Derek™

I'm glad to be spreading the love, indirect as it may be. I hope you manage to secure a beige, too. I've got a good feeling about this album.

True enough. That record is way too good to be as limited as it currently is.

That True Widow repress is the only thing I'm currently gunning for.

Tripping bear balls. Forever.

I'd rather have 27 records that are relevant to my current tastes.

We were worried about you.

Where on earth did you cop a clear Circumambulation?

And people wonder why this "hobby" is so fucking goofy.

Okay, now I'm bummed that I didn't have the time or opportunity to fight that checkout process for 50 minutes... But really, good on Cinder Block for making right by their shipping error. I honestly didn't expect them to rectify that.

First press = printed. Second press = sticker. Next.

Assuming that this does in fact see the vinyl treatment, is anyone else relieved that it drops well after RSD has come and gone?

I honestly don't know if this will ever stop being funny to me.

Yup. And unmarked, as far as I know. All about the gamble.

< 1 month until their new album drops, too. Have you heard the new singles?

In that case, I think I'd trade my signed Riot! for the address and key to his local Hot Topic.

Wait, I thought he was one of Hot Topic's coveted key-carriers?

What's your tax return look like out of curiosity though?

I figured you could play one of your other eight copies since they all sound the same. And I'm sorry, but I had to think on my toes that evening. I only brought a silver sharpie, and figured it'd be difficult to read their signatures on the jacket. It was either the record or my hairy chest. I opted for the record.

Also very true. I didn't really consider that a lot of my recommendations feature zero vocals or minimal vocals, outside one or two suggestions.

The name sounds a little familiar... but I'm confident that I've never heard their music. Yeah, basically. I prefer that one for sure.

Shifting gears. M A T H Y FANG ISLAND Fang Island If you don't mind some seemingly goofy vocals, this Rhode Island trio will deliver all the good vibes and bouncy riffs you can ask for. (Their top voted genre tag on Last.fm is "everyone high-fiving everyone". Surprisingly appropriate.) The video below is bizarre and feel-good... not unlike their sound. Dig in and have fun. ADEBISI SHANK This is the Second Album of a Band Called Adebisi Shank Labelmates to Fang Island, Adebisi Shank are perhaps a bit more technical in their play style, shying away from Fang Island's harmonious vocals for more off-the-wall guitars. They're also due for a new album this year. You can check out a video for one of the new / unreleased songs off the album, below... but in the meantime, definitely look into This is the Second Album..., or even their debut EP. YOU SLUT! Medium Bastard UK four-piece who play some infectious instrumental math rock. I think their music is exceptionally melodic, which is something you occasionally sacrifice with a lot of "math" bands. They only have two albums to check out. Both are short and sweet, and always manage to scratch my math itch when I get it. THEIR / THEY'RE / THERE Their / They're / There Probably a safer bet, since these guys follow a more traditional "band" sound while weaving in mathy guitar playing. If none of what I've suggested has done the trick for you, at least do yourself a favor and try this band on for size. They're blowing up in popularity, and rightfully so. Again, this is the tip of an iceberg that I won't fully exhaust. If there are certain artists or sounds you dig, though, let me know and I can provide suggestions from there. Happy listening. SEE ALSO // Toe, Native, Tera Melos, LITE, Giraffes? Giraffes!, and Duck. Little Brother, Duck!

Haha, thank you. I was scratching my head at seeing "chill" and "mathcore" together in the topic title. C H I L L Y BLUE SKY BLACK DEATH NOIR BSBD are an "instrumental hip-hop" duo from San Francisco. I stumbled across them a couple of years ago - particularly their album NOIR - and have been sold ever since. They tie in solid hip-hop beats with lush synths and dreamy instrumentation. They also like to include samples and the occasional vocals -- usually in the form of a choir for that added sense of harmony. TYCHO Dive As 77satelites mentioned, Tycho is an excellent choice. Graphic artist turned music producer, also based out of San Francisco. He'll be dropping a new album next month... but in the meantime, you really need to check out his last full length, Dive. It's cool. It's calm. It's chill. Open the windows and get a breeze before checking this out. BOARDS OF CANADA The Campfire Headphase If you're unfamiliar with BOC, we need to fix this immediately. The Scotland brothers are a staple in the world of electronic / ambient / downtempo, and have accumulated a cult following through the albums they've released over the years. Their music is as soothing as it is haunting, for me, and that's just a fraction of their charm. Perfect for late night studies, or drifting off to sleep. A WINGED VICTORY FOR THE SULLEN A Winged Victory for the Sullen If you've never tried falling asleep to the sounds of soothing ambient, you're doing it wrong. Trust me on that. AWVFTS is one member from ambient-kingpins Stars of the Lid - who are also a fantastic choice - and one composer by the name of Dustin O'Halloran. I don't know how familiar you are with ambient; it can seem a little dry or mundane at first, but I think it's an extremely beautiful genre once you get the ear for it. In a very real sense, I sometimes feel like the minimalism just accentuates and intensifies every component of the music. Each sustain and piano stroke just packs a much heavier punch, if that makes any sense. Anyway. I chose the video below because even if the music bores you to tears, I still think it's an incredible visual experience. I could probably go on for days about similar artists and sub-genres. But this should be enough to soothe your nerves for the time being. SEE ALSO // TRADITIONAL Washed Out, Message To Bears, Beach Fossils, Clams Casino, Com Truise, Houses, Darkside, JJ, Wife, Burial, Gold Panda, Bvdub, and Active Child. SEE ALSO // MINIMAL + AMBIENT Bersarin Quartett, Stars of the Lid, Grouper, Eluvium, Hammock, The American Dollar, Mountains, Helios, Tim Hecker, 36, Emancipator, Lowcase Noises, Jónsi & Alex, and Brian Eno.

In a nutshell, mathcore is far more aggressive and chaotic. Math rock tends to be more melodic. Both play around with odd time signatures, but math rock is far more pleasant to casual listeners. Typing up some recommendations for you. Give me a minute or two.

I can contribute to that no problem. But are you referring to artists who are both chill and math-rock? Because that's an uncommon combination... at least speaking from what I'm familiar with. I have oodles of electronic / chill / downtempo artists that don't qualify as math-rock, though.

Thread title and list of bands are pretty broad, as far as trying to pinpoint specific sounds and genres.