Yowie - Cryptooology (2004)

The future of music that will never come to pass. The climax of rock music. This is outsider music for our entire dimension. No band has had this sort of vision since Beefheart marinaded us with tales of Big Joan's anatomy (and what a serenade that is). In fact, go look at any performance of Beefheart right now (or listen to Trout Mask... no, both). Catch a note of the spastic rhythms and atypical.. everything. It's a blues-rock, free-jazz, genre-destroying cacophony caught in a blender. But the reason we cherish Beefheart isn't because he's a gimmick that had the crazy idea of making unpop and somehow we ran with it, it's because somehow beneath the blimps and motherships there is an undeniable structure. A brooding intelligence that guides every misstep into a rightful position. A stealthy constructed masterpiece.

But how dare I compare some obscure midwestern punk band to the some of the greatest minds in rock history? But dear reader, this band is no ordinary band, and for better or worse, you will certainly notice that from the first seconds of this swirling masterpiece. "Spastic spidery-thin guitars blurt and blast against each other over an equally spastic, rhythm-busting drummer." There's my review. That's all I can say without twisting my mind as insanely as they twist music. It's relentless and beautiful. It's a fourth dimensional god appearing once before you for a microsecond. You recognize it, and you sense its beauty, but any question about the encounter invariably ends with an apologetic "I don't know".

But something you can relate it to... take your Hellas and Flying Luttenbachers, then cut their music into brief microsecond sections, and spend an infinite amount of timing piecing the pieces together in a post-deconstructionalist masterpiece, and maybe you'd have a fraction of this 30 minute freakout.

I used to get upset that this is all we've seen from this band, three years removed from a projected sequel, but I've noticed that in the dozens of times I've probably listened to this album I've never heard the same album twice. But it won't stop me from begging for them to return from whatever dimension they hang out in.

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The Advantage - Elf Titled (2006)

For a blog that came to be from a video game website, I think it would fitting to put up an album that does some math rock-esque style covers of classic video game soundtracks. They have covered songs from numerous video games, including Mega Man, Batman, Castlevania, Contra etc. The cover of the album also does the justice of what you would expect.

There is little intrinsic cheesiness to the original compositions - most of the songs are wiry and ambitious on bass and guitar with interesting counterpoints, such as the extremely frantic bass and high, graceful guitar soloing of the Batman stage 1 music, or the stumbling, disorienting time changes of the Contra themes.

Overall this is a fun release from some dudes that love their childhoods enough to form a band and cover some of their favorite songs from their NES/Super Nintendo games. All of the albums tracks are fun with the second half of the album owning more standout tracks that seem to fit the Math Rock mold almost perfectly. The songs are all translated quite well and there is almost no way of telling a difference, for better or worse.

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Tera Melos - Tera Melos (2005)

I really can't put my thoughts about this CD into words. I love experimental music and I love this CD but I honestly don't know what to say to convince you that it's a good album, and I've spent a few days trying to think of something to say about it. Each song is great, except for Melody 8 which is 30 minutes of pure noise so it's pretty much a novelty track but 1-7 are quality math rock songs, and definitely worth a listen or 2.

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Track of the Day, 2010 October 22

Live drum version

The Locust - AOTKPTA

Hot Tubs Full Of Brand New Fuel

I'll add another

Full Dhat Discography

Dhat is dead. At least for now. A couple of years ago, this trio from St.Louis captured my heart with their twisted EP, I. Their strange vocals, math-rock attitude and general, I'll just call it "avant-gardery" was such a unique, wholly interesting sound, I found it impossible to get it out of my head. But, alas, after three years of relative silence, Dhat is on an indeterminate hiatus, according to their drummer. And, after a request to him, here is "pretty much everything [they've] ever recorded", sent to me with the message "Thank you for listening. Feel free to share."

Expect a very "chill" math-rock, with slightly Residents-esque vocals, and nothing like you've probably heard before. Although the members are still performing in other bands, it's a shame something so nice, so unique, had to stall in obscurity. I guess this is a bit late for a shoutout (not to say I didn't try to spread the word earlier), but I suppose there is no bad time to promote a band, whether live or dead.

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bandcamp (all the songs streaming here are also in the myspace, I think. This is just another place to download their EP)

Fang Island - Fang Island (2010)

Brooklyn-based indie rockers Fang Island have delivered a self-titled debut that practically slaps you in the face to grab your attention. Though it doesn't quite measure up to the Andrew W.K. levels of 'Awesome rock', the combination of progressive-style math rock and catchy indie make for an enjoyable album. The first few tracks are the highlights of the album, but it never really dips off or gets boring due to its 32-minute length and fun-loving nature.

There's not much to take notice of in the lyrical department, but as the instrumentals are the primary focus of the album this isn't much of an issue. There's plenty of variation, with moments of heavy drumming and grooves that get the progressive comparisons with the likes of Rush, in contrast to some of the simple, riff-driven elements that hint at early Weezer-like power pop. It's a bit remarkable at just how much this album achieves in only 32 minutes, but then again if it went on too long it would probably be too exuberant.

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