Unicorn Harvest - Alan's Tutorials (2013)

Hey guys I am back to posting our regularly scheduled awesome math and not my constant gushing of all the sweet math rock I've seen in the last week :) However a large thank you has to be made to Ithaca Underground for setting up some killer shows as of late.
_____________________________________

Unicorn Harvest are a math rock duo that are former Ithaca fella's as well but now find themselves in NYC. Its hard to listen to these cats without getting smacked in the face with the Tera Melos love but honestly thats one of the things I enjoy most about them. They've got that under lying pop sensibility with the muffled vox and some pretty hook riddled ax handling.  Compositionally it all flows incredibly well with some not too over the top drumming. Really been enjoying this the last couple days and I'm sure most of you peeps will too.

Boyfrndz - Boyfrndz EP (2011)

Boyfrndz are a 3-piece out of Austin, TX who put out this excellent EP produced by Ikey Owens (formerly of the Mars Volta). Reminds me a bit of new Tera Melos with better singing (sorry Nick), these 5 tracks beckon repeated listens. Actually the vocals remind me a bit of another Austin band called White Denim (one of my favorites). But that is not to undermine the tight instrumental chops (particularly the drums). I believe they have a full length coming out soon which I'm very much looking forward to. Free download from their bandcamp, chhhheck it out.

DOWNLOAD

Bygones - by- (2009)

Both Nick Reinhart  (guitarist of Tera Melos) and Zach Hill (drummer of Hella) are at the top of the mathy heap when it comes to their respective instruments. It was really only natural when the two decided to start playing together and we are graced with this excellent release. What is refreshing is that both musicians have adapted to each others playing style in such a way that brings out the best in both players. Zach's detractors have always pointed out "pointless and endless" fills but with Bygones he really reigns it in nicely while style managing a chaotic and inventive presence on the kit. Nick plays with a very riff based style which actually turned out to be an evolution of his style and carried over directly to Tera Melos's newest release Patagonian Rats. Its a great album with lots of chemistry between the two players.  The pop vocalizing makes some of the more labyrinthine passages more palatable and just adds a great element in its own right.

By (2009)

Tera Melos

Math Rock

Or as Nick Reinhart (guitarist) describes it as "bands that like Fugazi". I honestly could never hope to say enough about this group. They remain a constant favorite of mine not because of chops, emotion or anything like that but because of their evolution as a group over time. Most Math groups are content to rest on notions that we all know and love that have been paved through by father Don Cab. Not so at all with Tera Melos.
    With four major releases under their belt it isn't hard to see why they are all so loved. Spazzy Jazz core with ambient bits thrown in with electronic portions. Yet at the end of the day this band can crush you with guitars. I saw these gents play last year and actually got to spend a long time speaking with them as they were staying at a friends. What I gleaned from all three of them was a restless nature of moving on to the next best thing. When it comes to art in music this is the key to the golden city for me.

Self-titled - First full length. A very tight outing with memorable riffs. All 4 original members were a part of this release. The most "conventional" of all their albums but certainly turned heads when it dropped.

Drugs to the Dear Youth EP- Minus guitartist Jeff Worms. This is a wholly different group. Where riffs were titanic they are now manic and abrasive. Space is given to the songs yet the harder parts are that much harder. Vince Rogers drumming has become more free jazz in nature and all the better for it. EXCELLENT

Complex Full of Phantoms - Another EP this time split with another math group "By the End of Tonight" This is a compounding of both previous releases together into a glorious cohesive mess. Also vocals make their shy appearance. This is a stand out among their releases and many feel their strongest. Everyone is firing on all cylinders.

Patagonian Rats Minus Vince Rogers. For me (and many) this was a large blow for the group. Nick had been expressing his love of pop music around this time and it seems to me this was his stab at using these elements. Some good songs but just not as strong as we are used to.

Nuito - Unutella (2008)

 Instrumental 3 piece Japanese Math Rock. tapping, blasting, explosions, noise, breaks, time changes, quick. There is just so much here really. In any one song you could stretch to write 30 songs. Do you have musical ADD like me? well this is your cure. Ideas come fast and never stick around long enough for you to grab on and yet slower passages do abound. This is the sound of a band completely letting loose and having fun. The closest comparisons would be "complex full of phantoms" era Tera Melos but after they pounded 12 red bulls. Cant say enough for those of you that are into this kind of thing. Just incredibly well structured and played with surprises around every corner. yum.

 
Nuito - Unutella (2008)