You guys are really bringing it hard this month. First with Fox Alive and now we have Ditch Tiger. This has the familiar feel of a lot of your favorite groups that play that earnest throwback emo with the great mathy guitars and angsty vocals. BUT — there always has to be a but — this comes at you like a tumbling boulder, way faster than any of those other namby pambies. (Is there such a thing as a "pamby" that isn't namby? - meta) Not too mention those drums are nothing to be joking around about either. The band fancies themselves "hardcore punk" and I suppose I could see in that spirit but beyond that not too much. Extremely cohesive stuff for sure and one that I'm sure will resonate with a lot of people. I know this album has very much captured my attention these days.
I have to say that I usually enjoy my lorises "slow", but after meeting this here Slender Loris my tune has changed. A three piece that employs speak/shout vox and some dirty punky guitars doesn't exactly smack of the math we love, but give this release a second and there is a lot to love, not too mention a couple twists. Jagged is the word I would use for these riffs for sure. In a lot of ways this reminds me of the fabulous No Means No and shoot, that's some high flying compliments. Early 90's vibes but not heavy to the point where I need a Crystal Pepsi. It took me a moment to grab hold of what these guys are doing, but thats my own fault truly and once you do I can promise that you'll be on board the ship.
Some mixed meter and shifting times from this solo electro post-hardcore math project — sounds interesting right? Well, that's prolly cause it is. This comes to us from Ireland and is actually a lot funkier than I would have guessed. Something a little different than the standard "r o c k" based biz I bring, so drink up.
You describe yourselves as "ambient jazz math rock from Idaho" and you have a wonderful female singer? I suppose my question to you is "WHERE ARE ALL OF THE OTHER SONGS I NEED TO LIVE?!" But seriously this is some incredibly well thought math rock with the vocal one two punch that'll have you reaching for that dern play button again and again. I will be waiting for new stuff from these guys (and gal) thats for sure.
Lately the cram-jamming of punk aesthetics with math rock structures seems to be a "thing" that is gaining steam. However not all cats sleep the same on the window sill and that's why it's refreshing to hear Illinois' very own Hank taking a different angle. Yes, the aggressive guitars (and vocals) are there for your fist-pumping delight, but there is a "fun" angle that I am always looking for in the mood and playing of this type of music. Let's also not forget that we stay for the twists and turns via the prog/math elements. Besides conveying fun, the second important component that I'm always looking for is an honesty in the composition. Both are vague concepts, I understand that, but they remain extremely important for me in describing why I enjoy a group. This is an incredibly strong and diverse first effort for Hank and it's telling seeing them talked about in more than a few other math-centric publications.
Philadelphia high energy mathy post rock — exactly how I need my post rock (i.e. not a high E string workout). This here is one track off of an upcoming full album and it is certainly busy and interesting enough for me to want more and by extension you too will be wanting more.
Tom, cruise the sea back to the Himalayas / See you in Sherwood / Picnic (2012)
Grim Collections / Kidcrash / Snacks (2010)
h / Kawri's Whisper / S/T EP (2012)
Or So He Sphinx / The Speed of Sound in Seawater / Underwater... (2011)
Desert Cathedral / The Root and the Basilisk / EFG (2013)
Patches / Hikes / Friends (2013)
The Thinking Man / The Jezebel Spirit / I Hate It Here (2011)
Looming / Toasted Plastic / June Highs (2013)
///
—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.
Whoosh badoosh forgive my absence, I have been in the middle of some very heavy family medical stuff. I am here to present you guys with a band that I actually just stumbled on not too long ago but have already very much been enjoying. atrabillions are an instrumental jazz prog-math three piece from Sydney Australia. What immediately caught my ears were the piano that finishes the drum and guitar triad....yep no bass. Which is fine and isn't lacking as the piano seems to at times fill that roll other times not. The surprising bit is this is just a three song demo for these cats and they already sound like incredibly polished works. If you peak their influences its actually a farily decent smashing of these groups. Take a more structural driven "Tangled Thoughts of Leaving" a side of "Mouse on the Keys" and a sprinkling of guitar business from Tera Melos..not much but just a smidge for flavor. It should be said that these guys are flying their own plane and that everyone here should get a great big kick out of this. Looking forward to hearing more.
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.
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.
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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.
Tour season has been in full swing for a bit now and it has been no exception for one of my favorite local bands (Mouth to Mouth to Mouth) that are currently on tour with Cameron Wisch as both their touring guitarist and as a solo act.
Sadly I happened to miss most of Sovereignties set which happened to sound pretty killer walking into. Really wished I could have caught more of it as it seemed a pretty fair blend of spot on drums and mathy emo guitar. Nicknames (sans new bassist) did a highly energetic run through of their set which was a decent take on more classic 90's emo sounds with the very in scream/sing vox.
Perhaps came on next and was certainly a group that I was excited to experience live. Their blend of psychedelic prog I knew would be perfect for an in your face performance. An unimaginable amount of endurance must go into practices with these guys as it was about a 30 minute non stop straight assault to my brain. Extremely impressive as the lines between rehearsed portions and improv were blended seamlessly. In talking with the bassist after the show composition falls squarely on his shoulders and that was perfectly clear watching him play almost in a trance of bass runs.
Our Daily Fix next as always puts on an amazing show and it was great to hear the newer songs on their tour single again. What is great about these guys is the balance of that emo "skramz" sound and some highly technical jazz prog math. Not too mention any horns in a math rock band get automatic extra points. No band does it as good as ODF and they prove it each and every time I see them. Ending with "Two Cats" put a big old smile on my face for sure. Wonderful stuff.
It was a bit hard to guess what Cameron Wisch was going to pull out for the night as he has seemed pretty focused on his modern comp pieces. Which for the most part is exactly what we were treated to albeit with pre-recorded strings (obviously) and guitar and vocals from Cameron. Doing things in that way is incredibly difficult but was pulled off with near flawless accuracy. It was a great change of pace for the show thus far slowing things down a bit. For the last two songs Cameron had stolen Gabe (MTMTM's) drummer for two songs that were more in the style of fast alt math that we are used to from him. With the short amount of time Gabe had to pull this off (as you could guess Mr. Wisch's drum parts are never straight forward) Gabe did a superb job.
Last but certainly not least was Mouth to Mouth to Mouth minus Corey (stuck in Chicago) plus Cameron Wisch on second guitar. With four practices under their belts together it was a disgustingly amazing performance and a show stealer in my opinion. These guys have synthesized a large amount of influences into an incredibly engaging blend of punk rock energy and technical prowess via the maths. Great emotional breakdowns and pleasing mid range tap fests all are mashed into a pie that is as fun to eat as it is to watch. It may seem like I am playing favorites but they certainly should be getting some heavy cred with all the wokr they've been pouring in. Having just finished playing Rochester and Buffalo the boys are currently in Canada about to rip it up in Toronto and then Montreal:
Ambient tap math seemingly from some non existent movie soundtrack. Incredibly relaxing and rewarding if your up for something a bit left of center but won't hurt your brain dome :) A lot of times stuff like this screams for more and its a true testament to the compositions that it remains so perfect in its minimalism.
..also James Lambrecht's other project Gladius the Fertile is a pretty interesting take on post rock. for sure a check or two is needed.
Once you have stood in a crowded room full of your peers in various stages of undress pouring sweat and genuinely being hypnotized by the shear brilliance in front of you....there is no way you can be "on the fence" I am a soldier ready to do battle for them. Our Daily Fix is my perfect example of this. These guys play like the factory is about to blow at any second....seriously. It's a very organic and honest look at modern math rock today. Sure they salt and pepper with various other genre's but its the tight corners they take and the memorable structures that grant character and heart to their music. Also to quell any doubting Thomas's that saxophone rips hard. Sometimes its like a friendly battle between the sax and guitar for awesome riff supremacy. Need an example? Listen to "Two Cats" and check out that dueling riff work at 1:24 straight to the heavens. You can be sure ill be seeing these gents again in about a week so expect more overly excited screaming from me.
I dont like posting a lot of hit or miss type stuff but when this australian group hits its like a Little Mac upper cut. The misses aren't all that bad I will say they are some typical run of the mill djent. HOWEVER when these guys fold in the layers of jazz fusion and math rock elements with what is a very pastoral type feel your in for a ride. The song "Nesting" is a great example. So yea not the greatest but there should be something here for fans of instrumental musics.
PostMadonna is a very understanding group of musicians. Why might
I choose to point that out in the introduction of this interview, you
ask? Because after about a half-hour of conversation, the very moment they
finished answering the last question I lost everything I had recorded.
Yup.
Needless to say, I whipped up a fresh batch of inquiries, hit them up a second time, and got to know these dudes pretty well. I am stoked to have caught them on the cusp of some recent successes, with their album coming out on vinyl June 30th and an even-more-recent-than-this-interview signing to Tetra Records. Here we find out about their musical backgrounds, thoughts on songwriting, and Cathy, who’s just trying to make sense of it all.
I know that this is a Math Rock blog, but I'm writing my first post about a Progressive Rock album because fuck the cops. Guruh Gipsy is a collaborative album between the Indonesian composer Guruh Sukarnoputra (the son of Indonesia's first president) and the Indonesian progressive rock band Gipsy. This album is unique because it blends western progressive rock idioms with traditional Indonesian ones in a way that doesn't feel forced or out of place. The parts of this record that sound like cheesy Close To The Edge era Yes transition so seamlessly into, and blend so absurdly well with the traditional central-Javanese vocal delivery, western-Javanese modes and Balinese Gamelan riffs that you almost forget about the gratuitous 3 minute long synthesizer and guitar solos that litter the more prog-rock oriented sections.
I'm generally not crazy about Progressive Rock of this era, but I give a lot of fucks about the interaction between Western and Non-Western musics and this album uses that interaction to keep itself sounding fresh even when it falls into classic prog wankery.
Sukarnoputra, who is currently a member of Indonesia's People's Representative Council wrote most of the music, and plays piano and Gendér, with Chrisye, the bassist from Gipsy providing most of the vocals. The album was recorded and produced independently, with an original release in 1976 of only 5000 copies, but received widespread critical acclaim at the time. Since then, the record has come to be regarded as a classic of Indonesian rock, and in 2007 Rolling Stone Indonesia named Guruh Gipsy the second best Indonesian record of all time. I highly recommend this record to anyone who likes lush instrumentation, or is interested in learning more about Indonesian traditional music but doesn't know where to start.
Apparently it took one more release from this UK trio to really sink into my dome. It has a bit of a 90's throw back feel with chord progression's (reminds me a bit of polvo...slightly) but structurally it follows a more math rock / post hardcore (minor) bent and I just cant argue with that. There's no boring interludes or builds its straight to the excellent riffage, no time wasted. This is something that I can imagine many people diving right into because its that immediate. Solidly crafted stuff.
Some lovely lost maths for yall's from the early 2000's was just uploaded. This is some pretty straight forward three piece instrumental math rock but there are certainly some great moments to be had. Its important to remember also for the time that a majority of math from the early aughts bares the strong influence of the great Don Cab. Absolutely not a bad thing in my opinion. Enjoy!
Breath in the majestic sounds of two piece bass and drums. Think you know what it sounds like already? consider that you are very possibly wrong and dive in. What we have on display is some incredibly deft bass guitar playing that seems to take much joy in blurring the lines between prog, math and funk. Great twists and turns to be had here as well some pretty melodically memorable moments. What about the drums? no worries because they are totally on par ripping up the landscape. A must have for any fan of highly technical music. Stellar.
Been holding this gem pretty close to my belt. Coming from Canada and largely a solo project of one Noah Michael this beast is restless. In some ways this project is like some kind of alternate dimension version of AM Overcast. I say this because both groups have a preoccupation with math-pop and pop-punk. Not only that but each group has solid grasp on song length (ie short) So why exactly are we here then? to re-hash? not here at the swords. The divergent qualities are what truly make IILS:YLS shine in my opinion. Experimental, noisey, break neck turns and occasionally throw in some heavy break downs. Mixing these elements in with math-pop shouldn't work but like I said short song lengths and incredible execution keeps the flags flying high. Wonderful stuff.
