Brightest Color

#2 (2013)
Bandcamp 

65daysofstatic

Wild Light (2013)
 Torrent


New 65daysofstatic up for grabs, might actually see this band play this Friday. I remember the first time I heard The Fall of Math, such an apocalyptic sound. 

Dance Gavin Dance

Acceptance Speech (2013)
Torrent 

Dance Gavin Dance has been through a multitude of line up changes and now they are back with a new clean vocalist (but don't worry Jon Mess is still on board, and still crazy). This album sticks true to the DGD genre, fun and heavy riffs, pulsating drums, catchy vocals and the insanity that is Jon Mess. The new vocalist certainly takes the cake for having the highest voice out of their past line ups, but I have learned to actually really enjoy it. Dance Gavin Dance just has such great lyrical flow you almost have to sing along if you know the words. My favorite song has got to be "Carve", especially the breakdown with the lyrics:

"That's my trope, and my sleight of hand
I'm about to predict the future
Any credit given will be swept under the rug
Or reduced to the fine print
I'm only silent when you're asking questions
The simple answer is "no I wasn't present""

But honestly every single song on this album is worth listening to and has its moment of "wow."

The Safety Fire

Mouth of Swords (2013)
Torrent 

I must admit that I was a little skeptical about this release after hearing Yellowism and Red Hatchet, but this album quickly became one of my favorites of the year.  My original skepticism came from the lack of heavy vocals that were replaced with a high pitched voice with a little to much post production. I have heard rumors that the lead singer was loosing his screaming voice and therefore had to tone it down but who knows. Either way, upon hearing the whole album I fell in love. The title track "Mouth of Swords" is simply epic, rolling into the aggressive "Glass Crush." The album makes great use of melody, especially on tracks such as "Wise Hands" and "I am Time, the Destroyer." The album ends on such a perfect note too with the song "Old Souls." Oh, and how can I forget "Beware the Leopard?" This album has such a perfect flow on it between songs that Grind the Ocean just didn't have, not to say I don't love that album as well.

Time to Get Back to Posting

It has been awhile since I've posted so it's time to do a little catch up. Mediafire and Mediafire like websites are pretty much extinct so I'll mostly be posting torrent links and Bandcamp.

Cloudkicker

Subsume (2013)
Bandcamp 

 

Native

Orthodox (2013)
Bandcamp 

Today is the day Native released their second full length album entitled Orthodox. This band easily makes it into my Top 10 favorite bands and I can't wait to fall in love with this album. They are going on a US tour with O' Brother soon to promote this album release. 
 

Maelström

Le Feu Follet (2013)

Bandcamp 

One day my buddy Danny told me that he was just starting an EP and that he would have it done by the end of the week. To my surprise he actually accomplished it and the result is Le Feu Follet, an interesting assortment of ambient tunes and beats.  Head over to the Bandcamp page to stream it and show your support!

Credit to Katie Acheson for the album art, another friend!

Dinner

And...Hearing Things (2009)
FileFactory

Dinner is a math/post rock band from Yamagata, Japan. This album was released in 2009. I have only listened to a few songs but I really like what I have heard so far. Give them a listen!

Langosta

Super Nature EP (2013)
Bandcamp

Well, langosta means lobster in Spanish, and we all know that lobster is a delicacy. This band is no different. This four song EP packs heat, name your price.

The Safety Fire (Switches from technical prog metal to glamcore)

So The Safety Fire has just released two new tracks entitled Red Hatchet and Yellowism, and I have to ask, is this even the same band anymore? The vocals have been seriously tweaked in post production, I've seen you play live before Sean and that is not your voice. Red Hatchet was simply okay, something I would expect out of a first single, but I am seriously disappointed in Yellowism. The band seems to be focusing more on their image as a bunch of goofballs who like to take their shirts off rather than the heavy, technical, no bullshit band that they were before. Sean you have a blood curdling scream, I'm not here to listen to you hit high notes and falsetto, and what was with the half assed break down at the end of Yellowism? I thought to myself, okay its not so good now but at the end of the song I'm sure they'll drop it, but no you left me with nothing but garbage and a shirtless alley throwdown. I was completely stoked to hear this new album after such impressive tracks like Floods of Colour, DMP (FDP), Animal King, and Circassian Beauties, but now I honestly feel sorry for you. You guys are going to get laughed at on tour with BTBAM and The Faceless.

If the rest of the album sounds like Yellowism then The Safety Fire is extinguished.

/rant

Sargasso

Metanoia (2013)
Bandcamp 

Plini

Other Things (2013)
Bandcamp


Chon-like instrumentals from Sydney, Australia. 

Halcyon

Pastures (2011)
Bandcamp 

Extremely talented one man jazz metal fusion band from Australia.  Reminds me in many ways of Jakub Żytecki. Awesome "background to life" music.

LITE

New single from LITE just released. The song is called "Hunger". I'm looking forward to the new release!

Chon

Newborn Sun (2013)
Bandcamp 

Finally, after 5 years of waiting, the Southern California progressive metal quartet Chon has released a new 8 song EP. It probably took them so damn long because they had to finish high school, these kids were really young when their first release came out. The drummer was 11 so he should be somewhere around 16-17 now.  But anyways, if you haven't heard of Chon you should really give them a listen, the lead guitarist, Mario, is certain to be recognized as one of the greatest guitarists on the scene right now.

Noxious Foxes

Epochalypso (2013)
Bandcamp 

Absolute insanity, I want to get inside the musicians heads and see just what the fuck they had on their minds when they wrote this album. Here is a link to a great review on the five songs on the release: FreshSpread

Bonobo

The North Borders (2013)
http://bonobomusic.com/

I don't know how I haven't posted this yet, Bonobo has quickly become a part of my top ten favorite artists, and after seeing them perform live they have become part of my top three live performances. This album truly has some of everything, Bonobo has really perfected his sound over the years. The occasional vocals really bring the songs to life. 

 

Cirrus

Heaven For the Sinner

Baths

Obsidian (2013)
http://www.bathsmusic.com/


Happy to finally hear the second full length release from Will Wisenfeld, aka Baths. His previous release, Cerulean, was an uplifting glitch hop album that sounded like the sun reflecting off a lake on a summer day. Cerulean is my go to album when resting on a boat or enjoying a hot day. Obsidian takes a one eighty from Cerulean. The album art alone is enough to give you an idea of what you will hear on the album. That's not to say that is is completely dark, but it definitely has its melancholy moments. Their are many warm songs on the album, such as the fifth track, "Incompatible." While it may be a downtempo track, one will see that is actually a heartfelt love song of Will Wisenfeld describing his feelings towards his boyfriend moving in with him in his house. I had to chuckle giggle smile when I first heared the line, "First boyfriend. You live in my house and we share a toilet seat." This album really has a ton of awesome moments and on first listen I realized it's just one of those albums that you have to listen to over and over again to really get, hell a lot of critics have been rating it above Cerulean.

I am excited to see Baths perform live in Detroit this Saturday! I believe this is first time touring, definitely will be dancing to some groovy Cerulean tracks. 

Shy Guy Says

Sucraphrenia (2011)

Bandcamp

For those of you still listening...

"Centered in Illinois, we've been playing music across the midwest since 2008. We like to throw ourselves in the "undefinable" genre category, although we've certainly been influenced by the region's historic DIY scene, as well as a long list of post-rock, shoegaze, ambient, and math-rock bands."

El Ten Eleven

Transitions (2012)
Download 

Bravo! Blackknight

Spacecase (Single, 2012)
SoundCloud

Awesome single from some East Lansing kids. Saw these kids live awhile back at The Loft. The link will take you to just one of their singles but check out the rest of their stuff on their Soundcloud. Awesome tune!

Town Portal

Chronopoly (2012)
Bandcamp 

Math metal from the earliest stages of the Earth. Beauty amongst molten rock, shifting plates, and violent storms. This Copenhagen instrumental band chose to title their album Chronopoly. I would have to agree that it does quite dominate all of the chron. Heavy, melodic, progressive, math metal, GET IT.

True Champions Ride on Speed

True Champions Ride on Speed (2010)
Bandcamp 

Pretty ridiculous album art correlates to pretty ridiculous music.  Second track grinds.

Cleanup

Wherever Your Place May Be (2012)
 Bandcamp

Experimental Rock from Texas. They're only asking fifty cents for this five song release.

Enemies

Embark, Embrace (2013)
Bandcamp 

Ireland's Enemies released their newest album yesterday May 10th, 2013. I haven't given it a full and proper listen yet but I'm sure it's worth a purchase. Check out their older tunes as well!

Light Bulbs Music Video

Official music video of a band I recently posted about named The Slaughterhouse Five. This is the video for their song "Light Bulbs." Twisted but happy pop song featuring lipstick, electric chairs, and metaphors for love.

Dumb Waiter

Is This Chocolate? (2013)
Bandcamp

 Just released today! This is a great album, really made my shower much more enjoyable this morning. Jazz math rock fusion.

Giraffes? Giraffes!

10" (2013) 
Bandcamp 

Helly yes, new Giraffes? Giraffes!. Really can't go wrong here. First song has a crazy title, "In The Middle Of The Night Someone Tore Off The Ceiling And Sucked Me Into The Sky / Before My Eyes Began To Boil I Saw Billions Of Tiny Webs Connecting Everything"

Math for the masses.

The Exploration

Demography (2013)
Bandcamp

There's something I really like about this, maybe it's the slow steady progression and the tapping, or maybe it's the washed out vocals. More likely that it's both though, and hey, they're from Grand Rapids. I'm definitely going to take some inspiration from the guitar parts. 

100%Chevalier

EP-IC (2013)
Bandcamp 

Spacey instrumental math/post rock from Strasbourg, France. They remind me a lot of Maserati with the occasional quirkiness of Battles.

Strawberry Girls

French Ghetto (2013)
Bandcamp 


Strawberry Girls is an aggressively groovy instrumental trio from Salinas, CA featuring (ex-Dance Gavin Dance guitarist) Zac Garren, Ben Rosett, & Ian Jennings.

Names

Promises (2013)
Bandcamp 

"Names was conceived during a high school love affair, beginning as far back as 2007, coming into fruition as early as 2011. Names is intercourse. We’ve been undergoing sisyphean ekstasis for quite some time. American expats in Montreal."


Jazzy Math Rock! This is the band's first release they need all the support they can get. Promises is an intriguing debut by a very promising band, I am hopeful for more in the future.

Cloudkicker

Hello (2013)
Bandcamp 


Cloudkicker's discography continues to grow, as does his sound. If you click on this link expecting to hear something similar to Beacons or even Let Yourself Be Huge then you are going in with the wrong mindset. This man, Ben Sharp, continues to explore unique realms of sound. The man who wrote the song, Explore, Be Curious, meant what he said. Hello is a one track release, but it clocks in over 10 minutes long. I want you to listen for yourself and see what you think, all I will say is that the cover art matches the sound well.

If this is your first time listening to Cloudkicker, I would recommend also listening to Beacon and Let Yourself Be Huge, completely different from this release.

Dionaea

Still (2011)
Bandcamp 


Today I learned that Post Grind exists, where the hell have I been? This is sick check it out. The first song is nearly fifteen minutes long but is jammed packed with just about every genre you can think of. This band gets spacey, eerie, melodic, chaotic, groovy, beaty, and best of all thrashy. 

Hail the Sun

Elephantitis (2012)
Bandcamp 

A strange mixture of Dance Gavin Dance style guitars, Circa Survive/HRVRD style singing, and post-hardcore drumming. The vocals are great, my only complaint is that the lyrical content could have been a bit better, but the instrumentals are spot on.

The Slaughterhouse 5

Alan B. Clay (2013)
Bandcamp 


I will always be a sucker for some unique and interesting vocals. Very cool album, it kind of reminds me of Cursive at some points. Free download of a sixteen track album, can't complain there. Be sure to listen to "Light Bulbs", track 6.

Monsters of the Antipodes

Houses (2012)
Bandcamp 

Fast paced progressive metal with math rock influences. The second song "Circle Ponies" got me hooked and I just had to head bang through the rest of the album.  You should seriously check this out.

The Pop Ups

Radio Jungle (2012)
Bandcamp 

 You must listen to the song "Math Rock" on this album. "Kids" rock meant to get kids into new styles of music. "Math Rock" is just awesome, great counting lessons for young kids to sing along to. Seriously though, wtf! I love it.

Astrochasm

People Say I Look Like Jackie Chan (2013)
Bandcamp




Awesome single released by Los Angeles's Astrochasm. Female lead vocalist sounds great! I'm excited to hear more from them soon. They are looking to find a bassist as well.

We Sing For Food

We Sing For Food Volume 1 (2013)
Bandcamp



Hey everyone,

I am a part of a grassroots project entitled We Sing For Food. The project aims to raise money for the Greater Lansing Food Bank through song donations. Donate a dollar, download a song! Head over to the Bandcamp page and check out the bands on our roster. We will be releasing Volume 2 very soon so stay tuned. If you like what you see and want to help out then make a donation.

Like us on Facebook!
Follow us on Twitter!


We will be hosting a live event in Lansing in late April so stayed tuned!


If you are a Michigan musician and want to get involved with us, send us an email to WeSingForFood@gmail.com.  It is a great way to help out the community while promoting your music.

The Para-Medics

Patsy Cline Gun Squid (2012)

Bandcamp 

Dylan Piskula (guitar), Nnamdi Ogbonnaya (drums), and Brian Baliga (bass). Goof-math from the suburbs of Chicago in the vein of Piglet, Maps & Atlases, Tera Melos, Hella, King Crimson, etc. etc.


Watch below!

Renaissance Sound

Renaissance Sound II (2013)
Bandcamp 

Father Figure

Congratulations on Your Loss (2012)
Bandcamp

"We are a four piece 'Jazz/Prog' instrumental fusion, paving new sonic pathways with odd meters and psychedelia, while paying tribute to more antiquated striations in movement and sound. Our main focus is being true to our shared musical connectivity, while bringing something dense, constructive, and original to a familiar and tangible flavor."

Piles and Piles

Premonitions Say (2013)
Bandcamp 

Oh No! It's Birds

Tall Tales the Conscience Tells

A Stabbing In Shallow Water

New Update

Hola readers,

I thought I'd make a quick post to let everyone know that I will now be writing full length reviews for the The Alternative Review. If you are interested in reading my posts (or all the other awesome posts) head on over to http://www.thealtreview.net/. I will still be loading albums onto this blog in the same manner as before, but am excited to start writing in depth reviews through a respected outlet.

Cheers

Wendell Rellimfarg

Archimedean Property (Single, 2012)
Soundcloud

Give this song a listen, local Lansing, Michigan artist Wendell Rellimfarg. This dude happens to be a good friend of mine, this is his solo side project. He is also the drummer in Eleanor Quigley. Jeremy man your music is an inspiration, keep writing.

Dore Mear Beon

Dore Mear Beon EP (2012)
Bandcamp

Beautifully composed rock band from Canada. Swelling harmonies that pull influence from the emotional aspects of post rock and the fast paced jittery aspects of math rock.  The band takes a sample from the movie Waking Life, for me that's more than enough reason to check them out. The band has this album available at a name your price fee on their Bandcamp. Listen and love.

Junior Bob

Untitled (2012)

Bandcamp

Math m math math math m math math TORONTO!


Side project with members of The Bulletproof Tiger

Worrier

Source Error Spells (2010)
Bandcamp 

Bad Books

II (2012)
Download

Andy Hull of Manchester Orchestra, will be seeing them this Friday with Weatherbox.

The Bulletproof Tiger

Stab the New Cherry EP (2009)
Download
Bandcamp 

The first release by, in my opinion, one of the greatest math rock bands to come into the scene. Incredible music that will never let you down for even a moment's rest. You should definitely listen to their newest release, You Wanna Kiss About It? I thought I had posted about them a long time ago but looking back I see that I have not!

Dads

American Radass (this is important) (2012)
Bandcamp 

Tommy Boys

Demo (2013)
Bandcamp 

Ahhh my ears feel so good.  This band is based in Southern California and play twinkly math rock, which is I believe characterized by the positive uplifting high tempo music that is similar to Chon (and is typically based out of California/Sunshine States.) This band makes great use of subtleties and almost never repeats a riff in the same way. I'm about to explore this twinkly stuff, might find some treasure.

Edit: Northern California (San Franciso to be exact)