Archive for March, 2009
On April 10th My Heart To Joy will be releasing “Seasons in Verse” LP. The style is very 90s, with similarities in most genres. I highly recommend checking it out.
The Littlest Viking released a debut loaded with happy instrumental math.. beautiful melodic work, I kid you not: This is a true winner! Close to Fago.Sepia, Sleeping People, Antartica, Souvaris, Sincabeza etc..
And finally! Enemies from Ireland put up a new song on myspace and are releasing a 7″ on The Richter Collective. Their debut EP from last year was amazing, kind of like everything else on this label. So let’s just go over, what they have for us soon:
- Enemies – Untitled Vinyl (April 2009)
- Ebu Gogo – “Worlds” (April 2009)
- Bats – Untitled Album (2009) (editors note: WUHUUUU!!!!)
- Kidd Blunt – “The Flood” (2009)
- The continuous battle of Order – Untitled Album (2009)
This baby barely needs introduction. It’s been known for a long time, that FMTM was recording a new album, and many of the songs have been played live for the past 2 years. What took them so long, though, is very evident in the final result – and all the touring of course. Oh, and maybe because 2 members live in San Fransisco and the other in New York. The structures of every of the tracks are perfectly fitted and produced in such a careful way that you can only love them instantly and even more for every listen and every new detail. As a comparison to the other two full-lengths, FMTM are definitely doing what they have always done, so in no way can anyone be disappointed. It’s just what I was hoping for after having loved The Impossible Leap… (2003) and their s/t debut (2002), which I might add seems to be totally underrated.
The album plays well as a whole, maybe a tad more danceable at times, and maybe a tad more quiet at other times than what we’re used to. And then there’s choir singing part of the opener.. heavenly new idea that really fits. You might know two numbers already, ‘Beyond God and Elvis’ (from the tour EP) and ‘Let Them Know Its Christmas Time’ (formerly the ‘Edagda demo’ on Myspace). The other ones are of even better quality – more dynamic and more firm, which is such a relief. I thought ‘Beyond God and Elvis’ was one of their weaker tracks and a signal that everything was getting post-rock sentimental, but instead we get a fresh new doze of melody and rhythm playing on a broader scale of emotion.
And as for the political relevance: this world still needs fixing. Glad that someone can write music about that and not lose orientation or drown their own art in political messages.
From Monument To Masses - On Little Know Frequencies
Golden Antenna / Dimmak, March 2009
Some bands you can check out for your previewing pleasure. They’re in the category of math, and I thought they deserved some attention that I can’t currently give them by reviewing.
- The Bronzed Chorus (US) – New release on Hello Sir, sounds amazing. – myspace – hello sir
- Argument (FR) – Second album ‘Schweiss’ Out now on Kythibong. Hell yeah. Fits nicely with Fordamage, Komandant Cobra, 31 Knots and Room 204. – MP3 I – MP3 II – myspace
- Tall Ships (UK) – currently recording EP, a promising mathy post-rock mix.. FMTM, Maserati etc. – myspace – Big Scary Monsters Podcast feat. Tall Ships’ new demo
- Three Trapped Tigers (UK) – EP is available for five quid or on Emusic. Fantastic mix of Electro and Math, kinda like Aucan – myspace
- Obstacles (DK) – I know for a fact that these guys play amazing live shows. – last.fm with every song from EP listenable
- Monument (US) – Think Algernon Cadwallader, American Football etc. New 7″ out – myspace +2 tasty free demo releases
- Antarctic (US) – Brilliant new Florida instrumental mathy sound of genius currently recording – myspace
- Zona Mexicana (US) – myspace
- Modrec (GR) – myspace
- Los Webelos (US) – myspace
- DÃa Dora Vida (US) – myspace
- Pneu (FR) – myspace
- Alright, first of all That Fucking Tank from Leeds released 2 new tracks from upcoming Tanknology. Everything this band did is sold out for good reasons, so it’s about time they manufactured a new product. I’d already post a review of how great this album is, but I haven’t listened to it.
- Pass Montagne is releasing a bunch of savage math-rock tracks on Africantape in April. Two of them already up on the French band’s on myspace page.
- Also Africantape related… Three Second Kiss from Italy, they released some good stuff and are now touring the U.S. with Shellac and Bear Claw (who btw. are writing new songs). That should be about the highest thing achievable in this genre.
- The defunct Silkworm, that has found new life in Bottomless Pit, is not forgotten and never will be forgotten. There even seems to be a consensus that Silkworm is a band with so much musical depth, that they will outlive their contemporaries and find even greater popularity in the future. And that’s why there’s a documentary coming out called “Couldn’t You Wait? The Story of Silkworm”. The movie has been under way for 3 long years now, and is in post-production. It features tons of interviews with band members and all the great people surrounding it: Steve Albini, Jeff Tweedy, Greg Anderson and Stephen Malkmus just to name a few. The director, Seth Pomeroy, writes on his blog that we can expect it within a few months.
