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Best Ever Math Rock Album


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8 minutes ago, highfives said:

One of my all-time favs is Six Gallery’s Breakthroughs in Modern Art.

Instrumentally killer album.  I wish the emo component of their vocals held up a bit better over time though.

 

Appleseed Cast are pretty mathy at times and have one of the largest and most consistent discographies in the game.  New album in June, too, after a 6 year wait.  I’m pretty pumped.

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3 hours ago, Derek™ said:

Check out Clever Girl too.  They only dropped one EP before dissolving but it’s pretty slick, and incorporates a lot more brass than you’d typically hear with your math rock.

 

Vasudeva and Giraffes? Giraffes! are both pretty nice, too.  The latter of which really sparked my interest in the genre with their first 2 releases.

I love Clever Girl! I was lucky enough to see the vinyl release last year and picked it up

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Gonna get hate for this but... The Mercury Program is not a math rock band. They are more straight forward Tortoise influenced post rock. Sorrryyyyy. Maybe their first LP but outside of that, no no no.  

 

"The View From This Tower" by Faraquet is technically post hardcore, but you seriously cannot argue it influenced SO MANY math rock bands with the guitar playing. Something to look into. If you are into the more Don Cab/A Minor Forest/etc style, I cant recommend the Lynx LP enough. One of the guitarists is in Battles now. And the bassist was in a shit ton of awesome post hardcore bands. I back mention of Maps & Atlases "Trees" EP. That EP and the first Tera Melos album basically changed the approach of math rock that came after. Not to mention Piglet. Omg Piglet.  What else. hmm. Rumah Sakit. Weight & Measures.  Volta Do Mar. Okay I'm done talking. haha.

 

Just a note though. if you are looking to explore the genre, just be aware that the older/earlier stuff (slint, polvo, rodan, chavez, etc) sounds EXTREMELY different then now a days stuff (Covet, Friends, Invalids,etc) that is marked with the same genre title. 

Edited by buddha4281
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13 minutes ago, buddha4281 said:

Gonna get hate for this but... The Mercury Program is not a math rock band. They are more straight forward Tortoise influenced post rock. Sorrryyyyy. Maybe their first LP but outside of that, no no no.  

 

"The View From This Tower" by Faraquet is technically post hardcore, but you seriously cannot argue it influenced SO MANY math rock bands with the guitar playing. Something to look into. If you are into the more Don Cab/A Minor Forest/etc style, I cant recommend the Lynx LP enough. One of the guitarists is in Battles now. And the bassist was in a shit ton of awesome post hardcore bands.

Will check out Lynx, thanks for the suggestion.

By definition, Mercury may not be math rock.  But I think we're speaking more about sounds and textures than true genre lineage.  Tommy's post in particular, for ADLTL, contains what my brain affiliates with midwestern emo.  It'd be like someone calling Cap'n Jazz math rock – I could see where they were coming from, sonically, and wouldn't argue it.  I will concede that Mercury Program are 100% closer to the likes of Tortoise than something like Hella or Tera Melos, but but as far as the "ear" for this stuff is concerned, I wouldn't be surprised if the general population of RYM, Last.fm, etc. all tagged Mercury as math rock.

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8 hours ago, Derek™ said:

Everyone is sleeping on Totorro, out of France.  A little less metal influenced than either of the above bands, if that’s your cup of tea.

SERIOUSLY! I love these guys. And I really love how they approach the genre. Just playing together. Nothing too crazy. But still great.  And honestly pretty upbeat and happy. Which doesnt always happen

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1 minute ago, Derek™ said:

I will concede that Mercury Program are 100% closer to the likes of Tortoise than something like Hella or Tera Melos, but but as far as the "ear" for this stuff is concerned, I wouldn't be surprised if the general population of RYM, Last.fm, etc. all tagged Mercury as math rock.

Its almost like different sides of the same coin honestly. there is so much bleed over, etc. that I know Post Rock and Math Rock are used for the same bands pretty regularly. So yeah its all down to opinion with some of the stuff that isnt super blatant (Hella, Planets, etc) . Hell, I know when i first heard ASIWYFA, I just thought they were mathy post rock. haha. :-X

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9 minutes ago, Derek™ said:

It'd be like someone calling Cap'n Jazz math rock – I could see where they were coming from, sonically, and wouldn't argue it. 

Speaking of Cap'n Jazz, can we all admit that modern Math Rock would not be where it is without OWLS. fuck. i cant believe i forgot them. haha. cause whether its TTNG or T/T/T, those players guitar styles owe a shit ton to stuff Victor put out on that first Owls LP. Ghost & Vodka are rad, but his guitar lines on Owls are just next level IMO

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So much good stuff I need to check out in this thread. 

 

Also, sadly defunct, but in a similar kind of happy vibe math rock https://youslut.bandcamp.com/album/critical-meat (there's an LP of this floating about that has this and another slamming album on it - cost effective!)

 

Edit: also this one particular Enemies album https://enemiesmusic.bandcamp.com/album/embark-embrace-2

Edited by whoa
ENEMIEZ
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46 minutes ago, whoa said:

So much good stuff I need to check out in this thread. 

 

Also, sadly defunct, but in a similar kind of happy vibe math rock https://youslut.bandcamp.com/album/critical-meat (there's an LP of this floating about that has this and another slamming album on it - cost effective!)

 

Edit: also this one particular Enemies album https://enemiesmusic.bandcamp.com/album/embark-embrace-2

I support both of these choices so much that I physically own copies of each, hah.  Good calls.  The YS! record has their debut S/T on one side, and Critical Meat on the other... and I can't decide which one I like more.  Wish they'd still write more tunes.

 

If for some reason you've never listened to Foals, Antidotes is the perfect blend of noodly, mathy guitar lines, pop sensibilities, and hook after hook.  It's a consistent record through and through, and personally my favorite thing they've ever written.

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2 hours ago, Derek™ said:

If for some reason you've never listened to Foals, Antidotes is the perfect blend of noodly, mathy guitar lines, pop sensibilities, and hook after hook.  It's a consistent record through and through, and personally my favorite thing they've ever written.

I knew the agreement phase would pass haha.  As far as mathy licks go I definitely agree this album qualifies but as far as compared to the rest of their catalogue I just can’t click with this one.  It doesn’t help I’ve only been listening to Foals since last year & got into them because of ‘What Went Down’, but I just don’t like Yannis’ vocals at all on ‘Antidotes’.  Gave the whole album a listen again yesterday & I prefer everything else ahead of it.  

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2 hours ago, ganaar7575 said:

That Rooftops record jams.  You can hear some deep Minus the Bear influence throughout it.

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I've been beat to so many good ones: +1 for Piglet, Totorro is also an underrated band - Home Alone is a flawless album. I'd also say check out Floral for some newer instrumental mathy-ness. Also, this may be a debated statement but if you're looking to ease in to the Don Cab kind of stuff, Pele (Tnahpele) - Elephant is amazing and hints at some of the same song dynamics/structures though not explicitly "math".

 

Tera Melos gets my biggest stamp of approval though, their EP Drugs to the Dear Youth is one of the albums that really pulled me into the genre, though I'm not as wild about their latest effort everything they put out before it is fantastic!

Edited by bluethumb
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