The top 25 math rock albums of 2019
As we pack our bags for holiday travel and prepare to usher 2019 into oblivion, our staff banded...
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EXCLUSIVE // Watch Vasa’s video for their brand new single ‘Heroics’
How great it is to watch a band grow. I first heard instrumental rock quartet Vasa back in 2012, an off-the-cuff discovery I made from trawling the deep troughs of Bandcamp. Never Have Dreams had this powerful, monolithic sound, exactly what I needed at that time in my life. No vocals; just instruments bellowing out the narrative.
EXCLUSIVE // Pony Up and Pony Down With the New Double EP from ShowPony
Pony Up/Pony Down is the new Double EP by Washington D.C./Pittsburgh math rock trio ShowPony. The clever naming for their new release(s) is also an interesting concept with simultaneously releasing EPs that are distinctly different in musical styling and tone...
EXCLUSIVE // Stream Human Pyramids’ new album ‘Power Pose’ in full
Power Pose by Human Pyramids Power Pose is exemplified by the first song on its tracklist, 4000 Miles. A...
EXCLUSIVE // Shipley Hollow are bringing the zest with new track ‘Nymph Chimpski’
Math rock and contemporary emo are like chalk and cheese in many ways. Emo is warm and inviting;...
EXCLUSIVE // Getting What You Want with Alexis Marshall of Daughters
(Author’s Note: Fecking Bahamas would like to extend their extreme gratitude to Ipecac Records and Alexis Marshall for...
FOCUS // tortuganónima discuss their name, their influences, and their road stories
Chile witnessed the birth of a band which, since 2014, has been standing for all South American math rock around the globe: tortuganónima. The four Chilean boys join a range of distinct genres to their sound, such as free jazz, post hardcore, emo and math rock. They have a very fruitful career, with a very long list of accomplishments, including several tours around South America, US, Europe and Japan, and opening for toe in their most recent visit to the country.
FOCUS // The story of anomalía ediciones (or how to deviate from what is expected).
In this Focus piece, we talk with Juan Godfrid and Diego Fraga, founders and active members of the Argentinian math rock and post rock label anomalia ediciones. And what's that about a math rock documentary?
EXCLUSIVE // Sowing Seeds of Prog with Catbamboo
When your math-prog band is finally asked to play a festival in another country, generally speaking, you’d best...
FOCUS // On Some Serious Swerp: Remembering the Music of Swerp Records
>Nestled within the rich annals of the Chicago alternative music scene, Swerp Records existed for only two years, from 2012 to 2014. Founded by J. Matthew Nix and Jonathan Mondragon, the label boasted an eclectic roster of bands from south-suburban Chicago and beyond that together present an important snapshot of a regional scene. Swerp was a modest DIY operation. Its hyper-local focus celebrated an esteemed musical pedigree while fostering a new generation of groundbreaking musicians. What started in a “punk loft” aptly named The Swerp Mansion didn’t end up evolving into much more. But the label and the bands on it made their presence felt, and their influence continues to resonate today.