We Insist! - Oh! Things are so Corruptible

vocal centric alt. prog rock

 Obviously instrumentally proficient (not too mention highly interesting) This French group have some ripping vocals.  At times its hard to pick which one you'd rather pay attention to.  Really sounds like updated prog rock from the 70's juiced up and ready to go fight a group of punks. I cant shake the feeling that I'm listening to some kind of alternate universe Tool mixed with John Zorn. Songs mix up feelings so nothing ends up sounding stale at all. Use of horns is always appreciated as well :)

Edit: fucking nice to see some singing drummer action by the way

Oh! Things are so Corruptible

Ui - Answers (2003)

 Post funk jazz rock

 This group owes much to artists such as Tortoise and the 90's new post-jazz crew. However Ui internalizes those feelings and comes out a fun funky post rock beast. Nothing too cerebral going on here, just relax and have a good time. A few songs even push you to DANCE! and when was the last time you could say that about your post rock?




ANSWERS

We Versus The Shark - Ruin Everything!

 Alternative math-pop rock

 Previously Athens Georgia's math rock misfits, this group has a nice blending of styles going on. Vocals are sung or shouted almost at random with some nice male/female back and forth. Instrumentation is where things come together for me though. The guitars can get mathy but prefer to use chunky 90's inspired riffage to get their point across. Drums are a true treat and very rarely in any of the songs fail to impress. Also of note do not be discouraged by the production...I agree not the greatest but certainly not where it effects the songs. CH CH CH CH CHECK IT!




Ruin Everything!

Them Roaring Twenties - Future Sandwich

Chicago jazz math rock

Rarely will you find a math rock group that is intentionally trying to be funny not just in their song titles but also in their music. Featuring massively auto-tuned vocals used sparingly and lyrics that some would consider "off-color" at times I can honestly say this is a one of a kind group. If the instrumentation wasn't so crazy tight it would be a mess. Most times one guitar seems to be doing something jazzy while the other almost seems to be doing its best to trip up the other guitar. Doesn't sound like it should work but it works in spades. Sadly not together anymore.

Future Sandwich

Monster Machismo - Aye Aye Porcupine (2010)

 Pop Math Rock

This sadly defunct Math Rock group by way of Oneonta NY in their short span left a fairly large mark. What is unique about this group is that they blend the stylings of highly tech. musicianship with pop hooks. They can be ridiculously fast traversing through time signatures and equally capable of slower more chilled out passages as well.  Vocals are spread out very nicely and lyrics can be a little odd but surprisingly memorable. These guys toured with and are friends with one of my favorite groups in the area Zona Mexicana. Machismo have currently split into two groups, Cattle Drums and Dan Drake Ensemble.

Aye Aye Porcupine

Behold...the Arctopus - Nano-Nucleonic Cyborg Summoning/ Skullgrid

 Progressive Tech. Metal

All three of these gentlemen should get some sort of award for song composition. Seriously twisted passages that give way to even more sick metal riffs. Probably not for everyone but hey what really is? This band can get melodic at times or down right shred-tastic (which they more than frequently do) Oh yes and that massively behemoth guitar that Colin Marston is playing is called a Warr Guitar. It is a 15-17 stringed instrument covering both electric and bass guitar. The guitar features an extremely low action for better tapping capabilities. Any fan of technical music or metal in general should at least take a gander.

Nano-Nucleonic Cyborg Summoning

Skullgrid

Cheval de Frise - Fresques Sur Les Parois Secrètes Du Crâne (2003)

 

 French acoustic Math-rock

With a Two piece, Cheval de Frise gain a greater ability to compose tighter and faster compositions. While seeming at times to be improv based, this is anything but. Time signatures are changed on a dime with almost razor precision. Thomas Bonvalet's acoustic guitar playing is highly influenced by a flamenco style.  It is a very unique take on what can at times be a genre filled with copy cats. If this doesn't sound incredibly melodic from my description you are very wrong. One of my all time favorites.

Fresques Sur Les Parois Secrètes Du Crâne

Three Trapped Tigers

UK Electronic Instrumental Math-Rock

Even the above is a poor categorization. This is instant joy out of the gates. Extremely calculated rock music. These three are all over the place and do it all so seamlessly. A noise rock passage morphs into an ambient piano part and into full on lock step math. Let me just say also that those drums and keyboard are flipping N A S T Y as all get out. I'm sensing a pattern :)

EP 1

EP 2

Bad Dudes

Electro-punk math rock?

Having an ex and current member of mega sick prog demons Upsilon Acrux automatically makes your band that much cooler.

It helps that they are actually amazing. Songs are varied but always fun and it never gets too noodly. Great vocals going on.

Lastly current Upsilon Acrux member Phil Cobb on the keyboards is a dangerous man to mess with.

Bad Dudes - Eat Drugs

A. Armada - Anam Cara (2008)

 Equal parts Maserati and Cinemechanica

Explosive Athens GA instrumental post-rock

"The Dam was Split but the City was Saved"

is possibly in the top 10 of greatest post-rock songs ever. 

You can clearly hear both bands at work with some excellent math elements. 

TASTE!

A. Armada - Anam Cara (2008)

You Slut! - Critical Meat (2008)

 

(UK) Alt. Math Rock

This is some seriously fun instrumental math rock. Its a grower however and I wasn't sure what the deal was.Eventually the riffs tend to stick in your head. Ever had a friend that had trouble staying on topic? well he plays guitar in this band.

Critical Meat

Knot Feeder - Light Flares (2009)

Ex member of Don Cab Mike Banfield and Ex Tabula Rasa members this is straight up Pittsburgh Math rock with that classic 90's feel.  It is a strong release but there isn't much musical push behind it. Turn it on and rock.



light flares

Facing New York

"If you don't know, now you know"   B I G

There are a few times I will arrive so massively late to a party that I feel like a moron, this is one of those times. This is rock firing on all cylinders. Gorgeous vocal melodies and guitars that cut your throat one moment or cradle your skull to the ground in an instant. My body has currently forced me to listen to this groups entire discography. enough said.

Oh and one more thing I love about this band. THOSE KEYBOARDS! flipping colossal.

Oh fuck and the DRUMS!



(Live, with Gav Castleton on keys. Ricky Reed is front and center on guitar/ lead vocal)
Facing New York

The Joggers - With a Cape and a Cane / Solid Guild

 Angular 90's garage rock with alternate tunings.  Owing much to pioneers and masters alike such as Archers of Loaf and especially Polvo, even still this Portland Oregon group most assuredly make songs that could only come from them. The best songs honestly have that sort of high energy missing occationally from other bands who use alternate tunings. Solid Guild their first full length really busts out the vocal harmonies in such a way that even the most hardened skeptic would be impressed. With a Cape and a Cane the group really break out furthering the guitar into middle eastern territory while also dialing up the speed when needed. All in all this is garage rock that has been twisted into some kind of jagged odd sounding beast. Its more than worth checking out and has remained a staple in my listening for years.   


 With a Cape and a Cane

Solid Guild

Six Gallery - Breakthroughs in Modern Art (2010)

Apparently this album was always in the cards for Ohio's own Six Gallery. A very needed marriage of tap happy guitars, solid rhythm section and emotive style vocals. Their first demo showed a promising band that was just missing a key ingredient, vocals. While on paper this all sounds very run of the mill I can safely say that this was one of the more self-assured releases of 2010. Unfortunately with the departure of their newly acquired vocalist the band is currently in a state of non-existence.

Zefs Chasing Cara - Kneel and you will Lose (2010)

 This clearly shows the focus of one man. Starting out much like its amazing precursor ep (I'm Gowing) this is some sprightly math rock that showcases a true ear for a riff and off color drum lick. But its in the differences that pushes "Kneel and you will Lose" heads over its older brother. The first two songs indeed crib pages out of "I'm Gowing" however electronic and sparse vocals begin shifting into place and a lovely mix of post-rock electronic math is whats is left for the better part of the EP. As always the lo-fi drums are charming and interesting and the guitar remains the showcase. From what I understand he was or is a member of a UK math rock band but the name escapes me. This is unimportant as it is one among my favorite release of this year, dig in.

Kneel and you will Lose

Piglet - Lava Land

In math rock circles Piglets only release "Lava Land" is considered a modern classic. Written about in as many blogs as you could think of it has totally exhausted any insightful added commentary on the currently split up group. no lyrics, no loops and three members might not sound like much but its these minimal elements that make it more special than their myriad contemporaries. Structurally you would be hard pressed to find better with a command of dynamics of any of the new ilk getting passed off as complex math rock. Which seems to be the problem in todays current climate, there always seems to be an element missing. Throughout Lava Land each member is constantly at war with one another for space within the song yet with a cohesion that creates a striking juxtapose. As a hint to their surprising influence our new vanguard of math groups name check Piglet right along side the greats (Don Cab, Volta Do Mar, Pele.....ect.) If you've never heard then please see what the fuss is about.


Piglet - Lava Land

Sajjanu - Pechiku

Already seasoned veterans of the Japanese progressive scene in other groups, Sajjanu carries on ideas and styles frequented by their geographical brethren Ruins.  My previous post on Nuito as well shares many similarities although Nuito are certainly the more grounded rock band if you can even say that.  This is classification wise spazzed out complex jazz-math. An interesting component here is no lead instrument being focused on which makes it that much easier for the songs to breath and shift. This is a sound of a band that is having fun while simultaneously charting time changes and abrupt pauses. Most technical groups are a heavy handed sort and strive for some sort of emotional charge that never comes.  You can tell by the chords chosen that the band is fully aware of this aspect, playful but not twinkly. Songs can run into one another and you cant exactly hold onto a riff without it being torn out from under you. After its over your left impressed yet without an exact memory of parts. This however is never the point of such ventures.
   


PECHIKU!

Laddio Bolocko - The Life and Times of Laddio Bolocko

    Close in sound to groups such as "This Heat" Laddio Bolocko have a more rock forward approach to song structure...at times while in the same instant owing much to past free-jazz heroes. Its truly hard to say from song to song what face these guys put on but they do it all well. This is experimental noise rock if you had to peg it to one area in particular but they do shine in slower outings and drone as well. Math elements poke their head from time to time but mostly in the drumming. It makes sense seeing as Blake Flemming was from Dazzling Killmen (an early math-rock band) he even spent time in Mars Volta.
    This group in my opinion has had a large impact on the experimental rock of our current day. With members from influential bands and also went on from this to form other amazing groups.  Members went on to play in Psychic Paramount and Electric Turn to Me.
     Highly recommended to anyone that claims to enjoy left field rock music.While they are gone I would say after enjoying their collected works here you turn to Psychic Paramount as they remain close to the same style and are an excellent band in their own right. Enjoy.


The Life and Times of Laddio Bolocko

Intronaut - Valley of Smoke (2010)

 If anyone has been following this group they would know that with each album they have improved by leaps and bounds, Valley of Smoke is no exception. This California Prog-metal/ Jazz/Alt/Awesome runs the gamut of metal styles making it all seem so seamless in the process. Songwriting has gotten tighter as well as the drums somehow getting much more complex. What I would have liked to have heard more of was the commanding bass lines that they used on their last excellent release, Prehistoricisms . Other than this small gripe I can honestly say that this (for me) will be one of the top metal releases of the year.





Intronaut - Valley of Smoke (2010)