Zeus! - Opera (2013)

The wait is over.

This has been on my anticipated list for awhile now and I must say "worth it" all the way. 

For those that are not familiar Zeus! is an Italian two piece that follows no guiding star. Math rock rhythms snuggle up to industrial hardcore sized riffs and screaming. But it'd be too easy to end it there but there are a lot of progressive rock elements scattered about as well. Some brutal stuff to be sure and maybe not everyones tea. Give it a shot there are some wonderful moments in this full length. Two pieces usually scare me off but these guys have locked it down so hard you can not deny their power.

opera (2013)

Vasquez - EP426 (2013)

O Man

New Vasquez ep

Is it good?

Is that even a real question?

Did they somehow get super fucking groovy as shit? jesus christmas

This is quality monster sized math rock going on. If your not familiar maybe think Adebisi Shank after seven red bulls? Just incredibly pleasing. Easily their best release yet so dont wait on this pup. 

2/10 Edit: Ok so Goblin called me out yesterday and the Adebisi Shank comparison isn't as apt as say one to a more rock centric three trapped tigers. forgive and forget.

vasquez

Hit Home - Happily Ever ... (2013)

New (ish) Boston three piece Hit Home are a double dragon of combined forces. Van Gogh Sky member Mateo Garcia and Civil member Angelo Gambatesa along with drummer Corey Best. Sorry Corey, I'm unsure what other group(s) you may be from. If your an avid Sword fellower I did write up Civil last year (wink wink nudge) I like that this certainly splits the difference between those two groups. High energy yet able to switch to some slow emotional stuff. Its also worth mentioning there are some really quality instrumental arrangements going down. Kinda a bit of an emo vibe as well? but certainly math rock focused. Wish this was LONGER but alas an EP is an EP and for now we must be happy with what we are given. Great stuff stuff going on, check it. 

Hit Home

Xavii - Our Recent Futures (2012)

The amount of groups I have yet to post from 2012 is a little maddening...

ANYWAY

 

Xavii are a Georgia based group that amass a healthy stable of influences into 

one that they fully own. Slight jazzy prog with tender interweaving math guitars. More than capable vocals help round out the equation as well. This however is not a snore bomb by any means 

and they frequently loosen their belts to exercise some 

very interesting stops and starts. 

As always I wouldn't steer you fine folks and folkettes wrong, this is quality biz.

xavii

Picnics - See you in Sherwood (2012)

Beautiful dual acoustic folk that flirts with math style rhythms. Picnics is the kind of music that you can really get lost in. Really not much else to say other than if it sounds like your bag then hit it. Quality musics.
See you in sherwood_-_.Bandcamp_

Lydia's Sleep - Wires (2012)

Whoa....

 I was just ejected from my current seated position. 

By whom you may ask? 

Lydia's Sleep.

 

Now this is isn't a wholly math rock affair but that certainly should not detract from the proceedings. 

Alternative Math with post hardcore lite leanings and a dash of post rock. This is just incredibly well thought out structurally as well. So when these cats from Portugal make a turn its on a razor dime smacking your face. End result? an auto fist pump (tm.) Do I usually get all gushy about production values? mai non. However you could really make the case here though, crystal clear and punchy as all get out. Vocals are also really excellent too for something this instrumentally rich.

Much more people should be losing their minds listening to this....

I REPEAT. THIS IS A MUST LISTEN.

Wires

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)

ONES2WATCH - DETTA

 

EDIT: EP is out ladies and gents!

 Into the Green-Gold Morning

San Diego Three piece math rock unit DETTA just dropped a seriously delicious track. A sound that is similiar in flavor to a more rock centric sleeping people you can only imagine how good that would sound....yea its actually really good. keep an eye open for these cats, I can only sense goodness in their and our futures.

DETTA

Shanghai Sally - Motive Kamatsu (2011)

SOMETHING DIFFERENT! THANK YOU. 

It is a wonderful thing to see so much math rock in the air these days but it makes it that much harder

to truly unearth the ones that "have something special" or are "trying to push the genre"..I digress. Shanghai Sally here take an interesting angle that could easily turn into a dark situation. Progressive rock core with math rock rhythms and ....wait for it....jam band style solo's. Sounds like a recipe for bad times BUT this four piece clearly know what they are doing. Impressive instrumental gymnastics aside these guys are a lot of fun. The solo's themselves also don't feel tacked on and if at any moment they are grating on you the rhythm section is freaking the flack out with some inhuman groove. Trust is a beautiful thing so click below and show them some love. 

shanghaisally

dedleaves (2012)

There's something incredibly charming about this 4 piece instrumental group from Baltimore...I dont know if I have hit on it just yet but I am really enjoying this first effort. I wouldn't classify this as math rock but there is plenty of rhythmic complexity for any mathnick to nod in satisfaction. Something that is missing from a good amount of progressive group's such as dedleaves is ATMOSPHERE. These guys have zero problem with that aspect and maybe thats what I can appreciate the most that makes them so special. Each song is structured interestingly as well moving seamlessly into new passages. Which pretty much brings us into the very clear post-rock end of this music.  Incredibly solid album. no duds. Grab this up. Loving it

dedleaves

Tommy Boys

 Tommy boys 

bring a surprisingly well crafted song into existence. Instrumental High flying math rock guitars never rest on their laurels constantly shifting to bigger and better ideas.  Need more please

Dispo / Barberos - You vs Us / Us vs You

An interestingly paired split here that does share some similarities. Dispo's portion is more math rock bent but still has some electronic elements in common with Barberos. A harder pop sense also runs through their three songs, in fact I find it hard even to say "pop" really. Excellent rhythmic sense and pretty inventive vocal use. Would love to hear a full length for sure from these Italians. 

Barberos, as said before, is the more electronic minded end but still brings in some interesting rhythms as well. The last song is a bit long....which I dont normally gripe about but it loses the quick pace of the ep. I would have to hear at least one more song to grab a full opinion but UK based Barberos do hold their own very well. 

split

Dear Mister Manager - Siegried Vs. the Giant (2012)

If memory serves me one of our swords bloggers played with these guys at some point? not math rock btw but in that progressive rock mind set. Very enjoyable post-hardcore progressive mix from Seattle with nice vocals. Occasionally they get a bit technical but I'd say the hallmark of whats going on here is the song structures. Chckit. 

dear mister manager

P.O.S.- We Don't Even Live Here (2012)

Yo ya'll. It has been a hot minute since I did a Ninko post up in here; mostly that is due to the overwhelming amount of amazing math coming from all of our various contributors, and although this is a pretty direct destination for your math rock needs, I feel like spreading a little astray goodness up in these parts.

P.O.S. has just recently caught my attention, as I have read a few "top 20 albums" lists that have cited his 4th release, We Dont Even Live Here, as one of the best of the year. Before these year-end lists, I had seen glowing reviews of this album, but had only until recently checked the singles instead of the whole.

New Years Eve, I was about to head out on a 20 minute drive to a party and wanted some new music for the ride, so I found my way to this album, and I have not stop listening to it since. It meets all my criteria for good hiphop: it is well written, well produced, and smooth as hell. It starts off aggressively with a one-two combo of swaggering intimidation in opening tracks Bumper and its excellent follow up and single, Fuck Your Stuff, but then in comes How We Land, which is what really caught my attention. It reminded me of a combination of Brendan from Gruvis Malt singing over some Outkast rhymes and production. Its full of hooks, great flows, and a very well placed vocal breakdown featuring some dude you might know from Some Band. Check it here:



Do check it. Further listening leads to the other single from the album, Get Down, as well as his 2001 debut in the group Cenospecies: their self titled is Here.

we dont even live here

(PART 2) Plenty of Swords - Return of the Mix (PART 2)

Welcome to the second installment of the POS mix. Please keep in mind both of these have been placed in a specific order and (should) flow. The tracks used are not meant as a "Best of!" or some such but just songs I have been enjoying. 

Plenty of Swords Mix: Part the Second:

 

1. Rooftops - Astray Life

2. A.M Overcast - Snow Punks

3. Yeah Great Fine - Rise With the Sun

4. Arcing - Life Full of Fuck It

5. Bastro - Counterrev Bhutan

6. We Versus the Shark - Ten Uh Clock Heart Uh Tack

7. Who's Your Favorite Sun God? - Wizard Certificate 

8. X-Ray Press - On Breathing Water

9. Instrumental Quarter - Robots

10. Agent Fresco - Eyes of a Cloud Catcher

11. Grown Ups - Open Sesame 

12. Mister Metaphor - The Observer 

13. Friendly Bears - Light

14. Honey for Petzi - Trust the Square

15. Tera Melos - Magical 

16. Mock Orange - Break Lights On

17. Knot Feeder - Caress the Industry

18. Itto - Gift Horse

19. Dysrhythmia - Bus Terminal

20. The Cancer Conspiracy - Loft Complication

21. Bad Dudes - Human Shield

22. Aucan - Rooko

23. Battles - Snare Hanger

24. Cinemechanica - North Dakota

25. Capillary Action - Elevator Fuck

 26. Cheval de Frise - II

27. Sleeping People - People Staying Awake

link in comments. peace.

Plenty of Swords Presents....a mix...

Happy New Year Swordsmen! (and Swordswomen)

I have been cooking up a little mix over my few days off from work and ugh....its not really so little. But thats not a bad thing! Theres two parts and this is just the first so stay tuned for more.

(POS) Mix #1:

1. PostMadonna - The Universe Begins Part 1

2. NGOD - Bait Head

3. Cats and Cats and Cats - Anchoress

4. Tenebre - Libelle

5. The Prophet Nathan - Chinese Meridians

6. Alta - Winter/Mute

7. Stage Kid(s) - Crowd Pleaser

8. Them, Roaring Twenties - Labia Arabia

9. Shiner - Play Dead

10. Rumah Sakit - Careful With That Fax Machine

11. Zefs Chasing Cara - I.Erkan Urkan

12. Penpal - Octopus

13. Colossal - Short Speech 

14. Ahleuchatistas - Lighted Stairs

15. Know Think - Aeroplanes

16. Of The Swaing Sort - Falls Fully In

17. The Plastic Constellations - Davico

18. Ebu Gogo - Mantresses (Those Buildings Are Watching You)

19. Concentric - Monument 

20. Enemies - Bits of Parrot

21. Chinook - Jencon

22. From Fiction - Terry

23. Malegoat - Ignore

24. Brontide - Arioso

25. North of America - Wet to Dance 

26. Colditz Glider - Who Blew Up the Brill Building

27. Damiera - Unison

28. Monster Machismo - Time Portal Fiasco 

29. Pennines - Open Closed Open

hit comments for download

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.

Dore Mear Beon - EP (2012)

Sooo Dore Mear Beon were a part of a previous post of mine (submission hold round up)

I had some generally good impressions of Andrew Sagriff's first solo effort (curiously replaced by this ep) and it looks like he has a brand new joint out. Gotta say kitties this is a much more focused sound. Still my one gripe would be the programmed drums....gotta say it doesn't hurt the songs but with some live drums it would give this a serious shot in the arm. The guitars themselves are pretty inspired and theres some great moments with the interplay between the two leads. I think a lot of people will end up really enjoying Andrew's take on math rock.

doremearbeon

Zefs Chasing Cara - Muscle Peel / Pit Keeper

ZEFS CHASING CARA!

Ok so this isn't "NEW" Zef's that has been in the works for a bit but its some older stuff our ears haven't had the pleasure of meeting yet. In conclusion I am happy with this as any and all from this wonderful one man machine I need...and by extension you need. Unfamiliar? Thats a borderline deal breaker so get in the good graces and relive the magic or some such. Did i mention both these songs are the tits?

ZCC

Barky

As I have stated before its easier now more than ever to find math rock centered info on the interwebs. Quality? well theres not a lot but when I do come across something ( cough cough New Noise Archives cough cough) I like to give props where do. The sub reddit Calculus and Whatnot is a great resource. It is frequented by good knowledgeable contributors and math bands alike.

 Learn and Love it.  

     It is here that I happened across this very excellent three piece. Barky, a NY based avant instrumental jazz rock group. It is the main vehicle for song writer Scott Barkan. While his own work is unassumingly un math this power trio oozes with complex rhythms, brilliant stuff.  Everyone here will enjoy.

Barky