  Experimental! sure but also balancing a true love of Jazz structure and time shifts. So in a lot of ways we could throw in Prog or other things but this is just really brutal music with a lot of ideas being done so well it doesn't really matter what it is.

92,5%


o also a lot of people have been asking/requesting for Six Gallery's  first EP (instrumental) it's a titch hard to find for obvious reasons but share amongst yourselves Id rather people be introduced to these other great bands than a dead one so check the above stated groups first.

2013....a year in review...(PART 1)

Here is the first installment of my round up for the year. These are by no means an "ordered list of my favorite albums from 2013" like you will see elsewhere..... However these are releases that have had real staying power for me through the year. More to come soon.

Our Daily Fix - Tour Singles 
The fix is in... (North of America reference anyone?) but seriously ODF has a formula that should be the envy of any band going. High energy fun with loads of jazz love, great math twists and cohesive songwriting chops. does it help that their sax player rips? yes possibly. Tour Singles has been a go to for myself this year and after having seen them for the second time it has only made my feeling's all the more fond.
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Piles and Piles - Premonitions Say
Boston based Piles maybe a fresh faced group but that certainly didn't stop them from landing a 747 on the head of pin. By that I mean their first effort is absolutely brimming with great ideas executed well and doesn't dwell on any one for too long. I can easily see their next release being an even greater barn torcher because of this, mark my words. Also the under lying shoegaze element these gents pass around cloaks these already great songs with some pizazz. Add in some more than capable vocals and an ability to launch from gauzy to full bore rock at a moments notice and you've got a top contender for my heart in 2013.

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Toasted Plastic - June Highs
Jersey band number 2? better check the water. Toasted win the award for melding that punk rock sound/energy into impossibly delightful pop delights while still careening around the landscape like a drunken master. That would be enough for me but couple that with some insanely catchy vocals both sung and screamed and its a recipe for me loving the junk out of this release. Somehow sounding like a throwback to the golden years of math rock in the 90's while still smelling so fresh and so clean clean. A must on my list for bands to see in 2014.


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Gulfer - Transcendals
What can I say about Montreal's Gulfer that hasn't already been said by myself this year? An impossible understanding of rhythm displayed and juxtaposing that in their song writing. Everyone in this group is firing perfectly. Carrying the delicate melodies to music that realistically shouldn't sound this gorgeous is no easy feat. Oh? whats this? another member and a new song? and its somehow better?
yes, yes it is.
Get used to this name because 2014 will be the year of the Gulfer

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metaghostin' Vol. XVIII — Misunderstood Onomatopoeia

Misunderstood Onomatopoeia - 31'37"

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1. Tom, cruise the sea back to the Himalayas / See you in Sherwood / Picnic (2012)
2. Grim Collections / Kidcrash / Snacks (2010)
3. h / Kawri's Whisper / S/T EP (2012)
4. Or So He Sphinx / The Speed of Sound in Seawater / Underwater... (2011)
5. Desert Cathedral / The Root and the Basilisk / EFG (2013)
6. Patches / Hikes / Friends (2013)
7. The Thinking Man / The Jezebel Spirit / I Hate It Here (2011)
8. Looming / Toasted Plastic / June Highs (2013)

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—    It was a gruesome war, very graphic. None of that ambiguous bullshit like, “did he die, did he die?” “Dude fuckin’ died, man, didn’t you see his gaping headhole like a goddamn blood fountain? Brains all over the place; the dunes and temple walls; the clouds; the moon; the sun and stars; like fuckin’: ba-blow, kaplooey, splat, pish, no they fuckin’ didn’t!”—very masculine.

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.