Natsumen

First off would like to thank Metaghost for getting me into these guys years ago. There are really only a couple things you need to realize about Natsumen. They describe themselves as a "Japanese Progressive HardCore JAZZ Aggressive Improvisation ROCK band" and really I'd be hard pressed to argue with such a tagging.  This stuff is gold with noisy abrasive guitars, intricate drumming and soaring horns. Maybe think Broken Social Scene with some balls minus vocals. Awesome Sauce

Natsumen

Animals as Leaders

Avant Tech. Metal

At the moment mostly a vehicle for 8 stringed guitarist Tosin Abasi, Animals as Leaders lives in a world that embraces left field metal. However they do now have a full band, this release is mostly the brain child of Abasi. Tosin's riff work is extremely varied in its approach and really makes these songs something special. I felt like after yesterdays post both Exivious and Animals as Leaders (while maybe not in songwriting) have a heavy reliance on Jazz. Animal's uses fairly unique chord progressions which opens the drums and bass up for some interesting interplay. YES

Animals as Leaders

Exivious

Fusion Metal (weather channel metal)

Highly Tech. yet also very chilled and flowing, the wonderful fusion metal band Exivious is made up of members of the also amazing Cynic. Complex song structures and instrumentation abounds. The balance of Jazz and Metal is actually surprisingly equal. While having heard this you'd have thought they always belonged together. Extremely amazing.

Exivious   

Antarctic

Instrumental Post Rock Salad with a Balsamic Math Vinaigrette

Another member of the Hello Sir Records clan. While they share general qualities in common with Cinemechanica they employ much less punk aggression. Certainly not as angular as any of those groups either. A calmer more focused unit that likes to draw out their songs into twists and turns one might not expect. Lots of ideas we don't normally get a chance to hear (2:00 "Your Ships are Googlin Pretty Hard") I hear tell they are cooking up a new batch of cookies, color me excited. 

Antarctic
 __________________________________________________________________

As far as "home improvements" My friend and trusted advisory officer "metaghost" has offered to lend his mix tape mastery to our fine establishment. Everyone should check out Vol.1 "Akachashu". My thoughts on it forth coming.


-Acerola Bank

metaghostin' Vol. 1 - "Akachashu"

Akachashu - 47'20"
---
1 - "彩-SAI-" (ACIDMAN / Equal / 2004)

ACIDMAN is one of the various Japanese rock groups dabbling in elements of what is generally considered Post-Rock, elongated compositions that emphasize texture and atmosphere over traditional pop structures. Like many of their Japanese contemporaries, they're technically proficient to an extreme, easily obscuring the fact that they're a three-piece. They can be somewhat dull, as the songs all end up sounding very similar to one another, but that one song they write time and time again has its place. They also get bonus points for being a Japanese group that primarily sings in Japanese, rather than ramshackle Engrish.

2 - "Shikaku Maru Ten" (CAN / Tago Mago B-Side / 1971)

I know the proprietor of this here blog is not the greatest fan of these Krautrock legends, but it's hard to deny the undeniable groove monster that was Jaki Liebezeit. He killed every track like a trap-kit assassin. As with most songs from their golden era with Damo Suzuki, they set up a pulse and just ride out into the sunset, all while Damo jabbers about whateverthefuck. I think this one is something about his favorite shapes.

3 - "Terra" (Caetano Veloso / Muito / 1978)

I don't really know anything about the man, nor do I know much about Brazilian music in general, but I love this song.

4 - "We're Strangers Now" (Happy Body Slow Brain / Dreams of Water / 2010)

Recent years have brought a rebirth in the use of unvarnished 80's synth patches, presumably because they can be paired so effortlessly with auto-tuned vocals. Here we have some dudes, two of whom used to mine mopey teenage pussy while touring with Taking Back Sunday, freaking some chunky pop-rock over Moog washes and sick sick sick drumming. Lesson learned: everything's better with some sick sick sick drumming.

5 - "Hilo" (Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra / Security / 2007)

New-school Afrobeat gurus who recently took their shit to Broadway in order bring the sound of Fela Kuti to the masses. Though that Afrobeat sound is obviously present, they keep it modern by letting the songs maintain some semblance of pop structures with vocal hooks and a more concise approach.

6 - "Low-Concept, High Maintenance" (Grüvis Malt / Backout Smiling / 2000)

One of my all-time favorite bands, managing to evolve out of the stifling musical culture of late 90's frat-rock and rap-metal, of which their first full-length has a number of similarities to. At some point they were approached by Sony and recorded a 3-song EP of material that would later appear on "...With the Spirit of a Traffic Jam" in slightly different form. The vocal cadence here still carries an air of their origins as heirs to the throne of 311, but the band had started to move away from the PBR party sound and embrace their talents (and weirdness) to flex on DnB rhythms, distorted metal licks, and dissonant brass harmonies.

7 - "Guider Tells of Silent Airborne Machine" (Henry Cow / Henry Cow Box / 197X)

By the sound of it, this was a loose composition from the Unrest-era, as the outro uses some piano motifs from "Half Awake, Half Asleep". Even at their most free they maintain this strange vibe that keeps me locked in. Not their best work by any means, but an interesting piece by a unique group.

8 - "Andy Warhol" (David Bowie / Hunky Dory / 1971)

I've always wondered if he actually recorded this in one take as the intro seems to be suggesting. A great song on a great album.

9 - "A Bao A Qu" (Boris / Mabuta no Ura / 2005)

Wrap it up, B! Fuzzed out trashy anthems, Boris does it best. Blow out yr speakers!

Fever Sleeves - Soft Pipes, Play On

Post-Hardcore Math Pop (that knows how to have a good time)

Figured Id stay with the San Diego Math since yesterday was Stage Kids. These gents meld occasionally harsh guitar with some fairly poppy vocals and excellent drumming.  You can tell they have a love of many different kinds of music as some fun punk or electronic things crop up. Yes I do love glockenspiel, why thank you by the way. Wont light your curtains on fire but will keep your feet warm at night.

Soft Pipes, Play On

Stage Kids

Instrumental Math Rock that flirts with the girl in the back of the class, Electronica

Theres a certain quality in math rock that I feel is that special "magic dust" thats sets a group apart. A lot of the newer groups lack this heart. With my first listenings of Stage Kids I knew this would be another pass and forget.........

PLEASE CHECK THIS OUT EVERYONE, your mom, grandmas, foxes, uncle ricky. 

A lot of people are saying "these guys show a lot of promise for being young" Age has nothing to do with it. Its a first effort teaming with ideas and is a shot better than most of the dreg that I put up with everyday. Ive gotta say if they can incorporate those stellar electronic elements into their math they will be a force like no other. As would be expected instrumentation is king. Never to flighty or for guitars to get a like chuggy when needed. Can't wait to see whats next. 

Stage Kids

Mister Metaphor

Indie Math-Rock

Very short lived but extremely amazing vocal centric math rock. Whats interesting is that few bands really try to go all out with the vocals and the music has to be dumbed down in order for this to happen. Not the case at all here. Surprisingly catchy as hell. Drums are filling every bar like they could never hope to play a straight beat. One guitar usually plays "straight man" to the abrasive second guitar. Indeed this is something every fan of fast and intricate math rock should check out.

Die on the High Road EP

Deep Puddle Dynamics - The Taste of Rain....Why Kneel (1999)

 Underground Hip-Hop

 The Anticon super group featuring Sole, Alias, Dose One and Slug. Anyone even casually familiar with underground hip-hop understands the importance of the Anticon label. This was practically the labels mission statement on life and their musical battle plan. While each of these MC's have/had great solo careers after this, truthfully they are at their strongest trading verses here. With quick verses each MC is not allowed to fall into his own short comings. Each idea is well developed and each song follows a particular theme. Not too mention there are some sick beats backing the whole affair up mostly by Jel (currently in Subtle) and Abilities. A surprising first effort.




The Taste of Rain.....Why Kneel

Genghis Tron

Ambient Electronic Grindcore

Switching gears for a moment, Poughkeepsie, NY's "cybergrind" trio has certainly been a band to watch for awhile now. Melding elements of Metal, grindcore, electronic drums and ambient atmospherics its a unique group that knows how to mix the harsh with the strange industrial calm. Technical guitar with plenty of odd time changes thrown in. Lots of sampling but enough live instrumentation to augment this. Vocals run to the hardcore screaming variety but it fits the music well. Any fan of metal should check this out.

Dead Mountain Mouth

Board Up The House

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.

Lynx - Self Titled (2000)

 Math rock

Very short lived group featuring future Battles member Dave Konopka. Lynx is not anything new for the genre. However I will say that they have an excellent use of space. Drumming as well is better than 90% of these sorts of groups. 

Bonus Trivia: Lynx self titled album was produced by what well known member of Shellac?




Self Titled (2000)

Sleeping People

Math-Rock

 San Diego instrumental rock group with atypical song structures, dissonant guitar riffs and time signature changes (read: math rock) These guys and gals have a great way of moving through a song. Its a very organic flow that allows each instrument time to breath and for the listener to focus on each instrument. Moving into new passages entails one instrument changing for a few bars then the other instruments follow. It sounds like a cheap way to work but it keeps the songs exciting and unlike some groups really gives you a chance to appreciate the excellent riffs. Drums and bass are frequently locked and yet always stay interesting. The first release is a lot more scatter shot (yet sometimes more interesting) Growing is all about the progression and is a tighter venture for it. Both worthy of looks.

Bonus Points: The excellent "People Staying Awake" (last track on Growing) features vocals from what super awesome indie rock gent?

Hint: last name is a type of bird

Sleeping People

Growing (2007)

65 Days of Static - The Destruction of Small Ideas (2007)

Electronic post-rock

This is instant gratification post-rock. The great twist is the excellent electronic programming going on throughout the songs. Occasionally those elements do place a heavy hand over a section but the UK group bounces right back. A sprinkling of math-rock also added to the mix is always welcome in my book. The Destruction of Small Ideas is one of my favorite releases of theirs. While not my favorite group per say. They do what they do extremely well. There are other groups that travel in the same melding of genres but 65 Days proves to be the most interesting. 

The Destruction of Small Ideas

Sea Snakes - Clear as Day, The Darkest Tools (2004)

 

Indie pop/rock 

  

This 2004 release has been in constant rotation for me since the day it came out. Sadly this would mark the Canada based Sea Snakes only release. While on the outside everything seems pretty par for the course, it is anything but that. Instrumentally there is a lot going on keyboard, guitar, violin, drums all being used to fill the space. Structure wise its almost unbeatable for the genre with extended instrumental passages and interesting left turns in the music. Even at their most "rocking" Sea Snakes do it their own way by using dynamics instead of pedals to get the point across. Vocals are wispy with cryptic albeit poignant and memorable lyrics. Clear as day has always been an album mans album, you simply can not just pick one song.  Easily in my top 10 of all time. 

Clear as Day, The Darkest Tools

Cinemechanica - Martial Arts

Punk Indie Math Rock

There are few groups that I love more than Cinemechanica, these are the reasons:

1. They are fast
2. Technical as all get out
3. Some incredibly emotional shouting vocals
4.Strangely melodic

I can remember hearing "I'm Tired of Paul McCartney" for the first time and wondering what kind of space aliens copied exactly what I wanted a band to sound like and played it for me. These gents are are a part of the wonderful Hello Sir Athens GA record label. Cinemechanica im sure have spent a lot of time with the catalog of the equally amazing Canadian group North of America (whom I will certainly be covering in a later post) Cinemechanica is a logical progression from NoA's math lite punk rock. Just listen to this if you even have a passing interest in rock music. Everyone owes it to themselves. Please. Do it. If your still reading leave and listen :) NOW!

Martial Arts

Malegoat

Alt. math emo rock

This is an extremely tight group that really displays not only a large level of technicality but also good structure and great melody. The vocals are usually shouted melodically as well. As a matter of personal opinion the japanese math groups just seem way tighter than our own. High energy is great to see as a lot of the newer groups seem far too sleepy to me. This group gets compared endlessly to Algernon Cadwallader....what a lazy comparison. They are almost nothing alike other than they both are fond of odd time changes. Malegoat comes out on top always.

 Plan Infiltration

To Face the Music

Grown Ups - More Songs

pop-punk/math rock

Why has this combo never crossed my ears before? It really just sounds so right together. Some nice gruff vocals mixed with gang style vocals. Some excellent break downs as well. Very SOLID

Purchase "More Songs" on vinyl from Topshelf Records

More Songs

The Cancer Conspiracy

                                                                   Prog-Rock

 This group has a deep and true love of King Crimson, from an instrumental standpoint that is. A short lived group that left an influential mark on many, its hard to believe that its a trio playing at times. Any fan of rock music would enjoy this. The guitars are hard hitting and the drums are too restless to pin to any one style. A dear dear favorite of mine for awhile now. Both releases are worth taking a look into. Audio Medium is way more adventurous but doesn't always hit the mark. When it shines though it really is perfection. Omega is solid throughout but lacks the highs that Audio Medium achieves.


Audio Medium (2002)

Omega (2008)

Adebisi Shank - This is the Second Album of a Band Called Adebisi Shank (2010)

math........ RAAAAWK

Less focus on odd time signatures more worrying over face melting distortion rock. Never did I jump on the wagon for these guys until this second album. Its a more thoughtful outing altogether. The drums ground the group and the guitar revels in its pedal loving glory. From clean chunky math riff to balls to the wall of sound distortion. These guys are getting a large amount of praise for their live shows as well with a great amount of energy. Give it a shot

The is the Second Album of a Band Called Adebisi Shank